Strikeforce announced via press release today that it is cancelling its November 3rd event from Oklahoma City. The press release stated that the organization’s next event would be in January 2013.
Daniel Cormier versus UFC Heavyweight Frank Mir was to be the main event for this card. However, Mir pulled out and a replacement was never officially mentioned. Middleweight Luke Rockhold was to have defended his title on the card but had to pull out due to injury.
This makes it the second straight Strikeforce card to be cancelled as it had to put down the late-September card when Gilbert Melendez went down with an injury.
Payout Perspective:
Without Ronda Rousey, Strikeforce may have already closed up shop. The cancellation does damage to the organization since it has not been able to put on a show since August and will not have another until January 2013. Thus, many fighters are going to be without fights for a substantial amount of time. The cancellation must bring into question the organization’s relationship with Showtime and what to expect from it in the future.
But, with the cancellation, it should bolster viewers for the debut of the World Series of Fighting set for NBC Sports Network on November 3rd.
Makes you wonder if this isnt a ploy by the UFC to get at Showtime. It seems possible there is some problems between them and the UFC. Also makes you wonder if these guys are hurt or were told by the UFC to play along and were pulled from the card. Maybe Zuffa wants out of the Showtime contract or they want more resources or commitment from Showtime. But i think it is pretty clear that with the sub par product Strikeforce was putting on that the damage of canciling two events in a row is all but killed the SF brand making it a dead end for Showtime. I dont see why either would want to continue with the Strikeforce brand now. Dont look for the January card to happen either.
I was very surprised when Showtime didnt want to go on with the last show. They can run challengers series but not that show? Doesnt make sense. Add to that Zuffa loses money each show anyway. There is no way either side will waste any resources in a january event does happen. Why waste good talent on a dead brand. Dont expect big name fighters.
Showtime doesn’t need MMA. That’s for damn sure.
Zuffa is developing a track record of treating their media partners incredibly poor before and after they break-up. This is going to haunt them in the future. Dana is going around calling Spike TV “Spuke TV”. Dana says great things about Fox now, but if UFC ever jumps networks I’m sure in the future Dana will be calling it “Fix TV” or something. And I’m sure the Fox execs know that.
The major sports – NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Nascar, etc — know not to bash potential future media partners. The network you leave today might be the network you are on 10 years from now.
Even WWE knows not to bash former media partners. Don’t crap where you eat.
It’s not that hard. You say great things about your current partners, but you don’t bash former partners. Just say nothing.
Bashing ESPN or Spike is entertaining for a fledgling sport. It’s stupid for a mainstream sport. You can get away with it when, like 5 years ago, UFC was the hottest, fastest growing sport in the world. Can’t get away with it when interest has plateaued and is on the wane.
Dana is simply not that bright and it’s showing up now. He lives in his own bubble and it’s quite apparent with the way he believes he’s bigger than the networks.
I’m sticking by my prediction that FOX will drop the UFC by the end of 2013.
Then Zuffa will fold as no network would be willing to pay them what they’re overhead is.
Always somone who thinks they know better and second guess’ everything he does and everything the UFC does turns to gold. What you see from Dana is a character. If you think he acts like that when he is conducting business you are a moron. You think he just happens to get all these deals done being an ass to everyone? How old are you guys?
Dana calls Spike names because they are in competition. Spike is playing hardball with the UFC too. I think they can handle getting a little heat back.
As for Showtime. To hell with them. They never supported the sport and have always been in it just to squeeze the blood out of it. They give Coker and SF a shitty deal they could not possibly grow on. Not what their ratings were worth and not enough to resign anyone once they made a name on Showtime. SF was a dead end. The UFC took it over and had to take away the high paid talent to even run shows for Showtime. Then they refuse to work with Dana on presentation of his product? Then refuse to air an entire event because of an injury? They never made a commitment to MMA and im glad to see Zuffa pull the rug out from under them.
You think he is not “conducting business” when he speaks in from of a camera?? I’m a PR junior exec, everytime any officer of a company is speaking publicly, they are conducting business. I would be more circumspect when insulting others, especially when spouting platitudes where you are not sure of the information.
Brainsmasher = Dana White’s Little Toe
Ron
Maybe you should take your own advice! Dana White is a promoter. Execs are smart enough to know that i assume one day you will be also. He is Promoter, President, and a character in the show. He is not your typical President or CEO of a company.
You fan boys are always in a rush to put him down because you dont like him and make all kinds of claims that are not true. His tract record with working out deals speaks for itself.
He has secured TV deals all over the world. All with a product network execs are scared to touch.
Zuffa worked out a deal and brought in Flash entertainment as partners.
After Dana trashed EA Sports they are now happily working together.
After he trashed ESPN they went on like nothing had happened and cover the sport as they always had. There is no issues there.
He went off and fired Jon Fitch. Now Fitch has come back and there is no problems between them.
So you are the “know it all” where are these burned bridges? The closest thing that only a noob would bring up was the Fedor deal. Anyone who followed it knew they neither side was ever going to agree to the others demands. Claiming DW insulted them was PR spin to avoid Fedor going to the UFC and not fighting anyone he didnt hand pick.
Dana White has done nothing but take this sport to heights no one ever though. The only ones who have a problem are the over emotional sissys that have recent been introduced to the sport.
I dont agree with everything he does. BUt only an idiot would sit there and second guess what has proven successful.
BS,
What has proven successful in the past is not necessarily what will keep the UFC on the path to success. It is rare for a start up company to keep it’s top officers as it grows into a mature company. Usually the guys who grew the company take a back seat to more professional management as time goes on.
Boxing as an industry is an exception in that the same ass-clown promoters refuse to take a back seat, but then just look at what a cluster boxing is today. I wish for better for MMA and that may mean that Dana needs to take a step back and the UFC has to put someone more professional in charge akin to NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB commissioners.
Dana White is not just an “officer”. He is part owner in the entire Zuffa company. Second of all none of us have any idea how they do business. For all we know Dana White is just like the firery coach like a Ditka or Bobby Knight who is always winning and Lorenzo Fertitta is handling all the “more professional” duties. Point is between Dana White and the Fertitas they have all the bases covered and their plan is and has always worked. Also i didnt even mention all the deals the UFC have had to murge WFA, Pride, WEC, SF, and supposedly the IFL.
The problem with boxing has nothing to do with the promoters being outspoken. Boxings problem is the promoters only have an investment in a few individual fighters rather than the sport. Therefore they have no reason to care about the sports future so boxing is only a money grab for the moment. Dana and the UFC has invested in the future of MMA. If the sport is strong in 30 years they will still be making tons of money and would have along the way. If boxing is big in 30 years it doesnt mean anything to a promoter unless it is their guy who is big. If the top 4 boxing promoters join forces into 1 company and combined their fighters. They could get huge tv deals and take the sport to new heights. They wont because they dont care about the sport.
You also need to realize there is many more people who like or are entertained by Dana than those who dont like him. There is no reason for Dana White to be replaced and honestly i dont think anyone is qualified to do so. Yeah you can prop up an ass kisser for the tv. But they wouldnt know anything about the fight game.
You need to take a look at all those who have failed. Maybe you wasnt following the sport 4+ years ago. I dont know. But there were many who have tried to make it in MMA and failed. Many of them had deep pockets and still failed. BoDog, IFL, Affliction, WFA, Elite XC, Pride, Gracie Fighting Championship tried to make it big, KOTC has been around as long as the UFC and have never grown. K-1 hasnt had any success here in MMA or kickboxing. Even the UFC under SEG was dying. The one thing that has been a huge difference maker is Dana White.