i miss seeing ariel interview dana, it’s a shame 11 years later that they’re not on good terms. i hope one day they’ll reunite and make great content together
3:15 - Right here! Even though Zuffa purchased Strikeforce back in 2011, it was still an independent fight promotion separate from Ultimate Fighting Championship. It remained that way until shutting down after its final event in 2013.
@xbxrxaaron No there wont be like a superfight merge or something like that if somebody's contract ends this means the fighters get an oppertunity to sign with the UFC and a superfight can be possible we just have to wait and see whos contract ends first!
I say Zuffa buying Strikeforce is the second biggest moment in mixed martial arts history. I think Zuffa buying PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2007 from Dream Stage Entertainment was even bigger.
@slames Ya and it is not clear that Danna personaly bought any % in strike force Zuffa did... Danna did not say if he personally bought action % in strike force... its a company that is own by zufa that now own Strike force not directly Zufa..
Someone mentioned a fighters union and I have to say that is probably a long way off but I think a Managed Fund like a 401k might be a good temporary solution. Maybe even some profit sharing with Zuffa where fighters could invest in a collective fund. I think Dana would be more open to that. Investors/fighters will always be plentiful as new talent comes in. At least it would help secure some of the futures of the fighters so they don't end up like Pulver.
@JordanDinstrumentals no. fedor has a contract with m-1 and they require co-promotion. reem is signed with strikeforce and dana said no unification bouts.
Dan Henderson is prime example of this interview, he left the ufc and went to strikeforce and became a champion. Now theres word that he might come back to the ufc. This is a great way for figthers to get more and more famous.
@GiggleHz thats not contradicting needing more fights doesn't mean they have to co promote zuffa needed more fights to expand so in buying strikeforce they now have all the possible ufc fights as well as new strikeforce fights will help them as well...needing more fights has nothing to do with co promoting
@rozmocozmo back when pride was bought, they said it would go on. did it? nope. liquidated it a year later. i hope they keep strike force tho, since theree aint much mma in the bay area -_-
@RIGSBYOFSPARTA Thanks for the info mate, i'm surprised at Dana wanting rid of him just after he pulls off one of the most impressive KO's in the octagan. I thought Bisbing was dead. Hendo still has a punch that would go through a wall, i would like to see him back in UFC.
@guthro123 i ment if like dana decides to merge the 2 he said it would be business as usual but with dana white and the otheres that still could mean anything can happen
so if ufc now owns the strikeforce tape library, which includes the elite xc library, then do they also own the cage rage and icon sport ones as well? They were bought out by elite xc weren't they?
@ohreallyah It means they own the rights to all the footage of previous fights in Strikeforce. So they can release DVDs, Re-Air old fights and use the footage in any way they choose.
@Jayson11700 because it was released on a different website/channel before it was posted to ariel's main youtube page. Most of the MMA world watched it from those places.
@undisputedgreatest Hadn't even thought of that. That does suck. Maybe since Showtime is partners with them, it may have some say in that. But we'll have to wait and see I guess.
Knowing Zuffa's thirst for $ they'll probably put StrikeForce on PPV eventually. UFC fighters who's contracts are up and wont be champions will probably go over there so it doesnt completely die out.
@JayGLiteHarlem Wel lactually, I thought SF would just shut down like Affliction did (their fighting promotion shut down, not their clothing line). So in a way, this turned out better then I expected.
@FrankRizzo8811 umm yea... except the beat them in almost every category with the possible exception of depth in the heavyweight division (and that is debatable)
@p00gle Agreed. Strikeforce will be like WEC but it will be a 2nd tier league to the UFC. After the showtime deal is over Stikeforce will be axed. Let's hope that buying Strikeforce won't be a bad thing. I hope to see Frank shamrock inducted in the UFC HOF & Fedor fighting in the UFC.
@ohreallyah Not under the current contracts. But I would not be surprised to see some of Strikeforces bigger names fighting in the UFC as soon as they become available. If the public want to see them fight, it would be a lost opportunity for the UFC to not do all in their power to make that happen. As Dana said in the video..."we need more fighters." ;)
This is a bit confusing and Dana is doing a good job of concealing his motivation for doing it, but the more I read Dana's comments I think it's more likely that SF becomes kinda like the NBA's D-league. I think rather than merging the two once the SF/showtime deal expires you'll see more of what you see now. Top talent in the UFC and the somewhat margional in Strikeforce. Only difference is White will have leverage in which one they fight. My guess is you'll more of SF's HWs sign w/ UFC
I've been through a couple of takeovers in the past 5 years and one thing I can tell you is that "business as usual" is bullshit. That's just to keep people calm before the heads start to roll. I'm a UFC nuthugger, but even I don't see this being a good thing in the long run. Especially for fighters. I'm interested to see what happens to the Showtime contract and a few fighters but that's about it. Queue's Darth Vader march music.
