Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson was announced as the newest member of the UFC roster on Monday afternoon when it was announced that he would be fighting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139.
But with his move back to the Octagon, serious questions continue to rise regarding the future of the Strikeforce brand. Can the organization continue to survive when it appears that Zuffa has made made it the black sheep of its MMA family?
Henderson is not the first superstar fighter to leave the organization for the Zuffa-owned UFC this year. He’s just the latest in what is becoming a long line of top-level Strikeforce fighters making the move to the UFC.
The Strikeforce brand is on life support and at this point, the only question is when the plug will finally be pulled. The end of 2011 may be too early, but it’s hard to imagine that Strikeforce will be around past the end of 2012.