Ever since Electronic Arts announced that they would be creating a Mixed Martial Arts title, there have been a lack of options for roster talent as well as a league that could be used in a new title; this has been further complicated by virtue of the fact that UFC already had a deal with THQ. Despite the limited number of options, EA has opted to select STRIKEFORCE as the premier league that will be featured in the new game as we predicted some months back.

The deal will continue to raise the profile of the STRIKEFORCE league, which in conjunction with M-1 Global recently co-promoted a fight that was broadcast live and free over the air by CBS Sports in the U.S. During the event, which took place November 7th, Electronic Arts showed a new commercial featuring actual game play footage from the upcoming MMA title; it looked quite good and is said to be utilizing a modified version of the company's recently released Fight Night 4 engine that was the starting point for the new MMA engine that will be used to power the game.

While STRIKEFORCE may not be as well known as UFC and the UFC fighters, this could end up working in EA'’s favor going forward. The new talent combined with an MMA league that does not have such a high profile could allow both companies to grow together and build something that is different and unique from the UFC/THQ offering. The EA MMA title is expected to be released during 2010 and it will be released for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.