Strikeforce possibly coming to Columbus in March 2011

by mmajunkie.com staff

Earlier this year, UFC president Dana White confirmed his promotion will not be making a trip to Ohio during the 2011 Arnold Sports Classic, but that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be live MMA at the annual sports and fitness exhibition.

In his weekly Dayton Daily News column, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) editor-in-chief Dann Stupp reports that Strikeforce is eyeing a potential March date in Columbus, Ohio.

In fact, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed his organization is actively working on a deal now.

"We're in talks with the (Arnold) organizations," Coker said. "We think it could be a good fit for us."

Zuff, LLC, the parent company of the UFC and its soon-to-merge sister organization, the WEC, held events at Columbus' Nationwide Arena each March from 2007 to 2010. But scheduling conflicts in 2011 mean the company won't be returning in 2011.

After learning that the UFC's plans next year did not include a March visit to Ohio, the state's athletic commission head, Bernie Profato, put out the call to other major MMA promotions. Strikeforce answered, and Coker classified the chances of securing a deal as "much better" than 50-50.

"It'd be a big event, for sure," Coker said. "We're working on it."

The Arnold Sports Festival is a multi-day sports and fitness exhibition that features competitions a variety of athletic competitions.

The UFC first teamed up with the festival in 2007 for the hugely successful UFC 68, which featured Randy Couture's first post-retirement fight and his unanimous-decision win over then-heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. At the time, the event produced the largest attendance in North American MMA history (19,079) and shattered Nationwide Arena's records for attendance, live gate ($3 million) and merchandise sales.

Strikeforce has never held an event in Ohio, though the company did in 2010 visit Florida, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas for the first time in the promotion's history.