UFC
Dana White says UFC-Strikeforce fights will happen, it's just a matter of when
Mar 14, 2011 - 7:15:35 PM Dana White says UFC-Strikeforce fights will happen, it's just a matter of when

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Zuffa's acquisition of Strikeforce remains in its earliest stages, with all sides expressing that, at least for the time being, things will be "business as usual" for both companies. But it's clear that while they may not have a solid plan in place as to their course of action with the newly overtaken fighter contracts, fights between fighters currently in Strikeforce and those in the UFC is something that will happen down the line.

In a media conference call on Monday, UFC President Dana White stated that it comes down to the fans and what the fans want to see.

"I wouldn't count anything out," White said about potential super fights between Strikeforce and UFC Champs. "I wouldn't say no to anything. Listen, at the end of the day, what we want to do is put on the best fights the fans want to see. That's our job."

"If there's an interest and the fans want to see it, as Dana says, that's what we do," chimed in Zuffa owner Lorenzo Fertitta.

Scott Coker was asked during the call whether this was a positive deal for Strikeforce, and while he didn't fully answer the question, he fell on the side of "we'll see the fights fans want to see."

"When you think about the history of mixed martial arts and where it's come from and where it's gone, I'm really proud of the accomplishments that we have made over the last two years. Showtime's been great partners," Coker said. "But this is something that's going on now. It's real. I think the fans are going to get to see the fights, eventually, that they want to see. And I think that it's going to be good for mixed martial arts."

"I think it's exciting," White said about the acquisition. "I think that Scott's got some interesting stuff coming up. As time goes on, we'll see how everything shakes out. I just think there's going to be more interest in the fight. We'll see what happens."

As for the question of whether Strikeforce and UFC fighters would face each other at the top levels, White again reiterated that it's just a matter of time.

"Will these guys never face each other? No. Our job is to make sure the fans get the fights that they want to see," he said. "It's just a matter of when. We'll see what happens."

Penick's Analysis: While they won't outright say it, the reality of the situation is that as soon as they're able to bring over the fighters from Strikeforce that they want in the UFC that's precisely what they'll do. The next move is Showtime's, because they will need to decide whether or not they want to continue on with their relationship with Strikeforce with the UFC at the helm. If there's not a long term future in Strikeforce, and they aren't going to come to an agreement with the UFC to air UFC programming, then they may not want to put more time and effort into Strikeforce on their network going forward. If that ends up happening, a lot of these fighters will come over a lot sooner than later. But these are all things that still need to play out, and so it's "business as usual" until a few dominos start falling. When that begins is anyone's guess, but it's bound to happen in the relatively near future.

[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]