Tag: Showtime

Could Invicta FC Be Headed to Showtime? Short Answer: Probably

(Well, that’s *one* way to hype a marquee WMMA fight, we guess.) 

When Showtime ended their relationship with Strikeforce this past January, they left behind a massive void in the MMA world that has been tirelessly documented in the time since by…next to no one, quite honestly. Sure, we all loved Strikeforce when it wasn’t moments away from descending into utter chaos (and even when it was), but with the UFC holding an event on 1 of its 14 channels every other week and Bellator quietly putting on smaller-level shows in between, it seems as if we’ve quickly forgotten about Showtime’s once quintessential role in MMA broadcasting.

Well, it appears as if all that could change in the near future, as Showtime Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager Stephen Espinoza recently told FOX News Latino that the network was interested in a return to the MMA world and specifically, a partnership with Invicta FC. This statement did not come without a bit of hesitance, though:

The hesitation right now is really we’re investigating the market. The real question is … given the TV landscape as it stands now, the MMA landscape, is there a demand for more MMA on television? I have my doubts because there’s quite a few hours already being programmed.

(Invicta) knows how to make noise and do good-sized events on a budget. It would be interesting to see what they can do on a bigger platform. 

A move to Showtime would be the perfect move for Invicta to say the least. The promotion has rapidly gained popularity over the course of their first handful of events to the point that the Invicta 4 online stream crashed due to overcrowding.


(Well, that’s *one* way to hype a marquee WMMA fight, we guess.) 

When Showtime ended their relationship with Strikeforce this past January, they left behind a massive void in the MMA world that has been tirelessly documented in the time since by…next to no one, quite honestly. Sure, we all loved Strikeforce when it wasn’t moments away from descending into utter chaos (and even when it was), but with the UFC holding an event on 1 of its 14 channels every other week and Bellator quietly putting on smaller-level shows in between, it seems as if we’ve quickly forgotten about Showtime’s once quintessential role in MMA broadcasting.

Well, it appears as if all that could change in the near future, as Showtime Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager Stephen Espinoza recently told FOX News Latino that the network was interested in a return to the MMA world and specifically, a partnership with Invicta FC. This statement did not come without a bit of hesitance, though:

The hesitation right now is really we’re investigating the market. The real question is … given the TV landscape as it stands now, the MMA landscape, is there a demand for more MMA on television? I have my doubts because there’s quite a few hours already being programmed.

(Invicta) knows how to make noise and do good-sized events on a budget. It would be interesting to see what they can do on a bigger platform. 

A move to Showtime would be the perfect move for Invicta to say the least. The promotion has rapidly gained popularity over the course of their first handful of events to the point that the Invicta 4 online stream crashed due to overcrowding.

The fact that Invicta is already moving forward with an actual PPV broadcast for their next event seems to indicate that all women’s fight league is only on the rise, although we imagine that the Showtime execs will be keeping a close eye on the buy numbers for Invicta 6 before moving forward. Because that’s what corporations do: They study the sheeple, then they sell them a product they can’t resist, and before you know it…Rollerball.

In either case, Invicta President Shannon Knapp told MMAJunkie over the weekend that she would welcome the partnership with open arms:

It’s an honor to hear Stephen speak so highly of the Invicta FC product. I’ve worked with Showtime at length at different stages in my career in the MMA business, so I know how talented and committed to success their team is. They are first-rate at what they do, and I feel that a partnership between Showtime and Invicta FC would be a game-changer for our brand and women’s MMA.

Beware the phrase “game-changer,” Shannon. It. Can. Backfire.

