The world of Mixed Martial Arts was caught by a spinning backfist when Dana White, the man at the forefront of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and its parent company Zuffa, announced early Saturday March 12, 2010 that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce, the UFC's stiffest competition in North America.
Through a video interview with Ariel Helwari posted on MMAFighting.com, Dana White made the purchase official to the fans. He stated several factors for the purchase, mainly the expansion of the UFC's talent pool in order to succeed with international ventures the UFC has planned for its future. He also stated that the negotiation process was fairly quick and that it will be “business as usual” for the Strikeforce brand. All remaining contracts and obligations by Strikeforce will be honored and Larry Coker will remain as head of Strikeforce.
Reaction has been mixed to the merger. Some call it a UFC monopoly on the sport, others are excited for the possible mega match-ups that are now possible. Paul Daley, who is currently slated to fight Nick Diaz on April 9 for Diaz' welterweight belt under the Strikeforce banner, is threatening to pull out citing past personal issues with Dana White and the UFC. Paul Daley was banned from the UFC after punching Josh Koscheck after the final bell in his last UFC fight.
I think it will take some time before we see the true impact the buyout has on the sport of MMA. Strikeforce still has two years worth of contracts and TV deals. For the fans, I think the end result will be positive. The UFC will have most if not all the top talent in every weight class at its disposal to put together the match-ups fans yearn for. Fedor vs. Couture, Overeem vs. Velasquez and many others are now a possibility. Unfortunately, it will be the fighters themselves who will suffer. Now they will have limited availability to seek high paying employment and exposure. The UFC will also not be able to hire every fighter available so roster cuts will have to be made. Lastly, this also gives the UFC ultimate discretion on pay scales for fighters.
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