UFC Will Not Counter April Strikeforce Event With Live Show

From MMA Fighting:

The long-rumored UFC event expected to counter the promotion’s April 17 CBS offering will not take place, MMA Fighting has confirmed.

Earlier this month, the UFC explored the option, going so far as to inform likely broadcast partner Spike TV that the show was a go, but the company has apparently reversed course, and a Spike source said the network has been told by the UFC that the show is no longer happening.

The very fact that the UFC even talked about a counter did delay the planning of the Strikeforce show, so in that respect it was effective.

Now we will get to see how Strikeforce is able to do without Fedor to headline a CBS show. Will the existence of three title fights be enough to lure in the casual MMA fans to put the ratings in a good enough place to please the CBS brass? The show will have the full attention of MMA fans, but it will have to draw in the casuals to be a success.