Four more days, and we can all finally move past this Strikeforce thing and go about the business of seeing the best guys in the world fight each other.
Four more days, and we won’t have to deal with this charade between Zuffa and Showtime. You know, the one where they pretend to still like each other while also insisting that Strikeforce will be around for the long haul? Yeah, that’s going by the wayside, and none too soon.
Sure, Bellator might insist that they have some of the best fighters in the world, but we all know that’s not true, at least right now. They actually only have one of the very best; his name is Eddie Alvarez, and he’d sure like to be in the UFC right now, but Bjorn Rebney is simultaneously going back on his word and suing a man he says he still considers to be a friend. Because good friends sue other good friends all the time.
But I’ll get into the Rebney/Alvarez/UFC stuff a little later, once I’ve had time to stop thinking about how ridiculous the whole thing is. For now, let’s talk Strikeforce. More importantly, let’s talk about what’s going to happen with all of these big-time Strikeforce guys once they get into the UFC fold.
I’ll miss Strikeforce as much as the next guy; covering their live events has been a particular highlight of my career, especially when crazy things like the Nashville brawl unfolded. The UFC product has always been very regimented and professional, but with Strikeforce, it wasn’t like that. It oftentimes felt like the Old West, or what I imagine the Old West would feel like without guns, horses and death.
I say all of this to say that I will miss Strikeforce very much, but I’m also glad that it’s gasping its final breath on Saturday night. It’s been painful for everyone involved, the least of which includes the fighters I’ll mention in the following slides. It’s time for them to move on, to slide over into the same roster as their peers and to finally have the chance to be recognized among the best.
And with that, let’s take a look at what might be next for some of the Strikeforce stars who are moving over to the UFC in just a few days.