Next for Hendo? (from the Zuffa perspective)

Title fight vs gegard? Or UFC?

The UFC argument. His stock is super high right now, and will not improve tremendously with a win over Gegard. And at 40 I have to think the iron is not going to get much hotter then it is right now. Plus if he moves now, SF can build up Gegard, Mo, or whomever and have them come over next.

The Gegard argument. Unlike 170, the UFC is not out looking for interesting challengers at lhw. There are plenty of fights lined up for Jones. Keeping Hendo in SF also allows SF to remain somewhat relevant, they've already lost Diaz to the UFC, and Overeem to whatever is going on there, losing yet another champ this early after the buyout leaves SF as a lame duck org.

Someone else mentioned a Machida fight, that makes sense.

I'd like to see him fight Mousasi then make his way over. Just because I want to see Mousasi thoroughly beaten

bobbitt15 wrote:

I'd like to see him fight Mousasi then make his way over. Just because I want to see Mousasi thoroughly beaten

1. I don't think Dan beats Mousasi

2. I want Dan vs Bones. Unify the titles!

Bones or Forrest vs Shogun winner/

It's looking like SF is slowly being molded into a feeder. Prospects currently getting signed, WMMA being looked at, top fighters worked over. They'll let Coker and Shelby do their thing with a new WEC model.

Can SF really function as a Feeder org?

Can't imagine showtime will have the same interest in an org in which the best fighters are consistently pulled out to be handed over to the big club.

And without showtime, what is SF?

If SF becomes strictly a feeder org, it will not long after suffer the same fate the WEC met.

Not sure what Zuffa sees SF as, maybe dissolving it is their long term plans. But if they want to keep it relevant, they have to keep some big guys over there.

Thus I really can't see Zuffa pulling the SF champ out if it is not a champ vs champ fight. and being as how there is no big need for a lhw contendor, I bet hendo stays in SF.

Why does SF have to be more relevant because of Showtime? Showtime shows M-1 bouts and they have few if any relevant fighters. SF can do the same thing, just on a smaller scale.

I would like to see hendo back in the UFC where they shouldnt have never let him leave anyways in my opinion.

captain organic wrote:

Can SF really function as a Feeder org?

Can't imagine showtime will have the same interest in an org in which the best fighters are consistently pulled out to be handed over to the big club.

And without showtime, what is SF?

If SF becomes strictly a feeder org, it will not long after suffer the same fate the WEC met.

Not sure what Zuffa sees SF as, maybe dissolving it is their long term plans. But if they want to keep it relevant, they have to keep some big guys over there.

Thus I really can't see Zuffa pulling the SF champ out if it is not a champ vs champ fight. and being as how there is no big need for a lhw contendor, I bet hendo stays in SF.

Why couldn't it? ( SF had one themselves) And what relevance does Showtime have? a Zuffa run Organization is a Zuffa run Organization, they'll find a home regardless.

There would be zero reason to think SF would fall to the same fate as the WEC if they turn it into the true feeder it can be. They can see some error with the WEC merger, you can believe that, adding the divisions was a plus, but high quality fights now get lost on undercards. The idea was that they add the top fighters they lacked (therefore dominating the MMA market) and get rid of competition. But now they have the huge opportunity to setup a system where they an work prospects up themselves, it makes too much sense. I can't see why they'd have all these prospect level fighters otherwise, and they've been signing quite a few lately, far more then under the old regime, they could have just signed these guys to the UFC.


If it were me, bring over the top level talent, keep SF as a feeder for themselves, then you let guys develope as opposed to throwing them to the wolves. Feel like I've typed that a hundred times.

Hendo is not deserving of Jones at this time. He needs to beat either Rampage, Rashad, Rua or Machida to get a shot.

@ LA.

But why is there a need for a seperate org to develop talent. why not just have a UFC challengers series? Then u have still have the name brand, u can develop talent, and u can easily move fighters from challengers to big show without the trouble of switching orgs or stealing title holders.


Also if SF is not on Showtime, then yes, if they get another TV deal, then yes they will be OK. But they need some level of TV to remain relevant.

Andrew the Raider King wrote:

Why does SF have to be more relevant because of Showtime? Showtime shows M-1 bouts and they have few if any relevant fighters. SF can do the same thing, just on a smaller scale.

U r familiar with the Fedor/M-1 allegiance, and the negotiations that transpired between that allegiance and showtime?


Showtime wants big time MMA. They do not want a feeder org as their MMA headliner.

captain organic wrote:

@ LA.

But why is there a need for a seperate org to develop talent. why not just have a UFC challengers series? Then u have still have the name brand, u can develop talent, and u can easily move fighters from challengers to big show without the trouble of switching orgs or stealing title holders.


Also if SF is not on Showtime, then yes, if they get another TV deal, then yes they will be OK. But they need some level of TV to remain relevant.

I agree in that the UFC brand name is the one that sells, it may not matter to fans like us, but to the casual fan that's where money is made. But the template is already in place, all they have to do is fill it out. Would it be better labeled with a UFC-Lite (joking) type name? Of course, but it really doesn't matter that much what the name is. The point is that they can use another Org, or really another part of their company to bring up prospects that they can feed to themselves, therefore cutting out much of the search for new fighters. And they could move anyone over they want now, they're all Zuffa contracted fighters, they just want to work things carefully to avoid what could result in panic, well not panic but guys worrying "do I have a home, what's going on?". Woodley becoming a Champion, Blanco going on a tear, OSP running through guys ect could result in getting a chance to move up to the big show, really no different then what the Challengers series is now, but on a bigger better scale. UFC "Challengers" could go to venues the UFC doesn't, smaller shows, better prices; I really hope they do something along these lines. 52 events per year would be more then doable.