Strikeforce
Encyclopedia
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based
mixed martial arts
and kickboxing
organization based in San Jose, California
. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker
and owned by Zuffa, LLC
. Its live events and competitions are currently shown on CBS
and Showtime in the United States, Super Channel in Canada, Primetime in the United Kingdom, SKY PerfecTV!
in Japan, HBO Plus in Brazil, Space TV
in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on the American Forces Network
. The promotion debuted on CBS
on November 7, 2009 with Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
.
in 2006 with the Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
event on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California
. The event was California's first regulated MMA
event and broke the previous record for largest audience at a MMA event in the United States, with its 18,265 in attendance. The record was since broken by K-1 HERO'S Dynamite!! USA, although Shamrock vs. Gracie still retains the paid attendance record of 17,465.
In February 2008, Strikeforce held its first event outside California with Strikeforce: At The Dome
at the Tacoma Dome
in Tacoma, Washington
. Since then it has held four additional events outside California: October 2008 in Broomfield, Colorado
, two during June 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri
and Kent, Washington
, and in November 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.
In March 2008, Strikeforce partnered with NBC
to broadcast weekly highlight and fighter-profile series, Strikeforce on NBC from April 12. In February 2009, Strikeforce purchased several assets, including a video library and several fighter-contracts, including Nick Diaz
, Jake Shields
, Robbie Lawler
and Scott Smith
from ProElite
, owner of the defunct EliteXC promotion. Days later it also announced it had agreed to a three-year broadcast deal with Showtime for up to 16 events per year, as well as a deal with CBS
for an option to produce up to four events for them. In addition to Strikeforce's primary events being broadcast on Showtime, it also announced it would produce ShoMMA
: Strikeforce Challengers, an event-series similar to ShoXC
and ShoBox, where they would highlight up-and-coming fighters.
During August of 2009, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced that they had signed formal alliances with Japan
ese MMA-promotion Dream
and Russia
n promotion M-1 Global
. Coker said the partnership would allow for co-promotion and fighter exchanges for events both in the US and Japan, and he mentioned Shinya Aoki
versus Josh Thomson
or Gilbert Melendez
as well as Melvin Manhoef
versus Robbie Lawler
creating the best match ups possible that would not have existed before.
On August 15, 2009, Strikeforce was available to be viewed online through the Showtime website. For a small cost "Strikeforce: All Access" is an online interactive event for the fans that streams simultaneously with the live event enabling the user multiple camera angles of the fights such as the "cage cam" exclusively offered by Showtime. A small camera is attached to the referee and fans are able to see from their perspective in real time. "Strikeforce: All Access" adds other features such as pause and instant replay. This was not the first time Strikeforce events were streamed on the Showtime website but was the first time the live stream was available to audiences and internet users outside the United States such as in Europe, Japan, Brazil, and Canada.
Strikeforce has major sponsorship deals, Rockstar Energy Drink is the official energy drink of Strikeforce. This in addition to having sponsors from Electronic Arts
Video Games, Bodog
and Full Tilt Poker
. Strikeforce is also expected to air events live on prime time television on CBS starting in 2009. Their collaboration with Dream
will soon lead to Strikeforce events being held in Japan.
Some notable fighters signed by Strikeforce in 2009 include Fedor Emelianenko
, Gegard Mousasi
, Dan Henderson
, Marius Žaromskis
, Muhammed Lawal
, Melvin Manhoef
, Nick Diaz
, KJ Noons, and Bobby Lashley.
signed a 3 fight contract with Strikeforce. On November 7, 2009, he made his Strikeforce debut at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
on a nationally televised card on CBS
. Emelianenko faced Brett Rogers
, and won via knock out in the 2nd round. Emelianenko proved to be a huge rating draw, bringing in just under 5.5 million viewers.
Emelianenkos' next fight was at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
. Emelianenko suffered his first loss in 10 years to Fabricio Werdum, via submission.
