The Weekly Wrap: Feb. 13 - Feb. 19

Strikeforce getting $700K for Showtime cards

Information recently released by the Florida State Boxing Commission offers a glimpse into how the financial arrangement is working between premium cable network Showtime and Strikeforce, who started working together on promoting MMA cards in April 2009 after the collapse of EliteXC.

Commission records for the Jan. 30 Strikeforce "Miami" card show that Showtime paid Strikeforce $700,000 for the show per the contract between the parties, according to The Wrestling Observer. The deal is a key point in understanding Strikeforce's financial viability, as it doesn't do pay-per-views and ticket sales do not appear high enough to cover high-profile acquisitions like Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson.

The Jan. 30 card, which featured Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen and the MMA debut of Herschel Walker, drew $317,295 in ticket sales. Publicly disclosed fighter payroll was $469,600. It is thought that Showtime and CBS chip in extra money to help Strikeforce pay for certain fighters.