Strikeforce (mixed martial arts)
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| Private | |
| Industry | Mixed Martial Arts promotion |
| Successor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| Founded | 1985 (Kickboxing), 2006 (MMA) |
| Founder | Scott Coker |
| Defunct | January 12, 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, United States |
| Website | www.strikeforce.com |
Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California which operated from 1985 to 2013. It was headed by CEO Scott Coker. Its live events and competitions have been shown on CBS (debut on November 7, 2009) and Showtime in the United States, Super Channel in Canada, Primetime in the United Kingdom, SKY PerfecTV! in Japan, HBO Plus in Brazil, Space in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on the American Forces Network.
In early 2011, Strikeforce was purchased by American Ultimate Fighting Championship owner Zuffa LLC, which eventually closed the promotion and brought the remaining fighter contracts into the UFC roster. The acquisition has since further solidified the UFC's status as the premier mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
Founded as a kickboxing organization, Strikeforce later became the number-two mixed martial arts promotion in the world. Its first MMA event, Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie, was held on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The event was California's first regulated MMA event and broke the previous record for largest audience at a MMA event in North America, with its 18,265 in attendance. The record was since broken by UFC 129.
In February 2008, Strikeforce held its first event outside California with Strikeforce: At The Dome at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Starting in 2009, most Strikeforce events were held in other states (15 in total), including 5 events in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2011-2012.
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