Articles tagged as fox
UFC on FOX 4: Manny Gamburyan vs Michihiro Omigawa booked for Aug. 4 in Los Angeles
A featherweight fracas has been added to the UFC on Fox 4: "Stann vs. Lombard" event on Aug. 4, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, as the struggling Manny Gamburyan will take on Michihiro Omigawa.
MMAFighting.com brought word of the pending bout last night.
Gamburyan is likely on his last legs with the world's largest fight promotion, as he's lost both of his two fights since rejoining the UFC. Actually, dating back to his previous run with the promotion, "The Anvil" has won inside the Octagon in four fights. That's an impressive run of futility.
He'll try to turn the tide against Omigawa, who has struggled nearly as bad losing three of his last four. There's a widely panned decision in there that didn't go his way but a loss is a loss is a loss. So essentially, this is a loser leaves town match.
Joy.
UFC on FOX 4 will feature the recently announced middleweight number one contender showdown pitting Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida, Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon, and Matt Mitrione vs. Rob Broughton are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on FOX 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, omigawa
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Manny Gamburyan Vs. Michihiro Omigawa Set For UFC On Fox 4
Two men that desperately need a win will face off in a featherweight battle at UFC on Fox 4 on August 4th in Los Angeles. Both have had a lot of success outside the UFC, but it's been rough going into the octagon thus far. MMA Fighting has the news:
A featherweight bout has been added to the UFC's fourth outing on FOX as Michihiro Omigawa is set to face Manny Gamburyan as part of the UFC on FOX 4 fight card. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani.
Omigawa (13-11-1) hasn't had a great featherweight run in the UFC, going 1-3 so far. His only win came over Jason Young at UFC 138, and he dropped his last outing via unanimous decision to Yuri Alcantara at UFC 142 in January. Gamburyan (11-7) has lost three bouts in a row, the last two coming in the UFC to Tyson Griffin and Diego Nunes.
The bout is expected to take place on the preliminary card. The main event sees Brian Stann taking on former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 4: Stann vs. Lombard
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, featherweight, gamburyan
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
Michihiro Omigawa vs. Manny Gamburyan in Place for UFC on FOX 4
A featherweight bout has been added to the UFC's fourth outing on FOX as Michihiro Omigawa is set to face Manny Gamburyan as part of the UFC on FOX 4 fight card. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani.
Both fighters appear to be in must-win positions ahead of this pivotal bout.
Gamburyan, 31, has dropped three of his last four at featherweight. He most recently faced Diego Nunes at UFC 141 in December of 2011 where he ultimately lost by unanimous decision. Omigawa, 36, has also lost three of last four in the weight class. In his last bout he was defeated via unanimous decision to Yuri Alcantara at UFC 142 in January of 2012.
UFC on FOX 4 will take place August 4th, 2012 and will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will be headlined by a non-title middleweight bout between Brian Stann and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, omigawa, yuri alcantara
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox Ratings Woes Can Be Cured With A Title Fight
The UFC on Fox television ratings have been the cause of a lot of conversation in the MMA world. UFC on Fox 3 experienced a significant drop in ratings from previous efforts. There are good reasons for the drop in ratings between the UFC on Fox 2 show and the most recent outing: a major boxing fight, a lack of ads, NBA playoff games, the Avengers and a warm Cinco de Mayo all drawing people away from their TVs.
Dana White's recent dust up with Dave Meltzer over an article highlights how heated the discussion is becoming. While there were positives to take away from UFC on Fox 3, the numbers are clearly not meeting media expectations. While it is impossible to know what the UFC's or Fox's expectations in terms of ratings, neither party is likely doing backflips over the drop in ratings.
The UFC seems intent on using the UFC platform to compliment their pay-per-view business model. A clear pattern has emerged with the announcement of Brian Stann vs Hector Lombard to headline UFC on Fox 4, Joe Silva pairs two contenders in a given weight-class and the winner is promised a title shot. The idea is extremely simple, put the number 1contender fight in front of fans for free and the exposure increases the number of PPV buys when the winner meets the champion. The question is, what does Fox gain from this relationship if the ratings continue to decline?
Related Stories: Meltzer's Analysis of UFC on Fox 3 Ratings | Dana White Attacks Dave Meltzer | Meltzer Responds
More after the jump...
If Fox is willing to devote prime-time to help the UFC sell PPVs, the UFC likely is also going to be required to make sacrifices to benefit their partner. That would mean the UFC giving up a fight that could get them excellent PPV numbers to allow Fox to have a major fighting card.
The UFC has already done that once with the Junior dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez Heavyweight Championship fight and it is no mistake that fight did the highest ratings. While it certainly received a bump for being the UFC card on Fox, the fact that it was a title fight cannot be overlooked. In a conversation with a casual fan, I was shocked when he told me that hasn't watched a single UFC on Fox, FX or FUEL since the Heavyweight Championship match because he wasn't compelled to watch non-title fight main events. MMA fans may be taken aback by this statement, but this is the attitude promoters have to contend with when trying to attract the casual viewer.
If the UFC or Fox is truly concerned about ratings, clearly a title fight is the way to go and the heavier the better. The UFC Bantamweight and Featherweight titles have a history of being free back when World Extreme Cagefighting was on the Versus network and likely would not make the same impact as a traditionally PPV card title. Imagine the marketing push Fox would be able to make behind Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Ben Henderson or another Junior dos Santos fight.
Posted in: ufc, fight, title, fox, rating
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Article That The UFC's Dana White Couldn't Let Go Unanswered
We've covered UFC president Dana White's response to Dave Meltzer's analysis of the UFC on Fox 3 ratings and we've covered Meltzer's response to Dana, but we haven't actually covered the Wrestling Observer article that got Dana so worked up.
Here are some of Meltzer's main points:
He called UFC on Fox 3, "a genuine XFL caliber ratings disaster"
"Males 18-34 declined from a 3.2 to a 1.6. These are not the kind of numbers that can keep you in prime time."
Meltzer acknowledges that a number of factors hurt the ratings including the Floyd Mayweather bout, the opening weekend of The Avengers, Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby and NBA playoffs.
"...the show was not well marketed. FOX didn't advertise it as hard as the previous shows."
Says the question "is whether MMA on network TV is a novelty with a short shelf life, just like Celebrity Boxing..."
"...the (Fox TV) contract has had a lot of growing pains for both sides. No matter what is said publicly, FOX didn't pay the money it did for the ratings it's getting. And UFC can't be happy that less people are watching the product than on Spike."
"If this is part of a pattern, it is a big deal. As it is, this was the single most significant television ratings for any pro wrestling or MMA event since Shamrock vs. Ortiz (in Fall 2006) changed the way the television industry viewed UFC."
"If the issue is that UFC has burned out its audience with too much product, and this is just an example of this, along with the TUF ratings, then it's disastrous. The reason is, overexposure is a killer that it takes a long time to recover from, if you can. More so, overexposure, ie, burning out the audience, by the time you've figured out you've done it, the damage was done months or even years earlier."
"MMA has been around in Brazil since the 1930s, and gone through three booms, and it had a boom in Japan, and the end result is that in all cases, it never sustained."
"It's likely to wind up similar to boxing, where rank-and-file shows don't mean anything, but big shows with the two or three major superstars can set records on PPV."
"It's been successful for long enough that it's not a fad, but boxing isn't a fad either and if you put a secondary show on FOX on Saturday night, it's not going to last, That's why boxing hasn't been on network TV in prime time in eons."
"To me, the 8/4 show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles becomes the single most important event in UFC history. Another rating like that and it will give UFC the reputation that it's fine as a cable property, but it's simply not mainstream and can't survive in the expensive real estate section of network prime."
It should be clear from reading just these notes why Dana responded so strongly. Meltzer may have a relatively small audience at the subscription-only Wrestling Observer but his reputation as an analyst of the cable TV and pay-per-view businesses is well established.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, rating, meltzer
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Defends UFC On Fox 3 Ratings, Attacks Dave Meltzer
UFC president Dana White isn't pleased. I know that's not anything new, but he has not been amused with the MMA media's reaction to the low UFC on Fox 3 ratings, and took to his video blog to vent about it. This isn't a standard event week video blog though. He briefly goes over the UFC on Fuel 3 card at the start, but jumps right into a pre-taped rant directed at former Yahoo and current Wrestling Observer writer Dave Meltzer. He also discusses how the ratings work and how they won all the key demos. The video is below, and there are some choice quotes after the jum
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 3
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
First of all, Dave Meltzer wrote this huge story, a doom and gloom story about how the UFC and Fox are blowing this thing, because of the (UFC on Fox 3) numbers that came out. First of foremost, Dave...you know I like you, I respect you, but you just lost your job at Yahoo. And you want to give us business advice? I'm actually writing a story next week that I'm gonna put out, about all the things I think you could have done to keep your job at Yahoo. That story's coming out next week Dave, you might wanna read it, okay?
Posted in: ufc, fox, dave, story, i respect
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White video blog UFC on FUEL TV 3 blasts former Yahoo! MMA writer on FOX ratings
Fight week, blog week! Well, not really.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, who frequently takes to YouTube.com to virally promote his mixed martial arts (MMA) events, switched things up this week in advance of UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier."
White starts off his latest vlog talking about the upcoming show from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., tomorrow night (May 15, 2012), but then one minute into his address he reveals that he has a more important message that he wants to deliver to fight fans:
Ratings.
Check out his intro:
"This isn't really a video blog, this is just something I was pissed off about this week. It was supposed to be the presidential address on Fuel, but their dark this week so I'm just putting it out there in a video for you guys. It's about the ratings from the last FOX show [UFC on FOX 3]. You get these reporters who go out there and say all this shit about the ratings without knowing all the facts. Well, I'm going to layout the facts for all you guys who don't know a lot about television ratings."
White is talking about the 2.4 million viewers who tuned into watch the Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller -led event that took place from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012. From an entertainment perspective, it was far and away the most impressive show to date for the world's leading MMA promotion.
In fact, White referred to it as a "perfect night."
But, then the ratings came in, indicating that UFC on FOX 3 experienced a 50 percent drop-off in key demographics from the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event earlier this year in Chicago, which placed it sixth out of the eight programs that ran in the same time slot.
UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta quickly addressed the not-so-serious situation, unfurling several reasons not to be discouraged. That apparently was not enough. Or, White simply felt compelled to reinforce what Fertitta had already explained ... without throwing the recently-released Yahoo!Sports reporter, Dave Meltzer, under the bus.
And the reversing. Repeatedly.
Posted in: ufc, week, fox, blog, rating
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Phil Davis vs. Chad Griggs Set for UFC on Fox 4
In an odd bit of matchmaking, the UFC announced today that Phil Davis will be welcoming Chad Griggs to the light heavyweight division late this summer at UFC on Fox 4.
A highly touted prospect on the quick path to the championship, collegiate wrestling standout Phil Davis (9-1) had his momentum halted when he met former champ Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2 this past January. Davis was outclassed in that bout, but not so much so that it erased the memory of promotional wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Brian Stann, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Chad Griggs (11-2) brought his mutton chops to the UFC for the first time at UFC 145 this past April. Griggs fought Travis Browne and was hurt by a knee and submitted in short order, demonstrating just how much a size disadvantage can hurt you in the competitive heavyweight division. The 33-year-old now heads south to light heavyweight for the first time in his career.
UFC on Fox 4 is scheduled to take place on August 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The fight card will feature the promotional debut of Hector Lombard, who’ll be taking on Brian Stann in the night’s main event.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, davi, grigg
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPhil Davis vs Chad Griggs on tap for UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles
In today's edition of bizarre matchmaking news, UFC on FOX 4 has added a doozy.
Former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler Phil Davis, who came up short via unanimous decision against Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC on FOX 2 this past January, will get an opportunity for redemption when he battles ex-Strikeforce heavyweight veteran Chad Griggs, making his 205-pound debut, at the UFC on FOX 4 event scheduled for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012.
UFC's official UFC on FOX 4 page brought the news earlier today.
Davis (9-1) saw his undefeated record snapped by "Suga" four months ago in a bout where he was simply outmatched in all areas by the well-rounded former champion.
Will "Mr. Wonderful" be able to get back on track against a leaner "Grave Digger?"
Griggs (11-2) suffered his first defeat in five years at the hands of the significantly bigger, stronger and more athletic Travis Browne at UFC 145 last month. He was never in the fight, absorbed a thundering flying knee and then was quickly taken down and choked out right before the midway point of the first round.
An undersized heavyweight, he had previously stated that if he felt he was physically manhandled by anyone, he'd be willing to drop down to light heavyweight.
Now's his chance, although after being schooled on the ground by the far less technically sound Browne, it will be a pretty stern test stepping in there against a former national champion wrestler.
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to feature the recently announced middleweight bout of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida, Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon, Oli Thompson vs. Philip De Fries and Rob Broughton vs. Matt Mitrione are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on FOX 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, los angeles, grigg
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Phil Davis vs. Chad Griggs added to August's UFC on FOX 4 event
Chad Griggs is making the move to light heavyweight, and "Mr. Wonderful" will be there to meet him.
UFC officials today announced that the former heavyweight is dropping to
205 pounds, where he'll meet Phil Davis at UFC on FOX 4.
UFC on FOX 4 takes place Aug. 4 at Los Angeles' Staples Center, and the main card airs on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, light heavyweight, phil davis
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLorenzo Fertitta reacts to UFC on FOX 3 ratings, vows to promote Nate Diaz like Jon Jones
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made its return to national television this past weekend (May 5, 2012) with UFC on Fox 3, featuring a Lightweight title fight between the surging Nate Diaz and the always tough Jim Miller and a co-main even battle between Welterweights Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks.
The televised portion of the card was kicked off in style by a Heavyweight scrap between knockout artist Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry that showed once again the reason Johnson is a force to be reckoned with, knocking out "HD" in the very first round.
In what UFC President Dana White called a "perfect night," "Kos" and "Big Rigg" also entertained the crowd in a back-and forth affair, while Alan Belcher proved his dominance over Rousimar Palhares in a middleweight tilt.
Sounds like a successful night, right? Unfortunately, UFC on FOX 3 didn't do too well in the ratings. In fact, they were the lowest of all three Fox events. Despite the dip in viewers, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta is not worried one bit.
Speaking to Yahoo! Sports, Fertitta talks about the decrease in viewers for UFC on Fox 3, and also says that a bright note was that Nate Diaz showed that he can be a future pay-per-view (PPV) star.
Check it out:
"Would we like to see the numbers be trending differently? Yes, of course, but we're not concerned and we don't think it's an overall reflection of our business. There are reasons for it. If you think about it, for the first [Fox] fight we had a massive amount of promotion within the NFL on Fox. And we led with our big show, the heavyweight championship, so of course, we were going to draw a much broader range of viewers. The fight in January in Chicago actually performed pretty well, even though it was a little below the first one. It was still super solid. This last show, I'd say it was a moderate performance. Really, what we're looking at is, 'How did we rank within the competition compared to what was going on that night?' And in hindsight, going on Cinco de Mayo may not have been the best thing to do."
Low numbers aside, the UFC did do well in the 18-49 demographic in its time slot (via Yahoo! Sports):
Despite the competition, the UFC ranked first in the 18-49 demographic in its time slot. (The Mayweather fight didn't count, because pay-per-view shows aren't tracked by Nielsen.) The UFC had 1.471 million 18-49 viewers Saturday. Even that, though, was significantly less than in the first two Fox cards. On Nov. 12, the UFC drew 3.776 million 18-49-year-olds and on Jan. 28 it was 3.072. The live viewing of the April 28 boxing match between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson on HBO attracted 1.57 million total viewers and 919,000 in the 18-49 demographic, despite being in 80 million fewer homes than UFC on Fox 3.
Fertitta also believes the fact that the event was also competing with the record setting box office blockbuster movie "The Avengers," didn't help their cause. On a bright note, Lorenzo is confident that the UFC has found a new star to promote in the form of Nate Diaz:
"If The Avengers did [a box office of] over $200 million for the weekend, unfortunately for us, there were a great number of our potential viewers sitting in a movie theater somewhere. Or, they were out that night celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Listen, I'm not trying to make excuses. Hats off to HBO and Bernard Hopkins. That's a great job and a great number they pulled. But when you say, 'Are we concerned,' I'd say no. We're excited. We had a situation where 2.5 million people, which I would say is still a substantial number, got to see what I would say was a tremendous product. All four fights were great fights and in the main event, Nate Diaz showed he's potentially a breakout star who down the road could move the needle for us on pay-per-view. The playbook is playing out for us exactly the way we wanted it to. Before I was involved in the pay-per-view business and understood the ins and outs, I was always scared to death to change the channel. We will work on this and look at it, but we're not unhappy. We got a tremendous amount of exposure for a kid like Nate Diaz. We're going to build him the way we built Jon Jones. Two years ago, nobody knew who Jon Jones was, and now, a couple of weeks ago, we did a very good [PPV] number for his fight that I think really crossed over and where the non hard-core fans were talking about it."
With UFC on Fox 4 slated to go down in August, which features a Middleweight scrap between Brian Stann and recently acquired Hector Lombard and a Light Heavyweight bout between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader, the UFC will hope that the decline in viewership doesn't continue.
Or will it?
"All-American" has a great story to tell as a United States military veteran, but will it be enough to move the needle on national television? And can Nate Diaz really be a future pay-per-view (PPV) draw for the promotion?
Opinions, please.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, nate, nate diaz
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Matt Mitrione-Rob Broughton added to UFC on FOX 4 lineup
The UFC’s next stop on FOX grew this week when the organization announced a pair of heavyweight fights attached to the August 4 event. Most notably, Matt Mitrione will battle Rob Broughton in hopes of shaking off any lingering funk from his October loss to Cheick Kongo.
In the other bout, Philip De Fries (8-1) will face off against Oli Thompson (9-3).
Mitrione’s decision defeat to Kongo was the first stumble of his career, winning five straight scraps to open up his MMA career after joining the Ultimate Fighter 10 cast with zero bouts under his belt. Four of his victories have involved some form of strike-based stoppage including those against Kimbo Slice, Tim Hague, and Christian Morecraft.
Broughton has also struggled as of late, dropping his last two tilts after earning a win in his Octagon debut. The 29-year old Brit is 15-7 in his career with twelve finishes.
UFC on FOX 4 is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles with a middleweight match-up between Brian Stann-Hector Lombard headlining in addition to other featured bouts on FOX such as Joe Lauzon-Terry Etim, Ben Rothwell-Travis Browne, and Lyoto Machida-Ryan Bader.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, ufc ’s, october loss
Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain
Lightweights Joe Lauzon, Terry Etim Added to UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles
Joe Lauzon and Terry Etim will collide in a lightweight duel at UFC on Fox 4, promotion officials recently announced.
Posted in: ufc, fox, lauzon, etim, terry etim
Read the full article at SherdogUFC Not Panicking Over Down Ratings For UFC On Fox 3
The third UFC on Fox show was certainly entertaining, but one of the bigger stories wasn't the excitement and the fights, it was that 50% fewer people tuned in for this card than the previous network effort. It was a predictable drop-off for a variety of reasons, but UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta doesn't seem too worried.
Via Kevin Iole at Yahoo! Sports:
"Would we like to see the numbers be trending differently? Yes, of course," Fertitta said. "But we're not concerned and we don't think it's an overall reflection of our business. There are reasons for it. If you think about it, for the first [Fox] fight we had a massive amount of promotion within the NFL on Fox. And we led with our big show, the heavyweight championship, so of course, we were going to draw a much broader range of viewers.
"The fight in January in Chicago actually performed pretty well, even though it was a little below the first one. It was still super solid. This last show, I'd say it was a moderate performance. Really, what we're looking at is, 'How did we rank within the competition compared to what was going on that night?' And in hindsight, going on Cinco de Mayo may not have been the best thing to do."
This is basically what I said the other day when talking about the ratings drop. A bad show rating isn't the end of the world, Fox appears to have a bigger commitment than would lead to them to make a major decision off the performance of the third Fox effort.
Obviously no one involved is going to be happy with the dip in ratings. A 50% dropoff is really, really bad.
One of the biggest questions is, if the UFC will try to change up their plans for the fourth Fox show. Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard certainly doesn't strike me as something that is going to pull in the masses. They may want to try to shift some stuff around to boost the card. While a single poor rating isn't a horrible thing, starting to create a string of low-rated shows could be.
Posted in: ufc, fight, show, fox, rating
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
Lorenzo Fertitta unfazed by low UFC on FOX 3 ratings
UFC owner Lorenza Fertitta is aware of the sharp ratings decline for the most recent UFC on Fox, but it is not eating him up inside. Compared to intital viewership of 5.7 for the frst UFC on Fox, UFC on Fox 3's audience of merely 2.4 million viewers could be viewed as a cause for concern. He has recognized several reasons for the decline, and believes that scheduling could have been carried out more effectively, stating the following via Yahoo.com:
"Would we like to see the numbers be trending
Posted in: ufc, fox, lorenzo fertitta, fox ufc, intital viewership
Read the full article at Low KickJoe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim official for UFC on FOX 4
As expected, lightweights Terry Etim and Joe Lauzon will meet in late summer at UFC on FOX 4.
MMAjunkie.com recently passed along news of the rumored bout, and UFC officials today formally announced it.
UFC on FOX 4 takes place Aug. 4 at Los Angeles' Staples Center, and the main card airs on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, joe lauzon, etim
Read the full article at MMA Junkie
Joe Lauzon-Terry Etim On For UFC On FOX 4
Joe Lauzon has confirmed a rumored fight with Terry Etim, announcing that he has signed on for the bout via his own personal website, JoeLauzon.com. Lauzon-Etim will take place on August 4 at UFC on FOX 4. The card is set for Los Angeles, with a main event of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Lauzon [...]
Posted in: fox, los angeles, lauzon, etim, terry etim
Read the full article at MMA Convert
UFC on Fox ratings dip; Fertitta not worried (Yahoo! Sports)
While the overall ratings for UFC's latest fight on Fox were down, the lineup still won the 18-49 demographic.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, lineup, yahoo sports
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsOli Thompson vs Philip De Fries booked for UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles
UFC on Fox 4 just got a little bit beefier
Former British strongman competitor Oli Thompson, who came up short in his promotional debut against Strikeforce veteran Shawn Jordan at UFC on FX this past March, will get an opportunity for redemption when he battles fellow UK heavyweight Phil De Fries at the UFC on FOX 4 event scheduled for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012.
MMA Weekly brought word of the heavyweight booking earlier today.
Thompson (9-3) saw his five fight winning streak snapped by Jordan just two months ago in a bout where he was simply outgunned by a more powerful and more technically sound striker on the feet. Can he earn his first UFC victory against his fellow countryman?
De Fries (8-1 1 NC) suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of stalwart slugger Stipe Miocic at UFC on Fuel TV this past February. He connected with some nice shot but his chin couldn't withstand the the Croatian-American's power, getting knocked out in just 43 seconds.
He was actually originally slated to face Thompson for his promotional debut last November at UFC 138 before an injury to the ex-strongman altered the fight. Now both men will finally be able to discover who's the better man.
No pressure.
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to feature the recently announced middleweight bout of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on FOX 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, thompson, fry
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMitrione-Broughton, Thompson-De Fries Heavyweight Tilts Added to UFC on Fox 4
A new pair of heavyweight confrontations has been added to the UFC on Fox 4 bill, promotion officials announced Wednesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, bill, heavyweight confrontations
Read the full article at Sherdog
UFC on Fox 3 Prelims on Fuel TV: 86,000 viewers
MMA Weekly reports that UFC on Fox 3 prelims airing on Fuel TV received an average of 86,000 viewers. Its by far the lowest ratings of the three UFC on Fox prelims.
In comparison, UFC on Fox 2 Prelims scored a 144,000 viewer average in January. Its the first time that the average viewership has dipped below 100,000 for a live prelim event airing on Fuel.
Payout Perspective:
The numbers are low but almost expected considering the 3 hour broadcast went up against the Kentucky Derby and the NBA and NHL playoffs. It also had to deal with the Mayweather fight hype. The ratings coupled with the lower UFC on Fox 3 ratings make one wonder whether it was the card or the date of the card that was the issue. The first weekend of May is traditionally a huge weekend for sports so the competition had to be anticipated. But, the lack of a big name, big fight or title defense also contributed to the lack of appeal. Knowing that it was going up against some stiff competition, the card lacked the appeal for a casual viewer. The ratings for the Fuel broadcast are forgivable but the broadcast on Fox must be addressed for the UFC’s next appearance this summer.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, viewer, prelim
Read the full article at MMA PayoutMMA Roundtable: UFC on FOX 3 Ratings; Dominick Cruz Injury Fallout, More
It's turning into another one of those eventful weeks in the mixed martial arts world. From surprising ratings for UFC on FOX 3, to the fallout from Dominick Cruz's torn cal, to New York state again shelved MMA legalization, to the latest from B.J. Penn, there's plenty to talk about.
So without further ado, Luke Thomas and I get into this week's hot topics in the latest edition of the MMA Roundtable:
1. What lessons should the UFC learn from the UFC on FOX 3 rankings?
Doyle: I think the UFC is learning that it's going to be a tricky balancing act as the company tries to save big-name fights for pay-per-view while also needing star power to drive a television rating. Mixed martial arts ratings over the years have proven that fans need to be sold a marquee name in order to draw eyeballs on network TV. It was true on CBS with Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano, and it's true now with FOX.
Unfortunately, with the casual viewer, simply selling the notion of "tune in and see great fights" without the star power doesn't work. The flip side of this, of course, is that the UFC makes the bulk of its profit on PPV, so it can't go giving away too many Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos-level fights for free. In order to ultimately make this work, they're going to have to figure out how to provide FOX marquee names without killing the golden goose.
Thomas: I generally agree with my colleague Dave here. UFC tried to book a card that was less than a pay-per-view and yet still promoted it as if it was such. The casual audience didn't buy the argument and failed to tune in. Dave's right they'll need some sort of more marquee headliner to accomplish that goal.
I generally think that's harder than it looks. Certainly we know FOX expects more than Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. We also know Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard is virtually no improvement in that regard. But how far does the UFC go? It's a delicate balancing act, but it's partly a function of the number of the shows UFC runs. They are constantly forced to rob Peter so they can pay Paul. Everyone cheered UFC 144 when it turned out to be something of a success, but what's been the upshot in Japan since then? Did it jumpstart anything? No, it didn't. I'm not saying UFC can't go back to Japan, but I am saying I'm not sure I see the point even if they can. Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson would've been the perfect fight for FOX. Two guys guaranteed to deliver action in a title fight. Oh, and it just so happens to be two guys who need that big time exposure to turn them into pay-per-view commodities.
Lastly, UFC's sponsorship issue hasn't really improved since moving to FOX. It's something they want to accomplish and frankly, need to accomplish to really get the kind of exposure and legitimacy they crave. So let's do a quick thought experiment. What's the best way to lure Nike: put growing stars in big fights that could deliver big ratings on FOX or go to Saitama again? The defense rests.
2. What should be done with Urijah Faber now that Dominick Cruz is out with a torn ACL?
Doyle: If this is your typical torn ACL, we're looking at, in a best-case scenario, a minimum of about 16 months without a title fight, dating back to Cruz's win over Demetrious Johnson. If we're using Georges St-Pierre and his knee injury as a guide, then you pretty much have to go the interim-title route. So the question from there is, who should face Faber? I'm not sold on Renan Barao as a bankable co-main evener yet, particularly in coming off a less-than-spectacular decision win over Scott Jorgensen. Michael McDonald, however, just might be ready. Eight wins in a row, six of them stoppages in under seven minutes, and he's got quite a bit of momentum coming off his knockout of Miguel Torres. Fans still regard Faber as the biggest star of the lower weight classes; a win makes McDonald a star and a loss, well, if it's to Faber and it isn't a blowout, the fans will likely look at it as an acceptable defeat. If McDonald is up for it on relatively short notice, Faber-McDonald for the interim title is the best available option.
Thomas: Faber vs. McDonald is a decent choice, but I'm not so sure why Barao is a hard sell. Yes, McDonald oozes promotability, but why rush him? He's 21! He needs a few more fights to season before he starts to tangle with the upper echelon of the division. Barao didn't look great against Jorgensen, that's true. But Jorgensen is like Mike Pierce: it's hard to look good against him. Yes, you can beat him, but you're not going to thrash or ragdoll him. Jorgensen's lost under the Zuffa banner, but only by decision. And before the Jorgensen fight, Barao showed Brad Pickett some serious knuckle game in an absolutely scintillating performance. I don't know if he'll do that against Urijah Faber, but I'd sure love to see him try. He's got the talent, the experience, the athleticism, the world-class team and the timing couldn't be better. Barao deserves that slot. Let's give it to him.
3. Just how long will it take to get MMA regulated in NY?
Thomas: It's basically impossible to say, but the political powers of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his weaponization of parliamentary procedures will ensure as long as Silver gets his way, the UFC has no chance in the New York legislature. The court case involving freedom of expression violations that is ongoing is their only short-term hope. Lawyers who operate in a variety of different capacities of law believe the UFC has a reasonably strong case, but we obviously won't know until the case for this kicks into high gear. I will say it reminds me of what Nick Diaz is doing in Nevada. I get the sense he feels as long as he's subject to the commission's whims, he's got no chance of avoiding penalty. But by moving to a court case, he has some legal leg to stand on that a legitimate courtroom and judge will be legally obligated to acknowledge. UFC knows trying to work through the legislature is something they have to do (for media, public appearances, etc.), but their best short term chance at success is by taking the ironically circuitous legal path of a judge's hearing.
Doyle: I agree with my esteemed colleague about the UFC's issues with the legislature. Nothing to add there. As to if/when the state will come around on legalizing MMA, my answer is this: To hell with ‘em. There's no doubt New York is a lucrative market, and there's symbolic value to playing Madison Square Garden, one of the world's most famous fight arenas. But MMA has gotten this far without New York. NYC-area fans have proven they'll flock to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. which is a 15-minute train ride from Manhattan's Penn Station, which sits underneath MSG. Fans in Western New York will continue to go to shows in Ontario and fans upstate will keep going to Montreal events. I don't mean to be dismissive to the fighters, trainers, promoters, etc. who live in New York State and deserve to be able to earn their livelihood in their home state, but when push comes to shove, the sport has gotten this far without the backing of one stubborn legislature and will continue to thrive without it.
4. Will B.J. Penn eventually return to the UFC?
Thomas: The more time that passes, the more likely it is Penn will not return. He'll settle into his life and most importantly, it'll make the uphill climb of getting back into fighting shape - something Penn has always and especially resists now - even more difficult. But I think he will return. He's leaving the door open, which itself is a signal he will return under the right circumstances. Part of those 'circumstances' are out of the UFC's control. If Penn stays as he is today, a return is impossible. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease. UFC can improve the chances of Penn getting up for a fight camp with the right offer. If Penn demands enough and the UFC wants him bad enough (meaning they can find a marketable angle for the fight), I bet there is a correct offer. Maybe it's one last retirement fight for a princely sum of money at Blaisdell Arena. Maybe it's a fight against someone at lightweight or welterweight that excites him. Who knows? The point is the right package (opponent, venue location, money, etc.) is out there. It's up to the UFC to find the right offer.
Doyle: Short answer to the question: Yes. Longer version: Look, he's B.J. Penn. He's one of the most ferocious competitors who has ever graced this sport and he cares deeply about his legacy. Penn has only won once in his past five fights. That's not how he wants to go out. He's playing coy and cool about his future prospects now, but one of these days he's going to wake up in Hilo and find himself bored. And as UFC headline fights continue to drop out on a regular basis, eventually, someone is going to need an opponent and one of them will be the fight which re-ignites his competitive fires. I'll finish with what Dana White said when he was asked a couple weeks back if Penn would return: "He'll be back. It's tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it's tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito [Ortiz] was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter."
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, penn, he
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMatt Mitrione vs Rob Broughton booked for UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles
Meathead returns!
Former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 contestant Matt Mitrione, who vowed to improve after losing a unanimous decision to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137 last October, will finally get his chance when he slugs it out with Rob Broughton at the UFC on FOX 4 event scheduled for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012.
MMA Weekly brought word of the heavyweight booking earlier today.
Mitrione (4-1) saw his perfect record go up in smoke against the powerful Parisian, but prior to that, had amassed an impressive list of victims that included four devastating stoppages by way of knockout.
Can he get back into the win column against the British "Bear?"
Broughton (15-7) is undoubtedly facing the ZUFFA firing squad after dropping back-to-back losses to Travis Browne at UFC 135 and Philip De Fries at UFC 138. That puts him at 1-3 inside the world's largest fight promotion after rattling off four straight wins to earn him a trip to the big show.
Time to make a statement.
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to feature the recently announced middleweight bout of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on FOX 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mitrione, vs, broughton
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLive Chat: Urijah Faber's Next Opponent, Ronda Rousey Headlining UFC on FOX Discussion
There, I said it. Ronda Rousey should headline the next UFC on FOX. It'd obviously take a lot of give and take between Zuffa, Showtime and FOX, but it's certainly not impossible. Given what we know about the sport (it's star-driven), and what FOX needs (bigger names than they got the last time out), there are a lot of good reasons to put Rousey at the top of the card. Let's be clear: Rousey isn't Gina Carano-popular. At least not yet. But her fame is growing by the day as is the intrigue surrounding her career and personal story. Her moving to the UFC for one fight would create all kinds of media buzz and we know she can personally do the promotional heavy lifting. There are other reasons to do it, but we'll discuss that later.
Join me at 1 p.m. ET for our weekly live chat to discuss those matters and more. We'll discuss who Urijah Faber should face next, what the abysmal ratings for UFC on FOX 3 mean for MMA and network television, whether UFC and Showtime should work out a deal to let Ronda Rousey headline a UFC on FOX card and whatever you would like to talk about.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rousey, ronda, zuffa showtime
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 Final Ratings Only A Slight Improvement Over Overnight Ratings
The final ratings are in for UFC on FOX 3 and while they are an improvement from the paltry overnights, they’re not much of an improvement. The final tally: 2.4 million average, 2.9 million peak, 1.6 M18-34 No matter how you spin it, it’s still a significant viewership drop from the first two UFC on [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, viewership drop, improvement
Read the full article at MMA Convert
I was in line Saturday for UFC on FOX 3 and all of a sudden this man is standing next to me.
submitted by NanoSharkTank [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, line, line saturday, nanosharktank
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 3 ratings down 50% from previous efforts
Whether it was due to Cinco de Mayo, a card lacking a mainstream star, a major boxing match-up on the same night, or any other number of reasons, one thing is clear – UFC on FOX 3 flopped. Though arguably the most entertaining of the three FOX features, this past Saturday night’s primetime lineup only averaged 2.4 million viewers in comparison to the 5+ million brought in by the company’s previous stabs at cracking into the mainstream. Also worth pointing out, the show involved four bouts on FOX while the earlier events only had four TOTAL tilts between them with a network rub.
Additionally concerning, the preliminary portion drew less than 100,000 fans to Fuel TV even though it boasted a pair of Ultimate Fighter winners in action.
Both figures have been reported by multiple outlets with MMAJunkie being first to confirm the news.
The UFC will return to FOX in August with a card headlined by Brian Stann-Hector Lombard though there are a slew of shows scheduled in the coming months with ties to the broadcaster including next week when Dustin Poirier faces Chan Sung Jung at UFC on Fuel 3.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, fighter winners, network rub, mainstream star
Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain
UFC on Fox 3 Prelims on Fuel TV Also See a Ratings Low
The UFC on Fox 3 ratings were by far the lowest that the promotion has pulled in its three broadcasts on Fox. The preliminary bouts for the event on Fuel TV followed suit, marking a new low.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, rating, tv, fuel tv, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 Television Ratings
Ratings for UFC on FOX 3, the third installment of the UFC's fight cards on network television, make it the lowest-rated event of its kind. It only drew 2.42 million average viewers.
The early ratings figures for the UFC's third outing on FOX are in and there's both good and bad news.
According to a report by TV By The Numbers, UFC on FOX 3 pulled in a total of 2.25 million viewers. Among adults 18-49, the event earned a 1.0 rating and 4 share. The event was headlined by a lightweight fight between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz and took place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
That figure is good enough for UFC to have won the evening in their time slot among major networks in the key adult demo, but not good enough to top CBS in viewers overall.
Additionally, UFC on FOX 3's initial ratings figures are down considerably from UFC on FOX 2, which itself was a decline from the first UFC on FOX.
UFC on FOX 2, which featured a main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, earned overnight numbers of 4.57 million. UFC on FOX, an event headlined by a UFC heavyweight title clash between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, pulled in initial average estimates of 4.64 million.
Both numbers eventually went up when final ratings were available, though generally not by huge leaps. UFC on FOX 2 eventually scored 4.7 million viewers and peaked with 6 million. UFC on FOX 1's final numbers saw an average of 5.7 million viewers and a peak of 8.8 million viewers.
Final average numbers and a peak figure for UFC on FOX 3 should be available Monday or Tuesday.
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to take take place on August 4th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. UFC middleweight and commentator Brian Stann confirmed on last night's broadcast he will headline the event in a bout with former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, viewer
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFinal UFC on FOX 3 Ratings Down Significantly, Average Only 2.4 Million Viewers
The final ratings for UFC's third installment on FOX are in and have the event averaging a total viewership of 2.42 million, according to TV By The Numbers. That's up slightly from the initial 2.25 million turned in by overnight ratings. Saturday's fights ultimately pulled in a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 1.5 household rating overall.
As previously reported, UFC on Fox 1 averaged 5.7 million total viewers while UFC on Fox 2 managed 4.7 million average total viewers.
In terms of average total viewership, UFC on FOX 3 is now the lowest-rated of the eight MMA events ever broadcast on network television. Saturday's event is edged out by 2008's EliteXC: Unfinished Business, which was headlined by Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. Held in Stockton, California, Nick Diaz also fought Thomas Denny on the card.
UFC on FOX 3 took place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The card was headlined by a lightweight bout between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. Welterweights Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck fought in the co-main event.
According to a report by MMA Junkie, Saturday's fights earned a 1.6 rating among men 18-34. That figure represents a 60% increase in viewership week-over-week in that time slot. However, that number is down from 4.3 during UFC on FOX's inaugural event and 3.2 for UFC on Fox 2.
UFC on Fox 4 is slated for August 4th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will be headlined by a middleweight bout between middleweights Brian Stann and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, viewership
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 ratings tank with 2.4 million viewers
While the sky isn't falling, I'm pretty sure a few umbrellas went up in the parking lot of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) headquarters in Las Vegas.
The official ratings are in for the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event, which aired live via the network television powerhouse this past Saturday night (May 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
There's really no other way to say it. They flat-out stunk.
The final tally was 2.4 million viewers, which according to longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) reporter Loretta Hunt, was good enough for a 1.5 household rating, which equates to a 50 percent drop-off in key demographics from the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event earlier this year in Chicago, placing it sixth out of the eight programs that ran in the same time slot.
Yikes.
What the "Diaz vs. Miller" card lacked in star power, it made up for in talent. The fights delivered, but unfortunately there wasn't a marquee name to draw the casual fans in. In addition, the UFC faced stiff competition from the NBA playoffs and the "Mayweather vs. Cotto" boxing event in "Sin City."
Expect those factors to be taken into consideration as the promotion gears up for its UFC on FOX 4 event this August, currently expected to be headlined by a middleweight contender's fight between Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard.
Stay tuned (literally).
For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, sin city
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 3 Attracts 2.4 Million Average Viewers on Saturday Night
UFC on Fox 3 earned an average of 2.4 million viewers on Saturday night, a stark decrease from both of the promotion’s previous efforts on the network.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fox, viewer, promotion ’s
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 3 ratings: Preliminary card draw 86,000 FUEL TV viewers
UFC on FOX 3 main-card ratings were down sharply compared to its predecessor, and the FUEL TV prelims didn't fare much better.
This past weekend's UFC on FOX 3 event included a preliminary-card broadcast that averaged just 86,000 FUEL TV viewers. UFC on FOX 2's prelims averaged 144,000 FUEL TV viewers earlier this year.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the figures with an industry source.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, fuel, preliminarycard broadcast
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFinal UFC on Fox 3 Ratings Show Massive Viewership Decline
As we reported on Sunday, the overnight ratings for the UFC's third effort on Fox were not exactly encouraging. The final ratings are not exactly showing any improvement either. The final story here is going to be that the UFC lost half the viewers from the second Fox effort, which was down from the huge number on the first show.
While no one expected that massive number for the heavyweight title fight between Junior dos Santos and then champion Cain Velasquez to continue forward, I don't think anyone quite expected this.
Here's the exact info:
@tvsportsratingsTVSportsratings UFC on FOX 3: 1.6 Men 18-34 (-50% vs. UFC on FOX 2) and 2.4 mil viewers (-48%) May 08 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
It gets worse:
@lorettahuntmmaLoretta Hunt UFC on FOX 3 did 2.418 million average viewers for 1.5 HH rating. It was No. 6 out of the 8 programs that ran in same time slots. May 08 via HootSuite Favorite Retweet Reply
More after the jump...
Another tweet of some interest:
@MMASupremacyMMA Supremacy UFC on FOX 3 did -34% on average than 2012 episodes of COPS, which air on same time slot (Saturday nights) #mma #UFC #fox #ratings May 08 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
Look, it's not hard to figure out what happened. The UFC went for excitement (which they got) but didn't bring the necessary big names to the party. And we can keep pretending it didn't matter, but they were heads-up with a boxing show that had four fighters (Canelo, Mosley, Mayweather and Cotto) who are bigger than anyone on that UFC card will ever be in terms of name value. Without star power, no one was going to turn off the PPV they just dropped $70 for.
They're going to try to spin this into that they still won the timeslot in specific (probably young male) demos. And that may be true, but huge declines and finishing 6th of 8 is not good in any way.
As long as they take it as a learning experience and move forward appropriately there's no reason for panic just yet.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, retweet reply, boxing show
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 3 TV Ratings Signal Significant Drop
UFC on Fox 3 Diaz vs. Miller signaled a significant drop in TV ratings from the promotion's first two event on "Big Fox."
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, tv ratings, bull, drop ufc, fox retweet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 ratings: Viewership plummets, event averages just 2.4 million viewers
Despite one of the year's most entertaining main cards, Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 event saw its ratings plummet.
The May 5 broadcast averaged just 2.4 million viewers, MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with an industry source.
That's down from the 5.7 million viewers who tuned in for UFC on FOX 1 in November, as well as the 4.7 million viewers who tuned in for UFC on FOX 2 in January.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, viewer
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLow ratings for UFC on FOX 3: 2.4 million viewers
UFC on Fox 3 was one of the best cards of the year and the best event hosted on Fox thus far. Despite this, the Cinco de Mayo Event had poor ratings. According to my colleague, Mike Drahota on Lowkick.com:10,788 fans witnessed the event in person for a live gate of $1.1 million.
However, television viewership painted quite a different picture. According to tvsportsratings.com
UFC on FOX 3: 1.6 Men 18-34 (-50% vs. UFC on FOX 2) and 2.4 mil viewers (-48%)
— TVsportsratings (@tvsportsratings)May
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, tvsportsratingscom ufc, mayo event
Read the full article at Low KickMMAWeekly Radio Mon: John Dodson, Louis Gaudinot, Danny Castillo and UFC on Fox 3 Debate
Monday marks the return of MMAWeekly Radio and we have a stacked show including UFC on Fox 3 winners John Dodson, Louis Gaudinot and Danny Castillo.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, mmaweekly radio, radio, mmaweekly, dodson
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFalling Action: Best and Worst of UFC on FOX 3
The UFC on FOX 3 event delivered perhaps the best main event to the smallest TV audience yet. It also propelled a couple new contenders into the championship picture, while knocking a few other hopefuls further down the line.Now that a sobering Monday is upon us, it’s time to take a look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between after an interesting Saturday night in New Jersey.Biggest Winner: Nate DiazAgainst one of the toughest opponents he’s ever faced, Diaz looked better than he’s ever looked. Better still, he didn’t have to play it safe or sacrifice any of his Diaz-ness to get it done. He followed the Stockton playbook, complete with mid-fight flexdowns and rangy punch combos, then made Miller pay when he tried to take it to the mat. How could you not give this guy a title shot? The lightweight division is getting crowded at the top, but Diaz deserves to jump to the front of the line after his recent performances. He’s closed up many of the early holes in his game, and he always entertains inside the cage. What’s more, you can generally count on him to, in UFC president Dana White’s words, "play the game" when it comes to pre and post-fight festivities. He’s everything the UFC needs in a fresh lightweight contender, and he’s only getting better. Now he plays the waiting game.
Biggest Loser: Rousimar PalharesFor the past few years, "Toquinho’s" game plan has been the worst-kept secret in MMA. We all know that he wants nothing more than to grab ahold of his opponent's leg and twist it like a wet towel that he’s trying to wring dry. The fact that he’s been so successful with that approach anyway has served as a testament to the value of skill over surprise. But even when he got Belcher where he wanted him, Palhares couldn’t close the deal. Even worse, he didn’t seem to have much of a plan B. He let Belcher posture up on top of him and blast away with punches and elbows, which is only a good idea if your goal is to find out what the inside of a New Jersey hospital looks like. If the question hounding Palhares’ career was ‘how far can a one-trick pony rise in the UFC if his one trick is a really good one,’ I think we just got our answer. Clinging to #1 Contendership by the Follicles of His Beard: Johny HendricksOkay, so his win over Josh Koscheck wasn’t exactly a dominant one. One or two punches or takedowns here or there, and that decision could have gone the other way. Still, Hendricks did just enough to convince two of three judges (everyone but Ricardo Almeida, in other words) to give him the nod. But, in the process, did he convince the UFC and its fans that he’s worthy of a title shot? Tough to say. On one hand, a win over Koscheck always means something. He’s been at or near the top of the division for years, and however you have to play it to get your hand raised against that guy, it’s a significant accomplishment. On the other hand, I doubt many people are salivating over a potential GSP-Hendricks bout after that performance. If Hendricks wants to wait until Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit handle their business before stepping into the cage again, that’s an understandable choice. It’s also one that has gone wrong for many of those who came before him.Most Surprising: Alan BelcherBefore this fight, I would have told you that his chances for victory hinged on his ability to keep the fight standing. Turns out he was perfectly capable of defending against Palhares’ go-to finish, and he didn’t even need to be on his feet to score the TKO. After his big win, Belcher declared he was coming for the middleweight title, which at first struck me as overly optimistic, not to mention premature. Then I stopped and thought about it and had to admit that, with four straight finishes in his last four UFC fights, he has a strong case. Of course, then we get into the conversation of whether he has any realistic chance of out-striking someone like Anderson Silva, though by then we’re already well ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s just be grateful that the middleweight division has some fresh faces rising to the top. After keeping his knee ligaments intact en route to victory against Palhares, Belcher is certainly one of them.Least Secure Future: Pat BarryHe took a battering from Lavar Johnson before he finally went down in the waning moments of an exciting first round. The loss is his third in four attempts inside the Octagon, and it drops his overall UFC record to a dismal 4-5. That’s not good for job security in this business, even if you happen to be an entertaining heavyweight striker. Look, we all love "HD." How could you not? He’s a fun personality and a great human being. He’s also a talented fighter who just hasn’t been able to get the breaks to go his way in the big fights. It’s hard not to sympathize with him and want to see him do well. At the same time, likability alone will only carry you so far in the world of professional pugilism. You still have to get some marks in the win column in order to stay relevant. Personally, I hope Barry can put together a winning streak and solidify his standing in the UFC’s heavyweight division, if only because MMA is a lot more fun when he’s around. It’s just that, at the sport’s highest level, fun isn’t always enough.Gimmick That’s Got to Go: Louis Gaudinot’s flowing green locksI get it: when you’re coming up through the crowded TUF ranks, you have to find a way to get noticed. Looking like the lovechild of Clay Guida and The Incredible Hulk is a decent way of accomplishing that, but at certain moments in Gaudinot’s Fight of the Night tilt with John Lineker it seemed borderline unsafe. I’m not saying every fighter has to go with the Brock Lesnar, high-and-tight crewcut look, but you should at least be able to see the punches that are flying at your face. Gaudinot made the necessary adjustment between rounds and finished with a sweet little guillotine, so maybe all’s well that ends well. Then again, how much time can a pro fighter really spend in the beauty parlor before he has to admit that he’s trying too hard?Cause for Concern: UFC on FOX ratingsIt’s not time to sound the alarm just yet, but neither is it a good sign when your network TV ratings form a downward trending line. Live sports ratings tend to undergo some adjustment following the initial ratings, and I’m sure the UFC and FOX are both happy with the numbers they pulled in the key adult demographic. But let’s be real here: more people watched reruns than watched a live, free UFC fight on a major television network. That ain’t good, no matter how you spin it. You could point to any number of factors to explain away the diminished viewership. Maybe it was Floyd Mayweather’s fault. Maybe too many people were out of the house, getting their Cinco de Mayo on. Maybe FOX didn’t do enough to pull the attention of hockey and basketball fans who are in full-on postseason obsession mode. Or, let’s just say it, maybe you can’t put on contender-quality fights and hope for championship-level ratings. Diaz-Miller is a fight that’s interesting to the hardcores, and you can’t say that it didn’t deliver in the cage. Still, you have to admit that it lacks the elevator pitch appeal of ‘HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD!!!’ Aside from that JDS-Velasqez kickoff to the FOX deal, the UFC seems unwilling to part with short-term pay-per-view cash in order to build a long term audience on FOX. It keeps the big fights for the big events, and gives network audiences whatever else it thinks it can spare. You could argue that the UFC is trying to build mainstream interest in top contenders as they move toward pay-per-view title fights, but look at Diaz and Hendricks, the two contenders to emerge from this event. It will likely be many months before either gets his shot at the gold. Will the people who watched this event still be thinking about them by then? Will they even remember watching this event by the fall or winter? The ratings decline seems to suggest that viewers can tell the difference between a card that asks them to stay home and watch a big fight, and one that asks them to stick around just to watch some UFC. Now we know. The question is what the UFC and FOX will do with that knowledge.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, hersquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe MMA Wrap-Up: UFC on FOX 3
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, wrapup
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBrian Stann vs Hector Lombard slotted for main event at UFC on FOX 4 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brass must think very highly of middleweight newcomer and former Bellator 185-pound champion Hector Lombard.
Not only does "Lightning" get a possible title shot by knocking out the "All American," he gets the chance to do it as a headliner for the promotion's UFC on FOX 4 event scheduled for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012.
Stann confirmed an initial report by Heavy.com during this past weekend's UFC on FOX 3 event in New Jersey.
Lombard's only two losses have come by unanimous decision to Gegard Mousasi and Akihiro Gono in fights that took place nearly six years ago. He has 24 finishes, including 17 (T)KO stoppages in 31 wins.
Scary stuff -- but he's faced with his toughest test to date.
Stann is one of the very best 185-pound fighters the world's largest fight promotion has to offer. He was last seen destroying Alessio Sakara via first round ground-n-pound knockout in Stockholm, Sweden, at the UFC on FUEL TV 2 event just last month.
Prior to that he was 3-1 in his last four appearances, including three violent finishes. His only defeat came at the hands of top middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen.
How do you, as a fan, feel about this bout as the main event?
UFC on FOX 4 will also feature the recently announced light heavyweight bout pitting Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida while Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon and Ben Rothwell vs. Travis Browne are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on FOX 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, title shot, fox, vs, event
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEarly “UFC on Fox 3″ Ratings Down From Previous Shows
The early “UFC on Fox 3″ ratings are in and the numbers showed a decline in viewers from the UFC’s previous Fox cards. TV by the Numbers listed the approximate numbers at 2.25 million viewers, down from UFC on Fox 2′s 4.7 million viewers.
Now it should be noted these numbers are always subject to change, but even if they did increase, it is unlikely the numbers would increase that much.
There are always a multitude of factors involved in TV ratings but it is important to note that the card did precede one of the largest boxing cards of the year and the card simply did not have the star power that the other Fox cards have contained.
The bright side for the UFC is that card did finish strongly in the critical 18-49 demographic.
UFC President Dana White was still elated with the card overall, telling Fox Sports:
“I’m pumped with the way that the fights went. What’s funny is even when we started the night, we were 35 minutes over the format and Diaz comes in and stops Miller. It couldn’t have gone any more perfect. Tonight was the perfect night.”
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, viewer, number
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyMayweather Vs. Cotto, UFC On Fox 3 Results: Monday Morning Wrap Up
It was a huge weekend for combat sports as Floyd Mayweather, the world's biggest pay-per-view attraction, and the UFC both put on shows on Saturday night. Mayweather met Miguel Cotto in one of his most fan-friendly performances that saw Cotto shine but Mayweather shine even brighter.
The UFC returned to Fox TV for the third time with their lowest-rated but perhaps most satisfying edition in terms of in-cage action. The event saw Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks earn title shots with wins over Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck. Here's all of Bloody Elbow's coverage from the weekend:
The Events
Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Analysis
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Multi-Media
Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage
Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
Aftermath
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVideo: Dana White calls UFC on FOX 3 'a perfect night'
"(The fans) had nothing to complain about (for the first two FOX shows) but if they had to complain, it would be tough to complain about tonight. I'm pumped with the way that the fights went. What's funny is even when we started the night, we were 35 minutes over the format and Diaz comes in and stops Miller. It couldn't have gone any more perfect. Tonight was the perfect night."
Was UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" a perfect show? Promotion President Dana White thinks so, as he tells FUEL TV the event that went down this past Saturday night (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, couldn't have gone any better. Three of the four fights broadcasted on network television resulted in exciting finishes, two by technical knockout and one by submission. Even the one decision, Johny Hendricks split win over Josh Koscheck, was a three-round slugfest. The fans who tuned in likely have little to complain about today. The problem, of course, is there simply weren't that many fans who bothered to actually watch the show, as evidenced by the abysmal early ratings. Other than that, UFC and FOX are all smiles today. For complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, night, fox, fan, video dana
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Results Recap: Nate Diaz Vs. Jim Miller
In the main event of UFC on Fox 3, Lightweights Jim Miller and Nate Diaz met in a much anticipated fight. After two rounds of surprisingly one sided action, Nate Diaz walked away the victor, defeating Miller via guillotine choke in round 2. Diaz is now on a 3 fight win streak and undefeated since returning to Lightweight last year. Miller drops to 21-4 and has lost 2 of his last 3 fights.
Heading into this fight there were a lot of questions about how it would play out. Would the two decorated submission specialists engage on the ground? Or would Diaz rely on his unique boxing style and keep the fight standing? As it turned out, it was Diaz who dictated the pace of the fight, taking Miller apart on the feet, then finishing him on the ground. What looked like a close battle on paper turned into a brilliant, dominating performance from Diaz. The controversial fighter earned his shot at the UFC Lightweight title with this win.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Diaz's choke was fantastic, brutal stuff. But for me the highlight was the moment in round 2 when Nate got comfortable and started clowning Miller. I know many are not fans of those moments, but it's consistently my favorite part of Diaz brothers' fights because you know it means they are in the zone. And when Nate and Nick are in the zone, they are among the best boxers in MMA today.
Where do these guys go from here?
At the post-fight press conference, Dana White confirmed what he suggested last week - Nate Diaz will indeed be the next challenger for the UFC Lightweight title. He'll have to wait for the Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson rematch this fall, but once that is done, Nate will be up. Either potential opponent will provide a fascinating match-up, though I suspect Diaz has a better shot against Edgar than Henderson.
Jim Miller is in a rough spot. After putting together a terrific run in the Lightweight division, he's now 1-2 in his last 3 and far outside the title picture. It seems quite possible that he's now locked into a gatekeeper to the title kind of role, which is a tough place to be. The top of the division is pretty busy at the moment, so he may need to wait and see how things shake out before setting up his next fight. If Gray Maynard defeats Clay Guida, Guida vs. Miller seems to make sense.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. Between this and the Donald Cerrone fight, Nate Diaz has proven that he belongs among the Lightweight elite. This is a great showing and a highly entertaining fight. Check it out now.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3 in the full entry.
Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fox, nate
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 3 Results Recap: Josh Koscheck Vs. Johny Hendricks
The semi-main event at UFC on Fox 3 was a key battle in the highest ranks of the UFC Welterweigt division. In the end, Johny Hendricks took home a victory over Josh Koscheck via split decision. Judges scored the bout 29-28 Hendricks, 29-28 Koscheck, and 29-28 Hendricks. Hendricks now holds back to back wins over Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck and is 13-1 in his career. Koscheck drops down to 17-6 overall.
Despite both men coming in with strong wrestling credentials, this fight was decided primarily in the stand-up. For the majority of the fight, Hendricks looked to land his heavy KO punch, while Koscheck pushed him against the cage and threw punches in combos. Both rounds 1 and 2 were very close and tough to call. In round 3, Koscheck used his wrestling to score a takedown, looking to take the round with his ground control. However, it wasn't enough for the win. Very, very tough fight to score here.
What was the high spot of this fight?
About midway through the 3rd round, the two engaged in a fast-paced shoot-out, with both looking to end the fight right there. That didn't happen, but it was still a great moment.
Where do these guys go from here?
Pre-fight, Dana White said a Johny Hendricks win would earn him a UFC Welterweight title shot. But I'm not so sure. This wasn't a big highlight reel win, plus there is a huge gap before anyone other than Georges St. Pierre or Carlos Condit will be in a title fight. I expect he'll need to fight once more, either against Rory MacDonald, or the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann.
Koscheck was at a crossroads here, and this didn't actually answer much about his future. In a close fight like this, it's hard to walk away saying he is the clear loser. So I suspect he's still in the top ranks at least once more. The loser of that Ellenberger/Kampmann fight sounds about right.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. It's a good fight, but on a night of serious action, it's definitely the most slow-paced and least thrilling.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3 in the full entry.
Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, koscheck, hendrick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 3 Results Recap: Alan Belcher Vs. Rousimar Palhares
In a Middleweight fight at UFC on Fox 3, top 20 fighters Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares faced off. After a thrilling first round of ground action, it was UFC veteran Belcher who reigned supreme, defeating Palhares via TKO late in the first round. Belcher won the fight with ground and pound strikes. He is now 9-4 in the UFC and calling for a title shot. Palhares drops to 7-3 in the UFC.
Heading into the fight, the common thought was that Belcher needed to desperately avoid the deadly ground game of Palhares. Instead, Belcher took the fight to Palhares on the mat, looking to submit the Brazilian with a twister and brilliantly avoiding Palhares's notoriously nasty leglocks. After an intense back and forth on the ground, Belcher was able to take top position and bring down the punches until the fight was stopped. Easily the biggest win of Belcher's career, especially coming after would could have been a career derailing injury and layoff.
What was the high spot of this fight?
That leglock battle was awesome. Knowing how scary Palhares is with legs, it was a nail-biting experience watching him work over Belcher's leg. Joe Rogan was screaming for Belcher to get out of there, but it turned out he didn't need to.
Where do these guys go from here?
Post-fight, Belcher made a call for the title, but he's not there just yet. Still, he does deserve a real contender next time out. The division is pretty busy at the moment, but I'd say his best bets are either the winner of Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva, or Jason Miller, should Mayhem defeat CB Dollaway at UFC 146.
This is a real setback for Palhares. He needs to take a leg home next time out to regain his fearsome reputation. There are plenty of options for him, but I'd like to see him against the loser of that Mayhem vs. Dollaway fight.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. Great, great ground battle here, and a spectacular win for Belcher.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3 in the full entry.
Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Posted in: ufc, fight, belcher, fox, palhare
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
Slept On It: The Day After UFC On Fox 3 and Mayweather-Cotto, The Reaction Post
UFC on Fox 3 was about the best show that Zuffa could've hoped for. The four fights that made up the FOX broadcast were: first round KO, first round KO, close decision, 2nd round submission. From a personal standpoint, the fighters I was leaning towards didn't do too well, so I'm a bit disappointed there, but from a cold, scrupulous eye of an overall MMA fan, this was a pretty damn good night. The ratings are poor, but quite honestly this was about a perfect storm of bad that you could come up with. This card had the following poor factors going for it:
No "stars". Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks and Nate Diaz are not on the radars of the casual fan.
Cinco de Mayo. It's a big party weekend, and like it or not, a lot of people aren't MMA fans. I went to a party instead of watching the fights live, and I could count on one fist, the number of MMA fans of the ~30 people there.
NBA and NHL playoffs, Mayweather card. Quite frankly, there were quite a few other sports happening that day, and while there are a few people who probably watched two or more of them, there are probably just as many who had to make the choice of which one to watch because of other commitments.
Speaking of other commitments, it was opening weekend for the Avengers, and it just pulled down over 200 freaking million bucks. This SMASHED the previous record (the last Harry Potter movie) by 30+ million.
All in all, I'm completely unsurprised by the bad ratings, and quite honestly felt this would be about right. The bad news out of the way, the people that did tune in who aren't already part of the die-hard crowd (and if you're reading this, you're probably in it) got a really good show. People may bag on the Fox Sports theme music, but as someone who likes traditional sports, I'm pretty OK with it. It's a brand and I identify it with Fox. Curt Menefee and the other folks in the top part of the broadcast did a solid job in their analyst roles, while Rogan and Goldie did pretty decent work covering it live. This isn't to say it was without rough patches - Rogan freaking out over Jim Miller getting caught with his tongue out in the guillotine was kind of uncalled for, but he also did a good job explaining basics and terminology for the neophytes watching.
Lavar Johnson has passed the first real gate in his career, as he blasted out Pat Barry after a couple of rough moments early in the fight. Pat continued to show K1-level grappling skills and fight-IQ as he abandoned mount and proceeded to accomplish nothing with side control.
Alan Belcher wins the balls of steel award for not being afraid of major knee surgery and dealing with Rousimar Palhares' incredible leglock game. Alan stifled Paul Harris for a solid minute and a half on the ground and ended up blasting him with punishing ground and pound to put a huge feather in his cap. Give him the winner of Boetsch/Bisping.
I thought Josh Koscheck did enough to win the fight. He started off strong following the eyepoke that went unnoticed by ref Kevin Mulhall, and while Johny Hendricks did decent the rest of the round, I didn't think it was enough to overcome the strength of what Kos did for the first 2 minutes or so. The second was a Hendricks round, albeit a close one, but I feel pretty safe in guessing that all three judges scored it for Big Rig. The third started out leaning towards Johny - I thought he was getting the edge in the standup, but not in an overwhelming manner. Kos got the takedown and spent the last 90 seconds or so in dominant position landing damaging shots. I thought that should go to him. For the record, I'm not a big fan of Koscheck and I rather like Hendricks for what he did to Fitch, so I'm seeing this as being partially biased the OTHER way.
Nate Diaz is for real. There's not much one can say otherwise at this point. He damaged Jim Miller on the feet both at range and in the clinch with knees, he stuffed takedowns from a fairly solid wrestler (given, not a hugely powerful one, such as Maynard) and finished a guy who'd never been finished in 24 previous contests. Nate is on a three-fight win streak that includes two top-10 opponents, all of which got him fight or submission of the night. This now puts him one win bonus away from notorious bounty-hunter Chris Lytle, and he's only 27. I'll assume he gets the title shot from the brass, but him against Pettis would be great, too.
Floyd Mayweather is clearly one of the best boxers in the world, but he got pushed and pushed fairly hard by a very game Miguel Cotto. This might have been the best fight Cotto's ever fought, or perhaps it's Floyd showing a bit of aging and ring rust, but that was much more competitive than a lot of people were expecting. This was about the best outcome that the sport could have hoped for, because after Manny Pacquiao's lackluster win over Juan Manuel Marquez, it's made both of the top two fighters in the sport look human and vulnerable to each other. If the damn fight ever happens, these last two matches will serve as good fodder for each camp to talk about with the other side.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: fight, round, fox, fan, people
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendThe Evening After: UFC on FOX 3
After a less than stellar undercard, UFC on FOX 3 delivered big time on a big network. While ratings may not have lived up to the hype, those of us who watched some some fantastic fights, and hopefully, new fans were gained in the process. I’m sitting in a cafe right now using free wi-fi, [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, cafe right, undercard ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC On Fox 3 Results Recap: Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson
In the first main card bout at UFC on Fox 3, Lavar Johnson survived a scare on the ground to defeat Pat Barry by TKO at 4:38 of the first round. The win was Johnson's second straight since moving over from Strikeforce, and showed off both his strengths and weaknesses.
After getting a taste of Johnson's power, Barry took the fight to the ground and immediately advanced to mount. He switched to side control he tried to lock on an americana, but Johnson was able to fight it off and eventually got back to the feet. After they reset Johnson staggered Barry with a big shot, then followed it up with a ton of punches against the cage on a stationary Barry. Eventually Barry couldn't take any more and collapsed to the mat.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The final sequence, with Johnson just unloading on Barry with a couple dozen punches while Pat just tried to cover up.
Where do these guys go from here?
I would dearly love to see Johnson face off with Mark Hunt. It might not work out that way, depending on the outcome of Hunt's bout with Stefan Struve at UFC 146, but that would be an awesome fight.
Barry's now 1-3 in his last four and 4-5 overall in the UFC. I don't think he'll get released right now, but one more loss and he might. Throw him in there with Chad Griggs and let's see what happens.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. The bout lived up to expectations and was a lot of fun. You'll enjoy the five minutes you spend on it.
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3 below the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, johnson, barry
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMania Matchmaker: Possible next fights for UFC on FOX 3: 'Diaz vs. Miller' winners
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pulled off another spectacular event last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) as UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" went off without a hitch at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The card featured several emerging stars who stepped up and made a name for themselves with mixed martial arts (MMA) fans who may have been previously unaware of their abilities. We also saw a few fighters who looked to push their status from the "prospect" category to the "title contender" distinction.
Earlier today, we talked about what the future may hold for the main and co-main event winners, Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks. For Diaz, it looks like a certainty he will sit out and face the winner of the September showdown between Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson and former champion Frankie Edgar.
For Hendricks, we speculated that the best match-up may be one between the former NCAA Division I champion wrestler and welterweight phenom, Rory MacDonald.
But what about the other two big winners, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher? We'll talk possible match-ups for them after the jump:
Lavar Johnson came crashing into the Octagon (and our hearts) for the first time when he took on Joey Beltran and his seemingly granite chin at UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis," in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012.
The fight ended early and violently as Johnson did what previously had seemed impossible -- he knocked "The Mexicutioner" out cold.
Apparently, Johnson likes fighting on FOX, because his results against Pat Barry at UFC on FOX 3 were nearly identical. With less than one minute to go in the first round, he went to work, landing haymakers and uppercuts galore.
What may be most impressive is "HD" staying on his feet as long as he did. He took a ton of punishment, but a person can only withstand getting slammed by ham-hocks like those for so long. Eventually, the knees say "no mas," which is exactly what happened here.
Unfortunately, the win wasn't without flaw. There was a minute, after being taken down, where Johnson looked vulnerable to a submission. Lucky for him, he was facing a fighter who isn't going to be awarded his Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt any time soon.
Johnson's last four losses came by way of submission. It's clearly something he needs to work on. Thankfully, there aren't a ton of fighters in the UFC's heavyweight division that are going to test this weakness, but there certainly are a few.
In light of this, I have two choices for prospective dance partners for Johnson his next time out to the cage.
First, has anyone seen Shane Carwin? Paging Mr. Carwin. Your services are needed in the Octagon. Seriously, it makes for a great match-up. Two behemoths who throw giant hands with lethal intentions?
Yes, please.
Additionally, "The Engineer" is a fine wrestler. I believe he could put Johnson and his ground game to the test. Unfortunately, there's no real guarantee Carwin will be available any time soon. He's projected to make his return midway through 2012. We'll see.
If Carwin's not an option, I'd like to see Johnson get the winner of Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman. Both fighters love to put on exciting battles, and I think they both (particularly Nelson) have enough of a ground game to give Johnson a bigger test than Barry did.
Alan Belcher is one of those guys that you're just not sure what to do with. He's been telling us he's the best middleweight in the world for a while now. The problem was that nobody believed him.
I'm not saying he's made me believe to that extent, but his win over Rousimar Palhares was impressive, to say the least. He went to the ground with a guy who many believed to be the best submission practitioner in the 185-pound division and beat him at his own game.
He'd like a title shot. I can't blame him, but I can't oblige him either, particularly because there's a bit of a logjam at the top of his weight class.
Anderson Silva will take on Chael Sonnen to defend his title at UFC 148 on July 7. Michael Bisping will take on Tim Boetsch on the same card. Mark Munoz will fight Chris Weidman at UFC on Fuel TV 4, on July 11, 2012. You've also got Brian Stann fighting Hector Lombard at UFC on Fox 4, on Aug. 4, 2012
Belcher should get one of those guys as his next opponent, but who?
It's so hard to say at this point, because who wins those fights will have a big impact on the way the subsequent matches are made. Of the three winners, one will get the next title shot, which leaves us two potential suitors for Belcher.
Of the three, the winner of the fight between Munoz and Weidman seems least likely to get the next crack at the belt. You can dislike that out of loyalty to either fighter, but it's true. So, it seems soundest to me to think that Belcher's next opponent may very well be Munoz or Weidman. I can live with that, and it makes for a very intriguing match up.
Anyway, that's what we came up with. Who would you Maniacs like to see Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher take on next?
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, johnson, winner
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Results Recap: Preliminary Card
Generally we break these things down fight-by-fight, but for this event we're going to do one recap for the whole undercard. This will give a brief description of each fight, what might be next for each fighter, and whether the fight is worthy of a watch or not. There will also be recaps covering the four main card UFC on Fox 3 fights.
Tony Ferguson (13-3, 3-1 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (11-6, 3-2 UFC)
Johnson picked up a unanimous decision victory over El Cucuy to hand Ferguson his first loss in the UFC. Johnson's striking looked much improved, and he was able to control the pace and land a bunch of shots on the former Ultimate Fighter winner. It turns out that Ferguson broke his forearm in the first round, which certainly didn't help. If Johnson can keep improving (particularly his ground game), he might still have some potential in the division. Ferguson took a big step backwards with the loss though. You certainly don't need to go out of your way to watch this right now, so I'd save it for later.
John Dodson (13-5, 2-0 UFC) vs. Tim Elliott (8-3, 0-1 UFC)
Dodson won a unanimous decision over the late replacement Elliott with three 29-28 scores. Both fighters used some crazy offense in the entertaining flyweight bout, but Dodson's accuracy earned him two of the three rounds. The TUF 14 bantamweight winner now has his first win in the new division, and with one or two more he might be in like for a title shot. Elliott will undoubtedly be sticking around as well. I'd recommend watching this fight now.
John Hathaway (16-1, 6-1 UFC) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-1, 1-1 UFC)
Hathaway scored a unanimous decision victory with scores of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. The British fighter floored the German with a big knee in the first round but was unable to get the finish. He was on cruise control the rest of the way, working either from top position or using his length to stay on the outside standing. Hathaway now has six UFC wins, and he will probably get a top 15-20 guy in his next bout. You can leave this one until later.
More prelim fights after the jump.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Louis Gaudinot (6-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (19-6, 0-1 UFC)
Gaudinot won his second UFC fight in a row by finishing Lineker with a guillotine at 4:54 of the second round. The bout was non-stop action, with the fighters racking up over 400 strikes in under two rounds. Gaudinot decided to take the fight to the ground in the second round, and caught Lineker in a guillotine as he tried to get up. Lineker went out without tapping. Gaudinot's first win in the new division was huge, and a matchup with Dodson looks logical right now. The bout won fight of the night and definitely is worth watching right now.
Danny Castillo (14-4, 4-1 UFC) vs. John Cholish (8-2, 1-1 UFC)
Castillo picked up a lackluster unanimous decision over Cholish, with all three judges having identical 30-27 scorecards. Castillo used timely takedowns and a little more accuracy on the feet to take the W over the highly-touted Renzo Gracie fighter. Castillo now has four wins in the UFC and a bout with Michael Johnson might make some sense. You can give this bout a pass for sure.
Dennis Bermudez (8-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (11-3, 2-2 UFC)
Bermudez won a dominating unanimous decision over Garza with three 30-27 scorecards. The TUF 14 runner-up used his strong wrestling and some big slams to throw Garza all over the cage. Other than a series of upkicks in the first round, Garza was stuck on the bottom for almost the whole fight and unable to generate any offense. A next fight with Marcus Brimage would probably make sense for Bermudez. I'd say you can wait until later to watch this.
Roland Delorme (9-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Nick Denis (11-3, 1-1 UFC)
Delorme showed off an iron chin and tons of heart to pick up a come-from-behind submission victory over Denis with just one second left in the first round. Denis blasted him with two huge knees that would have turned the lights off for most fighters, but Delorme persevered and managed to hurt Denis with his own punches. He finally got the takedown he had been looking for for the whole round, and quickly slapped on a rear naked choke to get the tap. It might be a little early for this, but a bout between Delorme and Chris Cariaso would be excellent. You should watch this right now.
Mike Massenzio (13-7, 2-5 UFC) vs. Karlos Vemola (11-2, 2-2 UFC)
Massenzio was in control for a while, but Vemola turned it around and won via submission at 1:07 of the second round. Massenzio dropped for an attempted guillotine, but Vemola quickly slipped out and took Massenzio's back. He unloaded with some big punches, then latched on a rear naked choke to elicit the tap. The bout was Vemola's first at middleweight. You can probably save this bout for later.
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3:
Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke
Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston
Posted in: ufc, fight, round, fox, vs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 4: Lombard Vs. Stann To Main Event, Lombard Could Earn Title Shot With Win
UFC on Fox 3 is in the books, and the next Fox show will take place on August 4th in Los Angeles. A few bouts have been announced for the card so far, including a middleweight fight between former Bellator champion Hector Lombard and Brian Stann. Stann was a guest analyst for the show last night along with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, and he confirmed that his bout will serve as the main event of the Staples Center show. Dana White also confirmed a few days ago that Lombard could earn a title shot with a win (via Sergio Non of USA Today):
"When you talk about cleaning out a division, there's always another guy who comes up, even for a guy like Anderson," White said Thursday while speaking to a group of several reporters. "We just brought in Lombard. (If) Lombard beats Stann. ... that (title) fight makes sense."
That fight might be a tough sell as a main event for a Fox show. With the early ratings showing that UFC on Fox 3 didn't do very well with a weaker card names-wise, is it wise to use Stann (who is admittedly quite popular) against a guy making his UFC debut as a main event? And if Stann beats Lombard, will he earn a title shot of his own? Probably not. In the meantime, we'll see who wins the second bout between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen on July 7th at UFC 148 and go from there.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 4
Posted in: ufc, title shot, lombard, fox, stann
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 ratings: 'Diaz vs Miller' averages 2.25 million viewers
UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" took place last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and featured a main event of Nate Diaz earning a lightweight title shot with a slick submission victory over Jim Miller.
The bad news? Not nearly enough people saw it happen.
Indeed, the overnight ratings are in and according to TV By The Numbers, the show garnered 2.25 million viewers for the FOX network, good for a 1.0 rating. If that sounds terrible, that's because it is, all things considered. The silver lining here is the numbers were good enough to win the timeslot in the important demographics.
But there's no denying the decline in viewership for each UFC event on FOX is alarming.
