'Business As Usual' Zuffa, LLC Purchases Strikeforce

In one of the most important moments in Mixed Martial Arts history, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship - Zuffa, LLC - has purchased the world's second biggest MMA organization. The UFC posted a tweet early Saturday morning announcing the acquisition.

Strikeforce is a San Jose, California based promotion known for it's Japanese co-promotion and dealings with M-1 Global superstar Fedor Emelianenko. The little known promotion is home to some of the best fighters in the world including: Alistair Overeem, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, Gilbert Melendez and Jason 'Mayhem' Miller. These fighters will all remain under the Strikeforce brand until their contracts run out, at which time their future's are unsure.

UFC President Dana White announced that Strikeforce would remain it's own seperate entity, continued to be run by promoter Scott Coker. White also stated that the brands would not co-promote but would be used to advertise the other brand. Unlike the UFC-WEC merger, Strikeforce fighters will not be integrated into the UFC roster, at this time, and will not be fighting eachother. Though, as stated by White, contract negotiations are more liekly to be made at the completion of each individual fighter's contract to determine which roster they will be competing on.

Two options are likely within this merger, we will either see the dissolution of the Strikeforce brand and an integration of Strikeforce fighters into the UFC roster as seen with the WEC merger. Or, we will see the UFC use Strikeforce as a minor league, sending fighters like Stephan Bonnar, Keith Jardine, and Tito Ortiz; fighters that are having problems getting wins together in the UFC and still face credible competition.

So, will Strikeforce be the proving ground for the UFC elite, or will it fall by the wayside? Either way, for Dana White it will all be 'Business as Usual.'