UFC – Strikeforce Purchase: Shocking News
By Sean Farrell
The UFC has long been the big dog in mixed martial arts and guess what they solidified that today Zuffa LLC, owner and operator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has agreed in principle to purchase Strikeforce the UFC’s biggest rival promotion, and essentially its lone remaining competitor in the mixed martial arts market.
UFC president Dana White said that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce. An announcement could come as soon as Monday. Negotiations have been going on for months between representatives for Zuffa and Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment. Silicon Valley in 2008 had agreed to a partnership with Strikeforce’s parent company, West Coast Entertainment, a San created by Scott Coker in 1985.
The extent to which Coker, the current Strikeforce CEO, played in the negotiations are not known as Coker did not respond to requests for comment.Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, which has a long-term broadcasting deal with Strikeforce, declined through a representative to comment as well.
With UFC now holding every major mixed martial arts fighter on the planet there is no rival and the UFC will become a mainstay and possibly end up as a credible “league” like the other major sports in the United States. MMA has officially become “mainstream” and its just a matter of time before it is on every major network.