Here's how the first three events looked when the overnight ratings came in:
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" -- 4.64 millionUFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" -- 4.57 millionUFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" -- 2.25 million
There are a million differing reasons that could be given regarding how exactly viewership has seen that steep of a decline. Perhaps it's been the decline in importance of the headlining fight. The first show featured a heavyweight championship showdown while the second saw a proven pay-per-view (PPV) star.
Diaz and Miller, talented as they are, aren't exactly box office behemoths with big name recognition.
There was also a problem with marketing and promotion. The first FOX event was heavily hyped, with promos airing during Sunday NFL football games. The second show was given a similar treatment. This latest show, obviously much smaller in scope, was dominated in the headlines by a far more important boxing match in Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto, which took place later in the night in Las Vegas.
After running two FOX shows with big stars, the world's largest fight promotion decided to rely on the power of its brand name. As it turns out, maybe its brand name isn't so powerful after all.
For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 3 Results Recap: Sunday Perspective
A fantastic Cinco de Mayo filled with combat sports action has passed. Between Bellator, the Ultimate FIghter, MFC, UFC on Fox, and boxing action this was a very busy 48 hours for fight fans.
After two shows on Fox that fell short of expectations this was a clear effort by the UFC to get some action oriented fights on network TV. However, some fans said they did so at the sacrifice of star power, and initial numbers have shown that ratings were down.
The Fox production continues to be good and professional. I know parts of the production annoy fans, like the Fox trumpets, which makes me start salivating for football like Pavlov's dog at a bell, or the MMA fighting robots using a takedown that doesn't actually exist in real fighting. But, I feel that the Fox deal is moving the UFC towards being more professional in terms of broadcasting. Against that background the missteps of Mike Goldberg and the screaming of Joe Rogan just become that much more obvious.
At the end of the main event, when Rogan began screaming about how Jim Miller's tongue was sticking out of his mouth, this gap in professionalism and the understanding of the platform the UFC is on became very obvious. Saying that a fighter is biting his tongue off, yelling about how disgusting it is, and not being able to move on from that would get an eye roll from most fans on a Pay-Per-View broadcast; on Fox in prime time it is totally unprofessional. This is a stark contrast to when Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears got his back broken in a NFL game on Fox last season, and announcers Chris Myers and Tim Ryan kept a calm, respectful demeanor in the face of a far more gruesome spectacle.
This isn't to say that Joe Rogan needs to be kicked off the UFC broadcast team, but perhaps his usual demeanor isn't the right fit for the Fox cards.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Thoughts on the fights this weekend are after the jump...
Nate Diaz was excellent last night. At this point I consider Nate to be the better fighter of the Diaz brothers. His punches are a little straighter, crisper and harder than Nick's. Nate has moved beyond being a "volume" puncher and is just a great boxer. Nate's footwork is more fluid than Nick's flat footed stance, and seems more able to stick and move than his older brother. Both fighters are excellent on the mat, but again, I feel like Nate is slightly better in the clinch. At this point Nate is legitimately a title contender, and I think Joe Silva would be crazy not to get this Diaz brother in a UFC title shot.
Jim Miller is a victim of the constant rematches of Frankie Edgar's title reign. Going into the this fight, Miller had won eight of his last nine fights, including a fight that was supposed to be a title eliminator with Melvin Gulliard. But as said so often in this sport, title shots are a matter of winning at the right time and the last two years have not been a good time to be a Top 10 Lightweight. Edgar has seemed unable to fight for the title without it turning into a two fight series and as a result the deepest division in the sport has basically been frozen for the last two years. And fighters like Jim Miller are paying the price.
I had Johny Hendricks winning that fight but fully expected the judges to give the fight to Josh Koscheck based on the takedown towards the end of the third round. But, New Jersey is the home of the best and most progressive State Athletic Commissions in the nation, and the judges didn't fall into the classic traps of MMA judging. It was a very close fight, but I think the judges made the correct call in the end. It is a good sign that all MMA judging may indeed be able to catch up with the rest of the sport some day.
Hendrick's win continues a trend at Welterweight of a surge of young talent that has been going on for the last two years. Along with Interm Welterweight Champion Carlos Condi, Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and to a lesser extent Rick Story, Charlie Brenneman, Siyar Bahadurzada, John Maguire, and few others combined with Hendricks, are the future of that division. MMA fans are aware that the stars of 2005 have faded, but a fighter like Koscheck, who was an up-and-comer back in that era, has now past his contender-ship days. Koscheck will keep fighting and likely get big fights with young fighters, and will win some, but expect it to be in more of a gatekeeper or stepping stone role than as a contender.
Speaking of Koscheck, he is consistently is caught up in eye poke controversy. This is mostly because he is always pushing on his opponent's face with his lead hand. I can't say he is aiming for the eye, but it seems like he is using the threat of the eye poke to keep opponents at bay. The amount of times Koscheck has poked opponents in the eye, and the impact it has had on fights cannot be ignored. It had a clear impact on the first round of his fight with Hendricks and something needs to be done before a fighter is able to weaponize the eye poke in the way that Bernard Hopkins has done with the head butt in boxing. Eye damage can have a lasting impact on careers, so perhaps quicker warnings for accidental eye pokes and serious consequences for repeat offenses, including fines, might help discourage the open lead hand to the face.
I respect anyone, to a certain degree, who is willing to step into a cage, but Alan Belcher earned a whole new level of respect from me last night. He showed had no fear of Rousimar Palhares' leg lock game. Not only did Belcher survive the leg locks, he attacked it and eventually ended up on top. Palhares faded badly towards the end of the round, which isn't shocking and something we've seen in past fights. I don't think this exposes anything about Palhares we haven't known. If you survive the early leg lock assault, you can start to go to work against Toquinho. That said, Palhares' leg locking ability will mean he is never out of a fight and is still a very dangerous fighter moving froward.
Fans were treated to some great grappling on this card. High points included Nate Diaz working a Marcleo-tine on Jim Miller, and Belcher working an excellent leg lock defense with classic escapes, a wrestling style guillotine, and even some 50/50 guard. It was fantastic to see high level grappling taking place on Fox, and it was a lot of fun to watch as a fan.
Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry delivered the rock-em, sock-em action that was expected of them. In the end Barry was trapped on the fence and made no real effort to escape the position, as Johnson just unloaded heavy shots. This loss puts Pat Barry at 4-5 in his UFC career, and it is very possible the UFC will let him go at this point.
John Hathaway got a much needed win. While just 24 years-old, and with a 16-1 record, his struggles with Mike Pyle and Kris McCray have tempered expectations since his win over Diego Sanchez. Hathaway still has skills, and with his youth could develop into a solid welterweight, but this was not an easy victory for Hathaway, and it will be interesting to see who the UFC gives him next.
The Flyweight division got its second set of UFC fights last night, and the division continues to be exciting. Louis Gaudinot stopped hot prospect John Lineker, and John Dodson got a competitive win over Tim Elliot. It will be some time before we get a clear hierarchy at Flyweight, but it seems clear that the UFC intends Dodson to be the first challenger for the Flyweight title after the tournament is concluded, as he has an extremely marketable personality.
The Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto fight was a very entertaining match, and the most fun I've had watching boxing in a while.
Bellator also had a good card. Bryan Baker looked excellent against a very game Ben Saunders, and Michael Chandler blew the doors off a shopworn Akihiro Gono.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fox, eye
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Overnight Ratings: 2.25 million viewers
TVByTheNumbers reports on the overnight ratings for UFC on Fox 3, as it wins the time slot for adults 18-49 with a 1.0 rating and a 4 share with an estimated 2.25 million total viewer average. The numbers may be adjusted (and likely upward) due to the nature of live programming according to TV By the Numbers.
The report states the following:
FOX won a slow Cinco de Mayo in adults 18-49 with its broadcast of a UFC fight, while CBS was number one in total viewers.
.
The latest UFC on FOX bout scored a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49.
.
On CBS, 48 Hours Mystery was the night’s top rated show among adults 18-49, earning a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating, up from last week’s 0.9.
Payout Perspective:
The numbers are downf from the first two Fox events. In November, UFC on FOX debut drew a 3.1 rating with 5.7 million viewers with a peak of 8.8 million viewers. UFC on FOX 2 drew a 2.6 rating with 4.66 million viewers with a peak at 6.08M. The West Coast tape delay and overrun may help with the final tally for the ratings a little bit, but I don’t see it topping 3 million viewers this time around, which has to be considered a bad number for the UFC and FOX.
The UFC focused on putting on exciting match-ups this time around, but what they made up for in exciting fights, it severely lacked the star power of the first two shows. UFC on FOX 4 does not appear much better, as Brian Stann vs Hector Lombard has already been booked for the main event, but will have a much better co-main event with Lyoto Machida taking on Ryan Bader.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, viewer, number
Read the full article at MMA PayoutVIDEO: Dana White Talks UFC On Fox Results With Ariel Helwani
Following Saturday's UFC on Fox 3 event, Dana White was all smiles and caught up with Ariel Helwani for a few minutes for Fuel TV to recap why he was so happy.
A few of the highlights from the short talk:
White said it was tough for anyone to complain about the event like they have for past Fox shows. "Tonight was the perfect night," he said.
He said the fights went just as he expected, except for for Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. He commented that the show format was running over by 35 minutes but the finish saved the day.
White said that Diaz has always been talented and that moving around to lightweight and welterweight has been good for him. He said Diaz is waiting for the title shot and they'll have to figure out what to do with Anthony Pettis.
He expects Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson II for either August or September.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, ariel helwani, fox results
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Ratings Down Significantly From Previous UFC on FOX Shows
The fights were good. The ratings not so much. According to TV by the Numbers, UFC on FOX 3 only drew 2.25 million viewers and a 1.0 share in the Adults 18-49 demo in the overnight ratings. These numbers may be adjusted up when the final numbers come in, but they’re still a significant drop [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, number, numbers ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly
submitted by Philll [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, philll
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 3 results: Finally, a Fox event fans, the network and Dana White can cheer about
Last November, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made its network television debut with an abridged, one-hour show that featured a heavyweight title bout between then-champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, it was seen as a watershed moment, a game changer for the fight promotion and the sport as a whole.
When the fight ended in 64 seconds, the result of a dos Santos knockout, even the most hardcore of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans shrugged their shoulders, wondering if that was it. You can imagine what the unwashed, collective public thought after barely a minute of action.
When the promotion returned to Fox in January, it was a three-fight card, one more indicative of what fans could expect in the future. One light heavyweight bout -- a fight between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis in the main event -- and two middleweight clashes were scheduled and each went to a decision. The 185-pound tilts were 15 minutes a piece while the headliner, subject to the newly instated five round main event rule, took nearly half an hour to get sorted out.
Again, the general public watched and were left wondering if MMA had anything to offer in between sudden, quick knockouts and drawn out, plodding affairs.
Thankfully, UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" was exactly the card everyone -- fans, Fox and UFC President Dana White -- has wanted since announcing the landmark Fox deal last year. It was, from top to bottom, an exciting affair punctuated by slugfests, excellent grappling, tests of attrition and a young fighter coming into his own.
Let's take a closer look at it:
Before the opening bout, a heavyweight fight between heavy-handed knockout artists Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, I tweeted the sneaking suspicion I had someone might end up getting knocked out. Facetious, for sure, but my mind couldn't process an ending to this fight that didn't end with one man either asleep or at the very least in a punch-induced daze.
Sure enough, Johnson delivered and worked Barry against the cage, brutalizing him without mercy until "HD" slumped down onto the canvas, forcing the referee to step in. On paper, it promised to be a slugfest and in reality, it was exactly just that. It surprises me UFC matchmaker Joe Silva hasn't put similar fights on each and every Fox card.
The next fight, a middleweight bout between Alan Belcher and submission genie Rousimar Palhares, was the most surprising. Each and every person who knows anything about the fight game knew if the Brazilian grabbed hold of one of Belcher's legs, it wouldn't take long for him to elicit a tap or snap something in two.
Belcher had other plans.
He dove into shark-infest waters, swam with a starving Great White and came out with a big, dead fish to put on his mantle. "The Talent" weathered the submission storm, ended up on top of his opponent and pounded him out in vicious, beautiful fashion.
A welterweight showdown between perennial villain Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks came next. The only fight on the main card to go the distance, it helped add some star power to "Bigg Rigg" as he defeated a top five welterweight and a former title contender with a ton of name recognition. Hated as he is, Koscheck is a tough nut to crack and the Oklahoma native likely gained a new fanbase thanks to his victory.
Finally, in the main event, Nate Diaz not only defeated Jim Miller but submitted him with seconds to spare in the second round. After one main event which lasted less time than it takes to microwave a burrito and another which seemed to drag on into infinity, this was exactly the kind of fight needed to headlined a Fox card.
Both lightweights went toe to toe in the opening round but as the second stanza began, it was Diaz who started to pull away until finally securing the fight ending choke near the end of the round.
Fun fights, good knockouts, great submissions.
UFC on Fox 3 was everything the fight promotion promised to be when the promotion signed its landmark deal with Rupert Murdoch's company last August.
Sure, it took nearly a year to come around, but better late than never, they always say.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 video highlights with Diaz-Miller, Hendricks-Koscheck and more
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and video highlights are now available for the card's biggest fights.
UFC on FOX 3 took place Saturday at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and the main card aired on FOX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.
Check out video highlights of all the main-card bouts, including Nate Diaz's dominant submission win over fellow lightweight Jim Miller in the night's headliner.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, maincard bouts, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3 Only Pulls 2.25 Million Viewers, But Wins Saturday Time Slot in Key Adult Demo
The early ratings figures for the UFC's third out on FOX are in and there's both good and bad news.
According to a report by TV By The Numbers, UFC on FOX 3 pulled in a total of 2.25 million viewers. Among males 18-49, the event earned a 1.0 rating and 4 share. The event was headlined by a lightweight fight between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz and took place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
That figure is good enough for UFC to have won the evening in their time slot among major networks in the key adult demo, but not good to have beat CBS in viewers overall.
Additionally, UFC on FOX 3's initial ratings figures are down considerably from UFC on FOX 2, which itself was a decline from the first UFC on FOX. UFC on Fox 2, which featured a main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil DAvis, earned overnight numbers of 4.57 million while UFC on FOX - headlined by a UFC heavyweight title clash between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez - pulled in initial estimates of 4.64 million.
Both numbers eventually went up when final ratings were available, though not by huge leaps. UFC on FOX 2 eventually scored 4.7 million viewers and peaked with 6 million. UFC on FOX 1's final numbers saw an average of 5.7 million viewers and a peak of 8.8 million viewers.
Final average numbers and a peak figure for UFC on FOX 3 should be available Monday or Tuesday.
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to take take place on August 4th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. UFC middleweight and commentator Brian Stann confirmed on last night's broadcast he will headline the event in a bout with former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, number, adult demo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly
TV By The Numbers has up the overnight ratings for the UFC on Fox 3 card and they are down dramatically from the January show. The show did 2.25 million viewers and a 1.0 rating, while the aforementioned January show had overnight numbers of 3.98 million viewers for hour 1 and 4.77 million viewers for hour 2, pulling well over a 2.0 rating. Last night did a 4 share, compared to a 7 share in January. And neither show came close to the first Fox effort, which was the single heavyweight championship fight last November.
This has to be seen as somewhat predictable as the starpower for this show was down significantly from that second Fox effort. While that show had Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans, last night had Josh Koscheck, Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.
This does fight against the idea that it's the brand that people will tune in to Fox to see. The fact of the matter is, there was also a major boxing pay-per-view with two fights that had huge casual interest. I doubted that this would be as good for the UFC as they suggested it would, thinking people would turn it into a big night of fights rather than just spending $70 on the pay-per-view and sticking there.
These overnight ratings do tend to change, but not so significantly that it's going to catch up to the previous Fox efforts.
Posted in: fight, show, fox, rating, fox effort
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Bonuses
Nate Diaz, Lavar Johnson, Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker each picked up $65,000 bonus awards for their performances at UFC on Fox on Saturday night.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, bonus, john lineker
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 3 results recap: Winners and Losers from the May 5 event in New Jersey
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) completed its third full event on FOX last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) as UFC on Fox 3 gave the fans in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a wild ride.
The main event featured a very compelling match up between two of the top Lightweight fighters in the 155-pound division, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. With a dominant, second-round submission victory, Diaz showed that he continues to improve with leaps and bounds, and that he may very well be deserving of a title shot.
The co-main event showcased a Welterweight showdown between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck, in which Hendricks was able to secure a somewhat controversial split decision. Regardless, a win is a win, and the victory puts Hendricks "in the mix."
On the whole, mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were treated to 12 exciting fights that spanned different weight classes, from Flyweight (125 pounds) to Heavyweight (265 pounds). Remarkably, the only weight class not represented was the Light Heavyweight division. Nonetheless, it was a great show of the diversity that the UFC is capable of displaying.
There were many winners and losers on May 5, 2012. After the jump, we'll try and narrow down the list to the key victors, as well as those who simply failed to deliver at UFC on FOX 3:
WINNERS:
UFC on FOX -- In my opinion, this was by far the best of the three UFC cards we've seen on FOX. Albeit, not all of the event's fights were actually on FOX, but we're taking baby steps. The event, from top to bottom, featured fighters from almost every weight class, while different styles were represented, too. There were knockouts, submissions and full tilt throwdowns that had to go to the judges' scorecards to be decided. It was a good advertisement for the organization and for the sport, in my humble opinion.
Nate Diaz -- Love him or hate him this guy is for real. In his last three fights, Diaz has submitted Takanori Gomi, badly outboxed Donald Cerrone, and now submitted Jim Miller, a fighter who'd never been submitted in any of his previous 24 professional contests. Nate Diaz is a bad man. Give him a title shot. Do it soon.
Alan Belcher -- Are you kidding me, Belcher? You purposely dive into the dungeon of Rousimar Palhares and test him on the ground, a region where he is renowned for incapacitating men and taking away their ability to walk out of the cage? When "The Talent" first hit the canvas with "Toquinho," I was sure, like many, that it was the beginning of the end. For a moment, it looked like we'd all be right. Belcher got himself tangled up in a potential heel hook. It didn't look good. We've seen it before countless times. But, then it happened. Belcher defended. He rolled. He reversed. He mounted Palhares, pounded him out and that was that. The whole MMA world owes him an apology. I'll go first. My bad, Mr. Belcher.
The UFC Flyweight Division -- If you witnessed John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott and Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker, you were privileged to take in two of the fastest paced, furious battles that we've seen in a long time. The pace was frantic. The striking never stopped. There didn't need to be an argument made for the validity of having a 125-pound weight class, but if there'd been a need, last night's showings would have shut up the critics.
Lavar Johnson -- Have you ever seen anything so awesome that you just felt silly using too many words to describe it? That's kind of how I feel about summarizing Johnson and his fight versus Pat Barry. If you saw it, you know what I'm talking about. Johnson is just a hulking mass of "scary," and the heavyweight division should feel placed on notice.
Johny Hendricks -- I'm putting him last on the list because, let's be honest, the win was not dominant. Not only did Hendricks not put away Koscheck, but there's a case that can be made for Hendricks not even winning that fight. The talk before the fight was that if Hendricks could defeat "Kos," he'd be close to a title shot. I'm thinking he's going to need to win one more, and do it in impressive fashion, after a performance that didn't really live up to his recent body of work.
LOSERS:
The Jersey Fans -- Look, I know some fights don't live up to your expectations. That's how life can be sometimes. But, when the crowd is booing half the night, something is off. They either don't know what they're watching, or they're just being difficult for the sake of being difficult. Throughout the event, I noted a fan screaming a poorly thought-out marriage proposal to Arianny Celeste, idiots booing for no real justified reason, several fans who were drunk out of their minds at 4:30 p.m., during the Facebook "Prelims" and several obligatory "U.S.A." chants. I'm not saying you need to start drinking tea with your pinky pointed outward, but you could show a little class. Just a thought.
Jim Miller -- He fought his heart out. He didn't quit. He even almost bit his own tongue off while Diaz was choking him. The problem is that tonight, combined with his loss to Ben Henderson, show, in my mind, that Miller is not championship material. That doesn't mean he sucks, it doesn't even mean that he's not exceptional. In most divisions, he'd be the cream of the crop. He just so happens to be stuck in a logjam of amazing fighters in the sport's most ridiculous weight class. Jim Miller is a good dude. I'm not mad at him, I feel bad for him.
Pat Barry -- I go back and forth about how I feel about "HD." He had so much potential, but, unfortunately, I think he's turning into a divisonal gatekeeper, ala Roy Nelson. He's that guy who gives the fans a good show. He swings for the fences and tries to deliver fireworks. The problem is that it's getting to the point where there's just as good a chance that he scores a sick knockout and wins a bonus check as there is that he gets destroyed by a fighter who was just better. Barry is now 3-5 in the UFC. The three guys that Barry beat are Christian Morecraft, Joey Beltran and Antoni Hardonk. Impressed? Yeah, I didn't think so.
MMA Referees -- I'm probably nitpicking, but when I watch MMA, I don't watch for the officials. I don't really want to even notice them, unless they're stepping in to pull some fighter off another fighter. So, let me frank. The whole "saying hi to the kids" deal when the camera pans on the referee ... that has to go. Stop making hearts with your hands. Stop doing shadow puppets. Don't pound your fists together awkwardly or give yourself a high five. It's weirding everyone out. We were all thinking it, I just had the courage to say it.
Josh Koscheck -- I honestly almost didn't put Koscheck on this list. He didn't look bad in this fight, in fact, I think he should have won 29-28. I'm not even a Koscheck fan (probably the opposite), but he did lose and the loss puts him another step down the ladder.
There were surely other big winners and losers from UFC on FOX 3, but those were the ones who stood out to me the most. That doesn't mean we have to be done with the conversation. In the comments section below, feel free to rattle off your own list, as well as to make corrections to ours.
For complete UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, fan, hendrick
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 post-fight press conference full video for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is officially in the books after a solid night (May 5, 2012) of major mixed martial arts (MMA) actions.
In the main event of the evening, Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, a fresh lightweight title contender was solidified, as Diaz submitted a very game Miller to earn a crack at the 155-pound crown. As confirmed by UFC President Dana White, he will wait for the winner of Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar part deux.
As usual, the stars of the show came to dish the dirt on the event immediately afterward, including Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck, Alan Belcher, and Lavar Johnson, among others. Naturally, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White emceed the post-fight event wrap up show.
For complete UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here. To check out a complete UFC on FOX 3 results recap of the pay-per-view (PPV) main card click here. And for all the latest UFC on FOX 3 news and notes you can handle check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 results: Josh Koscheck's eye busted up after Johny Hendricks fight (Pic)
Maybe it's not a broken orbital but that swelling has to give Josh Koscheck flashbacks to UFC 124 and Georges St. Pierre's deadly jab, right?
It's all thanks to Johny Hendricks, who "Kos" fought in the co-main event of last night's (Sat., May 5, 2012) UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It was a competitive contest that went the distance and saw Hendricks emerge victorious via split decision, a judges call Koscheck obviously didn't agree with. The loss drops him to 17-6 and brings him to an interesting point in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. He's lost twice to the champion in his division, he's 34-years-old, and he seems to be taking more damage each time out to the cage.
Maybe he's got a few good years left in him but it's fair to wonder at this point what the future holds for a guy who first showed up in the UFC as a contestant on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Hey, at least his face is still intact this time. So it's not all doom and gloom.
For a more detailed breakdown of the Koscheck vs. Hendricks fight click here and for complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, he, hendrick
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Talks UFC on FOX 3, Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis
Video: UFC on FUEL TV: Dana recaps UFC on FOX 3 Ariel Helwani caught up with Dana White following the conclusion of UFC on FOX 3 to get his thoughts on the fights and where Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis stand in the lightweight division following the event. Video via FoxSports.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, talks ufc, event video
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFollowing UFC on FOX 3 win, Hendricks fine waiting for St-Pierre vs. Condit winner
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Nate Diaz isn't the only one who's willing to wait for a title shot following UFC on FOX 3.
Johny Hendricks, who added a second big name to his
list of wins by outpointing Josh Koscheck in the
evening's co-main event, said he wants the bigger payoff with a shot at
the welterweight belt.
"If somebody says, 'In January, I'll give you a million dollars. Or, you
could fight in four months, and make $35,000,'" Hendricks told
MMAjunkie.com. "Which one would you take?"
Posted in: title shot, fox, shot, hendrick, welterweight belt
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3 Post-Fight Interviews: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher, Lavar Johnson, More
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher, Lavar Johnson, John Dodson, Louis Gaudinot, Dennis Bermudez, John Hathaway and Roland Delorme to talk about their wins at UFC on FOX 3.
Posted in: fox, roland delorme, hendrick, johny, lavar
Read the full article at MMA ConvertSeveral UFC on Fox 3 Fighters Receive Indefinite Medical Suspensions
The New Jersey Athletic Control Board wasted no time on Saturday night releasing the UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller medical suspensions immediately following the event in East Rutherford, N.J.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: saturday night, fox, suspension, bull, control board
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 3 Live Results & Play-by-Play
Sherdog.com will report from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., at approximately 5:45 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fox 3, headlined by a lightweight contest between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
Posted in: result, fox, nate diaz, izod center, rutherford nj
Read the full article at SherdogNate Diaz vs Jim Miller full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 3
Nate Diaz submits Jim Miller in the second round of their main event fight at UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In becoming the first man to finish Miller throughout his long and illustrious professional career, Diaz likely earned a shot at Anthony Pettis in a true number one contender bout. It was said he might earn a title shot with a victory over Miller but the reality is the 155-pound division is still in limbo with the Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar rematch still not scheduled and Pettis as high on the totem pole. So why not hold a mini tournament of sorts and let it sort itself out that way? Either way, Diaz was incredibly impressive in victory tonight, looking as good as he ever has against a dangerous opponent. For a more detailed look at the Diaz vs. Miller fight click here and for complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: fight, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaVideo Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller
UFC Lightweight Nate Diaz finished Jim Miller in the second round of their UFC on Fox 3 bout. He will wait a shot at the winner of the Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar rematch expected for UFC 150. Diaz will not fight Anthony Pettis in the interim.
In the video above ESPN puts together the highlights of Diaz vs. Miller as seen on Fox TV. Diaz baited Miller into fighting his fight and outlanded the New Jersey native. Once the fight went to the ground, Diaz made short work of Miller and got the submission.
Diaz may be headed for a title shot but it's unclear where Miller will go from here. He's racked off enough losses recently that it seems unlikely he has any title shot possibilities in 2012. Miller will need to reel off a long string of wins to get back into contention.
Diaz' brother Nick Diaz, the UFC Welterweight contender who is currently suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission worked in Diaz' corner.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 results: Nate Diaz will wait for title shot against Ben Henderson vs Frankie Edgar winner
In the main event of UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Nate Diaz submitted Jim Miller in the second round of their 155-pound showdown.
And he earned himself a title shot in the process.
That was confirmed by UFC President Dana White at the UFC on FOX 3 post-fight press conference. Initially, it looked as though Anthony Pettis would swoop in and an unofficial mini tournament would be held. Pettis should be back from injury in September and that would be right around the time Diaz could be back in action after some time off.
Plus, the big Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar rematch is likely to take place in September as well.
That sounds all well and good but in a rare instance of White living up to his promises, Diaz was given the choice to wait for the title shot. Obviously, a title shot is far more appealing than a fight to risk losing it with little to gain other than another paycheck.
And so the stage is set, Maniacs. Believe it or not, Nate Diaz could be a UFC champion by the time his brother, Nick, returns to the Octagon. Either way, before the year is out, Diaz vs. Henderson or Edgar is set.
Anyone willing to put money on Stockton bringing a UFC belt home?
For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here. To watch the UFC on FOX 3 post-fight press conference click here.
Posted in: ufc, title shot, diaz, fox, shot
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3: Lavar Johnson Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3 draws a reported 10,788 attendance for $1.1 million live gate
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Saturday's "UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller" event
drew a reported 10,788 attendees to IZOD Center in East Rutherford,
N.J., and generated a live gate of $1.1 million.
UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's
post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com
attended.
Featuring a lightweight headliner between new No. 1 contender Nate Diaz
and perennial contender Jim Miller, UFC on FOX 3 was the company's first
visit to IZOD Center since UFC 32 in June 2001.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, izod center, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3: Johny Hendricks Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3: Alan Belcher Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3: John Dodson Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3: Louis Gaudinot Post-Fight Interview
Nate Diaz Forgoes Fight with Anthony Pettis, Awaits Winner of Henderson vs. Edgar Rematch
UFC on Fox 3 main event winner Nate Diaz will not fight fellow lightweight contender Anthony Pettis to decide the next number one contender. Nate Diaz will take his previously promised title shot and await the winner of UFC 150′s rematch between Frankie Edgar and champion Ben Henderson.
UFC President Dana White had initially announced the winner of tonight’s main event would face Pettis before the Fox telecast, but stated in the post-fight conference that the move was not official. White went on to say that the bout was never mandated but only proposed if Diaz wanted to stay busy.
Diaz defeated lightweight contender Jim Miller earlier tonight in the UFC on Fox 3 main event in impressive fashion, as he became the first man to ever submit Jim Miller.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, winner, fox telecast
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 3 bonuses and awards for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has officially wrapped, which means it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.
To the tune of $65,000 each.
The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 22 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's headed home with a second sack of simoleons.
In a shocker, Lavar Johnson was awarded "Knockout of the Night" honors for unloading some heavy artillery at Pat Barry in the opening bout of the main card on network TV. Johnson threw a ton of "Big" bombs in stunning "HD" quality until he got the desired result.
Barry on his ass. And later in the hospital.
"Submission of the Night" was also easy pickings, as main event competitor Nate Diaz submitted the tough-as-nails Jim Miller in the second round with a slick one-arm guillotine that had the New Jersey native biting on his tongue and spitting up blood.
Quite the visual for executives at the FOX network, no doubt.
Finally, Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker were awarded "Fight of the Night" for their thrilling back-and-forth war of attrition that saw the former choke the latter unconscious after jumping a guillotine in the second round. Lineker earned his extra $65K just by hanging on for as long as he could and losing consciousness with just six seconds remaining in the round.
So close but so far away.
Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC on FOX 3:
Knockout of the Night -- Lavar Johnson
Submission of the Night -- Nate Diaz
Fight of the Night -- Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Again, each fighter received $65,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.
For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, diaz, fox
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3: John Hathaway Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3 medical suspensions: Hendricks, Koscheck among 10 with indefinite orders
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - A grueling three-round fight left both Johny
Hendricks and Josh Koscheck suspended indefinitely by the New Jersey
State Athletic Control Board.
A total of 14 fighters were issued medical suspensions following UFC on FOX 3, the commission announced.
UFC on FOX 3 took place Saturday at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The event's main card aired on FOX while preliminary-card fights aired
on FX and streamed on Facebook.
Posted in: ufc, fox, izod center, rutherford nj, control board
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3 post fight press conference live stream video for 'Diaz vs Miller'
UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., is took place tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012), airing live on national television.
Immediately following the event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC on Fox 3 post-fight press conference, which is now embedded below (after the jump) for an approximate 11 p.m. ET start time.
A replay will also be available below for those who turn in early or miss the live broadcast altogether.
Be sure to tune in for post-fight reactions from all the major players -- Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher, Lavar Johnson and more -- as well as up-to-the-minute results of all the post-fight bonuses, including "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night."
Check it out below:
For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, night, diaz, fox, postfight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 results: Nate Diaz submits Jim Miller with a second round guillotine
The main event of the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event that took place tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featured a lightweight title eliminator bout pitting Nate Diaz against Jersey native Jim Miller.
Diaz, who has won both of his fights impressively since returning to the 155-pound division, is on the cusp of fighting for the division title if he can defeat Miller, a wrecking ball who had only ever lost to division champions and perennial contender Gray Maynard.
Maybe Diaz didn't earn a title shot thanks to the logjam at the top of the division but perhaps Anthony Pettis will have a hell of a fight awaiting him when he returns from surgery.
That's because the Stockton slugger used the Brazilian jiu-jitsu game he's been known to flash every now and again to submit Miller in the second round with a super slick guillotine.
Overall, this was one hell of an evening for the UFC on FOX and the main event delivered.
Right away, Miller started working leg kicks. Diaz, a strong boxer, didn't like this and clinched up fairly quick. They killed close to two minutes hanging out on the fence with neither fighter getting the better of the other.
Once they reset, Miller went back to the kicks. And they were working well. Diaz's long arms started coming into play, however, as the Stockton slugger settled into a rhythm and landed a few solid shots.
Unfortunately, the clinch game dominated the opening frame, and Diaz was dominant there. He was outlanding Miller 33-13 in the clinch at one point.
Finally, Diaz landed a nice straight left that dropped Miller. He attempted a submission but Miller turned it over and took Diaz's back before he swept Miller and ended the round landing a knee on the way back up to their feet.
Whew. Hell of a flurry to close out the opening round.
The second stanza played out much like the first. Miller had to negate the reach advantage of his opponent, so he was forced to get inside, which would lead to tie ups and stalemates against the fence. It didn't make for the most exciting action but you can't blame these guys for doing the right thing at the right time.
Miller finally started to loosen up and went for a flying knee. He missed -- and ate a few shots for his effort -- but his hometown crowd showered him with cheers for his reckless abandon.
After another clinch, Diaz got confident and started taunting Miller by throwing lazy front kicks. Miller looked terribly tired and and shot forward with a lazy shot. The result was Diaz locking in a guillotine that was tight enough to get the tap.
209, represent.
Remember, too, to check out all of MMAmania.com's blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 fight card by clicking here.
Posted in: diaz, round, fox, miller, shot
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Live Blog: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This is the UFC on FOX 3 live blog for Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, a lightweight bout on Saturday night's UFC event from the IZOD Center.Diaz, who has won two of his past four fights, will fight Miller, who has won seven of his past eight fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, blog, coverage ufc
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller Results
MMA Fighting brings you UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller results. UFC on FOX 3 takes place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.. The event is headlined by a lightweight fight between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks is the co-main event.
The first two UFC on FOX main event offerings have left many viewers a bit unsatisfied. The first had a knockout so quick, it bordered on anticlimactic based upon the level of attention that led up to it. The second featured a fight that went all five rounds, though was considered somewhat lackluster.But the third? When it comes to Jim Miller and Nate Diaz, these two couldn't possibly have a boring fight, could they? Diaz brothers simply don't have "boring" in their DNA, and Nate essentially gave Miller his stamp of approval as an opponent, saying he respected his aggressive fight style."These two … if this fight sucks, I don't know what to tell you, man," UFC president Dana White said "These two are going to go in there and go at it. For one round or five rounds, they're going to go."
Both are action fighters, always pushing forward, setting the pace, willing to contest the fight anywhere. On their feet, Diaz (15-7) is probably the more accomplished of the two, relying on overwhelming volume to dictate the action. At 6-feet tall and with a 76-inch reach, Diaz usually has a built-in advantage when it comes to fighting from distance. Working under boxing coach Richard Perez, he has become well-schooled in learning to make good use of the jab as well. In many ways, he is the spitting image of his brother Nick. If the fight stays standing, Diaz historically throws more volume. According to stats provider FightMetric, Diaz lands 4.24 strikes per minute while he's only hit 2.62 times per minute. The numbers for Miller (21-3) are not quite as strong, as he lands 2.23 strikes per minute while opponents connect on him at a clip of 1.89 strikes per minute. Miller, though, is usually defensively excellent at avoiding contact, as opponents swing and miss at him 67 percent of the time. However, because of the height and reach differential along with Diaz's technical skill, it might not be so easy to make him whiff this time around. If the fight stays standing, it might well be Diaz's to win. Not only will his length play a role, but he also throws early and often to the body, a tactic that could benefit him greatly by sapping Miller of energy, no small thing in a five-round fight. But both fighters are quite well versed on the ground as well, both boasting black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In fact, both have more than half of their career wins by submission (10 for Diaz, 12 for Miller). But it may well be the transitions that win or lose this fight. If you examine Diaz's career defeats, one thing stands out: he struggles with wrestlers. In all five of his Octagon losses, he lost on points due to someone who worked to put him on his back. Miller has the gas tank and willingness to employ that kind of plan.To be fair, Miller is not an overwhelming MMA wrestler -- he lands just 46 percent of takedown tries -- but he's good enough to be dangerous, and his courage in chasing the position will at the least put Diaz in uncomfortable moments.Diaz only defends 45 percent of attempts against him, so chances are at some points, Miller will get the fight to the ground. Once there, he will not shy away from engaging with Diaz as some do. That should lead to some interesting ground scrambles and chain submission attempts as each works for a finish. It also should lead to some difficult-to-score rounds.That might come into play because in their 46 combined fights, the pair have only one loss that came via finish, and that was when Diaz was just 21 years old. That means a lot of exchanges, a lot of scrambles, and a lot of sequences where both men have their moments.So how does it ultimately play out? I see Diaz with a slight edge standing. For one thing, he trains with one of the best southpaw strikers in MMA, his brother Nick, every day, so he's not going to have a problem facing another lefty. We also know his conditioning will be off the charts. But things start getting hazier in the clinch and in the striking-to-wrestling transitions. Diaz's judo is usually good for a takedown or two per fight, but Miller is tenacious when he sets his mind to a takedown, and as we've seen with both Diaz brothers, they're often content to play guard and look for submissions from the bottom. Even though they are often attacking from there, if they ultimately don't get the tapout, judges tend to score it for the guy on top.Unlike other opponents, at least Miller isn't likely to lie there conservatively and take the points. He won't let the position go uncontested. If he works from the top, he'll look to inflict damage and finish. Miller does have aggressive ground and pound, which he often uses to set up submissions by creating openings. Ultimately, I don't think either man will get a finish. They're both just too tough and durable. That leaves us going five rounds, and while Diaz's stamina is without question, Miller has also never shown an issue in that regard, and given that he's more likely to score takedowns, and the fact that he'll be aggressive from the top, I'll pick Miller scraping by in a very close decision that finally satisfies the UFC on FOX viewers.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fox, miller
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage
Join us here at Bloody Elbow.com at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT for live video coverage of tonight's UFC on Fox 3 post-fight press conference. You can catch the live video on the Youtube stream below the jump, or over at MMA Fighting. The winners of the UFC on Fox 3 fights will sit down to talk about their performances and Dana White will announce the Fight of the Night bonuses. All the fallout from the card will be discussed, along with a variety of other stuff.
The main event of tonight's card was a five-round lightweight showdown between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. Diaz would get a title shot if he was able to pick up the victory tonight. The co-main is a welterweight fight between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks.
$xx,xxx Bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night:
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, video
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Live Blog: Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This is the UFC on FOX 3 live blog for Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, a welterweight bout on Saturday night's UFC event from the IZOD Center.Koscheck, who has won two of his last three fights, will fight Hendricks, who has also won three of his past four fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Posted in: ufc, fox, welterweight bout, coverage ufc, hendrick
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 results: Alan Belcher elbows Rousimar Palhares into oblivion
The UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" main card going down tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012) in New Jersey started with a heavyweight slugfest and kept right on rolling with a middleweight mash up pitting the streaking Alan Belcher against Brazilian tree stump Rousimar Palhares.
Belcher, though only competing three times in the past two years, came in on a three-fight win streak. Palhares, meanwhile, also came in having emerged victorious in his last three fights, two of which came by way of his trademark leg lock.
Unbelievably enough, he had a hold of one of Belcher's legs in this fight, too. And it looked like he was taking it home with him but "The Talent" proved wily enough on the mat to not only attempt a submission of his own, but to get out of bad positions on multiple occasions.
Even more impressive was how he ended the fight. Once Belcher turned around into Palhares' guard, he started raining down elbows and before long, the Brazilian was staring up at the lights, which were on but nobody was home.
In the post-fight interview, Belcher said he was coming for the middleweight title. We believe you, sir.
The size difference was noticeable quickly, as Belcher towered over the much shorter Palhares. Belcher had Rousimar pushed up against the fence but the Brazilian quickly shot for a leg and got a quick takedown. Immediately after, they tangled up on the floor, and while Belcher looked as though he might threaten with a submission, Palhares quickly grabbed a leg lock.
And that meant trouble.
At least it seemed that way at first. To his credit, Belcher busted hump to kick out of the submission. The Brazilian looked like he had a knee, an ankle, a leg, a thigh, a hip, all of it. But "The Talent" still managed to move and avoid getting tapped by the submission specialist.
Suddenly, Belcher started throwing huge elbows that were landing strong. In fact, Palhares stopped defending and not long after the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
What a ground war between two super talented middleweights. And all for free on FOX.
I think UFC President Dana White just tweeted a smiley face.
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com has live ongoing coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 event with blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action right here.
Posted in: belcher, fox, submission, leg, palhare
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Live Blog: Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This is the UFC on FOX 3 live blog for Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares, a middleweight bout on Saturday night's UFC event from the IZOD Center.Belcher, who has won three of his last four fights, will fight Palhares, who has also won three of his past four fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Posted in: ufc, fox, middleweight bout, palhare, izod centerbelcher
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 results: Lavar Johnson stops Pat Barry with punches in the first round
The UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event taking place tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012) in New Jersey kicked off its main card on network television with a heavyweight hustle pitting the short but stocky Pat Barry against the powerful Lavar Johnson.
Both men came into the fight having crushed their previous opponents. They both also promised we wouldn't see any ground work and we could be treated to "Knockout of the Night" honors.
They lived up to exactly what they promised, too, or at least Johnson did. Barry started the fight exchanging punches but once he felt his opponent's power, he shot in for a takedown and started attempting submissions. Naturally, "Big" Lavar fought his way out and once he got back to his feet, that's when he put in work.
And by "put in work," I mean he put Barry against the fence and dropped about 55 bombs on him. That'll do it every time, folks.
It didn't take long for the big boys to lock up in the center of the cage. Johnson was pushing forward and trying to land uppercuts after pushing Barry against the fence. "HD" managed to fire off a big kick to the head that had Lavar stepping back.
But, once again, they ended up back against the fence with Lavar using his strength to overwhelm. He was landing knees and big punches, too, enough so that Barry bailed out by shooting a takedown.
And the weirdest thing happened. He succeeded. Then it got really weird when he hopped into full mount before passing to side control. We're talking about Pat Freaking Barry, y'all.
He even locked on a submission attempt, laughable as it may have been, but Johnson fought it off.
No matter, Barry kept solid position for some time before Lavar finally managed to get back to his feet. Right away, he was headhunting, too. Once he connected with knees and kicks, we saw why. Barry went flat to the floor but managed to pop back up, only to see Johnson continue the assault.
Eventually, Barry couldn't take the incredibly powerful shots Johnson was unloading on him and the referee stepped in to save him from further punishment.
Sometimes it's nice when a fight ends exactly as advertised.
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com has live ongoing coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 event with blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action right here.
Posted in: fox, johnson, fence, barry, lavar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 3 Prelims: Michael Johnson Menaces, Upsets Tony Ferguson
Michael Johnson has made drastic strides with his game. Ask Tony Ferguson.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, michael, ferguson
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 3 Live Blog: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This is the UFC on FOX 3 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, a heavyweight bout on Saturday night's UFC event from the IZOD Center.Barry, who has lost two of his last three fights, will fight Johnson, who won his UFC debut earlier this year, on the main card.Check out the live blog below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Posted in: ufc, fox, blog, heavyweight bout, rutherford nj
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Main Card Live Blog
Catch all the main card action from UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller in New Jersey right here at HeavyMMA with live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, card action, jersey right
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 3: Dennis Bermudez Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3: Roland Delorme Post-Fight Interview
UFC on FOX 3 Photos
View this gallery here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, gallery, view
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 fight card: Lavar Johnson vs Pat Barry fight prediction, preview and breakdown
A slugger's special is on tap for the UFC on Fox 3 televised main card later this evening (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. And you have to wonder what the over-under on takedowns would be at the betting window, if such props were offered for the Heavyweight fight between Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry.
There are no accidents in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight matchmaking, and Johnson and Barry represent the exact kind of opponent both need to deliver an exciting fight. Fresh off his impressive Octagon debut with a bone-numbing stoppage of the durable Joey Beltran, Johnson faces veteran Barry, a talented kickboxer with a penchant for memorable finishes, whether it's him doing the finishing or being dusted off in a highlight-reel closing sequence.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on Fox 3 fight between Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry:
The Breakdown
Barry's kicks are an outstanding weapon, and he'll feel freer than usual to unleash them because Johnson isn't going to be looking to take him down. Johnson's best offensive weapon is a nasty right uppercut, and he'll have to be sharp, as he looked tired at times in the brief, but overwhelming, beating that was the Joey Beltran fight, despite it only going 4:24.
It may have been a first-time Octagon dump, but if there's a long, drawn-out kickboxing match, Barry's stamina could be an edge.
There's also Barry's wrestling, which has improved somewhat in recent bouts from non-existent to mediocre, and that's enough to keep Johnson at bay in that realm. As Johnson, who is basically a two-handed fighter who rarely kicks, gets into a longer match, it may become rough for him to deal with Barry's spry movement, changing stances and thundering kicks, which are a huge weapon for "HD" to negate the height advantage he always concedes facing fellow heavies.
The Pick
This is a fireworks-ready bout to kick off the main telecast, and Barry's experience will be too much. Johnson is a talented heavyweight, but still very much a work in progress, particularly competing at this level. It's obvious the UFC wants to capitalize on his impressive stoppage of Beltran by giving him a fight to further develop his marketability while keeping him away from a wrestler that would smother and likely beat him.
But, Barry is still an outstanding kickboxer with a lot more tools. Neither guy is ever going to be a heavyweight contender given their wrestling deficiencies, but both are exciting and willing to mix it up -- that's what favors Barry and his deeper tool set, as he punishes Johnson's legs, eventually mixing in sneaky counters and big-time combinations, wearing down Johnson to a second-round knockout.
Barry via knockout
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on Fox 3 results of all the "Diaz vs. Miller" action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FUEL TV "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the FOX broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 4 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Sunday morning.
See you later!
Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst or jasonprobst@gmail.com.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, johnson, barry
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Jim Miller Vs. Nate Diaz
In the main event of this weekend's UFC on Fox 3 show, Jim Miller (21-3; 10-2 UFC) faces Nate Diaz (15-7; 10-5 UFC) in a pivotal Lightweight match-up. The USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings currently have Miller ranked at #5 in the Lightweight division and Diaz just below him at #7. The Fox card begins Saturday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Fuel TV.
What was already an intriguing fight got a little more interesting this week. Dana White announced that, for Nate Diaz at least, a UFC Lightweight title shot is on the line here, as Diaz will move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson should he defeat Miller. For Miller, a win here will move him 1 or 2 fights away from that shot. Aside from those title implications, this is still a fascinating fight. You have the Diaz style boxing and Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu of Nate going up against the rugged grappling and submission game of Miller. It's a great clash that could play out in many ways.
How do these two stack up?
Miller: 28 years old | 5'8" | 71" reachDiaz: 27 years old | 6'0" | 76" reach
What have these two done recently?
Miller: W - Melvin Guillard (Sub) | L - Ben Henderson (UD) | W - Kamal Shalorus (TKO)Diaz: W - Donald Cerrone (UD) | W - Takanori Gomi (Sub) | L - Rory MacDonald (UD)
How did these two get here?
Just one year ago, Jim Miller was one fight away from a title shot. His impressive win streak brought him to a clash with Ben Henderson where a Miller win would likely launch him into #1 contender status. But Henderson upset Miller, eventually using that momentum to claim the belt himself. Miller has since bounced back with a big win over Guillard, but he's in a tough spot now. With Henderson currently holding the title, and Miller having such a definitive recent loss to him, you can see why a win here won't guarantee him a title shot this time. But if he keeps winning, that shot will become more and more difficult to deny.
Related: UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz | UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller
Nate Diaz is a former Ultimate Fighter winner who came into the UFC in 2007 with a very promising future. But after winning his first 4 straight, he ran into problems as a series of grinding wrestlers defeated him. Nate dropped 3 of his next 4 and decided to move up to Welterweight. There, he went 2-2 before dropping back down. He returned late last year with a win over Pride veteran Takanori Gomi, then a great win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141. There's a bit of marketing at play in Diaz's proposed title shot here, as the Diaz name has been hot in the past year thanks to big brother Nick, but a win over Miller would indeed make him a viable contender.
Why should you care?
The title contention is one reason, but this is also just a great fight. I'm fascinated to see how each man approaches this, and could see it going down in so many ways. This has the potential to be a real classic.
More UFC on Fox 3 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Fuel TV Prelims Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Danny Castillo Says He'd Rather Die Than Let His People Down - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 'Dark Matches' Dissection - Delorme Vs. Denis, Massenzio Vs. Vemola - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK - KJ Gould
UFC On Fox 3: Johny Hendricks Discusses Josh Koscheck, Koscheck Talks About Boxing - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Number 2 - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks? - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Part 1 - Clowning On Faber - Tim Burke
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 fight card: Rousimar Palhares vs Alan Belcher fight prediction, preview and breakdown
With his unreal ability to find submissions from virtually anywhere, Rousimar Palhares has become the Mike Tyson of submissions. He's the guy who inspires terror because you know precisely what he's coming to do, and yet he's incredibly hard to stop from doing it.
There's a wonderful cache Palhares' game adds to the submission element of mixed martial arts (MMA), because his setups and technical mastery of how to wrench limbs combines high science with brutal visuals. In other words, he makes submissions cool as hell again, and something you can point to to turn casual fans on to that part of the sport.
He's also built perfectly to pursue the holds he so readily exploits, with a massive, compact frame, tree-trunk limbs and the upper-body of a heavyweight.
His opponent later tonight (May 5, 2012) at UFC on Fox 3 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., Alan Belcher, meanwhile, is aptly named "The Talent," due to an admirably well-rounded game and considerable potential. The Louisianan has developed into a potent fighter in recent outings, and after overcoming an eye injury that threatened his career, he's a win away from being considered a top-five middleweight contender.
With a huge frame for the weight class, dynamic stand up and a good jiu-jitsu game, Belcher is emblematic of the "athlete" designation that's thrown around in modern-day MMA because he moves and performs like one. Smooth and polished on the feet, he also possesses a requisite mean streak, and that is exactly the kind of guy you need to be to deter a killer like Palhares.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on Fox 3 fight between Rousimar Palhares vs Alan Belcher:
The Breakdown
Palhares tends to compensate for lack of technique in takedowns with brute-force shots, which he can get away with against a certain level of competition. His stand up is equally rough, but heavy-handed, and his chin is outstanding. Just watch his epic battle with Dan Henderson at UFC 88, where "Toqhuino" absorbed plenty of H-bomb right hands from "Hendo" only to shoot in time and again, often dropping for heel hooks after getting blasted. His stand up is the biggest hole in his game, but his ability to pull guard and hunt for limbs makes him eminently dangerous, even when he's dropped.
Belcher definitely needs to find the "right" range to fight, and defend and maintain it with consistency and deal. He will sometimes seem content to laze in the clinches and work for Muay Thai-style attacks, whether it's knees or dirty boxing, but that may be a bad idea here as Palhares can pull guard or create a scramble that will offer a submission attempt. In a straight standup match, Belcher was the moxie, range and technique to badly outclass Palhares, and perhaps stop him.
The Pick
Palhares is back to his streaking, steamrolling self, winning his last three since getting stopped by Nate Marquardt. Belcher is an exceptionally talented guy, however, and has developed some tactical smarts, enough to not freeze up and seem like a deer in the headlights, which is a big part of Rousimar's aura. He simply overwhelms people until they can't operate, and then finishes them off.
The guess here is that Belcher knows a good shot to the puss is the best way to keep Palhares from getting too bold, and he'll deliver some good, crisp striking early, while moving readily, changing angles and using his six-inch height advantage to keep Palhares from lining up opportunities to get it to the mat.
If taken there, Belcher will be defensive and sound enough to survive, and extricate himself from impending submissions. This is a dynamite matchup that should promise some wild swings of momentum and the air of constant danger for both, but Belcher's size, athleticism and far better stand up should be enough to wear down and frustrate Palhares en route to a late stoppage.
Belcher via technical knockout
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on Fox 3 results of all the "Diaz vs. Miller" action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FUEL TV "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the FOX broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 4 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Sunday morning.
See you later!
Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst or jasonprobst@gmail.com.
Posted in: belcher, fox, submission, palhare, he
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Josh Koscheck Vs. Johny Hendricks
At UFC on Fox 3, Welterweight wrestlers meet as Josh Koscheck (17-5; 15-5 UFC) faces Johny Hendricks (12-1; 7-1 UFC). This is the semi-main event of the evening and the third of four bouts on the Fox card. According to the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, Koscheck is currently the #6 ranked Welterweight in the world, with Hendricks one spot above him at #5. The Fox card begins Saturday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Fuel TV.
This is an interesting fight for a number of reasons. First up, Dana White announced this week that Johny Hendricks will move into the #1 contender status with a win here (though he'll likely have to wait for the Carlos Condit vs. GSP fight). You also have a great story at play with two very similar fighters at very different points in their careers. Hendricks is on a red-hot streak right now, coming off a spectacular KO win over Jon Fitch. Koscheck meanwhile is coming off a narrow win that made many question if he is winding up his MMA career. Add in a bit of a personal story as Hendricks's big win came at the expense of Koscheck's former teammate Fitch, and you have a great fight.
How do these two stack up?
Hendricks: 28 years old | 5'9" | 69" reachKoscheck: 34 years old | 5'10" | 73" reach
What have these two done recently?
Hendricks: W - Jon Fitch (KO) | W - Mike Pierce (SD) | W - TJ Waldburger (KO)Koscheck: W - Mike Pierce (SD) | W - Matt Hughes (KO) | L - Georges St. Pierre (UD)
How did these two get here?
Johny Hendricks made a huge UFC debut back in 2009 when he knocked out Amir Sadollah in just 29 seconds. After that, he sort of faded away from the PPV stage, with most of his subsequent fights taking place on the prelims. In those fights, he quietly put together an impressive 5-1 record before being invited back to the main card for a big UFC 141 showdown with consistent top contender Jon Fitch. In just 12 seconds, Hendricks KO'd Fitch, immediately proving himself as a true contender at Welterweight. With a strong wrestling base and dynamite in his hands, Hendricks is a serious force.
Like Hendricks, Josh Koscheck is a highly credentialed wrestler. And like Hendricks, he's used some powerful KO's to rise up the ranks. But where Hendricks is surging, Koscheck is fading. In 2010, Kos challenged Georges St. Pierre for the Welterweight title. He was beaten badly in that fight, suffering a broken orbital bone that kept him out of action for 9 months. He came back with a win over the nearly retired Matt Hughes, but it was his UFC 143 performance against Mike Pierce that turned heads, and not in a good way. Koscheck had tremendous problems with Pierce, and through he took the split decision win, it was a fight that many felt showed his days at the top were done. He has a lot to prove, and if he wants to remain relevant, he needs this win badly.
Why should you care?
Even if you don't like the Koscheck persona (and, I admit, I don't), this is a moment that transcends that image. He's suddenly in the role of veteran trying to hold back the new guard that is so desperately trying to take his spot. Can he do it, or will Hendricks violently knock him aside? I want to know.
More UFC on Fox 3 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Fuel TV Prelims Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Danny Castillo Says He'd Rather Die Than Let His People Down - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 'Dark Matches' Dissection - Delorme Vs. Denis, Massenzio Vs. Vemola - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK - KJ Gould
UFC On Fox 3: Johny Hendricks Discusses Josh Koscheck, Koscheck Talks About Boxing - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Number 2 - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks? - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Part 1 - Clowning On Faber - Tim Burke
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, koscheck, hendrick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 3 Results: Facebook Prelims Result in Two Comeback Finishes
A pair of come from behind victories kicked off the UFC on Fox 3 card on Facebook with two exhilarating finishes to start the show.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: result, fox, facebook, bull, show retweet
Read the full article at MMA Weekly
Delorme tops Denis in UFC on FOX 3 thriller
Roland Delorme submitted fellow Canadian Nick Denis with one second remaining in the first round of their bantamweight bout at UFC on FOX 3.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bantamweight bout, delorme, deni
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play
On the heels of the Facebook (4:00 p.m. ET) and Fuel TV (5:00 p.m. ET) preliminary cards, this will be our rendezvous point for the UFC on Fox 3 main card. Your attendance is not requested, but mandatory. Join myself and the intellectuals of the Bloody Elbow community for live results and groundbreaking discussion on the fights that very well may change the sport of MMA as we know it.
The Fox broadcast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET from the Izod Center in New Jersey. The main attraction of the evening is a lightweight clash between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. Anchoring down the Fox broadcast is a worthwhile assembly of bouts that includes welterweights Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, middleweights Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher and heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
More UFC on Fox 3 Dissections
Diaz vs. Miller | Koscheck vs. Hendricks | Palhares vs. Belcher | Barry vs. Johnson Fuel TV Undercard | Facebook Undercard
8:00 p.m. ET tonight it is. Do it.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, fox broadcast
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 results: Karlos Vemola earns submission win in middleweight debut
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It didn't come easy, but Karlos Vemola is now 1-0 as a middleweight.
"The Terminator," who previously competed in both the UFC's heavyweight
and light heavyweight divisions, earned a come-from-behind submission
win over Mike Massenzio.
The fight was part of tonight's UFC on FOX 3 event at IZOD Center in
East Rutherford, N.J. It streamed on Facebook and preceded the evening's
FOX and FUEL TV broadcasts.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tonights ufc, karlos vemola, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Alan Belcher Vs. Rousimar Palhares
In a Middleweight contest at UFC on Fox 3, it will be leglock master Rousimar Palhares (14-3; 7-2 UFC) facing Alan Belcher (17-6; 8-4 UFC). This is the second of four bouts on the Fox card. The USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, have Palhares as the #16 Middleweight in the world, and Belcher one spot below at #17. The Fox card begins Saturday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Fuel TV.
This is the kind of fight where you really know what to expect from each man. Palhares is known for his nasty leglock submissions. You can expect him to try and get Belcher down, grab a leg, and pull. But Belcher is a veteran who will look to use his experience to avoid Palhares's game. Which strategy will prevail in this Middleweight clash?
How do these two stack up?
Palhares: 32 years old | 5'8" | 71" reachBelcher: 28 years old | 6'2" | 75" reach
What have these two done recently?
Palhares: W - Mike Massenzio (Sub) | W - Dan Miller (UD) | W - Dave Branch (Sub)Belcher: W - Jason MacDonald (Sub) | W - Patrick Cote (Sub) | W - Wilson Gouveia (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares has become quite a cult favorite among hardcore MMA fans, partly for his brutal submission skill, and partly for his wild behavior. With Palhares, there's always the chance for something just plain weird to happen, such as his premature celebration against Dan Miller, or his odd fight with Nate Marquardt. A student of former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, Palhares is a throwback fighter in that he has one specific specialty - the leglock - but it's a specialty that he is incredibly skilled at using. In the UFC, he has used his submission skills to put together a strong 7-2 record, with his only losses coming against top contenders Marquardt and Dan Henderson. If he wins here, can a Toquinho #1 contender fight be far away?
Related: Palhares vs. Belcher In Depth Dissection
Alan "The Talent" Belcher is an 8 year veteran of the sport who made his UFC debut way back at UFC 62 in 2006. At one time, he was seen by some as a possible title contender to Anderson Silva, but injuries have really slowed his career lately. This is only his second fight in the past two years as he spent a lot of time sidelined with an eye injury. Just looking at Belcher's recent wins above, he seems like a fighter from a different era in the UFC - MacDonald, Cote, Gouveia... these are names that just don't seem to fit in the current UFC landscape. Of everyone on the main card, I would argue no one needs a win as badly as Belcher. A loss here will almost surely send him to a meaningless prelim where he'll be fighting for his job.
Why should you care?
For the crazy Toquinho factor, plain and simple. The guy is a total wild card - a reminder of the days when fights could end in brawls or weird No Contests or mangled limbs. You just never know what will happen when he fights, and that's a great feeling. Plus, you'll get to see Belcher's horrid Johnny Cash tattoo once again, and you know you've missed that.
More UFC on Fox 3 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Fuel TV Prelims Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Danny Castillo Says He'd Rather Die Than Let His People Down - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 'Dark Matches' Dissection - Delorme Vs. Denis, Massenzio Vs. Vemola - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK - KJ Gould
UFC On Fox 3: Johny Hendricks Discusses Josh Koscheck, Koscheck Talks About Boxing - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Number 2 - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks? - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Part 1 - Clowning On Faber - Tim Burke
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, vs, palhare
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Undercard Live Blog: Johnson vs. Ferguson, Dodson vs. Elliott, More
This is the UFC on FOX 3 undercard live blog for the UFC on FOX 3 prelims from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.There will be six fights on the undercard. Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott, John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss, Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker, Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish, and Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza will be featured on FUEL. Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola won't be featured live.Check out the live blog below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News
Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Round 1:Round 2:
Round 3:
Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, vs, john
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results For Fuel TV And Facebook Fights
Join me this afternoon on Bloody Elbow for live results, play-by-play and discussion of the Fuel TV and Facebook preliminary matches for UFC on Fox 3. The Facebook stream starts at 4:00 p.m. ET and features featherweights Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and middleweights Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola.
Then we'll make the switch to Fuel TV at 5:00 p.m. ET, wherea half-dozen contests (listed below) will lead into the show's main card on the Fox Network at 8:00 p.m ET. The centerpiece of the main is a lightweight scrap between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz, which is complemented by welterweights Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, middleweights Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher and heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
Fuel TV Card
Anthony Ferguson vs Michael Johnson (lightweight)John Dodson vs Tim Elliott (flyweight)Pascal Krauss vs John Hathaway (welterweight)Danny Castillo vs John Cholish (lightweight)Dennis Bermudez vs Pablo Garza (featherweight)Louis Gaudinot vs John Lineker (flyweight)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: fox, vs, tv, fuel tv, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 video opening for 'Diaz vs Miller' event that won't make the air
Long live Face the Pain.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the FOX network tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012) with the "Diaz vs. Miller" event scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. And because it's not on pay-per-view (PPV), we won't be treated to the UFC opening we're used to.
That includes black backdrop interviews with the top fighters on the card and highlight video packages introducing each match-up taking place on the card set to the soothing sounds of Stemm's Face the Pain.
As UFC President Dana White tweeted, "you won't see this on FOX tomorrow but I wanted to share it with you."
So take it in, Maniacs, as you gear up for tonight's big event. It's free and with four solid match-ups, it should be a ton of fun.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, payperview ppv, fox network
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Preliminary Card Live Blog
Catch all the preliminary card action from UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller in New Jersey right here at HeavyMMA with live coverage starting at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, card action, jersey right
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
This is the greatest UFC on FOX promo you will ever see or your money back
We're just a few hours away from UFC's third venture into the land of primetime television. We can all collectively sit back and remember those days when the UFC would drop weeks of hard-hitting advertisements just to promote a single bout. Now that we're promised a total of four fights delivered directly to our television free of charge, that entire 'single fight on FOX' idea seems pretty archaic. I'm sure you already have your unhealthy refreshments ready for tonight's bangemite fest against Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, your adult beverages chilled for Rousimar Palhares and Alan Belcher, towels ready for when your friends spill their adult beverage on your carpet during Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks and undoubtedly your semi-legal substance of choice for Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. However, something tells me you're still not properly amped for this event. Fortunately we have this fanmade promo of UFC on FOX which is the greatest thing you will see today (prior to the fights) or your money back. [Source]
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, fanmade promo, adult beverages
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on FOX 3 Preview – The Main Card
Here is my breakdown of the main card. Feel free to argue with me or give me a confidence boost in the comment section below. The main card, of course, goes down tonight at 8pm ET on FOX. -Lavar Johnson (16-5) vs. Pat Barry (7-4) It’s nap time for somebody. The UFC makes a smart [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, course, lavar
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 3 Real Time Results
The UFC is back on network television tonight with a card surpassing their previous two efforts, at least in terms of total fights if not overall depth. The UFC on FOX 3 lineup features a trio of tilts featuring top contenders as well as a heavyweight bout between strikers Pat Barry-Lavar Johnson sure to entertain even the most casual fan.
The show is headlined by Jim Miller mixing it up with Nate Diaz in hopes of positioning himself within striking distance of the lightweight title, while Josh Koscheck will look to avenge a knockout loss to friend Jon Fitch by taking out the man who flattened him, Johny Hendricks. Dangerous submission specialist Rousimar Palhares is also set to battle it out with Alan Belcher on the FOX broadcast, while TUF winners John Dodson and Tony Ferguson will also see action in respective outings.
The curtain drops at 4:00 PM EST on Facebook before things head over to Fuel TV an hour later and finally stop on FOX at 8:00 PM EST with the main card match-ups. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in and relaying real time results back to readers as they unfold from the arena.
Read below for a full list of UFC on FOX 3 outcomes:
Karlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio
Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis
Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
John Cholish vs. Danny Castillo
Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Pascal Krauss vs. John Hathaway
John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
Michael Johnson vs. Tony Ferguson
Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck
Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, john, time results
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson
The UFC is looking to kick off the main card of UFC on Fox 3 with a bang, and these two dudes definitely know how to engage in some fisticuffs. On one side of the cage you have one of the most popular guys in the UFC, a guy who never fails to entertain. On the other side you have a hulk of a man that survived getting shot to come back and chalk up a devastating win in his first UFC bout. Pat Barry (7-4, 4-4 UFC) meets Lavar Johnson (16-5, 1-0 UFC).
Neither fighter is currently ranked at heavyweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, but Barry still gets votes and is currently at # 27. An emphatic win for either guy might seen them crack the top 25, at least temporarily. This heavyweight UFC on Fox 3 bout is the first bout of the main card and will air on Fox. The Fox broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Barry: 32 years old | 5'11" | 74.5" reachJohnson: 34 years old | 6'4" | 81" reach
What have these two done recently?
Barry: W - Christian Morecraft (KO) | L - Stefan Struve (SUB) | L - Cheick Kongo (KO) Johnson: W - Joey Beltran (KO) | L - Shawn Jordan (SUB) | L - Shane del Rosario (SUB)
How did these two get here?
Pat "HD" Barry is a stalwart of the UFC heavyweight division. He might be the shortest heavyweight you'll come across in the promotion, but he has excellent hands and brutal kicks. The former K-1 and WCL fighter has had an up-and-down UFC career thus far, going 4-4 in the octagon. His bout with Mirko Cro Cop was very memorable, as was his loss to Cheick Kongo where he almost had him finished only for Kongo to rise from the ashes and knock him out. He won his last bout against Christian Morecraft by first-round TKO at UFC on FX 1.
Lavar "Big" Johnson is a WEC and Strikeforce veteran who was shot in the abdomen on July 4th, 2009. He recovered and made his MMA return just nine months later, stopping Lolohea Mahe with strikes in the second round. Another KO win over Virgil Zwicker earned him a bout with top prospect Shane del Rosario, but Johnson was submitted in the first round. He was submitted his next bout as well, this time by Shawn Jordan, but made the move to the UFC when Strikeforce's heavyweight division was shelved. His UFC debut was against the ultra-tough Joey Beltran, but Johnson made it look easy with a brutal knockout win late in the first round. He'll look to pick up his second KO in a row against the smaller Barry.
Why should you care?
Are you kidding me? Two heavyweights with mad power are going to throw down to open the show. It shall be awesome, and you shall like it.
You can catch more UFC on Fox 3 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Fuel TV Prelims Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Danny Castillo Says He'd Rather Die Than Let His People Down - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 'Dark Matches' Dissection - Delorme Vs. Denis, Massenzio Vs. Vemola - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK - KJ Gould
UFC On Fox 3: Johny Hendricks Discusses Josh Koscheck, Koscheck Talks About Boxing - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Number 2 - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks? - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Part 1 - Clowning On Faber - Tim Burke
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, barry, burke
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWatch UFC on FOX 3 online tonight (May 5) | Live video stream/TV options for 'Diaz vs Miller'
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once again air an entire fight card TONIGHT (May 5, 2012), this time with UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller," which will emanate from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) action will begin around 4 p.m. ET with two "Prelims" bouts -- Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola that will air LIVE online via Facebook. Most fans worldwide who have Facebook accounts and "Like" the official UFC Facebook page, will be able to watch this portion of UFC on FOX 3.
After that, the viewing options get a little tricky for the fight fans who live outside the United States.
The remainder of the UFC on FOX 3 "Prelims" will transition to FUEL TV, beginning at 5 p.m. ET and run right on up to the 8 p.m. ET FOX start time. That's when the main card actions begins, which is headlined by a Lightweight number one contender eliminator match (for Nate Diaz, at least) between Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller.
Not everyone gets FUEL TV nor FOX. The good news is that international fans in particular regions can still watch "Diaz vs. Miller" LIVE "in most parts of the world" on UFC.TV. To see if you qualify we suggest that you click here. And to check out a list of sports bars and pubs near you that will most likely be showing tonight's fights click here.
Otherwise, we recommend that you call up your local cable and/or satellite provider or visit them online to find out which channel you should be tuning in to for tonight's MMA primetime extravaganza.
However, if you need your UFC on FOX 3 results as soon as possible, and don't have a provider that carries one or both networks, MMAmania.com will deliver up-to-the-minute results and live fight coverage, including round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of all the UFC on FOX 3 action before, during and after the event RIGHT HERE.
More details on the UFC on FOX 3 fight card and line up after the jump:
Main Event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Main Card (FOX):
170 lbs.: Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck185 lbs.: Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
"Prelims" Card (FUEL TV):
155 lbs.: Anthony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott170 lbs.: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss125 lbs.: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker155 lbs.: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish145 lbs.: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
"Prelims" Card (Facebook):
135 lbs.: Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis185 lbs.: Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Once again, remember that our round-by-round results of the under card fights on Facebook/FUEL TV will begin to flow around 5 p.m. ET later this evening and run right on through to our main card FOX coverage, which is set to start at 8 p.m. ET!
For more on UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFunny promo for UFC on Fox 3 featuring Johny Hendricks.HT: Cory Braiterman
Funny promo for UFC on Fox 3 featuring Johny Hendricks.
HT: Cory Braiterman
Posted in: ufc, fox, promo, ht, johny
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 fight card: Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller fight prediction, preview and breakdown
Two rock-solid Lightweight fighters collide in the UFC on FOX 3 main event later this evening (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., proving a vexing test of will for both Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
In Diaz's case, he'll have a chance to showcase his ever-improving striking, which lit up and beat down the game but outmatched Donald Cerrone in December. It was a showcase performance for Nate, who really seems to be coming into his own with on-point boxing and a nimble sense of when to engage and when to evade.
Miller's impressive seven-fight win streak marked him as an elite contender, until he ran into Ben Henderson, whose bigger frame and punishing physicality delivered a vicious beating that left the scrappy Miller in rebuilding mode. After submitting the talented but inconsistent Melvin Guillard, Miller needs a victory to insert himself back into the conversation of who the top contenders really are.
Body types play a huge role in this match up, as Diaz' six-inch height and considerable reach advantage will force Miller's hand. Jim is a competent boxer but not in Diaz' class, especially with Nate's increased volume of late. Diaz, however, relies on the threat of his jiu-jitsu and stifling guard to discourage foes from taking him down and, hopefully, riding their way to a cautious but top-game-dominated decision. That's exactly how Miller overwhelms people, however, and the fact that he'll be giving away too many advantages on the feet forces his hand somewhat.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on Fox 3 fight between Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller:
The Breakdown
Trying to match strikes with a Diaz on the feet often leaves foes looking like they're fighting underwater. The volume, pressure and constant ping-ponging of shots off your body leaves you a beat behind, bounced around like a pinball and forever unable to get untracked. Diaz' sharpshooter approach was brutally effective against Cerrone, a talented kickboxer himself. However, solid and submission-wary wrestlers have been able to exploit Diaz' modest takedown defense and work their way to decision wins, and Miller's definitely of the caliber to do it - at least against the less-developed version of Diaz that was ridden to defeats by the likes of Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. Miller, however, is a pretty good blend of takedown artist and jiu-jitsu savvy, and if he gets in Diaz' tricky guard, he'll have to walk a fine line between working enough to justify the ref keeping it on the mat or risking sweeps or submission attempts that will allow Diaz to get back to the feet. It's a delicate balance, but Miller's talented enough to pull it off.
This is also a points-conscious fight for both, meaning it's not likely either guy has illusions about finishing. Diaz and Miller are two of the most durable and submission-proof guys in the game, with outstanding conditioning. The choice between the tactical move to definitely win a close round versus going for a riskier finish could definitely spell the difference in this fight.
The Pick
There is very little separating the top ten lightweights in the world, and Diaz and Miller are basically fighting for right to state a case that they belong in the top five. Nate's striking will set the tone early, but if Miller can stay low and steer clear of Diaz' high-output attack, and he can a shot to plant Nate on the mat and work to pile up points and build the perception that he's winning, even if it's isn't overwhelming.
However, there is something jarring about fighting a Diaz and there are very few safe places to be. On the ground, their masterful jiu-jitsu makes passing guard virtually impossible to sustain, and their rock-solid chin and tactical smarts rarely leave them in a disadvantageous position. It's also why they can strike with such confidence - they're not worried about being taken down and can let their hands go with impunity.
Miller's an incredibly hard worker but you get the feeling that he's playing right into Diaz' strengths. Nate will potshot him on the feet in the beginning of rounds and force Miller's hand, at which point Diaz will make him work harder than most might expect for takedowns, and Miller will be unable to definitely score or control Nate on the mat. Restarts will play a big part in this fight, and each time Diaz will resume piling up points with effective scoring, leaning and countering and mixing in shots from distance and good combinations. It won't be the kind of sustained beating Cerrone took, as Donald never really threatened with takedowns, and Miller virtually has to have any hope of winning. But it will be enough for Diaz to score effectively and sway the judges to walk about with an entertaining and competitive split decision on the cards.
Diaz via split decision
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on Fox 3 results of all the "Diaz vs. Miller" action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FUEL TV "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the FOX broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 4 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Sunday morning.
See you later!
Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst or jasonprobst@gmail.com
Posted in: fight, diaz, fox, miller, nate
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Primer: Preliminary Card
Generally we break these things down fight-by-fight, but for this event we're going to do one primer for the whole undercard. There are a few fighters that you might not immediately recognize, so we'll provide a little background info on each and break down the matchups a bit. For a much more thorough breakdown of each of these fights, you can check out Dallas Winston's awesome undercard dissections here and here. There will also be primers covering all four of the UFC on Fox 3 main card fights.
The preliminary card features bouts from middleweight all the way down to flyweight. Six of the eight preliminary card fights will air on Fuel TV, with two being streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream will begin at approximately 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, and the Fuel portion of the card will kick off at 5 p.m.ET/2 p.m. PT. Here's a quick rundown of the all the scheduled fights.
Tony Ferguson (13-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (10-6, 2-2 UFC)
The Ultimate Fighter 13 champion vs. The Ultimate Fighter 12 runner-up. Ferguson has looked excellent in the UFC so far, going 3-0 and picking up his last win via decision over the tough veteran Yves Edwards. Johnson has looked a little uneven, going 2-2. His submission defense is his biggest weakness, but Ferguson is more likely to keep it standing either way. This fight is the headliner for the Fuel portion of the card.
