· BAMMA Comments On UFC’s Acquisition Of Strikeforce
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’ (BAMMA) Head of Business Development Liam Fisher recently offered his take on the ever-changing MMA playing field.
In a press release issued today, Fisher submitted the following comments:
Whether I look at this as an MMA fan or a representative of BAMMA, it’s definitely a game changer, but a positive thing for us. There’s going to be some fighters that want to work with the UFC again and this is their way to do that but there’s also going to be some fighters that can’t or won’t work with them and this is where we come in. BAMMA is not only a breeding ground for new talent but we’re also a place for more established fighters to compete at a high level in big arenas on live globally broadcasted shows.
Strikeforce have contractual obligations to fulfill so until they’re done, I don’t think anything is really going to change but for the fighters that can’t or won’t work with the UFC, this does limit their career progression in the short term. I’ve seen Paul Daley’s comments on our Facebook page and whatever Paul chooses to do, he knows he always has a home at BAMMA. Paul has been incredibly supportive of BAMMA from the start and we are proud to have him on our shows.
I think the implications of the UFC/Strikeforce deal are more focused on North America than anywhere else. Strikeforce recently signed in to a PPV deal in the U.K. but traditionally, we’re not a PPV nation. There’s too much good sport on TV for free, added to the fact that MMA is still an emerging sport in the U.K. BAMMA brings in more viewers than Strikeforce do in the States and we wouldn’t even dream about doing a PPV in the U.K.
None of this scares or worries us and I don’t think it puts an end to the MMA business. Strikeforce wanted the money and they took it but that doesn’t change the sport one bit, it just means the biggest brand within the sport just got a little bit bigger, and someone got a little bit richer. Just remember, for every Microsoft there needs to be an Apple.
