UFC vs Strikeforce Event? (Part 1)

The recent Dynamite!!! 2009 extravaganza pitted the two biggest MMA companies in Japan, Sengoku and Dream, against each other in a battle of their fighters to see which brand wins bragging rights as the better company.

An astonishing fourty-five thousand fans packed the Saitama Super Arena to witness the clash. For those who don't know, Dream won five to four, courtesy of Shinya Aoki snapping Mizuto Hirota's arm off, before snapping his finger to everybody in the arena, including the fans.

That event got me thinking. Imagine if UFC and Strikeforce were to be able to somehow reach an agreement on a similar event where they pit their fighters against each other. The PPV and attendance numbers such an event will draw will be astronomical. I might be going out on a limb here, but I have every confidence that they can fill out a football stadium like the new Cowboys Stadium.

Will it actually happen? Right now, it looks like a long shot to say the least. I doubt either company will bring up the idea to the other party because it will just make them look inferior. That's where a mediator would need to come in. A third-party investor like the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, would have to step in and put the two parties in the same room for them to work things out. 

Would Dana White agree to such a proposition? We shall see. But Dana White has always preached how the UFC works for "good of the sport". This event would bring recognition by the general public to an all-time high and create millions of new MMA fans. This could also be the closest that Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi ever come to a UFC event.

As for Strikeforce, this would be a no-brainer. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker would agree to this proposition in a heartbeat, even if the profits were to be split 60-40 with them getting the minority share. Strikeforce has some of the best talents at the very top of each division, so they would feel good about their chances going into the fight. Imagine what an upset would do to the reputation of Strikeforce.

Would we ever see such an event in the near future? Probably not. But there's nothing wrong with a fanboy dreaming.

In Part 2, I'll be posting predictions on who will reign supreme should this event take place.