(LONDON, March 14th) The recent takeover of STRIKEFORCE by the UFC will have repercussions across the Mixed Martial Arts world as fighters, managers and fans alike come to terms with the new playing field.
The MMA community is buzzing with talk about what the fallout from this industry shake up will be and how the role of other MMA organizations such as BAMMA will change.
Liam Fisher, Head of Business Development for BAMMA comments:
‘Whether I look at this as an MMA fan or a representative of BAMMA, it’s definitely a game changer, but a positive thing for us. There’s going to be some fighters that want to work with the UFC again and this is their way to do that but there’s also going to be some fighters that can’t or won’t work with them and this is where we come in. BAMMA is not only a breeding ground for new talent but we’re also a place for more established fighters to compete at a high level in big arenas on live globally broadcasted shows.’
‘STRIKEFORCE have contractual obligations to fulfill so until they’re done, I don’t think anything is really going to change but for the fighters that can’t or won’t work with the UFC, this does limit their career progression in the short term. I’ve seen Paul Daley’s comments on our Facebook page and whatever Paul chooses to do, he knows he always has a home at BAMMA. Paul has been incredibly supportive of BAMMA from the start and we are proud to have him on our shows.’
‘I think the implications of the UFC/STRIKEFORCE DEAL are more focused on North America than anywhere else. STRIKEFORCE recently signed in to a PPV deal in the UK but traditionally, we’re not a PPV nation. There’s too much good sport on TV for free, added to the fact that MMA is still an emerging sport in the UK. BAMMA brings in more viewers than STRIKEFORCE do in the States and we wouldn’t even dream about doing a PPV in the UK.’
‘None of this scares or worries us and I don’t think it puts an end to the MMA business. STRIKEFORCE wanted the money and they took it but that doesn’t change the sport one bit, it just means the biggest brand within the sport just got a little bit bigger, and someone got a little bit richer. Just remember, for every Microsoft there needs to be an Apple.’