ZUFFA does it again! 11/3 Strikeforce cancelled, no more SF shows for 2012

[EmpireWF]

People don't realize it, but a big key moving forward is Bellator really taking off an succeeding on Spike. If Viacom gets behind Bellator strong, that type of competition is good for everybody, because they will push UFC, and in the end, the fans win, and the fighters win if they have viable options to make real money.

Everybody knows it dude.

Been saying for years, Bellator could do well if they had a legit, stable TV presence. Not saying lightning will strike twice with Spike (not parallel situations since UFC had the absolute perfect lead in with RAW), but Bellator is going to be capable of becoming a property for the mainstream and casual MMA fan. It may be tougher than I suspect because the only times a non-UFC brand was able to do this was when a significant star was in play (Carano, Kimbo, Fedor, Rousey).

Not saying that means them doing 5 million viewers, but if Bellator can match or do better than TNA's base of 1 million, that's a good thing.

I suspect Spike will be blitzing ads like crazy by the end of the year and not just during TNA. Less we forget all those annoying UFC ads they unleashed whenever there was some stupid fight night.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Everybody knows it dude.

There are people out there who truly believe the sport would be better off if UFC was the only game in town. Lots of them. And i'm not talking casual fans who strictly watch UFC and don't even know Bellator or Strikeforce exist, i'm talking big time MMA fans who believe UFC should control it all.

[Steel Mamba]

I'm not really knocking Zuffa for Diaz/GSP never happening, i'm just saying that fans got caught up in the idea of Dream Fights and "MMA Superbowl" when the sale originally went down, and the fact is, dream fights rarely happen for one reason or another. We're still waiting for Fedor/Brock, Fedor/Overeem, A.Silva/GSP, Diaz/GSP, etc.

It wasnt all that long ago that you could watch UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM, Bellator, even throw in M1, I know as a fan I prefered the landscape back then as opposed to now when it's basically all Zuffa, producing shitty shows, cancelling left & right, etc. UFC gives us more free MMA now, that's a plus, but it's also a double edged sword because the multitude of shows waters everything down and one key injury on a show is crippling.

I just don't like the current landscape, its a rough period for the sport right now, and I saw it coming a mile away. People don't realize it, but a big key moving forward is Bellator really taking off an succeeding on Spike. If Viacom gets behind Bellator strong, that type of competition is good for everybody, because they will push UFC, and in the end, the fans win, and the fighters win if they have viable options to make real money.

It's not about dream fights, no one can argue that there's not more and better options for SF's top fighters in the UFC. Whether that's champ vs champ or simply top competitor vs top competitor. So why rob the fighters of that? These guys want to fight the best, period. You see how bad Gil has been wanting to get in the UFC, and he should stay in SF for what? The sake of fighting on a mat with a different logo on it?

It means nothing, the fights and the money is in the UFC for most of these guys.

I personally I just want to see good fights, I could care less who's promoting it. Also, the the solution to UFC's lackluster cards lately... Absorbing SF for more talent. Lol

And how will Bellator push the UFC and push them to do what? The game is over no one is ever going to be able to contend with the UFC. I want to see a strong #2, but no one is going to have the power to push the UFC on anything.

[Steel Mamba]

No one wants to see another league form to challenge the NFL with Brady in one league and Manning in the other. What happened after the merger there, was that bad for football? It's just a nostalgia thing in mma that leads to people wanting all these promotions. The ideal situation is getting the best fighters under one roof with a strong fighters union.

[Liquidrob]

Lol @ mamba still falling for "these guys want to fight the best, period"

Its money goofball, get it through your head, why do you think Gil signed with SF in the first place? Eddie to bellator? Guys going to PRIDE, Affliction, etc...

And1 taking gimmie fights at LHW, and so on

With that being said, when Zuffa bought SF I wanted them to just merge once they didn't want to really finish the GP because they had no interest in running SF

[SHOGUN]

Fighter unions w/ ZUFFA running things.

[Steel Mamba]

Lol @ mamba still falling for "these guys want to fight the best, period"

Its money goofball, get it through your head, why do you think Gil signed with SF in the first place? Eddie to bellator? Guys going to PRIDE, Affliction, etc...

And1 taking gimmie fights at LHW, and so on

With that being said, when Zuffa bought SF I wanted them to just merge once they didn't want to really finish the GP because they had no interest in running SF

I already mentioned money being a factor so I don't know where you're coming from on that. For the most part the top tier guys will earn more in the ufc than anywhere else.

[Steel Mamba]

Fighter unions w/ ZUFFA running things.

If the fighters wanted it to happen they could definitely force the situation. Problem is not many of them seem concerned about it, which leads me to believe that things aren't as bad as the fans make it out to be.

But if the fighters came together, held out if necessary it would get done. What's the UFC going to do without Jon Jones, GSP, Evans, Silva, JDS, Reem, etc. If enough of their draws and champs held out they'd have to talk.

[EmpireWF]

There will never be a fighters union.

[Warner2BruceTD]

If the fighters wanted it to happen they could definitely force the situation. Problem is not many of them seem concerned about it, which leads me to believe that things aren't as bad as the fans make it out to be.

But if the fighters came together, held out if necessary it would get done. What's the UFC going to do without Jon Jones, GSP, Evans, Silva, JDS, Reem, etc. If enough of their draws and champs held out they'd have to talk.

Jon Jones, GSP, Evans, Silva, JDS, Reem, etc have no need for a union, which is why it will never happen.

The union wouldn't be in place to protect those guys, it would be in place to protect the other 95%. And until the bottom 95% convince the stars to get on board for the sake of everyone, it will never happen. And those top stars are never going to walk because the prime earning years in MMA are usually short, and these guys are not going to give up seven & eight figure paydays so that a curtain jerker can't be cut after a loss.

[Steel Mamba]

Rampage, Tito, and a few others would disagree. There's something to be gained from it from top to bottom. But, that's another issue altogether and beside the original point.