Very shortly after a UFC announcement where Dana White, the organization's president, informed us that he couldn't facilitate a deal with Fedor Emelianenko, competitor Strikeforce has successfully pried Fedor away from the UFC.
Strikeforce made the announcement on Monday, letting the public know that top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko would be fighting under the Strikeforce umbrella going forward, with the expectation that his first fight will take place within the next 90 days. Both Fedor and Strikeforce stand to benefit from this arrangement.
Strikeforce scores major points in the credibility department with the addition of Fedor (one of the world's greatest fighters) to its lineup. Additionally, securing the involvement of M-1 opens up an entirely new book of possibilities for the organization.
M-1 can only bring good things to the table for Strikeforce. Always outpowered by UFC, the household name in the industry, the cooperation of M-1 should help Strikeforce to gain strength in the MMA world. With UFC's alliance with Affliction, Strikeforce really had no choice but to give things a shot with M-1.
For Fedor, he has the opportunity to ply his trade in front of a national pay-channel audience, not just a PPV crowd that is wary of plunking down $40 just to see him. The opportunity for exposure - especially if Strikeforce can work the CBS angle - has certainly increased for him. Not as much potentially as if he inked with the UFC but still better than a few months ago.
It will come down to competition and for Strikeforce to be aggressive in signing talented heavyweights to challenge Fedor. There are some intriguing names for him to match up against (Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers and perhaps Josh Barnett), but Strikeforce needs more talent in that division to create some legitimate challenges for what could be a dominated weight class within the next year.
As for UFC? You can be sure they've got something up their sleeve. Dana White is a fighter, and is likely plotting his counterattack as we speak. White will never back down to a threat, and this is no exception here.
If you thought his rant on Fedor Friday was a bit much, just wait until about what you're going to hear now. White has publicly said good things about Strikeforce, but that is about to change. The war is coming and casualties should be expected.
Strikeforce made the announcement on Monday, letting the public know that top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko would be fighting under the Strikeforce umbrella going forward, with the expectation that his first fight will take place within the next 90 days. Both Fedor and Strikeforce stand to benefit from this arrangement.
Strikeforce scores major points in the credibility department with the addition of Fedor (one of the world's greatest fighters) to its lineup. Additionally, securing the involvement of M-1 opens up an entirely new book of possibilities for the organization.
M-1 can only bring good things to the table for Strikeforce. Always outpowered by UFC, the household name in the industry, the cooperation of M-1 should help Strikeforce to gain strength in the MMA world. With UFC's alliance with Affliction, Strikeforce really had no choice but to give things a shot with M-1.
For Fedor, he has the opportunity to ply his trade in front of a national pay-channel audience, not just a PPV crowd that is wary of plunking down $40 just to see him. The opportunity for exposure - especially if Strikeforce can work the CBS angle - has certainly increased for him. Not as much potentially as if he inked with the UFC but still better than a few months ago.
It will come down to competition and for Strikeforce to be aggressive in signing talented heavyweights to challenge Fedor. There are some intriguing names for him to match up against (Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers and perhaps Josh Barnett), but Strikeforce needs more talent in that division to create some legitimate challenges for what could be a dominated weight class within the next year.
As for UFC? You can be sure they've got something up their sleeve. Dana White is a fighter, and is likely plotting his counterattack as we speak. White will never back down to a threat, and this is no exception here.
If you thought his rant on Fedor Friday was a bit much, just wait until about what you're going to hear now. White has publicly said good things about Strikeforce, but that is about to change. The war is coming and casualties should be expected.
About the Author:
Artie Sullenberger is an MMA addict. He watches both UFC and Strikeforce, and is thrilled to see both organizations growing as they have. He consistently contributes to his favorite sports forum at RootZoo, a top sports community.
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