Strike MMA World with Force
In 2008, MMA fighters outside of the UFC began seeing their options in North America diminish, as a number of MMA promotions went out of business. Organizations such as BoDog Fight, TKO, IFL and Pro Elite, the parent company of Icon Sport and Elite XC had become defunct. With the demise of Pro Elite came forth controversy, as the promotion refused to release Elite XC fighters from their contracts, stating that a show would take place sometime in 2009. Well, its 2009 and a show will in fact take place for some Elite XC fighters, but not under Pro Elite.
Last week, Scott Coker’s Strikeforce promotion garnered Elite XC’s video library, as well as fighter’s contracts from Pro Elite. In addition, they also managed to gain Pro Elite’s deal with CBS and Showtime. This means that Strikeforce can now televise its programming on two major stations and expand their product to the masses. What does all this mean for the sport of MMA? For starters, it means that Strikeforce could become a major competitor against the UFC. With up to sixteen live events per year and possibly four primetime events on CBS, Strikeforce has silently fought its way into mainstream television.
It took time to get to where they are now, but Strikeforce had the right approach, building a successful promotion takes patience (something other promoters should have taken into consideration). Coker’s Strikeforce managed to put together admirable cards by pushing young talent, and reaching out to veteran fighters who could still put on a show (i.e. Baroni & Buentello) all without having to dish out the big dollars for top draws. In doing this, they elevated and rejuvenated the careers of notables like Josh Thompson and Frank Shamrock, who are now the main event attractions for the brand.
Notwithstanding Strikeforce’s current efforts, the UFC will continue to maintain its spot as the number one promotion, while Affliction will endure its competition with the MMA juggernaut (UFC) for that top spot (but when your payroll is 3.3 million, you’d better sell those shirts for $80 a pop and put uncle Trump’s name on that ring if you want to keep up). Presently the top promotion is so far ahead of everyone. So why not aim to be the alternative? This is exactly what Strikeforce could become, the number two MMA promotion out there. This would be excellent for the sport, because it gives fighters a much needed second option. There’s nothing wrong with a little competition in MMA, in fact it’s beneficial. If fighters have the option to move to different organizations, they can continue to showcase their skill and remain relevant in their respective divisions in promotions that will remain afloat. Moreover, it will allow them to increase their experience by facing opponents they would otherwise not have the chance (or pleasure) to face. From a fighters stand point, the freedom to fight for a different promotion is attractive; it increases their reputation and extra pay days don’t hurt either. For the fans, it allows them to see their favourite fighters take on competitors from other promotions (i.e. Emelianenko versus Lindland BoDog Fight Clash of the Nations). If promoters are in competition they strive to outdo each other, and hopefully in doing so, the fans will reap the rewards in terms of getting the most out of a pay-per-view event.
It has been said that April 11th 2009 will mark the promotion’s first event, it’s rumored that Benji Radach will take on Scott Smith and Frank Shamrock will headline the event. Here’s a thought, with Shamrock in the main event, the one match that comes to mind is a rematch between Shamrock and current Strikeforce Middleweight champion Cung Lee (Team AKA). Their first bout was an entertaining stand up war and if a rematch were to take place on CBS, one could imagine that casual fans would be hooked and Strikeforce would unquestionably make an impact. Aside from Shamrock, there are several other fighters who are equally established main eventers. Fighters currently under the Strikeforce banner include Allistair Overeem, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Josh Thompson and Cung Lee; but with the addition of talent, the new Strikeforce roster could include Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Rafael Feijao, Jake Shields and Gina Carano (Imagine the great match ups that could be made with these additions to Strikeforce, or any promotion for that matter). One of the similarities those fighters share, is the fact that they know how to sell themselves and their fights (i.e. Shamrock, Babalu, Diaz). Having mouthpieces in each division is one of the major benefits for the promotion, especially when trying to appeal to the casual viewer. Charismatic personalities who can also put on a good fight are an added bonus and in this case, Strikeforce can hit the jackpot. With a talent filled roster, we can only expect several mind-blowing match-ups in the future. As Strikeforce becomes a contender in the world of MMA, the future of the sport certainly looks a lot brighter in 2009 than it did in 2008.