John Dodson (12-5, 1-0 UFC) vs. Tim Elliott (8-2, 0-0 UFC)
Dodson was the bantamweight winner of TUF 14, but immediately made the drop to flyweight and will take on late replacement Elliott instead of original opponent Darren Uyenoyama. Dodson picked up the TUF title with a knockout win over T.J. Dillishaw, and is currently on a three-fight winning streak. Elliott is a midwestern fighter on an eight-fight winning streak. He holds recent wins over Josh Rave and former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver. In the new flyweight division, a fighter might just be a win or two from a title shot so this is vitally important to both men.
John Hathaway (15-1, 5- UFC) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0, 1-0 UFC)
Both of these guys are returning to the cage after extended layoffs. Hathaway hasn't fought in 14 months, while Krauss has been out for 17. They were expected to meet at UFC 138, but the bout was delayed due to injuries. Each of them is coming off a win in their last bout - Hathaway defeated Kris McCray by split decision, while Krauss decisioned Mark Scanlon. Hathaway will look to use his wrestling and reach advantage to nullify Krauss' grappling game.
More prelim fights after the jump.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Louis Gaudinot (5-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (19-5, 0-0 UFC)
This will be the first non-tournament flyweight bout in UFC history. Gaudinot was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 14 at bantamweight, but lost in the quarter-finals to Dustin Pague. The bout was voted "fight of the season". Lineker is the former Jungle Fight bantamweight champion and this will be his first bout outside of Brazil (and his first at 125). He is currently on a 13-fight winning streak. He missed weight by one pound for the bout. Lineker is a strong striker with big power, and he'll look to overwhelm Gaudinot as early as possible.
Danny Castillo (13-4, 3-1 UFC) vs. John Cholish (8-1, 1-0 UFC)
Castillo has been a bit of a surprise in the UFC thus far, going 3-1 after an average WEC run. He's on a two-fight winning streak, with a TKO finish of Shamar Bailey at UFC 139 and a split-decision win over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141. Cholish is a well-rounded New Jersey native that is currently on a 10-fight winning streak. He won his UFC debut over Mitch Clarke at UFC 140. Castillo holds a wrestling advantage, but Cholish likely holds a submission and standup advantage.
Dennis Bermudez (7-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (11-2, 2-1 UFC)
Bermudez was the runner-up at lightweight on TUF 14, losing a war with Diego Brandao by submission at the end of the first round. The top-notch wrestler is currently on a three-fight losing streak. Garza was a TUF 12 contestant who lost his only bout in the WEC but still came over in the merger. He started off his UFC career with two highlight-reel wins, a flying knee KO of Fredson Paixao at the TUF 13 Finale and a flying-triangle sub of Yves Jabouin at UFC 129 that won him a $129,000 sub of the night bonus. He lost his last bout to Dustin Poirier by submission.
Roland Delorme (8-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Nick Denis (11-2, 1-0 UFC)
It's a battle of Canadian bantamweights. Delorme came in as a late replacement for Johnny Bedford. The TUF 14 contestant lost his only UFC bout to Josh Ferguson. Denis, a veteran of Sengoku, made a huge splash in his UFC debut with a 22-second standing-elbow knockout of Joseph Sandoval at UFC on FX 1. This bout was almost relegated to a dark match, but the UFC gave them a late reprieve and the fight will be shown on Facebook.
Mike Massenzio (13-6, 2-4 UFC) vs. Karlos Vemola (10-2, 1-2 UFC)
Karlos Vemola actually made 185 pounds. I'm as shocked as anyone. Vemola started out at heavyweight in the UFC, losing to Jon Madsen at UFC 116. He dropped to 205 and beat Seth Petruzelli, but was manhandled by Ronny Markes in his next bout and lost by decision. Massenzio is on his second tour with the UFC, and dropped his last bout to Rousimar Palhares at UFC 142. This bout will air on Facebook as well.
More Bloody Elbow preview coverage of UFC on Fox 3:
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: The Grappling Tendencies Of Jim Miller And Nate Diaz - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking Of Jim Miller - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3's Jim Miller: 'When I Get Hold Of Him, I'm Going To Be The Stronger Guy' - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3 First Two Prelims Now On Facebook - Ben Thapa
UFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Fuel TV Prelims Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Danny Castillo Says He'd Rather Die Than Let His People Down - Steph Daniels
UFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3 'Dark Matches' Dissection - Delorme Vs. Denis, Massenzio Vs. Vemola - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK - KJ Gould
UFC On Fox 3: Johny Hendricks Discusses Josh Koscheck, Koscheck Talks About Boxing - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Number 2 - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks? - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 3: Dana White Video Blog Part 1 - Clowning On Faber - Tim Burke
Posted in: ufc, fight, bout, fox, vs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Preview – The Preliminary Card
Been away on a sort of vacation for the last week, but I had enough time to throw together my picks for tonight’s UFC on FOX 3 card. The preliminary card goes down at 4pm ET on Facebook, and 5pm ET on FX. -Karlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio Opening the night’s precedings is this awkward [...]
Posted in: ufc, week, fox, pm, card
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 3 fight card: Predictions, preview and a complete guide to 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
For fans of mixed martial arts, this past week has been a slow crawl of steadily rising anticipation for tonight's "Diaz vs. Miller" event, going down at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
UFC on Fox 3 will feature a lightweight title eliminator bout pitting Stockton bad boy Nate Diaz against 155-pound wrecking ball and perennial top contender Jim Miller.
In the co-main event, Johny Hendricks will seek to cement his name amongst the welterweight elite when he battles former title challenger Josh Koscheck. Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson and Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher are also slated to air on network television.
It's been a flurry of non-stop news, analysis, quotes, predictions and previews for the past week and it's certainly understandable if you missed out on a few stories.
But don't worry, Maniacs, we've got you covered.
In cased you missed any or all of it — or just want to keep the discussion alive — below are links to all the major storylines heading into tonight's broadcast.
In we go:
UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller"
Fight card and line-up
Results and live fight coverage
UFC on FOX 3 predictions and previews:
Predictions from the myth himself, Nostradumbass
Prelims preview and predictions part one
Prelims preview and predictions part two
Fight preview: Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Fight preview: Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Fight preview: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
UFC on FOX 3 press conferences:
Pre-fight press conference
Press conference video
Press conference staredown pics
UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins:
Weigh-in results
Weigh-in video
Weigh-in staredown pics
Weigh-in photos gallery
UFC on FOX 3 news:
Event poster
Conference call
Open workouts photos gallery
Latest odds and betting guide
Beermania: UFC on FOX 3 edition
Exclusive interview with Jim Miller
Exclusive interview with Johny Hendricks
Exclusive interview with Pascal Krauss
UFC on FOX 3 editorials:
History in the Making: Jim Miller outgrapples Charles Oliveira at UFC 124
History in the Making: Josh Koscheck pushes Matt Hughes closer to retirement at UFC 135
Jim Miller isn't looking past Nick Diaz but he expects a title shot with a win
Dana White confirms title shots on the line for Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks
An excited Johny Hendricks just can't wait to hit Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck has some of the best footwork in MMA
Johny Hendricks will let his fists do the bashing against Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks is not going to be a boring wrestling match
Alan Belcher says Rousimar Palhares will go for his legs but they won't be there
UFC on FOX 3 videos:
Dana White video blog episode one
Dana White video blog episode two
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller predictions with the pros
The stars of UFC on FOX 3 get roasted
The Nate Diaz story
Jim Miller brews beer in his driveway
Josh Koscheck calls out 'retards' who think he's too old to fight
UFC on FUEL TV presents Josh Koscheck's crib
That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being.
What's been the biggest storyline heading into this event? The potential title shots awaiting Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks? The seeming lack of hype for the event thanks to Floyd Mayweather? Something else?
Enjoy the show, Maniacs.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Results & Recap
UFC on FOX 3 takes place later tonight at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The event airs live on FOX at 8pm ET/7pm CT. The prelims will precede the FOX broadcast at 4pm ET on Facebook and 5pm ET on FX. In the main event, lightweights Jim Miller and Nate Diaz clash [...]
Posted in: fox, pm, event airs, fox broadcast, izod center
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 3 Live Results and Play-by-Play
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller live results and play-by-play on Saturday, May 5 in New Jersey. The main event features Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: result, fox, miller, playbyplay ufc, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 3 Quick Results
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller quick results on Saturday, May 5 in New Jersey. The main event features Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: result, fox, miller, results ufc, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 3: Attendance, gate, and bonuses from New Jersey
The attendance, gate, and post-fight bonuses have been announced for tonight's UFC on Fox 3 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The event produced an exciting night of fights, and 10,788 fans witnessed the event in person for a live gate of $1.1 million. With two fights containing clear title-shot implications for the future, UFC on Fox 3 was a great success as a non pay-per-view event. The $65,000 bonuses were issued as following:
Submission of the Night:
Nate Diaz earned this award by
Posted in: fox, event, postfight bonuses, izod center, attendance gate
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on FOX 3 results live stream and play-by-play TONIGHT (May 5) for 'Diaz vs Miller'
Click the banner above or right HERE for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Round-by-round results of the "Prelims" fights on Facebook will begin to flow around 4 p.m. ET this afternoon (May 5, 2012) and run into our LIVE FUEL TV coverage at 5 p.m. ET and then right through our main card FOX updates that will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
You ready?
If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it in the main UFC on FOX 3 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.
Enjoy the show, Maniacs!
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, pm, blowbyblow coverage
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWatch Tonight’s Live UFC on Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video
Watch Saturday night's UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller post-fight press conference streaming live on MMAWeekly.com, shortly after the conclusion of the main event.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, bull, event retweet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyPOLL: Who had the most impressive performance at UFC on FOX 3?
Tonight's UFC on FOX 3 promised and delivered great action, with four high-caliber main card bouts. Lavar Johnson, Alan Belcher, Johny Hendricks and Nate Diaz all left the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with another "W" on their records, but who had the best performance of the night? Make your vote!
Posted in: ufc, fox, nate diaz, performance, izod center
Read the full article at Low KickUFC On Fox 3 Video: Josh Koscheck Won't Know If He Respects Johny Hendricks Until They Fight
Fuel TV's Ariel Helwani jointly interviewed UFC Welterweights Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks in advance of their UFC on Fox 3 bout. Hendricks may or may not secure a title shot with a win, Koscheck needs a few more wins to get back in the hunt and may be boxed out as long as Georges St. Pierre remains the champ.
Hendricks says all the usual respectful stuff about expecting to face the best Koscheck ever despite Koscheck's recent underwhelming split-decision win over Mike Pierce at UFC 143.
Koscheck however is in a bit of a bind. You can almost tell he's aching to indulge in his usual trash talk but he has to give Hendricks a certain amount of credence since Hendricks is coming off a 12 second KO win over Jon Fitch, long-time #2 in the division and one of Koscheck's best friends and training partners.
But that doesn't mean he'll go so far as to say he "respects" Hendricks' abilities until he sees for himself what Hendricks can do against Koscheck in the Octagon.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, hendrick, underwhelming splitdecision
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCREDITS — Betting on UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller
In the latest installment of CREDITS, Duane Finley, Nate Lawson and Matt Erickson put their (fictional) money up with picks for UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, matt erickson, credits —
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 3 play by play and live results
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC on FOX 3 event.
The event, which features a headliner of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, takes
place at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. FOX airs the main card,
and FUEL TV and Facebook carry the prelims.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results
beginning at approximately 4 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 8 p.m.
ET for the main card.
Posted in: fox, card, official results, roundbyround updates, tonights ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3 discussion thread
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC on FOX 3 event at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on FOX 3 live-results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.
Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) for the preliminary card and 8 p.m. ET for the main card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, card, comments section
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 3 Diaz vs. Miller PPV Style Intro Video
Fans who aren't excited about the change of the show opening for UFC events on Fox rejoice! You can still get your fix.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc events, bull, show opening
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 Results: Diaz vs. Miller
MMA Fighting has UFC on FOX 3 results for all of the Diaz vs. Miller fight card May 5, plus live UFC coverage from East Rutherford, N.J., live blogs of all the fights and live UFC on FOX 3 twitter updates.In the main event, Nate Diaz will square off against Jim Miller in a key lightweight contest. In the co-main event, Josh Koscheck meets Johny Hendricks in a welterweight battle.Check out the UFC on FOX 3 results below.
Main cardNate Diaz vs. Jim MillerJosh Koscheck vs. Johny HendricksRousimar Palhares vs. Alan BelcherPat Barry vs. Lavar JohnsonPreliminary cardTony Ferguson vs. Michael JohnsonJohn Dodson vs. Tim ElliottJohn Hathaway vs. Pascal KraussLouis Gaudinot vs. John LinekerDanny Castillo vs. John CholishDennis Bermudez vs. Pablo GarzaRoland Delorme vs. Nick DenisMike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, rutherford nj
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 3: The Nate Diaz Story (Video)
Leading up to his UFC on Fox 3 main event showdown with Jim Miller, the UFC has released a behind the scenes look at the birth of Nate Diaz, world-class fighter.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, event showdown, jim miller, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 Preview
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Watch below as MMAFighting.com's Dave Doyle and I preview tomorrow night's UFC on FOX 3 event and discuss the major storylines heading into the card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, preview, storyline, rutherford nj
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox making home in New Jersey
The day may come when New York will legalize MMA, but until then New Jersey will continue to host the UFC with 2 cards in next two months.
Posted in: ufc, fox, month, card, jersey
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 3: Weigh-In Highlights
UFC on FOX 3 gets green light after all featured fighters make weight
The UFC’s third show on network television became official earlier today when the entire lot of competitors scheduled for action at UFC on FOX 3 weighed in with the lot all making weight with one undercard exception.
Headliners Nate Diaz and Jim Miller both came in at 156 pounds, turning in an intense staredown but no theatrics beyond the standard fare. Diaz is expected to earn a title-shot if he beats Miller tomorrow night on FOX while Miller will likely position himself within a win of the same honor if he takes the always-tough Diaz out.
The trio of other featured tilts also received a thumbs up with Johny Hendricks-Josh Koscheck at 170.5 pounds each, Alan Belcher-Rousimar Palhares both at 186 pounds, and heavyweights Pat Barry-Lavar Johnson weighing 244 pounds and 253 pounds respectively.
The only fighter to miss his mark was John Lineker who came in a tick heavy for his flyweight fight against Louis Gaudinot and was fined $1,200 as a result when the athletic commission deemed it a health-risk for him to shed any more weight.
UFC on FOX 3 starts on FOX tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST with prelims on Facebook/Fuel TV in the hours preceding the event.
Here is a complete list of UFC on FOX 3 weigh-in results followed by video of the weigh-ins:
Mike Massenzio (184 lbs) vs. Karlos Vemola (185 lbs)
Roland Delorme (135 lbs) vs. Nick Denis (135 lbs)
Dennis Bermudez (145.5 lbs) vs. Pablo Garza (145 lbs)
Danny Castillo (155 lbs) vs. John Cholish (155.5 lbs)
Louis Gaudinot (126 lbs) vs. John Lineker (127 lbs)
John Hathaway (169 lbs) vs. Pascal Krauss (169 lbs)
John Dodson (126 lbs) vs. Tim Elliott (125 lbs)
Tony Ferguson (154.5 lbs) vs. Michael Johnson (156 lbs)
Pat Barry (244 lbs) vs. Lavar Johnson (253 lbs)
Rousimar Palhares (186 lbs) vs. Alan Belcher (186 lbs)
Josh Koscheck (170.5 lbs) vs. Johny Hendricks (170.5 lbs)
Nate Diaz (156 lbs) vs. Jim Miller (156 lbs)
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, john, lb
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 3: Preview
UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins photos gallery for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Sat., May 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featuring a lightweight title eliminator bout (maybe) pitting Nate Diaz against perennial top contender Jim Miller.
Also on tap for the promotion's return to network television is a welterweight war that will see Josh Koscheck take on Johny Hendricks, not to mention match-ups like Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson and Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher.
Before we can get to the good stuff, however, every one of the competitors on tomorrow's fight card had to hit the scales to make sure they weren't carrying any extra baggage.
Thankfully, only one of them did. And that would be John
After the jump, you can check out photos (via MMAFighting.com) from today's UFC on FOX 3 weigh-in event. For complete results click here, for staredowns click here and to watch the full UFC on FOX 3 weigh-in video click here.
Nate Diaz:
Jim Miller:
Josh Koscheck:
Johny Hendricks:
Pat Barry:
Lavar Johnson:
Rousimar Palhares:
Alan Belcher:
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Weigh-In Photos
View this gallery here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, gallery, weighin
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse
UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller – Full Weigh In Results
Tomorrow night promises a stacked card for UFC fans for free on FOX, here are full weigh in results for those participating on the card: MAIN CARD ON FOX Nate Diaz (156) vs. Jim Miller (156) Josh Koscheck (170.5) vs. Johny Hendricks (170.5) Rousimar Palhares (186) vs. Alan Belcher (186) Pat Barry (244) vs. Lavar [...]
Posted in: fox, vs, miller, card, ufc fans
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller Full Weigh-in Video
Check out the full UFC on Fox 3 weigh-ins in the video featuring Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, and more.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: diaz, fox, video, miller, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Rousimar Palhares Vs. Alan Belcher Dissection
A middleweight scrap between Rousimar Palhares and Alan Belcher is set for the main card of this Saturday's UFC on Fox 3 show, which is headlined by gritty lightweights Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. Festivities begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on the Fox Network after the 6-segment undercard on Fuel TV at 5:00 p.m.
Is there really any need to sell an opportunity to watch Brazilian Rousimar Palhares (14-3) in action? Well, he's become widely respected as one of the most talented submission artists in the sport ... and that should be reason alone even though it barely scratches the surface. He's prone to bizarre, head-scratching oddities, such as when he paused mid-fight to transmit a telepathic suspicion to the referee that Nate Marquardt had violated the "excessive greasing" rule. Shockingly, since they were in the middle of a full-on brawl and MMA has yet to adopt spontaneous "timeouts," Marquardt shrugged it off and knocked him out.
Or, there was the infamous incident at UFC 134 in which Palhares crumpled Dan Miller to the canvas with a high kick and pounced on his dazed opponent with ground-and-pound. "Toquinho" then suffered a minor lapse in the realm of prioritization and chronological order and -- for no logical reason what so ever -- glossed over that pesky "finishing" portion of the fight to straddle the fence and celebrate.
It's an odd and inadvisable take on increasing your marketability and appeal as a fighter, but the blend of Palhares' signature "WTF just happened?" factor and his undeniable, almost savant-like affinity for wrenching human limbs has made him a must-see mixed martial artist. The broad-shouldered wildman has emerged victorious in 7 of his 9 Octagon outings, losing only to top-ranked notables Dan Henderson and Marquardt, and is currently enjoying a 3-fight win streak.
More UFC on Fox 3 Dissections
Barry vs. Johnson | Fuel TV Undercard | Facebook Undercard
Though not nearly as unconventional, Alan "The Talent" Belcher (17-6) distinguishes himself from the crowd with an enormous and partially distorted tattoo of Johnny Cash on his arm; an unusual choice of ink made even more unsettling by the fact that Cash's likeness seems to have been captured whilst embroiled in an unexpected battle with constipation. His in-Octagon panache should suffice where Cash's too-much-Taco-Bell face does not, as Belcher is a hard-nosed, all-business kickboxing prodigy who'll slingshot himself off the cage to initiate a Superman punch.
Belcher's UFC tenure started luke-warm at 3-3, but he's stomped on the gas in his latest sequence by winning 5 of 6 with a hotly contested decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama standing as the only blemish. Like Palhares, Belcher is on his own 3-fight roll and similarly trumpeted for his top-level abilities and innovative cage tactics.
Complete analysis in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Now, the lead-in was a touch flowery because the dynamics of this match up are quite plain: does anyone envision Palhares with his hand raised by any means other than submission?
I don't. His striking has undoubtedly improved -- especially the ease with which he's flinging out high kicks, and with absolutely no forewarning -- but the idea that he can out-strike Belcher is a tough sell. Additionally, since Palhares lacks a traditional wrestling pedigree and doesn't rely solely on shooting takedowns from outside, the imperative specs all pertain to proximity: Belcher has the advantage with distance and Palhares is more dangerous the closer he gets.
It's challenging to outline the unpredictable methods Palhares employs to impose his submission acumen, because they're ... well, unpredictable. In this regard, I don't feel comfortable concluding anything other than that Palhares is capable of swan-diving into Belcher in order to devour any appendage within his leaping range.
Barring the unforeseeable creativity of Palhares, which is still a very legitimate and important factor, all Belcher has to do is stick and move. Yes, like everything else in MMA, this is much easier said than done, but I can't think of any strategy more sensible than:
using intelligent footwork to circle away from the cage and stay in open space
avoiding the clinch and contact-range at all costs
exploiting his striking advantage and not over-committing to his punches or getting caught flat-footed
dedicating 100% of his efforts to stay at a distance any time he's not
Of course, Belcher has to land strikes and mount significant offense, but his chances of doing so drastically decrease anytime Palhares can tie up or physically exert force upon him.
"Toquinho" will have the modest comfort of knowing that Belcher can't connect on any strikes unless he's within contact-range, meaning that every ounce of Belcher's offense will be accompanied by an opportunity to implement his own. Unfortunately, it's much more difficult to adhere to incoming punches and kicks than a stationary human body, so Palhares will have limited material to work with. Just how limited it will be is all entirely dependent on Belcher's command of distance, range and elusive movement.
Palhares deserves respect for enforcing his best (and arguably, only) weapon even though everyone knows it's coming from a mile away. That requires exorbitant and unparalleled talent, which he most definitely has, but exorbitant and unparalleled talent is a risky necessity for consistent success in MMA, especially when it only comes in one form.
Despite the curiously overwhelming odds for Palhares that are as steep as -300 on the betting lines, I think Belcher is the safer pick in this "anything can happen" encounter.
My Prediction: Alan Belcher by TKO.
Poll
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Palhares
Belcher
13 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, palhare, he
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On FOX 3 Weigh-In Results; Main Eventers Nate Diaz, Jim Miller On Point
Saturday night’s third event on FOX by the UFC is now official, as the weigh-ins took place Friday afternoon. UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller will feature a main event between lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. Both fighters made the mark for their bout, with Diaz coming in at 156 pounds and Miller at [...]
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, miller, jim miller
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTHE STAKES — What’s On the Line at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller
In one of our latest new features at HeavyMMA, our analysts take a look at a few fights with plenty on the line at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller in THE STAKES.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, stake, stakes —
Read the full article at Heavy MMATHE STAKES — What’s On the Line at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller
In one of our latest new features at HeavyMMA, our analysts take a look at a few fights with plenty on the line at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller in THE STAKES.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, stake, stakes —
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWatch the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Weigh-ins Live at 4 p.m. Eastern
Watch the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller weigh-ins live from New Jersey here at HeavyMMA on Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWeigh-in Video: UFC on Fox 3 ‘Diaz vs. Miller’
Friday’s UFC on Fox 3 “Diaz vs. Miller” weigh-ins can be viewed here.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at SherdogReminder: The Weigh ins for UFC on Fox are at 4 Eastern
submitted by RunFromTheSun [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, reminder, in, runfromthesun
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 3 Weigh-Ins Stream Live at 4pm ET
The UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins will stream live in the video player above at 4pm ET/1pm PT. The weigh-in results will follow on a separate post.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video player, weighin, weighin results
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFriday Link Club: A Humorous Look At UFC on FOX 3
Comedian Adam Hunter pokes fun at some of the UFC on FOX 3 fighters. Nate Diaz, not Jim Miller, in line for a title-shot with win at UFC on FOX 3 | Five Ounces of Pain Ranking the UFC on FOX 3 Main Card Fighters |
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, miller, jim miller
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTrainer Believes Miller-Diaz Could Be FOX's Version of Griffin-Bonnar I
NEW YORK -- Most trainers hope and pray for a quick win when their fighters step into the arena of combat. Mike Constantino is no different. His ideal scenario would see his AMA Fight Club charge Jim Miller walk into the cage at Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 and knock out opponent Nate Diaz with his first punch. That's what he'd like to see happen. But he's also a bit of a realist, and looking at the way the two main-eventers stack up against each other, he can't help but think the fight could end up going in a completely different direction. That it could result in a five-round war of attrition, the kind of epic fight that audiences talk about for years.
It's been a feeling that's been nagging at him as Miller makes his final preparations for the bout.
"For some odd reason, deep down inside I feel like it’s going to be the second coming of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar for the masses," he said. "The first wave of the crazy ‘wow’ was Ultimate Fighter. Now you have FOX television, and something is telling me it’s going to be one of those great type of fights.
"It just has all the makings to be one of those fights," he continued. "They’re both hard to submit, they both have good standup, they both have good cardio, teams, coaching, everything. It’s a great fight, so competitively matched up."While it's not necessarily something he wants to see for the sake of his fighter, it would certainly be a welcome development for the UFC, given the reaction to the first two FOX main events. In the first, Junior dos Santos captured the heavyweight title with a KO of Cain Velasquez, but given the relentless leadup to the fight, the 64-second win seemed anticlimactic. Then, in January, Rashad Evans and Phil Davis went to a somewhat uneventful five-round decision.Few other sports are so critically judged on entertainment value, but such is the state of MMA in 2012. Even UFC president Dana White alluded to it a bit when asked about some of the backlash from the two previous FOX main events.
"If this fight sucks, I don't know what to tell you, man," he said.Constantino's reference to Griffin-Bonnar I is practically a sacred one when it comes to the company's history. Back in April 2005, the bout essentially changed the UFC's fortunes forever. At the time, the organization was finishing up the first season of The Ultimate Fighter but had no guarantee of another. Literally minutes after the heart-stopping three-round fight concluded in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White and Spike executives walked outside the Cox Pavilion and hammered out the basic details of an extension that ensured the promotion's survival and ultimately led it to thrive.While concerns around the company's long-term health no longer exist today, the UFC would certainly like to showcase a wide range of MMA skills to a huge audience on free television in an effort to widen its audience base.This week, even Diaz and Miller were bluntly honest in their assessments of each other as a venerable opponent."He’s a very resilient guy," Miller said. "He's dangerous from bell to bell. You can’t sleep on him for a second. I’m definitely going to have to fight on point the whole time and never let him get the upper hand.""There’s all kinds of things that could happen," Diaz added. "He could come in, try to punch his way in and work on the inside. Body locks, takedowns. He could stand there and box with me. I figure he’s got good standup and he hits hard. He’s a good fighter. He can do a lot of different things, but so can I."The even nature of matchup is what has Constantino thinking we could be in for something special on Saturday, even if he hopes he's wrong.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fox, griffinbonnar i
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Weigh-In Results and Video (4PM EST)
UFC on FOX 3 participants will step on the scales at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as part of the official weigh-in procedure ahead of this Saturday's fight card.
The event is headlined by the Lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. The card also features Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares, and Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks.
The weigh-ins will start at 4PM Eastern.
Full UFC on FOX 3 Fight Card:
Main Bouts (Fox)Jim Miller vs. Nate DiazJosh
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, jim miller, weighin
Read the full article at Low KickUFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller - Pat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Dissection
The opening segment of Saturday's UFC on Fox 3 quadruple header is a certifiable slug-fest between heavyweight strikersPat "HD" Barry and "Big" Lavar Johnson. The main-card broadcast begins on the Fox network at 8:00 p.m. and is headlined by a lightweight tilt pitting Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz.
Amidst the clamor of big-name heavyweights migrating to the UFC from Strikeforce, Lavar Johnson (16-5) didn't get much attention. After all, he'd suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the belly in 2009 and was fortunate to even be alive, much less still competing. Plus he sealed off his Strikeforce stint with back-to-back submission losses and all the hoopla understandably surrounded perennial top-10ers like Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum. Johnson drew Joey Beltran and his steel-clad head; a pair who'd mutually cemented a reputation for having outstanding resilience to the human fist.
Beltran ate heaping spoonfuls of leather from heavyweight gunslingers like Barry and Matt Mitrione without so much as batting an eye. Yet, just 10 seconds into their UFC on Fox 2 collision, Johnson clipped Beltran with a body shot that dazed him, walked him down for a few minutes and then crumpled him into unconsciousness with a late combination. It was the first time Beltran had ever been knocked out or stopped via strikes in his 20-fight career.
More UFC on Fox 3 Dissections
Fuel TV Undercard | Facebook Undercard
Pat Barry (7-4) is a lovable fan-favorite with technical kickboxing and devastating leg kicks. Scathing pre-fight smack talk and bad-blood rivalries will always have a place in MMA, but Barry embodies the good-guy role by wearing his heart on his sleeve, never making excuses or disrespecting his opponent and openly acknowledging the areas he needs to improve.
"HD" is dead even in the UFC after 8 turns, carving this chronological path: a TKO win over Dan Evensen via leg kicks in his debut, a submission loss to Tim Hague, a TKO over former training partner Antoni Hardonk, a submission loss to Mirko Filipovic, a unanimous decision win over Joey Beltran, excitement-laden losses to Cheick Kongo in one of the sport's most thrilling comeback knockouts and by submission to Stefan Struve and, finally, a 1st-round KO over Christian Morecraft on January's UFC on FX card.
Barry joins Mark Hunt as the only heavies on the roster who don't crack the 6-foot-tall ceiling and he's constantly battled with a massive disparity in height and reach. That factor will be at play in full force here, as "Big" Lavar Johnson is just that, clocking in at 6'4" tall with a wearisome 81" reach length, the gargantuan physique of a former college linebacker and skull-splitting punching power.
Complete analysis in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
When scrutinizing Johnson's remorseless beat-down of Beltran, the American Kickboxing Academy product made a subtle change to his striking style that paid huge dividends. In the past, Johnson, being a righty, utilized an open stance and was much more squared off, often leading with wide, sweeping left hooks to center his opponent in front of him and set up his outrageous straight right.
Against Beltran, Johnson assumed more of a closed stance with his feet staggered and his left shoulder farther in front of his right. Instead of barging straight forward to unload all haymakers, Johnson extended his already-stretchy reach advantage with this closed stance and keyed all of his follow-ups off of a busy jab. Additionally, the big fella was much more patient and calculating than the fairly primitive brawler he was in Strikeforce. He methodically steered Beltran back against the cage with his long, active jab and waited until Beltran was cornered and covering up before unleashing the big thunder shots.
Though Johnson moves well for someone of his girth and has an admirable size-to-agility ratio, his footwork is basic and he's not very light on his toes, as he plants his feet hard to generate so much power in his punches. He addressed this partially with the aforementioned change in stance and measured stalking but quickness and footwork are some of Barry's best attributes.
Johnson's strength and athleticism have facilitated a few takedown attacks, but the gist of this match up should be dictated by the range and distance factor. Barry will be faced with his usual chess match of relying on his speed -- both with his hands and feet -- and timing to dart in and out of range and inflict damage without taking any himself. His offensive tools are typically a chopping low kick from outside, which can be a concern considering the deep penetration of Johnson's counter punches, and blazing combinations with his hands at close range.
To implement those tools while minimizing risk, the method in which he enters into and retreats out from the striking bubble will be pivotal. Throughout his entrances and exits, his dedication to head movement and keeping his hands up will also be vital.
Another effective strategy he's used is to start in the traditional stance and gauge his opponent's reaction to a few crisp jabs and half-hearted leg kicks, which allows him to determine how much he can commit to them. If his foe sits back and tries to dodge, block or just defend, he knows he can attack with more vigor; if they blast with meaningful counters, he's more cautious with his release and doesn't turn his hips over fully so he's able to react defensively. Barry will also switch to southpaw and pester with low-velocity inside kicks with his lead leg while looking to plunge his lead right through from ever-changing angles. This makes him harder to predict and forces his adversary to constantly adjust to the changes.
It will be interesting to see how Johnson chooses to confront Barry -- whether he'll walk him down aggressively with heavy leather or slowly inch forward for a more judicious and reserved approach. I imagine that either fighter could use the element of surprise and catch the other off-guard with a takedown attempt, if for nothing more than to steal some momentum.
The betting lines have Barry as a medium-sized favorite in the neighborhood of -200, which seems fair. His striking technique overall is exceptional and he's now accustomed to navigating a speed-based path in and out range. The increased fight I.Q. in Johnson's last outing does leave me a little more hesitant and Johnson has only lost via strikes once before, so Barry will likely have to avoid even the slightest of mistakes for all 3 rounds -- which is a long time for Johnson to touch his chin. However, I see Barry's deft footwork, hand speed and big heart carrying him through.
My Prediction: Pat Barry by decision.
Poll
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Pat Barry
Lavar Johnson
142 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, barry, beltran
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJohny Hendricks: UFC on Fox Fight vs. Koscheck Should be ‘Fun for Everybody’
Don't expect a boring wrestling match between a pair of All-American and national champion wrestlers, Johny Hendricks says. His fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox on Saturday should be a...
Posted in: fox, josh koscheck, hendrick, johny, ‘ fun
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC On Fox 3 Weigh-In Video And Coverage
Bloody Elbow will be providing live video and updates when all 24 fighters on the card step on the scale at today's UFC on Fox 3 weigh-ins live from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. You can catch a live Youtube stream of the weigh-ins below the jump, or if that doesn't work for some reason, you can view it over at MMA Fighting. The weigh-ins begin at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
The main event is a five-round lightweight scrap between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
Join us and share your thoughts as the weigh-ins unfold.
Main Card:
Nate Diaz ( ) vs. Jim Miller ( )Johny Hendricks ( ) vs. Josh Koscheck ( )Alan Belcher ( ) vs. Rousimar Palhares ( )Pat Barry ( ) vs. Lavar Johnson ( )
Preliminary Card:
Tony Ferguson ( ) vs. Michael Johnson ( )John Dodson ( ) vs. Tim Elliott ( )John Hathaway ( ) vs. Pascal Krauss ( )Louis Gaudinot ( ) vs. John Lineker ( )Danny Castillo ( ) vs. John Cholish ( )Dennis Bermudez ( ) vs. Pablo Garza ( )Roland Delorme ( ) vs. Nick Denis ( )Mike Massenzio ( ) vs. Karlos Vemola ( )
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: fox, vs, john, jim miller, weighin
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Weigh-In Video
At the UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins, all 24 fighters taking part in Saturday night's UFC on FOX 3 fights will step on the scale Friday afternoon, and we'll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.In the main event, lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will have to make the limit of 155 pounds.The UFC on FOX 3 weigh-in takes place at 4 p.m. ET on Friday and the video is below.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, jim miller, weighin
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch Today’s UFC on Fox 3 Live Weigh-in Video
Watch Friday's UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller weigh-in streaming live on MMAWeekly.com at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, pm, fridays ufc, weighin video, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWatch Today’s UFC on Fox 3 Live Weigh-in Video
Watch Friday's UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller weigh-in streaming live on MMAWeekly.com at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, pm, fridays ufc, weighin video, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 preview: Can PPV stars be built on network television?
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Give away product for free, but don't kill the golden goose.
The UFC came out big with its first event on big FOX while offering a heavyweight title fight featuring Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos that was worth millions to the promotion in pay-per-view sales.
Only one notable at Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 event previously has headlined a UFC PPV card. But take a look at the style matchups, and you'll struggle to find an obvious dud.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, network television, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 3 weigh in results and video LIVE online from New Jersey for 'Diaz vs Miller'
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" is set to take place later TODAY (May 4, 2012) live from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. We also have a LIVE UFC on FOX 3 video stream of the weigh in event embedded in the extended entry below, which means that you can watch the entire event online, right here, and talk about all the action with all the other Maniacs in real-time.
UFC on FOX 3 will feature a main event that pits Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller in a pivotal Lightweight showdown, while Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a top spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will also sling leather on the action-packed televised main card, as well as Brazilian leg crusher Rousimar Palhares taking on the very game Alan Belcher in a Middleweight mash up.
Check out complete UFC on Fox 3 weigh in results and LIVE video stream after the jump:
UFC ON FOX 3 WEIGH IN RESULTS
Main Event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Main Card (FOX):
170 lbs.: Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck185 lbs.: Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
155 lbs.: Anthony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott170 lbs.: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss125 lbs.: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker155 lbs.: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish145 lbs.: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
Preliminary Card (Facebook):
135 lbs.: Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis185 lbs.: Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
For those fortunate enough to be in the "Garden State" this afternoon, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1:30 p.m. PT. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special hour-long Q&A session with UFC Middleweight contender Michael Bisping that begins at 2 p.m. local time.
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC on Fox 3 tomorrow night (Sat., May 5, 2012), which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 4 p.m. ET with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook and FUEL TV.
For the latest UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMAWeekly Radio Fri: Pat Barry, John Cholish, Michael Johnson and UFC on Fox 3 Debate
UFC on Fox 3 fighters Pat Barry, Michael Johnson and John Cholish highlight Friday's special show with lots of UFC on Fox 3 debate happening as well.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, barry, debate, john cholish
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMAWeekly Radio Fri: Pat Barry, John Cholish, Michael Johnson and UFC on Fox 3 Debate
UFC on Fox 3 fighters Pat Barry, Michael Johnson and John Cholish highlight Friday's special show with lots of UFC on Fox 3 debate happening as well.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, barry, debate, john cholish
Read the full article at MMA Weekly
Official UFC on FOX 3 Weigh In Results
UFC on FOX 3, which is headlined by the five round lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and the welterweight bout between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks, airs live on FOX from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Fans can also tune in to FUEL TV for six televised prelims at 5pm ET / 2pm PT, and those who “like” the UFC on Facebook can see two prelim bouts at 4pm ET / 1pm PT.MAIN EVENT Jim Miller (156) VS Nate Diaz (156)FOX MAIN CARDJohny Hendricks (170.5) VS Josh Koscheck (170.5)Alan Belcher (186) VS Rousimar Palhares (186)Lavar Johnson (253) VS Pat Barry (244)FUEL TV FIGHTSMichael Johnson (156) VS Tony Ferguson (154.5)Tim Elliott (125) VS John Dodson (126)Pascal Krauss (169) VS John Hathaway (169)John Lineker (127*) vs Louis Gaudinot (126)John Cholish (155.5) VS Danny Castillo (155)Pablo Garza (145) vs Dennis Bermudez (145.5)ONLINE FIGHTSNick Denis (135) VS Roland Delorme (135)Karlos Vemola (185) VS Mike Massenzio (184)*Lineker came in overweight and will be fined. The fight will go on as scheduled
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, john
Read the full article at UFCDana White: UFC on Fox 3 fight card designed to be 'stylistically great'
After a reporter at today's UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight press conference expressed dissatisfaction with the UFC on Fox 2 main event between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, which went down on Jan. 28, 2012, from the United Center in Chicago, Ill., Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White defended the job he and UFC matchmaker extraordinaire Joe Silva have done in putting together the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's latest effort on network television.
You see, White doesn't expect Jim Miller and Nate Diaz, who are set to headline UFC on FOX 3 this weekend (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., aren't going to wrestle for 25 minutes like "Suga" and "Mr. Wonderful." And a quick knockout like the one Junior dos Santos scored against Cain Velasquez in the first-ever FOX fiasco is unlikely, too, according to White.
Because as he tells it, each fight on the UFC on Fox 3 main card has been carefully selected to deliver fight fans an exciting night of free MMA action.
White breaks it down:
"You never know, when you put enough good guys on a card, you're bound to get great fights. I don't see Barry and Lavar going to the distance. This fight here (Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher), either he's (Belcher) going to keep it standing and try not to go to the ground, he (Palhares) is going to try and go to the ground and rip his legs off. Ok, one of those things is gonna happen. These two guys (Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks) are both great wrestlers with knockout power. Who knows what's going to happen. On paper these are all great fights. These two (Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller), if this fight sucks, I don't know what to tell you man. I mean, these two are going to go in there and go at it for one round or five rounds they're gonna go. So, I believe that this card is great, we designed this card to stylistically to match up to be a great fight and everyone of these fights means something in these guys career and in this sport."
In other words, stay tuned because Saturday night's fights could be explosive.
The main event will have title implications on the line when Nate Diaz looks to earn his long-awaited title shot as he takes on the always dangerous and scrappy Jim Miller in a Lightweight battle.
Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will go toe-to-toe in the evenings co-main event as "Bigg Rigg" is also knocking on the floor of a Welterweight title shot should he get past on the wily Koscheck who will head into his first bout since parting ways from his long time training camp, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA.)
And that's apparently just the tip of the iceberg. Impressed?
For more on UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White will watch Mayweather vs. Cotto after UFC on FOX 3 ... and so should you
Who said professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) can't co-exist?
Dana White seems to think boxing and his MMA juggernaut, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), help each other out when they both have events on the same night. On Sept. 17, 2011, the promotion presented UFC Fight Night: "Battle in the Bayou -- Shields vs. Ellenberger," the same night that pay-per-view (PPV) giant Floyd Mayweather competed last against Victor Ortiz.
In 2009, the UFC went "head-to-head" against "Money" yet again as he took on Juan Manuel Marquez the same night UFC 103 went down in Dallas Texas, which featured a main event between Vitor Belfort and Rich Franklin.
On November 12, 2011, the UFC and Fox kicked of its partnership as the pair presented a monumental Heavyweight clash between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 1. Yet again, the sport of boxing was having a pretty big fight going on the same night with Manny Pacquiao taking on Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time.
This weekend (May 5, 2012), the UFC will stage UFC on Fox 3 from East Rutherford, N.J., while Mayweather takes on perhaps his toughest challenge to date in Puerto Rico's sensation, Miguel Cotto, from the fight capitol of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand garden Arena later the same night.
But is it a problem for Zuffa/UFC officials to be worried about? Will this weekend's stellar boxing match between Mayweather vs. Cotto affect the UFC numbers as it presents its third foray into national television?
UFC's head honcho, Dana White -- an avid boxing fan who has had his issues with "Money" in the past -- doesn't seem to think so. In fact, speaking at the UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight press conference today (May 3, 2012), White believes they help each other out.
Check it out:
"I think we both benefit from it and we've seen it in the numbers in the past. You know, everybody works hard all week, Monday through Friday and you have two days off. You have Friday night and you got Saturday night. You gotta do stuff with your kids, you gotta take your girl out, whatever your deal is, you have stuff to do. We compete with that every weekend. And I think on a night when you can watch the free fights on Fox and you can tune into the Mayweather fight after, more guys are going to stay home because there is a lot more going on that night. I know for a fact, every time we do these Fox cards, I have the fight in my room in the back and I go right back and I will Saturday, too. We will do these fights and then I'll go back and watch the Mayweather-Cotto fight right after, so. If you're a fight fan, it makes all the sense in the world to stay home on Saturday night."
On a Cinco de Mayo that is a fight fans dream, the good news is that people will not have to worry about choosing one over the other. UFC on Fox 3, which is headlined by Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on free Fox television, which will be way before "Money" steps into to the ring to battle "Junito" on PPV.
The boxing event will also feature an intriguing bout between surging Mexican sensation Saul "Canelo" Alvarez taking on boxing legend "Sugar" Shane Mosley in the co-main event of the evening.
You staying home?
For what it's worth, Dana and Floyd seem to have squashed any beef that may have existed between the two. For now, anyway.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, boxing
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White UFC on FOX 3 Presser Scrum
Dana White talks about several topics after the UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, dana, prefight
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseVideo: UFC on Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference
Thursday's UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight press conference is available following the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, prefight, video ufc
Read the full article at SherdogLatest UFC on FOX 3 odds and betting guide for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
No better time for a fight fiesta than on Cinco de Mayo.
Learning from the mistakes of its past two cards on the channel (namely, don't try to fill an hour with a single fight when one of the combatants has a metric ton of first round knockouts and don't fill your free card with grapplers whose number of recent finishes can be counted on one hand), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has put together a solid plethora of entertaining scraps for its third trip to the FOX network.
Lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz will collide in the UFC on Fox 3 five-round main event at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., while Johny Hendricks will look to add a bleached-blonde scalp to his growing collection when he faces Josh Koscheck in the co-featured fight of the night.
In addition, grappling master Rousimar Palhares and striking whiz Alan Belcher will look to take the next step toward the elite of the Middleweight division in other exciting televised main card mixed martial arts (MMA) action.
And where there's free entertainment, there's scratch to be made on the side.
Join us after the break for an in-depth look at the odds behind UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller" as we examine the betting lines for the upcoming MMA match ups this weekend in the "Garden State:"
UFC on FOX 3 Odds For The Under Card:
Nick Denis (-275) vs. Roland Delorme (+215)Danny Castillo (-130) vs. John Cholish (EVEN)Karlos Vemola (-120) vs. Mike Massenzio (-110)John Dodson (-500) vs. Timothy Elliott (+350)John Lineker (-325) vs. Louis Gaudinot (+250)John Hathaway (-230) vs. Pascal Krauss (+180)Dennis Bermudez (-185) vs. Pablo Garza (+150)Tony Ferguson (-270) vs. Michael Johnson (+210)
Thoughts: Nothing really jumps out to me as a bargain, but Bermudez strikes me as worth a bet at -185.
The Fredson Paixao and Yves Jabouin stoppages led to a serious overvaluation of Garza. He put down Paixao before we had a chance to see much of either’s skills, and Jabouin was in the process of turning Garza’s thighs into gelatin before getting submitted. Garza just had nothing to offer Dustin Poirier and is only a handful of fights removed from getting guillotined by Tiequan Zhang, a man whose massive shortcomings have gotten more and more apparent as time goes by. Bermudez has the wrestling and the chin to dictate where the fight goes and shrug off the majority of what Garza throws at him.
Go straight-up or parlay with Bermudez.
I’m trying to see another bet to accompany this, but the card is loaded with hard ones to call. I’m tempted to recommend putting Lineker in a parlay, but after Maxi’s pathetic flop of a debut, I’m not certain that’s a good idea. While I picked Cholish, I think Castillo is being slightly undervalued, and putting some on him wouldn’t be a bad idea.
UFC on FOX 3 Odds For The Main Card:
Pat Barry (-200) vs. Lavar Johnson (+160)Rousimar Palhares (-285) vs. Alan Belcher (+225)Johny Hendricks (-130) vs. Josh Koscheck (EVEN)Jim Miller (-230) vs. Nate Diaz (+180)
Thoughts: So much potential for highlight fodder. Let’s look closer.
Let me say this flat out: do not bet on any fights involving Pat Barry. Just don’t. The guy has huge power and is a hell of a lot faster than he lets on, but the man excels at losing fights he should win easily. While Johnson packs more power than anyone save perhaps Shane Carwin in the entire UFC, Barry should be able to pick him to pieces. Johnson is flat-footed and plodding, which makes him a perfect target for Barry’s bone-crushing leg kicks, and his cardio is fairly unproven.
But really, if I had to pick one guy in the UFC to run headfirst into one of Johnson’s uppercuts after dominating every second of the fight, it’d be Barry. Leave this be.
I have Palhares pegged as champion material. His ground game is the best in the division, his ground-and-pound is becoming terrifying, and his striking is always improving. That said, the guy’s fight IQ is just too bad for me to recommend betting on him against someone who, unlike Mike Massenzio, can end the fight after a single mistake on Rousimar’s part. I do think he’s going to tear Belcher in half, but just leave this one alone.
Considering how poor Koscheck has looked in his last two fights (what with losing most of a round on the feet to Matt Hughes and barely throwing a punch against Mike Pierce), even odds strike me as somewhat generous. Still, Hendricks has struggled in the past with aggressive wrestlers, having lost to Rick Story and eked out a decision over Pierce.
I’d still recommend putting Johny in a parlay, however, as I’m not convinced that the Georges St. Pierre beating didn’t erase Koscheck’s aggression.
Look, I can’t pick a Diaz fight objectively. I know that, you know that, so let’s just leave this fight alone. All I’ll say is that unless Diaz gets somewhere around +250, his poor track record against people with the wrestling prowess of Miller makes him not really worth a bet.
UFC on FOX 3 Best Bets:
Parlay: Dennis Bermudez and Johny Hendricks -- Bet $45 to make $77.65
Single Bet: Danny Castillo -- Bet $60 to make $46.15
Parlay: Danny Castillo and Johny Hendricks -- Bet $30 to make $63.91
Leg-shreddin’ black belts, headhunting welterweights, and two monster hitters. Life is good, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live bell-to-bell UFC on FOX 3 results this Saturday, which is as good a place as any to talk about all the action inside the Octagon, as well as what you've got riding on the sportsbook.
See you then!
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, bet
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 4 Fight Card Shaping Up
UFC on Fox 4 is looking pretty good already, and only four fights have been nailed down for the card so far. The event takes place on August 4th in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. It hasn't been decided what the main event will be, but the biggest bout announced so far is a light heavyweight battle between former champion Lyoto Machida and Ultimate Fighter 9 winner Ryan Bader. In addition to that, former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard will make his UFC debut against Brian Stann, and two UFC 146 heavyweight winner will face off when Travis Browne meets Ben Rothwell.
Here's how the early card looks right now.
Aug 4th, live on Fox from Los Angeles, CA:
Ryan Bader (14-2) vs. Lyoto Machida (17-3)
Hector Lombard (31-2-1, 1 NC) vs. Brian Stann (12-4)
Travis Browne (13-0-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (32-8)
Terry Etim (15-4) vs. Joe Lauzon (21-7)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 4
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, los angeles, brian stann
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3: Facebook to stream two previously dark 'Prelims' fights online
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced today (May 3, 2012) that the opening two "Prelims" bouts of the UFC on Fox 3 event, which is set to go down this weekend (May, 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center at East Rutherford, N.J., will be streamed live on Facebook.
The action will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's official Facebook page with bouts that include Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola after not having any plans to air them.
UFC President Dana White previously stated that "time issues" was the hurdle that previously prevented the fights from receiving any type of exposure (via Yahoo! Sports):
"That was a time issue. We're always trying to cram more matches in. We're always trying to give you as many fights as we can give you."
FX will broadcast the remaining six-fight "Prelims" under card on its network, beginning at 5 p.m. ET, with the main card action continuing on Fox at 8 p.m. ET.
UFC on FOX 3 will feature a Lightweight battle between Nate Diaz taking on Jim Miller, while the co-main event will showcase a Welterweight clash between Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks.
More is indeed better.
For the latest UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" fight card click here. To check out our complete UFC on FOX 3 event archive click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, facebook
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Highlights
Check out UFC on FOX 3 press conference highlights from Thursday's festivities at the Beacon Theatre in New York, N.Y.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, beacon theatre, thursdays festivities
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Photos
View this gallery here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, photo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseVIDEO: Jim Miller Talks About UFC on Fox Bout vs. Nate Diaz
UFC on Fox headliner Jim Miller talks about his preparation for Nate Diaz, his thoughts on fighting in his home state and his love of brewing his own beer.
Posted in: fox, miller, nate diaz, jim, home state
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWatch the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Pre-Fight News Conference Live
You can watch the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller pre-fight news conference live Thursday at HeavyMMA at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, miller, prefight
Read the full article at Heavy MMAPreviously Scheduled UFC on Fox 3 Dark Matches See the Light; Will Air on Facebook
The two UFC on Fox 3 preliminary bouts that were originally slated to be dark matches will instead stream live for free on Facebook.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, facebook, bull, facebook retweet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 dark matches now set to stream on Facebook
Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 dark matches will be available, after all.
After initially planning for the fights to be available only to those in attendance at the weekend's network-televised events, officials today announced the show's first two bouts now will stream live on Facebook.
The bouts include bantamweights Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and middleweights Karlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio.
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, vs, facebook
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC On Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video
Join us at Bloody Elbow for the UFC on Fox 33 pre-fight press conference from the Beacon Theater in Manhattan, New York. We're expecting Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Hendricks, and Josh Koscheck to be in attendance for today's presser.
You can catch the action on the Youtube stream below the jump, but if that doesn't work for some reason you can always check it out over at MMA Fighting.
We'll update the post with highlights from the press conference as they happen.
Join us at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT to share your thoughts as the press conference unfolds.
Main Card:
Nate Diaz vs. Jim MillerJohny Hendricks vs. Josh KoscheckAlan Belcher vs. Rousimar PalharesPat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Preliminary Card:
Tony Ferguson vs. Michael JohnsonJohn Dodson vs. Tim ElliottJohn Hathaway vs. Pascal KraussLouis Gaudinot vs. John LinekerDanny Castillo vs. John CholishDennis Bermudez vs. Pablo GarzaRoland Delorme vs. Nick DenisMike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: press conference, fox, conference, vs, press
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 video diary for Jim Miller (the pie maker)
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Jim Miller likes to brew beer right in his own driveway in the suburbs of North Jersey. That is, when he's not hunting, fishing, making his own furniture or changing his own brakes.
But you knew that already.
What you didn't know, is just how good the Sparta wrestler was inside the kitchen. According to his trainer, Mike Constantino (via NJ Star Ledger), he'll knock your socks off with his pie-making skills.
"He makes a mean lemon meringue pie. You think UFC fighter, but it's the hidden stuff. There's so much more to the guy."
Creaming Melvin Guillard earlier this year in Nashville earned him a shot at fellow aspiring contender Nate Diaz, who meets the AMA Fight Club product in the main event of UFC on FOX 3 this Saturday night (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
And if he wins, maybe he can get a pie in the face, New York Yankee style?
For more on UFC on FOX 3 click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc fighter, championship ufc, pie
Read the full article at MMA ManiaInside the Workout of UFC on Fox’s Rousimar Palhares
Paula Sack takes us inside a strength training workout of Rousimar Palhares, who faces Alan Belcher at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller on Saturday in New Jersey.
Posted in: alan belcher, fox, palhare, rousimar palhares, rousimar
Read the full article at Heavy MMABad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 161: Duke Roufus, Mark Pavelich, Kaitlin Young, UFC On FOX Preview
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts Matt Bishop and MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger as they return to discuss all the latest news in mixed martial arts, including a preview of Saturday's UFC on FOX 3, which is headlined by a lightweight bout between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. Also on the card, Josh Koscheck battles Johny Hendricks in welterweight action, Rousimar Palhares meets Alan Belcher at middleweight and Pat Barry faces Lavar Johnson a heavyweight tilt.
We have a loaded lineup of guests. We're scheduled to be joined by:
Noted MMA trainer Duke Roufus, as he prepares for several of his fighters to be in action this weekend, not only at UFC on FOX, but also at his NAFC event Friday in Milwaukee, which features Sergio Pettis. We'll chat with him about his busy week, how camp has been going for his fighters and much more.
We'll also welcome MFC owner Mark Pavelich to the show to preview Friday's MFC 33 in Edmonton. We'll chat about the show, why MFC is going back to the ring as opposed to the cage and more.
We'll also chat with Invicta FC fighter Kaitlin Young fresh off her epic battle with Leslie Smith last weekend. We'll talk about that fight, whether a rematch is next and more.
Finally, we'll talk to Bloody Elbow managing editor Brent Brookhouse about this weekend's big boxing fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Get your Alexander Gustafsson UFC on FUEL TV walk out T-shirt only from Bad Boy at the brand new BadBoy.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
Want to get in touch with the BE Radio crew? Here's how you can do so:
Phone: (347) 202-0934E-mail: bloodyelbowradio@gmail.comTwitter: @mbish86 or @BrianHemmingerBloodyElbow.com: Leave a question or comment in this post
For those calling in, you will first be picked up by our producer who will take your information and get what you want to talk about. You will then be queued. We will try to get to everyone as soon as we can. We ask that you call in around the time of the topic you want to discuss.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, radio, elbow radio, elbow
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 press conference video and LIVE updates today (May 3) for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New York
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will hold a public press conference today (May 3, 2012) in advance of UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller," which will take place this Saturday night (May 5) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The press conference will begin promptly at 2 p.m. ET live from the Beacon Theater in Manhattan, New York.
Scheduled to attend will be main card fighters Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher, Rousimar Palhares, Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson.
The stakes are even higher in both the main and co-main event after UFC President Dana White recently confirmed that both Diaz and Hendricks will earn division title shots if they can emerge victorious in "Dirty Jersey." Miller and Koscheck, meanwhile, even in victory, will still have some work to do before getting a crack at the crown.
And speaking of crowns getting cracked, Pat Barry is always good for a sound byte (or 10).
We'll deliver the minute-by-minute updates from the UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference below, as well as feature the LIVE video feed after the jump.
Nostradumbass here. See you at 2 p.m.
Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FOX 3, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on FUEL TV scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the three featured fights mentioned above as they happen, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
To see what else is happening at UFC on FOX 3 check out the complete fight card and line-up right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, pm, press
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPistols and Predictions - UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller featuring Ronda Rousey
It's time to raid under your parents' bed, get those guns from the shoe box and do absolutely nothing because we don't condone random acts of gun firing. If you're going to blast any firearm, we suggest you do it in a controlled environment like The Gun Store in Las Vegas. If at any circumstance you find yourself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, then that rule does not apply. If you're under the threat of an endless amount of undead, conserve your ammo and remember that head shots are the only way to go.
In this new episode of Pistols and Predictions, Ronda Rousey takes her aim at predicting UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller through the use of very large weapons. There's even a little Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix action thrown in solely for your enjoyment. Don't forget to watch UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller this Saturday 5 pm PST/8 pm EST on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, gun, enjoyment dont
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on FOX 3 Open Workout Video
NEW YORK -- MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon was on the scene at the UFC on FOX 3 open workouts at the Church Street Boxing Gym on Wednesday afternoon. Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, who will compete in Saturday's night main event, are featured in the video below.
Check it out after the jump.
Posted in: fox, video, jim miller, workout video, saturdays night
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch Today’s Live UFC on Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video
Watch Thursday's UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller pre-fight press conference streaming live on MMAWeekly.com.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, today ’s, thursdays ufc, bull, mmaweeklycom retweet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs Miller Open Workouts
Michael Bisping Hosts Q&A Before UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Weigh-ins
UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping will host a question-and-answer session with fans Friday prior to the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller weigh-ins in New Jersey.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, questionandanswer session, fans friday
Read the full article at Heavy MMAStars of the UFC and Strikeforce Ring the Bell During NASDAQ Visit
Las Vegas, Nevada - The stars of mixed martial arts (MMA) and FOX Sports were out in force in New York on Tuesday, as reigning UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, 2004 Olypmian and reigning Strikeforce women's champion Ronda Rousey, former UFC lightweight king Frankie Edgar and UFC on FOX host Curt Menefee rang the Opening Bell at NASDAQ's MarketSite in Times Square.The MMA visited the MarketSite in anticipation of this Saturday's huge UFC on FOX event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which features a quadruple header of exciting match-ups across four weight classes.Third UFC on FOX event airs over primetime this Saturday, May 5, from 8 pm to 10 pm Easter (5 pm to 7 pm PT).In what will be the fastest two-hours of fighting this weekend, UFC on FOX features the lightweight title eliminator between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, the welterweight battle between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks, a middleweight showdown between Rousimar Palhares and Alan Belcher - plus the potential heavyweight thriller between puncher Pat Barry and Levar Johnson.For more information, visit UFC.comWatch the Video Here
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, welterweight battle, title eliminator
Read the full article at UFCUFC on FOX 3 Open Workout Interviews: Diaz, Miller, Koscheck, Hendricks, Barry, Johnson, Belcher
UFC on FOX 3 open workout interviews with Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: alan belcher, fox, miller, workout interviews, hendrick
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 3 open media workout photos gallery for 'Diaz vs Miller' in New Jersey
Mixed martial arts (MMA) shutterbug sensation, Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com, was on the scene at the Church Street Boxing Gym in lower Manhattan earlier today (May 2, 2012) to shoot several of the notable fighters who will compete on the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" main card for the event's open media workouts.
Naturally, the two men who will collide in the main event of the evening, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, were on the scene to promote their Lightweight clash, which now has 155-pound title implications on the line.
The other main card fighters who will be featured on the FOX broadcast -- Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson, Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares -- were also on the scene to work up one of the last few real sweats prior to fight night (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Check out more great pics from the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" open media workout after the jump, courtesy of Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com:
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on the FOX network. We'll also deliver live results from the "Prelims" bouts on FX earlier than that around 5 p.m. ET.
For more on UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" be sure to check out our complete event archive right here. To view Lin's complete photo gallery for this event CLICK HERE.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3: Full Card Betting Lines
We already discussed some of the UFC on Fox 3 betting lines a few days ago. I said that Jim Miller, Lavar Johnson, and Pablo Garza were all quality bets. Now the rest of the undercard lines are out, and BE is here to give you average-at-best advice about who to bet on. My quick perusal of the undercard has revealed some interesting results. First, it seems that people are betting the poopy out of Pascal Krauss. He opened at +205 and was bet down almost immediately. Does that make him a solid bet? I'd say so. If you can get him at +185 still, jump on that. He's already down as low as +165 on other sites.
Other than that though - there's really not a lot that looks too interesting. Delorme and Gaudinot don't look good to me, and the rest of the fights are pretty even. Tread lightly. Here are the current lines for the card:
Lines via bookmaker.eu
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) +190 vs. Jim Miller (21-3) -240
Josh Koscheck (17-5) EV vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1) -130
Alan Belcher (17-6) +230 vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3) -290
Pat Barry (7-4) -215 vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5) +175
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Pablo Garza (11-2) +150 vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3) -180
Tony Ferguson (13-2) -260 vs. Michael Johnson (10-6) +210
John Dodson (12-5) -500 vs. Tim Elliott (8-2) +350
John Hathaway (15-1) -235 vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0) +185
Danny Castillo (13-4) -130 vs. John Cholish (8-1) EV
Nick Denis (11-2) -250 vs. Roland Delorme (7-1) +200
Mike Massenzio (13-6) -105 vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2) -125
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) +250 vs. John Lineker (19-5) -320
Posted in: fox, vs, john, line, bet
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz Scrum
UFC on FOX 3: Pat Barry Scrum
Posted in: ufc, fox, barry, scrum
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3: Lavar Johnson Scrum
UFC on FOX 3 Workout Photos
View this gallery here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, workout, photo, gallery
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMike Chandler talks his Bellator 67 match up with Akihiro Gono; Talks UFC on FOX 3′s Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller match up
So with all the hoopla of Mayweather vs. Cotto going on this week, I feel that fight fans in general may be overlooking some very solid and entertaining fights that will also be happening this weekend. The first that may come to mind for you is the UFC on FOX 3 card, which will highlight [...]
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, fight fans, week i
Read the full article at Fighthub TVMike Chandler talks his Bellator 67 match up with Akihiro Gono; Talks UFC on FOX 3′s Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller match up
So with all the hoopla of Mayweather vs. Cotto going on this week, I feel that fight fans in general may be overlooking some very solid and entertaining fights that will also be happening this weekend. The first that may come to mind for you is the UFC on FOX 3 card, which will highlight [...]
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, fight fans, week i
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUFC on FOX 3: Josh Koscheck Scrum
UFC on FOX 3: Jim Miller Scrum
UFC on FOX 3: Johny Hendricks Scrum
UFC On Fox 3: Lack Of Star Power Will Test The UFC Brand
This Saturday, the UFC makes its third trip to primetime network television with UFC on Fox 3. Headlined by Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz, this is a fascinating card with big title implications. There's talk of the Miller vs. Diaz winner moving on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson for the UFC Lightweight title. We could also easily see the same scenario in the Welterweight division, with the Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks winner moving into the #1 contender slot. Add in a pair of fun fights in Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher and Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, and you have a slam dunk of a card that I am very excited for.
The trouble is, despite these well put together fights, this card is lacking something. In a word: star power. And for the Fox broadcasts, that lack of star power could be critical.
Compare the recognition of fighters on this card to the last two Fox outings. First time up, the Heavyweight title was on the line, with two men who had seen a lot of media exposure. Velasquez won the title in a big PPV, and dos Santos was coming off TUF. The result? 8.8 million people turned in for the fight, making it the highest rated MMA event in the history of US network TV. It also pulled in a 4.3 rating in the coveted male 18-34 demographic, and a 5.7 million average viewership.
UFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK
For the Fox return, we had Rashad Evans headlining - a former champion who had recently been in the big-selling Rampage fight. Beneath him, former PPV headliners Sonnen and Bisping (and, to be fair, Maia). That show did see a bit of a dip, with a 6+ million peak, 3.21 rating in that same demographic, and a 4.7 million average. Down, but still very strong.
So what can we expect this show?
SBNation Coverage UFC On Fox 3
Of all 8 main card fighters, only Koscheck has ever been in a PPV main event. There simply is not a name here that can be relied on to grab fan interest (except maybe "Diaz" if Nate can siphon off some of big brother Nick's publicity). Another dip from those last numbers seems inevitable, but the question is how much of a dip?
That answer will be very telling. Without a title fight or a proven name, this card will be a test of the strength of the UFC brand. Just how many fans are willing to turn in to the Fox shows no matter what? What is that baseline audience for these network shows? I suspect we will find out on Saturday.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, card
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 3: ESPN Will Not Show Event Live In UK
Bad news for fans in the UK, as the ESPN premium subscription sports network will not be showing the UFC On Fox 3 event, headlined by Nate Diaz taking on Jim Miller in a potential Number #1 contenders bout for the Lightweight title.
At least, ESPN will not be showing the fight card live, possibly due to a program scheduling conflict. ESPN will however broadcast the event on tape delay Sunday night at 10:30 PM GMT.
Related Stories
Despite Dan Hardy Headlining, ESPN UK Not Broadcasting Versus Card | With TUF on FX UK is UFC on Sky Sports Inevitable? | UFC Velasquez vs Dos Santos to Air on Premier Sports, Virgin Media Customers Lose Out
However, if you simply can't wait that long and have to get a live UFC fix, fear not: UFC.TV will be live streaming the event in the UK for free. Simply create an account (at no expense) if you haven't one already, and sign in to watch on Saturday night.
UFC.TV allows you to watch from different camera angles, have different audio feeds including from the Red or Blue corner, pause and even rewind the action. You can now even interact while watching, with the Enhanced Viewing experience allowing you to score the rounds how you see fit and compare your judging skills with the rest of the UFC.TV audience. You can even check on twitter discussion of the event, or join the UFC.TV chat room without leaving the page.
(Read more after the jump)
SBNation Coverage UFC On Fox 3
OK, it's not ideal, but you can't fault the UFC on this one, and they have managed to make lemonade out of lemons. ESPN has previously had problems showing UFC events, including UFC's first show on Fox featuring the Heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, and a Dan Hardy headlined UFC on Versus card against Chris Lytle.
ESPN's deal with the UFC is up for renewal later this summer, and it will be interesting to see the decisions Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta make for the UK market. FX is available in the UK, but may not be setup for live programming, while Sky Sports -- ESPN's biggest rival -- is available in more homes, has more sports channels for content, and has a connection to Fox Sports through David Hill, who started with Sky and helped build their sports network and soccer coverage in the late 1980's, before heading to Fox to do the same with Fox Sports and their NFL coverage.
KJ Gould
Email KJ.Cageside@gmail.comTwitter @KJGouldFacebook KJ Gould
Posted in: ufc, fox, espn, sport, uk
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJosh Koscheck Calls Reporter A "Fu**ing Retard" At UFC on FOX 3 Open Workouts
submitted by BreakfastGuru [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fox, josh koscheck, josh, reporter, breakfastguru
Read the full article at RedditDana White UFC on FOX 3 Video Blog: Urijah Faber, UFC 145 behind the scenes
It's "fight week, blog week", as UFC President Dana White takes us behind the scenes of UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia, and TUF Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC on FOX 3 is headlined by the Lightweight collision between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, also featuring Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, Belcher vs. Palhares, and Koscheck vs. Hendricks.
Further Reading: Submit your picks for UFC on FOX
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, nate diaz, tuf gym
Read the full article at Low KickMorning Report: UFC Fighters Ring Bell at NASDAQ, UFC on Fox 3 Promotion Heats Up
We're almost there, folks. The formal, on-site coverage for UFC on Fox 3 kicks off today. I know yesterday I wondered aloud why there were no Dana White video blogs and it turns out I just wasn't paying close enough attention. There's not only one, but two and we've got them both included in today's round-up.
One of the more interesting storylines as we approach the UFC's third show on Fox is just how much Josh Koscheck believes he's going through of a technical renaissance now that he's left American Kickboxing Academy. Koscheck has a new boxing coach who is suggesting that the former welterweight top contender will be able to easily exploit the technical deficiencies in Johny Hendricks' game.
It's a gutsy statement, but it's one only made possible by Koscheck admitting that up until getting this coach, he never knew basic mechanics: how to throw a jab, slip a jab and more. I don't know if that's true, but I also don't know why he'd say it if it weren't. For a fighter to admit that publicly is a rare moment of candor, folks.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
The Case for Public Fighter Pay. Our own Mike Chiappetta tries to lay out the case for why the pay fighters make should be a matter of public record.
Shannon Knapp Says UFC Very Supportive. The brains behind Invicta FC told Bloody Elbow that the brass at UFC have been complete supportive of her promotional efforts.
Ross Pearson Arrested on Suspicion of DUI. The British striker allegedly had a bit too much to drink and then decided to get behind the wheel of a car.
Clay Guida Calls Maynard Bout 'High Risk, High Reward'. MMA Fighting spoke to the Greg Jackson-trained lightweight about the stakes in his upcoming fight with Gray Maynard.
Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier Hold Media Scrum. Just one day before UFC 145 in Atlanta, the two Strikeforce grand prix finalists spoke to the media on a huge range of issues.
MEDIA STEW
I said there was no UFC on Fox 3 Dana White video blog yesterday. I was wrong. Here's episode 1:
And here's episode 2:
Remember the story of Chael Sonnen getting tricked with the shock pen while he was in Brazil? There's video of it:
Apparently, a 53-year old man was able to get into a MMA cage and fight someone 21-years old on less than an hour's notice. This according to Stephan Bonnar. So, I guess that's that when it comes to regulation:
BIG SEXY GOT JOKES
Sometimes I like to go to the grocery, and do all my shopping out of other people's carts when they're not looking
— Sean McCorkle (@BigSexyMcCorkle) May 1, 2012
HOW RANDOM IS RANDOM?
If u ask for a random drug test, isn't really random then?
— Duane Ludwig (@DUANEBANGCOM) April 30, 2012
ARMBAR THEM
Guess what? I still haven't got my bag from #delta @deltaassist.Almost 2 weeks now since they lost my bag. any ideas as to what should I do?
— ROBERT DRYSDALE (@robertdrysdale) May 1, 2012
DEEP THOUGHTS, Y'ALL
In order to create, you must destroy.
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 1, 2012
NOVER MAKES PREDICTIONS
Im going with Miller 4 this weekends @ufc. I'm calling it a three round decision -Miller. I think he is a bit more talented then Diaz.
— Phillipe Nover (@PhillipeNover) May 1, 2012
Look who is ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock market opening bell. Oh, no big deal. Just a few UFC fighters and a Strikeforce champion. That's all.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
- UFC 150: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman
- UFC 150: Jamie Varner vs. Edson Barboza
- UFC 147: Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy krste and they want to know if UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz's footwork and striking is so bad, how come no one is able to really hit him?
Many detractors of Dominick's style are coming from a Boxing background and claim that his technique is flawed and ineffective. Since my striking knowledge is limited at best my counter to that is that Dominic is not a Boxer, he is an MMA fighter, so what works in boxing might not work in MMA if translated directly. To me, his head and feet movement are a thing of beauty, the way he attacks from angles and evades incoming attacks with his hands down, swaying and slipping like some sort of a zombie cobra reminds me of my younger days when me and my dad used to watch our favorite boxer, Naseem Hamed, although the zombie quality is uniquely attached to Dominick's movement.
To get back to my original point, if the striking of the current bantamweight champion is so flawed why hasn't anyone exploited those flaws yet, why does he still have the belt? My question is not intended to sound sarcastic, i am merely curious since i lack the knowledge of the striking game to conclude for myself whether Dominick is Mayhem-esque in his striking game or Spider like.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, day, mdash
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White’s UFC on FOX 3 Video Blog: Cruz & Faber Fight Picks, UFC 145 Behind The Scenes
Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz make their UFC on FOX 3 fight picks in this second installment of Dana White’s UFC on FOX 3 video blog. Dana also brings fans some behind the scenes footage of UFC 145.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, scenes footage, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White UFC on Fox 3 Video Blog Day 2
UFC president Dana White is back with Dominick Cruz and Faber making their UFC on Fox 3 picks, plus an emotional behind the scenes look at UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, dominick cruz, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White UFC on Fox New Jersey vlog day 2
submitted by rx25 [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, vlog, rx
Read the full article at Reddit
ULTMMA Podcast Episode 23: Interview with Johny Hendricks, UFC on Fox 3 preview & robot Jones vs. robot Silva
Podcast Powered By Podbean Topics covered in this episode -New and notes with Fedor's love/hate with the UFC, Shogun's body and Hector Lombard's UFC debut all get put under the microscope -UFC on Fox 3 preview and picks- Johny Hendricks discusses his passion for hunting, UFC on Fox fight week, and his decision to pick MMA over a potential Olympic run-Jim Miller or Nate Diaz? What is Diaz's game plan for a upset? *Subscribe to our podcast through iTunes or search "ULTMMA" in the iTunes app *Subscribe to the RSS feed of our show at http://dstmark.podbean.com/feed
Posted in: ufc, fox, podcast, nate diaz, johny hendricks
Read the full article at UltMMADana White’s UFC on Fox 3 Vlog, Episode One (Video)
Fight week, blog week!
UFC president Dana White released the first installment of video blogs chronicling the lead-up to and aftermath from the impending UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller fight card. In this week’s episode, Uncle Dana switches things up, explaining that the standard vlog format you’ve all come to know and love will return later this week.
For now though, we get an extended look at Urijah Faber getting his flex on in front of reflective glass while White and company film him clandestinely.
UFC on Fox 3 goes down this Saturday, May 5, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event will see lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller square off for a possible title shot.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, week, fox, dana, vlog format
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTravis Browne-Ben Rothwell on tap for UFC on FOX 4
While Travis Browne continues to train in case an injury occurs and he needs to step in at UFC 146 later this month, “Hapa” now has an opponent confirmed for his next fight and it isn’t attached to the May card.
Rather, Browne will meet Ben Rothwell at UFC on FOX 4. The show is scheduled for August 4 with Los Angeles serving as host.
Rothwell (32-8) positioned himself nicely in the UFC’s heavyweight division by knocking out Brendan Schaub last month. The win not only evened his UFC mark at 2-2 but gave him a quality win in the promotion.
Meanwhile, Browne (13-0-1) should post a great challenge for Rothwell. Stefan Struve and Chad Griggs are among Browne’s latest victims, the latter of which came at the same card as Rothwell’s win over Schaub.
The UFC on FOX 4 lineup is shaping up nicely, as Ryan Bader-Lyoto Machida, Hector Lombard-Brian Stann, and Joe Lauzon-Terry Etim are also expected to take place that night.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TAPOUT
Posted in: ufc, fox, rothwell, browne, ufc mark
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainBen Rothwell vs. Travis Browne added to UFC on Fox 4
submitted by JoeAdroit [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, ben, travi, joeadroit
Read the full article at RedditDana White Video Blog for UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller – Day 1
UFC president Dana White takes a different spin on his first video blog of UFC on Fox fight week – when he catches top bantamweight contender Urijah Faber posin' down.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, video blog, blog
Read the full article at Heavy MMAMachida vs. Bader, Browne vs. Rothwell added to UFC on Fox 4
A pair of bouts has been added to the UFC’s “UFC on Fox 4″ card. In a light heavyweight clash, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida will face the former Sun Devil standout Ryan Bader. The second bout pits two fighters coming off big UFC 145 victories as heavyweights Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell will go head to head.
