Strikeforce: Carving a niche of their own in MMA

Since last March fledgling MMA promotion Strikeforce has been creating buzz in the world of MMA to keep their name out there while the UFC has been either eliminating competition (PRIDE FC, WFA) or subsuming potential competitors (WEC).

When any industry spawns a juggernaut like the UFC it quickly becomes nearly impossible to get a foothold as a viable competitor. It is possible to exist on a lower level as long as you don't rile up the big boy and this has worked well for some MMA companies. Organizations like King of the Cage and Superbrawl are names that are familiar to hardcore fans of MMA but are also widely acknowledged as second tier orgs which have produced some future stars but are mostly made up of fighters who can't quite make it to the big time. When the WEC tried to make a name for themselves by employing UFC veterans and potential TUFers as well as promoting a legitimate star in Urijah Faber, who fights in a weight class not included in the UFC and is therefore unpoachable, the UFC simply pulled the WEC under the Zuffa umbrella and turned them into a semi-development organization to showcase up and comers and smaller weights like Faber's 143 pound featherweight division. International organizations like TKO (Canada) and Cage Rage (UK) have also been able to chug along without interference from the UFC (although there does seem to be ties between UFC and TKO, further research required) Strikeforce has managed to do something entirely different.

Strikeforce has been taking a step by step approach to development in a manner that may someday allow them to challenge the UFC. Organizations like the World Fighting Alliance have tried to take on the UFC by jumping into the deep end right off the bat. They signed big names like current UFC LHW champion Rampage Jackson and promoted big events. The result was a few events ending in bankruptcy and the UFC scooping up the fighters they wanted and making even more money off of guys like the aforementioned Rampage. Add that to the fact that the UFC's only true competitor (and arguably superior), Japan's PRIDE FC, went under amidst rumors of Yakuza connections and the loss of their Japanese TV deal and the UFC now seems almost unassailable at the top of the MMA market. K-1 Hero's still has a formidable roster of MMA stars and may also benefit from the dissolution of PRIDE but for whatever reason their presence in the UFC's primary North American market has remained insignificant. So what chance does a relative MMA nobody like Strikeforce have? Well when taking a look at what they are doing right so far it's possible to see a potential formula for how to grow an MMA organization.

First off Strikeforce has not overextended itself. The organization was basically born when the state of California agreed to sanction MMA. Since then the organization has remained rooted in California and is building a fan base, particularly in San Jose where the majority of events have taken place.

Secondly they have not felt compelled to be lone rangers as they have made a move to establish themselves in the MMA world. They have not been shy to cross promote with other new kids on the block like the Showtime promoted EliteXC or bodogFight. Due to the adversarial nature of the organization system in MMA cross promotion immediately helps to create buzz.

Thirdly, they are not overestimating their own prestige. By broadcasting their events on venues like free streaming on Yahoo! sports they allow their product to be accessible to a virtually unlimited audience. If the execs at Strikeforce had been arrogant enough to feel that they deserved to charge 40 to 50 dollars for PPVs right out of the gate they would no doubt have driven away viewers regardless of the quality of their fights.

Fourthly, they are putting on fights people want to see. Partly due to the abrasive personality of Frank Shamrock Strikeforce has routinely had buzzworthy main events. Shamrock's fights with Cesar Gracie and Phil Baroni built high levels of anticipation well in advance of the actual event. Other main events like Overeem - Belfort or Tank Abbott - Buentello have also been the kind of fights that have piqued the interest of the MMA community. By not only building on the name value of MMA celebrities but also promoting their own stars like Cung Le and Daniel Puder they have been able to build interest from another direction as fans also tune in to follow the careers of new fighters with plenty of potential.

Finally they have consistently stuck to these positive strategies. Their November 16th event was streamed live on Yahoo! and featured notable elements such as the first officially sanctioned one night tournament in California history, the crowning of a Heavyweight champion, and a fight between unique homegrown star Cung Le and a TUF veteran. Add that to the fact that many of the fights were exciting and had explosive finishes, something that really can't be planned, and Strikeforce has one more quality event to its credit.

It also looks like they are planning to keep up the good work in the future. Their next event will feature a main event fight between Josh Thompson (a UFC vet who has been quietly dominating the Strikeforce lightweight division since losing a decision to Clay Guida) and Gilbert Melendez (arguably the top lightweight in the world). This is the most important lightweight fight on the MMA horizon and that includes the upcoming UFC fight between superstar B.J. Penn and TUF winner Joe Stevenson. More than likely the next event will also feature Cung Le, possibly fighting Frank Shamrock, and is building buzz four months and a half months in advance of the actual March 29th event. By solidifying their place in their current niche Strikeforce has gained the potential to explode onto the national and even worldwide MMA scene.