Emelianenko next fought as part of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. He lost again, to Antonio Silva
, via doctor stoppage. Emelianenko was battered by Silva during the second round, causing his right eye to swell shut.
His next fight was with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson. Fedor lost after being KO'd in the 1st round.
revealed on AOL
to Ariel Helwani
that Zuffa, LLC
, the parent company of the UFC, had purchased Strikeforce. White went on to explain that Strikeforce will operate as an independent promotion, and that Scott Coker will continue to run the promotion. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced the return of Fedor Emelianenko on an unspecified July or August event and said that Zuffa-owned company would continue to co-promote with M-1 Global. Since the purchase, the UFC had signed many of Strikeforce's top stars and champions, such as Jason Miller, Nick Diaz
, Dan Henderson
, Alistair Overeem
, and Cung Le
.
octagonal cage (The Octagon). Ordinary matches consist of three five-minute rounds, while championship matches are five five-minute rounds. All rounds have a one-minute break between them. Prior to the acquisition by Zuffa, Strikeforce did not allow elbows to the head of a grounded opponent.
Previous to June 2009, all women's bouts in Strikeforce consisted of three three-minute rounds as opposed to the men's five-minute rounds. However, on June 16, 2009, Strikeforce announced that it had received approval from the Washington- and California State Athletic Commissions to use five-minute rounds for all women's bouts, including five five-minute rounds for its championship bouts.
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds
(lb)
!in kilograms
(kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Lightweight
|155||70.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Welterweight
|170||77.1
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Middleweight
|185||83.9
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Light Heavyweight
|205||93.0
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Heavyweight
|265||120.2
Women's
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds
(lb)
!in kilograms
(kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
Note: In the event of a draw, it is not necessary that the fighters' total points be equal. However, in a unanimous or split draw, each fighter does score an equal number of win judgments from the three judges (0 or 1, respectively).
A fight can also end in a technical decision, disqualification, forfeit, technical draw, or no contest. The latter two outcomes have no winners.
is in effect for all fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or fewer. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives fewer than 8.
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
, which occurred November 18, 2011, there have been 56 Strikeforce events held.
.
|- style="background:#FFFFCC;"
! Men's division
! Upper weight limit
! Champion
! Since
! Title Defenses
|-
| Heavyweight
| 265 lb (120.2 kg; 18.9 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Light Heavyweight
| 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Middleweight
| 185 lb (83.9 kg; 13.2 st)
|
Luke Rockhold
| September 10, 2011
| 0
|-
| Welterweight
| 170 lb (77.1 kg; 12.1 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Lightweight
| 155 lb (70.3 kg; 11.1 st)
| Gilbert Melendez
| December 19, 2009
| 2
|- style="background:#FFFFCC;"
! Women's division
! Upper weight limit
! Champion
! Since
! Title Defenses
|-
| Featherweight
| 145 lb (65.8 kg; 10.4 st)
|
Cristiane Santos
| August 15, 2009
| 2
|-
| Bantamweight
| 135 lb (61.2 kg; 9.6 st)
| Miesha Tate
| July 30, 2011
| 0
|}
Figures are available from the company Round 5. A series of their figures includes Cung Le
and Gina Carano
. The Cung Le
figure was released at the 2009 San Diego Comic Convention. An exclusive special version of the Cung Le
figurine was released thereafter in which he has different colored shorts and design.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
organization based in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker
Scott Coker
Scott Coker is the founder and CEO of Strikeforce, a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.Scott Coker is an Ernie Reyes protege and full-contact fight promoter covering Kickboxing, K-1, and MMA...
and owned by Zuffa, LLC
Zuffa, LLC
Zuffa, LLC is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship after they purchased it...
. Its live events and competitions are currently shown on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Showtime in the United States, Super Channel in Canada, Primetime in the United Kingdom, SKY PerfecTV!
SKY PerfecTV!