The UFC announced both bouts earlier via UFC.com.
Lyoto Machida will be looking to right the course after falling to 1-3 in his last four, the most recent being to champion Jon Jones at UFC 140. The karate-based fighter will face off against former ASU wrestler Ryan Bader. Bader will be looking to extend his current two-fight win-streak to three coming off his dominant performance over another former champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
In a plus-sized match up, powerful heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Travis Browne will face off. Both are coming off respective wins over Brendan Schaub and Chad Griggs at UFC 145. Both fighters love to stand and trade and both are over 6’4″. While Browne will enjoy his usual height advantage, he will be giving up a 2″ reach advantage to the Duke Roufus product.
UFC on Fox 4 takes place August 4 live from Los Angeles, Californina.
For more on UFC on Fox 4 and all your MMA needs, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, browne, bader
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThis is probably the baddest threesome brought in to ring the stock market bell ever
That banner picture just makes me want to repeatedly sing "We're the three best friends that anyone could have!" in my best Alan from The Hangover voice but rust me none of you want to hear my normal singing voice much less that of me attempting to sound like a one man wolfpack. Instead you chcould check out this little video snip from IronForgesIron.com of Jon Jones, Frankie Edgar and Ronda Rousey ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell this morning. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a publicity stunt for this weekend's UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs Miller event, but from the looks of this clip the fox newsreporters ame down with temporary "OOH Shiny!" syndrome over the movie The Avengers and kind of pointed out our devil's threeway of real life super human beings at the end of the clip as not much more than an after thought. Just another reason to dislike FOX news. Check it out:
{iframe}http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xqijh3{/iframe}
Posted in: fox, banner picture, ronda rousey, baddest threesome, temporary ooh
Read the full article at Middle EasyLyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader Set for UFC on Fox 4 in Los Angeles
Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida has agreed to a big bout with Ryan Bader, Season 8 winner of "The Ultimate Fighter," at UFC on Fox 4 in August.
Posted in: ufc, fox, los angeles, machida, bader
Read the full article at Heavy MMABen Rothwell vs Travis Browne booked for UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles
Time to separate the men from the boys.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bulking up its UFC on FOX 4 fight card and line-up, literally, adding a pair of super-sized heavyweights in the form of Ben Rothwell vs. Travis Browne, who are expected to do battle on Aug. 4, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
UFC officials brought word of the beefy brouhaha late last night.
Rothwell 2.0 erased the memories of last year's stinker against Mark Hunt by hitting the kill switch on heavyweight "Hybrid" Brendan Schaub. "Big" Ben looked downright little compared to previous appearances and used his newfound nimbleness to score a first round knockout at UFC 145 in Atlanta.
But he wasn't the only one turning some heads in the "Big Peach."
Brown has run his undefeated streak to 13 fights, marred only by a controversial draw against Cheick Kongo at UFC 120 in late 2010. He dug a grave for Strikeforce import Chad Griggs back on April 21 and is clearly ready for bigger and better things within the division.
Today Ben Rothwell, tomorrow top five?
UFC on FOX 4 is expected to feature the recently announced middleweight bout of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon are also scheduled for the "City of Angels."
For the latest UFC on Fox 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, rothwell, ben
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 4 Draws Travis Browne vs. Ben Rothwell
Fresh off respective award-winning performances at UFC 145, big men Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell have been paired off for a UFC on FOX 4 encounter.
The heavyweight tangle was announced overnight by the promotion.
Both men won in short order at UFC 145.
Browne continued his unbeaten stretch with an arm-triangle submission win over Chad Griggs in just 2:29. It was his first tapout win in the UFC, and only the second of his career as he improved to 13-0-1. For his efforts, he won the Submission of the Night bonus.
Rothwell took one of the evening's other big prizes, Knockout of the Night, needing just 70 seconds to conquer Brendan Schaub. It was an emotional win for the longtime veteran, who said afterward that he probably would have retired if he had lost.
Rothwell is 32-8 overall, and while he's been around the MMA scene for over a decade, at 30 years old, he's just nine months older than Browne.
UFC on FOX 4 takes place on August 4 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Other announced fights include Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader, and Brian Stann taking on the debuting former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rothwell, browne, awardwinning performances
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseHeavyweights Travis Browne vs. Ben Rothwell joins UFC on FOX 4 lineup
A heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell is the latest addition to this summer's UFC on FOX 4 fight card.
UFC officials announced the fight overnight.
Although not officially announced, the network-televised UFC on FOX 4 event is expected to take place Aug. 4 at Los Angeles' Staples Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, travis browne, networktelevised ufc, summers ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieDana White UFC on FOX New Jersey vlog day 1
submitted by killzy707 [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, killzy, vlog
Read the full article at RedditLyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader Planned for UFC on FOX 4
Lyoto Machida finally has his next matchup.
In his first fight since a UFC light-heavyweight championship defeat at the hands of Jon Jones, the Brazilian karate master will face Ryan Bader. The bout will take place at UFC on FOX 4. It was first reported by Brazilian news outlet Esporte and confirmed by the UFC.
Once thought to be an unsolvable opponent, Machida has lost three of his last four, though one of those, a split decision loss to Quinton Jackson, was controversial. His only win since the start of 2010 was a knockout of Randy Couture at April 2011's UFC 129.
Machida most recently lost to Jones by second-round submission last December, and has been awaiting an opponent since. He is 17-3 overall.
Bader, meanwhile, will hope to take into the fight the momentum of consecutive wins. His most recent, a unanimous decision victory over Jackson, marked his most significant victory to date. Prior to that, he knocked out Jason Brilz. With the two-fight win streak, he is now 14-2.
UFC on FOX 4 is penciled in for August 4, emanating from Los Angeles' Staples Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, machida, bader, secondround submission
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 3 Bout Order Set, Two Fights Not Being Televised
The UFC on Fox 3 bout order has been figured out by the UFC, and unfortunately they decided to not use Facebook this time so two bouts aren't scheduled to be shown on any platform. Nick Denis vs. Roland Delorme and Karlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio will be the dark matches. Six fights will air on Fuel TV, and the top four will go down on Fox. The Fuel broadcast kicks off at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT and the main card broadcast on Fox starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Here's how the card breaks down.
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3)
Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Alan Belcher (17-6) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3)
Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Fuel TV Card:
Tony Ferguson (13-2) vs. Michael Johnson (10-6)
John Dodson (12-5) vs. Tim Elliott (8-2)
John Hathaway (15-1) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0)
Danny Castillo (13-4) vs. John Cholish (8-1)
Pablo Garza (11-2) vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3)
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5)
Unaired prelims:
Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Roland Delorme (7-1)
Mike Massenzio (13-6) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, john
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRyan Bader vs Lyoto Machida fight booked for UFC on FOX 4 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles
It's time to determine which Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight hopeful is a 205-pound title contender or just another pretender.
The world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion tonight (April 30, 2012) passed along a report via Twitter.com that indicates a fight between The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner Ryan Bader against former division champion Lyoto Machida is on tap for UFC on Fox 4 this fall.
Bader is on a two-fight win streak after losing back-to-back bouts last year to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. Heading into the showdown with "Bones," Bader was considered to be among the brightest division prospects thanks to his powerful wrestling background and heavy hands.
With a recent three-round domination of former division champion, Quinton Jackson, in his most recent appearance at UFC 144, "Darth" is getting closer to regaining the juice that Jones squeezed dry back in Feb. 2011. And another solid performance over another former champion on national television will certainly get him one step closer to earning a rematch with Jones.
But, it's not going to be easy.
Machida, too, recently steered himself out of an uncharacteristic losing skid with a sensational front-kick knockout over Randy Couture back at UFC 129. Unfortunately, the taste of victory was short-lived because of an opportunity to challenge Jones for the belt he lost Mauricio Rua two years ago.
Jones ended the fight in dramatic fashion, wrapping his long arms around the throat of "The Dragon" in round two and securing a standing guillotine choke that put the Brazilian to sleep. It is certainly a memory that Machida would like to put in the rear-view mirror sooner rather than later. And there's no better way to do that than to get back inside the Octagon with a fighter who is equally as motivated to get back on top.
Nice match-making, fun fight.
UFC on Fox 4 is scheduled to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sat., Aug. 4, 2012. Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann and Joe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim are the only other bouts penciled in for the Fox fight card card at this time.
For the latest UFC on Fox 4 news and notes be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fox, machida
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 4 Draws Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida
Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida attempt to get back in the title hunt when they square off at UFC on Fox 4 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Posted in: fox, machida, bader, bull, title hunt
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On Fox 3 Full-Fight Videos: Pat Barry Vs. Moorecraft, Lavar Johson Vs. Beltran
UFC Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will meet at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in East Rutherford, New Jersey's Izod Center. The two knock-out artists are kicking off the broadcast portion of the card and are clearly being put in a spot to provide some fireworks to kick off the broadcast.
Fuel TV has release some full-fight videos featuring the most recent UFC performances by both men. Below is Pat Barry's KO win over Christian Morecraft from UFC on FX in January of this year. It was Barry's 6th KO win of his career.
Barry certainly needed the win following two losses in a row to Stefan Struve and Cheick Kongo. He improved his overall MMA record to 7-4 and his UFC record to 4-4.
We'll see Lavar Johnson KO'ing Joey Beltran after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Lavar Johnson made his UFC debut against Joey Beltran at UFC on Fox 2 in January. He came into the UFC from Strikeforce where he'd lost his last 2 fights. He emphatically made the case that he belongs in the UFC by finishing the UFC veteran Beltran.
Posted in: ufc, fox, barry, beltran, lavar
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX: The Nate Diaz Story
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, story, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX video: The Nate Diaz story
From Stockton, Calif., all the way to East Rutherford, N.J., follow along with the story of Nate Diaz as he prepares for his UFC on Fox 3 headlining bout against Jim Miller on May 5, 2012, at the IZOD Center.
On the line is a lightweight title shot, or at least that's a distinct possibility. Miller expects to get one if he wins the bout and there's an argument to be made for Diaz as well. Were he to emerge victorious, he would have three consecutive victories in one of the toughest divisions in the UFC against three game opponents, no less than two of which saw him win a bonus award.
Sounds like enough, no? Or would you Maniacs disagree with Diaz being awarded a title shot with a win over Miller?
For all the latest and greatest news and notes on the UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event click here.
Posted in: ufc, title shot, diaz, fox, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Betting Lines
Some of the betting lines are out for UFC on Fox 3. The four main card fights and two of the preliminary ones are out so far, with the rest likely coming on fight week. Of the lines that are out, I like a few. I think Jim Miller at -215 is a steal. I just don't see Nate Diaz as a top challenger at lightweight, while Miller is one of the very best. I also like Lavar Johnson at +175. Lavar is a beast on the feet and Barry has no real submission game to speak of, so it should be much closer to even.Finally, I think Pablo Garza is a great bet at +145. He's a talented fighter, and I really don't think Dennis Bermudez is all that great at all.
Anyway, here are the lines that are out right now:
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) +175 vs. Jim Miller (21-3) -215
Josh Koscheck (17-5) EV vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1) -120
Alan Belcher (17-6) +240 vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3) -280
Pat Barry (7-4) -210 vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5) +175
Pablo Garza (11-2) +145 vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3) -175
Tony Ferguson (13-2) -270 vs. Michael Johnson (10-6) +210
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: fox, vs, miller, line, lavar johnson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC CENTRAL: Miller vs. Diaz predictions
A look at who should win the featured fights at UFC on FOX 3 including a bout between lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, miller, jim
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 3 Conference Call Audio
Audio from today’s UFC on FOX 3 conference call via BJPenn.com. Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks were on the call.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, johny hendricks, johny
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC On Fox 3 Conference Call Updates
UFC on Fox 3 will see Jim Miller take on Nate Diaz in a fight that will have major implications on the lightweight tile picture as one man emerges as a title challenger. A conference call will be held today at 1:30 p.m. ET with Miller and Diaz both answering media questions and talking about their fight.
Also on the call, Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck will discuss their fight in the co-main event slot.
The UFC on Fox 3 card looks like this:
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson
John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
Pablo Garza vs. Dennis Bermudez
Nick Denis vs. Roland Delorme
Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Check back for any updates from the call.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, miller, john
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 weigh in results, information and details for 'Diaz vs Miller' on May 4
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" is set to take place on Fri., May 4, 2012 live from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
UFC on FOX 3 will feature a main event that pits Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller in a pivotal lightweight showdown, while Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a top spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are also expected to sling leather on the action-packed televised main card, as well as Brazilian leg crusher Rousimar Palhares taking on the very game Alan Belcher in a middleweight mash up.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 3 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Main Card (FOX):
170 lbs.: Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck185 lbs.: Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
155 lbs.: Anthony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott170 lbs.: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss125 lbs.: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker155 lbs.: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish145 lbs.: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza135 lbs.: Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis185 lbs.: Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
For those fortunate enough to be in the "Garden State" that week, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the arena will open at 3 p.m. ET. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with a fighter to be named at 2 p.m. local time.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., May 5), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on FUEL TV.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FOX 3 coverage you can handle.
For all the latest news and notes on "Diaz vs. Miller" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, miller, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 conference call LIVE updates today (April 26) for 'Miller vs Diaz'
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will today (April 26, 2012) hold a media conference call to promote next Saturday's (May 5, 2012) UFC on Fox 3: "Miller vs. Diaz" event, which will air live on the FOX television network in primetime nationwide.
The conference call will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the main and co-main event fighters of the evening: Jim Miller, Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck.
Miller is one of the top contenders for the lightweight title. He won seven fights in a row before dropping a bout to the current champion, Ben Henderson, last year. He came back strong to submit Melvin Guillard in the main event of the first UFC on FX event. His opponent, Diaz, dropped back down to 155 pounds last year and has looked amazing, destroying both Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone to instantly enter title contention.
Hendricks is a multiple-time national champion wrestler who, despite just one career loss, has had trouble breaking through. That was, until a 12 second knockout over perennial number two 170-pound fighter in the world, Jon Fitch, this past December, which instantly thrust him into the top contenders. His opponent, Josh Koscheck, came up short in a his 2010 title bid, but after healing from an orbital injury, has won his last two fights to get back into the mix.
We'll have complete updates of the UFC on FOX 3 conference call after the jump:
Brian Hemminger here. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, conference, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 weigh-ins slated for May 4 at New Jersey's IZOD Center
Official fighter weigh-ins for next month's "UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller" event take place May 4.
IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., hosts both the weigh-ins and the following night's FOX- and FUEL TV-broadcast event.
The night's main event sees a scrap between top lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
Posted in: fox, event, weighin, months ufc, nights fox
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFox Sports-Golden Boy enter TV deal for live events
The Sports Business Journal reports that Fox Sports and boxing promoter Golden Boy Promotions have entered into a multiyear, six figure agreement. The deal will give Fox Sports live events on Fox Deportes and Fuel TV.
At least one live event each month will be shown on the Fox networks although no plans are in the offing for a boxing event on the major Fox channel. According to the SBJ, the deal is significant as Fox paid a six-figure rights fee to Golden Boy for the events. The rights fee is a sign that boxing is gaining steam once again as rights fees for boxing on basic cable were nonexistent in recent memory.
The deal is for 15 months with options to extend it multiple years.
Payout Perspective:
The move reflects the commitment Fox has to combat sports for its smaller cable channels. It shows its belief in broadcasting live sports content as a way to attract its target demos of mainly younger males.
Is boxing on its way back? Just a while back we talked about the problems with the sport and whether it could make a comeback. So far, we’ve seen NBC Sports Network with a quarterly show, the talk of Spike TV having boxing and now the Fox deal. Certainly, the Fox deal is important due to the type of exposure it can receive over the span of the Fox networks. If it does do well, we could see its return on Fox. Its a nice hedge on the part of Fox to see if audiences will gravitate to boxing again. It is interesting that Fox did pay a rights fee to Golden Boy. One would think that Fox would have the bargaining leverage in the negotiations.
Posted in: fox, sport, boxing, event, deal
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on FOX 3 Promo I'm so pumped!
submitted by MAO_ZEBONG [link] [10 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, promo, im, maozebong
Read the full article at RedditVideo: UFC on FOX 3 headliner Jim Miller brewing beer in his driveway
As any Beermaniac will tell you (and as detailed in the extraordinary "How Beer Saved The World" documentary), an ice cold beer was, and is, the ultimate post-workout drink.
It should come as no surprise then, to learn that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Jim Miller is brewing beer right in his own driveway in the suburbs of North Jersey. That is, when he's not hunting, fishing or making his own furniture.
But will he be able to build off his first round submission win over Melvin Guillard back in January?
Choking out "The Young Assassin" in Nashville earned him a shot at fellow aspiring contender Nate Diaz, who meets the AMA Fight Club product in the main event of UFC on FOX 3 a week from Saturday (May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
And if he wins, expect the afterparty to take place in Sparta -- right alongside a couple of Millers.
For more on UFC on FOX 3 click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, championship ufc, beer
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFUEL TV to Air 48 Hours of UFC Action April 28-29
LOS ANGELES, CA – FUEL TV, FOX Sports Media Group’s dynamic sports network for males, is included in DIRECTV’s CHOICE XTRA Free Trial taking place from April 24 to April 30. In conjunction with the free trial, FUEL TV launches Domination Week, highlighting some of the network’s most compelling and captivating Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) programming. Domination Week culminates with a 48-hour UFC marathon Saturday and Sunday, April 28–29, featuring the biggest fighters in the sport in the most exciting battles ever seen. “UFC followers are some of the most passionate and loyal sports fans around,” says George Greenberg, Executive Vice President and General Manager, FUEL TV. “The DIRECTV CHOICE XTRA Free Trial enables more UFC enthusiasts to watch the sport they love, with new shows like ‘UFC Tonight’ and ‘UFC Ultimate Insider,’ and the biggest lineup of past fights ever, all in one week. The message is clear, if you love UFC, you need FUEL TV.” Current and past UFC champions such as George St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture are featured in a number of legendary bouts including UFC 68, UFC 79, UFC 134, UFC 135 and many more. Viewers can relive the fights that defined history and made the legends. But it’s not all UFC action on FUEL TV during Domination Week, as the network features an expanded Action Cinema triple header Friday night, April 27, including the Brandon Lee thriller “The Crow” (8:00 PM ET), “Hard to Kill” starring Steven Seagal (10:00 PM ET) and the Chow Yun-fat action crime drama “City on Fire” (midnight). In 2012, FUEL TV offers more UFC programming than any other network with more than 2,000 hours, and more than 100 hours of live fights, weigh-ins, preliminary bouts, and prefight and postfight shows. For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule/. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv, www.fuel.tv/ufc, on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv, and on Twitter at: @fueltv, #UFConFUELTV To find FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For DIRECTV customers, catch FUEL TV during the DIRECTV CHOICE XTRA Free Trial. FUEL TV is part of the CHOICE XTRA package on DIRECTV channel 618. Don't have CHOICE XTRA? Go to DIRECTV.com or call 800-531-5000 to order today. FUEL TVFUEL TV is the only cable and satellite television network that features the exciting world of adrenaline and thrill-seeking sports including MMA, surfing, motocross, snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX and more. This new generation of sports provides a rich landscape of some of the most vibrant and action-packed television entertainment in the world. With more hours of UFC coverage than any other network, FUEL TV is the place to be for live fights, weigh-ins, prelims, pre- and postfight coverage, specials and events you won’t see anywhere else. See why adrenaline sports fans call FUEL TV the channel they never turn off. FUEL TV, part of FOX Sports Media Group, was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 36 million U.S. homes and can be accessed by broadband, mobile devices and other digital platforms such as iTunes®. FUEL TV programming is available in more than 50 countries around the world with 24/7 channels operating in Australia and Europe. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv. FOX Sports Media GroupFOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill. Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports. In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching approximately 30 million unique visitors monthly. Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Grills
Posted in: ufc, fox, sport, tv, fuel
Read the full article at UFCFuel TV Expanding Beyond UFC Coverage, Will Air Monthly Golden Boy Promotions Boxing Cards
Fox is expanding their commitment to combat sports beyond the UFC, with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions announcing a new deal with Fox. In addition to shows on Fox Sports and Fox Sports Desportes, it looks like Fuel will air one live boxing show each month.
Here's a tweet from Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:
@ChrisMannixSIChris Mannix Fox Sports is partnering with @GoldenBoyBoxing on a multi-year. Fuel TV will carry one live event each month. Apr 23 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
This looks similar to the NBC Sports deal with Main Events that has produced some very nice mid-level (above ESPN 2's Friday Night fights and ShoBox, below HBO/Showtime Championship Boxing) cards.
It's entirely possible that this is also a move to get a big boxing show on Fox. Golden Boy promotes Floyd Mayweather fights since Floyd's "Mayweather Productions" isn't actually a "promoter" but it's highly unlikely that something on the level of Mayweather could be put on Fox.
A big name Golden Boy fighter like Saul "Canelo" Alvarez isn't quite ready to draw big PPV numbers on his own yet, so I wouldn't put it past Fox and Golden Boy to work out a deal to put someone like Canelo on the flagship network occasionally. But that's all speculation on my part.
What I think we can see is that Boxing is far from dead with HBO Championship Boxing, Boxing After Dark, Showtime Championship Boxing, ShoBox, Friday Night Fights, Main Event on NBC Sports, talk of a new show on Spike and now Fuel picking up events.
It will be interesting to get more details on the kind of budget the Fuel show will work with and what level of fighters Golden Boy puts on the cards.
A full list of fighters Golden Boy promotes can be read on their website.
Posted in: fox, sport, boxing, boy, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFloyd Mayweather vs Miguel Cotto fight goes up against UFC on FOX 3
Next month, on May 5, 2012, the UFC will return to FOX for the third time since the promotion reached a historic seven-year deal with the broadcast network late last year.
While all eyes in the mixed martial arts world will be trained on the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, there is another major combat sports event taking place that very same evening, as superstar boxer Floyd "Money" Mayweather will take on Miguel Cotto in a light middleweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joy.
MMAMania.com will be providing coverage of the event from the lead up right on through until the final question has been asked at the post-fight press conference. We'll begin by providing a quick introduction to the fight as well as some of the recent promotional happenings relating to it.
Let's get to it.
While most casual fans of boxing are likely taking the approach that unless Mayweather is fighting Manny Pacquiao, they aren't really all that interested, die hard fans of the sweet science should recognize that this fight is certainly one of the great challenges of Mayweather's career. Consider:
Mayweather has only fought in the light middleweight division (154 pounds) one other time, a split decision victory over "Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya back in 2007. De La Hoya was in the twilight of his career, and while the decision was somewhat controversial in the respect that most thought it should have been unanimous and not split, the fact remains that it has been one of the closest bouts of Mayweathers career.
When they fought, De La Hoya was 34, Mayweather 30. This time around, the tables are turned, with Mayweather the elder statesman, having just turned 35, four years older than the 31-year-old Cotto.
The two losses on Cotto's record are both somewhat defensible. He was stopped via TKO by Manny Pacquiao in round 12 of a 145-pound catchweight fight in 2009 and he was stopped via TKO by Antonio Margarito in round 11 of a welterweight (147-pounds) title fight the year prior, a fight which many believe to be tainted after Margarito was caught with loaded handwraps in his very next fight.
In a clip from the HBO promotional vehicle "Face Off" shown last weekend, Mayweather alludes to this last point, stating that he views Cotto as an undefeated fighter. The clip is worth a viewing if only because it reveals some of the differences in the way boxing fights and MMA fights are promoted. Check it out:
The show is heavily stylized, with host Max Kellerman (one of the great sports talk radio personalities of all time) taking turns asking leading questions to the two combatants. Mayweather doesn't seem particularly interested in building any hype for the fight during the segment, as he was pre-occupied with a $100,000 sports bet that he had on the go, but he was very respectful of Cotto in the statements that he did make.
"Face Off" differs from the typical UFC "Countdown" fare that we are used to in the MMA world in a couple of ways. It brings the fighters together in a studio setting and we get to hear the questions being asked of them, unlike the narrated and heavily edited "Primetime." During the lead up to this weekend's UFC 145 we saw Rashad Evans and Jon Jones get together for a similar question and answer session with Jon Anik on Fuel TV's "Ultimate Insider." Is the UFC taking a page out of HBO's fight promotion book? They'd likely never admit it but I get the sense they are paying close attention.
As the combat sports spectacular gets closer, the tired MMA vs. Boxing debates will inevitably get brought up by pot stirring journalists whose imaginations have failed them, ignoring the logical assumption that fight fans are fight fans and a rather large chunk will be watching both the UFC on FOX 3 and Mayweather vs. Cotto events.
Lorenzo Fertitta pointed out that fact earlier this week, noting that the decision to again put a UFC on FOX event on the same night as a major boxing pay-per-view (you might recall that the first UFC on FOX show went down on the same night as Manny Pacquiao's last fight) was largely made by FOX executives (courtesy of MMA Fighting):
"That's kind of FOX's deal. They do all the research; they're really smart guys.The theory is that people are home. It's a great fight night; you're going to watch Pacquiao or whatever; you can turn on FOX, you can watch our fight; you'll have a great night."
Seems like a reasonable approach to me, especially when you remember the nearly nine million viewers that tuned in to watch Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez fight for the UFC heavyweight title.
Will the approach work again? Both the UFC and FOX would certainly love to see the ratings jump back up after they declined for the second show this January, and Mayweather is definitely the biggest stateside attraction in combat sports both at the box office and in the media coverage he receives. Will he hog the spotlight in the next couple of weeks and take away from the UFC event? Or will the eventual viewing numbers on fight night reveal a mutually beneficial result?
And what about the fight itself? Does the bigger, stronger and younger Cotto present a real challenge to Mayweather? Or is he simply a stepping stone to the fight that everyone wants to see?
Let me know what you think, Maniacs.
Posted in: ufc, fight, mayweather, fox, cotto
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3 Card: Diaz Vs. Miller
UFC on Fox 3 is set for May 5th in East Rutherford, NJ, and the card looks to be complete. The main event will see Nate Diaz and Jim Miller face off in a five-round bout that could decide the next UFC lightweight title challenger. In the co-main, Johny Hendricks will look to earn his own title shot with a win over solid veteran Josh Koscheck. Here's how the card looks right now:
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3)
Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Alan Belcher (17-6) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3)
Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Tony Ferguson (13-2) vs. Michael Johnson (10-6)
John Dodson (12-5) vs. Tim Elliott (8-2)
John Hathaway (15-1) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0)
Danny Castillo (13-4) vs. John Cholish (8-1)
Pablo Garza (11-2) vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3)
Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Roland Delorme (7-1)
Mike Massenzio (13-6) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2)
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, john, fiveround bout
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowXyience takes center of Octagon May 5th
Xyience will hold the center of the Octagon in the UFC’s third network appearance May 5th. The official energy drink of the UFC will also appear on the ring bumpers during the event..
Via Xyience press release details the importance of the visibility:
To gain perspective on what this means in terms of reach for XYIENCE Xenergy, the November 12, 2011 UFC debut on the network, UFC on FOX Velasquez vs. Dos Santos was ranked No. 1 among men aged 18–34. It also delivered more viewers of a younger age (35), and a higher concentration of males, than other live sports on broadcast television. The XYIENCE Xenergy logo could be found on the perimeter of the mat during that broadcast.
In support of the announcement, Xyience is staging local appearances by Matt Serra on May 4th and 5th. Details can be found here.
Payout Perspective:
A good boost for the visibility of the Xyience brand for the event. Similar to the November 12th event, UFC on Fox 3 will have to compete with a big boxing PPV the same night as Floyd Mayweather fights Miguel Cotto. It’s likely that the two events will not directly cross paths that night as the Mayweather fight will likely occur later on in the evening after UFC’s event on Fox.
It’s interesting that we are seeing more brands having an opportunity to take the center of the Octagon for events. As an example, Affliction was the center for UFC on Fuel 2. We will see who will be next.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, center, xyience
Read the full article at MMA PayoutAmerica's Most Athletic Family - Jones Brothers' Bond
Las Vegas, Nevada – With a pro football player, a college football standout about to be drafted to thepros, and the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion of the world, proud parents Arthur and Camille Jones of Endicott, New York, may have the most athletic sons in America. “The Jones brothers are three guys who are very competitive, but we have a bond that can never be broken,” said youngest brother Chandler, a 6ft 5inch, 265lbs defensive end for the Syracuse Orangemen who will be drafted into the pros next week. “We’re real passionate about everything we do and we bring out the best in each other,” said big brother Arthur, a 6ft 3inch, 311lbs defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens. “I was the skinny kid with no co-ordination,” said 6ft 3inch middle brother Jon, who defends his UFC 205lbs title tomorrow against No.1 contender Rashad Evans on Pay-Per-View. “Both my brothers were always great at football but when I wore the helmet and pads, I looked so skinny with these long legs poking out they called me “Bones”. But I found my calling in the UFC, and on Saturday night in Atlanta, both my brothers will be Octagonside to see “Bones” Jones do his thing.” For rights-free video of the Jones brothers helping Jon prepare for this weekend’s big fight, click here for 50second and 3minute versions of film: http://on.ufc.com/HYl2cy UFC®145 will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition. For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change. About Ultimate Fighting Championship®Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with offices in London, England, Toronto, Canada and Beijing, China, UFC® produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This includes the longest-running sports realityshow on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now air on FX in an exciting new live format. In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions. The UFC also connects with tens of millions offans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed byTHQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Clubaffinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.
Posted in: ufc, jone, fox, event, brother
Read the full article at UFCJohnny Bedford Out, Roland Delorme In Vs. Nick Denis At UFC On Fox 3
It appears that Johnny Bedford is out of his UFC on Fox 3 bout, and a fellow TUF 14 cast member will be stepping up to fill in for him. Canadian Roland Delorme will face Nick Denis on May 5th. Delorme confirmed the switch on his Facebook page:
I am very pleased to announce that I will be fighting nick Denis on fox 3 in two weeks in new jersey. Nick come and get your love
Delorme (7-1) was the last pick of Team Miller on the show, and lost his first bout to T.J. Dillishaw. His first official UFC bout was at the TUF 14 Finale, where he won by third-round submission to Josh Ferguson. Denis made quite an impression in his UFC debut at UFC on FX in January when he knocked out Joseph Sandoval in 22 seconds with a barrage of standing elbows.
The bout is expected to take place on the preliminary card.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller
Posted in: ufc, nick, fox, delorme, nick denis
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRoland Delorme Replaces Injured Johnny Bedford, Meets Nick Denis at UFC on Fox 3
Another injury has altered the UFC on Fox 3 undercard.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnny bedford, roland delorme, nick denis
Read the full article at SherdogRoland Delorme Replaces Johnny Bedford Against Nick Denis at UFC on FOX 3
Johnny Bedford's recent string of bad luck continues. Bedford was scheduled to meet Nick Denis on the undercard of UFC on FOX 3, but according to Denis' manager Robin Black, Bedford recently pulled out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury. Instead, Denis will meet fellow Canadian Roland Delorme on the undercard of the May 5 event. Bedford was supposed to face Mitch Gagnon on the undercard of UFC on FOX 2 in January, but the bout was scrapped after Gagnon couldn't get a work visa to enter the United States. Bedford (18-9-1) hasn't fought since defeating Louis Gaudinot at the TUF 14 Finale in December. Denis (11-2), a native of Ottawa, ON, Canada, won his UFC debut in January when he defeated Joseph Sandoval via knockout in just 22 seconds. Delorme (7-1), of Winnipeg, MB, Canada, defeated Josh Ferguson via third-round rear-naked-choke at the TUF 14 Finale. UFC on FOX 3, headlined by Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, takes place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bedford, deni, nick denis
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Fine Sharing Spotlight With Floyd Mayweather For Third Fox Show, Sees Correlation Between Boxing And MMA Fans
Similar to when the UFC rolled out their first Fox show against the boxing pay-per-view headlined by Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, UFC on Fox 3 will air the same night (May 5) as Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto. With the initial time airing on Fox against boxing receiving such good ratings, it's not exactly a surprise that they'd give it another go.
Lorenzo Fertitta addressed the thinking recently (via MMA Fighting):
"That's kind of FOX's deal," he recently said. "They do all the research; they're really smart guys. They like that fact that we're going to go on at the same night, but the window is different. Meaning, we'll be done before Floyd fights Cotto. And the last time that that happened was when Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez fought on the same night as Pacquaio and we peaked at over 9.9 or whatever million viewers (ed. note: the ratings actually peaked at 8.8 million viewers, a North American MMA record). The theory is that people are home. It's a great fight night; you're going to watch Pacquiao or whatever; you can turn on FOX, you can watch our fight; you'll have a great night.
"The reality is, not to piss any boxing guys off, but nobody watches those undercards anyway at the end of the day. So you can watch the UFC and switch over when it's done. But we do suffer from a press standpoint. He'll (Mayweather) hog the press."
There is a change taking place with boxing pay-per-view undercards though. There is a lot more emphasis on trying to make them compelling to the viewer. It was on full display with Top Rank's attempt to load the card for Cotto against Antonio Margarito up with great fights. It's a work in progress, but one of the things boxing is doing right is trying to put more emphasis on the undercards and getting fans to care. Showtime has even taken to airing all the undercard fights for their major cards live on Showtime Extreme (similar to what they do with Strikeforce now).
And it's important to note that, aside from Cotto and Mayweather being bigger names, the featured undercard bout between the once great (and now faded) Shane Mosley and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez features two guys with far more starpower than anyone anywhere on the UFC on Fox 3 card (and don't feed me that Koscheck is in the same league as either guy).
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that it's boxing that will contribute to a dropoff in ratings (if there is one) for the UFC's Fox effort. But there really is a big difference between a single fight broadcast for the first Fox airing which featured a heavyweight title fight and a four fight broadcast featuring a real lack of "big name" fighters and title fights.
I'm just saying that one thing the UFC and Fox should avoid doing is treating any situation as static and predictable. Boxing has a lot of flaws, but they're trying to address some of them and the inexcusably weak PPV undercard is one of the first to go.
Lorenzo also said something very interesting things about their own research into the crossover between boxing and MMA fans:
"I think that they are pretty similar," he said. "I think if you like boxing, for the most part, you like mixed martial arts. I think that there is a bit of an age difference in the demographic, I think boxing generally skews older, but my personal belief, I think HBO always comes out and says, 'Oh, we did research. There's no correlation.' Really? That's interesting. When we have DirecTV and In Demand do research, they see a lot of correlation between who buys boxing and who buys the UFC. There's definitely a correlation there."
The problem with the two different kinds of research is HBO is looking more at who watches boxing and MMA while DirecTV and IN Demand are looking at who purchases PPV events for boxing and MMA.
Given that boxing promoters seem to have learned their lesson after a few year period in the mid-'00s where they tried to put out a lot of lower quality PPV cards and now only "event fights" or fights that otherwise aren't being broadcast make it to pay-per-view you see a different crowd than the hardcore boxing fan purchasing boxing PPVs.
The majority of major boxing PPVs now feature Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather and those are more major sports events than mere boxing matches. So you have a lot of the same households purchasing PPVs from In Demand and DirecTV that purchase the big UFC events.
I do think the HBO research is probably more spot on about the lack of major crossover between the harder core audiences of each sport, but the distributor research shows that generally the same people like special boxing events that like special MMA events. And those same people probably all watch the Super Bowl even if they don't watch every NFL regular season weekend.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, boxing, research
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Newcomer Tim Elliott Meets John Dodson at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller
A new flyweight has been added to the UFC's 125-pound roster. Tim Elliott has signed with the promotion and will step in next month for Darren Uyenoyama against John Dodson, pictured, at UFC on Fox:...
Posted in: ufc, fox, john dodson, dodson, darren uyenoyama
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 3: John Dodson vs Tim Elliott booked for May 5 in New Jersey
Looks like John Dodson will be switching gears with less than a month to go.
That's because his original opponent, Darren Uyenoyama, has been yanked from the UFC on FOX 3 fight card scheduled for May 5, 2012, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ, and replaced with Zuffa newcomer Tim Elliott.
The promotion made the change on its official website, but failed to disclose the reason behind the switch.
Dodson (12-5) claimed The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 "six-figure contract," laying waste to Brandon Merkt, "Prince" Albert and Johnny Bedford. That set up a showdown against T.J. Dillashaw in last December's live finale, which he won in devastating fashion.
Can "The Magician" show off some new tricks as a flyweight?
Standing in his way will be Elliot (7-3), who's fresh off a submission win over Josh Rave at the Resurrection Fighting Alliance event just last month in Nebraska.
His win over "The Rage" made it eight straight for the Edmond assassin with seven of them coming to an end by way of violent finish. This could be a tough test for both combatants in "Dirty Jersey."
Who establishes themselves as the next big thing at 125-pounds?
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight contendership fight featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. The victor is widely-expected to move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, who rematch later this year.
For more details on the promotion's return to the FOX network click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, dodson, alliance event
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 3: Darren Uyenoyama Out, Tim Elliott In Vs. John Dodson
Grappler Darren Uyenoyama was looking to build on his big win over Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto at UFC on Fox 1, but it will have to wait a little bit longer. Uyenoyama is out with an injury, and a newcomer will take his place against John Dodson at UFC on Fox 3 next month. MMA Weekly has the info:
A change has been made to the UFC on Fox 3 card as Ultimate Fighter 14 winner John Dodson now faces newcomer Tim Elliott.
Sources close to the match-up confirmed the new bout to MMA Weekly on Tuesday.
Elliott (8-2-1) is currently on an eight-fight win streak after starting his career 0-2-1 in 2009. His last two wins have come over former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver and former EliteXC and M-1 fighter Josh Rave. Dodson (12-5) hasn't competed since defeating T.J. Dillishaw to with the bantamweight portion of The Ultimate Fighter 14 in August.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, john, sbn coverage, dodson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 3 Update: Uyenoyama Out, ‘TUF 14’ Winner Dodson Now Meets Newcomer Elliott
Flyweight talent Darren Uyenoyama has apparently been scratched from the UFC on Fox 3 bill.
Posted in: ufc, fox, winner, talent, uyenoyama
Read the full article at SherdogTim Elliott Steps In to Face John Dodson at UFC on Fox 3
A change has been made to the UFC on Fox 3 card as Ultimate Fighter 14 winner John Dodson now faces newcomer Tim Elliott.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tim, dodson, elliott
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFox Sports to run Saturday prime time
The Sports Business Journal reports that Fox Sports will have programming on Saturday night prime time for the next 28 of 32 weeks. This will include NASCAR, Major League Baseball, College Football as well as the UFC on Fox
The UFC will only cover 3 of the next 28 Saturday night events for Fox on Saturday nights. But, the overall strategy for Fox to air sports in prime time will boost ad sales and attract advertisers that would not usually purchase time during sports programming.
At this point, there has been no pushback from local affiliates that may have its own time cut into due to sports overrun.
Payout Perspective:
While the UFC will play a small part in the Saturday night prime time strategy, it’s the possibility of drawing advertisers that do not traditionally buy into sports that could be intriguing for the UFC. It is the intent of Zuffa and Fox to attract more mainstream sponsors for its programming and the ownership of Saturday night programming by Fox Sports should help. With the further exposure into prime time for the UFC, it can only mean a better possibility of attracting mainstream sponsors.
Posted in: time, fox, sport, saturday, fox sports
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC 145 - Jon Jones writes column for FOX sports and accuses Rashad of being the fake and arrogant one - then starts talking about himself in the third person..
submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [10 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, tekprodfx, fox sports, column
Read the full article at RedditGilbert Melendez tells us he was hoping for a big UFC name, but will settle for Josh Thomson
Something tells me that if Gilbert's last name wasn't 'Melendez,' people would have never called him 'El Nino.' It's probably something that FOX News created in order to invalidate Gilbert Melendez's status as an American. They could have called Gil 'Quasiperiodic Southern Oscillation' and prevent cheap pandering to his cultural heritage. If it was Gilbert 'Quasiperiodic Southern Oscillation' Melendez, we could make a top ten list just from the amount of announcers that would have screwed up his moniker throughout his career. Damn, FOX News always throws salt in our game -- and then claims we're supporting terrorism by accepting it.
This article got off to an unnecessarily harsh political start. Basically what we're trying to say is if Gilbert Melendez was sponsored by FOX News, then Gilbert Melendez is no longer sponsored by FOX News. We just sort of ruined that for the Strikeforce lightweight champion. He'll thank us for it later when those guys all turn into Sith lords that seek control of the Galactic Empire. We'll stand on the sidelines with light sabers and star in two really dope sequels and one whack one (sorry Amanda Lucas). Actually, no one at MiddleEasy has any problem with FOX News. I just needed to write something before I show you this video of Gilbert Melendez talking to LayzieTheSavage in his newly built gym.
Posted in: fox, gilbert melendez, fox news, melendez, gilbert
Read the full article at Middle EasyVIDEO: Lavar Johnson Knocks Out Joey Beltran at UFC on Fox in Chicago
With a series of vicious uppercuts, Lavar Johnson announced his arrival to the UFC's heavyweight division with a big knockout of Joey Beltran at UFC on Fox in January.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, joey beltran, lavar
Read the full article at Heavy MMA"I would fight if there wasn't a crowd" - Jim Miller prepares for UFC on FOX
submitted by grec530 [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, crowd, miller, jim
Read the full article at RedditCheck out Rashad Evans explaining this whole 'Ultimate Fighting' thing to FOX News in Atlanta
It takes people a while to give into a fad; and once they do, it’s important that they find ways to make it look like they’ve been into that fad for a long time to avoid running the risk of looking like hipsters. I’m talking about your ‘organic connection with your fixed-gear bike’ and all the suppressed years of creativity articulated by filters on your Instagram account. Pat yourself on the back if your bike has gears and you know how to adjust the aperture on your camera. You’re cooler than the people who are trying to be cool and you should reward yourself with a PBR while I roll you a cigarette. If you failed to catch my sarcasm, you’re a hipster. Sorry if I tricked you. Please don’t lock yourself in your room with an Arcade Fire album, it’s not that serious. At least all of you know what you’re talking about when it comes to MMA. You’re not just getting into it like the folks doing this FOX News Atlanta story. In fact, you’d think that by now FOX would know something about the sport that they signed a seven year broadcasting partnership with. But if you made that assumption, you’re giving too much credit. Here’s Rashad Evans giving the people of Atlanta a crash course about what this whole 'Ultimate Fighting' thing is.
Posted in: fox, people, ’re, atlanta, instagram account
Read the full article at Middle Easy"That is so intimidating" - FOX reporter being swept by Rashad Evans
submitted by PhilAB [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fox, rashad evans, reporter, philab, fox reporter
Read the full article at RedditDana White to be guest judge on FOX's American Idol next season..
submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: season, fox, tekprodfx, guest, guest judge
Read the full article at RedditTUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson receives another new opponent for FOX fight
After learning two weeks ago Thiago Tavares was replacing an injured Dennis Hallman, UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson has yet another new adversary to prepare for after Tavares apparently went down in training as well and will be unable to recover in time for their scheduled match-up. Filling in for the Brazilian will be Michael Johnson, an Ultimate Fighter finalist who is coming off a victory over Shane Roller.
The UFC recently confirmed the change to the UFC on FOX 3 lineup giving both men about five weeks to prepare for the fight.
Ferguson has been on a tear since winning TUF 13, taking out Aaron Riley and Yves Edwards in consecutive clashes. “El Cucuy” holds an overall record of 13-2 with eleven finishes including eight TKOs.
Ferguson Sees Similarities Between Self, Veteran Competitors
Comparably, Johnson is 10-6 with a 2-1 record since falling to Jonathan Brookins on TUF 12. The 25-year old has never been beaten by way of strikes, adding an interesting facet to the May 5 meeting considering Ferguson’s impressive stand-up.
UFC on FOX 3 is headlined by Jim Miller meeting Nate Diaz for #1 contendership in the lightweight division with other featured fights including Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares, Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, and Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, tuf, fox fight
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 3: Anthony Ferguson vs Michael Johnson booked for May 5 with Thiago Tavares hurt
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 winner Anthony Ferguson looks to continue his undefeated run through the UFC lightweight division when he makes a trip to the "Garden State" later this year to battle fellow TUF guy Michael Johnson at the UFC on FOX 3 event booked for May 5, 2012, from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford.
He was originally expected to face off against Dennis Hallman Thiago Tavares; however, UFC officials today announced the Brazilian was felled by injury and replaced by Johnson.
Ferguson (13-3) graduated at the top of his TUF class by beating the brakes off fellow finalist Ramsey Nijem. That set up a jaw-breaking win over Aaron Riley followed by a unanimous decision victory over the venerable YYves Edwards.
Can "El Cucuy" scare up another "W" in Dirty Jersey?
Standing in his way will be Johnson (10-6), who's looking to string together consecutive wins for the first time in over two years.
"The Menace" failed to capture the TUF crown after a unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Brookins in the 2010 live finale. He's since sandwiched a loss to Paul Sass between wins over Edward Faaloloto and Shane Roller.
Is this going to be his breakout fight?
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight fight featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. The victor is widely-expected to move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, who rematch later this year.
For more details on the promotion's return to the FOX network click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, tuf, tuf class
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTavares Out, Michael Johnson in Against Tony Ferguson at UFC on Fox 3
Tony Ferguson faces further adjustments in training camp now that he’s moved on to his third prospective opponent for UFC on Fox 3.
Originally intended to face Dennis Hallman at the event, Ferguson has been preparing to take on Brazilian fighter Thiago Tavares since Hallman was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Well, now Tavares has been injured and will be replaced by Michael Johnson.
A runner-up on the twelfth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael “The Menace” Johnson (10-6) has gone 2-2 in the UFC since debuting at the TUF 12 Finale in 2010. The Blackzilian team member has balanced out a unanimous decision defeat to Jonathan Brookins and a submission loss to Paul Sass with a TKO of Eddie Faaloloto and a unanimous decision over Shane Roller. He most recently appeared in action at UFC on Fox 2, earning the win over Roller.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 13, Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson (13-3) has gone undefeated in his three-fight run in the Octagon. The 28-year-old ran through Ramsey Nijem and Aaron Riley before taking a unanimous decision over Yves Edwards this past December at the TUF 14 Finale. He is unbeaten in six straight fights.
UFC on Fox 3 will take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 5.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, michael johnson, submission loss
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThiago Tavares Injured, Michael Johnson Now In Against Tony Ferguson At UFC On Fox 3
The revolving door of opponents for Tony Ferguson just keeps spinning, as he's now agreed to face a third potential opponent for a lightweight bout in New Jersey at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5th. This time, it will be a fellow Ultimate Fighter alum squaring off with "El Cucuy" as Michael Johnson has agreed to fill in for an injured Thiago Tavares, who was a replacement himself for Dennis Hallman. UFC.com sheds some light on the situation:
TUF 13 winner Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson has received a new opponent -- his third in two months -- for the May 5 event at UFC on FOX. He will now face TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson, who is replacing the injured Thiago Tavares. Tavares himself was tapped to replace Ferguson's original opponent, Dennis Hallman.
Ferguson is fortunate that Joe Silva hasn't booked him against wildly different fighting styles, as Hallman presented the threat of a catch wrestling-style submission grappler, while Tavares would have brought his smothering BJJ, and now he'll get Johnson, a wrestler who also tends to throw bombs on the feet, so he won't have to alter his training camp too drastically.
Since losing the season crown to Jonathan Brookins in a competitive bout at the Season 12 Finae, Johnson has sandwiched wins around a submission loss to the always-crafty Paul Sass. Most recently, the "Menace" scored an impressive upset victory over highly-credentialed wrestler, Shane Roller, as he showed improved takedown defense in thwarting Roller's takedowns and punishing him on the feet for two rounds, and then holding his own and reversing position when the fight went to the ground in the third frame.
Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson (13-3)W Yves Edwards (unam. decision) - TUF 14 FinaleW Aaron Riley (TKO) - UFC 135W Ramsey Nijem (KO) - TUF 13 Finale
Michael "The Menace" Johnson (10-6)W Shane Roller (unam. decision) - UFC on Fox 2L Paul Sass (submission) - UFC on Versus 6W Edward Faaloloto (TKO) - UFC on Versus 4
UFC on Fox 3 coverage
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, ferguson, tavare
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThiago Tavares Injured, Off UFC on Fox 3; ‘TUF’ Alums Ferguson, Johnson to Clash
UFC officials announced Thursday that Thiago Tavares has suffered an injury and will be unable to compete against Tony Ferguson as expected at UFC on Fox 3.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, thiago, thiago tavares
Read the full article at SherdogInjury Bug Strikes Again, Tony Ferguson Now Faces Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 3
For Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson he hopes the third time is the charm for UFC on Fox 3 in May.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, michael johnson, fighter winner
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThiago Tavares out, Tony Ferguson now meets Michael Johnson on UFC on FOX 3
Tony Ferguson now has his third scheduled opponent for UFC on FOX 3.
UFC officials today announced that Thiago Tavares, who replaced an injured Dennis Hallman, has also withdrawn from the card.
In his place steps "The Ultimate Fighter 12" finalist Michael Johnson, who now meets Ferguson on the UFC on FOX 3
preliminary card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dennis hallman, thiago tavares, place steps
Read the full article at MMA JunkieJoe Lauzon Vs. Terry Etim Marked For UFC On Fox 4 In August
A couple of lightweights that were recently knocked out by brutal head kicks will be meeting in the octagon on August 4th at UFC on Fox 4. Despite those losses, this is an excellent matchup and the first rumored bout for the Fox card. Fighters Only has the scoop:
Joe Lauzon will face Terry Etim in his next outing.
A source tells Fighters Only that the two lightweights have verbally agreed to meet on the UFC on FOX 4 card taking place in Los Angeles on August 4.
Lauzon (21-7) had picked up two submission of the night awards in a row going into his bout with Anthony Pettis at UFC 144, but was knocked out in the first round. Etim (15-4) was knocked out in spectacular fashion by Edson Barboza at UFC 142 back in January. The two fighters have combined for an incredible twelve performance bonuses over their UFC careers.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 4
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, lauzon, terry etim
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJoe Lauzon vs Terry Etim booked for UFC on FOX 4
submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, lauzon, likewildpotato, etim
Read the full article at RedditBob Arum: The UFC's PPV numbers have been very bad since the FOX deal
Everyone's favorite professional boxing promoter, Bob Arum, recently spoke to FightHubTV regarding last year's monumental deal between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the FOX Network. According to Arum, the UFC's PPV numbers have seen a major dip since partnering with FOX, which he says is likely due to giving the product away for free.
Posted in: fox, deal, arum, bob arum, fox network
Read the full article at Low KickAnderson Silva UFC on Fox Commercial
Check out the latest UFC on Fox promo commercial starring middleweight champ Anderson "The Spider" Silva as an ordinary, everyday superhero.
Posted in: ufc, fox, silva, fox promo, spider silva
Read the full article at Heavy MMABob Arum: The UFC's pay-per-view numbers are getting worse since the FOX deal
Here's a shock: Boxing blowhard Bob Arum is taking another jab at Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The fossilized fight promoter is playing rope-a-dope with the ZUFFA pay-per-view (PPV) buys, indicating that numbers are down since the world's largest fight promotion landed its blockbuster deal with FOX Sports back in 2011.
Arum talks to Fight Hub TV (transcribed by Bloody Elbow):
"There is no real competition between boxing and the UFC. There is a very small cross-over (of fans who buy both boxing and UFC PPVs) eight percent. It's a totally different game plan from what we (boxing) have. Going on Fox TV is okay but I don't know if it helps their pay-per-view (PPV) numbers. It's a mixed bag. Their numbers have been very, very bad on PPV (since the Fox deal) because people say we can get the same thing for nothing why should we pay? You can't make value judgments with the very small window that they've had. Let's see how it works out over a year. I thought (the Fox deal) was very very good but now I'm having some second thoughts. Their numbers really are not improving on PPV, indeed they're getting worse. These shows are not distinguishing themselves from the Fox shows. It's all like one same thing, it's UFC."
Despite the peaks and valleys of the PPV business model, I don't get the impression the UFC brass believe the sky is falling just yet, especially considering that UFC President Dana White has already gone on record stating the day will come when UFC PPV's go the way of the passenger pigeon.
Arum dishes more dirt, after the jump.
More on the UFC's pay-per-view business right here.
Posted in: ufc, ppv, fox, fox deal, number
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 147 Anderson Silva on FOX commercial
submitted by browntown87 [link] [7 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, silva, anderson, browntown
Read the full article at RedditVideo: Fox Rolls Out New Anderson Silva UFC On Fox Ad
In the continuing effort to humanize the stars of the UFC for the casual sports fan, Fox has their second UFC on Fox ad ready to go and Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva gets the star treatment in the new :30 spot.
While Silva doesn't speak English that frequently (or at all) in interviews that UFC fans routinely see, Silva speaks fluently throughout the ad. Whether or not it's his actual voice is up for debate, but the spot is pretty well-done and very lighthearted.
The ads starts with Silva explaining how people think he has superpowers, but that he likes to help when he can. Along the path, the champion stops a washing machine with his fist, kicks a car several feet after its alarm goes off and stops an earthquake after punching the ground.
"I'm just a regular guy who likes hitting things...a lot," he says before winking at the camera.
The first spot Fox ran featured Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones taking care of his kids among other things and the Silva spot is very similar in nature: normal guys that just happen to have a violent occupation.
Silva will defend his title in a much-anticipated rematch against Chael Sonnen this June. Watch the full clip after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, silva, ad, fox ad
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBoxing's Bob Arum Says Fox Deal May Not Be Helping UFC Pay Per View Numbers
Boxing mega-promoter Bob Arum, the man who controls Manny Pacquiao's career spoke to Fight Hub TV about the UFC's deal with Fox TV and the impact of that deal on the UFC's pay-per-view sales.
On boxing vs the UFC: "There is no real competition between boxing and the UFC. There is a very small cross-over (of fans who buy both boxing and UFC PPVs): 8%."This is very interesting to me because the only other time I've heard a major boxing figure cite market research on the cross-over between UFC and boxing fans it was an HBO executive in 2008 saying there was a 5% cross-over. Has there been a 3% increase? If so my guess is that it's been UFC fans crossing over and trying out boxing, given the flurry of Pacquiao and Mayweather bouts that have caught on with MMA fans in the past 18 months.
On the UFC's business model: "It's a totally different game plan from what we (boxing) have. Going on Fox TV is OK but I don't know if it helps their PPV numbers. It's a mixed bag. Their numbers have been very very bad on PPV (since the Fox deal) because people say we can get the same thing for nothing why should we pay?"Another very interesting remark from Arum. I think he's misreading the numbers because the UFC is actually up a little bit on PPV since their debut on Fox in November. The real drop was in late 2010 and 2011 before the Fox deal began. They haven't had a really big UFC PPV (with the exception of UFC 141) since the Fox deal started but the numbers have generally been up.
He adds an important caveat: "You can't make value judgments with the very small window that they've had. Let's see how it works out over a year. I thought (the Fox deal) was very very good but now I'm having some second thoughts. Their numbers really are not improving on PPV, indeed they're getting worse. These shows are not distinguishing themselves from the Fox shows. It's all like one same thing, it's UFC."Now he's hitting on something very important, but it's not news to anyone who's been following the UFC's business closely. The UFC has a very limited number of big stars that stand out from the crowd and with Brock Lesnar retired and Georges St. Pierre out for at least 18 months with injuries the UFC is hoping that Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem can break out and become stars.
Posted in: ufc, fox, boxing, fox deal, number
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVideo: Anderson Silva speaks English, flaunts super powers in new UFC on FOX promo
When Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva isn't judging big Brazilian booty competitions, sponsoring blue-chip franchises like Burger King in commercials or lip-syncing/dancing to Justin Bieber ballads, he's apparently being marketed as a "regular guy" who likes to "hit things" for FOX Sports.
"The Spider" -- who got his much-anticipated date to rematch Chael Sonnen at UFC 147 at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 23, 2012, earlier this afternoon -- was the centerpiece of recent promotional video for the UFC on Fox series.
And in addition to stopping washing machines, kicking cars and smashing concrete, Silva is speaking English. Sure, it's likely a slick voiceover job, but it's clear the network and the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is attempting to finally market the sport's most dominant fighter to a North American audience in a major way.
What took so long?
Check out Silva's FOX promo video below and be sure to tell us what you think of it in the comments section below:
For more on the upcoming title bout between Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen be sure to check out our complete fight archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, silva, american audience
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJoe Rogan Fires Back At Claims He Needs To “Take It Down A Notch”
During a recent edition of the Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast put on by the color commentator for the UFC himself, Joe Rogan, Rogan fired back at recent claims he was told by a FOX producer to tone down his announcing during an event.
I’ve been doing the UFC for how long? (Expletive), who knows? ’97. It’s very rare does anyone say anything. But, once we started going on FOX, the producer had to actually tell me in my ear, the FOX executive was like, ‘Tell him to take it down a notch.’ When I’m actually fired up…of course (people) like it! But these (expletive) dummy executives – and I’m not saying the FOX ones – I’m saying pretty much a huge percentage of the group of people in the ‘producer’ position, a lot of them think they’re creative. You can’t tell me to deliver the way I deliver. I’ve been doing it forever.
Rogan and Mike Goldberg handle pay-per-view and FOX events, while the new team of Jon Anik and Kenny Florian have been hosting the other cards.
Many people complain about Rogan’s style, but he has stuck with the UFC and helped them reach another audience through his former and now returning show, Fear Factor, along with his comedy acts.
Photo credit: CombatLifestyle.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, joe, rogan, mike goldberg
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFox TV UFC Producers Told Joe Rogan To Tone It Down
UFC announcer Joe Rogan took to his podcast to vent some frustration with the Fox TV brass who produce the UFC. Apparently the execs told Rogan to "tone it down." This didn't sit well with the enthusiastic announcer who's been working the mic for the UFC since 1997.
Here's what he had to say on his podcast:
I've been doing the UFC for how long? F-ing, who knows? 97'. It's very rare that anyone ever says anything. But, once we started going on FOX, the producer actually had to tell me in my ear, the FOX executive was like, 'Tell him to take it down a notch.'
You can't tell me to deliver the way I deliver. I've been doing it forever. They either like it or they don't. Most people like it. If you don't-tough s-. It doesn't sound like your f-ing baseball guys, your basketball guys-it's not supposed to. It's not. It's not supposed to. It's a different f-ing sport, and it's just the way I do it.
Rogan clarified a bit on Twitter that and the video from the podcast after the jump.
@joeroganJoe Rogan I said on the podcast today about someone from FOX asking me to take my commentary down a notch, in all fairness it only happened once. Mar 22 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
@joeroganJoe Rogan Also, in all fairness it was the first time the UFC aired on FOX and everyone was completely stressed out and trying to make the best show Mar 22 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
@joeroganJoe Rogan I'm pretty spoiled working for the UFC where they pretty much just let me go and do my thing. It's the best job situation on earth for me. Mar 22 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
Posted in: ufc, fox, way i, podcast, rogan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFerguson vs. Tavares official, UFC on FOX 3 again complete with 12 bouts
A previously reported lightweight contest between Tony Ferguson and Thiago Tavares is now
officials, and May's UFC on FOX 3 event is again complete with 12 bouts.
Tavares replaced an injured Dennis Hallman in the preliminary matchup.
Featuring a lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, "UFC on
FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller" takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East
Rutherford, N.J.
Posted in: fox, dennis hallman, thiago tavares, izod center, mays ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMore from Shanks and Fertitta at the World Congress of Sport
The Sports Business Daily/Journal had another short report from Fox Exec Eric Shanks and UFC head Lorenzo Fertitta at the 2012 World Congress of Sports. The two spoke today at the conference during a panel discussion entitled, “How the UFC/Fox deal could be a game changer.”
For those wondering, here’s the synopsis of the talk from the brochure:
In 2011, Ultimate Fighting Championship expanded into South America and Asia, and continued its surge in popularity, particularly among the 18-34 year-old male demo. But it was the mixed martial arts organization’s seven-year agreement with Fox — to show UFC programming on the Fox broadcast network and cable TV channels FX and FUEL TV — that made the biggest splash. As part of the deal, dozens of live fights will be airing on Fox networks and, this spring, “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show will feature a new format that includes live fights, rather than prerecorded events. This session will take an inside look at the UFC/Fox agreement and its role in the growth of mixed martial arts. You will hear from Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman & CEO, Zuffa (Ultimate Fighting Championship); and Eric Shanks, President & COO, Fox Sports.
Shanks and Fertitta spoke about the UFC-Fox deal and the issue of control being a huge factor in Zuffa’s decision to go with Fox.
Here are some additional highlights:
- Shanks said that the 64 second JDS KO of Cain at UFC on Fox 1 wasn’t ideal but “it was exciting,” he added, “It was a knockout. It was a style of a knockout people were used to seeing. It could have gone a lot of other different directions.” As a result, it learned that fans want more action and less fluff (i.e., talking and promoting).
- As indicated at the end of last year, the UFC and Fox are concentrating on expanding its advertising partners. In addition to sponsors RYU and MetroPCS signing on recently it has secured Dr. Pepper. Its had success with the auto category but is still looking for sponsors in the financial services, insurance and other areas.
- Shanks stated that there is still room to grow to procure blue chip advertisers but emphasized its strong 18-34 male demo.
- Fertitta believes that more advertisers will sign on citing, as Shanks did, that it will take time for advertisers to understand the UFC audience. He also cited the fact that the UFC has an “affluent fanbase” as the average income for fans is $80,000 a year and the average UFC ticket is the highest in sports at $275.
- Fertitta also touched on the New York legalization issue stating that the brand will be elevated if (and when) MMA is legalized in the state.
Payout Perspective:
Nothing earth shattering from Shanks and Fertitta so don’t feel bad you weren’t in Dana Point, CA (the site of the World Congress of Sport) this morning unless you are a leader in sports business – in that case where were you? Nonetheless, I find the average income of the UFC fan really high. Of course, it’s not clear if Fertitta is referring to household income or that of an individual. Also, $275 for an average ticket is really steep and it’s ironic since we hear so much of the tons of comps that are given out at various UFC Vegas events.
It will be interesting to see what sponsors get onboard with the UFC this year. It was expected for there to be some time for advertisers to get comfortable with the UFC product which Shanks and Fertitta acknowledge. But, how long will it take?
Posted in: ufc, fox, sport, fertitta, shank
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC Quick Quote: Joe Rogan doesn't want FOX executives telling him to 'take it down a notch'
"Look. I've been doing the UFC for how long? F---ing, who knows? (19)97. It's very rare that anyone ever says anything. But, once we started going on FOX, the producer had to actually tell me in my ear, the FOX executive was like, 'Tell him to take it down a notch.' When I get excited about something, the way I get excited about something -- it's natural. I'm pumping it up. When I'm actually fired up...of course they (the audience) like it! But these f---ing dummy executives, I'm not saying the FOX ones, these huge group of -- this huge percentage of the group of people in the 'producer' position, a lot of them think that they're creative. You can't tell me to deliver the way I deliver. I've been doing it forever. They either like it or they don't. Most people like it. If you don't...tough s---. It doesn't sound like your f---ing baseball guys, your basketball guys...it's not supposed to. It's not! It's not supposed to. It's a different f---ing sport, and it's just the way I do it. If it was football, I probably wouldn't do it this way. You're lucky I don't curse! I mean, I'm lucky I got the job. Really, I'm lucky too. But the whole idea behind going in and saying, 'Oh, we're gonna fix all this and fix all that,' like, that's what happens in movies! That's what happens on TV shows. That's what would happen on this podcast. If we brought in production people and said, 'We're gonna move the podcast to a studio and bring in some producers, take some of the strain away from me,' and just had people just whispering in my ear saying, 'Hey man. Why don't you change the subject. This is a bad subject.' Do you know how f---ing crazy we would go?!"'
-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator Joe Rogan has been sweating, yelling and warning mixed martial arts (MMA) fans about potential omaplatas at UFC events since 1997. He's a veteran who has developed somewhat of a cult following, not just for his Octagon announcing gig, but also for his stand-up comedy act and his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience." During a recent rant on said podcast, Rogan spoke about the growing pains involved in adjusting to some of the new personnel the UFC inherited to go along with the deal with FOX Sports, as well as the adjustment FOX has had to make to Rogan. Though he didn't exactly bash FOX or any of its executives, Rogan made it clear that he really doesn't want someone "in his ear" telling him to tone it down. When you've had free reign for so long, it must be difficult to suddenly be micromanaged. Should Rogan have tenure enough to be able to do his thing, "deliver" and be left alone by the "creative" executives at FOX? Or are they well within their rights and he should adhere to their suggestions? Opinions, please.
Posted in: fox, way i, executive, rogan, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3's Belcher on Palhares: 'If he beats me, he's going to injure me'
Rousimar Palhares is a simple man with a penchant for rearranging limbs.
Alan Belcher, on the other hand, happens to be content with the current aesthetics of his anatomy, thank you very much.
Belcher will attempt to maintain the status quo when he meets the submission specialist Palhares on the FOX-televised main card of UFC on FOX 3.
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, palhare, rousimar palhares
Read the full article at MMA JunkieControl a big issue in UFC-Fox deal
The Sports Business Daily/Journal had a brief article on the UFC-Fox deal in which both sides indicated that control and opportunity were big issues in the monumental deal for Zuffa.
The article states that control was a big part of Zuffa choosing Fox. Zuffa still controls production of its shows although it takes suggestions from Fox. Overall, Fox was fine with allowing Zuffa to continue with producing its shows.
Via SBJ/SBD:
Fox was OK with letting UFC control production, Eric Shanks, president and COO of Fox Sports. “You wouldn’t have given up control if you don’t trust the guys,” Shanks said. “You want the authenticity that made the sport what it is. Part of what made it authentic was the production.
Still, Zuffa has worked with Fox in addressing some of its concerns. We’ve seen the elimination of weapon sponsors, cleaning blood off of the mat, toning down some of the content and shortening fighter entrances with the UFC’s switch to Fox.
In addition, Zuffa was interested in the fact that Fox had so many platforms to promote the UFC. This factor outweighed other opportunities with HBO or purchasing and rebranding the G4 network.
Payout Perspective:
It’s obvious that control is a big factor for Zuffa. You need only look to the company’s dealings with Showtime to recognize that Zuffa is very protective of its brand and the way it does things. You may recall that Showtime execs didn’t agree to some of the suggested changes Dana White had for Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate, which angered White to the extent that he’s hands off of Strikeforce.
As for the changes so far, the blood on the mat and weapon brand ban are things that relate to Fox’s overall standards and practices. The issue with the blood has to do with the perception of the sport and the fact that it is still introducing it to the masses. As Shanks was quoted, ““I don’t want it to look like someone just sacrificed a goat before Fox comes on the air.”
An interesting takeaway from the article is how shortening up the fighter entrances might indirectly hurt sponsors and the sponsorship of fighters. With shorter appearances on the camera, it may hurt the sponsorship value of a patch, t-shirt or hat of sponsor. It will make sponsors and agents think of other ways to get its brands on camera.
Posted in: fox, ’t, sport, zuffa, control
Read the full article at MMA Payout
FOX wants Joe Rogan to tone it down
Here's Joe Rogan complaining about FOX producers telling him to 'take it down a notch' with his UFC commentary. Maybe that would be slightly legit advice during UFC Japan, but Rogan was the only thing that kept the UFC on FOX 2 event from being a total Ambien pill. If anything, FOX should be thanking him for keeping fans conscious during those snoozefests.
(via Cage Today)
Posted in: ufc, fox, rogan, legit advice, anything fox
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card: Diaz Vs. Miller
UFC on Fox 3 is set for May 5th in East Rutherford, NJ, and the card looks to be complete. The main event will see Nate Diaz and Jim Miller face off in a five-round bout that will see the winner get a shot at the UFC lightweight title. In the co-main, Johny Hendricks will look to earn his own title shot with a win over solid veteran Josh Koscheck.In addition to that, Alan Belcher will face Rousimar Palhares, and Pat Barry will meet Lavar Johnson in a heavyweight slugfest. Here's how the card looks right now:
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3)
Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Alan Belcher (17-6) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3)
Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Tony Ferguson (13-2) vs. Thiago Tavares (17-4-1)
John Dodson (12-5) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (7-3)
John Hathaway (15-1) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0)
Danny Castillo (13-4) vs. John Cholish (8-1)
Pablo Garza (11-2) vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3)
Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Johnny Bedford (18-9-1)
Mike Massenzio (13-6) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2)
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5)
Posted in: ufc, alan belcher, fox, vs, john
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowReport: Thiago Tavares Replaces Injured Dennis Hallman, Faces Tony Ferguson at UFC on Fox 3
Thiago Tavares will replace an injured Dennis Hallman against Tony Ferguson at UFC on Fox 3, according to a report from Brazilian outlet Tatame
Posted in: ufc, fox, tavare, dennis hallman, hallman
Read the full article at SherdogThiago Tavares Steps in to Face Tony Ferguson at UFC on Fox 3
An injury has forced Dennis Hallman out of his UFC on Fox 3 bout against Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson, and in to replace him will be Brazilian Thiago Tavares.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, fighter winner, dennis hallman
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3: Tony Ferguson vs Thiago Tavares booked for May 5 with Dennis Hallman hurt
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 winner Tony Ferguson looks to continue his undefeated run through the UFC lightweight division when he makes a trip to the "Garden State" in just over two months to battle the venerable Thiago Tavares at the UFC on Fox 3 event booked for May 5, 2012, live from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Tavares is a late replacement for Dennis Hallman, who according to Tatame.com, was forced to bow out of the pending contest due to injury.
Ferguson (13-3) graduated at the top of his TUF class by beating the brakes off fellow finalist Ramsey Nijem. That set up a jaw-breaking win over Aaron Riley followed by a unanimous decision victory over the always-dangerous Yves Edwards.
Can "El Cucuy" scare up another "W" in Dirty Jersey?
Standing in his way will be Tavares (17-4), who rebounded from a nasty knockout loss to Shane Roller at UFC on Versus 3 last March to win two straight.
After pounding out Spencer Fisher at UFC 134: "Silva vs. Okami" late last year, the Brazilian returned to his native country to outlast Sam Stout via unanimous decision at UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes."
Will he be able to hand Ferguson his first loss inside the Octagon?
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight fight featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. The victor is widely-expected to move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson II, who compete later this year in a UFC 144 rematch.
For more details on the promotion's return to the FOX network click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, tavare, dennis hallman
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTavares replaces injured Hallman, faces Ferguson at UFC on FOX 3
With Dennis Hallman injured and forced to withdraw from May's UFC on FOX
3 event, Thiago Tavares will now face Tony
Ferguson in a lightweight contest.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the report, which was first published by Tatame.
Featuring a lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, "UFC on
FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller" takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East
Rutherford, N.J.
Posted in: ufc, fox, nate diaz, dennis hallman, mays ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkiePat Barry, Lavar Johnson Preparing for One-Round-and-Done at UFC on Fox 3
Heavyweight sluggers Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are booked for a May 5 fight at UFC on Fox 3 that neither expects to go past the first round.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, lavar johnson, barry
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC On Fox 3: Alan Belcher Believes He May Submit Rousimar Palhares
UFC middleweight Alan Belcher recently returned for a long layoff due to an eye injury, and is looking to get back in the thick of things at 185. He is scheduled to face submission ace Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3 on May 15th, and he believes that his BJJ is good enough to actually submit the big time grappler. He said as much in a video interview with Couch Fighter (transcribed by MMA Mania):
"I feel honored the UFC family wanted me to be on [the FOX] card and believed in my abilities and show the fans that I'm gonna be a champ. I'm one of the top contenders and I'm ready to prove it. I'd be stupid to try and force a grappling match. I'm gonna use my strength, my strategy, not that I can't grapple, but he can't really strike that good. It's a huge advantage for me just by keeping it on the feet. He's gonna have to get me in one of those situations and I'm not gonna let that happen. Best of luck to him, I don't think he's gonna get a hold of me and do anything. I'm a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Some people might be surprised but I'll give him a nice little run on the ground and may submit him."
While it definitely seems like a stretch, stranger things have happened. You can catch the whole interview below the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller
Posted in: ufc, fox, video interview, im, i dont
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 video: Pat Barry plans slugfest with Lavar Johnson but won't rule out using wrestling
"The plan is no (wrestling) but I'm not saying I'm completely against it. If he punches me in the head hard enough, you will see a wrestler jump out of me somewhere. The plan is not to go to the ground, it's to avoid it. Me, as a fan, I would rather see two guys punch each other in the head over and over again. Hopefully I'm not on the end of that. If it has to happen, it has to happen, but that's not the plan. The plan is to stand there and punch and kick each other until somebody gives up, quits or is unconscious."
Heavy handed heavyweight headhunter Pat Barry revels in his usual pre-fight talking points headed into his UFC on Fox 3 clash against Lavar Johnson on May 5, 2012, in New Jersey. The long and short of it is "HD" doesn't want the fight to go to the floor; instead he would like the same stand-n-bang style slugfest so many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans prefer. And considering his opponent has the same basic philosophical approach to combat, it looks like we're headed for fireworks on network TV. That's not to say wrestling won't play a factor at all, as Barry alludes to potential shooting for takedowns in the event he gets his clocked cleaned and needs time to regroup. As powerful as Johnson is, though, that may not even be an option. Either way, it sounds like these two are primed to deliver a fight the FOX network has been clamoring for since going into business with the UFC.
Posted in: fox, lavar johnson, barry, plan, barry revels
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCruz Wants To Shut Faber Up Once And For All - FOX News
The bantamweight champion avenged his lone career loss to heated rival Urijah Faber last year as well as defended his title against Demetrious Johnson, a top contender.Read the full interview at FOX News Latino.
Posted in: fox, career loss, fox news, demetrious johnson, urijah faber
Read the full article at UFCPat Barry Still Planning on Letting Hair Grow Until He Submits Someone in UFC
NEW YORK -- Watch below as Pat Barry talks about his upcoming UFC on FOX 3 fight against Lavar Johnson, his new haircut, the pressure he feels putting on a show on FOX, a potential fight against Mark Hunt and what he hates about New York City.
Posted in: mark hunt, fox, lavar johnson, barry, barry talks
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseSpike’s Latest Counter-Attack: Unleashed Nate Diaz vs. UFC on Fox 3
As the UFC continues to ramp up its new partnership with Fox, its former television partner, Spike TV, keeps marking their every move. The latest counter is to UFC on Fox 3.
Posted in: ufc, fox, spike, move, spike ’s
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMA Odds Breaker: UFC on FOX 3 & UFC 145 Breakdown
MMA Legend Frank Trigg and Damon Martin from MMAWeekly.com give their MMA betting picks and analysis on 3 upcoming UFC fights: UFC 145: Michael McDonald vs Miguel Torres UFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller UFC on FOX 3: Lavar Johnson vs Pat Barry MMA Odds Breaker Episode 18: I agree with their [...]
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, vs, damon martin
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUFC on FOX 3 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Diaz vs Miller' on May 5 in New Jersey
T-minus two months and counting.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to pull the trigger on its upcoming network television fight card, which emanates LIVE from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., May 5, 2012.
