Why Did Dana White Threaten Strikeforce? Scott Coker’s Statement Reveals Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC CEO’s Plans for Promotion’s Complete Monopoly

UFC has been the sole champion when it comes to doing business in the MMA sector of combat sports.  There’s barely any other promotion that has the potential to even come close to the UFC. Many promotions tried to shake the dominance of UFC but were either collapsed or acquired. However, there was a name in the alleyways of MMA that had the potential to wreak havoc on UFC’s throne.

Strikeforce is a name that is not new to MMA fans. Many of UFC’s ruthless fighters came into the promotion after it acquired Strikeforce. The promotion could shake the UFC’s throne since it was their prime competitor. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, they had to sell their business to the UFC. Or was it really the case? Recent UFC anti-trust filings say otherwise.

Dana White and UFC’s dirty secrets out on Strikeforce dealings

Imagine having a well-settled enterprise with soaring profits and suddenly you get threatened by your competitors to sell your stake for survival. That’s the vibe you are going to experience from the court documents coming out of the UFC anti-trust lawsuit regarding the UFC’s 2011 purchase of Strikeforce.

The new filings portray bone-chilling information that states that UFC, along with Dana White, threatened Strikeforce to sell their entire business if they wanted to stay relevant and stay in the game. The reports further add that the then-CEO Lorenzo Fertitta wanted no competition for the UFC.

“In November 2010, the Strikeforce owners met with representatives of the UFC concerning the potential acquisition of Strikeforce at the offices of WME,” details from the filing. “At the meeting, Lorenzo Fertitta reportedly stated that he thought ‘Strikeforce is building a great brand, but Zuffa feels there should only be one brand, so Zuffa would like to buy Strikeforce.”

According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, Fertitta wanted to close Strikeforce altogether and tuck in every fighter under the Strikeforce banner in UFC. Coker testified “After negotiations stalled, Dana White threatened that he would come after[Strikeforce’s] fighters, and he would make our life hard and you know, give us a bad time”

Strikeforce was profitable before the acquisition

The reports further signified that, unlike Bellator, Strikeforce was a formidable promotion that was profitable and was paying a healthy amount of money to its fighters. The reports stated, ” Strikeforce’s financial documents confirm that Strikeforce achieved profitability on many events while paying a high percentage of Event Revenue to its Fighters. In two events held in November and December of 2009, Strikeforce earned an Event Revenue of $2.97 million, and paid its fighters 59%, equalling almost $1.74 million.

The reports further stated, “Over this time period, Strikeforce earned positive profits on its events (as measured by its event EBITDA), of $0.39 million, or 13.1 percent of its Event Revenue” This implies that fighter compensation might not have been the primary factor contributing to the company’s overall financial losses.

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Dana White might be on a different problem right now as the filings are public now. Will it hamper White’s already controversial image? Tell us about your opinion in the comments below.

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