SKY PerfecTV! is a direct broadcast satellite service that provides satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation....
in Japan, HBO Plus in Brazil, Space TV
Space (Latin American TV channel)
Space is an Argentine cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System and Time Warner. It airs movies, series and television shows. It is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on the American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
. The promotion debuted on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on November 7, 2009 with Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers was a mixed martial arts event held on November 7, 2009. It was the first MMA event on network television since the now-defunct EliteXC promotion broadcast its final event, EliteXC: Heat, on CBS on October 4, 2008. The event had a four-fight main card...
.
History
Strikeforce was founded as a kickboxing organization. It became involved with MMAMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
in 2006 with the Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie was the inaugural mixed martial arts event promoted by Strikeforce. The event took place at the HP Pavilion at San Jose in San Jose, California on March 10, 2006. The main event was the long awaited match between Frank Shamrock, returning to the sport after a 3-year...
event on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. The event was California's first regulated MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event and broke the previous record for largest audience at a MMA event in the United States, with its 18,265 in attendance. The record was since broken by K-1 HERO'S Dynamite!! USA, although Shamrock vs. Gracie still retains the paid attendance record of 17,465.
In February 2008, Strikeforce held its first event outside California with Strikeforce: At The Dome
Strikeforce: At The Dome
Strikeforce: At The Dome was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Strikeforce in conjunction with Brian Halquist Productions. The event took place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, February 23, 2008.-Results:...
at the Tacoma Dome
Tacoma Dome
The Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.-History:...
in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. Since then it has held four additional events outside California: October 2008 in Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, two during June 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Kent, Washington
Kent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
, and in November 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.
In March 2008, Strikeforce partnered with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to broadcast weekly highlight and fighter-profile series, Strikeforce on NBC from April 12. In February 2009, Strikeforce purchased several assets, including a video library and several fighter-contracts, including Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
, Jake Shields
Jake Shields
Jake Shields is an American mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. He is the last Rumble on the Rock 175 lb champion. He is the first and last Elite XC Welterweight Champion. He is also the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and is the former...
, Robbie Lawler
Robbie Lawler
Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
and Scott Smith
Scott Smith (fighter)
Bryan Scott Smith, , is an American mixed martial artist previously fighting at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship making his debut at UFC 59. He also fought for EliteXC before it folded and currently fights for Strikeforce...
from ProElite
ProElite
ProElite, Inc. is an American entertainment and media company involved in the promotion of mixed martial arts .-First incarnation:Founded in 2006 in partnership with Showtime Networks Inc...
, owner of the defunct EliteXC promotion. Days later it also announced it had agreed to a three-year broadcast deal with Showtime for up to 16 events per year, as well as a deal with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
for an option to produce up to four events for them. In addition to Strikeforce's primary events being broadcast on Showtime, it also announced it would produce ShoMMA
ShoMMA
ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers is a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization Strikeforce and the Showtime cable network. Similar to Showtime's earlier ShoXC, the purpose of the series is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters. Upcoming events are listed in...
: Strikeforce Challengers, an event-series similar to ShoXC
ShoXC
ShoXC was a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC, Showtime and Proelite.com. The series was announced on July 11, 2007. The purpose of the show is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters....
and ShoBox, where they would highlight up-and-coming fighters.
During August of 2009, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced that they had signed formal alliances with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese MMA-promotion Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n promotion M-1 Global
M-1 Global
M-1 Global is the mixed martial arts promotion based in Russia - The Netherlands which organizes between 40 and 50 competitions per year...