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight number one contender bout that pits Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, while heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will also sling leather for 265-pound bragging rights.
In addition, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 3 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Main Card (FOX):
265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson 170 lbs.: Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck 185 lbs.: Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
170 lbs.: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss 125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama 135 lbs.: Johnny Bedford vs. Nick Denis 155 lbs.: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish 145 lbs.: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza 185 lbs.: Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola 125 lbs.: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FOX 3, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on FUEL TV scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the three featured fights mentioned above as they happen, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
For the latest and greatest UFC on FOX 3 news and notes check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, john, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTickets On Sale Today for May 5 UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Show in New Jersey
Tickets for the UFC's third show on the Fox network, UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller, go on sale today for Fight Club members. The show is May 5 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, sale today, jersey tickets
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 3 Diaz vs. Miller Kick-Off Press Conference (Full Video)
If you missed the live streaming broadcast of the UFC on Fox 3 kick-off press conference on MMAWeekly.com, check out the full video.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, kickoff, mmaweeklycom check
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNate Diaz vs Jim Miller staredown pic from UFC on FOX 3 press conference
The UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event is still a couple months away but that doesn't mean main event participants Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller couldn't get together for a staredown.
That's exactly what they did today (March 6, 2012) at the press conference in New York to officially announce the event for May 5, 2012, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
In addition to the main event match-up of Diaz vs. Miller, heavy handed heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will collide, along with welterweight warmongers Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks. Check out their staredowns -- as well as a pic of the stars of UFC on FOX 3 on top of Radio City Music Hall -- after the jump.
For a complete recap of the UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference complete with all the relevant notes and quotes click here. To watch the presser in full click here and to check out the complete "Diaz vs. Miller" event archive click here.
Posted in: diaz, fox, vs, event, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Coverage
NEW YORK -- Watch below as UFC president Dana White talks about the UFC on FOX 3 event on May 5 in New Jersey, Friday night's judging debacle in Sydney, his relationship with Showtime, Ronda Rousey, Brandon Saling, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's future and Dakota Cochrane on TUF 15.
Posted in: ufc, fox, showtime, dakota cochrane, dakota
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White Talks UFC on FOX 3, Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey and 'Rampage' Jackson's Future
NEW YORK -- Watch below as UFC president Dana White talks about the UFC on FOX 3 event on May 5 in New Jersey, Friday night's judging debacle in Sydney, his relationship with Showtime, Ronda Rousey, Brandon Saling, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's future and Dakota Cochrane on TUF 15.
Posted in: ufc, jackson, fox, dakota cochrane, talks ufc
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFull UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference video for 'Diaz vs Miller'
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White joined the stars of the upcoming UFC on FOX 3 event, which is scheduled to go down on May 5, 2012, from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., to dish the dirt on the upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) show in the "Garden State."
Hint: Fast-forward to about the 10-minute mark to hit the start of the presser.
Main event participants Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, as well as heavyweight head hunters Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson and welterweight wrestlers Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, also joined White on dais.
Alan Belcher was also in the house, all by his lonesome, thanks to visa issues that kept Paul Harris in Brazil.
For a complete recap of the UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference complete with all the relevant notes and quotes click here. To check out the complete "Diaz vs. Miller" event archive click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Full Video
Full video from today’s UFC on FOX 3 pre-fight press conference that was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson, Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher and Dana White were all in attendance.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video, city
Read the full article at MMA ConvertVideo: Jim Miller on 'Good Day New York' talking UFC on FOX 3
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Jim Miller, who's taking a bite out of the "Big Apple" to help promote his headlining bout at UFC on FOX 3, was an early morning guest today (March 6, 2012) on the FOX network's "Good Day New York."
Complete with John Deere baseball cap.
Miller will butt heads with Nate Diaz on May 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ, not far from the area he trains and calls home, alongside older brother Dan. To hear more from the top 155-pounder you can check out his comments from today's pre-fight press conference here.
More on his fight against Diaz here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, championship ufc, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLive Video UFC On Fox 3 Press Conference With Jim Miller And Nate Diaz
UFC lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz join Nick Lembo of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board and UFC President Dana White for a press conference announcing the ticket sales for UFC on Fox 3. The event will be held on May 5, 2012 in the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Full card after the jump.
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3)
Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Alan Belcher (17-6) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3)
Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Tony Ferguson (13-2) vs. Dennis Hallman (51-14-2, 1 NC)
John Dodson (12-5) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (7-3)
John Hathaway (15-1) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0)
Danny Castillo (13-4) vs. John Cholish (8-1)
Pablo Garza (11-2) vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3)
Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Johnny Bedford (18-9-1)
Mike Massenzio (13-6) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2)
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, john, nate
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Video
At Tuesday's UFC on FOX 3 press conference, UFC President Dana White will be joined by fighters from the UFC on FOX 3 fight card, scheduled for May 5, 2012 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. As always, we'll carry the live video right here on MMAFighting.com.
Today's presser takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Headlining the third network card, lightweight standout Nate Diaz will take on perennial contender Jim Miller for a spot in title contention. Also featured are high-profile bouts Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher, and Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
The press conference begins at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on Tuesday morning. Check out the live streaming video below.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video, vs
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch Today’s UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Press Conference Live
You can watch the UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller special press conference today in New York through a live streaming player here at HeavyMMA at 11 a.m. Eastern.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, miller, press
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWatch the UFC on Fox 3 Press Conference LIVE Today at 11 AM EST
Continually working towards legalizing MMA in New York, the UFC has set up a press conference for UFC on Fox 3 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City today. The press conference will be streamed live here at MMAFrenzy.com, starting at 11 AM EST/8 AM PST.
Expected to be in attendance is UFC President Dana White, along with fighters from the main card, which includes Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck, Alan Belcher, Lavar Johnson, and Pat Barry.
UFC on Fox 3 takes place on May 5th at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is just across the river from New York City.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, barry ufc, izod center
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWatch today's UFC on FOX 3 press conference on MMAjunkie.com at 11 a.m. ET
A special UFC on FOX 3 press conference takes place today, and you can watch a live stream of the proceedings here on MMAjunkie.com at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT).
The press conference, which previews May's UFC on FOX 3 event, takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Featured at today's presser are UFC president Dana White and UFC on FOX 3 fighters Jim Miller, Nate Diaz, Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Alan Belcher, Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson.
Posted in: ufc, fox, press, today, place today
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLive Video Feed: UFC on Fox 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference (11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT)
Live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Nick Diaz and Jim Miller are joined by President Dana White for the UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight press conference.
Posted in: fox, conference, prefight, jim miller, president dana
Read the full article at SherdogWatch the UFC on Fox 3 Kick-Off Presser Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET
Watch the Tuesday, March 6, UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller kick-off press conference from Radio City Music Hall in New York City live on MMAWeekly.com at 11 a.m. ET.
Posted in: fox, tuesday, city, york city, kickoff
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 3 poster pic for 'Diaz vs Miller' in N.J. on May 5
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to return to the "Garden State" for the first time this year when it slogs through the New Jersey swamp known affectionately as the Meadowlands on Sat., May 5, 2012.
UFC on Fox 3, which was recently made official for the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., will feature a main event that pits Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller in a pivotal lightweight showdown, while Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a top spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are also expected to sling leather on the action-packed televised main card, as well as Brazilian leg crusher Rousimar Palhares taking on the very game Alan Belcher in a middleweight mash up.
For the latest UFC on Fox 3 news and notes check out our complete event archive right here. To check out the latest UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" fight card and rumors click here. And for UFC on Fox 3 ticket sales information click here.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, miller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX Presser Tuesday in New York City
In advance of its May 5 event from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., the Ultimate Fighting Championship® will hold a press conference TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. ET at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature seven of the UFC’s top stars from the May 5 event, as well as UFC President Dana White.The press conference will also stream live at www.ufc.com. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative UFC t-shirt.* Tickets for UFC®on FOX go on sale Friday, March 9 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000, and the IZOD Center Box Office. Visit www.IZODcenter.com or call 201-935-3900 for more details. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 8, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter in the field at the top of the page at UFC.com. A special pre-sale window will also be available for the first time to MetroPCS customers, who can buy tickets to UFC: Diaz vs. Miller on Thursday, March 8, starting at 8:30 am. Simply text 91452 with "UFC" from your MetroPCS phone for details. *T-shirts distributed on first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last.WHO: The Ultimate Fighting Championship® DANA WHITE, UFC President JIM MILLER, N.J. native, UFC on FOX® main event star NATE DIAZ, UFC on FOX® main event star JOSH KOSCHECK, UFC welterweight JOHNY HENDRICKS, UFC welterweight ALAN BELCHER, UFC middleweight PAT BARRY, UFC heavyweight LAVAR JOHNSON, UFC heavyweightWHAT: Free, Public Press Conference WHEN: Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. ETDoors for Fans Open at 10 a.m. WHERE: Radio City Music Hall1260 6th Avenue New York, N.Y. 10020
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, ticket, march
Read the full article at UFCUFC on FOX 3 tickets for sale soon for 'Diaz vs. Miller' at IZOD Center in N.J. on May 5
Tickets for UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. MIller," which was recently made official for the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., May 5, 2012, will go on sale to the general public on Fri., March 9, 2012, at 10 a.m. ET.
UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption thanks to two separate special presales.
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a potential lightweight number one contender bout that pits Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, while heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will also sling leather on the action-packed fight card.
In addition, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
Here is the UFC on Fox 3 tickets sales schedule (all times ET):
UFC Fight Club presale: Weds., March 7 at 10 a.m.
UFC Newsletter presale: Thurs., March 8 at 10 a.m.
General tickets sale: Fri., March 9 at 10 a.m.
UFC on Fox 3 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on FOX at 8 p.m. ET on fight night.
For the latest UFC on Fox 3 news and notes check out our complete event archive right here. To check out the latest UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" fight card and rumors click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, ticket
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Tickets On Sale Next Week, Diaz-Miller, Barry-Johnson, More Official
UFC on FOX 3 is official.
UFC on FOX 3 is scheduled to take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday, May 5, and will air live on FOX at 8pm ET/5pm PT.
The card will be headlined by a lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
“For our third card on FOX, we have four great fights!” UFC President Dana White said. “Nate Diaz versus Jim Miller is the five-round main event and the winner will put himself in a position to fight for the title. Both of these guys fight at an incredible pace and are coming off great wins.
Other match-ups announced for the card include Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks and Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher.
“We’ve got an amazing heavyweight fight between knockout artists Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, as well as welterweight title contender fight between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks. Johny just knocked out Koscheck’s training partner, Jon Fitch, and wants a title shot. To do it, he’s gotta get past Koscheck, who’s one of the best 170-pounders in the world. If that wasn’t enough, submission specialist Rousimar Palhares meets Alan Belcher in an exciting middleweight fight. I’m excited for fans in N.J. and N.Y. to experience the UFC live again.”
Ticket info below.
UFC Fight Club Presale: Wednesday, March 7, 10am ET
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, March 9, 10am ET
Tickets will be priced at $250, $150, $100, $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the IZOD Center Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800-745-3000.
The latest UFC on FOX 3 fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, official ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC® HEADS TO NEW JERSEY ON MAY 5 WITH ACTION-PACKED CARD ON FOX
Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® on FOX is coming to the Garden State. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that its third event on the FOX network will take place on Saturday, May 5 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. An outstanding five-round lightweight bout between Whippany’s Jim Miller and rugged contender Nate Diaz will headline the card, with the winner moving one step closer to a title shot. The remaining main card bouts include: heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson; welterweight contenders Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks; middleweights Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher. The action-packed main card will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT.The card will also feature an exciting preliminary card, which will be confirmed at UFC.com in the coming weeks.A press conference is planned for Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. ET from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The event is FREE and open to the public. Media interested in attending should RSVP to Dave Sholler (dsholler@ufc.com) by Monday, March 5. A light brunch will be served for the media at 10 a.m. Doors for the public will open at 10:30 a.m. The main card fighters will join UFC President Dana White at the presser.“For our third card on FOX, we have four great fights!” UFC President Dana White said. “Nate Diaz versus Jim Miller is the five-round main event and the winner will put himself in a position to fight for the title. Both of these guys fight at an incredible pace and are coming off great wins. “We’ve got an amazing heavyweight fight between knockout artists Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, as well as welterweight title contender fight between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks. Johny just knocked out Koscheck’s training partner, Jon Fitch, and wants a title shot. To do it, he’s gotta get past Koscheck, who’s one of the best 170-pounders in the world. If that wasn’t enough, submission specialist Rousimar Palhares meets Alan Belcher in an exciting middleweight fight. I’m excited for fans in N.J. and N.Y. to experience the UFC live again.” Tickets for UFC®on FOX go on sale Friday, March 9 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available at the IZOD Center Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800-745-3000. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 8, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com. For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.About Ultimate Fighting Championship®Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® is the world’s premier MMA organization and produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the globe. This year, FOX will broadcast four fight cards annually. In spring 2012, The Ultimate Fighter®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on FX. UFC content is also distributed commercially to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in 150 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching over one billion homes worldwide, in 21 different languages.UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over 7.5 million fans on Facebook and over 500,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with nearly two million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.Ancillary businesses include best-selling DVDs, UFC Magazine, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, card
Read the full article at UFCUFC 144 Video Highlights
Video: Highlights: UFC 144
Video highlights from UFC 144 courtesy of FOX Sports.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, sport, courtesy
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC On Fox 3 Fight Card Shaping Up
UFC on Fox 3 is set for May 5th in East Rutherford, NJ, and the card looks to be complete. One big fight that had been tentatively set for the card, the third bout between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, is now off due to an injury. The card is still full of intriguing bouts either way though. The main event will see Nate Diaz and Jim Miller face off in a five-round bout that could decide the next UFC lightweight title challenger. In the co-main, Johny Hendricks will look to earn his own title shot with a win over solid veteran Josh Koscheck. The bout order for the rest of the card hasn't been announced yet, but here's how it looks right now:
May 5th, live on Fox from East Rutherford, NJ:
Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3)
Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Alan Belcher (17-6) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14-3)
Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Tony Ferguson (13-2) vs. Dennis Hallman (51-14-2, 1 NC)
John Dodson (12-5) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (7-3)
John Hathaway (15-1) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0)
Danny Castillo (13-4) vs. John Cholish (8-1)
Pablo Garza (11-2) vs. Dennis Bermudez (7-3)
Nick Denis (11-2) vs. Johnny Bedford (18-9-1)
Mike Massenzio (13-6) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2)
Louis Gaudinot (5-2) vs. John Lineker (19-5)
Posted in: bout, fox, vs, john, card
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3 grows with addition of two fights
A pair of Ultimate Fighter 14 alumni has been added to the UFC on FOX 3 lineup, joining fellow cast-mates John Dodson and Louis Gaudinot on the May 5 event. According to the UFC, featherweight finalist Dennis Bermudez will battle submission specialist Pablo Garza in hopes of avoiding a second consecutive loss inside the Octagon, while Johnny Bedford looks to improve his record to 2-0 in the UFC with Nick Denis standing in his way.
Bedford took out the undersized Gaudinot at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale with a series of brutal knees to pick up the sixth TKO of his career (and fourteenth finish in eighteen total wins). Comparably, Denis is 11-2 with two straight wins including a memorable knockout of Joseph Sandoval via elbows at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller.
Bermudez fell to Diego Brandao in an exciting season-ending affair, his third stumble in a trio of outings. In Garza he’ll face a bonus-winning adversary who is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier but had picked up a pair of highlight-reel wins prior to the defeat.
UFC Announces Four Fights to be Featured on FOX
UFC on FOX 3 is headlined by Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz with other main card clashes including Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, bonuswinning adversary, way bedford
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on Fox 3 Gets Featherweight Bout Between Pablo Garza and Dennis Bermudez
A featherweight bout between TUF 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez and two-time fight night bonus winner Pablo Garza has been added to UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey.
Posted in: featherweight bout, fox, dennis bermudez, pablo garza, pablo
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 3: Bermudez vs Garza, Bedford vs Denis set for New Jersey fight card
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently announced two new additions to its upcoming FOX fight card, which is scheduled to take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012.
A featherweight showdown between Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza and a bantamweight bout that pits Johnny Bedford vs. Nick Denis are now set for UFC on Fox 3: "Miller vs. Diaz."
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight number one contender eliminator match between Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, while heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will also sling leather on the action-packed fight card. In addition, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
For all the latest greatest news and notes for UFC on FOX 3 check out our event archive right here. And to check out the most recent UFC on FOX 3 fight card and rumors click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBrian Stann says he'll be the analyst on future UFC on FOX shows
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, brian stann, mattyblayze, future ufc
Read the full article at RedditPair of Ultimate Fighter 14 alumni added to UFC on FOX 3 lineup
The card for the third UFC on FOX event is beginning to fill up, as UFC officials recently announced match-ups featuring Johnny Bedford-Nick Denis and Dennis Bermudez-Pablo Garza had been added to the card.
Bedford (18-9-1) and Bermudez (7-3) will join fellow TUF 14 contestants John Dodson and Louis Guadinot on the show’s lineup.
Denis (11-2) is coming off a victory over Joseph Sandoval in his most recent outing while Bedford brought home the win against Guadinot at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Bermudez was a finalist on TUF 14, falling to Diego Brandao in an exciting season-ending scrap. Garza (11-2) also dropped his last fight with Dustin Poirier getting the better of him. He is 2-1 in the Octagon with bonus-wining performances in his earlier pairings.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event will pit Nate Diaz against Jim Miller. It was not announced where either new fight would be placed though the preliminary portion of the card seems probable.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, nate diaz, pairings ufc
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainNick Denis vs. Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 3
An intriguing bantamweight match up has been added to the impending UFC on Fox 3 fight card,with Nick Denis and Johnny Bedford now slated to do battle at the May event.
Defeated by eventual season winner John Dodson in the semi-finals of the fourteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, “Brutal” Bedford (18-9) rebounded to make his UFC debut a successful one by taking out fellow TUF 14 alum Louis Gaudinot via third round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. The 29-year-old Ohioan was scheduled to make his second Octagon appearance at UFC on Fox 2 this past January opposite the experienced Eddie Wineland, having stepped up for a flyweight-bound Demetrious Johnson, but saw that fight cancelled when Wineland got injured and replacement opponent Mitch Gagnon experienced visa issues.
Canadian master of biochemistry Nick Denis (11-2) also debuted in the Octagon recently, acquitting himself very well en route to a first round knockout over Joseph Sandoval at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller that he earned with a volley of mean, standing elbows. The victory netted The Ninja Love a Knockout of the Night bonus as well as the attention of the MMA world. In another similarity he shares with Bedford, the win over Sandoval put the 28-year-old Denis on a two-fight winning streak.
UFC on Fox 3: Miller vs. Diaz is expected to take place on May 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and will feature a main event between top lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bedford, eddie wineland, deni
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza slotted for UFC on FOX 3
Featherweights Dennis Bermudez and Pablo Garza hope to reverse recent slides when they meet at UFC on FOX 3.
Officials today announced the fight, which is expected to be part of the event's preliminary card.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The event's preliminary card airs on FUEL TV while the main card airs live on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, card, izod center
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBedford vs. Denis, Bermudez vs. Garza Added to UFC on Fox 3
A pair of bouts featuring former 'Ultimate Fighter' season 14 veterans have been added to the upcoming UFC on Fox 3 show in May.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, bermudez, bedford
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNick Denis vs. Johnny Bedford slated for UFC on FOX 3
A bantamweight bout between Nick Denis and "The Ultimate Fighter 14" semifinalist Johnny Bedford is the latest addition to UFC on FOX 3.
UFC officials today announced the fight.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The main card, including a Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz headliner, airs on FOX, and prelims air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bantamweight bout, fight ufc, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieDenis will face Bedford at UFC on Fox 3
Nick Denis will face Johnny Bedford on May 5 at UFC on Fox 3 at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bedford, johnny bedford, deni
Read the full article at sportsnet.caChris Weidman: 'I'll finish Anderson Silva' (Video)
"I think with a full camp, I'll finish him. Obviously I'm not fighting Anderson Silva next, but if I was, that would be my prediction. I'm confident with myself, you have to be as a fighter. I have a lot of respect for Anderson Silva, I think he's awesome. I don't know who I'm fighting next, I don't know when. I was hoping to fight in May, because that's in New Jersey and it's another FOX card. I would love to be on FOX again. But it's wherever the UFC feels I'm at. I'm down."
Undefeated middleweight contender Chris Weidman, who inserted himself into "the mix" by huffing and puffing his way past Demian Maia at the UFC on FOX 2 event last month in Chicago, feels confident that with a full and proper training camp, he would not only defeat reigning 185-pound champion Anderson Silva, but finish him in the process. Anyone think the "All American" is getting a little too big for his britches? Or can he use his wrestling and jiu-jitsu to eventually finish what Chael Sonnen started?
Posted in: fox, silva, anderson, im, i dont
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFOX execs happy with UFC product, but White has changes in mind
MMA fans may see less screaming and more storytelling when they tune into future UFC broadcasts.
"I kind of changed my philosophy now that we're on FOX and we're reaching more people," UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com.
White believes FOX is on board, too. After initial growing pains, he said the network is further easing the reigns on control of the production.
Posted in: ufc, fox, control, fox execs, ufc product
Read the full article at MMA JunkiePat Barry Has A Bad Day In Croatia With Mirko Cro Cop
The UFC's resident heavyweight comedian Pat Barry has gone over to Croatia to help his buddy Mirko Cro Cop prepare for his upcoming kickboxing bout against Ray Sefo in March. Pat also has a bout with Lavar Johnson coming up at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5th. As usual with Mr. Hype or Die, he is documenting the trip via video clips, and day two didn't end up going so well for him. Nothing scary or bad, just humorous. Check it out.
Warning for you sensitive types (or working stiffs) - there is some salty language in the video.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Current UFC on Fox 3 card:
Nate Diaz vs. Jim MillerJohny Hendricks vs. Josh KoscheckAlan Belcher vs. Rousimar PalharesPat Barry vs. Lavar JohnsonJohn Hathaway vs. Pascal KraussJohn Dodson vs. Darren UyenoyamaDanny Castillo vs. John CholishMike Massenzio vs. Karlos VemolaLouis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, barry, kickboxing bout
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAlan Belcher booked to battle with Rousimar Palhares at UFC on FOX 3
Two of the UFC’s most talented middleweights – Alan Belcher/Rousimar Palhares – have agreed to mix it up on May 15 in New Jersey as part of the main card at UFC on FOX 3, an addition completing the quartet of clashes scheduled to air on the network’s airwaves.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout earlier today via Twitter.
The match-up will mark the second for Belcher since returning from an eye injury that kept him out for more than a year and nearly ended his career based on the severity involved. His first involved an opening round stoppage of Jason MacDonald at UFN 25, the third straight victory for the 17-6 Roufusport fighter.
Belcher Feared for Future After Frightening Injury
The 14-3 Palhares is also in the midst of a three-fight winning streak with a January submission of Mike Massenzio serving as his most recent appearance inside the Octagon. Known for his devastating submissions and overall power, “Toquinho” has had his hand raised in the past against the likes of Ivan Salaverry and Dan Miller.
The other three fights set for FOX are topped by headlining action from Jim Miller-Nate Diaz with Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry and Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks rounding out the broadcast.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, alan belcher, belcher, fox, ufc ’s
Read the full article at Fighters.comJosh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks Added to UFC on Fox 3 in May
A welterweight contenders fight between former title challenger Josh Koscheck and Johnny Hendricks has been added to the UFC's third card on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, josh, johnny hendricks
Read the full article at Heavy MMARousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher rounds out main card for UFC on FOX 3
UFC President Dana White promised four fights on the organization’s upcoming return to FOX and has shown himself to be a man of his word, announcing the always-tough Alan Belcher will battle submission-specialist Rousimar Palhares on network television May 5 at UFC on FOX 3.
White revealed the match-up Monday morning via Twitter.
Belcher made his triumphant return to the Octagon at UFN 25 after more than a year on the sidelines with an eye injury that nearly ended his career. The 17-6 middleweight has won his last three fights including his opening round beatdown of Jason MacDonald last September.
Palhares (14-3) has also come out with his hand raised the last three times he’s set foot in the Octagon, picking up a pair of his trademark Heel Hook victories and a decision over Dan Miller over the span. Ten of his total wins have been the result of a submission stoppage including five in the UFC.
The main card of UFC on FOX 3 was completed with the clash, now featuring Palhares-Belcher, Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, and headliner Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. Preliminary pairings include Dennis Hallman-Tony Ferguson, Pascal Krauss-John Hathaway, and John Dodson-Darren Uyenoyama.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, vs, eye injury
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainAlan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares Added To UFC on FOX 3
Alan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares fight added to FOX card!!!!!!about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite@danawhiteDana White
Coming off the heels of last night’s Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks announcement, Dana White revealed another fight for the UFC on FOX 3 show today. Alan Belcher will take on Rousimar Palhares in what looks to be a classic striker vs. grappler match-up.
With this latest addition the UFC on FOX 3 main card is shaping up to look like this.
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares
Good fights, but will it make for good ratings?
Posted in: belcher, fox, vs, palhare, rousimar
Read the full article at MMA ConvertRousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher Added to UFC on Fox 3
Rousimar Palhares will fight on network television after all.
After turning down a primetime spot opposite Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2, Palhares has agreed to meet Alan Belcher in a key middleweight tilt at UFC on Fox 3, slated for May 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. UFC President Dana White announced the match-up on Monday via Twitter.
The bout is expected to fill out the final slot of the four-fight Fox main card, which also includes Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, and Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry.
Both men are established Octagon veterans with a 15-6 combined promotional record, and have driven their name into title contention on the wings of recent three-fight win streaks.
At 31 years old, Palhares (14-3) cemented his reputation as MMA's fiercest leg lock practitioner by tapping out Mike Massenzio via heel hook in just 63 seconds at UFC 142, earning his second ‘Submission of the Night' bonus in the process. "Toquinho" has now tasted victory in six of his last seven contests, with four of those wins ending via kneebar or heel hook.
Likewise, Belcher (17-6) has proven to be one of the middleweight division's most devastating finishers, with 15 of his 17 wins staying out of the judges' hands. The 27-year-old standout recently returned from a 16-month layoff after undergoing emergency eye surgery in mid-2010, to blitz through Jason MacDonald en route to a first-round stoppage at UFC Fight Night 25. The win pushed Belcher's record to 5-1 over his last six fights, including ‘Submission of the Night' victories over Patrick Cote and Denis Kang.
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, vs, palhare
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3: Alan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares booked for May 5 in New Jersey
Looks like we have a "Situation" developing for the UFC on FOX 3 fight card, currently scheduled for May 5, 2012, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Middleweight strikinmg machice Alan Belcher will try to keep his legs out of harm's way when he tangles with Brazilian tree stump Rousimar Palhares when the promotion returns to network television, according to a recent tweet from UFC President Dana White.
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight number one contender bout pitting Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller while Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson also get busy.
In addition, Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks will face off for a spot in the 170-pound pecking order.
More on Palhares vs. Belcher in just a few minutes, so let's hear some early predictions while the bread is in the oven. Can Belcher avoid the deadly tap? Or will he eventually snap?
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, vs, palhare
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAlan Belcher Vs. Rousimar Palhares On Tap For UFC On Fox 3
UFC president Dana White revealed on Twitter this morning that a very interesting middleweight bout has been added to the May 5th UFC on Fox 3 card in New Jersey, as Brazilian leg-mangler Rousimar Palhares will meet Louisiana's own Alan Belcher:
Alan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares fight added to FOX card!!!!!!
Many fans had called for this match-up given the recent successes of both men and their positioning in the upper echelon of the UFC's 185 lb. ranks. Belcher returned in September after over a year spent battling a potentially career-ending eye injury, and he quickly dispatched of the always-game Jason MacDonald. Although he's shown a solid ground game in addition to his dynamic muay thai, Belcher will want to avoid the ground at all costs against Palhares, who is one of the most feared submission artists in modern MMA, given his brute strength and penchant for crushing leg locks, along with his ability to snatch them from seemingly any position.
Alan "The Talent" Belcher (17-6)W Jason Macdonald (submission - punches) - UFN 25W Patrick Cote (submission - RNC) - UFC 113W Wilson Gouveia (TKO) - UFC 107
Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares (14-3)W Mike Massenzio (submission - heel hook) - UFC 142W Dan Miller (unam. decision) - UFC 134W Dave Branch (submission - heel hook) - UFC on Versus 3
Here's how the UFC on Fox 3 card is shaping up:
-Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller (5-round main event)-Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks-Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares-Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson-John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama-Anthony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman-John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss-Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish-Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker-Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
UFC on Fox 3 coverage
Posted in: ufc, belcher, fox, submission, vs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAlan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares added to UFC on FOX 3
A major middleweight bout between two of the division's most entertaining fighters has been added to the UFC on FOX 3 card.
UFC president Dana White today announced that well-rounded Alan Belcher meets submission specialist Rousimar Palhares at the upcoming event.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The main card, including a Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz headliner, airs on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event ufc, izod center, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAlan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares fight added UFC on Fox
submitted by pleasebequiet [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, pleasebequiet, rousimar, alan
Read the full article at RedditJosh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks added to UFC on FOX 3
The UFC has set up a key welterweight contest with Josh Koscheck taking on Johny Hendricks at UFC on FOX 3.
Koscheck got by Mike Pierce at UFC 143 by the skin of his teeth after earning a knockout victory against Matt Hughes late in 2011. “Kos” is a former #1 contender to the UFC title, sporting a career record of 17-5 with fifteen of those wins coming in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Hendricks (12-1) scored the biggest win of his career in his last outing by dropping Jon Fitch in twelve seconds at UFC 141. Fitch is a training partner of Koscheck’s and a good friend, adding a bit of extra intrigue into the pairing. The former decorated wrestler picked up his third straight win with the performance.
UFC on FOX 3 is set to go down place May 5 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event will feature Jim Miller and Nate Diaz with Koscheck-Hendricks likely serving as the co-headliner.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, knockout victory, hendrick
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainJosh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks Booked For UFC on FOX 3
Josh Koscheck’s next fight is set.
Dana White announced on Twitter earlier tonight that Koscheck will face off against Johny Hendricks at UFC on FOX 3 on May 5.
Koscheck vs Johnny Hendricks is on for FOX!!!
It’s a huge opportunity for Hendricks who’s coming off his 12 second knockout victory over Jon Fitch at UFC 141. A win over Koscheck on FOX would certainly raise his stature in the UFC’s welterweight division. It could even get him in the title discussion if he can blast Kos like he lit up Fitch. Against Koscheck though, that’s always easier said than done. Should be a good one.
Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, knockout victory, hendrick
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 3 Fight Card Rumors
UFC on Fox 3 fight card rumors and start times at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 5, 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, izod center
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJosh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks Welterweight Showdown Added to UFC on Fox 3
Welterweight wrestlers Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will look to boost their statuses in the UFC’s turbulent 170-pound division come May when they square off on Fox.
Posted in: fox, josh, ufc ’s, johny hendricks, hendrick
Read the full article at SherdogKoscheck-Hendricks Welterweight Showdown Added to UFC on Fox 3
Welterweight wrestlers Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will look to boost their statuses in the UFC’s turbulent 170-pound division come May when they square off on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, welterweight, ufc ’s, johny hendricks
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 3: Josh Koscheck vs Johny Hendricks booked for May 5 in New Jersey
Add another one.
The UFC on Fox 3 event scheduled for May 5, 2012, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has added another big fight for its main card to be broadcast on network television.
As announced by UFC President Dana White on Twitter, Josh Koscheck will attempt to avenge the defeat of his friend and training partner, Jon Fitch, when he takes on Johny Hendricks.
Koscheck is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Mike Pierce at UFC 143 this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He wasn't exactly impressive but a win is a win and it puts him in position to do what his buddy Fitch could not.
If he's able to.
Hendricks is no pushover, as evidenced by his win over Fitch. It's not only the fact that he managed to become just the second man to defeat the perennial top contender inside the Octagon it's that he did so by knockout.
In 12 seconds.
Add that to his already impressive 7-1 resume with the UFC and this fight makes dollars and sense. But who takes it, Maniacs?
UFC on FOX 3 takes place on May 5 in New Jersey and will be headlined by a lightweight number one contender bout pitting Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are also set to square off on the night's main card.
Koscheck vs. Pierce will presumably join them on the network TV telecast.
For the latest news and notes on the UFC on FOX 3 event click here and stay tuned to MMAmania.com for any future updates to this still-developing fight card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, network television, buddy fitch
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJohny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck Official for UFC on FOX 3
Following the biggest win of his career with a 12 second knockout over Jon Fitch at UFC 141, Johny Hendricks is now set to take on Fitch’s longtime American Kickboxing Academy teammate Josh Koscheck. The welterweights are set to square off at UFC on FOX 3, which takes place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 5th.
In December, Hendricks (12-1) was the first fighter to ever finish Jon Fitch in the UFC. The knockout won him his second career “Knockout of the Night” award. Prior to that, he also defeated Mike Pierce, Charlie Brenneman, and Amir Sadollah. The All-American wrestler from Oklahoma State now sports a 7-1 record in the UFC.
Koscheck is coming off a split decision win over Mike Pierce earlier this month at UFC 143. He is now 2-0 since making his return to the Octagon following the broken orbital he suffered against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 124 in December 2010.
Koscheck will be fighting the first time following his departure from American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. The camp for other notable fighters such as Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, and Luke Rockhold; Koscheck started training there in 2006, following his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight battle between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
For the latest UFC on FOX 3 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, fitch, jon fitch
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyJosh Koscheck Vs. Johny Hendricks Set For UFC On Fox 3
The aftermath of the Nick Diaz saga has led to a lot of confusion in the welterweight division. Will Carlos Condit defend his UFC interim welterweight title before Georges St. Pierre comes back? Who are the top contenders for that bout if it does happen? Well, one piece of the welterweight puzzle was revealed today by UFC president Dana White. Josh Koscheck will face Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3. Here's what he said on twitter:
@danawhiteDana White Koscheck vs Johnny Hendricks is on for FOX!!! Feb 12 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
This bout makes all sorts of sense. Hendricks is coming off of a 12 second knockout of Kos's former teammate and good friend Jon Fitch. Koscheck defeated Mike Pierce via close split decision at UFC 143, while Hendricks did the same at UFC 133. Koscheck is a natural talker who is a good fit for a Fox show, and the winner of the bout will be a clear option for Condit if he does choose to defend before GSP returns. The only bad part is that this will be a three-rounder.
In short, excellent booking as usual from Joe Silva.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, johny hendricks, hendrick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowKoscheck vs. Hendricks Added to UFC on Fox 3
A pair of NCAA champion wrestlers will face off at UFC on Fox 3 when Josh Koscheck meets Johny Hendricks on May 5 in New Jersey.
Posted in: ufc, fox, josh koscheck, koscheck, johny hendricks
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJohny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck added to UFC on FOX 3
Josh Koscheck's middleweight plans will have to wait.
UFC president Dana White today announced that Koscheck will meet Johny
Hendricks at May's UFC on FOX 3 event in a key welterweight affair.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The main card, including a Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz headliner, airs on
FOX, and prelims are expected to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, koscheck, izod center, mays ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieKoscheck vs. Hendricks set for UFC on Fox 3
submitted by MarkEffed [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, koscheck, markeffed
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 3 Fight Card: Diaz vs. Miller
The UFC on FOX 3 fight card boasts a main event between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller on May 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The winner of Diaz-Miller will likely become the No. 1 contender for the UFC lightweight title.
Also confirmed for the FOX card will be a heavyweight tilt between sluggers Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson.
The current UFC on FOX 3 lineup is below.
Nate Diaz vs. Jim MillerPat Barry vs. Lavar JohnsonDarren Uyenoyama vs. John DodsonMike Massenzio vs. Karlos VemolaJohn Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss Danny Castillo vs. John CholishLouis Gaudinot vs. John LinekerTony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fox, vs, john
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 4 Fight Card Rumors
UFC on Fox 4 fight card rumors and start times in Los Angeles, California, on August 4, 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, rumor
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyPat Barry promises "to throw heat" against Lavar Johnson at UFC on FOX 3
Fan-favorite Pat "HD" Barry will look to continue his winning ways inside the Octagon, facing Lavar Johnson on the main card of UFC on FOX 3. Both fighters are well-known for their striking credentials, sharing a total 20 KO/TKO finishes out of 23 career victories. In his last bout, Barry defeated Christian Morecraft via KO in Round 1.
UFC on FOX 3 will take place on May 5, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The event will also feature the Lightweight war between Nate Diaz and Jim
Posted in: ufc, fox, nate diaz, lavar johnson, barry
Read the full article at Low KickUFC Announces Next Fox, FX Events in Los Angeles, Atlantic City
Three new developments were confirmed Tuesday night for the UFC’s 2012 event calendar, as the promotion announced date and location information for UFC on FX 4, UFC 148 and UFC on Fox 4.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, tuesday night, location information
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 4 set for Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tonight revealed the date and location for its fourth mixed martial arts (MMA) event on network television.
UFC on Fox 4 will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012. No potential main event or under card matches are known at this time.
UFC debuted on FOX back in Nov. 2011, pitting its heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, against number one contender, Junior dos Santos. It took dos Santos just 64 seconds to flatten the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)-trained fighter and take the championship belt back to Brazil.
Looking to avoid the one-minute disasterpiece, UFC on Fox 2 offered up three televised fights, two of which -- Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping and Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis -- determined number one division contenders. Still, most fans came away unimpressed with three ordinary decisions, sitting through nearly 60 minutes of average action.
UFC on Fox 3, meanwhile, is still under construction. However, it features a main event between Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller that will likely determine the next lightweight contender. It is scheduled to take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012.
UFC and FOX recently inked a landmark deal to deliver up to four MMA events each year, meaning that UFC on Fox 5 could still take place before the 2012 fight campaign comes to a close.
Stay tuned.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, contender, staples center
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 4 Confirmed for August 4 in Los Angeles
With UFC on Fox 3 still three months away, the UFC is wasting no time in setting a date and location for its next UFC on Fox event, as UFC on Fox 4 will take place on August 4 in Los Angeles, the UFC announced Tuesday night on Fuel TV.
No fights have yet been booked for the card, which will be the third of four slated for the Fox network this year.
UFC on Fox 3, which takes place on May 15 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature four fights, including the main event between lightweights Jim Miller and Nate Diaz and a heavyweight bout between Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson.
Meanwhile, the UFC also confirmed that UFC on FX 4 will indeed take place on June 22 in Atlantic City, NJ and that its July 7 event in Las Vegas will be UFC 148.
For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: The Staples Center, a possible venue for UFC on Fox 4
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, los angeles, place
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 4 Set for Aug. 4 in Los Angeles
The UFC has announced the date and location for its fourth event on FOX.
UFC on FOX 4 will take place on August 4 in Los Angeles, as confirmed Tuesday night on Fuel TV's UFC Tonight. That will make it the second UFC on FOX event in Southern California; the first UFC on FOX fight, headlined by Junior dos Santos taking the heavyweight title from Cain Velasquez, took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The August 4 card will come during an interesting time in the sports calendar. FOX will be going head-to-head with NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics that night, so there's no chance of Fox winning the ratings race on that date, but there is an opportunity for FOX to draw a strong rating among the coveted young male demographic.
It's too early for any word about who will be fighting on the UFC on FOX 4 card, as the UFC usually sets the dates and venues for its events a couple of months before getting the fight card set.
The UFC has had two events on the FOX network so far, with the second fight card taking place on January 28 in Chicago. The third UFC on FOX event will take place on May 5 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, headlined by Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz.
Posted in: ufc, fight card, fox, event, los angeles
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 4 Scheduled for August 4 in Los Angeles
UFC on Fox 4 has now been scheduled with the show taking place on August 4 in Los Angeles.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, lo, angele
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyCastillo-Cholish Lightweight Bout Booked for UFC on Fox 3 in May
The UFC on Fox 3 fight card has another new addition, as promotion officials Tuesday announced that verbal agreements are in place for a lightweight confrontation between John Cholish and Danny Castillo.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, tuesday, john cholish
Read the full article at SherdogUFC books John Cholish-Danny Castillo for UFC on FOX 3
A lightweight bout has been schedule for UFC on FOX 3 between John Cholish and Danny Castillo. Both men are coming off winning performances and create a perfect East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry for the show with Cholish hailing from New Jersey and Castillo from Sacramento.
News of the bout has been confirmed by the UFC.
Castillo is 13-4 overall and 3-1 in the UFC, coming off back-to-back victories over Anthony Njokuani and Shamar Bailey. He has been inside the cage with the likes of Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, and Jacob Volkmann during his MMA career.
Comparably, Cholish (8-1) earned a second round TKO victory over Mitch Clarke in his UFC debut. He has won eight straight fights since losing his pro debut back in 2007.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event pits Jim Miller against Nate Diaz with the Cholish-Castillo bout likely slated for the prelims.
PHOTO CREDIT – CFFC/UFC
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, castillo, cholish
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDanny Castillo Meets John Cholish At UFC On Fox 3
WEC veteran Danny Castillo went a respectable 3-1 in his year in the UFC, and he'll look to improve on that mark in New Jersey on May 5th at UFC on Fox 3. UFC.com has the info:
Verbal agreements are in for a lightweight matchup between New Jersey’s own John Cholish and Danny "Last Call" Castillo May 5. Both men are coming off of December wins - Cholish scored a TKO of Mitch Clarke at UFC 140; Castillo took a late-replacement gig and earned the split decision over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141.
Castillo (13-4) is a Team Alpha Male member that has only been bested once in the UFC, by Jacob Volkmann at UFC on Versus 5. He holds wins over Njokuani, Shamar Bailey, and Joe Stevenson. As mentioned above, Cholish (8-1) made his UFC debut at UFC 140 and defeated Clarke by TKO in the second round. He is currently on an eight-fight winning streak.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, castillo, cholish, john cholish
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDanny Castillo vs. John Cholish Added to UFC on Fox 3
A lightweight matchup between Danny Castillo and New Jersey native John Cholish has been added to UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in East Rutherford, NJ, the UFC announced today.
Cholish and Castillo are both coming off December wins, as Cholish (8-1) choked out Mitch Clarke in his Octagon debut at UFC 140 for his eighth-straight win, while the WEC veteran Castillo (13-4) earned a split decision over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141 for his third win in four UFC bouts.
UFC on Fox 3 is headlined by lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and also features heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Danny Castillo
Posted in: ufc, fox, castillo, danny, cholish
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWelterweights Krauss, Hathaway to Meet at UFC on Fox 3 in Jersey
A welterweight contest between rising European talents Pascal Krauss and John Hathaway will take place at UFC on Fox 3, promotion officials announced Tuesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, welterweight contest, hathaway, john hathaway
Read the full article at SherdogDanny Castillo vs. John Cholish added to UFC on FOX 3 in May
A lightweight bout between California's Danny Castillo and New Jersey's John Cholish has been added to
May's UFC on FOX 3 event.
UFC officials today announced the matchup, which is expected to take place on the evening's preliminary card.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The main card, including a Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz headliner, airs on
FOX, and prelims are expected to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card ufc, izod center, rutherford nj
Read the full article at MMA JunkieJohn Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss Booked for UFC on Fox 3
A welterweight matchup between two of Europe’s prospects has been added to UFC on Fox 3, as England’s John Hathaway will take on undefeated German Pascal Krauss on the undercard of the May 5 event in New Jersey, the UFC announced today.
Injuries to both fighters kept them from fighting at UFC 138 in November. Hathaway (15-1) bounced back from his first career loss to Mike Pyle with a split decision over Kris McCray last March, while Krauss (10-0) debuted with a decision win over Mark Scanlon in the “Fight of the Night” at UFC 122 in his home country in late-2010.
UFC on Fox 3 is headlined by lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and also features heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, career loss, hathaway, kraus
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 3 adds John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
A welterweight bout between John Hathaway and unbeaten Pascal Krauss is the latest addition to the UFC on FOX 3 card.
UFC officials today announced the fight.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The main card, including a Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz headliner, airs on FOX, and prelims are expected to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, john hathaway, fight ufc, izod center
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC 143 Video Highlights
Video: Highlights: UFC 143
More UFC 143 video highlights via FOX Sports.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, sport
Read the full article at MMA ConvertLouis Gaudinot-John Lineker set for UFC on FOX 3
Another bout has been added to the rapidly growing UFC on FOX 3 card, as Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker will compete at the event in the organization’s newest division – flyweight.
Gaudinot, a New York native, was a competitor on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter featuring featherweights and bantamweights where he stood out for his heart, humor, and flowing lime-green locks. Gaudinot (5-2) will be competing at his more natural weight, 125 pounds, in this bout after falling to Johnny Bedford at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Lineker (19-5) enters the UFC riding a thirteen-fight win streak. Lineker is a former champion in Jungle Fight at bantamweight.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event features Jim Miller against Nate Diaz while the Gaudinot-Lineker bout is slated for the prelim portion of the card.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/JF
Posted in: ufc, fox, nate diaz, gaudinot, lineker
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMMAFrenzy Podcast: Post-UFC on Fox 2, Pre-UFC 143, Dana White, and More
MMAFrenzy.com presents its latest podcast, where host Steve “bsbiz” Barnes is joined by writers Chris Leslie and Bryan Robison providing analysis of this week’s MMA news including: a post-fight breakdown of the UFC on Fox 2, a preview of UFC 143, Dana White’s rant about hackers, and more.
Right click and “save as” to download
Enhanced itunes version Podcast 1_30
MP3 version will be up later
Posted in: fox, right click, bryan robison, version, postfight breakdown
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyLouis Gaudinot Drops to Flyweight, Meets John Lineker at UFC on Fox 3
The Ultimate Fighter 14′s Louis Gaudinot will drop to flyweight when he welcomes Brazilian John Lineker to the Octagon at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The UFC announced today that verbal agreements were in for the 125-pound matchup.
Gaudinot (5-2) was eliminated in the quarterfinals of TUF 14′s bantamweight tournament and suffered a third-round TKO to Johnny Bedford at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in December, while Lineker (19-5) has won 13-straight and earned stoppages in 3 of his last 4 fights in Brazil’s Jungle Fight promotion.
UFC on Fox 3 is headlined by lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and also features heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, louis gaudinot, gaudinot, thirdround tko
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyLouis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker Added to UFC on Fox 3 Card
Former 'Ultimate Fighter' comptitor Louis Gaudinot will drop down to his natural weight class at 125lbs and face John Lineker at UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey.
Posted in: fox, john, gaudinot, weight class, lineker
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyAfter UFC on FOX 2, White admittedly lost patience for those without patience
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, mattyblayze, patience
Read the full article at RedditMorning Report: Gladiator Era Gone, Chuck Liddell's Super Bowl Commercial and Chael Sonnen Tweets
We're just one day away from UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz. Before we can enjoy the fights, let's make sure we're up to speed on that brawl and the rest of the sport of mixed martial martial arts. From Thursday's UFC 143 pre-fight press conference, to Chuck Liddell's newest Super Bowl commercial, catch up with everything you might have missed and everything you need to see on today's edition of the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY:
UFC Gladiator has finally been defeated. After nearly a decade, the Gladiator has called it quits. Ariel Helwani brings you the details of the UFC's newest Hans Zimmer-esque introduction.
U.S. government shuts down streaming websites. For those planning to stream UFC 143 online illegally, the task just got a little tougher.
UFC 143: by the odds. Ben Fowlkes offers us Saturday night's betting lines and outlines his idea for the perfect parlay.
UFC 143 press conference photo gallery. Esther Lin was on-hand to document Thursday's pre-fight press conference, of course including plenty of shots of Roy Nelson's dwarf beard.
UFC 143 judo chop: the striking and grappling technique of Nick Diaz. Nate Wilcox comprehensively breaks down the skills that make Nick Diaz one of MMA's most feared combatants.
YESTERDAY'S MEDIA GUMBO:
India's first professional MMA organization, the Super Fight League, has apparently tapped the services of Bob Sapp and James Thompson to launch their inaugural show. (HT: Bloody Elbow)
Don't blink or you'll miss UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in Kia's newest Super Bowl commercial. (HT: Bloody Elbow)
Members of the New England Patriots make their UFC 143 predictions. (Note: the intro is in Spanish, but bear with it.). Click the image to watch the video.
The infamous media rumble at the UFC 143 open workouts. Skip to 11:00 to see our own Ariel Helwani doing his thing, or just jump right ahead to 18:46 to see the media testosterone fly. (HT: Middle Easy)
Pat Barry's all-caps, multi-exclamation point response after finding out he would fight on Fox:
Debuting the calf slicer into the UFC's lexicon was apparently enough for instructors Erickson Cardoso and Jorge Patino "Macaco" to award Charles Oliveira his BJJ black belt. (HT: Bloody Elbow)
Curious to know a little more about the UFC's new non-gladiator intro? We've got the goods, courtesy of Case Keefer. (Click the link for a larger version.)
Even when no one's around, Chael Sonnen's mouth never sleeps.
@sonnenchchael sonnen If you keep talking stupid, I'm going to treat you to a big lip, and that doesn't mean I'm buying you silicon injections... Feb 02 via web Favorite Retweet Reply
Doesn't Forrest Griffin tell the nicest stories?
@ForrestGriffinForrest Griffin I once had an old guy tell me "well I didnt smoke crack today so I guess it was a good day" he then proceeded to ask me if I had any crack? Feb 02 via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Here's what was announced yesterday (Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2012):
UFC on Fox 3: Jim Miller (21-3) vs. Nate Diaz (15-7) confirmed as main event
UFC on Fox 3: Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5) confirmed for Fox broadcast
UFC on Fox 3: Karlos Vemola (8-2) vs. Mike Massenzio (13-6)
UFC on FX 3: Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC) vs. Brandon Vera (12-5, 1 NC)
UFC on FX 3: Tom Lawlor (7-4, 1 NC) vs. Jason MacDonald (25-15)
UFC on FX 2: Robert Peralta (15-3, 1 NC) out with injury, Mackens Semerzier (6-3, 1 NC) expected to receive new opponent
FANPOST OF THE DAY:
Today's FPOTD belongs to BE reader MarcusMitchellBSP: Defending The Champ.
DON'T FORGET to follow @MMAFighting on Twitter and 'like' us on Facebook.
Found something informative, entertaining, brutal, or just plain bizarre for the Morning Report? Hit me at @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, nc, ht
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2 Nets $1.27 Million Gate; 8 Fighters Medically Suspended
Eight fighters have been medically suspended following UFC on Fox 2, including main event competitor Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, phil, competitor
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 3: Mike Massenzio vs Karlos Vemola fight set for May 5 in New Jersey
UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller," which is all set to go down at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sat., May 5, 2012, is quickly filling its bill.
The latest addition to the third network television event is a middleweight showdown that will see "The Master of Disaster," Mike Massenzio, go head on against beefy bumrusher Karlos Vemola.
The fight was announced by the UFC earlier today.
Massenzio comes into the contest having just fallen prey to the dreaded heel hooks of Rousimar Palhares at UFC 142. He survived the encounter with the Brazilian tree stump without getting seriously injured, however, making this upcoming bout against Vemola possible.
Vemola, meanwhile, is also coming off a loss, having just dropped a unanimous decision to Ronny Markes in a short notice fight at UFC on Versus 5.
If you can believe it, "The Terminator" began his Octagon career at heavyweight, where he lost to Jon Madsen. Then he dropped down to light heavyweight and picked up a victory over Seth Petruzelli before losing to Markes and making the decision to drop even further down to middleweight.
Every time this man loses, he drops down in weight. His kidneys, if nothing else, will be crying out for his triumph in this upcoming 185-pound scrap.
UFC on FOX 3 is all set to pop off on May 5 in New Jersey with a thrilling main event match-up pitting lightweight top contenders Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. The winner, presumably, will earn a title shot against whomever is the 155-pound champion at that time.
Also booked is a heavyweight slugfest featuring Pat Barry taking on Lavar Johnson.
For all you need to know on the UFC on FOX 3 event hit up or event archive right here. For the latest fight card and rumors click here and remember to keep it locked to MMAmania.com for any and all future changes and updates.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, vemola
Read the full article at MMA ManiaVemola-Massenzio Joins Growing UFC on Fox 3 Bill
A rapidly developing UFC on Fox 3 fight bill received another new addition on Thursday, as promotion officials announced that middleweights Karlos Vemola and Mike Massenzio will clash at the May 5 event.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mike massenzio, promotion officials, bill
Read the full article at SherdogKarlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio Added to UFC on Fox 3
Former heavyweight Karlos Vemola will drop to middleweight to take on New Jersey’s Mike Massenzio in his home state at UFC on Fox 3 on May 15, the UFC announced today.
Vemola (8-2) is 1-2 with the UFC after scoring a “Knockout of the Night” win over Seth Petruzelli in his light heavyweight debut between losses to Jon Madsen at heavyweight and Ronny Markes. Massenzion (13-6) was submitted in 63-seconds by Rousimar Palhares last month at UFC 142 following a decision win over Steve Cantwell.
UFC on Fox 3 is headlined by lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and also features heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, vemola, jon madsen
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPat Barry scheduled to scrap with Lavar Johnson at UFC on FOX 3
A bout between two of the heavyweight division’s knockout artists has been booked for the UFC’s return to network television, as the organization has announced affable kickboxer Pat Barry will battle Strikeforce veteran Lavar Johnson on May 5 at UFC on FOX 3.
Johnson made a name for himself last weekend at UFC on FOX 2 where he blasted Joey Beltran into the stratosphere with a series of brutal uppercuts, winning Knockout of the Night as a result. The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak for Johnson who holds an overall record of 16-5 including fourteen TKOs.
Barry had a similar showing in his previous Octagon appearance as well, knocking out Christian Morecraft in the first frame of their January 20 fight on FX. The strike-based stoppage was Barry’s sixth in his seven total wins.
UFC on FOX 3 is scheduled to take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey and will feature a main card clash between lightweights Jim Miller-Nate Diaz. No word was given on whether Barry-Johnson would also be on the FOX broadcast or shown during the prelims.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, barry, tkos barry
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainKarlos Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio added to UFC on FOX 3 in New Jersey
Karlos Vemola is dropping another weight class and moves from light heavyweight to middleweight and now meets Mike Massenzio in May at UFC on FOX 3.
UFC officials today announced the fight.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The main card airs on FOX, and prelims are expected to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, light heavyweight, mike massenzio, fight ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 3 Adds Massenzio vs. Vemola
The UFC on Fox 3 card is filling up fast with the latest addition being a middleweight bout between New Jersey's own Mike Massenzio as he takes on Karlos Vemola.
Posted in: ufc, fox, middleweight bout, mike massenzio, vemola
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 2 Medical Suspensions: Phil Davis, Chris Weidman Among Eight Suspended
UFC on Fox 2 headliner Phil Davis and main card winner Chris Weidman were among eight fighters issued medical suspensions from this past Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago.
Davis was suspended 45 days after dropping a unanimous decision to Rashad Evans in the main event, which included a deep cut on his leg that was stitched up in Dana White’s first UFC 143 video blog, while Weidman was suspended 30 days after earning a decision win over Demian Maia on just 11 days notice.
Joey Beltran was the only fighter to be suspended 60 days, while the rest of the suspensions are 45 days or less, but the reasons for the suspensions were not announced.
The UFC on Fox 2 medical suspensions were:
60 days: Joey Beltran
45 days: Phil Davis, Nik Lentz, George Roop, Dustin Jacoby
30 days: Chris Weidman, John-Olav Einemo, Chris Camozzi
Click here to check out MMAFrenzy.com’s complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, suspension, chri
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyEight Issued Medical Suspensions After UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis
Eight competitors from UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis were issued medical suspensions, including main-card fighters Phil Davis and Chris Weidman.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at Heavy MMAJim Miller Vs. Nate Diaz To Headline UFC On Fox 3 - Is It Good Enough To Draw Viewers?
The UFC will be making their third effort on Fox on May 5. As mentioned yesterday, the fights will be the same night as the Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto bout on HBO PPV. Going on the same night as a major boxing event would seem to require a big main event to ensure people are willing to skip a portion of the PPV card to watch the UFC's effort.
So I was a bit surprised last night when the UFC tweeted:
So, @UFConFOX news? Diaz/Miller now the 5 round main event, also on main card heavyweight battle @LavarJohnson vs Pat @hypeordie Barry
Both of those fights are good bouts that are sure to be plenty exciting, but neither features a huge name. I have my concerns about how well this show will draw on Fox.
Again, the concern isn't about action, it's about name value. This has the feeling of a FX main event, not a headliner on a major network. You can try to sell the idea of action but people have to be drawn in by fighters they know.
The first show had a heavyweight title bout which carries a natural allure. The second event featured Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis had a former champion who had done multiple stints on The Ultimate Fighter and had main evented multiple successful pay-per-views. In this main event you have a guy who won The Ultimate Fighter but never really took off as a top fighter against a very talented fighter who hasn't really "caught on" yet.
I look back at EliteXC's second network effort to sort of cement my thinking. Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith had put on a great show on the first CBS show, a show which averaged 4.85 million viewers. When it ended due to an accidental foul, they were rematched on the second CBS show. The promise of action was obviously not a draw as viewership dropped by over two million viewers without the Kimbo Slice name.
Obviously, the UFC name brand is at play here so I wouldn't expect the ratings to drop by 50% on the third effort, but I do think there will be a very noticeable drop.
The other thing I'm not sure the UFC and Fox realize is that the "our fights will be done before Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto step into the ring" line isn't going to work as well this time around. It's looking like Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will be in the co-main event slot. Alvarez is arguably the biggest Mexican draw in the sport, fighting on Cinco de Mayo on a major PPV. It looks like Alvarez will be fighting Shane Mosley in what is a big enough "name fight" to keep the 1.5 million (early estimates for the PPV) buyers locked in to the show they shelled out $60 for, especially if the alternative is a Fox fight involving fighters the general public isn't familiar with.
I'm all for Miller vs. Diaz on Fox, I think it's a great fight and I think using Fox to elevate talented guys like that is a very good thing. I just think you have to do it with a bigger "drawing" fight in the main event slot.
Posted in: ufc, fight, show, fox, event
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPat Barry Vs. Lavar Johnson Booked For UFC On Fox 3
Two of the UFC's heaviest-handed big men have agreed to throw down in New Jersey on May 5th at UFC on Fox 3, when Pat Barry will meet Lavar Johnson, according to an announcement on UFC.com this morning:
Get ready for heavyweight fireworks as verbal agreements are in for a showdown between knockout artists Lavar "Big" Johnson and Pat "HD" Barry on the main card of FOX's third event this May 5 in New Jersey
Barry and Johnson are both coming off brutal knockout victories and neither man is prone to going to a decision, so the UFC is likely hoping for fireworks with this booking. Johnson fought only a few days, making his UFC debut in Chicago on the second Fox card and becoming the first man to truly crack the chin of Joey Beltran, knocking him out with vicious uppercuts in the first round. Barry competed just a week before that, turning off Christian Morecraft's lights with a well-placed right hook and some follow-up punches on the ground after staving off a few close submission attempts.
It's unclear whether this fight will take place on the Fox main card or the FX prelims, but given both heavyweights' proclivity for ending fights in dramatic fashion, it wouldn't be surprising to see it on the main card.
Pat "HD" Barry (11-4)W Christian Morecraft (KO) - UFC on FX 1L Stefan Struve (submission) - UFC on Versus 6L Cheick Kongo (KO) - UFC on Versus 4
Lavar "Big" Johnson (16-5)W Joey Beltran (KO) - UFC on Fox 2L Shawn Jordan (submission) - Strikeforce ChallengersL Shane del Rosario (submission) - Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
UFC on Fox 3 coverage
Posted in: ufc, fox, submission, johnson, barry
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFresh Off KO Wins, Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson Set for UFC on FOX 3
It won't take either Pat Barry or Lavar Johnson long to get right back in the cage after knockout wins within the last two weeks.
The two heavyweight sluggers have agreed to face each other at the upcoming UFC on FOX 3 event this spring, the UFC confirmed early Tuesday morning.
Johnson (16-5) made his UFC debut at last weekend's UFC on FOX 2, knocking out Joey Beltran with a hail of first-round uppercuts. Meanwhile, Barry (7-4) returned to the win column at the UFC on FX show on Jan. 20, overcoming some early first-round troubles on the ground to KO Christian Morecraft.
Both fighters took nightly awards for their performances, with Johnson winning KO of the Night for becoming the first man ever to knockout Beltran, while Barry won a Fight of the Night award for his comeback.
Meanwhile, the UFC also confirmed that the previously announced lightweight bout pitting Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller during the same show would serve as the evening's main event and be scheduled for five rounds. It is possible that the winner will become the No. 1 contender for the lightweight title, though the promotion did not confirm that.
UFC on FOX 3 will take place on May 5 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Posted in: ufc, ko, fox, johnson, barry
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 3 fight card and rumors for 'Diaz vs Miller' on May 5 in New Jersey
Event: UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller"Date: Sat., May 5, 2012, at 8 p.m. ET on FOXLocation: IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ
Main Event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Current fight card and rumors:
265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama 170 lbs.: Dennis Hallman vs. Anthony Ferguson
*Fight card and line-up subject to change.
For all the latest and greatest news and notes on UFC on FOX 3 click here.
Posted in: fight, fight card, fox, vs, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson Set for UFC on Fox 3, Diaz vs. Miller Headlines
After snapping losing streaks with recent knockouts, heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are set to meet in a likely slugfest on the main card of UFC on May 5 in New Jersey, the UFC announced today.
The UFC also confirmed that a scrap between lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will be five-rounds and headline UFC on Fox 3.
Barry (7-4) scored a first-round KO of Christian Morecraft in the “Fight of the Night” at UFC on FX 1 on Jan. 20 to bounce back from losses to Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve, while Johnson dropped Joey Beltran in the opening round at UFC on Fox 2 this past Saturday as he earned for “Knockout of the Night” honors in his Octagon debut following a pair of Strikeforce losses.
UFC on Fox 3 also includes lightweights Tony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman and flyweights John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Pat Barry (via UFC.com)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, johnson, barry
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPat Barry fighting Lavar Johnson at UFC on FOX 3
It appears UFC on FOX 3 is guaranteed to feature at least one highlight-reel finish, as the UFC has announced Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson have been booked to face off at the May 5 event. Known as two of the heavyweight division’s hardest hitters, Barry and Johnson are both coming off of opening round knockouts in January.
UFC on FOX 3 is scheduled for East Rutherford, New Jersey and will feature match-ups including Tony Ferguson-Dennis Hallman and Nate Diaz-Jim Miller.
The May date will mark Johnson’s second fight in the UFC since coming over from Strikeforce. He made his debut last weekend at UFC on FOX 2 where he did the previously unthinkable by rendering Joey Beltran into a puddle of good with a series of stiff shots. The 16-5 Californian has scored stoppages over all of the opponents he’s beaten including fourteen TKOs.
Johnson Wins Knockout of the Night at UFC on FOX 2
Barry is also no stranger to blasting adversaries into orbit, a fact he put on display two weeks ago against Christian Morecraft. Six of Barry’s seven total victories have involved a strike-based finish.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, lavar johnson, barry
Read the full article at Fighters.comNate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Headlines UFC on FOX 3, Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson Added; Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera 2 UFC on FX 3
The UFC made some pretty big fight booking announcements late tonight.
First up, the UFC confirmed that a previously announced match-up between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will actually headline UFC on FOX 3. Additionally, Strikeforce veteran Lavar Johnson, fresh of his recent knockout victory over Joey Beltran in the UFC on FOX 2 prelims, will take on an always exciting and entertaining Pat Barry.
What’s interesting here is the UFC seems to be going with match-ups that are virtually guaranteed to be full of heart-pumping action instead of just filling it with big names that don’t always deliver the most exciting fights like they did with UFC on FOX 2. To be honest, it sounds more like a fight night card than a major network television card, so I think the biggest thing people will question leading up to it are how it will do in the ratings. That said, there’s no way those fights disappoint, which has been the biggest criticism of the first two FOX cards. Regardless of whether it’s the right call or not though, it’s a HUGE opportunity for all four of those guys.
Switching gears to another card, Thiago Silva will make his long-awaited return to action at UFC on FX 3 on May 15 in Virginia following his one-year “fake urine” suspension. And the man he’ll fight… none other than Brandon Vera who he fought when he was caught submitting fake urine for his drug test. Vera has been very vocal about the incident and believed he deserved a fair rematch with the man he’s called a “juice monkey.” Well, he got it. Be careful what you wish for?
Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, fox cards
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 3 news: Pat Barry vs Lavar Johnson fight booked for May 5, Diaz vs Miller now five round main event
The UFC on Fox 3 fight card, which is booked to go down this coming May 5, 2012, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is quickly shaping up. And there's a trend making itself quite clear.
The promotion today announced that the previously scheduled bout pitting lightweight bangers Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller will now serve as the five-round main event of the evening. While the fight has yet to be officially declared a title eliminator, it would seem to make the most sense.
Additionally, a heavyweight scrap was booked pitting the heavy-handed kickboxer, Pat Barry, against Strikeforce import Lavar Johnson. Both men are coming off crushing knockout victories, Barry at UFC on FX 1 this past Jan. 20 and Johnson at the UFC on Fox 2 event on Jan. 28.
So we've now got two bouts confirmed for the main card that featuring competitors who generally go out of their way to put on a show for the fans.
The three FOX fight cards will have run the gamut of match-ups. The first event featured a heavyweight championship fight, the second saw safer match-making that led to three relatively boring decisions and now they're delivering fights that promise to be barnburners.
Calculated or just a coincidence?
Here's how the UFC on FOX 3 fight card looks right now:
Main event:
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Main card:
265 lbs.: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Preliminary card:
155 lbs.: Anthony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Maniacs, how do you feel about the way this event is shaping up? And what should the third and final FOX fight be?
Let's get your fantasy bookings in the comments section below.
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, event, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDiaz vs. Miller Set as UFC on Fox 3 Main Event; Barry vs. Johnson on Tap for Main Card
The UFC on Fox 3 card now has its main event along with a heavyweight battle that has fireworks written all over it.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, heavyweight battle
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 injuries and medical suspension for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation today (Feb. 1, 2012) issued its list of medical suspensions for those fighters competing at the UFC on Fox 2 event last Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Chief among them is UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis, who has 45 days to think about what went wrong in his main event fight against Rashad Evans.
Joining him on the injured reserves is fellow main card fighter Chris Weidman, who huffed and puffed his way to a split decision win over Demian Maia. The "All American" received a mandatory vacation of 30 days for his efforts.
Also riding the pine for the next few weeks is heavyweight brawler Joey Beltran, who was put down by hard-hitting Strikeforce import Lavar Johnson.
But that's not all.
The complete list of medical suspensions for UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" after the jump (via MMAWeekly.com).
Phil Davis: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact)Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days (21 days no contact)Jon Olav Einemo: Suspended 30 days (21 days no contact)Nik Lentz: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact)George Roop: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact)Joey Beltran: Suspended 60 days (45 days no contact)Dustin Jacoby: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact)Chris Camozzi: Suspended 30 days (21days no contact)
Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.
For complete UFC on Fox 2 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, suspension, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox: Evans vs. Davis Prelims On Fuel TV Draws 144,000 Viewers
The preliminary broadcast for UFC On Fox: Evans vs. Davis drew 144,000 viewers on Fuel TV on Saturday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, tv, fuel tv
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 officially draws 16,963 attendance and $1.27 million gate
This past weekend's UFC on FOX 2 event at Chicago's sold-out United Center officially drew an attendance of 16,963 and a live gate of $1,270,960.
Of the 16,963 attendees, only 1,091 (6.4 percent) received free/complimentary tickets.
MMAjunkie.com today obtained the figures from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Posted in: attendance, fox, weekends ufc, chicagos soldout, illinois department
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 medical suspensions: Davis, Weidman among eight suspensions
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issued mandatory medical suspensions to eight fighters from this past weekend's UFC on FOX 2 event.
Main-card fighters Phil Davis and Chris Weidman were among the group, though no suspension lasts more than two months.
MMAjunkie.com today obtained the suspensions from state officials.
Posted in: fox, suspension, chris weidman, weekends ufc, illinois department
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 2 Peaks with 6 Million Viewers During Evans-Davis
The average viewership for UFC on Fox 2 peaked during the evening’s main event on Saturday night, attracting over six million observers during Rashad Evans’ unanimous decision victory over Phil Davis at the United Center in Chicago.
Posted in: saturday night, fox, phil davis, decision victory, evening ’s
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 2 ratings are in. Third-highest-rated MMA event in U.S. television history.
submitted by Reggaejunkiejew31 [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fox, rating, television, television history, reggaejunkiejew
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 2 Averages 4.66 Million, Peaks at 6 Million
Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 2 event from the United Center in Chicago posted a 2.6/5 national rating/share, averaging 4.66M viewers and peaking at just over 6 million according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research today.
As expected, FOX dominated the night on the important younger demographics. FOX’s 2.4 among Adults 18-49 nearly beat the combined ratings of ABC, CBS, and NBC (2.5 combined) and FOX’s 2.5 among Adults 18-34 easily beat those three network competitors combined (1.4). The three-bout broadcast on FOX averaged 4.7 million viewers from 8:00 PM – 10:19 PM ET.
The two-hour event, the first official network broadcast of FOX’s partnership with UFC, is off slightly (-16%) from the UFC on FOX premiere in November (3.1/5), which was only one hour and featured a highly-anticipated heavyweight championship fight. When comparing similar time periods for the two events, FOX posted a 3.0/5 from 9:00 – 10:15 PM ET, off only a tenth from the November UFC fight.
In several meaningful demographics, the last hour of Saturday’s broadcast rated higher than November’s UFC premiere on FOX with Men 25-49 up +3%, Men 25-54 up +3%, Men 35-54 up +4%.
As anticipation to the night’s main event grew so did the ratings and viewership. The night’s first match between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman scored a 2.2/4 rating/share. The next fight between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping grew to a 2.7/5. Fans tuned in to see former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans take on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil Davis with that bout posting a 3.4/6. More than 6 million viewers watched the five-round bout where Evans defeated Davis by unanimous decision
The top five metered markets for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event are: Las Vegas – 4.1/8; Louisville – 4.1/7; Indianapolis – 3.9/7; Greenville – 3.9/6; Tulsa – 3.9/6; and Knoxville – 3.9/6.
***
Loretta Hunt of SI.com has more information on the ratings:
The 2-hour and 19-minute broadcast, which started at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST), peaked with an average 6.080 million viewers (from 10 to 10:19 p.m.) during the five-round main event pitting former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans against Phil Davis.
…
Last November, the first one-hour UFC telecast on FOX garnered an average 5.675 million viewers for a 3.1 household rating. It peaked with 8.802 million viewers during the 64-second heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, making it the most watched fight ever (live or taped).
Ratings by Half-hour Blocks:
- UFC on FOX 2 (8:00 pm-8:30 pm): 3.43 million viewers
-UFC on FOX 2 (8:30 pm-9:00 pm): 3.98 million viewers
-UFC on FOX 2 (9:00 pm-9:30 pm): 4.67 million viewers
-UFC on FOX 2 (9:30 pm-10:00 pm): 5.66 million viewers
- Overall: An average of 4.66M (peak of 6.08M) viewers watched the fight live or via DVR playback within the same day.
Payout Perspective:
Compared to the first UFC on FOX event (5.67M average viewers with a peak of 8.8M), this show (4.66M average viewers with a peak of 6.08M) fell short of those numbers despite having an extra hour of air time and three total fights, instead of just one with only seconds of actual fight time. In fact, this event fell in line with previous MMA telecasts that have aired on CBS. The fact that there was over 2 hours of MMA action (11 rounds total) and no exciting back-and-forth’s or finishes to get the fans and crowd involved really hurt the energy of the event. After casual fans complained that there was plenty of hype for only seconds of fighting, they now got the other extreme.
The top five metered markets for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event were Las Vegas (4.1/8), Louisville (4.1/7), Indianapolis (3.9/7), Greenville (3.9/6), Tulsa (3.9/6), and Knoxville (3.9/6). It’s interesting to point out that best markets in terms of national TV have not always been the best markets for PPV. The only west coast market here is Las Vegas, but other markets such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and Hawaii have historically been top PPV markets but did not make the list here on free national TV.
Notable to point out the counter-programming efforts here by Spike TV, who averaged 828K viewers for a “UFC Fight Night” replay and “UFC Unleashed” episodes that aired from 7-11 p.m. ET/PT. Those episodes featured fighters that were fighting on the UFC on FOX 2 event, which most likely created some fan confusion, but on the other hand, gave those FOX viewers an option to tune in to another channel to watch the same product and see some exciting finishes and fights. By looking at the ratings Spike TV has achieved counter-programming UFC on FOX and UFC on FX specials, MMA fans who were shaped by watching Spike TV are still in fact tuning in.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, event, viewer
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.7 Million Viewers, Peaks With Over 6 Million
Last Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 posted a 2.6/5 national rating/share, according to data released by Nielsen Media Research on Tuesday. The event, which lasted two hours and 19 minutes, averaged 4.7 million viewers, and easily won the night's coveted 18-49 demographic.Ratings for the show grew as it went on, with more than 6 million viewers tuning in to watch Rashad Evans defeat Phil Davis by unanimous decision in the main event.Original overnight ratings pegged the audience at 4.37 million viewers, a number that was later adjusted to account for fluctuations in the live broadcast.
Of note, the 18-49 year-old demographic dominated the evening, as the event's 2.4 rating nearly equaled that of the 2.5 that CBS, ABC and NBC combined for on that night.The rating though, was down a bit from the first UFC on FOX show. The inaugural outing last November featuring then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos drew an average of 5.7 million viewers and peaked with 8.8 million viewers, though that event lasted just one hour.The next UFC on FOX event will take place on May 5 from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Only one TV fight has so far been announced, a lightweight bout pitting contenders Nate Diaz and Mim Miller.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, viewer, viewers peaks
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 2 ratings top the six million mark for 'Evans vs Davis'
Last Saturday night's UFC on Fox 2 event, which emanated live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, finished strong with a 2.6 household rating, good enough for an average of 4.7 million viewers.
In addition, more than six million viewers piled on to watch the five-round main event featuring former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans taking on then-undefeated up-and-comer Phil Davis. That makes it the third most watched mixed martial arts (MMA) special in television history, behind the original UFC on Fox event last November and the EliteXC: "Primetime" telecast on CBS back in 2008.
Evans secured his place as light heavyweight number one contender with a five round unanimous decision win over Davis while Chael Sonnen also booked himself for a future middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva by outpointing Michael Bisping. Chris Weidman huffed and puffed his way to a split decision against Maia in the opening fight of the night.
Check out additional ratings information for UFC on Fox 2 by clicking here and for more results and fallout from last weekend's television extravaganza click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, anderson silva, davi, television history
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMy Network Can Beat Up All of Yours; UFC on Fox 2 Wins Key Demographics
Overall viewership for UFC on Fox 2 compared to UFC on Fox 1 may be down, but there were also positive indicators for the MMA juggernaut’s sophomore effort on “Big Fox.”
