The UFC's quest to secure the rights to Fedor Emelianenko was a failed one, as indicated just days ago by UFC president Dana White. Strikeforce saw an opportunity to take advantage of such a situation, and succeeded in doing so.
Recent news has revealed that heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko will now joining the Strikeforce roster, with his first fight set to take place later this fall. Both Fedor and Strikeforce benefit, making this a clear win-win.
Emelianenko is pleased due to Strikeforce's willingness to allow M-1 to co-promote the fights; this was the deal-breaker with UFC due to Dana White's unwillingness to allow this. Strikeforce gets a major name in the MMA world, and adds instant credibility to the brand with Fedor's involvement, not to mention a virtual guarantee of an increase in viewers. UFC and Strikeforce Set to Go to War
Strikeforce had everything to gain by making this deal. Every name like Fedor that it can attract scores the organization some credibility points with MMA fans. Strikeforce gets some free assistance from M-1, which should serve as a helping hand in promoting these fights.
Fedor will now maintain a presence on Showtime, rather than just a pay-per-view arrangement, as he had with the UFC. This will increase his audience, as more casual MMA fans not willing to pay per fight will have a chance to see the heavyweight in action. Strikeforce also has an affiliation with CBS, which would be even bigger in terms of numbers.
From here, it's in Strikeforce's hands to use Fedor as a building block. If the organization can successfully recruit more top heavyweights to fight with Fedor (otherwise his matches may be boring), Strikeforce could easily gain a leg up on UFC in its quest to match the behemoth. While there are already a few talented fighters enlisted with Strikeforce (i.e. Brett Rogers and Alistair Overeem), Strikeforce still needs to add to the depth of its heavyweight division.
Don't count on UFC to lay down and be walked on either. Dana White's track record gives us every indication that he'll fight back with some moves that assert his organization as the industry leader.
And that's not all. White will most definitely have some words for Strikeforce. While the relationship has been friendly on the surface in the past, things are about to get ugly from here.
Recent news has revealed that heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko will now joining the Strikeforce roster, with his first fight set to take place later this fall. Both Fedor and Strikeforce benefit, making this a clear win-win.
Emelianenko is pleased due to Strikeforce's willingness to allow M-1 to co-promote the fights; this was the deal-breaker with UFC due to Dana White's unwillingness to allow this. Strikeforce gets a major name in the MMA world, and adds instant credibility to the brand with Fedor's involvement, not to mention a virtual guarantee of an increase in viewers. UFC and Strikeforce Set to Go to War
Strikeforce had everything to gain by making this deal. Every name like Fedor that it can attract scores the organization some credibility points with MMA fans. Strikeforce gets some free assistance from M-1, which should serve as a helping hand in promoting these fights.
Fedor will now maintain a presence on Showtime, rather than just a pay-per-view arrangement, as he had with the UFC. This will increase his audience, as more casual MMA fans not willing to pay per fight will have a chance to see the heavyweight in action. Strikeforce also has an affiliation with CBS, which would be even bigger in terms of numbers.
From here, it's in Strikeforce's hands to use Fedor as a building block. If the organization can successfully recruit more top heavyweights to fight with Fedor (otherwise his matches may be boring), Strikeforce could easily gain a leg up on UFC in its quest to match the behemoth. While there are already a few talented fighters enlisted with Strikeforce (i.e. Brett Rogers and Alistair Overeem), Strikeforce still needs to add to the depth of its heavyweight division.
Don't count on UFC to lay down and be walked on either. Dana White's track record gives us every indication that he'll fight back with some moves that assert his organization as the industry leader.
And that's not all. White will most definitely have some words for Strikeforce. While the relationship has been friendly on the surface in the past, things are about to get ugly from here.
About the Author:
Artie Sullenberger is a mixed martial arts addict. He watches both UFC and Strikeforce, and is thrilled to see both organizations growing as they have. He regularly reports MMA news at his favorite sports forum at RootZoo, a leading sports community.
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