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Will Strikeforce Be Able To Rebound From Fedor's Loss?

Last year, Strikeforce went from a regional promotion to a national promotion seemingly overnight.  They got the CBS deal as they took over EliteXC's assets and then signed the best heavyweight in the world in Fedor Emelianenko.  The most impressive thing was that they did so even though the UFC was in heavy pursuit of Emelianenko.  Strikeforce's first offering on CBS was heavily built around having Fedor in the main event, promoting him more so than their brand itself.  The show was deemed successful, yet still didn't quite pack the punch that CBS executives had hoped for.  The second Strikeforce event that aired on CBS did so without Emelianenko and it bombed ratings wise.  He was Strikeforce's biggest draw, and the fans in attendance always had high energy when it was time for Fedor to fight. 


It's evident that Strikeforce leaned heavily on the mystique and drawing power of Fedor.  He was the one fighter that prevented the UFC from legitimately saying they had ALL the best fighters in the world.  While he's still a top heavyweight after the loss, there's no way you can keep him in the #1 spot because he lost decisively.  The marketing that surrounded Emelianenko was centered on him being this unbeatable cyborg, and now that angle is no longer available to them.

Does Fedor have the Kimbo Slice effect in that people will tune in to see him fight in droves even though he is coming off a loss?  Will Strikeforce turn their attention to its heavyweight champion in Alistair Overeem in regards to marketing?  Will they get him to fight defend his title on a consistent basis?  Should they book an immediate re-match or move forward with Overeem vs. Werdum 2?

Strikeforce has a lot of questions right now, and it'll be interesting to see how they address these issues moving forward.    

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of MMA4Real readers and do not necessarily reflect those of MMA4Real editors or staff.

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no way should Fabricio get a title shot for beating Fedor man, are you insane!!?!? From a business standpoint if you beat a fighter that hasn’t lost in 10 years, that fighter should get a chance to redeem himself before you’re given any type of credit….

=P

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by Charles Walker on Jun 28, 2010 10:31 AM EDT reply actions  

yea...I get what you are saying

SF needs ratings something terrible though…so they can’t do things the common sense way nowadays either…lol.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 28, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions  

damn.

he ripped off Charles article… lol :P

"Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive." ~ George Way

by RearNakedPoke on Jun 28, 2010 10:46 AM EDT reply actions  

Actually

I wrote mine first :)

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 28, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions  

Proof?

"Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive." ~ George Way

by RearNakedPoke on Jun 28, 2010 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions  

im seeing words, but, no proof…

"Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive." ~ George Way

by RearNakedPoke on Jun 28, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions  

pic fail...you lost :)

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 28, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions  

LMAO...rec'd

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 28, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions  

i hope strikeforce fails and the ufc and bellator which i'm really beginning to like pick up the pieces.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Fedor: He once had an awkward moment in the cage, just to see what it feels like. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. He would show his feminine side if he had one. He is a lover, not a fighter, but don't get any ideas. He is the most important man in the world. Stay thirsty my comrades b/c i will never fight in the UFC. Sorry Fedor but in America Budweiser is the King of beers and Lesnar is a clydesdale while Fedor is just a mule. Losing to Werdum proves what i have been saying. He is pudgy and is on the donwnside of his career just like his contemporaries in pride like mirko cro cop and noguiera Beat Lesnar, Carwin. JDS, Velasquez or Overeem and i'll be impressed. Just one of them. College Football is still the best sport out there.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 28, 2010 6:01 PM EDT reply actions  

Why would anyone, want a promotion to fail, is beyond me.

  It creates some controversy, but its a MUCH better market for fighters if there are several large promotions to fight in. MMA fans know this and appreciate this, I guess UFC fans not so much. Dana has a history of loving/hating guys at the drop of a dime, and I personally dont mind a guy who he has fallen out of love with having a place to compete, and get paid.

by oggsmash on Jun 28, 2010 9:26 PM EDT reply actions  

I don't want any promotion to fail

however, SF just does the dumbest things IMO…the only thing keeping them above a Bellator or WEC is the CBS deal…without that…they would just be another regional promotion…..I just wish they would do most of the things they do better…

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 28, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think, you are putting alot of the promtionals blame on SF and not enough on CBS

  A network like CBS, should have countdown shows, and fighter “in the life ofs” like SPike and Shotime and HBO do. Why they dont is beyond me.

   As for “a regional show” I think a regional show that does more than 3 million live gate, well is a lot more than a regional show. I dont think the promoting fights comes soley from them, they need some help with air time from the powerhouse they have with them (CBS).

by oggsmash on Jun 29, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions  

3 million live gate?

You do know that the Fedor/Werdum live gate was barely over a million right?

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 29, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Talking history, not last event.

   but no purely regional show can come close to that, hell no regional show can turn a million.

  They were more like 2 million on live gates at the biggest shows, but all the same, that is pretty hefty, also the fact that Dana had nothing but praise for Coker UNTIL he came onto the big scene says alot. But that is pretty typical of Dana, loves you as along as you comply stay out of his way, cant stop talking about how much you suck when you are in his way.

   CBS, IMO could, and should do ALOT more on the promo end. They own Showtime, dont they? So they are attached to MMA whether its back network or not, and they could really benefit from some “day in the life” or “follow the fighters” type promo shows on CBS.

    I have a feeling though, CBS wants a product that sells without them doing a single things, which is just bad business.

by oggsmash on Jun 29, 2010 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

I said as much in another thread

CBS could care less about MMA.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 29, 2010 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think if anything this is good for them

The MMA community is buzzing with him now more than ever, and controversy means people talk, and people talking means exposure and money. Honestly, has there ever been so many people talking so much about a Strikeforce event this long after the fight?

I look at it this way: four days ago they were a half-ass company that has a “next-event” mentality of booking. Today, they’ve got two logical fights to make, and people talking about it.

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by -Neil- on Jun 29, 2010 1:34 AM EDT reply actions  

but..

after those two fights then what?….and only one of those fights will get seen…as one will probably be on Showtime..and the other POSSIBLY on CBS.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 29, 2010 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions  

This, compared to their current “no plan” plan, is slightly better. Or less worse. It’s not turning lemonades into lemons, it’s dumping a bunch of ketchup onto a turd sandwich to drown out the awful a little.

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by -Neil- on Jun 29, 2010 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

so..in other words..it still sucks...lol.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jun 29, 2010 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions  

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