. Coker said the partnership would allow for co-promotion and fighter exchanges for events both in the US and Japan, and he mentioned Shinya Aoki
Shinya Aoki
is a Japanese mixed martial artist, grappler, and former police trainee who is noted for being the DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion. Aoki holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Yuki Nakai, as well as a black belt in judo. He is one of the most prominent...
versus Josh Thomson
Josh Thomson
Joshua Joseph Thomson is an American mixed martial arts fighter training with American Kickboxing Academy. He has fought in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships and America's UFC, as well as Strikeforce and the World Fighting Alliance. Thomson is a former Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion...
or Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent. Currently fighting out of San Francisco, California, he formerly competed in the lightweight division of PRIDE Fighting Championships and now competes in Strikeforce...
as well as Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
versus Robbie Lawler
Robbie Lawler
Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
creating the best match ups possible that would not have existed before.
On August 15, 2009, Strikeforce was available to be viewed online through the Showtime website. For a small cost "Strikeforce: All Access" is an online interactive event for the fans that streams simultaneously with the live event enabling the user multiple camera angles of the fights such as the "cage cam" exclusively offered by Showtime. A small camera is attached to the referee and fans are able to see from their perspective in real time. "Strikeforce: All Access" adds other features such as pause and instant replay. This was not the first time Strikeforce events were streamed on the Showtime website but was the first time the live stream was available to audiences and internet users outside the United States such as in Europe, Japan, Brazil, and Canada.
Strikeforce has major sponsorship deals, Rockstar Energy Drink is the official energy drink of Strikeforce. This in addition to having sponsors from Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
Video Games, Bodog
Bodog
Bodog is an online entertainment brand launched in 1994 by Calvin Ayre.Originally the company traded at but the brand was later divested and intellectual property rights were assigned to and consolidated in BodogBrand.com...
and Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
. Strikeforce is also expected to air events live on prime time television on CBS starting in 2009. Their collaboration with Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
will soon lead to Strikeforce events being held in Japan.
Some notable fighters signed by Strikeforce in 2009 include Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo...
, Gegard Mousasi
Gegard Mousasi
Gegard Mousasi, born Geghard Movsesian is an Armenian-Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is fighting out of Team Jurojin in Leiden, Netherlands and is a member of Russian Red Devil Sport Club and Netherlands' Golden Glory...
, Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
, Marius Žaromskis
Marius Žaromskis
Marius Žaromskis is a Lithuanian welterweight mixed martial artist. After fighting the majority of his career for British promotion Cage Rage, he signed with DREAM in 2009 and then, later that year, with Strikeforce. With DREAM, Žaromskis won their 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix and became their...
, Muhammed Lawal
Muhammed Lawal
|-| Win|align=center| 8–1| Roger Gracie| KO | Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov| |align=center| 1|align=center| 4:37|Cincinnati, Ohio, United States|||-| Loss|align=center| 7–1| Rafael Cavalcante| TKO...
, Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
, Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
, KJ Noons, and Bobby Lashley.
Arrival of Fedor Emelianenko
On August 3, 2009, Fedor EmelianenkoFedor Emelianenko
Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo...
signed a 3 fight contract with Strikeforce. On November 7, 2009, he made his Strikeforce debut at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers was a mixed martial arts event held on November 7, 2009. It was the first MMA event on network television since the now-defunct EliteXC promotion broadcast its final event, EliteXC: Heat, on CBS on October 4, 2008. The event had a four-fight main card...
on a nationally televised card on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Emelianenko faced Brett Rogers
Brett Rogers
Brett Charles Rogers is an African-American mixed martial artist who fights in the heavyweight division. Rogers has fought in EliteXC and Strikeforce.-Biography:...
, and won via knock out in the 2nd round. Emelianenko proved to be a huge rating draw, bringing in just under 5.5 million viewers.
Emelianenkos' next fight was at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce on June 26, 2010 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.-Background:...
. Emelianenko suffered his first loss in 10 years to Fabricio Werdum, via submission.
Emelianenko next fought as part of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. He lost again, to Antonio Silva
Antonio Silva (fighter)
Antonio Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He initially fought in the super heavyweight division, but currently competes in the heavyweight weight class. He is the first and last EliteXC heavyweight champion...
