10 Ways Strikeforce Can Close The Promotional Gap On The UFC In 2011

Ah Strikeforce, will you ever win? ; or will you always be the football punt whiffing Charlie Brown to the UFC's ball faking Lucy?

While managing to put on a great year end show at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Bablu II, 2010 as a whole has only had a few key flashes of brilliance. 

Looking forward to 2011 and beyond, you have to wonder what the promotion will need to do in order to finally be considered on par with the much more powerful and influential UFC. 

Well the folks at Bleacher Report have a few thoughts for Scott Coker and company on what kind of measures they should think about implementing once the ball drops. 

Max Out The Fedor Relationship

Initially, Strikeforce's acquisition of Fedor Emelianenko seemed like they were finally gaining ground on the UFC however, between the upset loss to Fabricio Werdum this past summer and recent contract disputes it would seem like they got more than they bargained for.

With the recent signing of Josh Barnett, and with the promotion's champ Alistair Overeem finally fighting again, Scott Coker needs to settle up with Fedor and get these two highly anticipated fights out of the way in order to make dealing with The Last Emporer's management team even worth it.  

Champions Must Defend Frequently

Strikeforce probably has the next best collection of Heavyweights after the UFC, but unfortunately the division is in total disarray, and let's face it, MMA fans love to see the big guys get in the cage and duke it out.

Heavyweight title fights or those with title implications, mean an increase in viewership and overall interest. But how can you do that when your champion has only defended his title once since winning the belt 3 years ago?

The fundamental problem that Strikeforce faces is that in order to really develop as a brand, they've got to have their champions defending their titles a minimum of twice per year, and the first division to implement that policy on is the Heavyweight division.

The UFC has had an influx of great talent flow into the division over the past year, and unlike Strikeforce's Champion - Alistair Overeem, you can be sure to see Cain Velasquez defending his title at least 2x per year. 

This will allow you to create a regular schedule of events that fans can get excited about. 

In order to move forward, Scott Coker needs to crack down on his fighters running off and fighting in other organizations, particularly their champs. While it may sound pretty controlling, it's what works in the UFC and that's why you don't see GSP fighting in other tournaments which are not UFC related.

Stop Signing Everybody Under The Sun

For those of you who are unaware, the man in this picture is named Josh Barnett. He was once a former UFC Heavyweight champ until he was stripped of his belt due to a failing a post fight drug test for steroids. 

He's already single handedly killed one promotion - Affiliction - due to the same issue when he was set to face off against Fedor Emelianenko in 2009. 

Now Strikeforce, in a bold move has decided to sign "The Baby Faced Assasin". Lets just hope that his next target is taking out fighters instead of promotions. 

What Coker might want to consider is to begin developing talent from within the organization instead of acquiring castoffs from other promotions. 

Switch Up The Commentary Crew

Nothing makes the Strikeforce broadcasts more irritating to listen to than the current line up which consists of  Mauro Ranallo, Frank Shamrock, and Gus Johnson. 

Ranallo's overly excited delivery makes Joe Rogan look like Pat Summerall, it's like he drinks a gallon of Red Bull prior to the broadcast, and frankly it grows tiresome after the first few fights.

In Shamrock, you have a self absorbed has-been that enjoys talking about himself and really offers nothing to the overall production. I mean really who narrates their own retirement media package? Seriously Frank?

Then we have Gus Johnson. You'll mostly catch him joining the team during the CBS broadcasts, as he adds familiarity to the national television audiences from his primary work on the other sports broadcasts. The worst part about Johnson is that he knows nothing about the sport at all, and is basically just a puppet. 

The reason that the UFC broadcasts work so well is that you have a simple 2 person team in Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan. Goldberg is basically Ranallo with alot more emotional control and Rogan does the job of both Shamrock and Johnson combined only with much more competency. 

An ideal team would be a more toned down Ranallo and the legendary Pat Miletich, who has been featured more on the promotion's Challengers series. Miletich's commentary is knowledgeable and right on point which is honestly way too good to be hidden away on Showtime's Challengers. 

Connect With The Fans

This is probably one of the key issues facing Strikeforce. As a fan, there is a connection that you feel with the UFC and it's fighters. Zuffa does a great job making you care about an upcoming match up from a personal level with pre fight countdown shows and the Ultimate Fighter as their vehicles. 

Couple that with the various fan expos, and you almost get the feeling like you're watching your buddy Rich or Randy get in the cage to throw down. 

However, with Strikeforce there is no such vehicle. Each card is just a show with fighters on it, and unless you are a member of the hardcore fanbase, you're not going to be emotionally involved.

And really, isn't that what fighting or any sport for that matter, all about from a spectator standpoint in the modern age? We want to follow these men and women who compete. We want to know about them and where they came from.

Ultimately it allows us to celebrate their wins and be crushed at their defeat. 

Move On To FX

If Strikeforce is going to make any push to gain ground on the UFC from a revenue perspective then the first steps would be to get out of it's network deals with Showtime and CBS. Here's why:

1- Showtime doesn't make a concentrated effort to push Strikeforce programming so that the novice or even casual fan will have any interest in watching. 

2 - CBS is a major television network and is too confining for an MMA card. 

FX would be the perfect solution. They are network with great programming geared toward the key demographic that would watch the sport. In the same way that the UFC has Spike TV as a launching pad for all of their Pay-Per-View events, Strikeforce could actually hold it's challenger's series on FX. 

This move would open them up to a network that can create dedicated programming for them as well as open up the opportunity to shift their more high profile shows to Pay - Per - View. 

Pull a P.Diddy When It Comes To The Live Broadcasts

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Producer Sean 'Diddy' Combs looks up in Game Six of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on June 15, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowle

What I mean by this term is that there are certain things that Strikeforce can "sample" from the UFC and then call it their own. I feel that currently they try to reinvent the wheel just to differentiate themselves. 

If it ain't broke, why fix it? 

Copy, Copy , Copy I say. 

Use Your WAMMA Membership to Set Up Super Cards

The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) is a sanctioning organization for pro MMA.The organization's slogan is "One Belt One King", and associations like Adrenaline MMA, Dream, K-1 and M1 Global all have worked with WAMMA in the past. 

Unlike the UFC, Strikeforce has a unique opportunity to help co promote super cards where fighters from Strikeforce can take on fighters from other organizations for a WAMMA Championship. 

If they hold it as a Pay - Per - View, it offers a chance for the Strikeforce brand to branch out even more.

While it is a calculated risk, seeing as Strikeforce's fighters could end up getting obliterated, the upside is that if the opposite occurs, it will allow the company to boast that they are willing to take on the best fighters in the world, which could work against the UFC. 

Develop Women's MMA

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 15: Cris Cyborg (R) battles Gina Carano during their Middleweight Championship fight at Stikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15, 2009 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Women's MMA can be something great if you just work at it. It's the one thing that the UFC does not offer, and it is doubtful that they ever will, since UFC President, Dana White is strongly against it. 

The key here is to ensure that women with a combination of skill and beauty get highlighted as much as possible. Gina Carano was the prototype of this type of fighter, but someone like Miesha Tate is the next step beyond. 

There are a ton of different marketing opportunities that Strikeforce could be capitalizing on with current 145lb champ Cyborg Santos but they are missing the boat.  

Become The Beast Of The East

Now is the time to expand outside of San Jose. Yes the UFC seems to have a strangle hold on Vegas, but Strikeforce can start working it's shows in cities like Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Boston to build a larger fan following. 

Currently, the UFC has only recently been making it's way back to the Northeast, but if they can hold 30 to 50% of their shows in this region, it will go a long way.