UFC: How UFC Acquisition Of Strikeforce Affects Both Companies

In surprising and shocking news from the world of mixed martial arts, Zuffa, the parent company of UFC, has purchased Strikeforce.

The deal was announced early Saturday morning by UFC President Dana White on an interview with MMA Fighting.

Neither side has made an official statement about the deal and terms have not been disclosed. Right now, UFC controls Strikeforce.

According to MMAjunkie.com, Strikeforce talent will remain with Strikeforce, at least for the time being, since they have a contract to run shows on Showtime.

This is not the first time that UFC has made a move like this. In fact, they have done this on multiple occasions in the last five years.

In 2006, Zuffa purchased World Extreme Cagefighting.

They kept that promotion going all through the end of 2010 before merging the two companies together.

In 2007, they purchased the fledgling Pride Fighting Championships from Dream Stage Entertainment. The idea was to keep that promotion going, but they dropped that idea and the organization folded in October of that year.

Don't get too excited for those potential superfights between Strikeforce and UFC fighters. 

"That's a separate business that has their own income," White said in an interview with MMAfighting.com. "They have their own budgets and everything else that they do. They have they're own television deals. If they're that interested in acquiring (a fighter), it's no different than it was before."

This is a major day in the history of mixed martial arts, but if that's a positive or negative, is the great unknown.