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, indicator, sophomore
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyLightweights Hallman, Ferguson to Meet at UFC on Fox 3 in NJ
A lightweight confrontation pitting Dennis Hallman against Tony Ferguson has been added to UFC on Fox 3, promotion officials recently announced.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, dennis hallman, hallman
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 2's Evans vs. Davis headliner watched by 6.1 million viewers
This past weekend's UFC on FOX 2 event scored its biggest ratings during the night's main event of Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, which averaged 6.1 million viewers.
FOX officials today provided additional ratings information.
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, the Jan. 28 two-hour broadcast scored an overall 2.6 household rating and averaged 4.7 million viewers.
Posted in: fox, ratings information, rating, viewer, weekends ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox
submitted by B-V-M [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, bvm link, bvm
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Exclusive Fight Photo Gallery
Check out MMAWeekly.com's UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis full fight card gallery by Jeff Cain.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, mmaweeklycoms ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTony Ferguson Vs. Dennis Hallman Set For UFC On Fox 3
Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson will look to continue his impressive run at UFC on Fox 3 when he meets a veteran who has won three out of his last four bouts. UFC.com shares the news:
A second lightweight scrap has been added to the UFC on FOX fight card recently announced for May 5 in East Rutherford, NJ. Lightweights Dennis "Superman" Hallman and TUF 13 winner Tony "El Cucuy" (which translates to "The Boogeyman") Ferguson have verbally agreed to the matchup.
Ferguson is currently 3-0 in the UFC and 2-0 at lightweight. He last stepped in the cage at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in early December, where he defeated Yves Edwards by unanimous decision. On the other side you have Dennis Hallman, who picked up a quick submission victory over John Makdessi at UFC 140 last month. Hallman is probably most famous for submitting Matt Hughes twice back in the day, and the short shorts he wore to the cage at UFC 133 that have since been banned by the organization.
The only other bouts currently scheduled for the card, which will take place in East Rutherford, NJ, are Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller and John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, ferguson, hallman
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSource: UFC on Fox 2 Averaged 4.7 Million Viewers on Fox
UFC on Fox 2 earned an average of 4.7 million viewers for its Saturday night broadcast on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, fox ufc, source ufc
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.7 Million Viewers, Peaks With Over 6 Million
Filed under: UFC, News, Sports Business and MediaLast Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 posted a 2.6/5 national rating/share, according to data released by Nielsen Media Research on Tuesday. The event, which lasted just over two hours and 19 minutes, averaged 4.7 million viewers, and easily won the night's 18-49 demographic.
Ratings for the show grew as it went on, with more than 6 million viewers tuning in to watch Rashad Evans defeat Phil Davis by unanimous decision in the main event.
Original overnight ratings pegged the audience at 4.37 million viewers, a number that was later adjusted to account for fluctuations in the live broadcast.
Of note, the 18-49 year-old demographic dominated the evening, as the event's 2.4 rating nearly equaled that of the 2.5 that CBS, ABC and NBC combined for on that night.
The rating though, was down a bit from the first UFC on FOX show. The inaugural outing last November featuring then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos drew an average of 5.7 million viewers and peaked with 8.8 million viewers, though that event lasted just one hour.
The next UFC on FOX event will take place on May 5 from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Only one TV fight has so far been announced, a lightweight bout pitting contenders Nate Diaz and Mim Miller. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, viewer
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.7 Million Viewers, Peaks With 6 Million
The final ratings for UFC on FOX 2 are in, and like the show they’re just okay, but nothing spectacular.
MMA Junkie has the numbers.
This past weekend’s UFC on FOX 2 event, which featured three main-card bouts, averaged 4.7 million viewers and a 2.6 household rating.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the figures with industry sources.
Overall, the Jan. 28 event – which ran two hours and 19 minutes – scored a 3.21 rating among men 18-49 and a 3.21 among men 18-34. It’s tied for the second-highest-rated MMA event in U.S. television history.
MMA Payout’s Jose Mendoza adds that the show peaked with 6 million viewers.
Here’s ratings guru Dave Meltzer’s take on the numbers.
2.7, a little lower than expected given the early numbers. I would call those numbers acceptable, not bad but not cause for celebration. It’s above what FOX gets in the time slot.
Unfortunately, those numbers are down a bit from the numbers UFC on FOX 1 put up with a minute of fighting. That show averaged 5.7 million and peaked with 8.8 million. UFC on FOX 1 did however feature a heavyweight title fight and had the novelty of being the first UFC show on primetime network television, so I suppose that’s not too surprising. It’s worth noting tough that UFC on FOX 2 still bested EliteXC’s Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson event on CBS which averaged 4.3 million, so at least we know something is still right in this world.
All in all, UFC on FOX 2 wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t a home run either. It may have set up two big fights in Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II, but neither Evans or Sonnen’s performances left anyone blown away and looking forward to their title fights anymore than they already did. The FOX shows are meant to be a “commercial” for big pay-per-view fights, but I’m not sure UFC on FOX 2 is going to sell any more pay-per-views for Evans-Jones and Silva-Sonnen than they would have sold without it.
Sherdog has a more detailed ratings breakdown for those interested.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, rating, number
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 2 Ratings Average 4.7 Million Viewers for “Evans vs. Davis”
This past Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event average 4.7 million viewers for its two-plus hour, three-fight main card on Fox, which was headlined by light heayweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, according to MMAjunkie.
The UFC on Fox 2 ratings are down from November’s UFC on Fox debut, which averaged 5.7 million viewers for Junior dos Santos’ 64-second knockout of Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight title, but still ranks as the second most-watched event in the U.S.
Click here to check out MMAFrenzy.com’s complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, phil davis, mostwatched event
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox 2 Averages 4.6 Million Viewers
The second UFC on Fox event that happened last weekend in Chicago ended with an average of 4.6 million viewers for the 2-hour plus broadcast.
Posted in: ufc, hour, fox, viewer, fox event
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 130: Nathan Coy, UFC On Fox Aftermath
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts Matt Bishop and MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger as they discuss all the latest news in mixed martial arts, including all the aftermath from UFC on Fox, their thoughts on the show from being there live, its ratings and more. We'll also look at the two championship matches that came out of the show. We'll also take an early look at this weekend's UFC 143.
We'll be joined by MFC welterweight Nathan Coy, fresh off his upset win over Dhiego Lima at MFC 32. We'll chat about that fight with Coy, who punched his ticket to a title shot with the win, and much more.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Get your Legacy Fight Shorts, seen on both Chris Weidman and Demian Maia at UFC on FOX, only from Bad Boy at the brand new BadBoy.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
Want to get in touch with the BE Radio crew? Here's how you can do so:
Phone: (347) 202-0934E-mail: bloodyelbowradio@gmail.comTwitter: @mbish86, @sprewellrimz or @gotahemmiBloodyElbow.com: Leave a question or comment in this post
For those calling in, you will first be picked up by our producer who will take your information and get what you want to talk about. You will then be queued. We will try to get to everyone as soon as we can. We ask that you call in around the time of the topic you want to discuss.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, elbow radio, elbow, boy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3: Tony Ferguson vs Dennis Hallman booked for May 5 in New Jersey
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 winner Tony Ferguson looks to continue his undefeated run through the UFC lightweight division when he makes a trip to the "Garden State" later this year to battle longtime veteran Dennis Hallman at the UFC on Fox 3 event booked for May 5, 2012, from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officials announced the bout late last night.
Ferguson (13-3) graduated at the top of his TUF class by beating the brakes off fellow finalist Ramsey Nijem. That set up a jaw-breaking win over Aaron Riley followed by a unanimous decision victory over the venerable Yves Edwards.
Can "El Cucuy" scare up another "W" in Dirty Jersey?
Standing in his way will be Hallman (51-14-2), who ruffled a few feathers in his 2011 fight campaign.
"Superman" was kicked out of the welterweight division by Brian Ebersole in a bout that saw him unveil the dreaded banana hammock. He returned to the Octagon as a lightweight opposite John Makdessi, but struggled in his attempt to make weight, marring his dominating win over the previously undefeated "Bull."
Could a loss to Ferguson earn him his walking papers?
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight fight featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. The victor is widely-expected to move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, who compete next month at UFC 144 in Japan.
For more details on the promotion's return to the FOX network click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, ferguson, yves edwards
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDennis Hallman vs. Tony Ferguson added to UFC on FOX 3 in New Jersey
A lightweight bout between veteran Dennis Hallman and "The Ultimate Fighter 13" winner Tony Ferguson has been added to UFC on FOX 3.
UFC officials announced the fight late Monday.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place May 5 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The main card airs on FOX, and the prelims are expected to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, rutherford nj, monday ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman Booked for UFC on Fox 3 on May 5
A lightweight matchup between The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson and veteran Dennis Hallman has been booked for UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in New Jersey, the UFC announced on Monday afternoon.
Ferguson (13-2) has posted wins over Aaron Riley and Yves Edwards after winning TUF 13 at welterweight last summer, while Hallman (51-14-2) bounced back from a first-round TKO to Brian Ebersole at UFC 133 with a first-round submission of John Makdessi last month at UFC 140, though “Superman” missed weight for the bout.
UFC on Fox 3 does not yet have a main event, but features lightweight contenders Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz as well as John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama at flyweight.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 3 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, ferguson, hallman
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTony Ferguson vs. Dennis Hallman Added to UFC on Fox 3
A new bout has been added to the UFC on Fox 3 card with 'Ultimate Fighter' winner Tony Ferguson facing Dennis Hallman.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ferguson, fighter winner, hallman
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX: Has The UFC Botched Their First Two Tries?
I was listening to the local Vancouver sports jocks on TEAM 1040 this morning, a couple of fellows by the names Matt Sekeres and Blake Price, and they took a minute out of their show to dump on this Saturday's UFC on FOX offering, describing it as "utterly boring and unwatchable". Price called Chael Sonnen's WWE style promo "an embarrassment" and they had a good laugh at a few tweets they had received suggesting that the UFC on FOX was more newsworthy sporting action than the NHL all-star game. (Talk about the pot calling the kettle black).
Vancouver is undoubtedly a one sport, one team, town (Hockey, the Vancouver Canucks) and a good portion of the sports media personalities working in the city often make a fool of themselves when pressed to provide anything but cookie cutter opinions on the rest of the sporting world. That being said I thought it was interesting to hear a take from those outside the "MMA bubble"; I have to say that despite their obvious lack of MMA knowledge, I agreed with their description of the event as boring. We all heard Joe Rogan describe Demian Maia and Chris Weidman as "two drunk guys outside a bar". For those familiar with the sport the action was better after that first misstep, but for a newbie, Sonnen/Bisping and Evans/Davis had little excitement.
The major mistake I think the UFC has made when it comes to their two FOX cards is that they are pushing their championships over exciting fights. For casual fans who don't really know what they are watching, the championships aren't important. If my first exposure to the sport left me yawning, why would I care who is the best? Even worse, if it was a boring championship fight that I was watching, why on earth would I ever watch it again?
Ben Henderson and Clay Guida was THE fight to put on FOX, according to most of the die-hards and the MMA media. Instead of their spectacular 15 minute whirlwind , we got Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez sullying the most prestigious title in the organization within a minute. For this card we were treated to Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans doing just enough to secure spots in championship matches of their own.
Sonnen appeals mostly to pro-wrestling fans who almost surely have already been exposed to MMA and either like it or don't. Those who think pro-wrestling is silly, (which is nearly everyone who doesn't think it's awesome) will likely think Chael is silly and they won't care whatsoever that he is great at tackling people and holding them there. If that was my first time watching MMA and I saw that fight and then saw that promo? I'd laugh my ass off. "He's calling it his Octagon? He barely even punched his opponent in the face!" Evans talked an awful lot before the fight, it seemed clear he was going to go out and knock Davis' block off. Of course, those familiar with the Evans/Jones saga can't really blame him for playing it safe but to the casual fan it must have seemed like like much ado over nothing.
So far the UFC fighters (strikers) that would appeal most to the mainstream have been nowhere to be seen, save for Junior Dos Santos, but his fight against Velasquez was too short and sweet for casuals not to dismiss Velasquez. Think about boxing, which is still the dominant combat sport out there. Even Mike Tyson, who was a known entity by the time he hit the big time, took a few rounds to dispatch of his foes. The heavyweight championship lasting just a minute is unheard of in boxing.
Now I completely understand that Dana White and Joe Silva want to use FOX to entice new fans to buy the pay per views but you can't just keep the most exciting fighters under lock and key unless someone pays $59.99 to see them. Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz are set to do battle at this weekend's UFC 143. I don't think anyone on the radio would be laughing today about "the single UFC fan who tweets the show" had the UFC flip flopped the main events.
Zuffa seems to have realized that they aren't putting enough firepower out there, booking Jim Miller against Nathan Diaz as one of the fights on the third FOX event. That fight, like Henderson/Guida, is just about as close as you can get to guaranteed fireworks. Here's hoping they find a way to get Nathan's brother Nick on the card, who is 100 times more exciting than Sonnen inside the ring and likely 10 times more interesting (to the casual fan) outside.
How do they say it? Third times a charm?
Let's hope so.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sport, fan
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendHacker Update: Dana White Apologizes To Harassed Las Vegas Woman, Hacker 13-Years Old
FOX 5 has an update on the UFC.com hacker story that eventually led to an innocent Las Vegas woman being harassed by people thinking they were contacting Dana White.
According to the report, Dana isn’t going to back down from the hackers but he did at least stop by Julie Wheeler’s residence to offer a personal apology for all the trouble.
“I get my gun before answering the door,” Breeler told FOX5 Monday. “I crack the door and say ‘Yes?’ He says ‘Julie Breeler?’ and I’m like ‘Yes.’ He says ‘Hi, I’m Dana White!’”
“[I] went over and apologized for all the trouble caused by the online terrorists,” White told FOX5′s Claudine Grant.
Breeler said she and White had a “pleasant little chat” at her home and she was looking forward to putting the case of mistaken identity behind her.
In another interesting update to this story, it turns out the second hacker who “defaced” UFC.com and UFC.tv is only 13-years old. In an interview with Softpedia.com, the hacker who goes by the name S3rver.exe said he’s “probably the youngest good hacker at the moment” and hopes his hacking skills will one day lead to a good job as an “Ethical Hacker” in a big company. One thing’s for sure. That company won’t be the UFC.
Posted in: fox, dana, hacker, breeler, julie
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFox Officials Happy with Early UFC on Fox Ratings
The early returns are in for UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis, and Fox officials seem to be happy with the ratings, although they are slightly below November's Velasquez vs. dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rating, fox ratings, fox officials
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFox Releases Detailed UFC Ratings Breakdown
UFC on Fox 2 will probably be remembered as a more important (or at least more interesting) moment in the UFC's growth than the debut in November of 2011. The event was the promotion's first full effort on Fox and, while featuring several "big name fighters," failed to live up to the excitement expected of a UFC card in many ways. The ratings for this show are interesting given how horrible the opening fight between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman were but will also have some weight in terms of if viewers will tune in to the next Fox card.
The Fox Sports Media Group distributed an press release via e-mail with their official ratings information and they weren't shy about noting the drop in ratings from the first go-round:
The three-bout, two-hour event, the first official network broadcast of FOX's partnership with UFC, is off from the UFC on FOX premiere in November (3.5/6), which was only one hour and featured a highly anticipated heavyweight championship fight. When comparing similar time periods for the two events, FOX posted a 3.1/5 from 9:00-10:15 PM ET, compared to the 3.5/6 that the premiere event recorded from 9:00-10:00 PM.
It is interesting to note that, as expected with an event on free TV, the ratings increased dramatically for the main event:
As anticipation to the night's main event grew so did the ratings. The night's first match, Jitsu master Demian Maia taking on unbeaten Chris Weidman did a 2.3/4. The next fight between middleweight contender Chael Sonnen battling British star Michael Bisping grew to a 2.9/5. Fans tuned in to see former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans take on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil Davis with that bout posting a 3.4/6. The fight went all five rounds and Evans defeated Davis by unanimous decision.
They also shared some "top market" breakdowns:
The top five metered markets for Saturday's UFC on FOX event are: Las Vegas - 4.1/8; Louisville - 4.1/7; Indianapolis - 3.9/7; Greenville - 3.9/6; Tulsa - 3.9/6; and Knoxville - 3.9/6. Other markets of interest: New York - 2.2/4; Los Angeles - 2.3/5; and host city Chicago - 2.8/5.
The fact that there are multiple fights with a main event that will almost always be more appealing to the coveted "casual fan" does mean that the ratings will show a lot of fluctuation as fights that don't hold interest result in people checking out for 20-30 minutes at a time. From talks I've had with industry types, they've told me that it can make selling ads tricky given that sponsors can be reluctant to pay for ad slots which may fall during low viewership points in the broadcast (or for spots during the main event which may come after a quick knockout).
But, given that the ratings for the show were so much higher than the other major networks and the lack of a "season" meaning that the UFC can fill a Saturday night slot any month of the year, there is certainly no immediate worry that sponsors or the network will shy away from the fight game any time soon. Simply that it's going to take skill and commitment to line up the best, highest paying sponsors possible. But Fox is no stranger to that game.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, rating
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Locker Room-UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis post fight thoughts
by Will Gray January 2012 is almost in the books for this year and already, the UFC has traveled from Brazil to Nashville and finished the month out inside Chicago, hosting UFC on FOX 2:Evans vs. Davis. Recording a sell out crowd in the arena that Michael Jordan helped build, the main card was not [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, michael jordan, locker roomufc
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUFC on FOX 2 ratings are in, peak for Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis main event
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stormed the United Center last Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012) in Chicago, Illinois, giving mixed martial arts (MMA) fans another helping of network televised fights courtesy of its UFC on Fox 2 primetime special.
But was anybody watching?
According to estimates from FOX Sports Research, the network is "expected to win the night among Adults 18-49 by a wide margin, and may beat ABC, CBS and NBC combined in the Adults 18-34 demographic" thanks to a 2.7 household overnight rating (5 share), a +42% increase from the previous four weeks of FOX's Saturday night primetime offerings.
Here is the time slot breakdown:
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman: 2.3 rating with a 4 share.Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping: 2.9 rating with a 5 share.Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis: 3.4 rating with a 6 share.
Evans secured his place as light heavyweight number one contender with a five round unanimous decision win over Davis while Sonnen also booked himself for a future middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva by outpointing Michael Bisping. Weidman huffed and puffed his way to a split decision against Maia in the opening fight of the night.
For more results and fallout from UFC on Fox 2 click here.
Posted in: ufc, night, fox, vs, rating
Read the full article at MMA ManiaShowdown on MMA: UFC's FOX future is bright
The UFC's second Fox broadcast has come and gone and the future of the UFC on Fox looks bright from where Showdown is sitting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, showdown, future, fox broadcast
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 2 winner Johnson credits football background for new fighting attitude
From now on, Michael Johnson is taking a new approach to fighting.
"I had good footwork because I was a running back," the lightweight told MMAjunkie.com Radio.
And following his win over Shane Roller on the
preliminary card of UFC on FOX 2, Johnson hopes to
charge into spring with a fight in late March or early April.
Posted in: fox, johnson, michael johnson, shane roller, mmajunkiecom radio
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Rashad Evans' Performance, Scoring Bisping-Sonnen
MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani caught up with UFC President Dana White after UFC On Fox 2, getting some comments on what he thought about Rashad Evans' performance. whether Phil Davis got a big opportunity too soon and more.
Some of the points White hit upon:
White said he didn't know if there was something wrong with Evans' right hand, but hadn't talked with him at the time of the interview.
On Davis: "He was undefeated in the UFC and he's here fighting in the main event on Fox for a reason. He's a tough guy."
White said he had Michael Bisping winning two rounds to one and wasn't surprised his wrestling was as good as it was.
White confirmed Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II for June in Brazil, likely San Paulo.
He gave Chris Weidman a lot of credit for his performance.
He said that he was happy with how everything went, joking that people that complained about Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos going so short in November had three full fights go the distance Saturday.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Check out the short clip after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael bisping, chris weidman, san paulo
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Video: Matt Hughes On Retirement, Diaz/Condit Winner
While at UFC On Fox 2 Saturday, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani caught up with former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes and when asked about his fighting future, Hughes said he wants to compete but there's a few factors that may prohibit that.
The 38-year-old said that he wants to return to the UFC, but his wife wants his fighting career to be done. The deciding factor? UFC President Dana White. At the time of the interview, Hughes said he hadn't talked to White yet but hoped to very soon. He didn't lay out a timetable for a return, but if given the green light, he wants to return as soon "as this old body can get back into shape".
Hughes has lost his last two fights to B.J. Penn and Josh Koscheck by first round knockout, respectively. After competing three times in 2010, Hughes fought just once in 2011 against Koscheck who was an injury replacement for Diego Sanchez.
Hughes also picked his winner for this Saturday's Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit UFC 143 bout for the interim UFC Welterweight Championship. See that on the 90 second video after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, hughe, fox, return, shape hughes
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 proves good for business
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, business, fox, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditFalling Action: Best and Worst of UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFCUFC on FOX 2 didn't exactly hypnotize the network TV audience with thrilling MMA action on Saturday night, and maybe that's okay. Maybe the UFC doesn't need every FOX fight to be a shootout. Maybe both the network and the viewers need to know that sometimes you get a first-round knockout, and other times you get an hour's worth of slow grinds -- especially when five of your six main card fighters are grappling specialists.
For better or worse, both FOX and the UFC learned that lesson in Chicago this weekend. Now that the dust has settled, it's time for a look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Rashad Evans
Okay, so it wasn't the most entertaining fight. It was, in fact, about as entertaining as a bowl of oatmeal. Regardless, Evans took on an undefeated former national champion wrestler and shut him out on the scorecards. He was better than Davis everywhere -- on the feet, on the mat, and between the ears. In short, Evans took on the next big thing and made him look like a man who was just glad to get out of there and go home by the end. With the win, he earned a title shot (again), and probably also some haters (again). If you weren't an Evans fan before this fight, chances are you still aren't. Chances are you hope Jon Jones will crush him when they meet to finally, hopefully end this rivalry, and chances are that Evans is just fine with that. The "Suga" we saw on Saturday night was one who seemed, perhaps for the first time, comfortable with his role as a methodical spoiler of prospects and deflater of hype. He has the patience of a glacier and is almost as difficult to move once he gets on top of you. Fans won't ever love him for that, which is fine. As long he can live with it, he doesn't need anyone's permission to keep doing what he does best.
Biggest Loser: Demian Maia
Toward the end of Maia's wheezing effort against Chris Weidman, Joe Rogan compared the fighters to two drunks brawling outside a bar. I disagree. Drunks have better game plans. While I can appreciate all the time Maia has put into developing a striking game, it's still not a great one. It's predictable, not terribly threatening, and, worst of all, it distracts him from his true strengths. Remember when Maia was the one-dimensional jiu-jitsu fighter who at least knew he was one-dimensional? He'd look for the takedown and the submission as if he had no other choice. He'd pull half-guard and actually make it work. Much like Rousimar Palhares with his leg locks, people knew what Maia was going to do and they still couldn't stop him. Now they don't need to. By ignoring the ground game in favor of a mediocre striking attack, he's stopped himself. To make matters worse, he also quickly ran out of steam against Weidman, who at least had the short-notice element as an excuse for poor cardio. Maia? He had no excuse. If he keeps this up, he won't have much of a future either.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News
Least Impressive in Victory: Mike Russow
After grinding out a decision over John Olav Einemo that was the very definition of 'lay-and-pray,' Russow said, "I can't believe I'm 4-0 in the UFC right now." That makes two of us. I suppose he did what he had to do to get his hand raised in front of the hometown crowd, but he sure didn't do anything extra. If his plan was to take Einemo down, hold him there, and stay out of submissions, then mission accomplished. If it was to convince the UFC that he's a heavyweight worth getting behind, then sorry, there's still some work to do.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Michael Bisping
Bisping proved more by losing a narrow decision than Sonnen proved by beating him that way. In part that's because Bisping came in as a 3-1 underdog. No one expected him to stay on his feet long enough to do much of anything, and yet he ended up controlling many of the clinches and even took Sonnen down once. Sonnen pursued more or less the exact same game plan against Bisping as he used against opponents like Nate Marquardt and Brian Stann, and Bisping stood up to it better than either of them. Not bad for a Brit who supposedly has no wrestling skills. Bisping will probably spend the next three decades of his life talking about how he got screwed out of that decision. This time you can't really blame him. The third round was the only one he clearly lost, and the first two could have easily gone his way. To the people who still stubbornly insist on maintaining the conventional wisdom that Bisping is no good, or that he succeeds only because the UFC feeds him hand-picked opponents, it must have been uncomfortable to sit there and wait for the decision, knowing that Bisping could have very easily been declared the UFC's top middleweight contender. Unfortunately for him (or maybe fortunately, depending on what you think about his chances against Anderson Silva), it wasn't to be. But by taking the best Sonnen had and giving it right back to him, Bisping showed once and for all that he deserves to be taken seriously. You don't have to like the guy, but you ought to respect his skills.
Back to the Drawing Board: Phil Davis
Any time the announcers start talking about what a great learning experience this is for you while the fight is still going on, that's a bad sign. It's not that Davis performed badly. Clearly, the man has some skills. He just doesn't have all the skills necessary to be a top light heavyweight in the UFC, or at least not yet. His striking still seems largely perfunctory and his takedowns aren't fooling anybody. That's fine against a lower caliber of opponent, who Davis can muscle to the mat even when they know what's coming, but it's not going to work against the cream of the 205-pound crop. But let's not freak out here. That was just Davis' tenth pro fight. One hopes that he really did learn something from five unpleasant rounds with Evans, and at 27 years old he still has plenty of time to make the most of those lessons. That's the trouble with being undefeated: it can be hard to know what you need to be spending time on in the gym, since no one has been able to make you pay for any of your mistakes. Now he knows. Of course, so does everyone else in the division.
The Carpe Diem Award for Day-Seizing Excellence: Chris Weidman
A lot of UFC middleweights might have declined the offer to drop 32 pounds in less than two weeks and fight a guy like Maia on network TV. But Weidman saw an opportunity to go from the prelims to the spotlight, and he made the most of it. The fight wasn't exactly a thriller, and by the end of it both guys were huffing and puffing like New Year's resolutioners after their first day at a gym in eight years, but hey, at least Weidman had a good excuse. Given his situation, any win would have been a good win. He might not have dazzled new viewers, but he answered the call and got his hand raised. Some nights that's enough.
Most Surprising: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
It's not the result so much as the method. Who would have guessed, back when he was taking heat for winning fights via wall-and-stall, that Lentz would have two Fight of the Night bonuses in his last three trips inside the Octagon? Certainly not anyone who saw his decision wins over Andre Winner or Tyson Griffin. And yet, now that Lentz has hid the roughest stretch of his pro career, suddenly he's raking in the bonuses. Too bad he had to do so on the losing end, thanks to Dunham. At least this loss is better for Lentz's bank account than the defeat via smothering that he suffered at the hands of Mark Bocek in his last outing. Then again, this one wasn't nearly so kind to his face.
Least Improved: FOX Broadcast
This event didn't feature a frantic Dana White shouting into the camera, but it did include a slightly bewildered Curt Menefee and a light heavyweight champ who was a little too dependent on his notes. The combination made every cut-away to the boys at the desk an awkward little experiment in live TV, while down on the floor Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg reminded us that, yes, it does pay to have a couple guys who have done this before. In fact, whenever the broadcast abandoned the stilted FOX Sports feel and gave way to the regular old UFC routine, that's when it felt smooth and comfortable. It's almost as if the UFC has got this stuff down to a science, and all FOX needs to do is get out of the way. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fox, bisping
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe MMA Wrap-Up: UFC on FOX 2 Edition
Filed under: UFCThe MMA Wrap-Up returns after a brief hiatus to turn its critical eye upon the UFC's first full FOX event. It was a night of slow grinds and lackluster decisions in Chicago, but where does that leave the UFC in its quest to win over a network TV audience? Give us a few precious minutes, and the Wrap-Up will give you something resembling an answer. Maybe.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, fox event, wrapup
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Rashad Evans Vs. Phil Davis
In the main event of UFC on Fox 2, Rashad Evans dominated every facet of his five-round bout with Phil Davis and won a unanimous decision. All three judges had it 50-45. Davis was never really in it, looking tentative early and unable to figure Rashad out. Evans was the aggressor in the first two rounds, catching a Davis kick and sweeping him to the floor in each stanza. He was also able to lock Davis in a crucifix in both rounds, but couldn't capitalize on them.
The third round saw Davis get an early and late takedown, but he was reversed both times by Evans and Davis ate a bunch of strikes in between the two instances. Nonetheless, it was probably the best round of the fight for Phil. The last two rounds were pretty much all Evans, with a tired Davis trying to come up with something on the feet but failing and Evans looking more aggressively for the finish. He never got it, but it was a thoroughly impressive performance from Evans that earned him a shot at his nemesis Jon Jones at UFC 145.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The crucifix in the first round. Evans had it locked on tight and Davis was flailing in every direction humanly possible to try and get out. It was an cool visual.
Where do these guys go from here?
Like Sonnen before him, Evans knew what he was fighting for in this bout - a date in the octagon with Jon Jones at UFC 145 in Atlanta. He came through in the clutch, and will now get a chance to regain the UFC light heavyweight title while battling against his former friend and training partner.
Davis will go back to the drawing board. It was the first loss of his career and he's still a top-level prospect, so I wouldn't expect him to lose a lot of momentum from this. There a few different directions the UFC could go in terms of Mr. Wonderful's next fight, but a bout with Lyoto Machida would definitely be interesting.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. The bout had some good moments, but the majority of the 25 minutes weren't overly exciting and knowing the result is probably enough for most.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Chael Sonnen Vs. Michael Bisping
In the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2, Chael Sonnen booked a date in a Brazilian soccer stadium by narrowly defeating a very game Michael Bisping.The scores weren't very indicative of how close the fight was, but Sonnen took all three cards with a 30-27 and two 29-28's. Both the first and second rounds were very close, with Bisping doing an excellent job of avoiding Sonnen's takedowns, and popping right back up if he did get taken down. The first round looked to be Chael's, the second Bisping's. The third round was a different story though, with Sonnen getting a takedown into side control and eventually advancing to the mount position for an extended period of time. Bisping eventually escaped and briefly got on top, but it was too late.
The winner of this bout was guaranteed a shot at Anderson Silva's UFC middleweight title, and Sonnen will now likely meet Silva in the summer (even though he insists Silva won't take the fight). It will be a rematch of their classic UFC 117 bout.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Sonnen's advance to mount and attempts to set up an arm triangle were pretty interesting. Neither of the fighters managed to catch each other with anything devastating on the feet, so that'd probably be it in my opinion.
Where do these guys go from here?
Sonnen's path looks pretty clear. He keeps saying Anderson Silva won't fight him, but Dana White has made it clear that Sonnen will be rematching Silva in a soccer stadium, likely in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the summer.I'm sure Sonnen will have plenty to say in the leadup to that proposed bout.
Bisping might have lost, but it was one of the best performances of his career and he proved that he's a legitimate top-tier middleweight. The loss was another setback on his path to a title shot, but he will definitely be staying on the top of cards and competing against top guys. He was scheduled to face Demian Maia before the big shakeup, but that bout seems like it wouldn't even be competitive now. Mark Munoz vs. Michael Bisping looks like logical booking if Munoz will be back from his injury fairly soon.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. The bout wasn't 15 minutes of insane action or anything, but there was a lot going on and it was amazing to see Bisping do what Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt couldn't, for two rounds at least. Plus, Chael's post-fight speech was humorous (if rehearsed).
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, sonnen, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 results recap: Parting shots for the Jan. 28 network television event in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has just made good on another weekend of mixed martial arts (MMA) action as UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" entertained (for the most part) those in attendance at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Like countless cards before it, this event was affected by injuries and had multiple bouts that had to be swapped around, in order to make things copacetic (including one fight that was removed altogether).
However, after all the drama, everything came together in a way that delivered a card that was, quite possibly, better than it would have been originally.
The aftermath produced two number one contenders in Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen who will both finally get the respective grudge matches they've been publicly campaigning for.
Let's take a look at the more memorable ins and outs of UFC on FOX 2:
The conflict between Rashad Evans and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has been one of the prevalent stories in the MMA world for the last year or so. It's inescapable.
At some point, the talk gets old and it's time to get into the cage and work out the differences. But Evans had business to take care of before that could become a reality.
Leading up his fight with "Mr. Wonderful," Evans stated that he believed Davis wasn't ready for him and that he'd melt under the bright lights. Though that didn't exactly happen (he did last all five rounds), the disparity between the two fighters was clear.
Evans was never threatened at any point. Rashad won every minute of every round and was dominant in the process. Though he wasn't able to secure a finish, he accomplished his mission, nonetheless.
On April 21, "Suga" will fight "Bones" at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia, in a showdown that will be about as simultaneously polarizing and entertaining as we've ever seen.
Read a full recap with in-depth analysis of the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis fight at UFC on FOX 2 here. For full fight video highlights of "Evans vs. Davis," click here.
The co-main event brought together two of the loudest mouths in all of MMA when Chael Sonnen took on Michael Bisping in a middleweight mash up with gigantic implications.
Both fighters had dreamed of one day being a UFC champion. Both have been underestimated. Both have been the object of scorn, becoming widely unpopular for their brashness and arrogance.
For three rounds, Sonnen did his darndest to impose his wrestling on Bisping, who did an excellent job of avoiding trouble and was able to elude Sonnen's attempts, for the most part.
The margin was razor thin and, ultimately, had to go to the judge's scorecard to be resolved. UFC President Dana White believe Bisping deserved the win. Both fighters believed that they were the rightful recipient, but the judges favored Sonnen as the winner.
Chael will now get his re-match versus current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. The date and place are undetermined, but it has been strongly rumored to be taking place this summer in Brazil.
Check out an informative synopsis of the Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen fight at UFC on FOX 2 here. For full fight video highlights of "Bisping vs. Sonnen," click here.
Also on the FOX main card, Chris Weidman filled in on 11 days to notice to take Michael Bisping's (who filled in for Mark Munoz versus Chael Sonnen) place against Demian Maia.
Though the fight had the potential to be very exciting, the combination of Weidman being drawn out from a rough weight cut and Maia just flat out having a weak performance left a bad taste in everyone's mouth after it was all said and done.
The fight came down to a split decision, which ultimately favored Weidman.
Maia has now lost two of his last three fights. Additionally, his last seven fights have all gone to decision. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) specialist has failed to submit an opponent since he finished Chael Sonnen with a triangle choke at UFC 95 on Feb. 21, 2009 in London, England.
Weidman is still widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 185-pound division and still has a nice upside.
Watch full fight video highlights of the Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman fight at UFC on FOX 2 here.
The preliminary fights were fought on FUEL TV, and featured five of the seven fights being finished by submission or (technical) knockout.
One-time lightweight top contender Evan Dunham put together his second consecutive win by defeating Nik Lentz, due to a nasty cut on his left eye (possibly a broken orbital bone) and a doctor's stoppage.
Former Strikeforce heavyweight Lavar Johnson was able to secure a "big" knockout over Joey Beltran, gaining a win in his Octagon debut.
Watch highlights of Lavar Johnson's KO victory over Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2 here.
For his troubles, Johnson was awarded a cool $65,000 for the "Knockout of the Night" award. Who says UFC fighters are underpaid? Not Johnson. That's for sure.
He wasn't the only one lucky enough to take home a big check.
Read the list of fight bonus award winners, including "Knockout of the Night," "Submission of the Night," and "Fight of the Night" here.
That's our version of what went down at UFC on FOX 2. Does anything stand out to you Maniacs that bares repeating? Use the comment section to enlighten us.
For complete UFC on FOX 2 results and a detailed recap of all the action click here. To check out a recap of the UFC on FOX 2 prelim fights that were seen on FUEL TV, click here.
And just in case you want to get up to speed on the entire UFC on FOX 2 fight card from top to bottom click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sonnen, evan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Chris Weidman Vs. Demian Maia
In the first main card bout of the UFC on Fox 2 card, uber-prospect Chris Weidman picked up a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia in the biggest fight of his career. The result was originally announced as a split decision, but it was an an error and Weidman actually did take all three cards with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. It was a pretty ugly fight, with both fighters gassing early in the third round. Weidman took the fight on just 11 days notice so he has an excuse, but Maia had no reason to look as sapped as he did.
The bout started off fairly even, with Maia looking to land his overhand left and Weidman countering well with jabs and solid movement. Weidman managed to outstrike Maia and got a very brief takedown near the end of the round, which locked up the stanza in his favor. The second was more of the same, but this time Weidman got the takedown early. Maia got up quickly, but was outstruck for a large portion of the stanza. Maia rebounded late in the round with some solid shots, but Weidman put him on the ground once again. The last round was downright ugly, with each fighter out of gas and missing with flailing punches a lot. Fans were initially shocked that Maia got a judge's card, but that turned out to be a mistake.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The final horn? To be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of excitement here. Weidman getting the takedown late in the second round and actually working for a submission on the ADCC champ was kind of interesting though. I guess.
Where do these guys go from here?
Despite the less-than-impressive performance, Weidman's stock just skyrocketed by defeating the number six middleweight in the world. He has an excuse for gassing like he did (being a late replacement) and he still looked impressive at times. He wasn't afraid of Maia on the mat at all, and was actually looking for subs himself when he got the chance. He will definitely get another top ten opponent next, and hopefully he gets a full camp to prepare this time. If Brian Stann gets through Alessio Sakara in April, a battle of the All Americans would be pretty interesting.
Maia is in a very bad spot at the moment. He's 1-2 in his last three bouts, and he gassed badly here. He should actually consider himself lucky to a degree, because that version of Demian Maia would have got plastered by original opponent Michael Bisping. The one bout that fans still want to see Maia in is a matchup with Rousimar Palhares. The UFC tried to make that bout for this card, but Palhares turned it down because he needed some time off. That's the bout they need to go back to for Maia's next visit to the octagon.
Watch it now, later or never?
Never. I'm shocked I would say that about a Weidman fight considering what a bright prospect he is, but this was a dreadful way to kick off the Fox broadcast and you're not missing much by skipping it. Go find the video of Cub Swanson knocking George Roop's head off instead.
SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, roth, maia
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Evan Dunham Vs. Nik Lentz
In a UFC on Fox 2 preliminary fight in the Lightweight division, Evan Dunham defeated Nik Lentz by TKO due to doctor's stoppage. The fight was stopped after the 2nd round when the ringside doctor's determined that Lentz could not continue. Dunham is now on a 2 fight win streak, and is 13-2 overall. Lentz drops his 2nd in a row and is now 21-5-2, 1 NC.
This was a fun fight to wrap up the preliminary card, taking home the Fight of the Night bonus. Lentz came out with his newer, more aggressive and fan friendly style, and while it made for an entertaining fight, it definitely cost him. Near the midway point of round 2, the two men engaged in a shoot-out, with Dunham coming out ahead. From there, Dunham never looked back, pouring on the assault for the rest of the round. In the end, he damaged Lentz's eye, forcing the doctor's to stop the fight.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The entire second half of round 2 was quality stuff, starting with that stand up exchange all the way through Dunham's dominance.
Where do these guys go from here?
After a pair of loses a year ago, Dunham now has back to back wins and has returned to contender status at Lightweight. There are plenty of options for him, but I think a fight with Thiago Tavares sounds like a great idea.
Lentz has quickly moved from undefeated in the UFC to winless in nearly a year. I don't see him being cut now, but his next fight will be a must win for him, no matter who he faces.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. It was a fun fight that's worth your time, and a nice showing from Dunham.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, fight, result, fox, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Mike Russow Vs. Jon Olav Einemo
In a preliminary fight at UFC on Fox 2, Mike Russow defeated Jon Olav Einemo via unanimous decision. Scorecards were 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. With this win, Russow remains undefeated in the UFC, with a 4-0 record. Einemo drops down to 0-2.
In the lead-up to this fight, I said it had the potential to be a pretty boring 15 minutes, and sadly, that is what we got. For the most part, the fight turned into a plodding ground battle. Einemo, the submission grappling expert, was unable to control Russow on the ground, and while he attempted to work for better positions, he never had Russow in trouble, and spent most of his time absorbing punishment. By the end, both men were gassed, but the Chicago native pushed through it (as he is known to do) and got the win.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Einemo had a nice striking flurry at the start of the 3rd, but that was about it.
Where do these guys go from here?
Post-fight, the BE staff had an interesting conversation about Russow. He's a tough one to figure out because there are huge holes in his game, and his fights are sloppy, but he keeps winning. He should face someone tough next, but chances are good Russow will win in a boring fight. Still, I think he deserves a shot. I'd like to see him against either Travis Browne or Matt Mitrione.
Einemo is pretty clearly not cut out for the UFC anymore, and I imagine will be cut. It's a shame he lost so much of his career to injury - he could potentially have been a Heavyweight of note, but that time has passed and he is done at this level. The big question is, will he continue to fight MMA at all? And honestly, I kind of doubt it.
Watch it now, later or never?
Never. It was seriously not fun.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Cub Swanson Vs. George Roop
In a preliminary Featherweight fight on UFC on Fox 2, Cub Swanson defeated George Roop by TKO. The end came at 2:22 in the second round. Swanson wins for the first time in the UFC, bringing his record to 1-1 in the UFC, 16-5 overall. Roop drops his second straight and is now just 2-5 in the UFC, 12-9-1 overall.
Coming into the fight with a 0-1 UFC record, Swanson was very likely fighting for his job here, and he fought like a man who knew that. He came out aggressive to open the fight. After having a few troubles with Roop's stand-up, Cub was able to take charge and end the first round ahead. In the second round, he landed a heavy right on Roop to earn the much needed win.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The big right hand KO from Swanson was a nice one, and on some nights would have earned Cub the KO of the Night bonus.
Where do these guys go from here?
I have to be honest, I assumed Swanson would be a swift cut from the UFC, but with this win, he has earned another shot. The Featherweight division continues to find its footing, so there is no shortage of possible opponents for Cub at this point.
Roop is on a 2 fight losing streak, but I still don't think he gets the ax just yet. His very close loss to Hatsu Hioki and KO of Chan Sung Jung should keep him alive for now - but next time out he will probably be fighting for his job.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. An entertaining fight and a nice finish from Swanson.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 proves good for business (Yahoo! Sports)
UFC's second show on FOX was a step forward, but there's still progress to made made.
Posted in: ufc, business, show, fox, there
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Charles Oliveira Vs. Eric Wisely
In preliminary Featherweight action, Charles Oliveira defeated Eric Wisely with a calf slicer submission. The tap came at 1:43 in the first round. Charles Olveira wins in his featherweight debut and improves his record to 15-2 (1) and 3-2 (1) in the UFC. Eric Wisely was making his debut and is now 0-1 in the organization and 19-7 overall.
Looking at the match up, this was a fight set up to showcase Oliveira's skills. The UFC is desperate for new blood in the featherweight division and it is much cheaper to reinvest in a fighter they already have than build a fighter they just signed. Based on the performance last night, I expect Oliveira to be placed on the face track towards a featherweight title shot. Eric Wisely will likely not get another chance to make a first impression.
What was the high spot of this fight?.
The transition from knee bar to calf slicer was ridiculously awesome.
Where do these guys go from here?
Charles Oliveira decided to cut to featherweight after getting completely trounced by Donald Cerrone. He looked really sharp and maintained both his speed and strength which means that he now provides new blood in a stagnent division. Maybe a fight with Cub Swanson? Both fighters were victorious in Chicago and can test each other.
Eric Wisely is a completely different story. Wisely was making his UFC debut and got caught in an incredibly unlikely submission. He may get brought back for another fight but he didn't really give the UFC any reason to give him another shot last night. Likely a one and done fighter.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. That calf slicer was beautiful.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 results: Predictable failure in Chicago, UFC now 0-2 on network TV
My comrade Sergio Hernandez thinks the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event that took place last night (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) wasn't nearly as bad as some have painted it out to be. He takes the "glass half full" approach and let's his optimism shine on through.
Good for you, Serg. It's nice to have a positive outlook on things.
That's not what you'll get from me, though, folks. Because this event was as bad as it seemed. And I'm not just talking about the fights themselves, which were severely lacking in anything resembling excitement, though that was likely by design, at least to an extent.
I'm also shocked at how poorly executed the broadcast was, from the booth down to the cageside commentary. If UFC on FOX 1 was a failure because it was a 64-second fight sandwiched between 55-minutes of mostly awkward analysis, UFC on FOX 2 was a failure for how long and arduous its fights were.
I've got a lot of gripes about this card, so let's hit the bullet points after the jump and run them down.
Curt Menefee was off his game and Jon Jones is a terrible analyst. One of the big reasons the FOX deal was supposed to be so good for the UFC was that they would get the professional treatment we see other major sports get, like the NFL. Except that's not really what's happened. Curt Menefee was excellent during his debut as a host in the booth for the pre and post-show but he was definitely off his game last night. He lacked the necessary umph to really sell the fights we were getting ready to watch. Randy Couture was fantastic and should be a permanent fixture for these broadcasts but Jon Jones couldn't have been worse in his role. For starters, fire whoever decided to give him a spinning chair. He was nervous and it showed in his child-like inability to sit still for longer than four seconds. Maybe it's a minor gripe but how can I take this man's analysis seriously while he's spinning back and forth in his chair? Not only that, he was literally staring at his notes and reading off them for long periods of time while the camera was on him. He's not the best talker as it is, putting him in this role was a terrible idea that produced a disastrous result.
I also found it troubling that the broadcast seemed unprepared to bleep out a curse word uttered by Mihcael Bisping in a pre-made promo that was already set to air no matter what happened. It's not like they didn't have time to be ready for it. Bisping was heard saying the word "goddamn" before the FOX broadcast bleeped it out with silence. Then, after he had already said it, the silence extended for another five or six seconds, to the point that most of his words were forever lost and not to be heard by the viewers who were getting ready to watch him fight. Another minor gripe perhaps? Maybe but they're adding up, folks.
Then we get to the cageside commentary from UFC mainstays Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan. On a normal day the former is serviceable and the latter is well-informed but they both did little to make this a memorable broadcast in any positive manner. Rogan was educational in spots, as he needs to be during FOX broadcasts, and that deserves credit. But at one point during a fight, he literally said these words: "This really doesn't look pretty but hey, it works." The number one rule in promotion -- and make no mistake about it, Rogan is a promoter as much as he's a commentator -- is to never bury your own product. What on Earth can be accomplished by telling the viewers that what they're watching isn't pretty? "You know what, he's right, change this crap."
Speaking of burying the product, Goldberg perpetuating negative stereotypes is the last thing the UFC needs at any point but during a FOX broadcast that seemingly features new viewers is unfathomable. It's asinine, in fact. During an extremely close bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, Goldberg could be heard saying these words -- "Never leave it in the hands of the judges." That really takes the cake, everybody. Even if the judges are terrible, you don't draw attention to that fact because it directly undermines your product. Like it or not, the judges are associated with MMA and have a great deal of effect on the sport. If we can't trust them to be competent, why should we care about the sport at all? It would be like NFL announcers calling out referees for being terrible at their job during a football game. Sure, you can remark that you felt something was a bad call but literally saying you should never utilize the judges because they can't get it right is to say you have a major flaw in your entire sport. "Hi, new viewers, don't take us seriously, we can't get it right!"
Finally, we get to the fights themselves, which were, by design, matched up to ultimately be the snoozefests we were given. I predicted -- correctly, I might add -- that all three fight bookings could ultimately produce three boring decisions and -- surprise! -- we got three boring decisions. This is, of course, the most damning aspect of this failure of a broadcast because new viewers tuning in most certainly did not get paid off with exciting action like they were undoubtedly hoping for. Instead, they were met with fights that even hardcore fans struggle to get into. And before you go rushing to defend these fights, hardcores, let's just admit that they failed to compel you beyond your expectations for what we knew they would be anyone.
On top of the fights being relatively boring and mostly uninteresting, they also adversely affected the upcoming title fights Sergio was cooing over in his post. Neither Chael Sonnen nor Rashad Evans did much of anything to make folks believe they are legitimate threats to Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, respectively. Sonnen struggled greatly to defeat Michael Bisping, a man he was supposed to run over on his way to the biggest rematch of the century. Instead he barely squeaked by, stole a pro wrestler's promo for his post-fight interview and generally looked like he poses as much a threat to Silva's reign as a banana peel "The Spider" doesn't notice before he slips on it. Evans was far better in his fight, mostly dominating Phil Davis en route to a unanimous decision win. But his win, while dominant, lacked the necessary punch and power to make fans feel he is a legitimate threat to Jonny "Bones," a physical specimen who is coming off the greatest year by a single fighter in MMA history. We're talking about a guy who made Mauricio Rua tap to strikes, submitted Quinton Jackson and choked Lyoto Machida unconscious ... in three consecutive fights within eight months time. Cruising to a decision win over Davis, who clearly wasn't ready to be in that fight to begin with, raises legitimate questions about Rashad's chances against Jones. It's now less about whether or not Evans can win but how long he can last as opposed to the foes the champion has vanquished before him.
I'll close with my biggest beef and the single biggest issue with this abomination of a broadcast: the failure to properly promote the two title fights that came about based on the results of the evening. Chael Sonnen's stolen promo was lame enough, but the fact that he didn't even mention Anderson Silva or his impending title shot is almost criminal. UFC wasted an opportunity here to have Silva come to the fight and get in the cage for an interview with both guys on TV to do a staredown and the full nine. Isn't that the point of the FOX deal? To deliver good fights on free TV while getting casuals to convert to pay-per-view buyers? This would have been a pretty damn easy way to do it and UFC missed the boat completely. It was shocking. It was even worse when Rashad Evans defeated Phil Davis in the main event of the evening and they didn't bring Jon Jones into the cage for a contentious interview and staredown between those two, who can't help but stare daggers into one another when they're within range of one another. They could have announced the date, time and place for their bout, right then and there, live on the air. The worst part in all this? JON JONES WAS ACTUALLY IN THE BUILDING DOING ANALYSIS FOR FOX. This was so bad on a promotional level, my brain cannot comprehend it. The UFC is usually very good with situations like this. Instead of having Jones inside the cage carrying his title and promoting a huge upcoming defense of said belt, they had him up in the booth, dying on the vine trying to be an analyst, a position he had no previous experience in and was doing a terrible job at. It was mind-boggling.
There you have it, folks. A nice little ribbon tied around an event that failed to do anything other than waste a few hours of everyone's time.
If you feel differently, come with some solid analysis as to why that is. Let's hear it, Maniacs, I'm all ears.
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fox, broadcast
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMAWeekly Radio Weekend Edition: UFC on Fox 2, Dana Hacking & Ask Ronda Rousey
MMAWeekly Radio Weekend Edition for a breakdown of UFC on Fox 2, a chat about Dana White's hacker battle, and the latest round of Ask Ronda Rousey.
Posted in: ufc, fox, edition, mmaweekly, ronda
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Michael Johnson Vs. Shane Roller
In Lightweight preliminary action, Michael Johnson defeated Shane Roller by Unanimous decision. All three ringside judges scored the fight 29-28. The win improves Michael Johnson's record in the UFC to 2-2 and 10-6 overall. Shane Roller drops to 1-3 in the UFC and 10-6 overall.
Michael Johnson has shown signs of brilliance in his UFC career before making a mental error which ultimately costs him the fight. Saturday night he took the best that Shane Roller had to offer and came out victorious, though he still was close to getting submitted. Shane Roller may not have the best record in the UFC but he is a tough match up for anyone in the lightweight division.
What was the high spot of this fight?
There high point is definitely Michael Johnson surviving the body triangle and rear naked choke attempts before reversing position and taking top control.
Where do these guys go from here?
Michael Johnson picked up a much needed win over a solid lightweight with fantastic wrestling and submission grappling. While there should be no expectation that he'll be ranked in the top 25 of the division, the win showed that he's made big improvements in his boxing and defensive wrestling. That he kept his head when caught in the body triangle means that he's maturing as a fighter.
Shane Roller went from being one of the most impressive guys in the WEC to a fighter on a three fight losing streak. If he gets another shot he's going to be fighting with his back against the wall in the opening fight of the night. There shouldn't be any surprise or outrage if he receives his pink slip either.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. Michael Johnson fought a smart fight but there's really no rush to see the fight.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Joey Beltran Vs. Lavar Johnson
In preliminary Heavyweight action, Lavar Johnson defeated Joey Beltran via knock out. The stoppage came at 4:24 in the first round. Lavar Johnson was making his UFC debut and picks up his first win in three fights. He is now 1-0 in the UFC and 16-5 in his career. Joey Beltran drops to 13-7 in his career and 3-4 in the UFC.
There weren't many expectations for this to be a fight displaying highly technical skills in MMA. Joey Beltran has found himself in the role of 'heavy-handed heavyweight brawler' and has lived up to that title. Lavar Johnson dropped Beltan with a body shot and just swarmed with jabs and combinations before ending the fight with uppercuts.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The series of uppercuts that stopped Joey Beltran for the first time in his UFC career. It was brutal and showcased Lavar Johnson's incredibly heavy hands.
Where do these guys go from here?
I didn't give Lavar Johnson a fair shake coming into this fight. He entered the UFC on a two fight losing streak and just hasn't really impressed me outside of his ridiculous knockout power. Well, he showed improved footwork and technical striking before finishing Beltran. I'd love to see him a Pat Barry or Stefan Struve and see if he can hang in the division.
Joey Beltran is in an interesting spot. The only thing that was impressive about his performance on Saturday night was his toughness. That will only get him so far. On the other hand the UFC's heavyweight division is still incredibly shallow and there's always a need for a warm body. He likely won't be cut because the UFC loves cheap entertaining fighters and Beltran is both of those things.
Watch it now, later or never?
Later. It was entertaining and the finish was awesome, but it was still a sloppy heavyweight fight.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, matthew, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases Latest Video Blog
UFC President Dana White released his third video blog leading up to UFC On Fox 2, covering some of the various aspects of the promotional build and some behind-the-scenes of his week in Chicago, IL.
A few highlights of the near six-minute video:
White appeared on a WGN show and was told the studios were the home of the old Bozo The Clown show. They showed White some of the props and the setup, which he seemed genuinely interested in.
White made fun of one of his inner circle of employees sleeping.
The majority of the clip focused on the weigh-ins. Joe Rogan razzed White for his issues with "the Internet" and matchmaker Joe Silva told Dominick Cruz that the cast of the next season of The Ultimate Fighter is great.
The only notable items from the actual weigh-ins was the respective stares of Rashad Evans and Cub Swanson and the chatter between Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Watch the clip after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, michael bisping, wgn show
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results Recap: Chris Camozzi Vs Dustin Jacoby
In the opening bout of UFC on Fox 2, Chris Camozzi defeated Dustin Jacoby with a guillotine choke. The submission came at 1:08 in the third round. Camozzi rebounded from his decision loss at UFC 137 and improves his record to 3-2 in the UFC and 16-5 overall. Jacoby drops his second straight fight in the UFC. He is now 6-2 in his career and 0-2 in the promotion.
The bout was scheduled to be the only fight streamed on Facebook. For unknown reasons, the UFC decided to not stream the fight on Facebook nor show it on Fuel tv. This decision ultimately led to some confusion from fans who logged onto Facebook to watch the fight.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Who knows?! This is the only fight that didn't air. Ever since the UFC started to use Facebook as an outlet to air fights, fans have been able to view every fight on a card. Until last night when the decision was made to not stream or air Camozzi vs Jacoby. The high spot is likely the submission.
Where do these guys go from here?
As the victor of a dark match, Chris Camozzi will be given another shot in the UFC. He's 3-2 in the promotion and as an alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter, he will find some loyalty from Joe Silva and Dana White. He lacks the usual upside potential but he'll stick around to fill out the preliminary fights on PPV.
Dustin Jacoby finds himself in an awkward position. The fact that no one saw his loss could either work to his advantage in getting another fight or it could mean that he's back to the regional scene. I expect that last night was the last time that UFC fans hear the name Dustin Jacoby.
Watch it now, later or never?
If you can find it, watch it. It ended in a guillotine choke and by live accounts it was a pretty slick finish.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 2 in the full entry.
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Demian Maia Vs. Chris Weidman Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Superstar' Billy Graham - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Vs Michael Bisping Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Vs Phil Davis Video Fight Highlights - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Rashad Evans Earns Title Shot With Win Over Phil Davis - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Earns Title Shot With Victory Over Michael Bisping - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Chris Weidman Wins A Hard Fought Decision Over Demian Maia - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Photo: Nik Lentz' Eye After Evan Dunham Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Evan Dunham Defeats Nik Lentz By Doctor Stoppage - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Mike Russow Decisions Jon Olav Einemo - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Cub Swanson Picks Up Win With KO Of George Roop - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Charles Oliveira Submits Eric Wisely With A Calf Slicer - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Michael Johnson Defeats Shane Roller By Decision - Matthew Roth
UFC On Fox 2 Results: Lavar Johnson Successfully Makes UFC Debut With KO - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, fight, result, fox, roth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFox viewers still haven't seen a truly exciting fight, and UFC is partially to blame
submitted by mitchard [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, viewer, fox viewers
Read the full article at RedditLefko on UFC on FOX: A work in progress
No matter how much thought goes into the pre-production of UFC on FOX, there are no guarantees what will happen inside the cage.
Posted in: ufc, fox, work, lefko, preproduction
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on Fox 2 Videos: Lavar Johnson KOs Joey Beltran, Weidman vs. Maia Highlights
Fox Sports has released more highlights from last night’s UFC on Fox 2 event, including Lavar Johnson’s Knockout of the Night over Joey Beltran and Chris Weidman’s short-notice unanimous decision over Demian Maia.
Watch the UFC on Fox 2 highlights below and also check out the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis highlights, Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping highlights, and complete UFC on Fox 2 coverage.
Lavar Johnson knocks out Joey Beltran:
Chris Weidman beats Demian Maia:
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox sports, maia, demian maia
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Fight Night Photos
Photographer Jeff Cain's UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis quick shot photo gallery from Saturday night's fights.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, photo
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFUEL TV’s Jay Glazer & Kenny Florian Recap UFC on FOX 2
Jay Glazer and Kenny Florian recap UFC on FOX 2 on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, kenny, jay
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 2 results recap: Winners and losers from 'Evans vs Davis' event in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just finished its second foray into its network broadcast partnership with FOX Sports as UFC on Fox 2 delivered a top-notch card of mixed martial arts (MMA) fights on Jan. 28, 2012, LIVE from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
FUEL TV was, once again, the stage for the "Prelims" under card bouts, featuring a nice combination of both finishes and fights that went to judges scorecards.
The main event produced a number one contender and heir to a title shot, as Rashad Evans will finally get the grudge match he's been aching for against current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones this spring in Atlanta, Georgia.
The co-main event produced a similar result, when fight fans saw MMA's number one villain, Chael Sonnen, win a very close decision against Michael Bisping, earning him the opportunity to right a wrong when he takes on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva for his 185-pound strap, also scheduled later this year at an upcoming event in Brazil.
Join me after the jump for a look at the big winners and lowly losers from UFC on FOX 2:
WINNERS
Rashad Evans -- Say what you want about this guy, he proved last night that he is still a dominant light heavyweight and very deserving of being named the number one contender. He completely neutralized Davis' reach advantage. He outstruck him badly. He outwrestled him. He came very close to finishing him at several points. Don't get it twisted. Phil Davis is not Jon Jones. Not by a mile. Still, it makes for a very interesting match up.
Chael Sonnen -- You can love him or hate him. You might even think the decision should have been awarded to Bisping. It didn't. I admit, Sonnen didn't floor me with his performance. There were spots where he looked a little gassed and that just about never happens. There also points where he got pushed around a bit, which is also very out of character. Either way, he got the job done and will now get his shot at redemption versus Anderson Silva. Let the drama begin!
Lavar Johnson -- Welcome to the UFC, buddy! In his first fight since making the transition from Strikeforce, Johnson used his reach and his big, heavy hands to make quick work of Joey Beltran. The fight looked like it was either going to be a quick, explosive finish for one fighter, or a laboring three rounds of clinching and "positioning." Luckily, it was the former. Nice win for Johnson who looks to have been a great addition to the UFC's arsenal of 265-pounders.
Charles Oliveira -- "Do Bronx" made his debut at featherweight tonight and looked amazing. After finding himself winless in his prior three contests, it was "crap or get off the pot" time for Oliveira. The Brazilian prospect used quick and and thunderous leg kicks (both inside and out) to keep Eric Wisely on his heels. Finally, during a scramble, Oliveira pounced on an opening, went for a heelhook submission, transitioned to a kneebar and wrenched on the limb as Wisely tried to roll out. The finishing move was high level and had all the viewers grabbing for their knees as they watched the replay. Good finish. Big win for Oliveira.
LOSERS
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman -- What a brutal way to start the main card on FOX. I can't help but think of people who weren't MMA fans who tuned in out of curiosity and asked aloud: "Is this what the UFC is all about?" It isn't, but they may never give it a second chance to find this out. For three rounds, Maia and Weidman plodded, threw lazy strikes and takedowns and put on a fight that appeared to be underwater. Weidman had a difficult weight cut, which is understandable with him taking the fight on only 11 days notice. What was Maia's excuse? Boo.
Joey Beltran -- I know "The Mexicutioner" has a lot of fans, so this will probably be unpopular. I don't care. At some point, "getting beat up" needs to not be what you're known for if you want to be a fighter on the biggest stage. Though it's true, this was the first time he'd actually been knocked out in a professional fight, but he's taken a ton of punishment in almost every one of his bouts. He's also now lost four of his last five. See ya.
Curt Menefee -- I'm gonna be nice. He's new. There's a possibility he's never even watched MMA before he started working the microphone for UFC on FOX. The truth is that he made Kenny Rice look like an award winning journalist during the UFC on FOX 2 breaks in the action. He called people by their wrong names (on multiple occasions), missed his cues and just seemed awkward on the whole. Maybe he'll get better. He couldn't get much worse.
Phil Davis -- I saved Phil for last, because, quite frankly, I didn't want to include him at all. He won a lot of moral victories at UFC on FOX 2 by merely surviving. He kept up. He swam in the deep waters and made it to the final horn. He's never fought anyone on Evans' level and there was no way to emulate that massive of a moment. It just was too much, too soon. He'll get there and will eventually be a great fighter, but he has lot of improvements to make. The truth is that Evans did him a favor by beating him, because if he fought Jones right now, it could be devastating for him and his career.
That's all we got. Our list is pretty complete, but there's always room for improvement. Care to add-on? Toss out your best suggestions in the comments section!
For complete UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action, click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, evan, he
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 results: Careful what you wish for, suggestions to get MMA right on network television
After the 64 seconds of action that comprised UFC on Fox 1 in Nov. 2011, the heavyweight championship fight between Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez underscored the risks of going with a single-bout telecast. So, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flipped the script for Saturday night's (Jan. 28, 2012) show at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., installing a three-fight card. Instead, all the bouts went the distance, and, with the exception of Chael Sonnen's close decision win over a resilient Michael Bisping, the telecast was largely free of out-of-your-seat moments. You can't make everybody happy all the time, and it'll be interesting to see what the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion does next to mitigate against what happened last night:
A telecast that never seemed to get out of second gear. There are no certainties with matchmaking. Nonetheless, I'd suggest the following in order to strike a balance between quality entertainment and creating excess "fill time" on the telecast:
First, one heavyweight bout should be featured on all cards, whenever reasonable and appropriate.
Lavar Johnson's stoppage of Joey Beltran (Watch it right here) was a great example of how a heavyweight fight can provide entertainment and watchability, though to be fair to the UFC, if it'd gone three rounds, it might have been every bit as underwhelming as you'd expect, and with much lower-ranked fighters then those on the main card.
That's the reason matchmaking heavies is especially important, as the Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo snoozer proved. Thank god that bout wasn't on the main card, but then again, everyone knows precisely why it wasn't. But styles make fights, and aggressive big guys looking to slug is acceptable red meat to throw to a massive fan base looking to be entertained.
Until core viewing audience has been subjected to the MMA learning curve as the pay-per-view (PPV) bunch has, it may be hard to televise sluggish bouts like Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia without some promotional blowback.
Perception is everything.
Second, as much Randy Couture as possible on the broadcast panel.
Couture is solid on the mic and provides a critical recognizable link in that role, both for newer and old-school fans. Like Pat Miletich, he speaks in the rare style of being understated and plain, yet exceptionally effective, precisely because he doesn't waste words. That's a key grounding element in the give-and-take of a broadcast, especially as the team gels and flows together with everyone involved becoming more comfortable with their role.
UFC on Fox 2 had its share of growing pains, and the evolution of the telecast, from both a production and matchmaking perspective, will move forward. There's a happy medium out there, and after two extreme results on either end of the pendulum, the organization is definitely due for a hit that provides exciting action and sustained content for the duration of a telecast.
It just wasn't Saturday night, but that's the good part of having a seven-year deal.
For complete UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" results and coverage click here and here.
Jason Probst can be reached at www.twitter.com/jasonprobst.
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, card, telecast
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Overnight Ratings Are In
The second effort by the UFC on Fox was rather inconsistent in action and had many people wondering how the ratings would look. The overnight numbers are in and they are quite interesting.
Via TV By The Numbers:
FOX easily cruised to victory in adults 18-49 with two hours of UFC on FOX 2 with a fight card headlined by Evans vs. Davis. Again, these numbers are far more likely to be adjusted (and adjusted up) than normal due to the nature of live programming. But in the preliminary non time zone adjusted numbers the fight card averaged a 2.2 adults 18-49 rating between 8-10p and 4.37 million viewers.
As they said, the numbers will be adjusted up in the final numbers but it's entirely fair to compare this directly to the overnight ratings of the first Fox show.
The first show had overnights of a 2.5 rating and 7 share in the 18-49 demographic with 4.64 million viewers (source) for the one hour broadcast. By comparison, hour one of last night's show had a 2.0 rating and 6 share with 3.98 million viewers while hour two went up to a 2.5 rating, 7 share and 4.77 million viewers. I have no doubt that the slow intro to the show combined with a fairly horrible first fight led to a lot of people tuning out until the main event, which would explain the big gain in the second hour.
It's clear that the very short fight in the debut show didn't chase off all the viewers at the very least.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: show, fox, rating, viewer, number
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Sunday Morning Rumor Mill
Another Sunday morning and we're only 29 days deep into 2012. We now have two titles fights mapped out for the remainder of the year, and they are exactly what you expected. By this time next week, we'll have a third title fight etched out, which means living your life will be just that much easier. Now it's time for a Sunday Morning Rumor Mill to fulfill your gossipy appetites. Enjoy.
ESPN planned to release a rebuttal to ZUFFA's rebuttal of ESPN's 'Outside The Lines' feature on the pay structure within the UFC. It appears ESPN's rebuttal will still be released, but at a later date.
M-1 recently released their media relations staff member and webmaster, citing necessary cutbacks to the promotion.
It appears there's a new promotion brewing up in Russia with a notable amount of potential funds behind it. Yeah I know, we've all heard in so many variations over the years -- but this seems rather legit.
It's not really a rumor now, but FORM athletic is no more. The website is gone and don't expect any fighters to rock their gear in the future.
Apparently FORM athletic flew a few MMA journalists out to check out Urijah Faber's camp just before the company collapsed. FORM wanted to 'influence' certain journalists to include a mention of FORM in their article, fortunately the media outlets did not.
Earlier this month, Vinny Maghales visited Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and made 'Anderson Silva' money from teaching the co-owner of the UFC. It's been suggested that Vinny's trip to Abu Dhabi is just a precursor to the ADCC champion joining the UFC.
A UFC role-playing game for PC/Xbox/PS3 was pitched to the promotion earlier this year. No word on the status of the concept.
It appears Frank Trigg was released from HDNet.
During last night's UFC on FOX broadcast, Randy Couture gave Jon Jones a 'pep talk' during a commercial break due to an uncomfortable bout of silence from the UFC light heavyweight champion during the broadcast.
Someone named 'ChunkLite-Light' claims the UFC hired his 'hacker group' to deter the attacks on the website from last week.
It's rumored that Mark Hunt may face Lavar Johnson in his next bout, although this rumor seems a little premature.
Judging from current estimates, it appears last night's UFC on FOX will shatter the ratings of UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos.
It appears ZUFFA somewhat freaked out when FOX published their official UFC co-branded fighter rankings during last night's UFC on FOX broadcast. Expect a few mangers to ask substantially more for the fighters they represent if they made the list.
Chael Sonnen intended to bring his replica UFC belt to the octagon, but was nixed by UFC officials.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rumor, abu dhabi, nights ufc
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on Fox 2 Bonuses: 4 Fighters Pocket $65K
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, bonus, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.37 Million Viewers in Preliminary Ratings
Filed under: UFC, News, Sports Business and MediaEarly ratings are in for Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 event, and the two-hour broadcast drew an estimated 4.37 million viewers, according to a report by TVBytheNumbers.com.
The final number, however, is likely to increase substantially by the time final ratings are released, as information continues to trickle in on the live broadcast.
By comparison, the initial UFC on FOX show in November featuring a heavyweight title bout with Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos drew an overnight rating of 4.64 million, but when final information was released, it ended up averaging a more robust 5.7 million viewers.
The two-hour show which was broadcast from the United Center in Chicago, featured a tripleheader that was void of any finishes. In the main event, Rashad Evans out-pointed Phil Davis, setting up a light-heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones. The co-main event saw Chael Sonnen earn a decision over Michael Bisping, setting up a rematch with middleweight champ Chael Sonnen. And the night's opener saw rising star Chris Weidman top Demian Maia on points.
Despite the lack of big finishes or action-packed rounds, ratings indicated that the event helped FOX carry the all important 18-49 year old demographic, as that segment of the population averaged a 2.2 rating to lead all broadcast networks.
Final ratings should be released on Monday.
The next UFC on FOX event will take place in the spring, with a May 5 date penciled in. To date, only one TV matchup has been confirmed, with lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller squaring off in a bout likely to serve as the co-main event. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, broadcast
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Exclusive Photo Gallery
HeavyMMA shooter James Law gives us a look back at Saturday's UFC on Fox card in Chicago, from Rashad Evans' five-round sweep of Phil Davis to Cub Swanson's monster knockout of George Roop and back...
Posted in: fox, phil davis, fox card, george roop, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 results recap from last night for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago on Jan. 28
In like a lion, out like a lamb ... and we're not even close to March.
Last night (Jan. 28. 2012), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) looked to replace the sour taste that Junior dos Santos left in the mouths of mainstream fans with his 64-second knockout of Cain Velasquez back in Nov. 2011 after months of build up and hours of pre-fight brouhaha.
Unfortunately, UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" from the United Center in Chicago, Ill., fell flatter than Kate Hudson, but for very different reasons. It certainly wasn't for lack of creative matchmaking, which had critical implications on the line in at least two of the three televised bouts.
And it certainly wasn't because the fighters featured on the FOX card lacked personality. If anything, several of them have a little too much.
Nonetheless, UFC on Fox 2 failed to deliver, despite almost 60 minutes of mixed martial arts (MMA) action. Quite the opposite in terms of length when compared to the first show, but again, essentially the same result.
Follow me after the jump to see where it all went wrong:
Let's begin at the top with the main event between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. It was scheduled for five rounds and it ultimately went the distance. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very close fight whatsoever.
Evans, a promotional dinosaur with nearly 15 fights inside the Octagon to his credit, was just too slick and too experienced for the much greener "Mr. Wonderful." "Suga" stalked Davis all night long, closing the distance and daring the Penn State University wrestling standout to take him down.
On occasion, Davis obliged; however, it was far from the dominant effort that everyone knew it would take for him to hold down Evans and beat him up to win the fight. Evans was super aggressive and left his chin hanging out all night for Davis to touch, but he didn't.
Kicks, punches, takedowns, takedown defense, ground and pound, submissions: Evans' well-rounded bag of tricks was on full display in the "Windy City."
In fact, Evans' rock-solid performance was among the few bright spots in an otherwise forgetful evening of MMA fights. He continues to do what he is expected to do, and in exchange, he finally earned his much-deserved title shot against Jon Jones in the UFC 145 main event in Atlanta, Ga., on April 21, 2012.
Nonetheless, mainstream fans, for the most part, don't have the luxury of hindsight and overall appreciation for a specific outcome. In other words, the fight didn't do anything to make new fans want to tune into the next FOX show, much less pony up $50 to watch Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans settle their score at the Philips Arena three months from now.
And that's what this big network television experiment is really all about, isn't it?
More from us on the remaining two fights in just a moment. In the meantime, discuss UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" in the comments section below.
Let's hear it, Maniacs.
Be sure to also check out our complete UFC on FOX 1 blow-by-blow coverage of the entire "Evans vs. Davis" event right here.
While you're at it, check out our fight-by-fight recaps, video highlights and immediate reactions for the UFC on FOX 2 action:
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
UFC on FOX 2 results: Rashad Evans dominates Phil Davis en route to decision win
Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 2
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
UFC on FOX 2 results: Chael Sonnen beats Michael Bisping, earns title shot against Anderson Silva
Chael Sonnen vs Michael Bisping full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 2
Demain Main vs. Chris Weidman
UFC on FOX 2 results: Chris Weidman earns split decision over Demian Maia
UFC on FOX 2 results: Demian Maia vs Chris Weidman full fight video highlights
Last, and certainly not least, check out our complete UFC on FOX 2 results recap of the FUEL TV "Prelims" right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Draws 17,425 to United Center in Chicago
The UFC's second show on Fox drew 17,425 to a sold-out United Center in Chicago, which led to a live gate of $1.2 million.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, center, chicago
Read the full article at Heavy MMAPost-Fight Thoughts After UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFCThe sky is not falling.
The doomsdayers always seem to panic whenever a UFC show does not produce a series of heart-racing moments, and UFC on FOX 2 certainly fell a little flat, leading to heavy criticism and downright concern about the future of the FOX deal.
Relax. FOX is well aware that some fights are going to blow you away, and others will make you want to walk away. That's sports. They didn't lock in a seven-year deal with the thought of divorcing after their first official show under the terms of the deal. This is still a new sports property for them, and there is plenty of room to grow for both sides.
Adjustments will be made, and fights will deliver.
Remember, we have Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller on tap for UFC on FOX 3 in May. There's no way that fight doesn't deliver.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News
Until then, here are my thoughts on storylines stemming from the UFC's second outing on network TV...
Historic Run
Jon Jones had a banner 2011, capturing the title and finishing all four of his fights. The virtuoso performance led many to wonder what he could possibly do for an encore, and now we have our answer. Jones has Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson waiting to fight him.
Think about this: Jones has the possibility of going through Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Evans and Henderson consecutively. If he accomplishes it, it would no doubt be the most impressive five-fight run in MMA history.
And let it be said, giving Evans the first shot at Jones before Henderson is the right call. Evans has been the No. 1 contender in waiting for about 18 months, since beating Jackson back in May 2010. He's waited long enough. Even though Henderson is 41 years old and has less time remaining in his career than Evans, he wasn't even in the UFC when Evans became the top contender. He was still in Strikeforce at the time.
Henderson should certainly get the chance to fight the Evans-Jones winner, but given the UFC schedule, he'll likely be offered another fight before it.
