Fighters react to Strikeforce buyout
Every MMA fan wondered what it was like when some of the most prominent names on the Strikeforce roster heard…
Every MMA fan wondered what it was like when some of the most prominent names on the Strikeforce roster heard that UFC President Dana White now owned where they eat. White is infamous for his ill-mannered remarks, and has as well received his share of bad mouthing.
Did Josh Barnett instantly recall his remarks of three weeks ago? – “If he wants I can come pee in his mouth and he can tell me if he tastes any Dianabol or anything like that. He might swing that way you never know.”
Below several prominent names in Mixed Martial Arts offer their initiial public reactions.
Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller
“My mind is officially blown.”
Gil Melendez
“Zuffa buys Strikeforce! Now I am a UFC employee”
Shane Carwin
“Let’s finally see who the best fighters are”
Miesha Tate
“Is it really tre Zuffa bought @Strikeforce ?? This could be a good or bad thing for the women, hope it doesn’t change for the worse”
“I just don’t know what’s going to happen. Now we’re all under Zuffa, and the one man who’s the big voice there can’t appreciate women’s fighting.”
Fabricio Werdum
Strikeforce was doing well, growing strongly, but let’s face the facts, the UFC is the best of the world, a stronger brand… You have to unit with the best … Joe Silva told me to call him as soon as I was ‘free’, to call him to negotiate, but now we’re at the same home again.
Josh Thomson
“As a fighter, that’s the great thing about it. You don’t worry about the business side of it all. You worry about going out there and performing.”
Alistair Overeem
“I was shocked when I read it, but I’m very excited. It’s a very big upset in the MMA world, and the fighting world in general. But yeah, my first thought was, I’m excited.”
“It was a very big surprise to me and to everybody. The gentlemen did a very good job of keeping the big secret. I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t see it coming at all.”
“I’m a positive guy. I see things through a positive lens. It can be really, really the best thing ever happened to the sport, if it’s used positive, and I see that happening. If it’s used negative, then it’s going to be a downfall. But I don’t see that happening.”
“We’re going to have to wait and see how it works out. The fans are going to get to see the fights that are most appealing to them. I think this is what the sport needs to grow, because the sport has grown rapidly, but it’s still not there yet. It still needs to grow bigger. I think Dana wants this and I know I want this as well. We want the fights to be worldwide known. We want everybody worldwide to talk about these fights, like in the old days with Muhammad Ali and Tyson, and we’re not there yet. To get there, there’s still some work to be done and I think Dana’s working on that.”
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
“It excites me. The UFC is the No. 1 event on earth. The best fighters in the world are there. I would love to fight there.
“I’d love to fight Brock Lesnar and send him back to pro wrestling because I don’t accept the fact that [he ‘s] ranked No. 2. It’s not personal; I don’t know Brock. It’s just professional.”
“I fight for my family. I love to fight and I need to fight, so I’ll fight any place and anybody.”
Josh Barnett
“If he hates me, he hates me; but if he sees the value in what I bring to the table as a fighter I think that will speak for itself … I don’t hate Dana and I do business, and I’ll go out there and do the absolute best that I can do.”
“There is a part of me that absolutely wishes that things between myself and the UFC had worked out differently. I was 23, 24-years-old at the time and I took advice from where I took it and I tried to do what I thought was the best thing at the time, but this guy that is sitting here talking to you now would tell that kid … he was a moron.
“The thing is, every step you take is forever. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do and I’ll try to do the best I can to avoid mistakes of the past and use those experiences to be better at everything I try to do in life.”
Dan Henderson
“It’s a little shocking. I had no idea. I know there were rumors six months ago, but I was pretty shocked. I don’t know what to feel about it. I don’t necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport. But then again, you’re going to start being able to see all these match-ups that everyone wants to see. Who knows?”
“I had no plans of leaving, but I don’t know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we’ll see what happens.”
“I’ve never said anything bad about them. I always appreciated everything they’ve done for me and for the sport. It’s just I was paid more money to go elsewhere, and that’s what I did. Dana’s the type that needs to talk a little smack if he doesn’t get his way, but I’ve got no hard feelings about anything.”
“I don’t know if it’s the greatest thing to have everything under one roof again like it was when they took over PRIDE. It’s just a concern. Hopefully things work out right. Obviously, I’m concerned for myself and future contracts, and also about other fighters, as well. It’s tough for these guys to get paid well, especially if there’s no competition.”
Cesar Gracie, manager for welterweight champion Nick Diaz
“Scott Coker did what would be in his and his family’s best financial interest. At the end of the day, he makes a few million bucks, and he’s a happy camper.
“Is it going to be good for the fighters? We’re going to wait and see.”