Report: Strikeforce compensates fighters for canceled event

We previously reported on the cancellation of Strikeforce’s Melendez vs. Healy event which was scheduled for this weekend and the great impact canceled cards can have on those who are financially dependent on an already sparse annual schedule of events.

Between the cancellation of UFC 151 and this week’s Strikeforce cancelation, 39 fighters and countless support personnel have found themselves with one less night worth of billable hours.

Some, like undefeated female fighter Cat Zingano, have quickly rebounded and found work elsewhere. However, for many of the others who were scheduled to compete and who make their living inside the cage, they are faced with the uncertainty of not knowing when they will fight next and where that next paycheck will come from.

“I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go,” Pat Healy told Mauro Ranallo on Monday’s The MMA Show podcast. He also talked about the large amount of money he had to pay out just to fund his training for a fight that ultimately never happened.

Today, it appears  Strikeforce has taken a major step forward in addressing this very uncertainty. MMAWeekly.com has reported that several fighters have been monetarily compensated for the event’s cancellation.

There has been no official statement from Zuffa, nor any numbers released by them or the managers of any fighters who were to compete on the card. However, Glenn Robinson, the manager of Jorge Santiago and Yuri Villefort, who were both booked for the card, said his fighters are “very pleased with how Zuffa looked after them.”

If true, this is an admirable show of respect from the promotion which demonstrates an interest in the financial well-being of their fighters, who put their physical safety on the line to make these big money cards possible.