UFC Buys Strikeforce

[EmpireWF]

It's one or the other W2B? Dana is a great promoter and there's definitely a method to his madness. The guy knows what he's doing, but there's no way he's the brains behind everything. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes that we don't see, there's a lot more involved than just promotion, and the company now is far too large for one person to be credited for everything. That's ridiculous.

Vince McMahon says :smughard:

 

[SHOGUN]

This isnt good for MMA, it just isnt, there really are no positives for the fans and the fighters, pay will stagnate, fighters will be shunned, yeah a couple great fighters might jump to the the and give us a good match up, but Dana is so full of shit, lol @ 'we need more fighters', they have been cutting more fighers than ever

Great 'free' title fights will be gone, more watered downed cards, etc...

Agreed.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

It's one or the other W2B? Dana is a great promoter and there's definitely a method to his madness. The guy knows what he's doing, but there's no way he's the brains behind everything. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes that we don't see, there's a lot more involved than just promotion, and the company now is far too large for one person to be credited for everything. That's ridiculous.

You guys (well, rob at least) are implying that he's nothing more than a front man, which is just ridiculous.

I'm not saying he runs the whole show, but I do think his role is akin to a sports team GM, where he makes the majority of the decisions within the constraints of the budget set by the brothers. From what I understand, Frank is almost 100% hands off. Lorenzo is involved day to day. I think Dana is heavily involved strategically and obviously works closely with Silva when it comes to the fights and putting together cards. Do I think Dana is doing the non glamorous behind the scenes deals with sponsers and the like? No, I think that's where other peole come in. But the fight aspect and overall strategy and direction? I think that's almost all him. Do I think where they go with this SF deal kis largely his call, in terms of keeping things seperate and whatever production changes come down? Yes, absolutely, I think the brothers defer to him, because that's not what they do, otherwise why would they need him? He's the promoter, they are the money and negotiators.

 

[EmpireWF]

The one group I feel sorry for is the women. I know most of you don't give a shit, but assuming Strikeforce is eventually merged (whether it's 8 months, a year or 2 years), then womens MMA is gone.

Only Bellator will showcase it and even they only have the smaller weight class.

It's likely that this is the beginning of the end for significant female MMA in America.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Dana tried to sign Carano in the past, and his main gripe with the broads is that the division arent deep enough yet. Who knows what the landscape will look like in two years,just think back at what MMA looked like two years ago.

But if the eventualy merge is the end of the sock folders, so be it. I won't even notice.

 

[EmpireWF]

Interesting...listening to Meltzer and Alvarez, Meltzer said they won't admit it, but Fedor's contract played a role in SF seeking investors (and ultimately, UFC wouldn't do it unless they could buy the promotion outright).

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Interesting...listening to Meltzer and Alvarez, Meltzer said they won't admit it, but Fedor's contract played a role in SF seeking investors (and ultimately, UFC wouldn't do it unless they could buy the promotion outright).

Coker made a deal with the devil with M1, it just turned out Fedor wasnt worth the trouble.

Coker had to do it, it just didnt work out.

 

[Liquidrob]

You guys are always so obessed with giving one guy credit and need a figure head like a Vince, there are reasons Lorenzo has to babysit Dana and he doesnt get to deal with everyone, he is there front man/PR guy/bully

Even Coker, he wasnt the lone guy who sold, he couldnt even stop it if he wanted to SV&SE or EE or whatever you want to call it owned the majority of the company, also, the whole M-1 killed them argument by Meltzer is silly

because of dealing with M-1/Fedor that made there company bigger, got higher ratings, gained credibility and finally sold, without that they probably would have just faded away with no big payoff

Doing 3 shows with M-1 over a year and half didnt kill them, if 3 shows killed them than they were not going anywhere anyways, just more pro wrestling blogger spin, Showtime paid half of his salary anyway

 

[Liquidrob]

funniest shit I seen in a long time

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Nobody knows what the deal was with M1. There may have been a guaruntee SF needed to cover for each time Fedor fought, it may have been a split, nobody knows. It will all come out over time.

My opinion is M1 had far more to gain than SF when it came to these so-called "co promotions". But like I've said a million times, the choices were deal with M1, or in all liklihood Fedos ends up in the UFC. So it was a risk that had to be taken.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

The UFC is in the late 70's - early 80's WWF mode of just eating an absorbing territories.

It is uncanny at how much Dana emulates Vince McMahon as a company head.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The UFC is in the late 70's - early 80's WWF mode of just eating an absorbing territories.

It is uncanny at how much Dana emulates Vince McMahon as a company head.

Exactly, it's something people who study both have been saying for years, larry knows.

It's blatantly obvious how he follows the exact same business model, from gobbling up opposition, to refsing to concede production to third parties, to pushing the brand ahead of the sport and actually claiming the brand is the sport, to holding lifelong grudges against people who go against him (but always doing a 180 when it's best for business), and his egomaniacal, almost psychotic passion and drive to completely dominate the market.

