UFC President Dana White isn't the only one who wants to put on a Texas-sized event. Strikeforce has also had preliminary internal talks about staging a show at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, MMA Fighting has learned.
The discussions, which were confirmed by two separate sources with knowledge of the situation, have not gone past the exploratory stages.
When contacted by MMA Fighting, Strikeforce representatives downplayed the possibility of such an event.
"There's no discussion and no event happening in Dallas," Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz said.
But according to both sources, the San Jose, California-based promotion did previously discuss the possibility of staging an event at the showcase facility. One of the sources said that at one time, Strikeforce specifically discussed the possibility of an Oct. 16 show, which might have aired on CBS and featured many of the company's biggest names.
The event, which likely would have included former Dallas Cowboys' star running back Herschel Walker as a local drawing card, would also have served to help launch the upcoming EA Sports MMA video game, which will be released on Oct. 19 and has a heavy Strikeforce presence.
As recently as last week, however, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMA Fighting that Strikeforce has yet to finalize its next appearance on CBS television. With less than two months until the Oct. 19 date, the odds of a massive stadium show seem remote.
For a time, Strikeforce held the record for largest attendance at a North American MMA event, drawing 18,265 fans to its debut MMA event in 2006. The record has since been eclipsed by the UFC, which drew 21,451 to UFC 97 in Montreal.
A stadium show would no doubt blow past any attendance record, though to date, neither of the major US MMA promoters has held a stadium show.
Though he at one time expressed an aversion to stadium shows, UFC President Dana White has also gone on the record saying he hopes to run an event at the sprawling Cowboys Stadium venue in the near future. White has at times also mentioned the possibility of doing an event at Fenway Park in Boston, as well as the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Cowboys Stadium opened in 2009 and is considered the NFL's showcase venue. Known for a massive, 160-foot long video screen that overhangs the playing surface, the stadium seats 80,000 and can hold over 100,000, though it can be reconfigured as a more intimate 40,000-seat venue.
In the Cowboys' 2009 season opener, an NFL record crowd of 105,121 filled the venue. During its short history, the stadium has hosted several other marquee events. A Texas vs. North Carolina college basketball game drew 38,052, a Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey boxing match drew 50,994 while the 2010 NBA All-Star game drew a Guiness Book of World Records mark for the largest basketball crowd, drawing 108,713 fans.
Meanwhile, the next Strikeforce event will take place in the Lone Star State. Strikeforce: Houston emanates from the Toyota Center on Aug. 21.
The discussions, which were confirmed by two separate sources with knowledge of the situation, have not gone past the exploratory stages.
When contacted by MMA Fighting, Strikeforce representatives downplayed the possibility of such an event.
"There's no discussion and no event happening in Dallas," Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz said.
But according to both sources, the San Jose, California-based promotion did previously discuss the possibility of staging an event at the showcase facility. One of the sources said that at one time, Strikeforce specifically discussed the possibility of an Oct. 16 show, which might have aired on CBS and featured many of the company's biggest names.
The event, which likely would have included former Dallas Cowboys' star running back Herschel Walker as a local drawing card, would also have served to help launch the upcoming EA Sports MMA video game, which will be released on Oct. 19 and has a heavy Strikeforce presence.
As recently as last week, however, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMA Fighting that Strikeforce has yet to finalize its next appearance on CBS television. With less than two months until the Oct. 19 date, the odds of a massive stadium show seem remote.
For a time, Strikeforce held the record for largest attendance at a North American MMA event, drawing 18,265 fans to its debut MMA event in 2006. The record has since been eclipsed by the UFC, which drew 21,451 to UFC 97 in Montreal.
A stadium show would no doubt blow past any attendance record, though to date, neither of the major US MMA promoters has held a stadium show.
Though he at one time expressed an aversion to stadium shows, UFC President Dana White has also gone on the record saying he hopes to run an event at the sprawling Cowboys Stadium venue in the near future. White has at times also mentioned the possibility of doing an event at Fenway Park in Boston, as well as the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Cowboys Stadium opened in 2009 and is considered the NFL's showcase venue. Known for a massive, 160-foot long video screen that overhangs the playing surface, the stadium seats 80,000 and can hold over 100,000, though it can be reconfigured as a more intimate 40,000-seat venue.
In the Cowboys' 2009 season opener, an NFL record crowd of 105,121 filled the venue. During its short history, the stadium has hosted several other marquee events. A Texas vs. North Carolina college basketball game drew 38,052, a Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey boxing match drew 50,994 while the 2010 NBA All-Star game drew a Guiness Book of World Records mark for the largest basketball crowd, drawing 108,713 fans.
Meanwhile, the next Strikeforce event will take place in the Lone Star State. Strikeforce: Houston emanates from the Toyota Center on Aug. 21.