, via doctor stoppage. Emelianenko was battered by Silva during the second round, causing his right eye to swell shut.
His next fight was with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson. Fedor lost after being KO'd in the 1st round.
Purchase By Zuffa, LLC
On March 12, 2011 Dana WhiteDana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
revealed on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
to Ariel Helwani
Ariel Helwani
- Biography :Helwani was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he grew up in a Jewish family in the Town of Mount Royal and Westmount and attended the Akiva School and Herzliah High School. In 2004, he graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He works for...
that Zuffa, LLC
Zuffa, LLC
Zuffa, LLC is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship after they purchased it...
, the parent company of the UFC, had purchased Strikeforce. White went on to explain that Strikeforce will operate as an independent promotion, and that Scott Coker will continue to run the promotion. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced the return of Fedor Emelianenko on an unspecified July or August event and said that Zuffa-owned company would continue to co-promote with M-1 Global. Since the purchase, the UFC had signed many of Strikeforce's top stars and champions, such as Jason Miller, Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
, Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
, Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Cees Overeem is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Interim Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat...
, and Cung Le
Cung Le
Cung Le is a Vietnamese-American Sanshou kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actor from Saigon, Vietnam currently competing in the UFC. He is the former IKF Light Heavyweight San Shou World Champion and has a professional San Shou record of 16-0 before moving to mixed martial arts...
.
Rules
Strikeforce employs the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, and is fought on a hexagonal cage, as opposed to UFC'sUltimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
octagonal cage (The Octagon). Ordinary matches consist of three five-minute rounds, while championship matches are five five-minute rounds. All rounds have a one-minute break between them. Prior to the acquisition by Zuffa, Strikeforce did not allow elbows to the head of a grounded opponent.
Previous to June 2009, all women's bouts in Strikeforce consisted of three three-minute rounds as opposed to the men's five-minute rounds. However, on June 16, 2009, Strikeforce announced that it had received approval from the Washington- and California State Athletic Commissions to use five-minute rounds for all women's bouts, including five five-minute rounds for its championship bouts.
Rounds
Every men's and women's round competition is five minutes in duration. Title matches have five such rounds, non-title matches have three, and all rounds have a one-minute break between them.Weight divisions
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(lb)
!in kilograms
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
Bantamweight (MMA)
The bantamweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The King of the Cage bantamweight class with upper limit at 145 lb...
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
|155||70.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Welterweight
Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...
|170||77.1
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
|185||83.9
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Light Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
|205||93.0
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
|265||120.2
Women's
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(lb)
!in kilograms
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
Bantamweight (MMA)
The bantamweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The King of the Cage bantamweight class with upper limit at 145 lb...
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
Match outcome
Matches usually end via:- SubmissionSubmission (combat sport term)A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat...
: a fighter clearly taps on his/her opponent, the mat or his/her opponent verbally submits. - KnockoutKnockoutA knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue. - Technical Knockout (TKO): If a fighter cannot continue, the fight is ended as a technical knockout. Technical knockouts can be classified into three categories:
- referee stoppage: (the referee determines a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself; if warnings to the fighter to improve his position or defense go unanswered—generally, two warnings are given, about 5 seconds apart)
- doctor stoppage (a ringside doctor due to injury or impending injury, as when blood flows into the eyes and blinds a fighter)
- corner stoppage (a fighter's own cornerman signals defeat for their own fighter)
- Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
- unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for fighter A)
- majority decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a draw)
- split decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B)
- unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw)
- majority draw (two judges score a draw, one judge scoring a win)
- split draw (one judge scores a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B, and one judge scores a draw)
- disqualification (outcome can be overturned due to testing positive for banned substances)
Note: In the event of a draw, it is not necessary that the fighters' total points be equal. However, in a unanimous or split draw, each fighter does score an equal number of win judgments from the three judges (0 or 1, respectively).