@dlk2002 It is no different than when the NBA acquired the ABA. It is not a monopoly that you think of...Zuffa or the UFC is known to be the premier league for MMA. MMA is a sport and the UFC is the Big Leagues so to speak. It is silly to have multiple leagues and leaves too much to question by the fans. Prices aren't going up...more than likely just stay the same. Not to mention w/ more fighters on a roster, the more free shows we will see as fans. Referees are employed by the state too!
@Machinehead18 He is only saying that because Strikeforce has a deal with Showtime. Once that deal is finished so will Strikforce be finshed (as we know it). Such a pity.
They approached each investor individually and offered them a nice little profit on their initial investment. Then they pulled the place apart like a lion feeding on a gazelle. Now they have fighters by the balls as we can see now. If they could do the same to Bellator they would do the exact same thing, imagine were free agents would be then. Either accept the contract we are giving you or fuck off. I don't say that lightly.
@wade2thehamilton No, Watch the interview, No Strikeforce fighter will fight in UFC and NO UFC fighters will fight in strikeforce, only when they are out of contract can they consider fighting for other organisation. Strikeforce will still run seperate to ufc.
@RoninLegend IDK if it's necessarily bad for MMA. Bad for strikeforce, but not bad for MMA. Like you said, UFC will gather up strikeforces fighters and that will be the end of it. That's not bad for anyone BUT strikeforce. Who cares if the UFC takes over every other organization? That means more fighters in the same organization so more fights that people want to see. Hopefully one day every MMA fighter in the world will be under one organization so anyone can fight anyone anytime.
Dana said that Pride was going to continue. Even though PFC had the controversy and was declining, I think the fans want to see fighters like the Reem in the UFC.
I liked the competition and comparisons between the 2 orgs. I prefered SF shows though because they were generally alot more exciting. I think it sucks that SF sold out but whatever, Its done. I just hope they keep SF going as long as possible and not fold it like PRIDE and WEC.
It seems to me that strikeforce will become the UFC's reserve league, when guys loose 3 fights in a row they'll go straight in to strikeforce, its a pretty good system, you have to have different levels of competition, because not everyone can compete at the top level. Presumably the best fighters from strikeforce will eventually end up in the UFC, and the lesser fighters from UFC will replace them.
*POV* : this popped up after watching the MMAHOUR
i miss seeing ariel interview dana, it’s a shame 11 years later that they’re not on good terms. i hope one day they’ll reunite and make great content together
Lol Dana hates him with a passion I want to see Ariel at the press conferences grilling dana
@firecrakka what does it mean that they aquire strikeforce's library?can someone explain to me?i dont understand that part
Dana white was a straight boss in this interview, he knew exactly what to say and explained it perfectly
3:15 - Right here! Even though Zuffa purchased Strikeforce back in 2011, it was still an independent fight promotion separate from Ultimate Fighting Championship. It remained that way until shutting down after its final event in 2013.
@Gus589 where can we watch them noww??? that suckss mann! i gotta see diaz vs daley!
@Desi9
Quite possibly.
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Like I said, exciting times.
Great interview Ariel!
I'm glad that you have the guts to ask him the less "comfortable" questions.
Interesting times for us MMA fans.
I just wanna say great interviewer, right questions in the right momment! Thumbs up for him!
Nice! Hopefully this will mean more, sweet fights from the UFC, good job!
@Jayson11700
It was only announced yesterday?
@xbxrxaaron No there wont be like a superfight merge or something like that if somebody's contract ends this means the fighters get an oppertunity to sign with the UFC and a superfight can be possible we just have to wait and see whos contract ends first!
I'm curious as to how long Scott Coker's deal with Zuffa is and if they will renew it and what will happen if they don't.
I say Zuffa buying Strikeforce is the second biggest moment in mixed martial arts history.
I think Zuffa buying PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2007 from Dream Stage Entertainment was even bigger.
@DaGamerIV what does compention mean?
Awesome interview Ariel. The questions were on point!!!
@slames Ya and it is not clear that Danna personaly bought any % in strike force Zuffa did... Danna did not say if he personally bought action % in strike force... its a company that is own by zufa that now own Strike force not directly Zufa..
Someone mentioned a fighters union and I have to say that is probably a long way off but I think a Managed Fund like a 401k might be a good temporary solution. Maybe even some profit sharing with Zuffa where fighters could invest in a collective fund. I think Dana would be more open to that. Investors/fighters will always be plentiful as new talent comes in.
At least it would help secure some of the futures of the fighters so they don't end up like Pulver.
@firecrakka oh i see. but the ufc doesnt really aquire strikeforce fighters right? since SF fighters are still fighting in SF.
What happens to the different titles and same weight class champs?
"It's business as usual"
11 years ago I feel old af 😂 🤣
@chris38885 lol.. i agree.. but im still not clear if it will be business as ususl OR will it still be business as usual??
