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Strikeforce started as a kickboxing organization, and went to mma in 2006. It is lead by it’s CEO Scott Coker. Strikeforce has been relevant for sometime now and has been the UFC’s biggest competition before being bought out by Zuffa in 2011.
This weekend, January 12, 2013, Strikeforce will be airing it’s last show. Some fighters (Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, DC, etc) will be absorbed into the UFC, while other’s will be looking for work elsewhere.
Strikeforce became involved with MMA in 2006 with the Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie event on March 10, 2006, but really didn’t get noticed until November 2009 when the promotion debuted on CBS on November 7, 2009 with Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.
Fedor was a big draw for Strikeforce fans. Pride fighters and fans all around the globe usually ended up in Strikeforce or the UFC.
Strikefore needs to be credited with giving former UFC fighters a second chance (Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt), putting their own fighters on MMA radars, and for putting women’s MMA on the map, first with Gina Carano, then “Cyborg”, and now the biggest name in women’s MMA, Ronda Rousey.
The #2 MMA organization in the world will be missed by all of the true, die-hard fans. We would like to thank them and the fighters for everything they have given us, and can’t wait for this weekend. We would like to send out this tribute and farewell to Strikeforce.
Best Strikeforce fighter’s of All-time via Thebestfighters.com:
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~Best fights in my opinion~
Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, March 3, 2012
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le, March 29, 2008
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, April 9, 2011
Nick Diaz vs Frank Shamrock 2009
Strikeforce: Faijao vs. Henderson, March 5, 2011
Josh Thompson vs. Gil Melendez III May 19, 2012
Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ De Souza vs. Luke Rockhold Sep. 10, 2011
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier, May 19, 2012
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg, January 29, 2011
~Greatest KO’s~
Antonio Silva vs Fedor Emelianenko 2011
Frank Shamrock vs Cesar Gracie 2006
Fedor over Andrei Arlovski 2009
Paul Daley over Scott Smith 2010
Gilbert Melendez vs Rodrigo Damm 2009
Dan Henderson vs Rafael Feijao 2011
Sergei Kharitonov vs Andrei Arlovski 2011
~Biggest upset’s~
Fedor loses 3 in a row:
Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson.
Scott Smith over Benji Radach.
~Biggest accomplishment in my opinion~
On March 10, 2006, “Shamrock vs. Gracie” broke the all-time attendance record for an MMA fight card in North America, packing 18,265 fans into San Jose’s HP Pavilion in California, easily besting the previous record of 14,562 set the year before by UFC 52: “Liddell vs. Couture 2” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I have always enjoyed Strikeforce and from all of us at MMA-Freak we would like to say thanks to the organization and to all of it’s fighters for giving us action packed fights since 2006. Farewell Srtrikeforce.
~Be sure not miss their last card this weekend~
MAIN (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET)
- Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine
- Daniel Cormier vs. Dion Staring
- Josh Barnett vs. Nandor Guelmino
- Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi
- Ed Herman vs. Ronaldo Souza
PRELIMINARY (Showtime Extreme, 8 p.m. ET)
- Pat Healy vs. Kurt Holobaugh
- Roger Gracie vs. Anthony Smith
- Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Smith
- Ryan Couture vs. KJ Noons
PRELIMINARY (Untelevised, 7 p.m. ET)
- Jorge Gurgel vs. Adriano Martins
- Michael Bravo vs. Estevan Payan
Watch the preview for tomorrow’s final Strikeforce event in the video below.