Stepping Back
It's safe to say that Phil Davis wasn't quite ready for the jump up to elite opponent level, struggling in a decision loss to Evans. Davis remains a wildly gifted talent, but seems to lack conviction in some of his own abilities. He didn't fully commit to his punches, often moving backward as he threw, and that allowed Evans to fire off his own strikes with little to fear.
Davis does throw strong kicks, but until he learns to let his hands go -- a skill that will complement his wrestling -- he won't reach his optimum potential.
Sonnen-Silva II
Chael Sonnen had some trouble with Michael Bisping on the way to a unanimous decision that will set up a rematch with Anderson Silva, likely this summer in Brazil. The less-than-stellar performance sent his stock downward in the eyes of many, who suggest that it will somehow carry over into his fight with Silva.
There's no correlation between the two fights. Bisping has always boasted very good takedown defense and even when he's gotten taken down, he tends to pop back up to his feet quickly. Silva's takedown defense is average, and when he gets taken down, he looks for submissions instead of trying to get to his feet. Sonnen is much more likely to take him down and keep him down for long stretches, just like the first fight, mainly because Silva is often content to work from his back, where he's dangerous.
That said, the rematch -- like the original -- is likely to come down to whether Sonnen can stay away from a fight-ending submission.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
MiddleMan
For a long time, I have asked, where is the next great middleweight? In a story from last year, I suggested Chris Weidman could be that man.
On Saturday, Weidman defeated Maia in a workmanlike decision. While he didn't steal the headlines away from Evans or Sonnen, Weidman's win on 11 days' notice sends the message that he's a force to be reckoned with. He had to cut from 217 to 185. He was faced with fighting a southpaw. His opponent was one of MMA's submission masters. Weidman conquered all these obstacles in his path, and that says plenty about his mental and physical makeup.
Weidman has shown advancing striking skills to go with his excellent wrestling and ground game. Barring an injury, there's no question that he'll be knocking on the door of top contenders in the division ASAP.
Another first
Charles Oliveira made his featherweight debut memorable, becoming the first UFC fighter in history to score a calf slicer submission. Oliveira is an aggressive, attacking offensive fighter, so it's no surprise that he'd pull off something so bold and rare. Now it's worth watching to see if he becomes a real factor in the division.
Damned if you do...
Nik Lentz used to receive a ton of criticism for fighting conservatively, but the approach led to a 15-fight unbeaten stretch from 2007-2011. The constant slams from fans and media caused Lentz to reconsider his approach, and his more wide open style has led to two losses in a row. The upside: he earned a $65,000 bonus for Fight of the Night. The downside: he's now officially on the cut watch list. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, henderson, evan
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseChris Weidman says UFC on FOX 2 win proves he belongs with division's best
CHICAGO - A win is a win is a win.
For fast-rising - but still relatively unknown - Chris Weidman, you don't pass up an opportunity to fight on a FOX main card against a top-10 middleweight.
Not even if you get just 11 days' notice and still have 32 pounds to shed in order for it to be official.
Posted in: pound, fox, chri, chris weidman, weidman
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 results: Demian Maia vs Chris Weidman full fight video highlights
Chris Weidman earns a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia in the opening bout of the main card of the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event last night (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Bruce Buffer originally announced that Weidman had won a split decision; however, UFC President Dana White later tweeted that a mistake was made and Weidman had actually won via unanimous decision. Sadly, the mix-up was about as memorable as the fight itself, which had fans in the "Windy City" booing with disapproval. To read a more detailed recap on the action (or lack thereof) click here and for complete UFC on FOX 2 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's activities click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, decision, weidman, fight video
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 Post-Fight Interviews: White, Sonnen, Bisping, Weidman, More
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Dana White, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman, Michael Johnson, Lavar Johnson, Cub Swanson, Mike Russow, Evan Dunham and Charles Oliveira to get their thoughts on the fights at UFC on FOX 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, sonnen, charles oliveira
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Highlights
Highlights from the UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, postfight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertChael Sonnen’s UFC on FOX 2 Post-Fight Interview Speech
Here it is… Chael Sonnen’s post-fight victory speech at UFC on FOX 2 after defeating Michael Bisping. Not bad, but not quite as epic as this.
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael bisping, chael, speech
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 2 Video Highlights: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Video highlights from Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2 via FOX Sports.
Posted in: fox, vs, bisping, phil, chael
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 2 Morning After: FOX Fights Fail to Deliver
Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- There was some great action in the Octagon at the United Center on Saturday night. Unfortunately, all of it was over before the Fox show got started.
After a seven-fight preliminary card delivered one outstanding fight after another, the three-fight main card on the network was a disappointment. Between the three fights Fox broadcast on Saturday and the Junior dos Santos-Cain Velasquez fight in November (which was 59 minutes of talking surrounding one minute of fighting), there still hasn't been a really good UFC fight on network television yet.
That's a shame. If Fox had shown the Fight of the Night from Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz, or Lavar Johnson's knockout of Joey Beltran, or Charles Oliveira's brilliant submission, millions of Americans would have seen what the UFC at its best looks like. Instead, millions of Americans saw three mediocre battles.
The less said about Chris Weidman's decision win over Demian Maia, the better. That was simply not what anyone thinks of as a good MMA fight. Any curious newcomers to the UFC who turned the show on from the beginning probably changed the channel after the first round of that one.
Chael Sonnen's fight with Michael Bisping was better, and the pro-Sonnen crowd was energetic, but that fight wasn't much to look at, either: Sonnen showed how to use superior wrestling and clinch work to win a decision, but the new fans the UFC wants to draw on Fox probably didn't find that too entertaining, either.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News
And in the main event, Rashad Evans dominated Phil Davis for 25 minutes without ever coming close to finishing. If you know enough about MMA to appreciate that Davis is a very talented athlete, an NCAA champion wrestler and a rising star in the sport, you were probably impressed with how thoroughly Evans controlled him. But if you're new to MMA and had never seen Evans or Davis before, you probably figured at the end that you'd rather spend half an hour watching a Seinfeld rerun than watching a fight like that.
The UFC and FOX both say they're in this for the long haul, and that they plan to grow the sport together. That's good, because this is going to take time. The UFC and Spike got lucky when the first Ultimate Fighter Finale had a sensational battle between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. So far, there's been no such luck for the UFC and FOX. Through four live, televised fights, the network television viewers haven't seen much action.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
UFC on Fox 2 Notes
-- Charles Oliveira has a ton of talent, and he looked better than ever fighting at 145 pounds for the first time in the UFC. The 22-year-old Oliveira needed just 1 minute, 43 seconds to submit Eric Wisely with a calf slicer, and he could be a future featherweight title contender.
-- Mike Russow, a Chicago cop, got one of the best ovations I've ever heard before his fight with John-Olav Einemo. He also had one of the most surprising game plans I've ever seen when he repeatedly took Einemo down, even though Einemo is a world-class submission grappler. But it worked, as Russow stayed on top and out of trouble on the ground and won a decision. Russow isn't the prettiest fighter to watch, but he's 15-1 in his MMA career, including 4-0 in the Octagon. Think about this: If Alistair Overeem beats Junior dos Santos, Russow will have the longest winning streak in the UFC heavyweight division.
"I can't believe I'm 4-0 in the UFC right now," Russow said afterward. "It's unbelievable. To have this fight in my hometown of Chicago and to have the fans cheering for me like they did...I couldn't ask for anything better. "
-- Former Ultimate Fighter finalist Michael Johnson looked like he has improved both his striking and his submission defense since leaving Greg Jackson's gym and training full-time with the Blackzilians. The fans booed at times when Johnson clinched with Shane Roller and slowed down the pace of the fight, but it was good to see Johnson show some patience: In his last fight, against Paul Sass, he got a little too wild from the top and and was caught in a heel hook. This time Johnson fought safe and smart, and when Roller put him in a lot of trouble on the ground, Johnson kept his composure and got back to his feet. This was the best Johnson has looked.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
UFC on Fox 2 Quotes
-- "This one sucks. You really hate to lose like this. I felt like I was doing alright and getting good back-and-forth with him. I felt like I had him, but I flat out got caught on this one."--Dustin Jacoby, following his third-round submission loss to Chris Carmozzi. Jacoby entered the UFC last year with a 6-0 record, but he's now 0-2 inside the Octagon and will probably be released.
-- "This win shows that the Strikeforce heavyweights belong here. We're all on the same level and now we're getting a chance to prove it. And the fans are the ones benefitting from it the most because they're getting to see action like this."--Lavar Johnson after his impressive first-round knockout of Joey Beltran. I'm not prepared to say the Strikeforce heavyweights are "all on the same level" as the UFC heavyweights, but I do think Johnson is a great addition from Strikeforce.
Good Call
Referee Rob Madrigal stopped the Lavar Johnson-Joey Beltran fight at exactly the right time, just as Beltran was falling to the ground after repeated uppercuts from Johnson. Referees have a tough job when a fighter is taking a lot of punishment but still standing, and Madrigal stepped in just as Beltran lost the ability to defend himself. The Chicago Tribune ran a story last week questioning whether Madrigal was qualified enough to be refereeing a major card like UFC on Fox 2, but Madrigal acquitted himself nicely.
Bad Call
Referee Herb Dean demonstrated exactly what I focused on with my last Morning After: MMA refs are too inconsistent with the way they handle punches to the back of the head. Shane Roller landed several punches to the back of Michael Johnson's head, and all Dean did was warn Roller while allowing him to maintain his dominant position -- no point deduction, no stand-up, no time out to see if Johnson had been hurt by any of Roller's strikes, and certainly no disqualification, as Mario Yamasaki gave Erick Silva two weeks ago for punches to the back of the head that weren't as flagrant. The UFC and the state athletic commissions need to work together to get every ref on the same page on this rule.
Stock Up
Chris Camozzi had lost his last two UFC fights and needed a win to save his spot on the UFC roster Saturday night. He got it in impressive fashion against Dustin Jacoby, controlling the stand-up in the first couple rounds and forcing Jacoby to tap to a standing guillotine choke in the third.
Stock Down
George Roop had an opportunity to show he's a player in the featherweight division, but he was violently knocked out by Cub Swanson. Roop was looking up at the replay on the United Center big screen as he was walking back to the locker room, and he didn't seem to know what hit him. Roop has lost three of his last four.
Fights I Want to See Next
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. Watching Evans and Sonnen on Saturday night, it's awfully tough for me to envision either one of them winning their upcoming title fights. But both men have won enough big fights in their weight classes that they've earned No. 1 contender status. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them get their title shots, even though both of them are going to be huge underdogs. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, johnson, evan
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Pays Homage To 'Super Star' Billy Graham
Following his unanimous decision victory over Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox in Chicago, Chael Sonnen took the opportunity to cut another promo. For those that grew up as professional wrestling fans, the promo seemed like something they had heard before. Those instincts were correct as Sonnen was playing homage to 'Super Star' Billy Graham.
Joe Rogan, tonight is not for questions for me, this is your night brother. I want to know how you feel being only inches away from greatness. I want you to tell everybody how it feels. Are you not mesmerized? Do you not have chills going up your spine for the first time on Fox for you to be here in Chael's octagon on Chael's channel holding Chael's microphone interviewing Chael.
While you're thinking about that, remember this: when you're the greatest fighter in the world today they've got a name for you. They don't call you a great fighter they call you Chael Sonnen! Beat me if you can.
Billy Graham's promo after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: fox, promo, sonnen, chael, billy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference full video for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
The UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference begins at the 33:35 mark.
UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, is officially in the books after an uneven night of fights. As usual, the stars of the show came to dish the dirt on the event, including Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. To watch the highlights of Evans vs. Davis click here and for highlights of Sonnen vs. Bisping click here. For complete UFC on FOX 2 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Fight Bonus Winners
Lavar Johnson, Charles Oliveira, Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz each won $65,000 bonus awards after their performances at UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis in Chicago.
Posted in: fox, vs, evan, bonus, nik lentz
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs Davis Attendance and Gate
The UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis attendance and live gate numbers from Saturday night's event in Chicago.
Posted in: attendance, ufc, fox, vs, gate numbers
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyRashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Fight Video Highlights from UFC on Fox 2
Fox Sports has released highlights of Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 main event between light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
Evans dominated Davis to easily earn a unanimous decision and set up a likely showdown with rival UFC light heavyweight teammate Jon Jones at UFC 145 in April.
See the Evans vs. Davis highlights below, watch the Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping fight video, and check out MMAFrenzy.com’s complete UFC on Fox 2 coverage.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyChael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping Fight Video Highlights from UFC on Fox 2
Fox Sports has released highlights of Chael Sonnen’s narrow win over Michael Bisping in Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 co-main event to set up an anticipated rematch between Sonnen and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for later this year.
More UFC on Fox 2 coverage: UFC on Fox 2 results, UFC on Fox 2 bonuses
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael bisping, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyRashad Evans vs Phil Davis full fight video highlights from UFC on FOX 2
Rashad Evans mostly dominates Phil Davis en route to a landslide unanimous decision victory by scores of 50-45 across the board in the main event of the UFC on FOX 2 card that took place tonight (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. "Suga" used his superior all-around game to snuff out any offense "Mr. Wonderful" attempted to offer, which wasn't much. Ultimately, Evans proved he is indeed the number one contender to the light heavyweight championship and he will now go on to face current titleholder Jon Jones at the UFC 145 pay-per-view event scheduled for April 21 in Atlanta, Georgia. Let's hope it actually happens this time. For a complete recap of the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis fight click here and for complete UFC on FOX 2 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 2 ‘Evans vs. Davis’ Live Results and Play-by-Play (4:30 ET)
Sherdog.com will report from the United Center in Chicago at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fox 2, which is headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, rashad evans, evan
Read the full article at SherdogLIVE NOW: UFC on Fox 2 ‘Evans vs. Davis’ Results and Play-by-Play
Sherdog.com will report from the United Center in Chicago at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fox 2, which is headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
Posted in: rashad evans, playbyplay sherdogcom, result, fox, ufc
Read the full article at SherdogBrydon on UFC on FOX: Six things we learned
Six things we learned from Saturday night’s UFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis show in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, brydon, thing
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 2 draws a reported 17,425 attendance for $1.2 million live gate
LAS VEGAS - Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event drew an announced attendance of 17,425 and a live gate of $1.2 million.
UFC representative Ant Evans announced the figures in the night's
post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com
attended.
UFC on FOX 2 took place at United Center in Chicago and featured former
light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans earning a one-sided
unanimous-decision win over Phil Davis in the network-television
headliner.
Posted in: attendance, ufc, fox, phil davis, onesided unanimousdecision
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 2 Bonuses: Johnson, Oliveira, Dunham, Lentz Pocket $65K
Four men walked away from UFC on Fox 2 with post-fight bonuses on Saturday night, as Lavar Johnson, Charles Oliveira, Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz each took home an extra $65,000 from the United Center in Chicago.
Posted in: saturday night, postfight bonuses, nik lentz, fox, oliveira
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 2 Results: Rashad Evans Decisions Phil Davis in Chicago
At UFC on FOX 2, Evans shutout Phil Davis with a unanimous decision win in the evening's main event at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, decision, phil, chicago
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 bonuses and awards for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, has officially wrapped, which means it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.
To the tune of $65,000 each.
The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 20 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving "Windy City" with a second sack of simoleons.
If you only watched the FOX portion of the card, you're probably going to have no frigging clue who these folks are. I guess it's my job to tell you, though, so let's get down to it.
"Knockout of the Night" honors went to Strikeforce import Lavar Johnson, who made his way over from the now deceased San Jose heavyweight wastelands to send Joey Beltran to the same place with some vicious uppercuts. It was the first time in his UFC career "The Mexicutioner" had been put to sleep.
Hence the cool $65 grand.
There was little doubt that Charles Oliveira would take home "Submission of the Night" honors after he pulled off a calf slicer on Eric Wisely. After some initial confusion, it was confirmed by UFC officials that this was indeed the first time a submission of this kind of executed inside the Octagon.
Finally, Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz were awarded "Fight of the Night" honors for their thrilling, back-and-forth war of attrition that saw Dunham open up a cut under Lentz's eye significant enough to force a doctor stoppage. It was bad, too, folks. Like Dunham created a second mouth on "The Carny's" face.
Not pretty.
Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC on FOX 2:
Knockout of the Night -- Lavar Johnson
Submission of the Night -- Charles Oliveira
Fight of the Night -- Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Again, each fighter received $65,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.
For complete UFC on FOX 2 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
Posted in: ufc, night, dunham, fox, night honors
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Results And Post-Fight Analysis
Rashad Evans proved that he was just too advanced for Phil Davis in tonight's UFC on Fox 2 main event. In a fight that represented significant risk to Evans in the eyes of most observers, Rashad was able to dominate every round in an interesting stylistic match-up.
It may not have been the most exciting bout in the world (more on that in a moment) but seeing Evans win every phase of the fight (wrestling, striking, grappling) while not seeming to gas too horribly was a good sign and should set up the Jon Jones fight quite well.
The unfortunate thing about the Fox effort is that it was seen by many as being somewhat of a failure again. There were many tweets during the main event that fans were leaving the building, the opening fight was a horrible bout and while Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen put on a good fight some saw it as a controversial decision and it did involve a lot of clinching against the cage.
I'm deeply interested in seeing the ratings breakdown for the event to see when people were tuning in and tuning out to get a better idea of the mass appeal of the event. But we do know that we've still yet to see that huge moment where the sport totally shines on Fox.
What I found interesting about Evans vs. Davis was seeing how having a bigger reach doesn't mean you have an advantage. Davis doesn't quite understand the dynamics of spacing and utilizing his reach, this led to him coming up short on his punches much more often than Rashad. Evans was able to just move in enough to get his punches off and out just enough to prevent Davis from landing. It was much less "flashy" on the in and out than his usual work but was arguably much more effective.
I just hope that this wasn't a case where Davis was pushed a little too far too soon and is broken going forward. He kept fighting to win which is a good thing but (to over-analyze body language) he looked like he was breaking in the third round.
I scored the Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen fight for Bisping but I'm not upset that Sonnen got the decision. I thought Bisping controlled the fight a bit more but Sonnen did enough to earn at least two rounds depending on what you focus on.
The best part of the fight may be that it was fairly entertaining and both guys looked good. So you don't come out of a national broadcast with either guy having their stock fall. Bisping is a star, even if people don't like him and he'll take no damage off of this and Sonnen is now going to get his rematch against Anderson Silva.
The fight did play out much as I expected. While people expected Sonnen to run through him, Bisping's skills were perfect for the game that Sonnen brings to the table. Well, obviously not perfect but very good. Maybe some day people will stop underrating Bisping.
Sonnen's mic work is getting worse though. It's so much more rehearsed and so much less crazy and seeming off-the-cuff. It's just less interesting than it was around the first Silva fight.
Demian Maia looked absolutely horrible and I think that Bisping would have hurt him badly if the Mark Munoz injury didn't cause the shuffling on the card.
While Maia's fight with Chris Weidman was not exactly exciting or anything resembling a good fight, Weidman deserves a lot of credit for taking a dangerous fight on late notice. He had to cut a lot of weight and go in without having time to craft and train a full gameplan and got the win. He deserves a lot of respect for that.
Much more after the jump including thoughts on the Fox production...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
My biggest gripe with the Fox production was far too many times where they were showing the action from directly behind one fighter (Punchout! style). It makes it very hard to see what is landing and what isn't and, while looking neat, is a very inefficient angle for combat sports.
Beyond that I thought the production was very sharp, polished and made everything look super professional.
Jon Jones wasn't very good in his analyst role tonight, but damn am I excited to see him face Rashad finally.
Evan Dunham was really punishing the new "exciting" version of Nik Lentz. I thought the fight was entertaining and don't hate Lentz like others, but abandoning his grinding style leads to him getting hit in the face a lot.
Mike Russow rarely seems like the "better" fighter in the cage, but he keeps getting his hand raised, so you can't hate him too much for that. But Jon Olav Einemo is not a UFC caliber fighter at all. Two horribly disappointing performance in two trips to the cage.
I may not like Cub Swanson's tattoos, but he was very solid in demolishing George Roop. Swanson got takedowns, wasn't nearly as wild as he has been in the past and the right hand that set up the finish was crushing.
Charles Oliveira is going to be a real force at 145 pounds, I'm very interested to see what is next or him after the beautiful calf slicer.
Michael Johnson was so much better than I remember ever seeing him for two rounds against Shane Roller but then almost fell into the "Michael Johnson trap" of finding a way to get himself beat in the third. He survived though and took the decision. I'm interested to see his next fight if he continues this level of growth.
Lavar Johnson is a guy who I just never imagined in the UFC but holy crap...he just crushed Joey Beltran. Johnson was so much more composed than I ever thought he would be and his striking was so much more sound than I expected it to be. Putting Beltran to sleep is no small feat and if I'm going to watch a heavyweight brawler who throws hands I'd rather watch Johnson than Beltran.
Posted in: fight, fox, bisping, sonnen, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2 Results: Evans Dominates Davis to Set Up Showdown with Jon Jones
Rashad Evans dominated Phil Davis to score a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 and set up a showdown with rival UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta if he’s injury-free.
In the co-main event, Chael Sonnen narrowly outpointed Michael Bisping to set up an anticipated rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
The complete UFC on Fox 2 results were:
MAIN CARD (Fox)
Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28)
Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via split decision (29-28,28-29,29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV)
Evan Dunham def. Nik Lentz via TKO (doctor stoppage – cut) – Round 2, 5:00
Mike Russow def. John-Olav Einemo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Cub Swanson def. George Roop via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:22
Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf slicer) – Round 1, 1:43
Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:24
Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine) – Round 3, 1:08
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, decision, phil davis
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 results: Cautious Evans shuts out Davis, books grudge match with Jones
CHICAGO - Rashad Evans will indeed face Jon Jones, but he'll enter the matchup on a somewhat lackluster win.
To be fair, the former champ shut out a previously undefeated contender
in Phil Davis, but the bout lacked the sizzle one might have hoped for
in a network-television headliner.
Evans earned all five rounds of the UFC on FOX 2 main event, which took place at Chicago's United Center and aired on FOX.
Posted in: fox, jon jones, phil davis, evan, chicago
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWatch the UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Post-Fight Press Conference Live
Catch the UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis post-fight press conference at HeavyMMA with a live stream immediately following Saturday's card from Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, vs, saturdays card
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC On Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Video
Join us here at Bloody Elbow.com at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. PT for live video coverage of tonight's UFC on Fox 2 post-fight press conference. You can check it out at the Youtube stream below the jump, or over at MMA Nation, SBN's home for live video. The winners of the UFC on Fox 2 fights will sit down to talk about their performances and Dana White will announce the Fight of the Night bonuses. All the fallout from the card will be discussed, along with a variety of other stuff.
The main event of tonight's card is a five-round light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. If Evans wins, he'll meet rival Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 145. If Davis wins, he might just get the shot too.
$xx,xxx Bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night:
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, video
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Results: Dunham, Swanson and Oliveira Top Prelims
UFC on Fox 2 prelims aired live on Fuel TV in front of a sellout Chicago crowd at the United Center. Fighters Evan Dunham, Cub Swanson, and Charles Oliveira stole the show.
Posted in: fox, oliveira, fuel tv, charles oliveira, prelims ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 Results: Chris Weidman Outlasts Demian Maia
Despite cutting an large amount of weight within days of his fight against Demian Maia, Chris Weidman collected a win at UFC on FOX 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, maia, demian, weidman
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 results: Weidman split-decisions Maia in disappointing standup affair
CHICAGO - Chris Weidman didn't exactly make the most of his FOX opportunity.
Sure, the top prospect picked a network-television win on just 11-days'
notice over Demian Maia, but the bout played out as a bit of a sloppy
striking affair in what many hoped would prove a rousing ground battle.
Either way, the two served as the first main-card bout of Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: fox, demian maia, saturdays ufc, fox opportunity, ground battle
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 results: Chris Weidman earns split decision over Demian Maia
The UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event going down tonight (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, kicked off its main card on network television with an intriguing middleweight clash pitting two submission stylists.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia accepted a short notice bout against Chris Weidman, who saved the day for the promotion after Mark Munoz suffered and injury and Michael Bisping went on to bigger things. So how did they react to having just days to prepare for each other?
Not good, it turns out. Not good at all.
Neither man appeared ready for the other and both were overly cautious on their way to a three-round, 15-minute borefest that included far too much booing from the fans in attendance. Not a good look for the first fight on FOX to go the distance.
The winner -- though that seems like an afterthought and irrelevant at this point -- was Weidman, who did just enough to earn a split decision victory. It wasn't pretty but he did take this fight on just 11 days notice and reportedly just from 233-pounds to 185-pounds in that time.
Pawing was the name of the game early, as neither fighter was looking to engage or get overly chippy. They were throwing hands, don't get me wrong, but it was cautious and overly patient.
There were few takedown attempts, outside of Weidman throwing Maia a few times once he got his arms around him. Finally, with about one minute to go in the opening frame, Chris managed to get Demian to the floor. How long was he there?
About three seconds.
These two truly cancelled each other out in the early going.
The second round saw much of the same as the first. Maia's game seemed to be predicated on throwing a pawing jab before following up with an overhand left. That would be fine if Weidman didn't completely see it coming each time and avoid any real damage.
That opened things up Weidman to simply stay patient and wait for his openings.
It was around the three minute mark that the United Center lit up with boos, as fans grew tired of waiting for significant action. Weidman opened up with a head kick but the pacing of the fight was making everyone unhappy.
Nonetheless, it was clear that Weidman had the winning game plan and was executing it brilliantly.
Despite the fact that the fight was still relatively close, at least as far as the uneven judges are concerned, the fans booed boisterously throughout the final frame. Both men were gassed and this was the last thing anyone expected from these two middleweights.
At least Weidman has the weight cutting excuse and he still came away with the win. But what about Maia?
Be sure to keep up with MMAmania.com's live coverage of the UFC on FOX 2 event by clicking here.
Posted in: fight, fox, maia, weidman, minute mark
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 'Prelims' results recap for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
Before the big boys hit the network TV airwaves for the UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, there was a complete undercard available for viewing on FUEL TV.
And it featured plenty of compelling action.
The preliminary card was "headlined" by a lightweight scrap pitting two fighters who have a ton of potential but have struggled in recent outings. Evan Dunham came in having snapped a two-fight skid in his last bout, a unanimous decision win over Shamar Bailey. Nik Lentz, meanwhile, was looking for his first victory in three fights.
Count this one for Dunham, who brutally battered Lentz to the point that a monster cut and huge swelling on "The Carny's" eye forced the doctors to step in and call a stop to the action.
Even though he lost, Lentz has to feel good about the fact that this was likely the most exciting fight he's been a part of since making his way to the UFC. In fact, barring an amazing bout on the main card, these two are likely in line to earn "Fight of the Night" honors.
And they deserve it.
They weren't the only ones in action, though, as the UFC offered a complete slate of fights featuring plenty of up-and-down action from all sides. Here's how it all went down.
The heavyweights were in action in the "Windy City," as Mike Russow, a Chicago police officer, took on Jon Olav Einemo. Russow was the subject of many a chant, the most prevalent of which was the audience shouting "CPD."
You know, because he works for the Chicago Police Department.
It's still not clear whether the fans were chanting that for support of Russow or simply to entertain themselves while they watched a plodding heavyweight fight between two guys who looked gassed by the time the second round was over.
The long and short of it is that Russow used his considerable girth to lay on top of Einemo and wear him out until the final horn sounded. He was awarded the unanimous decision victory, keeping his perfect record in the UFC alive at 4-0.
Yippee.
Cub Swanson was back again on another FOX card, which is where both of hi UFC fights have taken place. His first outing saw him drop a disappointing submission to Ricardo Lamas but this time he was prepared for the stand-up stylings of George Roop, who just loves to stand and bang.
Much to his detriminet.
The two traded shots until Swanson exploded with a right hand that folded up Roop like a cheap lawn chair. The follow up punches were probably unnecessary but you finish the job when the opportunity presents itself.
And the win one, lose one pattern continues.
Remember Charles Oliveira and the funky Brazilian jiu-jitsu he first brought to the table when he debuted with the UFC? Yeah, that was on full display tonight as he utilized a submission that had never caused a tap inside the Octagon before tonight.
About halfway through the opening frame, Oliveria dropped down to execute a heel hook on his opponent, Eric Wisely. He nearly had it locked in but before he could complete the submission, Wisely escaped and attempted to get back to his feet.
In the ensuing shuffle, "Do Bronx" wrapped his legs around Wisely's and forced the tap. Because it's so rarely seen, no one knew how to react to the fact that Oliveria had become the first fighter in UFC history to win a fight with a calf slicer submission.
Insanity.
A fascinating lightweight showdown took place on the undercard, as Michael Johnson came out with a vengeance trying to lay Shane Roller down to sleep. Flying knees and winging punches were distributed without prejudice, some of which found their mark with deadly accuracy.
In fact, Johnson, who had previously been so disappointing in his short Octagon career, showed an improved game that featured solid wrestling, striking and takedown defense. It was like he was an entirely different fighter.
Until the third round, that is.
It was then that Roller took his back, flattened him out an started unloading with punches. Johnson's response to this was to attempt to put his head into position so Roller was hitting him with illegal strikes. It worked, too. The referee, Herb Dean, didn't stop the fight and disqualify anyone, though. He simply gave the proper warnings and backed Roller off enough so as to allow Johnson to escape from the precarious position he was in.
Once he did, he coasted to the scorecards and took a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 across the board. He played the game well and he won the fight. That's the double whammy, folks.
He even tried to get cute in the post-match interview by telling Dana White he "never gets paid in gum" like he wants to. Sorry, Michael, but the Trident folks do it better. Swing and a miss.
Lavar Johnson made a successful switch from the Strikeforce heavyweight division by disposing of UFC veteran Joey Beltran inside the first round.
As color commentator Joe Rogan so eloquently noted, it was the first time "The Mexicutioner" was stopped inside the Octagon. How Johnson did it was rather impressive.
He worked a jab early but got Beltran pressed against the fence before landing a big shot on the temple. He followed that up with a series of brutally nasty uppercuts, some of which actually served to keep Beltran on his feet when his natural reaction was to fall to the mat like a sack of potatoes.
"Big" timer.
The first fight of the night actually wasn't televised. Indeed, in this day and age of fights being shown on Facebook, FUEL TV, FX, FOX, the moon, all that, there was a UFC bout that didn't make the air in any capacity.
Not that it mattered.
The opener was a lightweight scrap pitting Chris Camozzi against Dustin Jacoby. It was clear from jump street that the former was far superior to the latter and it showed. By the time all was said and done, Camozzi had earned himself a third round guillotine choke submission victory.
Welcome back.
Don't forget to check out our complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the main card action, which is just about to kick off on FOX right now. Click here for all the coverage you need of the UFC on FOX 2 event.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, johnson, action
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Highlights
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, VideosCHICAGO -- All the big winners, as well as a couple of losers, from Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 event attended Saturday night's post-fight press conference at the United Center. Watch the highlights below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, saturday, postfight
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Main Card Live Blog
Get live coverage of Saturday's UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis card from the United Center in Chicago starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, including Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and Chael Sonnen vs. Michael...
Posted in: fox, vs, evan, davi, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMABad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 129: UFC On Fox Results Review
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts "The DA" Neil Wagner, Matthew Roth and Forrest Lynn as they review tonight's UFC on Fox, which is headlined by a light-heavyweight clash between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and a middleweight eliminator bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. Also on the card is a middleweight bout between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman.
We'll review all the bouts on the card while taking your calls, emails, tweets and comments.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Get your brand new Demian Maia UFC on FOX walkout T-shirt only from Bad Boy at the brand new BadBoy.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
Want to get in touch with the BE Radio crew? Here's how you can do so:
Phone: (347) 202-0934E-mail: bloodyelbowradio@gmail.comTwitter: @mbish86, @sprewellrimz or @gotahemmiBloodyElbow.com: Leave a question or comment in this post
For those calling in, you will first be picked up by our producer who will take your information and get what you want to talk about. You will then be queued. We will try to get to everyone as soon as we can. We ask that you call in around the time of the topic you want to discuss.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: fox, radio, elbow radio, elbow, boy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 results: Russow outwrestles, outgrinds exhausted Einemo
CHICAGO - Heavyweight grinder Mike Russow received a her's welcome in
his hometown, and while the full-tine police officer delivered a win, it
wasn't exactly a "Fight of the Night" performance.
Russow outwrestled jiu-jitsu specialist John-Olav Einemo in a mildly paced 15-minute affair.
The bout served as the fifth of six UFC on FOX 2 preliminary card matchups to air on FUEL TV from Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: fox, card matchups, fuel tv, chicago, russow
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream
The UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference will stream live in the video player above following the UFC on FOX 2 broadcast.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video player, postfight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertJoin your old pal Nostradumbass for a special UFC on FOX 2 post-fight radio show starting at 10pm...
Join your old pal Nostradumbass for a special UFC on FOX 2 post-fight radio show starting at 10pm ET on FOX Sports Radio. I'll be stopping by to help host Larry Pepe break down all the action from the "Evans vs. Davis" network television event and it's time to find out if I eat crow or say I told you so. Fans can call in and sound off at 1-877-996-6369. Don't get FOX Sports Radio in your neck of the woods? Go here (www.foxsportsradio.com) then click the "Listen Live" button to stream the show. See you tonight!
Posted in: show, fox, sport, radio, pal nostradumbass
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White’s UFC on FOX 2 Video Blog: Part Three
Dana White visits the old Bozo the Clown set (seriously) and goes behind the scenes of the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins in this third installment of his UFC on FOX 2 video blog.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 2 results: Johnson downs Roller in exciting yet bizarre affair
CHICAGO - It wasn't always pretty, but it sure was effective.
"The Ultimate Fighter 12" finalist Michael Johnson turned in one of the
best 10-minute spans of his octagon career thus far, then hung on for
dear life before winning a UFC on FOX 2 unanimous decision at Chicago's United Center.
The lightweight contest served as the second of six preliminary bouts to air on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, octagon career, chicago, affair chicago
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2: IRC Chat
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, chat, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at RedditUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Rashad Evans Vs. Phil Davis
In the main event of the UFC's second card on Fox, the world will get to see two of the best light heavyweights in the world face off in a five round bout. On one side, the brash former champ desperately needs a win here so he can go on and finally fight his nemesis. Across the octagon from him is an upstart prospect looking for, by far, the biggest win of his career and a possible shot at Jones (a guy he is constantly compared to). Rashad Evans (16-1-1, 11-1-1 UFC) meets Phil Davis (9-0, 5-0 UFC).
Evans occupies the 3 spot at lightweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Davis is at number 7. Dana White has already stated that if Evans can get the win and escape the fight injury-free, he will finally get his shot at current champ and former friend Jon Jones. White has been non-committal about whether Davis would earn a shot with a win, but he certainly wouldn't be far off if he doesn't get it right away. This light heavyweight UFC on Fox 2 fight will be the main event of the evening and will be aired live on Fox. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Evans: 32 years old | 5'11" | 75" reachDavis: 27 years old | 6'2" | 79" reach
What have these two done recently?
Evans: W - Tito Ortiz (TKO) | W - Quinton Jackson (UD) | W - Thiago Silva (UD) Davis: W - Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (UD) | W - Tim Boetsch (SUB) | W - Rodney Wallace (UD)
How did these two get here?
"Suga" Rashad Evans has been in the UFC for over six years now, and has just one loss on his record. He was the TUF 2 winner at heavyweight, but immediately dropped back down to his natural 205 pound division after the show. He managed to pick up wins and clips for his highlight reel over the next few years, with the only blip on his record coming in a controversial bout with Tito Ortiz that went to a draw. After a huge knockout of former champ Chuck Liddell, Evans earned a title shot against Forrest Griffin and took the belt home with a third-round TKO win. However, he lost the first bout of his career in his very next fight, getting knocked out by Lyoto Machida. After beating Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, Rashad was scheduled to face Mauricio Rua for the title at UFC 126 but an injury forced him out, and then-teammate Jon Jones stepped in and won the belt. Their relationship deteriorated, Evans left their camp, and the two are now mortal enemies. They were scheduled to meet at UFC 133, but Jones got injured this time. Davis stepped in, but got injured himself and bowed out too. Evans met and defeated Tito Ortiz instead. Rashad must now get through Davis to finally meet his former friend for the belt.
"Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis was the 2007 NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion at 197 pounds, and made the transition to MMA shortly after his wrestling career ended. After just four fights in the minors, he stepped into a UFC cage for the first time at UFC 109 and defeated Brian Stann by decision. His next outing at UFC 112 was even more impressive, where he submitted fellow top prospect (and now current training partner) Alexander Gustafsson with an anaconda choke. A decision win over Rodney Wallace and slick kimura submission win over Tim Boetsch erned him his first shot at a main event fight, and at UFC Fight Night 25, he defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by decision. After briefly being scheduled to face Evans at UFC 133, Davis injured his knee and was forced onto the sidelines. This will be his first bout in 10 months, and is clearly the most important fight of his career to date.
Why should you care?
Even if you ignore the fact that it's two of the best 205er's in the world competing in a five-round bout on network TV, it's still an excellent style matchup and should be pretty exciting. Can Rashad control Phil's wrestling? Can Davis avoid Rashad's heavy hands? Will the both have the cardio to go five if necessary? This bout has all sorts of storylines, and it's a perfect main event for Fox.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
You can catch more UFC on Fox 2 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, evan, davi
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White video blog for UFC on FOX 2 (Episode three)
To get you ready for tonight's (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" broadcast, starting at 9 p.m. ET on FOX, UFC President Dana White has released his latest video blog.
In this installment, Dana visits the Bozo the Clown studio and turns into a starstruck fan when he sees the WGN studio set. After bagging on his cameraman for crashing out and pulling a Jesse Holland being lazy on the job, we get to the weigh-ins with all the up close versions of the staredowns.
Nothing special here but it's enough to whet your beak until tonight's event.
To watch the first two episodes of Dana White's UFC on FOX 2 video blog click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, video blog, staredowns nothing
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTinychat for UFC on Fox 2: Oregon Gangster vs Pip
submitted by AdamLopes [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, tinychat, adamlopes link
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2 Live Blog: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Updates
Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, the main event of tonight's event from the United Center.
Ex-champ Evans (16-6-1) is on a three-fight win streak (Thiago Silva, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Tito Ortiz) since losing his belt to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in May 2009. Davis (9-0) last fought in March 2011, outpointing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on a UFC Fight Night card. Evans-Davis was originally scheduled for UFC 133, but Davis pulled out due to a knee injury.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, davi, knee injury
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Chael Sonnen Vs. Michael Bisping
People have wanted to see this bout for a long time, and it's finally here. It's a shame there wasn't more time to build it up, but sometimes these things can't be helped in the quickly-evolving world of MMA. On one side of the cage, you have a self-proclaimed champion and gangster. On the other side, you have a brash, colorful Brit. The winner gets the (real) champ, Anderson Silva. Chael Sonnen (26-11-1, 5-4 UFC) meets Michael Bisping (22-3, 12-3 UFC).
Sonnen currently sits in the 2 spot at middleweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Bisping is at number 7. Sonnen will stay right where he is with a win, and will have a date with Anderson Silva in a soccer stadium in Brazil. If Bisping can get the W, he'll move into the top five for the first time in his career and could possibly meet Silva in his home country of England. This middleweight UFC on Fox 2 fight will be the second fight of the main card and will be aired live on Fox. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Sonnen: 34 years old | 6'1" | 74" reachBisping: 32 years old | 6'2" | 76" reach
What have these two done recently?
Sonnen: W - Brian Stann (SUB) | L - Anderson Silva (SUB) | W - Nate Marquardt (UD) Bisping: W - Jason Miller (TKO) | W - Jorge Rivera (TKO) | W - Yoshihiro Akiyama (UD)
How did these two get here?
After a disappointing 1-2 run in the UFC back 2005-06, Chael Sonnen spent a couple of years on the AAA circuit before being brought into the WEC. His memorable run there included questionable submissions, crazy opponents, and the typical Sonnen bluster. After a move back to the UFC, he was brilliantly submitted in his first bout by Demian Maia, and it seemed like Chael was destined to be average. Three straight wins over top competition changed that though, and once he turned up the volume on his character and got more and more outrageous, he managed to capture the attention of the MMA world and earned a title shot in the process. His bout with Anderson Silva is a classic, where Chael dominated Anderson for 23 minutes before Anderson managed to submit him from the bottom. Sonnen rebounded with a dominant win over Brian Stann at UFC 136 and was supposed to meet Mark Munoz here, but an injury to Munoz has given Bisping the spot on the other side of the cage.
Michael "The Count" Bisping is a staple of the UFC middleweight division. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 at light heavyweight, and competed at 205 until a split-decision loss to Rashad Evans in 2007. He is 8-2 at middleweight since dropping down, with his only losses coming to Dan Henderson's H-Bomb and Wanderlei Silva by decision. He is currently on a four-fight winning streak and was expected to face Demian Maia here, but will now get a shot at Sonnen and a possible title shot if he can win.
Why should you care?
You shouldn't even need to ask this question. Both of these guys are controversial and either loved or hated. Even if you take the characters out of the situation, you have two top middleweights vying for a chance at the belt. This is top-level stuff here.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
You can catch more UFC on Fox 2 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Live Results and Coverage
The UFC is back on network television tonight, looking to ride the momentum of a huge week for FOX and cap off a busy January for the organization. Coming to us live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, it’s UFC on FOX 2. As always, FiveOuncesOfPain.com will provide complete results including a round by round recap of all the live action.
Things kick off at 4:30PM EST with one preliminary fight. Then at 5PM EST the rest of the prelims will air on FuelTV. Finally, at 8PM EST, the main card goes live on FOX.
UFC on FOX 2 is headlined by a light heavyweight clash with title implication as former champion Rashad Evans looks to earn a shot at current champ Jon Jones. But first he has to get past the undefeated Phil Davis. Also on the card is a middleweight battle between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, with the winner facing champion Anderson Silva later this year. Plus jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia takes on top prospect Chris Weidman in another middleweight showdown.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby
PRELIMINARY CARD (FuelTV)
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Shane Roller vs. Michael Johnson
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
John Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
MAIN CARD (FOX)
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, card, chri
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Main Card
As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC on Fox 2. Our live coverage will start with the Fuel TV prelim broadcast (5 p.m. ET) and through the Fox main card broadcast (8 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.
This post will cover live results and thoughts for the main card on Fox.
Three fights make up the UFC's second effort on its network home with the main event seeing light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis facing off in a five round fight. Two of the biggest trash talkers in the sport meet in the co-main event when Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping meet for a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. In the opening bout on the broadcast it will be former title contender Demian Maia meeting top prospect Chris Weidman.
Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, opening bout, trash talkers
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White's UFC On Fox 2 video blog - Day 3
submitted by NewUploader1 [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, white
Read the full article at RedditUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Chris Weidman Vs. Demian Maia
In the first bout on the main card, you have the best prospect in the 185 pound division facing off with a submission master and stalwart of the top 10. Can the up-and-comer pass this huge test, or will his ascension be slowed by a top-level gatekeeper? Chris Weidman (7-0, 3-0 UFC) meets Demian Maia (16-3, 9-3 UFC)
Weidman recently entered the middleweight USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and sits at number 21 currently. Maia has been a staple of the rankings for three years now, and sits in the number 6 spot. A win by Weidman will rocket him up the standings and likely see him crack the top 10. Maia probably isn't going to gain much rankings-wise from this win, but it's still an extremely tough test for him. This middleweight UFC on Fox 2 fight will be the first fight of the main card and will be aired live on Fox. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Weidman: 27 years old | 6'2" | 76" reachMaia: 34 years old | 6'0" | 72" reach
What have these two done recently?
Weidman: W - Tom Lawlor (SUB) | W - Jesse Bongfeldt (SUB) | W - Alessio Sakara (UD) Maia: W - Jorge Santiago (UD) | L - Mark Munoz (UD) | W - Kendall Grove (UD)
How did these two get here?
Chris Weidman is a two-time NCAA Division 1 All-American in wrestling, and has shown great promise in his brief MMA career to date. In just his third pro fight, he knocked out Uriah Hall to win the Ring of Combat middleweight title. After another decision win later in the year, Weidman was brought into replace Rafael Natal and took on veteran Alessio Sakara at UFC on Versus 3, where won a 30-27 decision. He was again a late replacement at UFC 131, where he submitted Jesse Bongfeldt with a brutal standing guillotine at the end of the first round. He then took on tough veteran Tom Lawlor at UFC 139, and in his most impressive win to date, he put Lawlor completely to sleep with a tight D'Arce choke. He steps up on late notice once again here, and has had just one month to prepare for a top-five middleweight.
Demian Maia was a superstar grappler and ADCC winner who switched over to MMA and quickly earned a shot in the UFC. It didn't take long for him to rise to elite status, winning five bouts in a row by submission and picking up four submission of the night bonuses in the process (the last of which was over fellow UFC on Fox 2 competitor Chael Sonnen). He suffered a major setback after being stopped by just one Nate Marquardt punch, but two fights later he was in the cage with Anderson Silva, fighting for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 112. The bout was bizarre to say the least, and Maia dropped a decision. He has rebounded from that with three wins in his last four fights (his only loss coming to Mark Munoz), and a win over Weidman here would further cement his spot amongst the contenders at 185.
Why should you care?
No one expected Weidman to be in this position so quickly. Is he already capable of beating top guys, or will Maia give him the first setback of his career? This bout has interesting written all over it.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
You can catch more UFC on Fox 2 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, chael, maia, weidman
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Fight Video Preview
Before light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis square off in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 tonight in Chicago in hopes of earning a shot at light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, here’s the UFC’s official preview of the matchup:
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2, including live UFC on Fox 2 results.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, preview, evan
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 Live Blog: Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman Updates
Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX 2 live blog for Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman, a middleweight bout on tonight's event from the United Center.
Maia (15-3) is coming off a win against Jorge Santiago last October at UFC 136. Weidman (7-0) hold wins in the UFC against Alessio Sakara, Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor. Weidman enters this fight on 11 days notice.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, middleweight bout, weidman
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Evan Dunham Vs. Nik Lentz
At UFC on Fox 2, Lightweight Evan Dunham (14-2; 5-2 UFC) faces Nik Lentz (21-4-2, 1 NC; 5-1-1, 1 NC UFC). This fight is the final prelim of the night and will be shown on Fuel TV. Dunham is currently the #18 ranked Lightweight in the world according to the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, with Lentz unranked. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
The Lightweight division is a very hard place to gain any momentum. Both Lentz and Dunham have had moments of looking like the potential next big thing at 155, only to see those plans derailed by loses. This will give one of the men a helpful boost towards the front of the ranks, but at the same time will push the loser farther back in line. It's a real clutch fight for both men, so expect them to lay it all on the line here.
How do these two stack up?
Dunham: 30 years old | 5'10" | 70" reachLentz: 27 years old | 5'8"
What have these two done recently?
Dunham: W - Shamar Bailey (UD) | L - Melvin Guillard (TKO) | L - Sean Sherk (SD)Lentz: L - Mark Bocek (UD) | NC - Charles Oliveira | W - Waylon Lowe (Sub)
How did these two get here?
Evan Dunham got his UFC career off to a hot start, going 4-0 at the start of his Octagon career. That streak brought his overall record up to 11-0, and with his win over Tyson Griffin, Dunham looked to be knocking on the door of title contention. He hit a bit of a bump in the road at UFC 119 where he lost a controversial split decision to former champion Sean Sherk, but that loss was so close that many viewed it as a Dunham win, and his momentum continued to build. His real downturn came early in 2011 when he was dominated by Melvin Guillard. He's bounced back with a win over Shamar Bailey, but has fallen far from his former heights.
Nik Lentz had a similar fast UFC start, going undefeated in his first 6 UFC fights (5 wins with 1 draw). He was slowed down by an illegal Charles Oliveira knee that initially cost Lentz that fight, but was later overturned to a No Contest. He looked to rebound at UFC 140, but was defeated by Mark Bocek. Now, the fighter who was on a 15 fight undefeated streak before the Bocek loss is looking at a potential second loss in a row. In the stacked Lightweight division, that can mean your job, and while I don't think Lentz is at that point just yet, he really needs this win.
Why should you care?
Two excellent fighters, both with their backs to the wall, both in need of a win? Sold. Early FOTN candidate right here.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fight, dunham, fox, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White UFC on Fox 2 Video Blog – Weigh-ins
In his latest UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis video blog, UFC president Dana White takes us behind the scenes during his media blitz in Chicago and at the weigh-ins.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, media blitz
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On Fox 2: Live Results And Play-By-Play For Fuel TV Undercard
As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC on Fox 2. Our live coverage will start with the Fuel TV prelim broadcast (5 p.m. ET) and through the Fox main card broadcast (8 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.
This post will cover live results and thoughts for the undercard on Fuel.
The featured bout of the undercard sees Evan Dunham square off with Nik Lentz in a lightweight bout with both men needing a win or risking being cut from the UFC. Talented heavyweights Mike Russow and Jon Olav Einemo meet in what should be an interesting fight. Two featherweight battles will also be featured on the tellecast as George Roop faces Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira squares off with Eric Wisely. Lightweights Michael Johnson and Shane Roller will also meet on Fuel. Rounding out the card is what is sure to be a brawl between heavyweights Joey Beltran and Lavar Johnson.
Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, sbn coverage, undercard, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMichael Bisping vs Chael Sonnen fight video preview UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago
Chael Sonnen has talked the talk. Now it's time for him to walk the walk TONIGHT (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Sonnen will co-headline the sophomore effort from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on FOX, taking on Michael Bisping in a number one middleweight contender eliminator match. The winner of the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" co main event will go on to challenge 185-pound deity, Anderson Silva, later this year for his world title.
The primetime mixed martial arts (MMA) event that is set to start at 8 p.m. ET, meaning that we can expect Sonnen and Bisping to finally let their fists do the talking right around 9 p.m. ET.
It's an attractive altercation between two polarizing figures, one that "The Count" feels he can finish in less than 15 minutes:
"A lot of people are wishing for a double knockout in this one but that ain't going to happen. There's only going to be one person knocked out and that's Chael Sonnen."
Sonnen keeps it simple:
"I'm going to take these (fists), I'm going to walk across the ring, and I'm going to hit him with them repeatedly. If he hits me more times with his fists, he'll win, if I hit him more, I'll win."
For more on the bout between Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping be sure to check out our comprehensive fight archive right here. And for all the latest news and notes on UFC on FOX 2 that you can handle click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Mike Russow Vs. Jon Olav Einemo
At UFC on Fox 2, Mike Russow (14-1, 1 NC; 3-0 UFC) faces Jon Olav Einemo (6-2; 0-1 UFC). This fight is in the Heavyweight division and is part of the Fuel TV prelim card. Russow is currently the #18 ranked Heavyweight in the world according to the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, while Einemo is unranked. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
What is interesting about this match-up is that for both Russow and Einemo, the time to shine is now or never. Both men are in their mid-30s, and are unlikely to have tremendous longevity in the sport at this point. Yet both have the skills to make a mark in the UFC's Heavyweight division. Can either Einemo or Russow move into the upper echelon of the division? It's hard to say, but if they want to, that road has to begin right now.
How do these two stack up?
Russow: 35 years old | 6'2" | 73" reachEinemo: 36 years old | 6'6" | 81" reach
What have these two done recently?
Russow: W - Jon Madsen (TKO) | W - Todd Duffee (KO) | W - Justin McCully (UD)Einemo: L - Dave Herman (TKO) | W - James Thompson (Sub) | L - Fabricio Werdum (UD)
How did these two get here?
Russow looks like your average low level UFC wash-out, but he has put together a very solid resume for himself. At 14-1 overall, and undefeated in the UFC, he has a better claim for top contender status than a lot of men ranked higher than him. Russow's career defining moment remains his complete derailment of Todd Duffee - that epic KO (and subsequent ground and pound) permanently altered Duffee's career trajectory. If you've never seen the KO, I'm sure the Mortal Kombat gif will pop up in the comments soon. Russow has been fighting very sporadically during his UFC run, but if he wins here, I'd like to see him back soon and against an even higher level of competition.
Einemo is one of the best 0-1 fighters you'll find in the UFC. The Pride veteran is a submission expert, with a number of grappling accolades to his name. He was an unexpected UFC signing last year - that Dave Herman fight was Einemo's first since 2006 - and it's equally unexpected that he is now back. During last year's Zuffa vs. Golden Glory battle, Einemo (a Golden Glory fighter) was released by the company, only to be brought back now. His credentials make him a tremendously exciting prospect, but a loss here probably means his permanent departure from the UFC, and, to be honest, possibly from MMA. The window is closing on Einemo, but I still think he could make a splash with a big win here.
Why should you care?
This should be one of those fun Heavyweight slugfests, and I have a soft spot for both guys for some reason. But it certainly could also be a tedious 15 minutes. Proceed with caution.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, einemo, russow, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Results & Recap
UFC on FOX 2 takes place later tonight at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The event airs live on FOX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The prelims will air live on FUEL TV at 5pm ET/2pm PT. The prelims will also air live at 5pm ET/2pm PT on FOX Deportes for those who don’t have access to FUEL TV.
In the main event, Rashad Evans fights Phil Davis for the opportunity to face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title.
In the co-main event, Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping met in a middleweight number one contender’s match.
Chris Weidman stepped in on short notice to take on a Demian Maia in a middleweight bout.
Results, recap and bonuses after the jump.
Results
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby
Recap
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson:
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely:
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson:
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow:
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller:
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz:
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman:
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping:
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis:
Bonuses $???
Submission of the Night:
Knockout of the Night:
Fight of the Night:
Posted in: fox, vs, michael, evan, chri
Read the full article at MMA ConvertWatch the UFC on Fox 2 Post-Fight Press Conference on MMAWeekly.com
Watch the UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis post-fight press conference live on MMAWeekly.com. The fighters and UFC president Dana White meet with the media shortly following the main event.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, postfight, mmaweeklycom
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: George Roop Vs. Cub Swanson
UFC on Fox 2 features action in the Featherweight division, as George Roop (12-8-1; 1-2 UFC) faces Cub Swanson (15-5; 0-1 UFC). This fight is part of the Fuel TV prelim card. Neither man is currently ranked in the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, though I would imagine Roop is not far outside the top 25. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Featherweight is one of the new UFC divisions that is still developing, and as a result, the title picture remains wide open. So while neither Roop nor Swanson are currently ranked, either man could be right in the mix with a few impressive wins. Look for both to try and make a statement in this fight, proving that they belong in the competitive 145 pound ranks.
How do these two stack up?
Roop: 30 years old | 6'1" | 72" reachSwanson: 28 years old | 5'7"
What have these two done recently?
Roop: L - Hatsu Hioki (SD) | W - Josh Grispi (KO) | L - Mark Hominick (TKO)Swanson: L - Ricardo Lamas (Sub) | W - Mackens Semerzier (SD) | L - Chad Mendes (UD)
How did these two get here?
Roop came into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter during the Team Mir vs. Team Nogueira season. Since then, he's been a fixture of the Zuffa scene, both in the UFC and WEC. He's an interesting case where he has been in a lot of high profile fights, and as a whole I would consider his Zuffa career a success, yet he's only 3-5-1 under the UFC/WEC banner. Despite that record, he is a dangerous fighter - he is the only man to stop Chan Sung Jung, he stopped former #1 contender Josh Grispi, and he very nearly spoiled the much hyped debut of Hatsu Hioki. Roop has a lot to offer - he just needs to find consistency.
Swanson is a long-time WEC veteran who has faced many of that organization's top names - Jens Pulver, Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo - but has more often that not come up on the losing end. He made his UFC debut at the first Fox show, losing to Ricardo Lamas. He's a game fighter, who can challenge anyone, but just can't seem to pull the trigger and get into the winner's column. He's probably fighting for his job here.
Why should you care?
Featherweights tend to deliver fun fights, and Roop is often good for some kind of highlight. Add in the pressure on both to not drop a second in a row, and this could be a very fun scrap, even if it doesn't have a ton of divisional relevance.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, josh, chael, roop
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Results: Evans vs. Davis
Filed under: UFC, Results, UFC on FOXMMA Fighting has UFC on FOX 2 results for all of the Jan. 28 UFC on FOX 2 fights, plus live coverage from Chicago, live blogs of all the fights and live UFC on FOX 2 twitter updates.
In the main event, Rashad Evans will battle Phil Davis in a top light heavyweight match. Also, Chael Sonnen will battle Michael Bisping for the right to fight UFC champion Anderson Silva next.
Check out the full results below.
Main Card
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis (live blog)
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping (live blog)
Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia (live blog)
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz (live blog)
Mike Russow vs. John-Olav Einemo (live blog)
Cub Swanson def. George Roop via second-round TKO
(live blog)
Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf-crusher) (live blog)
Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decision (live blog)
Lavar Johnson def.
Joey Beltran via first-round KO (live blog)
Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine choke) (live blog)
*Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon fight canceled over Gagnon's visa issues. Bedford will get his show money.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874%
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, vs, blog
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Charles Oliveira Vs. Eric Wisely
UFC on Fox 2 features a fantastic clash at featherweight between Charles Oliveira (14-2 (1); 2-2 (1) UFC) and Eric Wisely (19-6; 0-0 UFC). This fight is a part of the Fuel TV prelim card. Though neither fight is currently ranked at featherweight on the USA Today / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, there was a time when Charles Oliveira was considered a highly touted prospect at lightweight.The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Featherweight is quickly becoming a weight class with a huge gap in talent between the champion and the rest of the division. Because of this, the UFC is waiting for fighters to step up and become a legitimate challenge to Jose Aldo's belt. With an impressive win on Saturday night, either fighter could find themselves in the top 25 of the division and one step closer to a title shot.
How do these two stack up?
Oliveira: 22 years old | 5'10"
Wisely: 27 years old | 5'8"
What have these two done recently?
Oliveira: L - Donald Cerrone (TKO) | NC - Nik Lentz (NC) | L - Jim Miller (SUB)
Wisely: W - Brandon Girtz (TKO) | L - Pat Healy (UD) | W - Lance Wipf (SD)
How did these two get here?
Charles Oliveira entered the UFC as an undefeated prospect with twelve wins, eleven which came by stoppage. After two slick submission wins over Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero, Oliveira's hype train was derailed by a kneebar loss at the hands of Jim Miller. His rear naked choke win over Nik Lentz was over turned due to an illegal knee which resulted in a no-contest. His final fight at lightweight was a first round shellacking from Donald Cerrone. After the fight Oliveira stated he intended to drop to featherweight.
Eric Wisely is finally making his UFC debut after years on the regional circuit. His fight against Pat Healy was at a Strikeforce Challengers event so Wisely is familiar with the way that Zuffa runs a show. In 2010 he became the man to retire Hermes Franca from MMA. The retirement turned into a short hiatus as Franca returned nine months later to face Wisely again, only to lose for a second time.
Why should you care?
Do Bronx was a much hyped prospect thanks to his aggression and speed but it was only a matter of time before his size disadvantages caught up with him. Now we get a glimpse at his real potential against a stiff challenger who tore up the regional scene in the midwest.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, oliveira, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 fight card: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson prediction, preview and breakdown
Two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweights will be in "Prelims" action on the undercard of UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" TONIGHT (Jan. 28, 2012) when George Roop takes on Cub Swanson, which will air on FUEL TV.
Both have battled with relative inconsistency throughout the last several years, each failing to put together extended win streaks. They will look to avoid stringing together back-to-back losses when they look to rebound from losses in their last outings.
Roop is only 3-2-1 in his last six bouts, while Swanson has also failed to be consistent over his last six bouts, alternating wins and losses.
The Jackson Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)-trained fighter, Swanson, hopes to put on a winning performance on FOX, as his first go around at UFC on Fox 1 against Ricardo Lamas was unsuccessful, losing via submission in the second round.
They both need a win in a very bad way, but as in all sports, there can be only one winner.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on FOX 2 featherweight fight between George Roop vs. Cub Swanson:
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
The Breakdown
After his first stint with the UFC, Roop competed in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), but had sub-par results with his highlight coming at the expense of Chan Sung Jung, knocking out "The Korean Zombie" with a devastating head kick.
After resigning with the UFC, Roop suffered a quick first round knockout to Mark Hominick at UFC: "Fight for The Troops," but redeemed himself by defeating Josh Grispi five months later. He then lost a razor thin decision to Hatsu Hioki at UFC 137.
With Roop, it’s hard to guess which fighter will show up, the lightweight the was put on Queer Street by Hominick or the featherweight who gave one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world all he could handle in Hioki.
A Muay-Thai practitioner, Roop definitely prefers to swing leather and Swanson is a type of fighter who is more than willing to oblige.
Training with famed coaches Greg Jackson and Mike WinkleJohn in Albuquerque, N.M., Swanson will benefit from great game planning, if he can remain composed. Swanson is battle tested to say the least, taking on MMA greats such as Jens Pulver, Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Swanson is a fighter who can catch you with a submission given the chance, but doesn’t mind going toe-to-toe and exchange punches.
The ground is not Swanson’s best friend, however, losing three of his five bouts via choke. He won’t have to be too preoccupied with Roop’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills in this one though, as his last submission victory came more than five years ago.
The Pick
Roop will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage on the smaller Swanson, and can use this in his favor if he utilized good footwork to not allow a crafty Swanson to close the distance. Swanson, on the other hand, will need to employ a good strategy to overcome the reach and size difference that Roop will possess.
Though both prefer to stand and trade, expect for Swanson to look for the takedowns once in the clinch, and deliver some ground-and-pound action.
The keys to victory for each fighter, in my opinion, are simple.
If Roop can keep the distance, he will pick apart the smaller foe for the duration of the bout.
After taking a few good shots from Roop, Swanson’s best hope is to take it to the ground and control the majority of the fight on the mat. He will do so and do enough to get a unanimous decision victory, but not before surviving a scare from Roop.
Swanson defeats Roop via unanimous decision
That's a wrap for now. Be sure to share your thoughts on this fight and more in the comments section below.
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on FOX 2 results of all the "Evans vs. Davis" action on primetime. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the "Prelims" under card bouts, and of course, the network telecast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 5 p.m. ET and carry straight on through into early Saturday morning.
See you then!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, roop, swanson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Video Blog, Day 2
Go behind the scenes of the UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis pre-fight press conference with UFC president Dana White in his latest video blog for tonight's Chicago card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, vs, video blog
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Michael Johnson Vs. Shane Roller
UFC on Fox 2 features a fight at lightweight between Michael Johnson (9-6; 1-2 UFC) and Shane Roller (10-5; 1-2 UFC). This fight is a part of the FUEL TV prelims. Neither fighter is currently ranking according to the USA Today / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings due to their recent losses. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Lightweight has always been considered one of the most exciting divisions in MMA with fighters finding a way to throw with immense power yet also maintain a high pace of action. With no clear cut contenders for the lightweight title after Ben Henderson, this fight will be important for both Johnson and Roller as the winner will surely make a jump up in the rankings. This also means that the loser may be in danger of losing his job as there is limited space on the UFC's roster at this current moment.
How do these two stack up?
Johnson: 25 years old | 5'10" | 74.0" reach
Shane Roller: 32 years old | 5'10" | 72.0" reach
What have these two done recently?
Johnson: L - Paul Sass (SUB) | W - Edward Faaloloto (TKO) | L - Jonathan Brookins (UD)
Roller: L - T.J. Grant (SUB) | L - Melvin Guillard (KO) | W - Thiago Tavares (KO)
How did these two get here?
Michael Johnson made his way to the UFC like many before him: as a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter. Johnson was rejected on two previous tryouts (audition?) before finally making it onto the twelfth season. After defeating Pablo Garza to get into the house, Johnson became the top pick for Georges St. Pierre. He lost to teammate Jonathan Brookins in the finale. Since then he's gone 1-1 in the promotion and has at times demonstrated an amazing level of athleticism and toughness.
Shane Roller became a UFC fighter after the WEC merger. A member of Team Takedown, Roller was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma State University. After a 6-2 run in the WEC, he made his UFC debut with a stunning win over Thiago Tavares. Unfortunately, he has been finished in his last two fights.
Why should you care?
While neither fighter will be in title contention in the immediate future, both possess the skill-set to make a run at the mid-tier level. Roller is a knockout threat and Johnson is a young fighter with loads of potential which makes this an exciting matchup on paper.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, roller, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Joey Beltran Vs Lavar Johnson
UFC on Fox 2 features a heavyweight tilt between Joey Beltran (13-6; 3-3 UFC) and Lavar Johnson (15-5; 0-0 UFC). This is the first fight on Fuel TV prelims. Neither man is currently ranked in the USA Today / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, though with them being heavyweights, that could change after a solid performance Saturday night. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Heavyweight is notorious for having the shallowest talent pool in MMA as most big athletes tend to find themselves in other, more lucrative sports. That being said, the two men squaring off in this fight always leave everything they have in the cage and that shouldn't change on Saturday night.
How do these two stack up?
Beltran: 30 years old | 6'1"
Johnson: 34 years old | 6'4" | 82" reach
What have these two done recently?
Beltran: L - Stipe Miocic (UD) | W - Aaron Rosa (TKO) | L - Pat Barry (UD)
Johnson: L - Shawn Jordan (SUB) | L - Shane del Rosario (SUB) | W - Virgil Zwicker (KO)
How did these two get here?
Joey Beltran attempted to make his way to the UFC through the Ultimate Fighter but he never made it onto the show. Instead, he was a last minute replacement for Mustafa Al-Turk who was set to fight Rolles Gracie. Gracie gassed out early and Beltran picked up the TKO win. Though he's found some success in the UFC, Beltran has never been able to defeat stronger opponents. In his last outing against Stipe Miocic, Beltran had to rely on his toughness to get him through the fight.
Lavar Johnson finds himself in the UFC after the Strikeforce heavyweight division was shut down. While he was 3-2 in the promotion, he never really was able to take the next big step to become a star in the heavyweight division. Johnson is the first of the Strikeforce heavyweights to make his UFC debut.
Why you should care?
If you're looking for a highly skilling, hotly-contested heavyweight bout, this isn't the one for you. But when you put two heavy-handed fighters in the cage, there's sure to be entertainment. Both Johnson and Beltran are unbelievably tough and there is a chance for both fighters to end the fight with one punch. Also, Bruce Buffer is going to have to announce 'Lavar "BIIIIIIIIIIGGGG" Johnson!' which is sure to be a highlight of his career.
More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, johnson, beltran
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 fight card: Michael Johnson vs Shane Roller prediction, preview and breakdown
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 finalist Michael Johnson will take on Shane Roller in a lightweight match up set to hit the under card action of the UFC on Fox 2 event TONIGHT (Jan. 28, 2012) from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
After coming up short in his bid to win TUF against Jonathan Brookins, Johnson has split a pair of fights in the Octagon. Most recently, Johnson was seen tapping to Paul Sass at UFC on Versus 6: Cruz vs. Johnson in the very first round.
Roller, on the other hand, desperately needs a win to keep his place amongst the stacked UFC 155-pound division. Losing his last two outings to Melvin Guillard and T.J. Grant, a third consecutive loss could prove to be the end of his time competing under Zuffa.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on FOX 2 lightweight fight between Michael Johnson vs Shane Roller:
The Breakdown
After a successful run in TUF, Johnson has not quite lived up to expectations during his short stint with the promotion, going only 1-2 since leaving the Spike TV show.
A member of "The Blackzillians" mixed martial arts (MMA) camp in sunny Florida, Johnson hopes that his new team can help him make the adjustments needed to get back in the win column. His athleticism can be an advantage he has over Roller heading into the bout, and he will have to use every bit of it if he hopes to avoid the takedowns of the All American wrestler.
Former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) standout Shane Roller made a successful UFC debut by knocking out Thiago Tavares at UFC on Versus 5 back in March 2011.
As impressive as his knockout was, Roller's true bread and butter is with his grappling and submission skills. As an NCAA Division All American at Oklahoma State University, Roller has transitioned his wresting nicely into the MMA world.
With six submission victories over the likes of Jamie Varner, Anthony Njokuani and Danny Castillo, Roller prefers to go to the ground to either grind out a victory or pull of a submission and is very capable of doing both.
Roller better have all his skills working on all cylinders if he hopes to keep his place on the UFC roster. A loss on Saturday will inch him closer to getting his walking papers.
The Pick
Michael Johnson best shot at victory is to keep it on the feet and push the pace, taking advantage of his superior cardio and slight striking advantage
Roller's game plan should be simple: Take it to the ground and fast.
He will be successful in his take down attempts, but won't be able to finish Johnson on the ground and eventually, will have to trade punches with Johnson. That won't be good for Roller, as he will take much punishment on the feet and will eventually be saved by the referee in the second round.
Johnson defeats Roller via technical knockout (TKO) in the second round
That's a wrap for now. Be sure to share your thoughts on this fight and more in the comments section below.
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on FOX 2 results of all the "Evans vs. Davis" action on primetime. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the "Prelims" under card bouts, and of course, the network telecast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 5 p.m. ET and carry straight on through into early Saturday morning.
See you then!
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, michael, roller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Chris Camozzi Vs Dustin Jacoby
UFC on Fox 2 may be headlined by Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, but the night kicks off with a middleweight fight between Ultimate Fighter season 11's Chris Camozzi (15-5d; 2-2 UFC) taking on Dustin Jacoby (6-1; 0-1 UFC) on Facebook. This fight will be the only one of the night aired on the internet. The lone Facebook fight should air this Saturday around 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT before the broadcast switches to FUEL tv at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT. Finally, the event concludes on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
Middleweight has long been considered one of the shallowest divisions in MMA. This is in part because Anderson Silva is so dominant as champion, but also because there are more prospects going to the more marquee divisions in light heavyweight and welterweight. Both fighters will be entering the cage in their early 20s, making this fight important to the development of both.
How do these two stack up?
Camozzi: 25 years old | 6'3" | 75.5" reach
Jacoby: 23 years old | 6'4"
What have these two done recently?
Camozzi: L - Francis Carmont (UD) | W - Joey Villasenor (SD) | L - Kyle Noke (SUB)
Jacoby: L - Clifford Starks (UD) | W - Billy Horne (TKO) | W - Ryan Sturdy (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Chris Camozzi made his way to the UFC like many before him as a contestant on the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter: Liddell vs Ortiz. Though he was victorious in his fight to enter the house, Camozzi was removed from the show after sustaining a broken jaw. He was replaced with Seth Baczynski. The UFC decided to give him a spot on the Finale anyway and the rest is history. Though he was 2-0 in the organization at the time, after his rear naked choke loss to Kyle Noke, he was cut from the organization. He picked up a win over Joey Villasenor at Shark Fights 15 and was resigned by the UFC.
Jacoby made a name for himself as an undefeated prospect on the mid-West regional scene. A finisher by nature, only one of his fights left the first round. After six straight finishes, Joe Silva and the UFC came calling to test him in the major league of MMA. He faced another fighter making his UFC debut in Clifford Starks who took the fight on less than two week's notice. The fight went to decision with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27 for Starks.
Why you should care?
While it is unlikely that either fighter turns into the next Anderson Silva, they are two young guys in a wide open division. If either can string together a series of wins, it is possible they break into the top 20 of the division.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
UFC On Fox 2: Michael Bisping Flips Off Fans At Weigh Ins, Nearly Loses Sponsor - Kid Nate
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
UFC On FOX 2 Evans Vs. Davis: Fight Card And Staff Predictions
UFC On Fox 2 Weigh-In Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Haters Be Damned, Rashad Evans Is A Big Star - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2 Video: Complete Pre-Fight Press Conference - Kid Nate
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2: Phil Davis Striking Analysis - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Does Interview With UFC Fake Belt, Calls Kenny Rice A Liar - Kid Nate
Demian Maia Thinks You Only Need Two Brain Cells To Know Chael Sonnen Is Joking - Brent Brookhouse
UFC On Fox 2: Fuel TV Prelims Dissection (Part One) - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Chael Sonnen's Coach 'Bisping Breaks Easily' - Matthew Roth
Phil Davis Discusses Differences From Rashad Evans' Wrestling Game - Brent Brookhouse
Michael Bisping Skewers Chael Sonnen On Inside MMA - Tim Burke
UFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog - Josh Nason
UFC On Fox 2: Middleweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Dana White Guarantees Chael Sonnen Will Face Anderson Silva With Win - Brent Brookhouse
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, davi, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 results and LIVE play-by-play TONIGHT (Jan. 28) for 'Evans vs Davis'
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis."
Round-by-round results of the "Prelims" fights on FUEL TV will begin to flow around 5 p.m. ET tonight (Jan. 28, 2012) and run right on through to our FOX coverage of the televised main card, which is set to start at 8 p.m. ET!
If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC on FOX 2 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.
Enjoy the show, Maniacs!
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, mmamaniacom readers, blowbyblow coverage
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White UFC on Fox 2 Video Blog (Part 2)
As UFC President Dana White continues with his customary fight week video blog ahead of UFC on Fox 2, he arrives in Chicago, where he makes an appearance on a local news show before heading downtown to The W Hotel for the event's Pre-Fight Press Conference.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, news show
Read the full article at Low KickLas Vegas FOX affiliate says hackers' attack on White sees innocent woman harassed
submitted by Avertr [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fox, la, woman, hacker, hackers attack
Read the full article at RedditUFC On Fox 2 Video: Chael Sonnen And Michael Bisping Get Heated After Weigh-Ins
Middleweights Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping fight at tonight's UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago, Illinois' United Center. Despite a relatively restrained build to the fight by the standards of these two outspoken athletes, the tension is definitely building as seen in this video after yesterday's weigh-ins.
Sonnen has been wearing a fake UFC belt he acquired somewhere and claiming to be the real champion. Bisping has been outspoken about Sonnen's use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and has claimed Sonnen needs it because he has only one testicle.
The winner of the #1 contender's bout is expected to face middleweight champ Anderson Silva this summer in Brazil in what the UFC hopes will be their first stadium show in that country.
From Fuel TV:
UFC Tonight's Ariel Helwani nearly gets caught in the cross-fire. Can Sonnen and Bisping back up their smack talk in the Octagon at UFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis? At least Bisping will never take away Chael's fake belt!
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, sonnen, ufc belt
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowHow to watch UFC on FOX 2 tonight (Jan. 28) for 'Evans vs Davis' live video stream/TV details
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once again air an entire fight card TONIGHT (Jan. 28, 2012), this time with UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis," which will emanate from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) action will begin around 5 p.m. ET with the middleweight fight between Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby that will air LIVE online via Facebook and then the "Prelims" will transition to FUEL TV, tonight's home for the remainder of the UFC on FOX 2 under card.
Following the Facebook/FUEL TV "Prelims," fans can switch over to the FOX network for the main card that is headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender eliminator match between Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
UFC on FOX 2 begins promptly at 8 p.m. ET and will feature two additional bouts -- Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping and Demian Maia vs Chris Weidman -- on the two-hour broadcast.
You can call up your local cable and/or satellite provider or visit them online to find out which channel you should be tuning in to for tonight's MMA primetime extravaganza.
However, if you need your UFC on FOX 2 results as soon as possible, and don't have a provider that carries one or both networks, MMAmania.com will deliver up-to-the-minute results and live fight coverage, including round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of all the UFC on FOX 2 action before, during and after the event RIGHT HERE.
