Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker reiterates company's commitment to women's MMA

Strikeforce's female fighters should be able to sleep a little more soundly.

Despite some uncertainty following the UFC's recent acquisition of the promotion, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that women's MMA is here to stay.

That includes, he said, the issuing of contract extensions and the signing of new talent for the Strikeforce women's roster.

"Strikeforce is going to run just like it has been," he said. "We're going to move forward with women's MMA now and in future years from now."

Coker founded Strikeforce's MMA division in 2006. Over the years, as the UFC opted to promote just male fights, Strikeforce became the highest-profile North American home for female fighters. In fact, in August 2009, the organization crowned its first female champ (women's middleweight titleholder Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos) after she headlined a Showtime-televised event against Gina Carano.

In many ways, it was a milestone for women's MMA. Santos vs. Carano took top billing over two other (male) title fights: light-heavyweight champ Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Gegard Mousasi and interim lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida.

"Female MMA works well for Showtime," Coker said. "That's our broadcast partner, and they have a lot of say in what we do."

While the overall roster remains relatively small – Strikeforce currently contracts only a dozen-and-a-half or so female fighters – their bouts have produced some hits. "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" remains the second-highest-rated event in Strikeforce-Showtime history. Additionally, a title fight and co-headliner between women's welterweight champion Marloes Coenen and challenger Liz Carmouche actually outdrew the male headliner at March's "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" event.

Aside from Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships is the only other promotion with a steady U.S. television presence that promotes female fights. And with Strikeforce's continued commitment, fighters unlikely are to jump ship to the rival promotion.

Santos, who recently fulfilled the terms of an EliteXC contract that Strikeforce acquired, now is negotiating a new deal. Additionally, top women's middleweight contender Miesha Tate, who recently expressed her concerned over the future of women's MMA, has just one fight left on her existing deal.

Despite obvious questions about a potential UFC-Strikeforce merger down the line (a la UFC-WEC), Coker said the organization will work on new deals with both notables. That should be comforting since UFC president Dana White, who's openly questioned whether there's enough talent to justify women's divisions, has stated all Strikeforce fighters will fulfill terms of their existing deals before he'd consider moving them to the UFC.

With Strikeforce's female fighters unlikely to make that move, they apparently at least will have a continued home with their current promotion.

"With the purchase, you may see some back-end changes," Coker said. "But at the end of the day, we're going to keep [promoting women's fights]."