H-Deep

lol @ Dana white, mr "i have no beef with strike force, my beef is with showtime" and yet he counters their show even tho its on another network. Obviously he has to do this from a business point of view but then i guess the guy is a walking contradiction. Good move from the ufc however anyone who has mma knowledge will watch strike force however the casual fan will probably more than likely watch the ufc

Nefilim777

I like the idea of counter programming but I really think they should have lined up something a little better, a lot of the hardcore MMA fans will have already seen these fights and will want to watch Fedor. They should make the ring girls fight or something, that would blow strikeforce out of the water.

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Samborules

I've already seen everyone of these fights, sorry Dana, I am not buying what you're selling this time. You are a hypocrite, though, live with that, cue ball. And now I am not sure I want to continue purchasing the UFC PPVs. Monopolies are for the birds.

Walker

The UFC also signed a former college wrestler with a WWE background with a MMA record of 1-0 in Brock Lesnar. In no way am I comparing Lesnar to Hershel Walker and his chances in MMA but plenty of organizations, including the UFC, use popular names that casual fans get excited about to see how they will do and tune in or buy PPVs. How many TUF competitors like Junie Browning get chances in the UFC more because of their "character" to hype their fights/careers without fighting skills to back it up? Plenty.

Like Lesnar some of the "gimmick" ideas pan out and turn into quality fighters. Just like the UFC is using Kimbo for his popularity and fan base to prop him up. Either way they get attention, more viewers and in the end whether that fighter succeeds they say if he does well "We wanted to give him a shot"- if he fails miserably they get the attention and casual fan interest while it lasted and then can say "This guy couldn't hack it in our league".

Strikeforce has built their org. slowly with smaller shows that actually make money unlike Elite which was more focused on flash, bad decisions, inflated contracts and using a fighter like Kimbo as their sole salvation. Strikeforce is stepping up with quality fighters, a base that they have built up through years of good business decisions, a contract with CBS that will allow them to gain access to casual fans that is actually being marketed to american football fans and with a name fighter that can represent MMA much MUCH better than Kimbo in Fedor.

They are making a big step forward but they are doing so completely differently than how EliteXC failed so miserably with their opportunity. I hope they succeed and with Scott Coker at the helm and not Fatboy Gary Shaw they have a much better chance to do so IMO.

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joshua7789

Just a guess, but i think Strikeforces success now rests on the shoulders of Fedor. Im willing to bet that they spent a huge amount of money to get him, if he loses to Rogers then they have just wasted that money. A loss for Fedor wont destroy his image to the fans on this forum, but the casual fans will write him off before they have even given him a chance and he will have even less drawing power in the united states then he does now. They took a big risk with Fedor and if he loses i think it will be the beginning of the end of Strikeforce. Not comparing there skills, but this could be another Kimbo situation where a loss for the fighter means tragedy for the entire promotion.

Zenhalo

I don't get all this counter programming stuff- has Dana never heard of Tivo?

Samborules

Whats Tivo?

King JLB

Let's not forget reach. How many homes get spike vs. CBS? In Canada Spike is a specialty channel, can't speak for the US. As far as I know everyone should get CBS, it's basic cable, no?

Toxic

The UFC signed Brock Lesnar not a geriatric Hulk Hogan.

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Drogo

You're right about building up with smaller shows and now they are getting away from that. They are investing a lot in one fighter, something they haven't done before. I think it is a mistake. I think they should have kept building slowly and not making a big jump.

As for the counter programming, it is a brilliant move by the UFC. Showing some re runs of fights, no matter what they are, costs them basically nothing. Yeah, they won't draw a lot of viewers away from CBS but they don't have to for it to be a "win" for them. If they reduce the share CBS gets even a little with some reruns that is a good deal for the UFC.