Certain Strikeforce Fighters are Bound to Showtime Indefinitely

[EmpireWF]

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/15/3161234/strikeforce-zuffa-showtime-deal-ufc-contract

Essentially, Meltzer says a group of Strikeforce fighters are on a list who are bound to the promotion for as long as there is a contract between Showtime and Zuffa to air Strikeforce. Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold are 3 definite names on the list who are exclusive to SF and Showtime.

Even if their contracts run out, they apparently still cannot jump to the UFC.

Only way for these people to move to the UFC is if Showtime gives permission (no reason to believe they would) or if the deal between Zuffa and Showtime is changed.

I was told by one of the fighters who got it straight from Stephen Espinosa that certain guys are Showtime fighters as long as the Zuffa/Showtime contract is in effect. The fighter was a main guy on a list agreed to be Showtime and Zuffa when the new deal went down and the agreement was all fighters on the list are Showtime fighters as long as they are under contract to Zuffa and as long as Showtime airs Strikeforce.

Zuffa and Showtime can sign a new contract that changes the stips between Zuffa and Showtime now or when this deal expires, but he was told he can't transfer to UFC as long as the current deal is in place and could not fight on a UFC card unless Showtime gives the okay.

The fighter was told by Espinosa that in specifics because they insisted on the deal after what happened with Dan Henderson where his Strikeforce contract expired and they signed him to a new deal but brought him to UFC at a time when nobody knew the future of Strikeforce. This stip was insisted on by Showtime so something like that couldn't happen with their however many exclusive stars.

Sucks for them.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Sucks for them, but you can not blame Showtime for protecting their investment. Zuffa would have picked the bones clean by now without these contracts in place, and that's bad for Showtime, and bad for the fans. I'm already pissed Zuffa took half the roster and cut Strikeforce down to 8 shows.

 

[EmpireWF]

Dana's response on the underground

Dave has lost his mind!! Now he is just making sh*t up.