Analyzing Strikeforce's Purchase of Elite XC

The acquisition of Elite XC by Strikeforce has caused much speculation in the Mixed Martial Arts world.  The burning debate within the MMA community seems to be whether or not Strikeforce should feature MMA pariah and sometime fan favorite Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson in any capacity. 

At a time in which The UFC has become the  brand that is synonymous with the sport, any organization willing to compete for a piece of the MMA pie needs something, or someone special to get fans and casual watchers alike to plant themselves in front of their TV screens.

We have recently seen that the upstart organization Affliction has been able to produce a series of successful events by featuring some dream match ups headlined by MMA phenom Fedor Emelianenko.   It also doesn’t hurt that the people behind Affliction have some seriously deep pockets.    

The purchase of Elite XC has put Strikeforce in a position to capitalize on what proved to be a serious money maker and a the same time to learn from their mistakes and not hinge the success of the entire organization on the success of one fighter.  Picking up the contracts of fighters like Jake Shields and Robbie Lawler definitely increases the depth of their talent pool. 

Shields and Lawler have proven themselves in the ring as well as their ability to draw in fans.  These fighters being in their organization continues to increase their credibility in the fight game along with having already popular fighters like the legendary Frank Shamrock and the increasingly exciting Cung Le. 

The credibility that comes along with having a serious talent pool gives Strikeforce the unique ability to take some risks to increase their share of the market. Enter Kimbo Slice and the ever popular Gina Carano.  Love him or hate him fans are going to want to see Kimbo.  The more fans learn about our sport the less boos we hear at technical ground battles. 

The fact remains, however, that fans still and always will love to see a good brawl.  Just look at the fact that Tank Abott is still fighting.  Will Tank ever be a legitimate title contender?  I think anyone can answer that question.  Will fans tune in to see him swing his jack hammer like arms even if it leads to him being submitted in 25 seconds?  You know they will. 

Why is that?  The famed “Punchers Chance”.  There is no denying it.  Fans love to see wars. In that capacity Kimbo could thrive.  With some more time, training, and experience Kimbo could grow into a seasoned gatekeeper and occasional show stopper for Strikeforce. 

I think the more realistic question is whether or not Kimbo would embrace this role as opposed to one of a main event fighter.  Kimbo is not exactly a young guy and the thought of grinding out a series of fights in order to be a stepping stone for some real up and comers may not be as appealing as it sounds.  Regardless, Kimbo can and will put butts in the seats and Strikeforce would be wise to recognize his particular talent for hype and use it to their advantage.

Although the verdict is still out on female MMA there is no denying that Gina Carano is a genuine superstar.  Giving her a platform on which to showcase her personality and talent could definitely elevate Strikeforce’s visibility to the mainstream. 

An organization that is known for being willing to take some risks while at the same time having a talented stable of fighters to feature certainly sounds like a winning combination to me.   The competition between organizations continuously fuels the search for the next “IT” fighter so until Strikeforce finds their next bankable star …ahem, CUNG LE, look for the return of Kimbo and Gina.

D.C.

Fight Correspondent

Brawl and Maul

*special BaM thanks to

Mike Yanez and CT Turner of The Highlander Fight Team for the photo below

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