FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Roundtables ROUNDTABLE (pt. 3 of 3): Would it be better for MMA for Strikeforce to grow or go out of business? Keller, Walker, Shelby, Matthew, Teal, Schwartzbard

Mar 3, 2010 - 11:33:14 AM

Would you prefer Strikeforce in two years was out of business, close to UFC's equal (in revenue, ratings, buyrates, talent roster), or had surpassed UFC (assuming UFC stays static in the mean time)? Why?

WESLEY WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Strikeforce out of business would be a great thing for MMA. If the UFC would be the only high level MMA organization there would be no competition for the best fighters in the world and we would avoid the biggest problem in boxing. The biggest problem that boxing has run into is that the biggest fights in the sport will never happen because there is too many organizations.

Also, MMA works because there ARE not a hundred different belts unlike boxing where fighters are the WBA Middleweight Champion and the WBO Heavyweight Champion and the SI Champion. The biggest thing Strikeforce has to realize is there are MMA fans and UFC fans. Most UFC fans will never know when a Strikeforce fight has occurred and that’s why no other organization can succeed like the UFC and make the money necessary to survive.

TOBEN SHELBY, MMATORCH AUDIO COHOST

It would be great if Strikeforce was a solid competitor to the UFC in a few years. Strong competition for the UFC would benefit fighters and fans, as both would know there are two stable and successful organizations to go to for solid fights. More quality MMA is hard to argue against. Hopefully Strikeforce can get to a point where that’s what it’s consistently producing. Of course, it would also be nice to see all the top talent under one roof.

SAM MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

From a fan’s standpoint, I would love to see Strikeforce be on equal playing ground with the UFC. This kind of competition would mean less expensive PPVs and more free fights for the spectators. In addition, the lack of a monopoly would allow fighters in both divisions to get paid the kind of money they should be earning for the work they put in, the kind of cash that pro boxers still get in a sport that's dying out fast.

BOB TEAL, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I would definitely like to see Strikeforce rival the UFC in every way. The reason is simple; it could only improve the sport overall. The NFL didn’t become truly great until the AFL came along to challenge their supremacy. The same premise goes here. The UFC would be forced to try to out promote their rivals, plus competition is always a good thing for the consumer. It generally end up with you getting more bang for your buck.

ADAM SCHWARTZBARD, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I would like to see Strikeforce continue to put on quality shows and maintain its status in the MMA world. I do not necessarily want it to surpass the UFC, but I like there being another organization that has top fighters and putting on worthwhile shows.

WADE KELLER, SUPERVISING EDITOR

Having two thriving promotions is ideal, as long as fighters don't sign such long-term contracts with one group that they can't slip over to the other group in their prime for a dream fight. I even think UFC benefits from the building up of anticipation for a fight that viewers think they "can't have." There's an adrenaline rush that comes from a fighter's contract with one group expiring and moving over to the other for fresh competition.

Also, until fighters are unionized or have some sort of collective bargaining representation, a healthy vibrant competitor such as Strikeforce keeps Dana White honest. There's the lowest amount he can justify paying fighters and live with himself and feel he can look fighters in the eye with a straight face and say he's being fair, but once Strikeforce bids for free agents fighters, suddenly that "fair cut of the revenue" that goes to fighters magically goes up. The threat of a top fighter being able to get big fights that could elevate Strikeforce also keeps UFC from essentially blackballing a fighter because of politics or because, say, he looked at Dana the wrong way one day or whatever. It's just better for fighters.

The fact is, with or without competition, there are going to plenty of great fights to keep everyone entertained and there will always be fights that will never happen due to timing issues, friendship or camp issues, or too long of a line of other contenders. So with or without Strikeforce, we won't see every dream fight anyway. As long there are no lifetime contracts, if a fight that's big enough to draw huge exists, let UFC and Strikeforce try to outbid each other to make that fight possible.

Also, they'll each have their own method of promoting and presenting fights. We're more apt to get more innovative presentations of fights if the no. 2 group is thinking outside the box to try to get the fanbase's attention. Although it's not a big deal, it's also nice to hear different announcers.

While other sports don't have competition, that's mainly a reference to team sports where it's impractical for a whole team to jump from one organization for another. But it's no problem for one fighter to switch from one group to another and back again. Since fights are one-on-one and fighters usually fight one to three times a year, it's not as if a fighter being in Strikeforce for three years and UFC for four years after leads to any less of an intriguing mix of fights than if that fighter were in one group or the other the whole time.

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