WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce

[Spiritwalker]

So.. the 800Lb Gorilla has purchased all 3...

PRIDE was never a mainstream company in the states.... UFC bought them.. and has/had all of the "best of the best" from their roster.... and the UFC gained some cool fighters.. some LHWs, HWs, and MWs that are great additions... and a bunch of fighters were/are left hanging in the wind...

WEC (IMO.. at the time the biggest threat to the UFC.. and by that I mean "snowballs chance)... was getting better and better.... good shows.. some REALLY great LW fighters.. and smaller.. THIS was the place for the smaller fighers.... UFC bought them.. and has/had all of the "best of the best" from their roster.... and the UFC gained some great additions... and a bunch of fighters were/are left hanging in the wind...

Strikeforce...has really good productions..crappy announcers.... really good fighters..(some former UFC guys and some fighters that Dana has wanted in the UFC) UFC bought them.. and has access all of the "best of the best" from their roster....(with the exception of Fedor it seems....and honestly do we really care anymore?) and the UFC gained some cool fighters..

We all know that "most likely" by the end of the year.. or this time next year... Strikeforce will be gone...it's there now pretty much in name only.. we will definitely see UFC and Strikeforce fighters.. fighting on each others cards.. I believe... Womens MMA is going no where.. it will stay in Strikeforce.. I would like to see it in the UFC.. but maybe not.. I can live with that .. I guess...

What I want to see now is.. that Strikeforce NOT go away.. stay on Showtime... and become the "farm league".. or maybe a place for fighters on a skid to go to fight.. and still be associated with the UFC.

thoughts?

[F34R]

I think we're going to see the UFC eventually do away with the SF brand, and only keep the best fighters. These "farm" leagues, or "skid" zones, aren't profitable and will be gone within a year.

Mark my words... the only thing this purchase did was eliminate the competition

[3dlee]

I think(and by think I mean i havent done the neccesary research so plz correct me if im wrong) that the UFC could profit from using a big name like Strikeforce to REALLY make it a farm league. As in PRO/AM fights. They could start a webpage and charge a monthly fee and that be the only way to watch those fights live without actually being there. Thus keeping production values down whilst keeping their thumb on all of the up and coming mixed martial artists. It could be a grand investment for em. Hell, they could even partner with M1 or some •••• to keep production that much further down. I mean, who wouldnt pay $45 for a good seat at a local show with Strikeforce/M-1 Presents: Joe Smoe vs Tim Weinershnitzel or some kinda state to state or national Pro and Amateur grand prix per wieght class.


This of course will never happen, but I think itd be a great idea. The local shows around here arent all that great and I think itd definitley be improved by such a thing. When they had Andre Arlovski here signing autographs the fights sold out after going Standing room only.

[atomdanger]

I was under the impression that SF has 18 more months of contract with Showtime.