Strikeforce Breaks Records, Launches UFC's Last Great Rival 20 Years Ago

The first Strikeforce event in 2006 set a new North American attendance record for MMA and kickstarted the promotion that would become a major UFC competitor.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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On March 10, 2006, Scott Coker's new MMA promotion Strikeforce held its first event in San Jose, California, setting a new North American attendance record for a single MMA event with 18,265 fans in attendance. Despite a last-minute scramble to put together a makeshift cage held together with zip ties, the event was a major success, featuring a main event between former UFC champion Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie. Strikeforce would go on to become a legitimate nationwide rival to the UFC, eventually being acquired by the UFC's parent company in 2011 and contributing many top fighters to the UFC roster.

Why it matters

Strikeforce's record-breaking debut event in 2006 marked the arrival of a new major player in the MMA landscape, providing an alternative to the UFC and launching the careers of numerous future UFC stars. The promotion's success and growth over the next several years challenged the UFC's dominance and forced the promotion to acquire Strikeforce, integrating many of its top fighters into the UFC roster.

The details

Coker had to scramble to get a cage for the event, with the one he ordered arriving just hours before the show and needing to be hastily reinforced with thousands of zip ties to keep it from shaking apart. Despite the makeshift nature of the cage, the event was a massive success, with the main event between Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie lasting just 21 seconds before Shamrock won by TKO. The undercard featured up-and-coming fighters like Nate Diaz, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, and Clay Guida, showcasing the depth of the Bay Area MMA scene that Strikeforce would build upon.

  • Strikeforce held its first event on March 10, 2006 in San Jose, California.
  • The main event between Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie lasted just 21 seconds.

The players

Scott Coker

The founder and promoter of Strikeforce, who organized the promotion's record-breaking debut event.

Frank Shamrock

A former UFC champion who headlined the first Strikeforce event against Cesar Gracie.

Cesar Gracie

A jiu-jitsu coach who agreed to fight Frank Shamrock in the Strikeforce main event despite having little professional fighting experience.

Bob Cook

A coach at American Kickboxing Academy who helped Coker reinforce the makeshift cage with zip ties.

Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone

A young fighter who helped transport the cage to San Jose in time for the event.

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What they’re saying

“We used duct tape and rope and everything else we could think of. That cage was just a disaster and the whole time we were so nervous about it falling apart.”

— Bob Cook, Coach, American Kickboxing Academy (Uncrowned)

“I really respect Cesar for taking it. He never should have fought me. That was silly. But I had ideas about how we could sell it, how we could promote it, and to Cesar's credit he listened to me and he got in there and did it.”

— Frank Shamrock (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

The UFC's acquisition of Strikeforce in 2011 marked the end of the promotion as a standalone entity, but its impact on the sport of MMA and the careers of many top fighters continues to be felt.

The takeaway

Strikeforce's record-breaking debut event in 2006 demonstrated the potential for a new MMA promotion to challenge the UFC's dominance, even without an established brand or television deal. The promotion's success in cultivating local talent and building a passionate fan base in the Bay Area laid the groundwork for it to become a legitimate nationwide rival to the UFC before being acquired and absorbed into the larger promotion.