–J. Jones

Dana White Believes Showtime Wants to Take over Boxing, Never Wanted Strikeforce

UFC President Dana White has had a hard time holding his tongue over the last year about a volatile relationship that developed with former television partner Showtime while they were broadcasting Strikeforce events on the network. Zuffa (parent company of the UFC) purchased Strikeforce in 2011 with an existing Showtime television deal already in place. […]

UFC President Dana White has had a hard time holding his tongue over the last year about a volatile relationship that developed with former television partner Showtime while they were broadcasting Strikeforce events on the network. Zuffa (parent company of the UFC) purchased Strikeforce in 2011 with an existing Showtime television deal already in place. […]

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Strikeforce’s Final Event: B/R MMA Staff Predictions for Showtime Card

If you have cable, you can watch the last Strikeforce card for free, this Saturday on Showtime. Not only is that an important subheadline for the event, it’s also a fitting farewell. Though Strikeforce itself probably had nothing to do with the timing of Showtime’s complimentary weekend, it still works well as a thanks-for-the-memories kind […]

If you have cable, you can watch the last Strikeforce card for free, this Saturday on Showtime. Not only is that an important subheadline for the event, it’s also a fitting farewell. Though Strikeforce itself probably had nothing to do with the timing of Showtime’s complimentary weekend, it still works well as a thanks-for-the-memories kind […]

Report: Showtime Close to Ending Relationship With Strikeforce, 11/3 Card in ‘Serious Jeopardy’

(Props: AXS TV Fights)

We knew that Strikeforce’s November 3rd event in Oklahoma City was in trouble after losing its main event and co-main event due to injuries. (By the way, top female prospect Sara McMann just dropped out of her main card fight against Liz Carmouche due to an undisclosed injury. Unbelievable.) But Strikeforce’s recent string of awful luck might actually turn out to be the death-knell for the promotion. Here’s what Kenny Rice had to say on yesterday’s episode of Inside MMA:

‘Inside MMA’ has heard from multiple sources that the relationship between Strikeforce and Showtime may be coming to an end. We are being told that the November 3rd event is in serious jeopardy, and there is a strong possibility that Showtime will no longer broadcast Strikeforce events. This could very possibly signify the end of the Strikeforce brand. Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa, the UFC parent company, in March of 2011. We have yet to receive any word from either Showtime or Strikeforce as this development continues.


(Props: AXS TV Fights)

We knew that Strikeforce’s November 3rd event in Oklahoma City was in trouble after losing its main event and co-main event due to injuries. (By the way, top female prospect Sara McMann just dropped out of her main card fight against Liz Carmouche due to an undisclosed injury. Unbelievable.) But Strikeforce’s recent string of awful luck might actually turn out to be the death-knell for the promotion. Here’s what Kenny Rice had to say on yesterday’s episode of Inside MMA:

‘Inside MMA’ has heard from multiple sources that the relationship between Strikeforce and Showtime may be coming to an end. We are being told that the November 3rd event is in serious jeopardy, and there is a strong possibility that Showtime will no longer broadcast Strikeforce events. This could very possibly signify the end of the Strikeforce brand. Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa, the UFC parent company, in March of 2011. We have yet to receive any word from either Showtime or Strikeforce as this development continues.

Let’s hope this turns out to be true. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year now, right? Strikeforce stopped being relevant the moment its Heavyweight Grand Prix finally concluded, and what few world-class fighters remain on its roster need to be shipped over to the UFC as soon as possible, while they still have some good competitive years left in them. (No offense, but I’d rather see Gilbert Melendez face Ben Henderson than Pat Healy, and I’d rather see Luke Rockhold face any of these guys than Lorenz Larkin.)

The biggest problem that Strikeforce’s collapse would raise is what to do about Ronda Rousey, who is becoming the biggest crossover star in the sport, but now might not have a major venue to fight, unless Invicta somehow cobbles together a TV deal and brings her aboard. We know that UFC president Dana White likes Ronda — like, like likes her — but is he ready to promote the occasional women’s fight in the Octagon? We’ll see. Things are about to get interesting. But remember: This is good news. We’ll update you if we get an official announcement…

September 29th Strikeforce Card Canceled After Gilbert Melendez Suffers Training Injury


(Welcome, gentlemen. We’ve been waiting for you.)

For the second consecutive month, Zuffa has canceled an event on very short notice due to one of the headliners pulling out with an injury. As confirmed in a press release on UFC.com, Gilbert Melendez suffered an injury in training, and was forced to withdraw from his lightweight title fight against Pat Healy at this Saturday’s Strikeforce show in Sacramento. As a result, the 9/29 card has been scratched altogether.