A fight can also end in a technical decision, disqualification, forfeit, technical draw, or no contest. The latter two outcomes have no winners.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system10-point must system
The 10-point must system is a method of scoring a fighting match .Under the system, the judges must give the winner of a round 10 points, and the loser 9 points or fewer...
is in effect for all fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or fewer. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives fewer than 8.
Fouls
The Nevada State Athletic Commission currently lists the following as fouls:- ButtingHeadbuttA headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with the forehead...
with the head - Eye gougingEye-gougingEye-gouging is the act of pressing or tearing the eye using the fingers, other bodyparts, or instruments. Eye-gouging involves a very high risk of eye injury, such as permanent eye loss. It is disallowed in combat sports, but some self-defense systems teach it...
of any kind - Biting
- Hair pulling
- Fish hookingFish-hookingFish-hooking is the act of inserting a finger or fingers of one or both hands into the mouth, nostrils or other orifices of a person, and pulling away from the centerline of the body; in most cases with the intention of pulling, tearing, or lacerating the surrounding tissue. Forceful fish-hooking...
- Groin attackGroin attackA groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
s of any kind - Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Fish-hookingFish-hookingFish-hooking is the act of inserting a finger or fingers of one or both hands into the mouth, nostrils or other orifices of a person, and pulling away from the centerline of the body; in most cases with the intention of pulling, tearing, or lacerating the surrounding tissue. Forceful fish-hooking...
) - Small joint manipulationSmall joint manipulationSmall joint manipulation, in grappling, refers to twisting, pulling or bending fingers or toes to cause joint locks in the various joints in those appendages...
. - Striking to the spine or the back of the head. (see Rabbit punchRabbit punchA rabbit punch is a blow to the neck or to the base of the skull. It is considered especially dangerous because it can damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious spinal cord injury or even death.-Boxing:...
) - Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (see Elbow (strike)Elbow (strike)An elbow strike is a strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow...
) - ThroatThroatIn vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the tracheaVertebrate tracheaIn tetrapod anatomy the trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air. It is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium cells with goblet cells that produce mucus...
. - Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
- Grabbing the clavicleClavicleIn human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
. - KickingSoccer kickA soccer kick is a reference to a kick that is similar to kicks used in association football. For short distanced passes, the instep or the outside of the foot can be used...
the head of a grounded opponent. - KneeingKnee (strike)A knee strike is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent...
the head of a grounded opponent. - StompingStomp (strike)A stomp is a downwards strike with the heel of the foot from the stand-up position, and is usually directed at the head or body of a downed opponent...
a grounded opponent. - KickKickIn combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...
ing to the kidney with the heel. - Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriverPiledriver (professional wrestling)A piledriver is a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs his opponent, turns him upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat. The most common piledrivers are the basic belly-to-back, or Texas piledriver, and the...
) - ThrowingThrow (grappling)A throw is a martial arts term for a grappling technique that involves off-balancing or lifting an opponent, and tossing them to the ground in Japanese martial arts referred to as nage-waza, 投げ技, "throwing technique"...
an opponent out of the ring or fenced area. - Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
- SpittingSpittingSpitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is currently considered rude and a social taboo in many parts of the world including the West, while in some other parts of the world it is considered more acceptable...
at an opponent. - Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
- Holding the ropes or the fence.
- Attacking the referee.
- Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
- Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
- Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round.
- Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
- Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
- Interference by the corner.
- Throwing in the towel during competition.
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
Match conduct
- After a verbal warning the referee can stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant positionGrappling positionA grappling position refers to the positioning and holds of combatants engaged in grappling. Combatants are said to be in a neutral position if neither is in a more favourable position. If one party has a clear advantage such as in the mount they are said to be in a "dominant position"...
or working towards one). This rule is codified in Nevada as the stand-up rule. - If the referee pauses the match, it is resumed with the fighters in their prior positions.
- Grabbing the cage brings a verbal warning, followed by an attempt by the referee to release the grab by pulling on the grabbing hand. If that attempt fails or if the fighter continues to hold the cage, the referee may charge a foul.