@JordanDinstrumentals no. fedor has a contract with m-1 and they require co-promotion. reem is signed with strikeforce and dana said no unification bouts.
@Stokske ya cause watching matchups like Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland for a #1 contender spot is SOOOO exciting.
@TerribleOne718 it was already a given that that was a factor. i was just elaborating on the issue...
Ariel comes across more chilled and better on his Vlogs then his audio podcast
@MaxAC40 Yes, but here will be eventually
Dan Henderson is prime example of this interview, he left the ufc and went to strikeforce and became a champion. Now theres word that he might come back to the ufc. This is a great way for figthers to get more and more famous.
@GiggleHz thats not contradicting needing more fights doesn't mean they have to co promote zuffa needed more fights to expand so in buying strikeforce they now have all the possible ufc fights as well as new strikeforce fights will help them as well...needing more fights has nothing to do with co promoting
@KBoogs719 So true! he's already on the fight network all the time.
Dana was always gonna try and buy strikeforce in the end just didn't think he would do it this quick Dana knows his stuff
What happens to the Heavyweight tourney?
Man...those UFC cards are gonna be stacked now!! WEC fighters and now Strikeforce fighters...amazing. UFC is truely where its at.
@14traits That can certainly happen, but the fighters still have to sign with the ufc. It's no different then if this deal didn't happen
@rozmocozmo back when pride was bought, they said it would go on. did it? nope. liquidated it a year later. i hope they keep strike force tho, since theree aint much mma in the bay area -_-
it's business as usual...were in business their out
@RespekTV except that now MMA can get a cable network deal, and the fact that the showtime deal last until 2012. kthxbye.
@RIGSBYOFSPARTA Thanks for the info mate, i'm surprised at Dana wanting rid of him just after he pulls off one of the most impressive KO's in the octagan. I thought Bisbing was dead. Hendo still has a punch that would go through a wall, i would like to see him back in UFC.
how does this only have 6,000 views??!!! this is HUGE news for mma fans
@guthro123 i ment if like dana decides to merge the 2 he said it would be business as usual but with dana white and the otheres that still could mean anything can happen
@SkywarpMach7 Well yeah of course dude. He was a champion at SF which champs get paid more than the non-champs.
@cuzmofo good point, well stated, cheers
so if ufc now owns the strikeforce tape library, which includes the elite xc library, then do they also own the cage rage and icon sport ones as well? They were bought out by elite xc weren't they?
@ohreallyah
It means they own the rights to all the footage of previous fights in Strikeforce.
So they can release DVDs, Re-Air old fights and use the footage in any way they choose.
How does this not have more views this is big ass news
ariel you always do the best interviews
strikeforce could be a good place for fighters like Jardien, tito and other fighters on bad streeks
its like RAW and Smackdown now
hope they still have the hw tourney
@Jayson11700 because it was released on a different website/channel before it was posted to ariel's main youtube page. Most of the MMA world watched it from those places.
@undisputedgreatest
Hadn't even thought of that. That does suck.
Maybe since Showtime is partners with them, it may have some say in that.
But we'll have to wait and see I guess.
so r the current title holders for strikeforce gonna get title shots at the ufc titles??
Helwani: ".... Josh Barnett, Paul Daley, Frank Shamrock"
White: "All friends of mine. All my buddies"
LMFAO!!
Knowing Zuffa's thirst for $ they'll probably put StrikeForce on PPV eventually. UFC fighters who's contracts are up and wont be champions will probably go over there so it doesnt completely die out.
@JayGLiteHarlem Wel lactually, I thought SF would just shut down like Affliction did (their fighting promotion shut down, not their clothing line). So in a way, this turned out better then I expected.
@FrankRizzo8811 umm yea... except the beat them in almost every category with the possible exception of depth in the heavyweight division (and that is debatable)
@p00gle Agreed. Strikeforce will be like WEC but it will be a 2nd tier league to the UFC. After the showtime deal is over Stikeforce will be axed. Let's hope that buying Strikeforce won't be a bad thing. I hope to see Frank shamrock inducted in the UFC HOF & Fedor fighting in the UFC.
@ohreallyah
Not under the current contracts.
But I would not be surprised to see some of Strikeforces bigger names fighting in the UFC as soon as they become available. If the public want to see them fight, it would be a lost opportunity for the UFC to not do all in their power to make that happen. As Dana said in the video..."we need more fighters." ;)
@Daveylux2012 i agree however i think ariel is just maintaining his professionalism here...he looks pissed too
Great thing about Ariel is that he asked all the questions we want answers to
"Business as usual", how many times you said Dana?
Live that Dana is used to being bombarded by Ariel's questions. "How much did you pay?" - priceless.
This should be a good thing for MMA in general...
How many times did Dana say: "Business as usual" ??
