In official news that we pre-empted yesterday, K-1, Pro Elite, BodogFight, StrikeForce, Cage Rage and SpiritMC have announced that they will form a new inter-organisational strategic alliance.
These shows will work together to share talent and create a global network of world-class Mixed Martial Arts events.
The six MMA powerhouses will work hand in hand to host stellar events in their native countries of Japan, USA, Russia, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
This is undoubtedly an emergency procedure from some of the world’s top emerging events in response to the UFC’s (sorry Lorenzo Fertitta’s) sensational buy out of Pride FC. The logic obviously being if the UFC can decapitate the world’s biggest MMA event, then it could happen to any one of them. In this case, it is much better to be a united front than get picked off one by one.
The formation of this “alliance” has been roundly welcomed by fans who believe that a viable competitor will keep UFC/Pride on it’s toes.
This will come as faintly bothering news to Zuffa Enterprises as they no doubt thought that they had cleared the decks of anyone coming even close to a rival in the MMA scene.
UFC President Dana White however isn’t so worried. He was quoted yesterday saying that after UFC and Pride every other organisation was a joke.