12310

Dana White dropped a hell of a bomb on the mixed martial arts world when he said Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce. This means the company now controls both the UFC and Strikeforce.

While Dana said that there were not any plans for crossover fights between the two companies, and the Strikeforce president (Scott Coker) would remain in charge of that promotion, the news is not that good for the mixed martial artists themselves.

With this purchase, Zuffa controls two of the big league MMA promotions. What that means, for fighters, is that Zuffa controls the majority of large contracts in the mixed martial arts world.

Imagine this scenario. Zuffa drops what they are paying fighters. We'll use a baseline figure of a 100,000 dollar UFC contract. Zuffa says to the UFC to drop that contract in half. What is the fighter going to do? He can't go to Strikeforce because they are Zuffa's as well.

Where does he go? Bellator?

I fear the only chances the fighters have are to unionize. I fear some of the darkest times for fighters are yet to come.

What do you think? Should we be concerned for the fighters? Should the fighters be concerned for themselves? Discuss away.

Well, you won't have multiple sanctioning bodies like boxing. With no competition Zuffa can really do as it likes, except that if they piss off too many fighters, a competitor could re-enter the marketplace.

Perhaps part of keeping Coker on, was so that they could tap into his matchmaking/negotiating skills, and reap the rewards...rather than leave him out there, now with full pockets...to start up another promotion...

Absorb, what you can't destroy or beat.

I'd rather see Strikeforce bought, than fold, and this is a sure sign that the buzz created by the HW tourney, was getting to Zuffa, to where they couldn't counterprogram it to death, without negative PR. This way, all the excitement stays, and the F-brothers get to enjoy the rewards.

A fighter's union is what's needed now. That way, Zuffa owning all the contracts, doesn't mean they own the fighters entirely....these guys need to all make a living, not just the top 5%. I predict Herschel Walker will be the man to get it going. He's hinted at such, and nothing would make me happier. I don't like to think of my friends who eat from fighting, having no options.

If they pull all of the youtube footage, I'm going to flip. That's my biggest concern right now.

I am concerned for the female athletes. I don't think the UFC has any plans to include women's fighting. This merger will limit opportunities for female athletes.

I think they may keep both leagues for some time. They have a different feel, and temperament....so perhaps they want to get the best of both presentations. I'm trying to feel good about this, and hopefully we'll get some inter-promotion fights, or a once-a-year top guy vs top guy superfight....eventually.

Potential upside, Strikeforce will get shown in the bars so I don't have to order a new TV channel.

There's a lot of potential upside. I just fear that the fighters' need for proper pay, is about to be **** on. Other than that, it's mostly upside. I'm very torn, on this.

Strikeforce is already seeing a bump, from the UFC pumping them (figuratively not literally). I want to be excited...but I also hope there are some Japanese promoters, and deep-pockets-fight organizers, that will step up, and compete, so the fighters who are in the UFC, have some leverage.

That or a fighters' Union.