In the end, Dana White says, the split between the UFC, Strikeforce and its Golden Glory fighters came down to business issues.

Reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem along with fellow Strikeforce fighters Valentijn Overeem and Marloes Coenen and UFC heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo were cut during the last week in a surprising development. Questions arose over what precipitated the move.

On Thursday, UFC president Dana White spoke about the issues that led to the split.

"This is actually a pretty simple explanation," he said. "If you look back throughout history, we haven't had any Golden Glory guys fight with us since Semmy Schilt, right? And the reason is we have very different business practices. It's tough to do business with them. The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don't work that way. It's not the way we do business. It's not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don't pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers."

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White went on to say that while they had previously honored existing Strikeforce deals, it became apparent Golden Glory management wouldn't change their long-held practices.

"They won't do it," he said. "We have to pay them, not the fighters."

While White said when they brought in Einemo, Golden Glory gave in to Zuffa's request, it was apparently a onetime only change. Asked if for example, Zuffa would bring back Coenen if they once again played by Zuffa's rules, White shook his head.

"They don't and they won't," he said. 

The only existing Golden Glory fighter to remain on the Zuffa payroll is Strikeforce heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov, who remains in the Heavyweight Grand Prix and is expected to fight in September. Zuffa sources said because Einemo, Valentijn Overeem and Coenen had all lost, they could be cut. They chose to honor their existing deal with Kharitonov, but are paying him directly. If he loses, he would likely be cut.

White said Golden Glory should have no issues doing things their way in other foreign promotions, but as long as they deal with U.S. athletic commissions, Zuffa can only handle business one way.

"The reality is, we're trying to work out deals with these guys and they won't do it," White said. "They said you absolutely can't pay the fighters, you have to pay us. And it's pretty simple to look back and see that the last guy who fought in UFC was Semmy Schilt. There was a reason for that."

Only days after Strikeforce’s abrupt dismissal of heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, three of the Dutchman’s teammates have also been ousted from the Zuffa ranks.

I am very disappointed to let you know that Marloes Coenen, John Einemo and Valentijn Overeem have been cut from Strikeforce [and the] UFC,” Golden Glory head coach Martijn de Jong wrote Wednesday on his personal Twitter account.

Perhaps the most shocking cut is Coenen (Pictured), who lost her Strikeforce women’s 135-pound title to Miesha Tate last Saturday in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s top female fighters, Coenen, 30, had compiled a 3-2 record in the Strikeforce cage since joining the promotion in 2009, finishing Sarah Kaufman, Liz Carmouche and Roxanne Modafferi by way of submission, while falling to Tate and current 145-pound champ Cristiane “Cyborg.” A 10-year veteran of the sport, Coenen holds an impressive 19-5 mark, with 14 wins via submission.

Heavyweight grappler Einemo, meanwhile, was a surprising addition to the UFC roster to begin with. The 35-year-old ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships titlist had not competed in MMA for more than four years when he was signed by the company in March. Einemo’s lone Octagon outing came at June’s UFC 131, where he came up on the losing end of the “Fight of the Night” against Dave Herman, who halted Einemo on second-round punches.

Valentijn Overeem, the elder sibling of Alistair, defeated Ray Sefo in his February Strikeforce debut to earn an alternate slot in the company’s 2011 heavyweight world grand prix. However, in his June bout on the undercard of his brother’s fight with Fabricio Werdum, the 34-year-old Dutch “Python” tapped out to punches from Chad Griggs after just two minutes.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Chris Nelson at sherdog

Nearing New Strikeforce Deal, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Eyes Fall Return

A few months ago, as Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos’ hiatus from fighting neared the one-year mark, rumors emerged that female MMA’s top 145-pounder could begin using her wrestling skills not for double-leg takedowns, but for piledrivers and chokeslams in the ring of World Wrestling Entertainment.

“I like the WWE. If they had an opportunity for me, I’d do it,” Santos commented to Sherdog.com.

When her contract with Strikeforce ran out, Santos was forced to seek employment elsewhere, especially as negotiations with the fight promotion stalled and dragged on.

Rumors of a possible jump to pro-wrestling intensified when Cyborg and husband Evangelista Santos attended a February WWE event in California. According to Brazilian website Tatame.com, Santos was in negotiations to join WWE, but a champion’s clause in her Strikeforce contract -- which did not technically expire until June 2011 -- would have prevented her from actually stepping into the ring. Soon after this report, WWE officials denied that any negotiations had taken place with Santos.

Ultimately, Santos says her main focus was always on MMA, and that WWE was simply a backup plan.

“I was interested in doing [more than one event] with the WWE, but now I’m fighting again, so I’m going to do that,” said Santos.

“Since my last fight was finished, I’ve been trying to work on a new contract [with Strikeforce]. It’s almost done, almost done,” she added, smiling.
Santos' current Strikeforce deal lapses in December.

Santos had no immediate word as to who she will meet upon her return, but in her absence, Cyborg has been keeping her skills sharp in hopes of meeting a worthy challenger for her Strikeforce 145-pound strap. In June, the Brazilian competed in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships and defeated Amanda Lucas to win the purple belt heavyweight final.

“I’ve been training everything: muay Thai, more jiu-jitsu, boxing, everything. I’ve been getting ready for the next fight, even without a contract,” said Santos. “I’m training for a fight, hopefully in September or October.”

Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Sam Genovese at Sherdog