Strikeforce Is Dead: Just Fold the Promotion into the UFC Already

In what was a major surprise, Strikeforce cancelled its upcoming event after an injury left Gilbert Melendez unable to compete this past Sunday.

Without a champion on the card, Showtime opted to pull the plug. Strikeforce had no option but to let the show die.

How long will it be before the promotion itself goes belly-up?

As the months have ticked away since the purchase of Strikeforce by UFC parent company Zuffa, the promotion has been dying a slow and almost agonizing death.

Attendance numbers have dwindled to all-time lows, production values have plummeted and the talent has gotten restless of being locked into their contracts.

It's obvious to everyone involved that the promotion is on its lest legs and yet, for some reason, it keeps putting together shows just for the sake of it.

Even the promotions top draw, Ronda Rousey, is fighting in a void.

The biggest start of the promotion, one made by the company and marketed heavily by Zuffa, only managed to pull in 3,502 people to watch her last fight live.

The live gate wasn't even enough to cover the salaries of the fighters in the main and co-main events, let alone the rest of the fighters on the card.

Nobody cares about Strikeforce, and it's painful to watch talented fighters waste their time when nobody is watching.

Strikeforce's contract with Showtime is the only thing holding the promotion in this zombified state. Once that is up, expect the promotion to die an unceremonious death and its fighters to be quickly folded into the UFC.

And what of the women, especially the talented Rousey?

Well, Invicta FC seems to be interested in awarding titles these days. Maybe it's time Zuffa put a little more stock in WMMA?