- Under unified rules, antics are permitted before events to add to excitement and allow fighters to express themselves, but abusive language during combat is prohibited.
Strikeforce events
As of Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. SayersStrikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers
Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The 20th Challengers episode took place on November 18, 2011 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, which occurred November 18, 2011, there have been 56 Strikeforce events held.
Strikeforce Grand Prix
Strikeforce has held tournaments in the mens' middleweight division and womens' welterweight division. On February 12, 2011, Strikeforce had its inaugural World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament featuring eight of its top heavyweights. The Grand Prix brackets took and will take place during separate events on separate occasions starting at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. SilvaStrikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event. It took place on February 12th, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey...
.
Current champions
{| style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="3"|- style="background:#FFFFCC;"
! Men's division
! Upper weight limit
! Champion
! Since
! Title Defenses
|-
| Heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
| 265 lb (120.2 kg; 18.9 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Light Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
| 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
| 185 lb (83.9 kg; 13.2 st)
|
Luke RockholdLuke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold is an American mixed martial artist. He is the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.Rockhold holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Dave Camarillo.-Early Life:...
| September 10, 2011
| 0
|-
| Welterweight
Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...
| 170 lb (77.1 kg; 12.1 st)
| Vacant
|
|
|-
| Lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
| 155 lb (70.3 kg; 11.1 st)
|
Gilbert MelendezGilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent. Currently fighting out of San Francisco, California, he formerly competed in the lightweight division of PRIDE Fighting Championships and now competes in Strikeforce...
| December 19, 2009
| 2
|- style="background:#FFFFCC;"
! Women's division
! Upper weight limit
! Champion
! Since
! Title Defenses
|-
| Featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
| 145 lb (65.8 kg; 10.4 st)
|
Cristiane SantosCristiane Santos
Cristiane Justino Venancio Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and the Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Champion . Santos won the title on August 15, 2009 by defeating Gina Carano via TKO...
| August 15, 2009
| 2
|-
| Bantamweight
Bantamweight (MMA)
The bantamweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The King of the Cage bantamweight class with upper limit at 145 lb...
| 135 lb (61.2 kg; 9.6 st)
|
Miesha TateMiesha Tate
Miesha Tate is a professional mixed martial artist.She is the current Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion and the current Freestyle Cage Fighting Women's Bantamweight Champion...
| July 30, 2011
| 0
|}
Video games
- EA Sports MMAEA Sports MMAEA Sports MMA is a fighting video game which was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon from 2008 to 2010. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010 in North America and October 22, 2010 everywhere else....
was released in 2010 featuring Strikeforce along with global MMA enterprises.
Action figures
Figures are available from the company Round 5. A series of their figures includes Cung Le
Cung Le
Cung Le is a Vietnamese-American Sanshou kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actor from Saigon, Vietnam currently competing in the UFC. He is the former IKF Light Heavyweight San Shou World Champion and has a professional San Shou record of 16-0 before moving to mixed martial arts...
and Gina Carano
Gina Carano
Gina Joy Carano is an American model, actress, and mixed martial arts fighter. Carano appeared as the Gladiator "Crush" on American Gladiators...
. The Cung Le
Cung Le
Cung Le is a Vietnamese-American Sanshou kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actor from Saigon, Vietnam currently competing in the UFC. He is the former IKF Light Heavyweight San Shou World Champion and has a professional San Shou record of 16-0 before moving to mixed martial arts...
figure was released at the 2009 San Diego Comic Convention. An exclusive special version of the Cung Le
Cung Le
Cung Le is a Vietnamese-American Sanshou kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actor from Saigon, Vietnam currently competing in the UFC. He is the former IKF Light Heavyweight San Shou World Champion and has a professional San Shou record of 16-0 before moving to mixed martial arts...
figurine was released thereafter in which he has different colored shorts and design.