Even the way he flippantly refers to other MMA, "those other shows", is the same way Vince blows off other wrestling. Who knows what they really think, but they both think its important to give the perception that they dont care or concern themselves with anybody else. Dana says he "barely ever watched their shows" when talking about SF, everyone knows he's full of shit, but he says it anyway, it perpetuates the perception he is larger than it all.

He either very intentionally models himself after Vince, or is one of the illegitimate sons Vince has around the northeast swing of the old WWWF from when he was banging out everything that moved when he was a college dropout managing dad's territory swings.

 

[Liquidrob]

Bellator needs a forum

Someone make me a bellator avatar please, thanks

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Exactly, it's something people who study both have been saying for years, larry knows.

It's blatantly obvious how he follows the exact same business model, from gobbling up opposition, to refsing to concede production to third parties, to pushing the brand ahead of the sport and actually claiming the brand is the sport, to holding lifelong grudges against people who go against him (but always doing a 180 when it's best for business), and his egomaniacal, almost psychotic passion and drive to completely dominate the market.

Even the way he flippantly refers to other MMA, "those other shows", is the same way Vince blows off other wrestling. Who knows what they really think, but they both think its important to give the perception that they dont care or concern themselves with anybody else. Dana says he "barely ever watched their shows" when talking about SF, everyone knows he's full of shit, but he says it anyway, it perpetuates the perception he is larger than it all.

He either very intentionally models himself after Vince, or is one of the illegitimate sons Vince has around the northeast swing of the old WWWF from when he was banging out everything that moved when he was a college dropout managing dad's territory swings.

Its pretty much old hat at this point that Dana respects Vince and his product a great deal...it is why you don't see Dana ever going for the throat and trying to take a chunk out of that demographic when the business is "down". A healthy respect for Vince.

Its not a bad model to follow...it certainly isn't regardless of what Rob says.

 

[Liquidrob]

It isnt for creating a legit sport which it currently is not, please no NFL, MLB, NBA comparsions please, those are for idiots to use, you guys are smarter than that

It will always be compared to pro wrestling which is not a good thing the way they're going

 

[calgaryballer]

Strikeforce is dead, as a brand, as a promotion, they can call it Strikeforce until the showtime deal, or even after, it's Zuffa, just like the WEC was Zuffa

If this fucks up the April card and the HW GP I will be even more pissed, you know they will stop the GP because it's not a Zuffa thing to do, actually, I wonder if Showtime has the right just to not do the fights anymore, who knows

This isnt good for MMA, it just isnt, there really are no positives for the fans and the fighters, pay will stagnate, fighters will be shunned, yeah a couple great fighters might jump to the the and give us a good match up, but Dana is so full of shit, lol @ 'we need more fighters', they have been cutting more fighers than ever

Great 'free' title fights will be gone, more watered downed cards, etc...

I think it speaks volumes that Coker felt it was time to sell before they even completed a round of the HWGP. This was supposed to lead to an eventual PPV, which in theory, would rake in some fat cash. Wouldn't it make sense to get that done and then cash out? Pulling off a succesful PPV would also increase interest in the product, and if it wasn't the UFC, perhaps increase the ProElite bid

 

[Liquidrob]

SV&SE made the call, Coker isnt the majority owner

Just like if Zuffa sold the UFC, Dana has no choice in the matter

I hope Coker made some good money off of this and can keep being a presence in MMA, maybe he will head up the Japan Zuffa shows and be there guy

 

[calgaryballer]

SV&SE made the call, Coker isnt the majority owner

Just like if Zuffa sold the UFC, Dana has no choice in the matter

I hope Coker made some good money off of this and can keep being a presence in MMA, maybe he will head up the Japan Zuffa shows and be there guy

I'm sure they did. But they would have been seeing the same predictions for revenue etc that Coker did. This is obviously conjecture, but if it made more sense to sell now than after the PPV, there were obviously problems they were seeing with the HWGP

 

[Liquidrob]

whats crazy is how much 'luck' plays into a promotions ability to thrive or die

Good luck for Zuffa after being 45 mill in the hole, Vince alllows TUF to follow RAW, Griffin vs Bonnar is a 'war', WWE fans flock to watch

Bad luck for Strikeforce came one after another, Fedor pulls out of 2nd CBS card, all 3 fights on CBS go to boring decisions plus Hendo losses, Fedor losses, HW GP starts, Fedor losses again, it just never stopped

Zuffa is out of the 'luck' stage, but luck saved them in the the early stages, luck didnt happen for Strikeforce even with the right pieces in place

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

At what point is "luck" just smart business tho? Zuffa doing all those things were extremely smart business moves, especially putting TUF on after Raw.