@shaggytwodope666
spelt 2 (splt)
v.
A past tense and a past participle of spell1.
Another way of saying "Spelled". :)
This is a bit confusing and Dana is doing a good job of concealing his motivation for doing it, but the more I read Dana's comments I think it's more likely that SF becomes kinda like the NBA's D-league. I think rather than merging the two once the SF/showtime deal expires you'll see more of what you see now. Top talent in the UFC and the somewhat margional in Strikeforce. Only difference is White will have leverage in which one they fight. My guess is you'll more of SF's HWs sign w/ UFC
I've been through a couple of takeovers in the past 5 years and one thing I can tell you is that "business as usual" is bullshit. That's just to keep people calm before the heads start to roll.
I'm a UFC nuthugger, but even I don't see this being a good thing in the long run. Especially for fighters.
I'm interested to see what happens to the Showtime contract and a few fighters but that's about it.
Queue's Darth Vader march music.
Holy shit. Didn't see that coming.
thank you for bringing this to us Ariel
TBH this is for the better of MMA, Dana knows how to run a company and will help strikeforce grow and be more successfull.
@dlk2002 It is no different than when the NBA acquired the ABA. It is not a monopoly that you think of...Zuffa or the UFC is known to be the premier league for MMA. MMA is a sport and the UFC is the Big Leagues so to speak. It is silly to have multiple leagues and leaves too much to question by the fans. Prices aren't going up...more than likely just stay the same. Not to mention w/ more fighters on a roster, the more free shows we will see as fans. Referees are employed by the state too!
@Machinehead18 He is only saying that because Strikeforce has a deal with Showtime. Once that deal is finished so will Strikforce be finshed (as we know it). Such a pity.
They approached each investor individually and offered them a nice little profit on their initial investment. Then they pulled the place apart like a lion feeding on a gazelle. Now they have fighters by the balls as we can see now. If they could do the same to Bellator they would do the exact same thing, imagine were free agents would be then. Either accept the contract we are giving you or fuck off. I don't say that lightly.
"Listen...."
"Here's the thing...."
Will Strikeforce allow elbows on the ground now?
@underdogs247 He's putting 2 bullets in the clip. One says "Bellator" and the other says "MFC"
@MMAtheist Do you actually think that will happen?
@TerribleOne718 it can become a good thing if the fighters form a fighters union...
Ha! What a liar. "Business as usual," my ass.
@wade2thehamilton No, Watch the interview, No Strikeforce fighter will fight in UFC and NO UFC fighters will fight in strikeforce, only when they are out of contract can they consider fighting for other organisation. Strikeforce will still run seperate to ufc.
can somebody pls tell me the downsides to this?
thanks
Some people are saying this is bad for MMA. I think that although there is some downsides, there are a lot more upsides.
@TerribleOne718 exactly
Ariel should interview everyone about this and put it into a 10 minute video
cant wait to see the start of a strikeforce event and see that zuffa intro pop up. way to be on top of it Ariel!
I like it a lot of fighters say that they want to fight the best and UFC has the best champions right now
I hope this merges will not diminish their champions like box did whith thousands box organizations and a champion with 32 belts that nobody knows.
@wandprideteam no problem
@RoninLegend IDK if it's necessarily bad for MMA. Bad for strikeforce, but not bad for MMA. Like you said, UFC will gather up strikeforces fighters and that will be the end of it. That's not bad for anyone BUT strikeforce. Who cares if the UFC takes over every other organization? That means more fighters in the same organization so more fights that people want to see. Hopefully one day every MMA fighter in the world will be under one organization so anyone can fight anyone anytime.
Ariel you should ask someone about EA MMA 2 roster now
If I had a dollar everytime Dana said "Business as usual" in this video..
Dana said that Pride was going to continue. Even though PFC had the controversy and was declining, I think the fans want to see fighters like the Reem in the UFC.
Looking forward to MMA for the next 5 - 10 years
I liked the competition and comparisons between the 2 orgs. I prefered SF shows though because they were generally alot more exciting. I think it sucks that SF sold out but whatever, Its done. I just hope they keep SF going as long as possible and not fold it like PRIDE and WEC.
@4pl3x sure can...it's just a matter of time!!
@LIGHTNINGLEVIS i hope so
It seems to me that strikeforce will become the UFC's reserve league, when guys loose 3 fights in a row they'll go straight in to strikeforce, its a pretty good system, you have to have different levels of competition, because not everyone can compete at the top level. Presumably the best fighters from strikeforce will eventually end up in the UFC, and the lesser fighters from UFC will replace them.
I'm from the future, an MMA company will come around called Bellator and take on the exact role you described
@xDipset yeah but Dana runs part of zuffa and he is obviously supportive of the decision.
@firecrakka It sucks though...that means all of the Strikeforce fights on youtube will now be pulled.