"I’m not anti-Strikeforce; I don’t dislike those guys. I dislike Showtime. I don’t like their attitude. They think they’re better than they really are. They’ve been second rate at boxing, second rate at programming. Now they think they’re great at mixed martial arts, and my fight is with them, not with Strikeforce.... They got their ass kicked always by HBO at boxing, yet they tried to stay in it. They got their ass kicked with HBO in programming, and they’re still around. Their going to get their ass kicked in mixed martial arts too. Just not by HBO."

-- UFC President Dana White clarifies his stance (via MMAWeekly.com) on Strikeforce, which he recently dubbed "Strikefarce," during yesterdays pre-fight press conference to promote UFC 102. He's not necessarily irritated by Scott Coker and Co. -- someone who White has said in the past that he respects -- but by their cable television partner, Showtime. The network has carried mixed martial arts programming for years, beginning with the now defunct Elite XC. When the promotion collapsed, Strikeforce was able to slide into the slot. And now that Strikeforce and Showtime were able to recently land the top free agent in the sport, Fedor Emelianenko, out from under the noses of the UFC, it appears that the gloves have officially come off. The next round of their battle will likely begin in November, which is expected to feature Emelianenko's debut for the promotion. White is currently cooking up a scheme to air a third event that month that will feature a main event between lightweight champion BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez to counter it. The event, its location and television distribution, remain a mystery at this time.