Dana White: We have 100 of the world’s best 100 fighters
We have no intention of making any changes, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo! Sports. One thing we always do is…
We have no intention of making any changes, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo! Sports. One thing we always do is honor our contracts. Showtime has a contract with Strikeforce and it will continue … Showtime is happy with Strikeforce and Strikeforce is happy with Showtime. We plan to operate them as they are now, as a separate company from the UFC.
Eventually, when all of the current Strikeforce contracts expire, all Zuffa-contracted fighters will be free to float between leagues to create the best matchups. It is conceivable at that point that Zuffa would shut down the Strikeforce brand and fold it into the UFC, but White said he’s not thinking that far ahead.
With the contracts it owns between the UFC and Strikeforce, Zuffa probably now has 90 percent of the top 100 fighters in the world, though White, typically, believes it’s higher.
I’d think we have 100 of the top 100, he said.
Though Zuffa soon will have the ability to make the best fights in every weight class, to listen to White, don’t expect to see Fedor Emelianenko in the Octagon anytime soon.
There is a certain irony in the fact that now that White finally has Emelianenko under contract, the Russian is coming off back-to-back losses and has talked of retirement.
I don’t see any irony in that, White said, chuckling. Even though Fedor is now under contract with Zuffa, I still have a hard time imagining he’ll ever fight in the UFC. We’ll see, but that’s my bet right now.