UFC president Dana White announced over the weekend that UFC’s parent company Zuffa had purchased UFC’s rival promotion, Strikeforce. UFC issued a press release on Monday officially announcing the sale.
UFC President Dana White maintains that Strikeforce will continue to operate on its own, all Strikeforce fighter contracts will be honored and Strikeforce’s television deal with Showtime will be honored.
“We have worked hard to make mixed martial arts the fastest growing sport in the world,” UFC President Dana White said in the press release. “We’ve spent countless hours getting this sport regulated and taking the Octagon® all over the world. Acquiring the Strikeforce assets allows us to continue to develop this sport into a global force.”
Strikeforce currently runs 16 events per year and will continue to do so under the new arrangement. The press release states, “While there are currently no plans to bring Strikeforce fighters to the UFC, a new strategy to strengthen Strikeforce’s talented roster is being developed.”
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, who has signed a new longterm deal with Zuffa is quoted in the press release as saying “This is an important day for the sport of mixed martial arts. We are excited to work with Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta, Dana White and everyone at the UFC on the quest to make MMA the biggest sport in the world.”
“Fans can continue to expect quality Strikeforce shows and we look forward to giving our athletes an even broader platform on which to perform.”
For more on this huge story, check out the full press release at UFC.com.
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