UFC Purchases Strikeforce: Five Fights Fans Need To See From the Deal
With news today coming out of Zuffa LLC's purchase of Strikeforce, fight fans are in a state of shock, and awe.
Dana White was clear in his interview that business will "run as usual," reiterating it many times in during his interview with MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani. But there seems to be something looming in the wings after Strikeforce fighters' contracts expire.
White mentioned fighters like Barnett and Daley would not ever come to the UFC due to past issues during their time with the company, but did say that Strikeforce would be available to re-sign them if Scott Coker so chooses.
He also mentioned that fighters from the UFC could be available to Strikeforce depending on the fighter, and that means new matchups, which fans would undoubtedly welcome.
White did hint that higher profile fighters would not be switching brands, but the underlying truth of the matter is that fighters contracts do expire, and dreamy fights may be more realistic now than ever.
Take a look at five fights that the UFC may eventually showcase on future fight cards.
No. 1: King Mo vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
1 of 6King Mo is coming off a loss to recently dethroned Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael Cavalcante, and is set to fight again early this summer, but does not currently have a challenger lined up.
Jackson has had a little down time since his November split decision win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123, and is expected to fight Matt Hamill at UFC 130 this May.
Both fighters are quite similar in their style of fighting, as both Jackson and Lawal like to use their strong wrestling technique and heavy hands to down foes. Jackson, three years older than Lawal, has a world of experience over Lawal, fighting nearly five times the amount of fights as King Mo.
The amount of intrigue and interest surrounding this fight would be monumental, and would definitely be a contender for FOTY if these two fought to their potential.
No. 2: Gilbert Melendez vs Winner of Frankie Edgar/Gray Maynard III
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Gilbert Melendez has been touted for years as a top three lightweight fighter in the world. But with the buyout of Strikeforce and once Melendez's contact expires, fans may get to actually find out if Melendez is worthy of the hype surrounding the talented fighter.
What better way of proving his status than fighting the current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, or the man that may beat him, Gray Maynard.
Melendez is currently ranked as the No. 2 lightweight fighter in the world by Sherdog and MMAWeekly.com, only behind Edgar. He is currently slated to fight Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikforce: Diaz vs Daley in April, and a win would make this fight more succulent than ever before.
While Melendez will be fighting Kawajiri in April, Edgar will be training for Maynard, vying for his first win in his third fight against "The Bully." Maynard on the other hand, remains undefeated in his professional career, with eight decisions in his eleven fights.
No. 3: Alistair Overeem vs Brock Lesnar
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Perhaps the biggest acquisition in the deal is the man known as the "Demolition Man."
Overeem has been the talk of many MMA online forums as of late, winning nine of his last 10 fights spanning back to 2007, with his last loss coming in 2007 to Sergei Kharitonov, who recently knocked out former UFC great Andrei Arlovski.
Overeem versus Brock Lesnar is a fight that would draw massive attention, money and speculation, all the while giving writers like myself something to dream of when we go to sleep at night.
Lesnar's size is somewhat comparable to Todd Duffee, the latest victim of Overeem's, and would make for a great stylistic matchup between a dominating wrestler and an always dangerous, well-versed Muay Thai kickboxer.
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No. 4: Gegard Mousasi vs Jon Jones
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To me, this is likely the most intriguing matchup possible between the two organizations, with two of the sport's most exciting prospects on display.
Mousasi was thought to be unbeatable until his latest loss to King Mo last April, and has won his last two fights to regain some of the confidence he had prior to the loss.
Jon Jones is on the tongue of every MMA fan around the world in the last month, earning his chance at the UFC light heavyweight belt with his most recent destruction over the UFC's top light heavyweight prospect in Ryan Bader.
Mousasi versus Jones would be likely the most watched light heavyweight bout since Griffin/Bonnar at its peak, and I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar that fans would tune in wherever they are to watch this one if Joe Silva and co. got this one greenlit.
No. 5: Fedor Emelianenko vs Any UFC LHW/HW
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Amid retirement talk and the loss of his epic mystique, Emelianenko remains a legend in the sport of MMA, and a fighter that fans flock to like seagulls to a beach full of fluffy sandwiches.
The UFC's heavyweight division is stacked with blossoming talent and top tier fighters top to bottom. Emelianenko's place amongst those fighters is questionable with recent losses to Fabricio Werdum and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
But a move to light heavyweight would be more advisable and likely more successful for the Russian "Last Emperor."
A fight against the likes of Rashad Evans or Forrest Griffin would be a much better fit than fighting 265 lbs.-plus Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson, and 240 lbs. champ Cain Velasquez.
Truth be told, Emelianenko is like Chuck Liddell in a way, and will always have a chance to knockout anyone on any given night. A fight against any UFC fighter is a fight fans will still want to see.
Other Notables
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There is no shortage of possibilities with the UFC's deal, but here are a few other notable fights that fans would be willing to take a look at.
Nick Diaz vs. GSP
Brett Rogers vs. Junior Dos Santos
Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua
Jacare Souza vs. Nate Marquardt
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Rich Franklin
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