The History of Strikeforce

Before the UFC bought Strikeforce in early 2011, Strikeforce was one of the largest MMA organizations in the world. The promotion was founded in 1985 by Bob Meyrowitz and had originally been a kickboxing organization before eventually venturing into MMA. Meyrowitz eventually sold the company to Dana White and the Fertitta brothers in 2001, who would then go on to create the UFC we know today. However, during its time as an independent company, Strikeforce promoted some of the biggest MMA fights in history. Here is a brief history of Strikeforce MMA.

The Early Years (1985-2001)

Strikeforce was founded in 1985 by Bob Meyrowitz and originally served as a kickboxing organization. In 1993, two years after the UFC was created, Strikeforce held its first MMA event. The card featured eight fights with both men and women competing. However, it would be nearly a decade before Strikeforce would hold another MMA event.

In February 2001, Dana White and the Fertitta brothers (who also owned the UFC at the time) purchased Strikeforce for $2 million. However, they would sell it just six months later for $3 million to Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVSE). Under SVSE’s ownership, Strikeforce began to promote more regular MMA events and started to establish itself as one of the premier MMA promotions in the world.

The Zuffa Era (2011-2013)

In January 2011, Zuffa LLC (the parent company of the UFC) purchased Strikeforce for an undisclosed amount of money. The sale was completed in March 2011, and at the time, it was thought that Zuffa would use Strikeforce as a developmental league for up-and-coming UFC fighters. However, that is not what ended up happening.

Instead, Zuffa allowed Strikeforce to continue operating relatively independently from the UFC. For example, under Zuffa’s ownership, Strikeforce still used a cage rather than the UFC’s standard Octagon. However, there were some changes; most notably, Zuffa took over fighter contracts and strip-mined Strikeforce for some of its biggest stars.

The End of an Era (2013)

In early 2013 rumors began circulating that Zuffa planned on shutting down Strikeforce altogether. These rumors were confirmed in late January when it was announced that January’s “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” card would be Strikeforce’s last ever show. Following that event, all fighter contracts were either transferred over to the UFC or terminated entirely, and Strikeforce ceased operations entirely.

While it only lasted for seven years under Zuffa’s ownership, during its time as an independent promotion, Strikeforce put on some incredible fights and helped build up some of today’s biggest stars, including Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, and Nate Diaz. While it may be gone now, its legacy will live on forever in mixed martial arts history.

Most Iconic Strikeforce Bouts

Grand Prix Tournament (2011)

Arguably the most significant event in Strikeforce’s history was its heavyweight Grand Prix tournament in 2011. The tournament featured an eight-man field that included some of the biggest names in heavyweight MMA, such as Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, and Antonio Silva. The heavyweight tournament ended with daniel Cormier coming out victorious over Barnett.

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (2010)

One of the most entertaining fights in Strikeforce history took place at “Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley” in 2010. The bout pitted Nick Diaz against Paul Daley in a welterweight contest that was guaranteed to produce fireworks. And boy, did it ever. Although the fight was quite close, Diaz managed to finish Daley in classic Diaz fashion. It was a stunning finish to a fantastic fight and remained one of the most memorable moments in Strikeforce history.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers (2009)

No discussion of iconic Strikeforce bouts would be complete without mentioning Fedor Emelianenko’s 2009 fight against Brett Rogers. At the time, Emelianenko was widely considered to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA and was coming off consecutive wins over Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.

Rogers, on the other hand, was a relative unknown with just ten professional fights under his belt. Nevertheless, he gave Emelianenko all he could handle for two rounds before ultimately being finished by KO in Round 2. While Emelianenko would go on to lose his next two fights before retiring from Strikeforce, his 2009 bout against Rogers is still considered one of his finest performances.

Conclusion

Strikeforce was one of the largest mixed martial arts organizations in the world before being bought out by Dana White and the Fertitta brothers in 2001. While it only lasted for seven years under Zuffa’s ownership, during its time as an independent promotion, Strikeforce put on some incredible fights and helped build up some of today’s biggest stars, including Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, and Nate Diaz

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