Tuesday, March 15, 2011

When it comes to business matters in sports there is very little that can be chalked up to mere coincidence. The timing around the recent purchase of Strikeforce, by mixed martial arts giant Zuffa LLC may be a very calculated move. Given the timing of the transaction and the number of potential dollars at stake it would appear that Zuffa, with mixed martial arts organizations Strikeforce and Ultimate Fighting Championship are gambling on a drawn out work stoppage between the NFL and its players union.

On March 19, 2011, New York's own Jon Jones will face his toughest challenge yet when he squares off against current 205 pound kingpin Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jones has the opportunity to become the youngest light heavyweight champion in UFC history and change the MMA landscape as it currently stands. Showcasing his rise up the ladder, Spike TV is premiering their "UFC Presents: In The Moment" television special to introduce the world to one of the brightest young fighters in the sport today.

With the questions and speculation mounting in the wake of Zuffa’s purchase of rival promotion Strikeforce, the biggest questions surround what will happen with M-1 co-promotions and in particularly Fedor Emelianenko. MMA Spot went directly to the head of M-1 Global to seek out those answers.

Monday, March 14, 2011

This past weekend, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani broke "story of the year" caliber news by having Dana White announce the purchase of Strikeforce by UFC parent company, Zuffa, LLC. After the initial shock from MMA fans, analysts and industry insiders, many were left with an exorbitant amount of questions as to what exactly this meant for the sport. Hoping to clear some aspects of the deal up, Zuffa Owner Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC President Dana White and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker were on hand today for a media teleconference. What follows are some relevant quotes from the call.

As the fallout and speculation continues regarding Zuffa LLC’s recent acquisition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s only significant rival, Strikeforce, various industry players, fighters, and pundits have offered their opinion on the effect the shakeup will have on the future of the sport—as well as the role and possibility for competition left available for the remaining mixed martial arts promotions. The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts’ Head of Business Development Liam Fisher recently offered his take on the ever-changing MMA playing field. 

Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC, which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand, announced today that it has purchased the assets of Explosion Entertainment, LLC dba Strikeforce. Under the terms of the deal, all Strikeforce fighter contracts will be honored, as will its broadcast agreement with Showtime Networks, Inc. Strikeforce will continue to operate as a separate business and current Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has signed a long-term employment agreement with the company.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

The results are in for the opening round of Bellator Fighting Championships’ season four lightweight tournament. The event took place live from the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, La., Saturday night, and included four tournament bouts and three local feature fights. Remarkably, all seven matches avoided the judges’ scorecards, with a total of three submissions and four technical knockouts for the evening.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

In a move that stunned many in the industry, Zuffa LLC, has purchased their biggest rival Strikeforce. The news was first put out to the public by UFC President Dana White in a video interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. In the interview White states, “I don't want to disclose any of the details on how the deal was done, but the reality is that we now own Strikeforce.” While the move was sudden and unexpected, reports have surfaced that the negotiations have been ongoing for a few months, as Strikeforce was negotiating with both Zuffa and ProElite, who once controlled the now defunct EliteXC.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Former UFC lightweight title contender Hermes Franca continues his effort to reclaim his spot among lightweight contenders, signing a contract with Canadian MMA promotion Maximum Fighting Championship. Pending approval from the Athletic Comission, Franca is expected to face Drew Fickett on April 8 at "MFC 29: Conquer" from the Colosseum at Caesar's Windsor in Windsor, Ontario.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Eight rounds have not been enough to settle the score between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and number one contender Gray Maynard. On Memorial Day weekend, they will get five more to prove to the world who the top 155-pound fighter in mixed martial arts truly is, as they meet for the third time in the main event of "UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III," live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 28, 2011 and presented by Bud Light.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is pleased to announce the remaining bouts for its return trip to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on March 19. The UFC again brings a star-studded lineup to New Jersey featuring must-see matchups in every division. Having already announced the blockbuster headliner of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defending his UFC light heavyweight championship against Jon “Bones” Jones and a co-main event featuring Urijah “The California Kid” Faber taking on Eddie Wineland in a battle at bantamweight, the UFC confirms 10 additional bouts for "UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones."

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Back in 2007, in the build-up to Dan Henderson’s title unification fight with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one of the trainers interviewed for the UFC preview show described Dan Henderson as a “modern day cowboy.” Upon reflection, perhaps there is no better way to describe this long-time elite fighter. One would be hard-pressed to find a more well respected older fighter in the game today than the former multi-division world champion.