What is Strikeforce doing that keeps them going and very regular that Affliction and other events are not doing?
Discuss.
well for one I bet their overhead is nowhere near what affliction's is
YEP that Afflictions downfall, paying their fighters way too much
very good, careful matchmaking...keeping the promotion in a place where they know they can make money...not overextending
Low fighter pay.
Massa - Low fighter pay.
Not really....
Goku is right on the money.
They don't try to be more than a very good regional promotion. Maybe they can now with backing, but won't go into the hole of their own doing.
The lack of mistboxing and Stemm is certainly helping them grow.
Do rhey have PPV? I remember they sold dvds at one point but not sure if they still do. Are they surviving on gate revenue, merchandising, and sponsors?
LOL!
CRE has a good point.
Strikeforce is doing well for itself.
i think it's because they run their show like an actual sporting league. they build their weight divisions by having guys come in and fight repeatedly in their show, and then they match the best of these homegrown guys up and have them fight for the title. unlike affliction, EXC etc. which basically fill their fight cards with mercenary "star" names in meanginless "superfights".
They also haven't hinged their success on one guy.
They targeted a large regional market before going on to bigger things. Doing so they managed to build a dedicated fanbase that is continuously growing through TV deals that broadcast their fights nationwide. They didn't start out by trying to attack the industry leader, like many of the failed/failing orgs. have done.
As well they put on great fights the majority of the time, their headliners are well known fighters that can put butts in the seats. Most important, they have competent management.
Wow, I'm surprised no one mentioned the name recognition of the UFC fighters.
Guys like Shamrock, Diaz, Smith, and Lawler would be somewhat recognized by today's casual MMA fan, IMO. Shammy's got the last name, Diaz is pretty popular for his antics and with Nate fighting in the UFC, and Smith/Sell was not too long ago, and is shown on Unleashed IIRC.
I agree with a lot of the other sentiments in addition to the UFC presence. Their pace is a little more methodic, and they are doing a good job of building fighters.
The other reason is the fighters they have. "UFC Washout" is a term that constantly thrown around the UG in a negative way, and last night was just more proof how foolish that attitude is.
They don't loose money, they are even, or even make some profit.
Good point on name recognition. Let the UFC pay to hype a guy up, then get him when he's on the outs with them.
ttt for name recognition
VectorWega - They don't stack their fight cards with high priced fighters (ala Affliction and PRIDE). They don't overpay their fighters (ala affliction). They haven't come out and tried to compete with the UFC right out of the gates (ala Affliction, WFA, and EliteXC). They have built the fanbase on a smaller more regional level. They haven't built their organization around just 1 fighter (ala EliteXC and to an extent Affliction). Strikeforce's TV events are live (unlike IFL). Strikeforce has good production value (unlike WFA). Strikeforce has good commentating (better than the others especially EliteXC with Goldberg). Strikeforce doesn't appear to be run by scumbags (unlike EliteXC, PRIDE, and Affliction/M-1). Strikeforce has a good TV deal (unlike IFL, PRIDE, Affliction, WFA, and Bodog).
They don't appear to be bandwagon jumpers looking to make a quick buck, which is what every other promotion has been about. The promoters don't play favorites (making weight classes for one fighter, getting caught on camera having an absolute meltdown when their guy is getting his ass beat, etc) and they don't want to be bigger stars than their fighters.
It has everything to do with the region. The events have been held either in San Jose or at the Playboy mansion, most of the fighters on the cards are UFC vets from the Northern California area, and they have a pretty small roster. They might bring in a bigger name for a fight here and there, but the majority of the talent is local. The fights are good, the live events are cost efficient (ringside seats are $250 max) and the production is straightforward and solid, nothing over the top. With smart enough management, they might eventually be able to compete.