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JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I think if the UFC could fold up shop on Strikeforce's light heavyweight division, I think they would have already. Hell, if they could fold Strikeforce point blank, I think they would.
Despite popular opinion, light heavyweight is not a great division; it just isn't. Bellator's light heavyweight division is terrible, the Maximum Fighting Championship has a terrible light heavyweight division and few other promotions even have light heavyweight divisions.
205 pounds in the UFC and Strikeforce are about the same; the UFC's division obviously has always had more guys, but they're both equally top heavy. I think if Showtime allows it, the UFC should just snatch up Gegard Mousasi, Mike Kyle, "Feijao" and be done with it.
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Well, by the time Feijao's theoretical suspension elapses, Strikeforce is likely to be gone anyways, so who cares, really? But working under the false pretense that Strikeforce will still be around in a year... nope, still don't care.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think they should fold the division into the UFC, but I don't think they will right away. I'm sure there's a bunch of behind the scenes junk they got to work through before this can happen. There's only a few divisions in Strikeforce worth a damn anyway, and light heavyweight isn't one of them. Hopefully the time for folding Strikeforce into the UFC completely comes sooner rather than later.
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I believe they will eventually fold all the divisions into the UFC, it's just a matter of time. They'll probably start with the light heavyweights and move from there to see what they can do. They already did it once with the WEC, no reason they won't do it here too.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I have no idea why this has not already happened. Strikeforce cannot stand alone now since the heavyweight tournament is over. The Zuffa team has done a poor job of marketing Strikeforce. What is it in the UFC management team that does not allow the organizations they purchase to help with their business model of world expansion? It is not too late to use Strikeforce to their advantage. I was hopeful that the UFC would use it as a farm league to mine when they needed new talent. If they used Strikeforce properly they would have a bunch of new talented fighters to step up and fill in at any time. Even though I completely disagree with the decision, I think that the UFC will fold the Strikeforce light-heavyweight division into the UFC very soon.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Honestly, I don't care too much if they fold Strikeforce's LHW's into UFC, because they don't have any guys on their roster that make me go "Ohh I'd love to see him fight in the UFC!" Cavalcante was pretty much the only one - and now that he's out for a year it's a division that is dead in the water for strikeforce, pretty much like the rest of the promotion outside of a few fighters like Rockhold, Kennedy, Melendez and the womens division. Honestly I'd rather see them fold in the women than the LHW's. But in the end I don't think it will have any effect in the long run.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
The time has come to fold the entire organisation, and not just one specific division. At a time when the UFC are struggling to fill an ever expanding fight calender, adding the entire Strikeforce roster would at least give them more options. Having the likes of Melendez, Kennedy, Rockhold and Woodley among others all available to the UFC right now, would have certainly elevated some of the injury hit cards this summer. Having Kennedy vs. Rockhold on 147, 148 or 149 wouldn't have been anything but a positive move. If Zuffa want to continue increasing productivity with more events then something has to give, that something should be Strikeforce. Would anyone actually miss it? Very doubtful. Do I think they'll actually do it? No.
Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz Tadhg Steamfist Dixon
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