I awoke Saturday morning to the news that the UFC has bought main competitor Strikeforce giving them a monopoly on top-level MMA considering the collapse of Japanese promotions Sengoku and DREAM. I took a couple of days to think about this before writing this piece on the winners and losers in the deal.
Winners
Fans of superfights – At some point, there will be some big superfights between the best fighters in the two promotions. We will get to enjoy them.
Low-level UFC fighters – Some UFC fighters who need more seasoning can now be sent over to Strikeforce instead of being cut. It just gives them more opportunities to make it in the big show.
Current Strikeforce fighters – There is now a possible road to the UFC if they want it and there are now likely to be performance bonuses the likes of which they have not been receiving before
Losers
Mid-level fighters – There is now no negotiating leverage once its time to renegotiate. Jake Shields and Dan Henderson type fighters are just not getting the type of deals they got in the process of switching organizations anymore and anyone else who wants a big raise like that isn't getting it.
Fighters on the UFC blacklist – Paul Daley and Josh Barnett have a home, for now. Once the assumed UFC absorption of Strikeforce once the Showtime contracts expire happens, these guys are pretty much done in high-level MMA.
Showtime – The executives at Showtime hate Dana White and now they have to work with him. This is a bad day for them.
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