4-Pronged Plan for Strikeforce Takeover

Despite sharing its name with a 1980s World Wrestling Entertainment tag team, Strikeforce has emerged as the top threat to the UFC’s chokehold on the sport. With arguably the world’s best fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, in its employ, a broadcast deal with Showtime and CBS and the cash flow to keep the show above water, Strikeforce appears uniquely positioned to pull off a coup that would completely alter the future of the sport.

After watching one of its would-be standard bearers get knocked out by a UFC castaway at “Evolution” on Saturday in San Jose, Calif., it has become obvious that Strikeforce has made some strategic errors in its ongoing climb up the ladder. However, they’re mistakes that can be solved with some smarts and old-school cutthroat business tactics. While I don’t have an MBA and immediately fall asleep anytime I accidentally flip to a business news show, I’ve seen enough promotions collapse to know what it takes to survive and thrive in the game.

What follows is a four-part plan of attack for the good folks at Strikeforce, which looks to be in need of some direction after the demise of the Cung Le mystique. Just follow the strategy and watch the money stack; feel free to repay me in the form of gold rope chains and exotic animals. I always wanted a Komodo dragon to call my own.

Part One: Le, Shamrock Old News

The sight of Le simultaneously gassing and getting knocked out by Scott Smith was a reality check for the entire Strikeforce front office. Battling for market share with the UFC means making wise decisions, and none are more important than being judicious about who you make your star attraction. Picking a 37-year-old Sanshou convert who seems more concerned with combat choreography than actual fighting to headline shows was never a good idea.

Demonizing Strikeforce for bringing in someone who puts butts in seats may sound foolish, but there comes a time when you have to realize that someone like Le will never lead you to the Promised Land once legitimate competition starts lining up. The smart thing to do would have been to pit Le against someone like incumbent middleweight champion Jake Shields or save him for Dan Henderson’s impending debut with the organization. One way or another, Le’s star power would have been sacrificed to an elite middleweight around which Strikeforce could have built its promotion.

This is hardly a game-breaker for Strikeforce, but it’s a lesson it needed to learn now rather than later. With a roster highlighted by brilliant young talents such as Muhammed Lawal and Tyron Woodley, there’s really no need to make stars out of fighters on the wrong side of 35, especially when they act like they have better things to do than train. Strikeforce doesn’t suffer from the dearth of talent that has crippled most would-be challengers to the UFC’s crown, but if it doesn’t start using that talent wisely, it will waste an awful lot of money trying to convince fans that Le and Frank Shamrock are worth the price of a Showtime subscription.

Part Two: No More Mr. Nice Promotion

Business is a nasty game, and playing nice will get one nothing but broken promises and empty seats in the fight game. Now is the time for Strikeforce to aggressively acquire elite fighters instead of entering talent-exchange programs that perpetually leave it wondering when Dream will be nice enough to send a live body. Don’t get me wrong. I love watching Marius Zaromskis turn brains to mush as much as the next guy, but the lay fan has pretty much no familiarity with the Lithuanian headhunter.

Imagine the nightmare scenario in waiting if Zaromskis beats Nick Diaz next month for the Strikeforce welterweight crown and then suffers a long-term injury preparing for his next match in Dream. These aren’t the kinds of variables Strikeforce needs right now, and the only solution is to cut ties with Dream. We already saw Strikeforce snatch Dan Henderson from the UFC, and it’s high time it starts luring talent from Japan by using established relationships across the Pacific.

It will always be a battle to get elite Japanese fighters to leave the comforts of home, but martial artists like Zaromskis, Eddie Alvarez and Joachim Hansen will invariably follow the money. By making those fighters exclusive talent, it would allow Strikeforce to develop them properly without dealing with the inherent headaches of a talent-exchange program. It’s no secret the UFC got shafted by trading talent with Pride, and it’s only a matter of time before making friends with the competition becomes more trouble than it’s worth for Strikeforce.

Part Three: Learn, Evolve, Adapt, Steal

Regardless of what UFC President Dana White says, the UFC does make mistakes, and it’s dealing with a significant one right now. Rapid expansion has led to a bloated roster that features many fighters fans no longer care to follow. Strikeforce’s roster remains relatively streamlined, but as it starts promoting more shows, being careful about how many fighters come onboard will prove critical.

While Strikeforce has a built-in minor league system in its Challengers Series, it has yet to produce a quality prospect outside of Woodley. A perplexing fact since fellow upstart promotion Bellator Fighting Championships managed to lock up top-shelf prospects like Ben Askren and Jacob McClintock despite an unwieldy tournament-based format that has left its current champions on the sidelines since June.

Hoarding talent like the UFC invariably creates problems, but signing as many exciting young fighters as possible remains a smart investment in the future for a company that often seems far too focused on the present. Stealing the competition’s game plan and steering clear of its mistakes is the only way Strikeforce will stay alive, and it desperately needs to start showing the savvy to do so.

Part Four: Hit Them Where It Hurts

Having two high-profile broadcast deals is a boon for any promotion, but there’s a reason why the UFC puts on at least a dozen pay-per-views a year. Simply put, PPV is the easiest way to generate Master P money and strike some fear in the UFC by putting a dent in its sales.

Building an addiction by giving fans free shows is a smart move, and the time is nearing when PPV will be the next logical step for a promotion that has grown at an incredible rate in barely three years time. It’s a move that will come with significant risks, but a loaded Strikeforce card can sell out the same venues as the UFC, and scheduling it the same month as a weak UFC show would force fans to choose between value and name brand.

It’s hard to imagine an injury-ravaged card like UFC 102 outselling a Strikeforce offering anchored by Emelianenko, Henderson, Gegard Mousasi and the rest of its big-ticket talent. If Strikeforce is serious about making a game-changing move, PPV is the only way to make it happen. The resources are there, but it remains to be seen if Strikeforce has the guts to take on the UFC on its home turf.