As with UFC 151, the relative weakness of the “Melendez vs. Healy” supporting card was surely a factor in the event’s cancelation. But what makes this situation unique is that Showtime essentially made the decision, not Strikeforce. From the press release:

Without the Melendez-Healy title bout, SHOWTIME®, which determines which fights are televised on the premium network, decided that it would not air Saturday’s scheduled event.

“When SHOWTIME informed us that it would not be airing the event, we made the difficult decision to cancel Saturday’s card in Sacramento,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “Without a television partner, we simply could not move forward with this event. We wish Gilbert a speedy recovery and will work diligently and quickly to reschedule the fighters affected by this news on upcoming cards.”


(Welcome, gentlemen. We’ve been waiting for you.)

For the second consecutive month, Zuffa has canceled an event on very short notice due to one of the headliners pulling out with an injury. As confirmed in a press release on UFC.com, Gilbert Melendez suffered an injury in training, and was forced to withdraw from his lightweight title fight against Pat Healy at this Saturday’s Strikeforce show in Sacramento. As a result, the 9/29 card has been scratched altogether.

As with UFC 151, the relative weakness of the “Melendez vs. Healy” supporting card was surely a factor in the event’s cancelation. But what makes this situation unique is that Showtime essentially made the decision, not Strikeforce. From the press release:

Without the Melendez-Healy title bout, SHOWTIME®, which determines which fights are televised on the premium network, decided that it would not air Saturday’s scheduled event.

“When SHOWTIME informed us that it would not be airing the event, we made the difficult decision to cancel Saturday’s card in Sacramento,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “Without a television partner, we simply could not move forward with this event. We wish Gilbert a speedy recovery and will work diligently and quickly to reschedule the fighters affected by this news on upcoming cards.”

Refunds for tickets purchased are available at point of sale.

Some of the notable fighters who have just lost a paycheck thanks to this unfortunate turn of events include Josh Thomson, Jorge Santiago, Jorge Gurgel, and Mike Kyle. Strikeforce’s next show isn’t until November 3rd — the “Cormier vs. TBA” card that’s also been damaged by the current MMA injury epidemic. The promotion has no other events on the schedule.

On the bright side, the Strikeforce cancelation doesn’t mean we’ll be without MMA this weekend, as UFC on FUEL: Struve vs. Miocic is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT. See? Booking two events on the same day isn’t such a bad idea after all.

Sarah Kaufman’s #1 Fan Looks Familiar

We’re not sure, but we think that the gal in the above video calling herself Sarah Kaufman‘s “number one fan,” is actually Strikeforce champion Ronda Rousey. Kaufman challenges Rousey for her 135lb women’s title belt on August 18th in San Diego and we think the champ might be having a lil fun with this video.

Rousey Kaufman’s super fan goes on for nearly four minutes talking about what a bad, entitled attitude the Strikeforce champ and Judo Olympic medalist has, as demonstrated by her career ambition. There’s also a weird dude taping and joining in on the fun in the video, and then Rousey Judo flips and “arm bars” a vacuum cleaner. Like most things Rousey does, it is impressive, scary and hot.

Really, we have no idea what she’s doing in the video but we still watched it and so should you. After the jump, video of Rousey Judo-flipping and arm barring Bas Rutten. Just because.

We’re not sure, but we think that the gal in the above video calling herself Sarah Kaufman‘s “number one fan,” is actually Strikeforce champion Ronda Rousey. Kaufman challenges Rousey for her 135lb women’s title belt on August 18th in San Diego and we think the champ might be having a lil fun with this video.

Rousey Kaufman’s super fan goes on for nearly four minutes talking about what a bad, entitled attitude the Strikeforce champ and Judo Olympic medalist has, as demonstrated by her career ambition. There’s also a weird dude taping and joining in on the fun in the video, and then Rousey Judo flips and “arm bars” a vacuum cleaner. Like most things Rousey does, it is impressive, scary and hot.

Really, we have no idea what she’s doing in the video but we still watched it and so should you. After the jump, video of Rousey Judo-flipping and arm barring Bas Rutten. Just because.