More details on the UFC on FOX 2 fight card and line-up, as well as a list of stations for International fight fans, after the jump:
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Main Card (FOX):
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping185 lbs.: Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz155 lbs.: Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller265 lbs.: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow145 lbs.: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson145 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely265 lbs.: Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Preliminary Card (Facebook):
155 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby
Televised options for International fight fans include:
Sportsnet One (Canada)
FOX Deportes (United States/Latin America in Espanol)
SKY Sport 2 (New Zealand)
ONE HD (Australia)
Balls (Philippines)
ESPN UK (United Kingdom)
SKY Italia (Italy)
OSN (United Arab Emirates)
CANAL + Sport (Sweden, Denmark and Norway)
MTV3 (Finland)
Remember, too, that our round-by-round results of the under card fights on Facebook/FUEL TV will begin to flow around 5 p.m. ET later this evening and run right on through to our main card FOX coverage, which is set to start at 8 p.m. ET!
For more on UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 2: Chris Weidman outpoints Demian Maia in lackluster decision win
Chris Weidman now takes another step up the 185-pound latter, as he defeated former title contender Demaian Maia tonight at UFC on FOX 2.Following a close opening-round that saw the two competitors exchange punches for the duration, Weidman came out for the second looking to impose his wrestling. Though he was able to successfully complete two of three takedown attempts, Maia's ability to scramble back to his feet ensured the second five minutes was contested much like the the first. As the third got
Posted in: fox, maia, chris weidman, weidman, duration weidman
Read the full article at Low KickSeven Ways of Looking at UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFCThe UFC returns to network TV with the UFC on FOX 2 tonight in Chicago, and there are plenty of questions, concerns, predictions and pointless musings to occupy us until then. Here are seven of them, in no particular order.
I. Will the average network TV viewer even know what to make of this Chael Sonnen character? Imagine you're John Q. Public, flipping through the channels on a Saturday night in search of one of those shows where people either sing or dance or lose weight, and instead you stumble upon this guy with the jawline talking like a slightly more coherent Ric Flair in his pre-fight interview. Then he goes out and climbs in a cage to fight some guy who sounds like the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins, all while the dude from Fear Factor shouts into a microphone about how exciting it is. If you've never seen this before, would you have any clue what to make of it? Would you even know whether it was real? Would you keep watching it in an effort to figure it out? Or would you conclude that this is the latest terrifying development in a modern world that becomes more alien to you with each new day, and resolve to keep flipping through the channels until you find some calming program about whales and cheetahs and crap? I can honestly say that I have no idea how some first-time viewers will solve this little crisis, but I'm betting that it will result in some hilarious phone calls and emails to younger, hipper relations as they attempt to figure it all out.
II. Consider the appearance of Phil Davis' Penn State singlet at Friday's weigh-ins as a friendly reminder to Rashad Evans. Let Yahoo's resident wrestling nerd, Maggie Hendricks, explain:
So that singlet is Penn State's championship singlet, one that only gets broken out if a guy wrestles in the finals. Since Davis wrestled in the NCAA finals twice, he has at least one. Most schools have them, but PSU's is very recognizable because they don't have a ton of singlet options, like other schools. As a fellow Big 10er, Evans would know that. Wearing that one, and not Penn State's more traditional dark blue singlet, was a sly way of Davis saying, "Yes, I am the better wrestler."
Somewhere in the darkest room of his mind -- likely one he doesn't like to enter -- Evans probably knows that Davis would beat him in a wrestling match. He also knows that they aren't scheduled for a wrestling match on Saturday night, as does Davis. It's just a question of which of them is using this wrestler jock nonsense as a head game, and which is starting to buy into it.
III. Ratings-wise, the UFC has a lot riding on a bunch of grapplers. Of the six fighters slated for the FOX portion of the fight card, only Michael Bisping cannot be fairly described as a ground specialist, and most people expect that to be his undoing in this fight. That sets us up for a different kind of night than the first UFC on FOX event, where viewers were treated to a microwave fight between two hard-hitting heavyweights. Anybody can understand big guys punching each other in the head, but will the network TV audience appreciate the jiu-jitsu prowess of Demian Maia or the tricky takedowns of Chael Sonnen? Ideally, ratings should climb over the course of the two-hour broadcast as we near the main event, but that may depend on what kind of show the first two fights put on, and how viewers respond. Is America ready to appreciate technical grappling? Will they geek out over a half-guard sweep and call all their friends to tell them to put on FOX right now? I'm not so sure. But again, this is what FOX signed up for. Now they're going to get it.
IV. Have you complained to your cable provider about not carrying FUEL TV yet? That's where tonight's UFC prelims will be broadcast, and yet it's still available it just a fraction of the homes that Spike TV is. That's caused some griping from fans who don't get FUEL, which might be precisely the point. Back when the UFC was negotiating a new TV deal, a Spike TV executive I spoke with shrugged off the possibility of reaching a new agreement with the UFC, saying, "The UFC wants their own channel." With FUEL -- an obscure cable network with programming that seems to consist of little more than kids on snowboards doing their best to act "extreme" -- they sort of have it. Maybe that alone will convince some people to actually care that it isn't an option with their cable provider.
V. February 21, 2009. That's the last time Demian Maia submitted an opponent in an MMA fight. That opponent just happened to be Chael Sonnen, and the triangle choke finish netted Maia his fourth Submission of the Night bonus. Since then Maia has lost two fights by decision and one by knockout. He's also won four fights by decision, but used his jiu-jitsu sparingly in all those efforts. Has the competition just gotten that much better, or has Maia turned away from the skills that got him here in an effort to become more well-rounded? Probably a little of both. But if Maia could submit Sonnen and make it look easy, he could probably do the same to many, many others.
VI. Don't look now, but Mike Russow is undefeated in the UFC. How did this happen? Well, he edged out Justin McCully in his UFC debut, then took a tremendous beating from Todd Duffee before landing the one magical punch that changed everything. Finally, he got a doctor's stoppage win over Jon Madsen last spring, making him a perfect 3-0. That makes Russow perhaps the best, least heralded heavyweight on the roster -- at least on paper. It should be interesting to see how long that lasts.
VII. Chris Weidman did it. He dropped 32 pounds in 11 days and got himself ready to take on the biggest opportunity of his young career. My question is, in doing that, did he leave himself any time and energy to prepare for the fighting portion of this bout? Granted, he's a professional and he's in the gym all the time -- I get that. But Maia can be a tricky guy to prepare for. If you have to put so much effort into losing all that weight, you might leave yourself very little opportunity to work on things like game plan and strategy. That's not to say he can't win on the skills he had when he got the call from the UFC. It just means he probably didn't have a chance to add any more arrows to the quiver. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, tv, maia
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2 Live Results and Play-by-Play
MMAFrenzy.com will have live results from tonight’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago starting at 5pm ET for the preliminary card, which airs on Fuel TV, and 8pm ET for the Fox-televised tripleheader topped by Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping and Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
UFC on Fox 2 Live Results
MAIN CARD (Fox)
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV)
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Mike Russow vs. John-Olav Einemo
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby (Facebook)
UFC on Fox 2 Play-by-Play
RASHAD EVANS VS. PHIL DAVIS
CHAEL SONNEN VS. MICHAEL BISPING
DEMIAN MAIA VS. CHRIS WEIDMAN
Pictured: Rashad Evans and Phil Davis
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 play by play and live results
CHICAGO - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC on FOX 2 event.
The event, which features co-headliners of Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
and Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping, takes place at United Center in
Chicago. FOX airs the main card, and FUEL TV and Facebook carry the
prelims.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results
beginning at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. CT local time) for
the preliminary card and 8 p.m. ET for the main card.
Posted in: fox, pm, card, tonights ufc, features coheadliners
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 discussion thread
CHICAGO - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC on FOX 2 event at Chicago's United Center.
Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on FOX 2 live-results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.
Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. CT local time) for the preliminary card and 8 p.m. ET for the main card.
Posted in: fox, pm, official results, comments section, roundbyround updates
Read the full article at MMA JunkieRashad Evans: UFC on Fox Weigh-In Day Behind-the-Scenes Video
Go behind the scenes with Rashad Evans as he cuts weight for his main event against Phil Davis at UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis on Saturday in Chicago.
Posted in: fox, rashad evans, phil davis, evan, cuts weight
Read the full article at Heavy MMAExclusive Rashad Evans UFC on Fox Gallery, Day 2
Ryan Loco takes you behind the scenes with Rashad Evans in Chicago before his fight with Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2. Day 2 pics here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, rashad evans, phil davis
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Weigh-in Video
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis weigh-in video from the Chicago Theater.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 2 Live Results and Play-by-Play
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis live results and play-by-play on Saturday, Jan. 28, in Chicago. The main event features Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, playbyplay, playbyplay ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyExclusive Photo Gallery: UFC on Fox 2 Weigh In
See how the UFC on Fox 2 fighters looked on the scales a day before the big fights. Weigh-in gallery courtesy of James Law after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, gallery, james law, jump
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 2 Quick Results
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis quick results on Saturday, Jan. 28, in Chicago. The main event features Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, results ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 weigh-in photos gallery for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
The second network television offering features a light heavyweight number one contender bout pitting former division champion Rashad Evans taking on rising contender Phil Davis. A win for the former nets a title shot, a win for the latter puts him "in the mix."
Also on tap is a pair of middleweight match-ups that will see Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping in a fight to determine who is next for Anderson Silva as well as Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman.
Check out the photo gallery from today's UFC on FOX 2 weigh in event (via MMAFighting.com) after the jump.
For complete UFC on FOX 2 weigh in results click here, for UFC on FOX 2 staredown pics click here, and for the UFC on FOX 2 weigh in video click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, tomorrow night, photo gallery
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Weigh-in Photos
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis weigh-in photo gallery from the Chicago Theater on Friday afternoon. Photos by Jeff Cain.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, photo, chicago theater
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyRashad Evans vs Phil Davis staredown pic from UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins
The UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" weigh-in event took place today (Fri., Jan. 27, 2012) in Chicago and that means staredowns with all the major players.
That includes the two headliners for tomorrow night's event at the United Center, Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. "Suga" was his usual intense self while "Mr. Wonderful" rocked a Penn State singlet, smiling the whole way.
Middleweight motor-mouths Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping will hook 'em up in the co-main event of the evening and they went head on for a contentious staredown that was followed by a handshake and a nod. Cordial until the war. That staredown pic is after the jump.
For complete UFC on FOX 2 weigh-in results click here and to watch the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins video click here.
via p.twimg.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, staredown, evan, weighin
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White Releases Second Video Blog
It took five days but the UFC released a new Dana White video blog Friday, documenting the behind-the-scenes of Thursday's pre-fight press conference as we lead up to UFC On Fox 2 Saturday.
Some highlights of the nearly eight minute long clip:
Behind the scenes with White going on Fox's Good Day Chicago with associate Marty Cordova struggling to take a video of him.
White runs down how people can watch the prelims on Fuel TV and the main card on Fox.
He explains how he's flying to Brazil for several days to film TUF Brazil and that they're working out how people in the U.S. get to see it.
We get a look at a frantic few minutes before the press conference with White saying how he hates starting pressers late, some interaction with Chael Sonnen about shoes and opponents awkwardly standing next to each other as they're about to go out on the dais.
There's plenty of presser footage including Evans and Davis verbally jousting about wrestling, Sonnen doing wacky promos with the fake belt and the usual square offs.
There is no mention or reference to any of the recent issues White has had with "the Internet." Watch the whole clip after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, video, square offs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins full video for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" weigh-in event went down today (Jan. 27, 2012) in Chicago, Illinois, where all 20 competitors tipped the scale to make their respective bouts official for tomorrow night's (Jan. 28, 2011) event.
In the video above, the first fighter steps on the scale around the 18-minute mark.
Rashad Evans (205) will look to earn his shot at Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones with a win over rising contender and undefeated prospect Phil Davis (205) in the main event of the evening.
The co-featured fight of the night will see Chael Sonnen (185) do battle against British bad boy Michael Bisping (185). Everyone is on point and ready to go, with all matches now officially official.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 weigh in results click here.
Ready to rumble yet or what, Maniacs?
Posted in: ufc, fox, evan, davi, results click
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Weigh-In Results
All 20 fighters for Saturday's UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis card successfully made weight at Friday's weigh-in event at the Chicago Theatre.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMA5 Oz. MMA Link Club
Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of offerings from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…
Rashad Evans Thinks Phil Davis Lacks “Killer Instinct” (5thRound.com)
Dana White Goes to War with Hackers and Loses (MMAPayout.com)
Alistair Overeem Added to UFC Undisputed 3 Roster (MMAMania.com)
WWE Champion CM Punk Talks Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen, and More (MMAFighting.com)
Shane Roller Talks UFC on FOX 2 Fight Against Michael Johnson (Fightline.com)
Is Sports Media Going After the UFC? (FightOpinion.com)
A Betting Guide to UFC on FOX 2 (TheFightNerd.com)
Is Evans a Better Wrestler than Davis? (BleacherReport.com)
Arianny Celeste Looking Hot (CagePotato.com)
A Look Behind the Scenes at Golden Glory Gym (LowKick.com)
Highlights from the UFC on FOX 2 Presser (MMAConvert.com)
Jeff Monson Talks American Economics (MiddleEasy.com)
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, mma community, talk
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainWeigh-in Video: UFC on Fox 2
Weigh-in Video: UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, weighin
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 2 Weigh-In Results
The UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins took place this afternoon at the The Chicago Theatre.
All fighters made weight. No fireworks today, just some intense staredowns between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping.
The weigh-in results:
Rashad Evans (205) vs. Phil Davis (205)
Chael Sonnen (185) vs. Michael Bisping (185)
Demian Maia (186) vs. Chris Weidman (185)
Evan Dunham (155) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
John-Olav Einemo (253) vs. Mike Russow (251)
George Roop (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
Charles Oliveira (144) vs. Eric Wisely (145)
Michael Johnson (156) vs. Shane Roller (156)
Joey Beltran (228) vs. Lavar Johnson (252)
Fighters in non-title fights are allowed to weigh in one pound over the weight class limit.
UFC on FOX 2 will take place tomorrow, Jan. 28, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois and will air live on FOX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The prelims will air live on FUEL TV at 5pm ET/2pm PT.
More UFC 116 weigh-in pics at CombatLifestyle.com. Video via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, michael, weighin
Read the full article at MMA ConvertAll fighters make weight for UFC on FOX 2
Despite a lot of trash talk, there was no confrontation between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis at the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins.
Posted in: ufc, fox, rashad evans, phil davis, phil
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 2 Live Weigh-In Results
The UFC’s first official show on FOX since their long-term agreement started in 2012 will look to build on the success of the tantalizing tease fans were offered last November when Cain Velasquez lost his title to Junior dos Santos. However, this time around the world’s foremost MMA promotion is back with a stacked card including a tripleheader of talent-laden tilts in the form of Demian Maia-Chris Weidman, Chael Sonnen-Michael Bisping, and Rashad Evans-Phil Davis.
The entire lot of competitors slated for action on Saturday night will take to the stage today in hopes of hitting their weight-related marks to make the evening’s match-ups official.
As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in throughout and relaying live results as they unfold. Things start up at 5:00 PM EST.
Here is a full list of UFC on FOX 2 weights:
Chris Camozzi ( lbs) vs. Dustin Jacoby ( lbs)
Shane Roller ( lbs) vs. Michael Johnson ( lbs)
Charles Oliveira ( lbs) vs. Eric Wisely ( lbs)
George Roop ( lbs) vs. Cub Swanson ( lbs)
Joey Beltran ( lbs) vs. Lavar Johnson ( lbs)
John Olav Einemo ( lbs) vs. Mike Russow ( lbs)
Evan Dunham ( lbs) vs. Nik Lentz ( lbs)
Demian Maia ( lbs) vs. Chris Weidman ( lbs)
Chael Sonnen ( lbs) vs. Michael Bisping ( lbs)
Rashad Evans ( lbs) vs. Phil Davis ( lbs)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, weighin results
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 2 Preview Video
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, VideosCHICAGO -- Watch below as veteran MMA broadcaster Mauro Ranallo and I break down all the storylines heading into to Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 card.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, video, ranallo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2 Weigh-In Results
Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s UFC on Fox 2 event take place today in Chicago, where light heavyweight headliners Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, middleweight contenders Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, and the rest of the card will weigh-in to make their fights official.
MMAFrenzy.com will have UFC on Fox 2 weigh-in results below after the fighters hit the scale at 5pm ET.
MAIN CARD (Fox)
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV)
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Mike Russow vs. John-Olav Einemo
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby (Facebook)
Pictured: Rashad Evans and Phil Davis
Posted in: fox, vs, evan, davi, weighin
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyBad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 128: UFC On Fox Preview
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT for a special edition of the show. Join hosts Matt Bishop, Forrest Lynn and MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger as they preview tomorrow night's UFC on Fox, which is headlined by a light-heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, a middleweight eliminator clash between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping and a middleweight fight between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman.
We'll preview the main card while Bishop provides the inside scoop from Friday's weigh-in and Q&A session. We'll also take your calls, emails, tweets and comments.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Get your brand new Demian Maia UFC on FOX walkout T-shirt only from Bad Boy at the brand new BadBoy.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
(Show player coming soon)
Want to get in touch with the BE Radio crew? Here's how you can do so:
Phone: (347) 202-0934E-mail: bloodyelbowradio@gmail.comTwitter: @mbish86, @sprewellrimz or @gotahemmiBloodyElbow.com: Leave a question or comment in this post
For those calling in, you will first be picked up by our producer who will take your information and get what you want to talk about. You will then be queued. We will try to get to everyone as soon as we can. We ask that you call in around the time of the topic you want to discuss.
SBN coverage of MFC 32: Bitter Rivals
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, radio, elbow, boy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Weigh-Ins Stream Live at 5pm ET
The UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins will stream live in the video player above at 5pm ET/2pm PT. The weigh-in results will follow on a separate post.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video player, weighin, weighin results
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White’s UFC on FOX 2 Video Blog: Part Two
Dana White gives us a behind the scenes look at yesterday’s UFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference in this second installment of his UFC on FOX 2 video blog.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertGrappling with Issues – 1/27/12
Do you consider Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva 2 in Brazil to be a lock? Is Phil Davis more likely to pull off an upset at UFC on FOX 2 than Chris Weidman or Michael Bisping? Will this weekend’s show on FOX pull in more viewers than their original offering in November? Who should the UFC match Melvin Guillard with next?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below.
Who should Melvin Guillard face in his next fight?
Lambert: Jacob Volkmann. Even though Volkmann is on a nice little streak and Guillard has lost his last two fights, Volkmann’s resume lacks a big win and Guillard’s losses have come in high profile positions. Plus, it’s not like Volkmann has blown anyone away with his performances, which usually means UFC will punish you a bit instead of rewarding you with a fight against a top contender. If nothing else, Guillard usually has exciting fights and he’ll either knockout Volkmann, ending his win streak and allowing UFC to handle him differently, or get choked out, giving “Christmas” a finish during his streak.
Conlan: Sorry Jeremy, but I think Volkmann is as bad a suggestion as could have been offered. Why would the UFC want to risk giving Guillard a third consecutive loss (essentially a lock given Volkmann’s grappling/submissions)? Rather, I think the organization would be wise to pair Guillard with a striker to provide him with an opportunity to get back on track in highlight-reel fashion. There are plenty of guys on the roster who have some name value and will come to bang. The one I’d go with is Anthony Njokuani. He may be linked to John Makdessi at UFC 145 but that’s definitely a bout they could restructure to include Guillard instead.
TRUE/FALSE – Pat Barry will have a winning record in the Octagon at the end of 2012.
Lambert: TRUE. I’m going to assume that Barry will fight three times in the Octagon in 2012. He’s already fought once and got his hand raised in victory. So he only needs to go 1-1 in his next two bouts, which sounds pretty reasonable given that he’s in the heavyweight division and I think UFC will give him favorable match ups, especially if he loses his next fight.
Conlan: FALSE. I think there may have been a misunderstanding here since Lambert is only looking at 2012, not Barry’s overall record in the Octagon. The win over Morecraft brought it up to 4-4 meaning he’ll need to go 2-0 (or 2-1) to improve things to what I would label as a UFC-worthy level. Since I can’t envision him having an undefeated campaign this year, and there’s no guarantee he’ll fight three more times, I don’t see him working his way above .500 anytime soon.
Biggest threat to pull off an “upset” at UFC on FOX 2 – Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, or Phil Davis?
Lambert: Well, considering that Vegas actually has Weidman as a favorite over Demian Maia, I’m not sure if that will count as an upset. I’m picking Maia to upset Weidman, but I think Weidman has the best chance of pulling off the upset based on the question. I think Weidman and Maia are pretty evenly matched and that if Weidman can score takedown, play defense on top, and control the position then there’s no reason why he can’t win a decision.
Conlan: I think Weidman is a good choice and I’m actually picking him to beat Maia as well. However, for the sake of discussion I’ll go with Davis. “Mr. Wonderful” has the wrestling to fend off Rashad Evans’ relentless takedowns and work his way back to a standing position if he does indeed get put on the mat. He’s got excellent reach and is extremely athletic, two factors also potentially posing problems for the smaller, bulkier Evans. I’m still giving the nod to Evans in terms of actually coming away with a win but I won’t be shocked if Davis exits the Octagon in victory.
More likely to happen: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans in Atlanta or Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen in Brazil?
Conlan: Silva-Sonnen without question. For starters, Jones has only hinted at fighting in April at UFC 145 while Dana White has come out on record a number of times pointing at the possibility of doing Silva vs. Sonnen 2 at a stadium show in Sao Paolo this June. More importantly, I see Sonnen’s chances of winning this weekend being far greater than Evans’ based on the way they match up against their respective UFC on FOX 2 opponents. With both aspects in place there’s little doubt in my mind regarding which scenario has a greater probability of happening.
Lambert: I’ll go with Jones vs. Evans because I’m not fully convinced that Silva will be 100% healthy by the time the Brazil show rolls around or that he truly wants to fight Sonnen again. I’m also not convinced that sending Sonnen to Brazil is the best idea either. On the other hand, Jones and Rashad want to fight and they want to get things over with. The only thing stopping this fight from happening in Atlanta is Rashad’s health after the Davis fight and Rashad winning, of course.
OVER/UNDER – 5.7 million viewers (on average) for UFC on FOX 2.
Conlan: OVER (but not my much). I think the event will lose some non-fan viewers because the show doesn’t feature a title-fight but will make up for the hit based on a few things. The lineup features more star-power including a pair of Ultimate Fighter winners with experience coaching TUF as well as Sonnen who himself has gotten a bit of mainstream attention based on his colorful personality. It’s also two hours long so there’s more time for buzz to spread if things start out strong instead of a single fight that average folks will rush to tune in for at the very end of the broadcast.
Lambert: OVER. The first event had the luxury of being the first event and having that curiosity factor. This event doesn’t have that going for it and I’m not feeling the buzz for this event like I did for the first one. There is one huge factor working in this events favor though and that’s the success of FOX. They’re coming off the NFC Title game, which did 57.6 million viewers. You would have that UFC could get at least 10% of that audience. Also, FOX has done good ratings all week with shows like American Idol, Touch, House, and Alcatraz. So even though the event may not have the buzz of the first, FOX is on a roll right now, and that momentum could lead to a big number.
Will Zuffa take anymore steps this year to prevent PED use in the sport?
Conlan: No, not unless a major star gets popped and they need to save face in the mainstream media. Fighters are already tested by State commissions and the UFC has gone “above and beyond” by implementing their own pre-contract screenings. Personally I’d love to see them do more such as implementing their own system of fines/suspensions or randomly testing fighters but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
Lambert: I think they’ll take a minor step or two, sort of like they did with the whole “all new fighters will be drug tested” rule. Maybe they’ll dabble in some out of competition testing or they’ll institute a harsher punishment, but it won’t be anything major if they do take another step. As long as they show a little bit more progress this year then I’ll be happy.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, guillard, lambert
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDana White UFC on FOX Chicago vlog day 2
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vlog, chicago, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2 Weigh-In Highlight Video
Filed under: UFC, VideosCHICAGO -- The UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins took place Friday afternoon at the famous Chicago Theatre. Full results here . Check out the highlights of the proceedings below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, weighin, chicago theatre, ufc videoschicago
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis LowKick.com Staff Predictions
Joey Santosus, Anton Gurevich, and Trent Reinsmith share their predictions ahead of this weekend's UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis event from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Posted in: fox, vs, prediction, davi, weekends ufc
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on FOX 2 Weigh-In Results
Filed under: UFC, NewsCHICAGO -- MMA Fighting will have live UFC on FOX 2 weigh-in results from the Chicago Theater.
Rashad Evans, Phil Davis and the rest of the fighters on the card will step on the scale to make official their bouts.
Check out the results below.
FOX Bouts - 8 p.m. ET
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia
FUEL TV Preliminary Bouts - 5 p.m. ET
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Cub Swanson vs. George Roop
John-Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Eric Wisely vs. Charles Oliveira
Facebook Preliminary Bout - 4:30 p.m. ET
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: result, bout, fox, vs, bouts check
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Video: Dana White On Chael's Fake Belt, Fox Production, The Internet
Hours before his personal information was strewn about the Internet, UFC President Dana White talked to MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani about a litany of topics that included UFC On Fox 2 production and more.
Some highlights:- White said he's seen nothing like Chael Sonnen toting around a fake UFC title belt and addresses whether Sonnen's claims about increasing ticket sales are accurate.
- He talked about Chris Weidman's opportunity Saturday against Demian Maia and if there was any concern about the short notice Weidman got.
- He revealed that Curt Menefee, Randy Couture and Jon Jones will be at the analyst desk for the show and that undercard fights will air if the three main card fights are short. According to White, it will be "a lot more fighting, a lot less talking."
- He talked about the ratings expectations for Saturday given the 8.8 peak of the November event.
- In the most interesting portion considering what happened Thursday night, White addressed "the hackers" and went on an odd tirade about how the media is "scared of the Internet" which Helwani tried to clarify. White said last week's UFC.com URL redirection is "the best thing they could have ever done" as they "flipped the switch", alluding that their activity is terrorist-like and got the attention of the U.S. government.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Watch the 11-minute clip in full after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, demian maia, thursday night, analyst desk
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWatch Today’s UFC on Fox 2 Weigh-ins LIVE
Watch the Friday, Jan. 27, UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis weigh-in live on MMAWeekly.com at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, mmaweeklycom, weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 Weigh-In Video
Filed under: UFCAll 22 fighters stepping into the Octagon at UFC on FOX 2 Saturday night will first step on the scale Friday at the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins, and we'll carry the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
In the main event, Rashad Evans and Phil Davis will have to make the light heavyweight limit of 206 pounds. In the other two Fox fights, middleweights Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Demian Maia and Chris Weidman will all have to make 186 pounds.
The UFC on Fox 2 weigh-ins starts at 5 p.m. ET on Friday and the video is below.
More: UFC on FOX 2 Fight Card | UFC on FOX 2 Results
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, chris weidman, weighin
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC On Fox 2 Video: WWE Champion CM Punk On Brock Lesnar, Chael Sonnen Walkout
In a video sure to irate the anti-pro wrestling masses, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani talked to WWE Champion CM Punk in a 30-minute interview Thursday night, documenting what happened to Punk's planned walkout with Chael Sonnen at UFC On Fox 2 Saturday and plenty more.
As the event is in Chicago, IL, the interview was done in Punk's home and Helwani hit up a number of topics with the big MMA fan including:
What led to the Punk/Sonnen walkout rumors and what killed the chance of it happening
His concerns about his presence overshadowing the main event
His opinion on Sonnen's interviews this week and his thoughts on the Fox card as a whole
What MMA could learn from pro wrestling
Former UFC Champion Brock Lesnar and his potential return to WWE
Whether he would ever compete in MMA
His opinions on the best talkers in MMA
Love him or hate him, Punk (Phil Brooks) knows the sport, which becomes pretty evident in the first 10 minutes of the interview. Check out this must-watch video after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, punk, interview
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Thinks Revealing Fighters' Actual Salaries Would Be Harmful
Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC president Dana White believes revealing his fighters' actual salaries would be damaging to their lives.
On the same day first baseman Prince Fielder finalized a nine-year deal with the Detroit Tigers worth $214 million, White says people should not be envious of Fielder's seemingly magnificent position.
"You don't want to be Prince Fielder over the next three years," White told reporters on Thursday. "When people know -- his life is going to be horrible. His whole life is going to change. He thought is was bad before? With the s--t he had going in his life? Everyone and their mother is coming after that 214."
Since the UFC is a privately-owned company, they are not required to make their numbers public. They have to report the fighter purses to the commission, but those numbers don't tell the actual story of a fighter's final earnings once bonuses and possible pay-per-view cuts are factored in.
White recalled meeting FOX executives for the first time and telling them how much fighters actually make. FOX executives were blown away and questioned why White wouldn't discuss the salaries in public for good press.
"The FOX guys were like, 'Holy s--t, these guys make this much money? Why don't you plaster this everywhere? This is the thing that will put you guys over the top. This is the thing people love to see and talk about and all.'"
As the saying goes, "Mo' money, mo' problems" and White is refusing to put fighters in a position where they could attract negative attention.
"I've had these conversations with Mike Tyson," White said. "Mike said when his money was reported, his f--kin' life was miserable. I'm not doing it. So just because you don't know everything. You don't have to know everything. And to be honest with you, it's not your f--kin' business. They're making a lot of money." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: guy, fighter, fox, life, dont
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 2 weigh in video results LIVE from Chicago for 'Evans vs Davis' on Jan. 27 in Chicago
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" is set to go down a little later today (Fri., Jan. 27, 2012) LIVE from the Chicago Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 5 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
UFC on FOX 2 will feature a light heavyweight match-up between former division champion Rashad Evans and undefeated prospect Phil Davis. The winner could be in line for a shot at Jon Jones 205-pound title.
Also booked for the "Windy City" fight card is a middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. UFC President Dana White has declared the winner the new 185-pound number one contender.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 2 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans ( ) vs. Phil Davis ( )
Main Card (FOX):
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen ( ) vs. Michael Bisping ( )185 lbs.: Chris Weidman ( ) vs. Demian Maia ( )
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
155 lbs.: Evan Dunham ( ) vs. Nik Lentz ( ) 155 lbs.: Michael Johnson ( ) vs. Shane Roller ( ) 265 lbs.: Jon Olav Einemo ( ) vs. Mike Russow ( ) 145 lbs.: George Roop ( ) vs. Cub Swanson ( ) 145 lbs.: Charles Oliveira ( ) vs. Eric Wisely ( ) 265 lbs.: Joey Beltran ( ) vs. Lavar Johnson ( )
Preliminary Card (Facebook):
155 lbs.: Chris Camozzi ( ) vs. Dustin Jacoby ( )
**Weigh in video available later today.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Jan. 28), which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 5 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on FUEL TV.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FOX 2 coverage you can handle.
For all the latest news and notes on "Evans vs. Davis" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaChris Weidman, Demian Maia Looking to Climb Middleweight Ladder at UFC on Fox 2
Chris Weidman stepped in to fight top middleweight Demian Maia Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event on just a week’s notice, but recently told the UFC that he isn’t worried about the short-notice and instead sees it an opportunity to jump up the division ladder:
“Taking the fight at a week’s notice wasn’t all that had a decision. I have an opportunity to gain a lot of recognition and get myself up to where I want to be. I was just about to eat a load of waffles when I got the call… I threw those waffles away. There was no chance I was going to pass this up, I want to get into the top five and here’s my chance. You only live once. I didn’t want to sit at home and watch some other guy fight on FOX in an opportunity I already had passed up.
I’m not worried about stepping up at all. I have a lot of respect for Demian’s jiu-jitsu, but if we go to the ground, I’m confident and excited to prove I can hang with my own BJJ. He’s going to have a lot to worry about, too, in this fight. I’m not the guy who’s going to be starstruck just because of the stage or the fact I am stepping up to this level. I believe in myself and I think I can go in there and submit him or stop him.”
Meanwhile, Maia has moved past the disappointment of not fighting Michael Bisping, who meets Chael Sonnen in the event’s co-headliner, and is embracing fighting the undefeated Weidman before he’s more experienced:
“I was disappointed to hear my fight with Bisping was off, but am happy to still be on the card on FOX. I’m ready to turn a negative into a positive, to control the part I can control, which is winning. A win over Bisping would have put me back in the world title picture, but Weidman is a dangerous young fighter and he knows a win over me put him in a great position.
Bisping actually apologized to me for taking the Sonnen fight, but I completely understand. I appreciated him saying that, but this is what we do and the sport we are in. Now I can’t think about Bisping. I have to think about Chris Weidman. I don’t know if it is possible for Weidman to be 100% fit after taking the fight at such short notice. I’m not sure, but I have to go in thinking with the mindset that he is 100%.
He is very dangerous, and I guess that I would rather fight him now than after he gets even better and more experienced. For sure, he will be very motivated. I am not going to lose at this stage though; I have worked too hard and expect a submission after a tough fight.”
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Chris Weidman
Posted in: fight, fox, ’t, bisping, weidman
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTwitter Mailbag: Talking UFC on FOX 2, Hackers, Testosterone, and More
Filed under: UFCWe're just one day away from the UFC on FOX 2 event in Chicago, but that wasn't all that was on people's minds in this edition of the Twitter Mailbag. From hacking concerns to supplemental testosterone -- even some requests for me to make impossible predictions -- you fine people flooded my Twitter with all kinds of crazy questions. In other words, it's a lot of fun.
Now let's get right down to it. Who's first?
@AFragileSmile what kind of ratings do you expect to see [for UFC on FOX 2]? The first had so much buzz while this one just feels like another show to me.
It's true that the first UFC on FOX event had more of a novelty value. It also had the words "heavyweight championship of the world!" repeated in ads on every FOX NFL and MLB playoff game for weeks. This one has more fights, but the stakes are a little harder to explain in a brief promo ("the fights to see who gets to fight in the more important fights later on!" doesn't quite ring out the same way).
For all those reasons, I don't expect this event to have the same ratings jump right out of the gate as the first show. The good news is, it will offer way more fighting and way less talking, which should lead to a gradual build-up in the audience -- especially if the first two fights deliver the action and get people talking. The first UFC on FOX show peaked with 8.8 million viewers during the only minute of MMA action. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this one break 10 million by the time Rashad Evans and Phil Davis hit the cage.
@CRUMxMMA what are your predictions for the bonuses of the night?
Fight of the Night: Chael Sonnen outpointing Michael Bisping in a bloody three-round affair.
Submission of the Night: Demian Maia triangle choking Chris Weidman.
Knockout of the Night: Joey Beltran starching Lavar Johnson with one big punch. Or the other way around.
@GaryLaPlante Why would Dana challenge hackers? Does he not realize that UFC.com holds CC information for the people who buy his product?
White's response to the hacking issue has been pretty tone deaf from the very beginning. He dismissed the legitimate concerns of actual UFC fans on Twitter when the site was initially hacked, and has now decided to double-down by daring the hackers to come after his site again, which, as you point out, might not play so well with the people who have entrusted the UFC with their confidential information.
It's a bigger issue than that, though. White says that there's no difference between illegally streaming a UFC pay-per-view and walking into a store and stealing a watch. But one difference is that, if I steal a watch, the person I stole it from doesn't have it anymore. They can't sell that watch to other people, can't recover the cost of the materials, nothing. The same isn't true with a pay-per-view broadcast. That's not to say it's a victimless crime -- ask the fighters who are getting a percentage of pay-per-view sales, for one thing -- but it is a different crime. If anything, it's probably more like sneaking into a movie without buying a ticket. That too is illegal, whether people think of it as a real crime or not. If you want to invoke the categorical imperative and get all Immanuel Kant on it, you'd have to admit that there would be no film industry (or at least no film industry with money for decent effects and costumes) if everyone did this. It's the same with the UFC...sort of.
One thing that hurts White's argument is the fact that pay-per-views aren't pay-per-views everywhere. Fans in some countries get them on cable TV, while others are asked to fork over $50 to see the same fight. That tells fans that pay-per-views don't necessarily have one single value, and that might be all the justification some people need to go ahead and stream that bad boy. Again, that's a problem. It's unfair to the UFC and its fighters, and something should be done about it. I just don't think that something is SOPA. I also don't think lawmakers are really considering reviving the most unpopular bill in recent memory all because the UFC's url was redirected for a few hours. And no, that's not terrorism. No one is terrified by not being able to access UFC.com, and claiming otherwise is a straight-up insult to the victims of actual terrorism.
This? It's an annoyance. It's a misguided response to a misguided response to a genuinely complex and vexing problem that our society is going to have deal with eventually, but hopefully not like this.
@MikeOlenski_MMA do you personally believe TRT/HRT should be 100% banned in mma?
Absolutely, and for two reasons. 1) The whole idea behind banning steroids is to force fighters to compete with the hormones they have, rather than the hormones they want. 2) Even if we could determine who has legitimately low levels of testosterone, we can't determine how they got that way.
Reason #1 is more of the broad theory behind banned substances, but reason #2 is a practical concern that's no less troublesome. Say a fighter comes to the commission with a doctor's note citing low testosterone levels. How do we know if that's just the natural state of his body, or if he lowered his own testosterone levels through years of steroid abuse prior to this moment? We can't. All we know is that we're helping a man artificially increase the levels of a powerful hormone right before he gets into a cage to fight another human being for money. That's dangerous territory, and it opens the door for too many cheaters who are looking for a legal loophole.
@Macitaloo79 Anderson vs Sonnen 2; will it ever happen? And if so, would it fill a football arena?
I'm more concerned about Sonnen being able to get in and out of that soccer stadium alive (especially if he wins) than I am about the rematch drawing a sufficient crowd in Brazil. As for whether it will happen, well, we should know by Sunday morning. Sonnen says that Silva won't fight him even if he beats Bisping, but that's just more schtick. Silva will fight who the UFC tells him to fight, and the UFC knows how big a Silva-Sonnen rematch would be. But first, Sonnen has to do his part and prove that he's earned it.
@BIN6H4M should Nate Diaz really have to fight once more to get a crack at title? Edgar should fight both him and miller.
Look at it this way: regardless of who wins the Diaz-Miler fight at the UFC on FOX 3 event, we won't have to ask whether that person deserves a title shot. And regardless of who loses, we won't have to ask whether they were ready for a crack at the champion. A top contender bout answers all those questions, plus it's just good TV. You can't tell me you don't want to see those two fight.
@MMAOutsider Could this card lower FOX's hopes for UFC? Evans-Davis, Maia-Weidman could be slow, and Sonnen prob won't finish Bisping
This reminds me of Dana White's response when those of us in the media kept peppering him with questions about what he'd do if something like the Frank Mir-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira arm break happened on a FOX fight. His response: Hey, this is what FOX signed up for. The same is true here, for better or worse.
Sometimes fights end right away, and sometimes they stretch on and on like a bad break-up. That unpredictability comes with the territory, and that's what FOX bought into. You can structure the match-ups any way you want, but you never know for sure what kind of show you're going to get. I have to think that FOX did its homework before making this deal and came to the conclusion that, sometimes, you don't get the fireworks you were expecting. Sometimes you get more. All you can do is put the guys in the cage and make the best out of what they give you. If FOX somehow doesn't know that yet, it'll learn soon enough.
@LuckyBestWash realistically, how does Bisping beat Chael?
I keep asking myself the same thing, and I'm not coming up with much. It seems extremely unlikely that Bisping could knock Sonnen out, and he's not known for submitting people off his back (or, you know, at all). So we have to ask ourselves: how does Bisping usually win fights? He does it by sticking and moving, by piling up the punches and staying out of the heavy exchanges, and by getting back to his feet on those occasions when he is taken down. Can he do all that against Sonnen, who's a much better wrestler than the likes of Chris Leben or "Mayhem" Miller? Doubtful, but not impossible.
@hurstje1 Question: Who is an up and coming, relatively unknown fighter that we should keep our eyes on? Who's the next star?
Finding the next "star," is more guesswork than analysis, but okay, I'll play along. There are a few guys worth watching right now. Nick Denis, the bantamweight who elbowed the follicles off of Joseph Sandoval in his UFC debut last week, is one. Stipe Miocic, the heavyweight who battered and outpointed Joey Beltran in his UFC debut, is another. I'd also keep a close eye on Khabib Nurmagomedov (who I will henceforth call "Nermal," after the Garfield character, thanks to a clever Twitter suggestion).
But you have to remember, it's one thing to have a ton of potential and raw ability, and another thing to actually pan out over the long run. If I've learned anything covering this sport, it's that long-term success is as much about character, work ethic, and even a little bit of luck as it is about pure ability.
@DanniaElizabeth Okay sir. In the very possible rematch of Sonnen and Silva, how do you see the fight going?
Honestly? I could see it going a lot like the first fight. As in, nearly identical. Sonnen will get in his face, get him to the mat, and generally turn it into the same messy affair that we saw the first time. And yes, I know that Silva had some injury troubles in that fight that may have kept him from being at his best, but I also know that he's a professional fighter in his late 30s. Injuries may be the new normal for him. The bigger question is, will Sonnen be able to avoid the same fatal mistake the second time around? On that one, I still have my doubts.
@Jtbrinkman if rashad wins, will Jon jones come in the cage to ruin his moment?
Yes, and hopefully he'll bring his meddlesome manager, Malki Kawa, who will throw salt in Evans' eyes, blinding him so that Jones and the rest of the Jackson's MMA crew can stomp him while Joe Rogan looks on in horror, muttering about what a sickening display this is. Just then, Dan Henderson's music will come blaring over the speakers as he sprints down to the Octagon just in time to have a bewildered Jones slip from his grasp and back into the depths of the locker room. Then it will be just Henderson and Evans, alone in the cage, staring at one another and sizing up this new unlikely alliance.
@MorganWaltz who do you see winning the Diaz/Condit fight and why??
I'm picking Diaz via sheer Diazness. He'll walk Condit down, absorb a ton of punishment in the process, and just keep coming and coming until Condit breaks in the later rounds. Afterwards, a bloody and nearly unrecognizable Diaz will give a meandering post-fight interview that leaves us all uncomfortable, confused, and a little sad for reasons we can't quite explain. Business as usual, in other words.
@Isaac_Frederico is it Phil Davis that looks like a being from another planet or is it just Rashad thats too earthly?
No, it's Davis. Just wait until this afternoon's weigh-ins. No one looks more like a 1940's comic book character on the scales than Davis. His physique simply doesn't seem like it should be physically possible, and yet there he is.
@GrauSteve Are there any relevant fights left for Fedor? Sadly, I heard a rumor about Lashley, hard to get excited for that.
Hard? Impossible is more like it. Sadly, this may be Fedor's reality now. He could have walked away with all the dignity of a former champ who found out the hard way that he just didn't have it anymore, but instead he chose to keep on keeping on against the Jeff Monsons and Satoshi Ishiis of the world. At least he's winning again, I suppose. Still, unless you're in the UFC, the options for big time heavyweight fights are very, very limited. Any opponent you can find is going to be one that the UFC has released or passed over, and usually there are good reasons for both.
@mthomf1 What's the most memorable reaction you've gotten from the subject of an interview/article after it was published?
Most of the time the fighters don't read the articles. Or at least they don't admit to it. Other times they seem to skim them in search of a mention of their sponsors or training partners or gyms, then seem baffled when I try to explain why those don't usually make the final cut.
As for memorable reactions, my 3,500-word piece on Daniel Cormier convinced him to finally follow me on Twitter, which I guess was something of an accomplishment. The story I did about driving around Vegas with Michael Bisping was one that I wasn't sure how he would take, since it outed him as an absolutely terrible driver and a bit of grump during his weight cut, but he seemed to think it was hilarious. After an article on Phil Davis where I described his friend and training partner, Jared Platt, as having "a bushy beard to offset the lack of hair on his head," a stone-faced Platt cornered me at the post-fight presser and rattled off that line verbatim before finally cracking a smile and admitting that it was sadly accurate. My story about an impromptu shopping expedition with Josh Barnett amused him so much it resulted in a sweaty post-fight hug that I pretty clearly said I didn't want, but got anyway.
Have there been some less gracious responses over the years? Sure, but those are definitely the exception rather than the rule. Fighters generally appreciate that a writer's job is to call it like he sees it. Even if they don't, most have better things to do than read about themselves on the internet. Their managers, however? Those guys are a different story. One for another time. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sonnen, dont
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Weigh-in Results
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis weigh-in results from Friday afternoon's festivities at the Chicago Theater.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyLive UFC on Fox 2 Weigh-in Results (4 p.m. ET)
Sherdog.com reports from Rio de Janeiro with live results from the UFC on Fox 2 weigh-ins, which take place at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, pm, sherdogcom reports
Read the full article at SherdogLive UFC on Fox 2 Weigh-in Results (5 p.m. ET)
Sherdog.com reports from Rio de Janeiro with live results from the UFC on Fox 2 weigh-ins, which take place at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, pm, sherdogcom reports
Read the full article at SherdogWhen Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) first hit the FOX airwaves for UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez...
When Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) first hit the FOX airwaves for UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," company President Dana White and the now retired Brock Lesnar served as booth analysts. So who's handling duties for UFC on FOX 2? That would be retired former heavyweight champion Randy Couture and current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Anyone excited to see "The Natural" back in the fold as an analyst for FOX?
Posted in: ufc, fox, brock lesnar, championship ufc, fox airwaves
Read the full article at MMA ManiaOfficial weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event
Below are the official weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event.UFC on FOX, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and the middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, airs live on FOX from the United Center in Chicago, IL at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Fans can also tune in to FUEL TV for seven prelim bouts at 5pm ET / 2pm PT.MAIN EVENT Phil Davis (205) VS Rashad Evans (205)FOX MAIN CARDMichael Bisping (185) VS Chael Sonnen (185)Demian Maia (186) VS Chris Weidman (185)FUEL PRELIMSNik Lentz (155) VS Evan Dunham (155)John-Olav Einemo (253) VS Mike Russow (251)George Roop (145) vs Cub Swanson (145)Eric Wisely (145) vs Charles Oliveira (144)Michael Johnson (156) VS Shane Roller (156)Lavar Johnson (252) VS Joey Beltran (228)Dustin Jacoby (185) VS Chris Camozzi (185)
Posted in: fox, vs, pm, prelim bouts, chicago il
Read the full article at UFCMore UFC on FOX 2 Pre-Fight Press Conference Highlights
More highlights from the UFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, prefight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 2 weigh-in results and preview videos
UFC on Fox 2Chicago, ILPhil Davis () vs. Rashad Evans ()Michael Bisping () vs. Chael Sonnen ()Demian Maia () vs. Chris Weidman ()Evan Dunham () vs. Nik Lentz ()Michael Johnson () vs. Shane Roller ()Jon Olav Einemo () vs. Mike Russow ()George Roop () vs. Cub Swanson ()Charles Oliveira () vs. Eric Wisely ()Joey Beltran () vs. Lavar Johnson ()Chris Camozzi () vs. Dustin Jacoby ()The UFC on Fox 2 weigh-ins take place at the Chicago Theater with the first fighter on the scale at 5:00PM EST (2:00PM PST). Phil Davis (9-0) vs. Rashad Evans (16-1-1) Michael Bisping (22-3) vs. Chael Sonnen (26-11-1)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, chicago theater
Read the full article at UltMMAUFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Press Conference Highlight
Short on time to watch the complete UFC on Fox 2 pre-fight press conference? The UFC has released a highlight of headliners Phil Davis and Rashad Evans trading verbal jabs over their wrestling credentials before the light heavyweight contenders meet in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 on Saturday.
Pictured: Rashad Evans and Phil Davis (via @DanaWhite)
Posted in: ufc, fox, rashad evans, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Press Conference Highlights
Rashad Evans and Phil Davis face off in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 this Saturday night, but first they did a little verbal sparring on Thursday.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fox, rashad evans, phil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2: Chael Sonnen calls his fight with Michael Bisping the 'true main event'
Talk is cheap.
Perhaps, but it does sell tickets and slam butts in seats. Just ask Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweights Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, who will share the spotlight together as the co-main event at Saturday night's (Jan. 28, 2012) event: UFC on FOX 2, which takes place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Earlier today (Jan. 26, 2012), the talkative twosome joined 102.5 FM's "The Game Nashville Sports Radio" to discuss their upcoming bout.
It didn't take Sonnen long to get into hype mode:
"They (the fans) can expect a fight. They can expect two guys that are coming out to fight. I had to grow up hearing that a fight was boxing. And I had to grow up hearing about this myth: Mike Tyson. Everybody said he was the best fighter in the world. He wasn't even the best fighter in America. Now we've got fighting. Fighting is on TV. Fighting is on FOX. And, you know, the two best fighters in the business just happen to be in the same weight class, and happen to be coming at you live. Eight (o'clock) in the east, five (o'clock) in the west."
For more gems from Sonnen and Bisping, follow me after the jump:
Not to be outdone, Bisping threw down a similar gauntlet for fans and potential fight viewers:
"Listen, I've been fighting since I was eight years old and I've been pretty good at it. I've had so many fights - I can't remember. Now, I'm fortunate enough to be paid to fight. My dream, my goal and my destiny is to be world champion. Saturday night, there's one more man in the way of that, and that's Chael Sonnen. You'll be able to watch it live on TV, on FOX TV. It's gonna be ‘Fight of the Night' if not ‘Fight of the Year.' I'm gonna use a quote that I've used before: ‘If you've got two b---s swinging between your legs, tune in and watch this fight, cuz you ain't gonna be disappointed.'"
Charming, no?
It's talk like that that has garnered "The Count" a bit of a surly reputation. He spoke about how he's been received, particulary in "The States:"
"For me, it started out pretty good, and went downhill pretty fast (laughs). I do get booed, pretty much unanimously, everywhere I go, but I couldn't care less. My last fight, however, I got booed on the way in and cheered on the way out. So, who knows? Maybe I'm start to turn them around. But, ultimately, I don't give a damn. People don't like it. I'm English, I come over and I kick ass and go home! That said, I live here in America now, so it's changed a little bit. I love America. I love spending time here. I love the people. I love the country. I love the food. That said, I've got one American standing in font of me and I wanna kick his ass!"
The wrestling match for air time continued as Sonnen went on to continue hyping Saturday's card, going so far as to proclaim that his fight against Bisping is the real main event:
"Yeah, we've taken over the airwaves. No doubt about it. Two thousand hours is what we've committed to the FOX network stations for the next year. This is a big match coming up this weekend. Not just ours, but it's a tripleheader. We're the true main event. We're the ones that sold the tickets. We're the ones that are bringing the people in. But the fact of the matter is that there's a lot of good talent on this card, and ‘Chael Sonnen Promotions' in conjunction with Zuffa will bring you UFC on FOX 2, LIVE on Saturday night from the United Center. Eight in the east, five in the west, in case you failed to hear me the first time."
Ultimately, both fighters believe this will be no walk in the park. They both predict a war and both believe they themselves will emerge the victor.
Here's what Bisping had to say about the difficulty of the opponent standing in front of him:
"I'm under no illusion that this is gonna be easy. I'm gonna overcome adversity. I'm gonna be put in bad positions. I'm gonna be elbowed in the face, punched in the face, repeatedly. But as he said, I'm doing the same thing to him. We match up very well. We're similar size. I'm assuming we're gonna have similar strengths, overall. Chael is always in great condition. His endurance is always off the chart. So is mine. I'm known for that as well. This is gonna be a fast paced, high intensity match. I plan on being the victor and so does he. That's what makes it exciting. You've got two guys, very confident, high skill sets, that know how to fight. I almost wanna be a spectator myself. Unfortunately, I'm in the damn thing."
Sonnen agreed. He even complimented Bisping on his toughness and grit:
"If I could pay him a compliment, I'd say that his toughness is his greatest attribute. I would say the fact that he goes hard and doesn't back down the whole time is his strongest point.
I'm prepared for war. Michael just made a statement that he's gonna kick my ass, Saturday night. I don't really disagree with that. Where I would step in is to say, I'm gonna kick his ass even worse! This is going to be a fight amongst men. I plan to get my ass kicked but I plan to hand one right back."
Sounds like a plan!
Are you Maniacs fired up for this fight? Do you think Sonnen will be able to use his wrestling to smother Bisping to death? Or will "The Count" use his striking to grab the upper hand?
Comments are welcomed.
Posted in: fight, fox, bisping, sonnen, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Talks UFC on FOX 2, Chael Sonnen's Belt and UFC.com Hacking
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, mattyblayze, chael, talks ufc
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Press Conference Gallery
HeavyMMA photographer James Law takes you inside Thursday's press conference in Chicago for UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, vs, evan
Read the full article at Heavy MMARandy Couture Will Be on FOX Broadcast Team for UFC on FOX 2
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, broadcast, randy, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditRashad Evans, Phil Davis turn up trahstalking heat in UFC on FOX 2 build-up
CHICAGO - Insulting your opponent, or "talking up the fight" is part of the job being in the UFC, Rashad Evans believes.
"It's like personal, but not really personal-personal," Evans said today during a pre-event press conference in
support of UFC on FOX 2, which takes place Saturday at Chicago's United
Center and airs live on FOX.
Then he proceeded to put in a good day's work against Phil Davis, who stands between him and a shot at the
light-heavyweight title.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, evan, days work
Read the full article at MMA JunkieExclusive Gallery: Rashad Evans UFC on Fox Day 1
Exclusive Rashad Evans UFC on Fox 2 photo gallery, day 1. Ryan Loco captures fight week for the title contender in pictures. Check it out.
Posted in: fox, title contender, gallery, fight week, pictures check
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference full video for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
UFC on Fox 2 pre-fight press conference starts at the 24:20 mark.
UFC President Dana White joined the stars of the upcoming UFC on FOX 2 event, scheduled to go down this Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, to dish the dirt on the show. Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Demian Maia, Chris Weidman, Jon Olav Einemo and Mike Russow were all in attendance to answer questions from the media and fans.
And cut a few inspired promos while they were at it. And bicker. Good god, did they bicker.
For all the relevant quotes be sure to hit up our UFC on FOX 2 live blog right here. To see still-shots of these fine gentlemen staring each other down in advance of their respective bouts click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mike russow, blog right, chicago ufc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPhil Davis: “He’s not as good as he things he is, and I am better than he thinks I am.”
Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Phil Davis could vault himself into title contention this Saturday night when he meets Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC on FOX 2. While some may feel like all of this is too much for “Mr. Wonderful” to fully grasp, the former Penn State University wrestling standout believes he will be able to handle the pressure quite well.
Davis, who is 9-0 in his MMA career, will face his stiffest challenge in Evans, a former UFC light heavyweight champ that has held the title of #1 contender for well over a year.
“Yes, I have only nine proper MMA fights, but the inexperience thing isn’t an issue,” said Davis, during a recent press conference promoting UFC on FOX 2. “I am less experienced than every single guy I’ve faced, and I am unbeaten.”
As far as Davis is concerned, he is as experienced as any other fighter in one key area: winning. “I am experienced at winning, and that’s what really matters, and I ‘m going to experience winning again on FOX.”
The war of words between Davis and “Suga” has been interesting to say the least, as Evans is also a former college wrestling standout at Michigan State University – a Big Ten rival of Penn State’s. When the final bell sounds Saturday night in Chicago, the two may have respect for each other, but until that time, it is all hatred.
“He’s delusional. If he things he’s going to out-wrestle or intimidate me, he’s in for a shock Saturday night,” Davis said. “He’s not as good as he things he is, and I am better than he thinks I am. He thinks he’s a better wrestler than me, crazy. I would beat him 100 times out of 100. He was something like .500 in won/losses in wrestling. I was a champion; he just competed.”
See how things play out Saturday night when the show starts at 8:00 PM EST on FOX. Other bouts on the main card include Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman and Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: night, saturday night, fox, thing, davi
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThink the first UFC on Fox was the most important UFC in years? Luke Thomas argues that UFC on Fox...
Think the first UFC on Fox was the most important UFC in years? Luke Thomas argues that UFC on Fox 2 is even more important. Read it at MMA Nation.
Posted in: ufc, fox, luke, year, thoma
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis Pre-fight Press Conference
submitted by lukeh15 [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, prefight, lukeh
Read the full article at RedditFor Chris Weidman, Late Notice No Problem at UFC on Fox in Chicago
For Chris Weidman, 10 days notice to fight Demian Maia got to be pretty insignificant once the opportunity at UFC on Fox in Chicago sunk in.
Posted in: ufc, fox, chicago, notice, chris weidman
Read the full article at Heavy MMADana White Talks UFC on FOX 2, Chael Sonnen's Belt and UFC.com Hacking
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, VideosCHICAGO -- Watch below as UFC president Dana White talks about Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 card, Chael Sonnen's fake belt, his thoughts on the three big fights on the card, expectations going into the second FOX show, the hacking of UFC.com, and other news and notes.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox show, news videoschicago, card expectations
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 2 is even more important to the future of mixed martial arts (MMA) than UFC on FOX 1...
UFC on FOX 2 is even more important to the future of mixed martial arts (MMA) than UFC on FOX 1 was. Find out why at MMA Nation by clicking here.
Posted in: ufc, mma, mma nation, fox, arts mma
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPhil Davis: “Delusional” Rashad Evans In for a Shock at UFC on Fox 2
Phil Davis believes his hard work and not his inexperience will be the difference in Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 main event as he expects to spoil Rashad Evans’ showdown with rival Jon Jones and possibly earn his own shot at the light heavyweight champion, Davis recently told the UFC:
“He’s delusional. If he thinks he’s going to out-wrestle or intimidate me, he’s in for a shock on Saturday night. I’ve been working hard for this; I can’t wait to get back into the Octagon after a layoff. He’s not as good as he thinks he is, and I am better than he thinks I am. He thinks he’s a better wrestler than me, crazy. I would beat him 100 times out of 100. He was something like .500 in won/losses in wrestling. I was a champion; he just competed.
Yes, I have only nine pro MMA fights but the inexperience thing isn’t an issue. I am less experienced than every single guy I’ve faced, and I am unbeaten. I am experienced at winning, and that’s what really matters, and I’m going to experience winning again on FOX.”
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, jon jones, davi, ufc “
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 Real Time Press Conference Highlights
Fans are only two days away from the first official offering from the partnership between broadcasting giant FOX and the UFC, a card surpassing the companies’ tease last November between Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos in terms of pure depth as well as scheduled in-ring action on the popular network.
Set for Chicago this Saturday night, UFC on FOX 2 is headlined by former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans taking on unbeaten wrestling phenom Phil Davis with other featured bouts between top middleweights Demian Maia-Chris Weidman and Michael Bisping-Chael Sonnen.
Before the sextet scrap on FOX they’ll meet up this afternoon as part of a pre-fight press conference promoting the event. Things start up at 2:00 PM EST and Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in throughout, relaying highlights and soundbytes as they unfold from the stage. UFC President Dana White is also expected to participate.
Read below to see what everyone had to say:
Rashad Evans:
Phil Davis:
Michael Bisping:
Chael Sonnen:
Demian Maia:
Chris Weidman:
Dana White:
Posted in: ufc, fox, sextet scrap, official offering, inring action
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 2 Pre-Fight Press Conference Streams Live at 2pm ET
The UFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference will stream live in the video player above at 2pm ET. Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Demian Maia and Chris Weidman are expected to attend.
Posted in: fox, conference, video player, prefight, chris weidman
Read the full article at MMA ConvertBad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 127: Mark Pavelich, UFC On Fox Prelims Preview
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at a special time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts Matt Bishop, Forrest Lynn and MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger as they discuss all the latest news in mixed martial arts. Bishop will be live on the scene in Chicago, the site of Saturday's UFC on FOX. We'll preview all the preliminary bouts from that show.
We're scheduled to be joined by MFC owner Mark Pavelich to discuss tomorrow's MFC 32. We'll chat with him about that event, what's next in some of his different weight classes, defending HDNet and much more.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Get your brand new Demian Maia UFC on FOX walkout T-shirt only from Bad Boy at the brand new BadBoy.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
Want to get in touch with the BE Radio crew? Here's how you can do so:
Phone: (347) 202-0934E-mail: bloodyelbowradio@gmail.comTwitter: @mbish86, @sprewellrimz or @gotahemmiBloodyElbow.com: Leave a question or comment in this post
For those calling in, you will first be picked up by our producer who will take your information and get what you want to talk about. You will then be queued. We will try to get to everyone as soon as we can. We ask that you call in around the time of the topic you want to discuss.
SBN coverage of MFC 32: Bitter Rivals
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, radio, elbow radio, elbow
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Open Workout Photo Gallery
MMAWeekly.com's exclusive UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis open workouts photo gallery. Photos by Jeff Cain.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, workout, photo
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMAjunkie.com Radio hosts pre-UFC on FOX 2 show on Saturday a 3 p.m. ET
Just prior to UFC on FOX 2 on Saturday, MMAjunkie.com Radio will host a special pre-event show to preview the network-televised fight card.
The live one-hour special takes place at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT).
Scheduled guests include UFC on FOX 2 fighter Shane Roller and on-site MMAjunkie.com reporter Dann Stupp.
Posted in: show, fox, mmajunkiecom, noon pt, preevent show
Read the full article at MMA JunkieCombat Sports Chronicles: Team Golden Glory
This weekend, for the first time since last year’s K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, Team Golden Glory will reach the peak of its fighting calendar with MMA and Kickboxing fighters representing the red and yellow badge at It’s Showtime 55 (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands), and UFC on FOX 2 (Chicago, USA).
John-Olav Einemo will look to bounce back from defeat, fighting Mike Russow at UFC on FOX 2 (LIVE on Fuel TV), while Errol Zimmerman, Robin van Roosmalen and Gokhan Saki test their skills at the
Posted in: fox, combat sports, fuel tv, mike russow, kickboxing fighters
Read the full article at Low KickFrom sloppy joes to peanut butter: Weidman's guide to success at UFC on FOX 2
CHICAGO - It was just a little more than a week ago that UFC
middleweight prospect Chris Weidman got the call he,
for some unknown reason, expected to get.
"I just had a feeling that somebody was going to get hurt and I was
going to get a big opportunity," Weidman said at Wednesday's pre-UFC on
FOX 2 workouts.
And so Weidman agreed to fill in on short notice and face Demian Maia on the main card of Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event in
Chicago. Of course, there was the small issue of the 31 pounds he
needed to lose.
Posted in: ufc, fox, weidman, opportunity weidman, wednesdays preufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 Press Conference Video
Filed under: UFCAt the UFC on FOX 2 press conference, fighters participating in Saturday night's UFC on Fox event will meet the media in Chicago, and we'll carry the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.
UFC President Dana White and fighters Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman, Demian Maia, Mike Russow and John-Olav Einemo all will participate.
The press conference begins Thursday at 2 p.m. ET and the video is below.
More: UFC on FOX 2 Fight Card | UFC on FOX 2 Results
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, johnolav einemo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseRashad Evans UFC on FOX Vlog - Day 1
submitted by RyanLoco [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vlog, evan, ryanloco
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2 Pre-Fight Interviews: Evans, Davis, Sonnen, Bisping, Maia, More
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Demian Maia, Mike Russow, Jon-Olav Einemo and Joey Beltran to talk about their upcoming fights this Saturday at UFC on FOX 2.
Posted in: fox, bisping, sonnen, maia, joey beltran
Read the full article at MMA ConvertRashad Evans UFC On Fox Vlog: Wednesday
Ryan Loco takes you inside Rashad Evans' UFC on Fox fight week. Check out Rashad's Wednesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, wednesday, rashad, evan
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 2: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping Fight Video Preview
Outspoken middleweights Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping will meet in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 this Saturday (Jan. 28) in Chicago with the next shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva on the line.
Watch the UFC on Fox 2 video preview for Sonnen vs. Bisping below and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael bisping, sonnen, comain event
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 open media workout photos gallery for 'Evans vs Davis' in Chicago
Mixed martial arts (MMA) photographer extraordinaire, Esther Lin, was on the scene at the Chicago Boxing Club in Chicago, Ill., today (Jan. 25, 2012) to shoot several of the notable fighters who will compete on the UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" main card at the event's open media workouts.
Naturally, the two men who will collide in the main event, Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, were on the scene to promote their light heavyweight clash, as well as work up one of the last few real sweats prior to fight night (Sat., Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in the "Windy City."
Co-main event participants, Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping, were also in attendance prior to their 185-pound clash, which will determine the next challenger for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
Check out more great pics from the UFC on FOX 2 open media workout after the jump courtesy of Esther Lin:
Rashad Evans
Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen
Michael Bisping
Demian Maia
Chris Weidman
Mike Russow
Jon Olav Einemo
Shonie Carter and Chris Weidman
To check out the complete UFC on FOX 2 open media workout photos gallery from Lin, which includes many more fantastic images, click here.
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FOX 2, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook/FUEL TV at 5 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming weekend.
See you Saturday!
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, workout, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis Betting Lines
The betting lines for the UFC on Fox 2 card are now out, and once you get past the main card there's not a whole lot going on. The main event line is basically correct in my eyes, but the other two are still a bit off. Chael Sonnen has actually become a bigger favorite since that line came out, and to me, Bisping at +355 is a good price. The Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia line has gotten a lot closer since it opened, but there's still value on Maia at +125 in my eyes.
As for the undercard...meh. Einemo might be decent at +135 and I like Joey Beltran at -215, but that's about it. Anyway, here are all the lines (undercard after the jump):
Lines courtesy of bookmaker.eu
Jan 28th, live on Fox from Chicago, IL:
Main Card:
Rashad Evans (16-1-1) -175 vs. Phil Davis (9-0) +145
Michael Bisping (22-3) +355 vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) -455
Chris Weidman (7-0) -155 vs. Demian Maia (15-3) +125
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Preliminary Card:
Evan Dunham (12-2) -355 vs. Nik Lentz (21-4-2, 1 NC) +285
Michael Johnson (9-6) +170 vs. Shane Roller (10-5) -210
Jon Olav Einemo (6-2) +135 vs. Mike Russow (14-1, 1 NC) -165
George Roop (12-8-1) +130 vs. Cub Swanson (15-5) -160
Charles Oliveira (14-2, 1 NC) -500 vs. Eric Wisely (19-6) +350
Joey Beltran (13-6) -215 vs. Lavar Johnson (15-5) +175
Chris Camozzi (15-5) -185 vs. Dustin Jacoby (6-1) +155
Posted in: fox, vs, card, line, joey beltran
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Preview: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Rashad Evans takes on Phil Davis for a UFC light heavyweight title shot this Saturday, Jan. 28, at UFC on FOX 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, phil, evan
Read the full article at MMA ConvertJohnny Bedford-Mitch Gagnon bout pulled off UFC on FOX 2 lineup
UFC on FOX 2 has been forced to re-shuffle its lineup at the last second due to a paperwork issue after bantamweight Mitch Gagnon was unable to obtain his visa to enter the U.S. from Canada in time for his fight. Gagnon was set to face Johnny Bedford on the televised prelims. In place of Bedford-Gagnon, the heavyweight bout between Joey Beltran and Lavar Johnson will receive additional coverage leaving only Dustin Jacoby-Chris Camozzi as the lone Facebook-only streamed fight.
Bedford, who took part in the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, downed Louis Gaudinot in his Octagon debut at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Despite the cancellation of the bout it appears Bedford will still be paid his show money.
MMAWeekly was first to report the change.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place this Saturday night in Chicago with a triple-shot of high-caliber action on FOX in the form of Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen, and Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans. The main card starts on FOX at 8:00 PM EST with FX carrying the prelims beforehand.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, lavar johnson, heavyweight bout, change ufc
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainJohnson says Roller 'tailor-made,' predicts action-packed UFC on FOX 2 clash
Both "The Ultimate Fighter 12" veteran Michael Johnson and former WEC contender Shane Roller are in need of a win at Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 event.
Yet Johnson insists there's no pressure heading into the matchup.
After all, when you're fighting an opponent who's "tailor-made" for your style, with what is there to be concerned?
Posted in: fox, johnson, actionpacked ufc, roller tailormade, tailormade
Read the full article at MMA JunkieChael Sonnen vs Michael Bisping fight video preview for UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28 in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) invades the United Center in Chicago, Ill., this Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, with its UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start time.
That means sometime around roughly 8:45 p.m. or so we can expect to see the co-main event of the evening, which is a middleweight title eliminator featuring the always controversial Chael Sonnen taking on British bad boy Michael Bisping.
Seeing as we're talking about two veritable heels squaring off against each other, "The Count" knows there are quite a few folks hoping to see them both kissing canvas. He's ready to disappoint y'all.
"A lot of people are wishing for a double knockout in this one but that ain't going to happen. There's only going to be one person knocked out and that's Chael Sonnen."
Sonnen keeps it simple:
"I'm going to take these (fists), I'm going to walk across the ring, and I'm going to hit him with them repeatedly. If he hits me more times with his fists, he'll win, if I hit him more, I'll win."
We're just a few days away, Maniacs. Who ya' got advancing on to a fight against Anderson Silva for the 185-pound strap?
For all the latest news and notes on UFC on FOX 2 click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sonnen, chael, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 2: Bedford-Gagnon Scratched, Beltran-Johnson Promoted
Just three days before showtime, a bantamweight showdown between Johnny Bedford and Mitch Gagnon has been scratched from the UFC on Fox 2 fight bill due to visa issues, promotion officials announced Wednesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnny bedford, bantamweight showdown, mitch gagnon
Read the full article at SherdogNew Flyweights John Dodson, Darren Uyenoyama Meet at UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey
John Dodson, the TUF 14 bantamweight winner, and Darren Uyenoyama will drop to flyweight and meet at UFC on Fox 3 when the UFC returns to New Jersey.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc returns, darren uyenoyama, uyenoyama
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 3 Fight Card Rumors
UFC on Fox 3 fight card rumors and start times at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 5, 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, izod center
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 2: Beltran vs. Johnson on Fuel TV Prelims with Bedford vs. Gagnon Scratched
A heavyweight matchup between Joey Beltran and Lavar Johnson will air on UFC on Fox 2′s Fuel TV prelims after a bantamweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter 14′s Johnny Bedford and newcomer Mitch Gagnon was scatched from the event for undisclosed reasons.
UFC on Fox 2 takes place on Saturday, January 28 at the United Center in Chicago and features a tripleheader on Fox with light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, middleweight contenders Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping, and Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Joey Beltran
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, johnny bedford, beltran
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC On Fox 2 Video: A Day In The Life Of Phil Davis
With the highest profile fight of his young career coming up Saturday at UFC On Fox 2, the undefeated Phil Davis takes fans behind the curtain in part one of this "day in the life" video.
We get shots of Davis shadowboxing and sparring with comments from striking coach Adrian Melendez on Davis' improvements with his standup game and why he thinks he will win on Saturday.
It should be noted that this is not a UFC produced video so there's several sponsor mentions throughout. Part 2 will focus on Davis' cardio.
The 27-year-old Davis (9-0) battles Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC On Fox 2, his first fight since decisioning Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at a Fight Night event in March. He was slated to fight Evans at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.
See the full seven-minute video after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, video, davi
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDodson-Uyenoyama Flyweight Bout Added to UFC on Fox 3
The UFC’s flyweight division now has two new faces.
Posted in: ufc, fox, division, flyweight, dodsonuyenoyama
Read the full article at SherdogAudio: UFC on FOX 2 Media Conference Call with Sonnen, Bisping, Evans, Davis, Maia & Weidman
John Dodson dropping down, will face Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 3
One of the most recent winners of the Ultimate Fighter, John Dodson, will make his post-TUF debut at UFC on FOX 3 when he moves down a division to meet Darren Uyenoyama at 125 pounds.
It was not announced where the Dodson-Uyenoyama bout would take place but it is likely to be slated for the prelims given the size/scope of past FOX events. The only other fight scheduled to date for the card, set for May 5 from New Jersey, is a tilt between talented lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
The match-up has been confirmed by the UFC’s website.
Dodson won the first bantamweight TUF title in the series’ history last fall, capping off the UFC’s run on Spike TV with a thrilling performance in the finale over T.J. Dillashaw. Dodson holds an overall record of 12-5 and is expected to excel as a flyweight based on size and success at 135 pounds.
Comparably, “BC” sports a 7-3 career mark including a victory over Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto at the first UFC on FOX show back in November. Like Dodson, Uyenoyama will also be dropping down from bantamweight to compete at flyweight while looking for his third straight victory in the ring.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, dodson, darren uyenoyama, dodson uyenoyama
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 2: Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis Breakdown
Traveling to the windy city on Saturday January 28th, The UFC will be live and free for the second time on FOX and is not coming short with amazing fights for the causal and hardcore fan alike. Featuring three bouts to be aired on the national broadcast, two middleweights will pave the way for a [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, saturday, city
Read the full article at Fighthub TVJohn Dodson, Darren Uyenoyama Meet at Flyweight at UFC on Fox 3
The Ultimate Fighter 14 winner John Dodson and Darren Uyenoyama will drop from bantamweight to flyweight when they square off at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in New Jersey, the UFC announced overnight.
Dodson (12-5) won TUF 14′s 135-pound tournament and “Knockout of the Night” honors with a first-round TKO of T.J. Dillashaw at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in December, while Uyenoyama (7-3) topped veteran Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto in his Octagon debut at UFC on Fox 1 in November.
UFC on Fox 3 also features a meeting between top lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
For the latest UFC on Fox 3 rumors and UFC on Fox 3 news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: John Dodson
Posted in: ufc, fox, john, dodson, uyenoyama
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC On Fox 2: The Time For Joe Rogan To Shine Has Arrived
Joe Rogan is a talented guy. He turned a stand-up career into several successful TV series with residuals that pay the bills, introduced a podcast/videocast that is one of the most downloaded of its kind and continued his high-profile comedy career, all while being one of the most recognizable voices and figures to UFC fans.
In all, life is pretty awesome for Joe Rogan.
This Saturday, he gets another shot at national exposure for something other than Fear Factor with UFC On Fox 2. This won't be like last November where he gets just a few minutes to introduce and then call a fight that is over in an instant.
With two solid hours and three fights guaranteed to make air, there's plenty of time for Rogan and lead announcer Mike Goldberg to make their impressions on people that have never seen the UFC before.
That's why Saturday marks an extremely important event for Rogan, the UFC and Fox Sports in general. They need to bust out of the MMA bubble and figure out how Rogan can step his game up and deeper explain what's happening in the Octagon to the casual or new fan tuning in, especially when it comes to Brazilian jiujitsu.
If you were relatively new to the sport like me when you first started watching, you had no idea what 'guard' was. When things went to the ground, you assumed the guy on top had an advantage. Cage grappling looked like resting, not working. Knockouts are easy to understand, everything else isn't. Seven years after I first decided to invest myself into MMA and after enrolling in several martial arts programs, I get it. New viewers don't have that luxury.
One could argue that the UFC and Rogan have been doing a great job at this for years and I agree to an extent. I always think there's an opportunity to educate those who aren't reading sites like Bloody Elbow and simply are dropping into watch a fight or those who want to learn more but feel dumb asking. I used to be one of those people and this Saturday, millions more like 2005 me will be tuning in.
What fight could Rogan have the most impact on? Join me after the jump.
Where Rogan can really shine is in the broadcast's opening bout between Chris Weidman and Demian Maia, a fight that will quite surely spend an extended period of time on the mat. Rogan has to assume he's talking to new people without dumbing it down for the hardcore fans. If done right, it will have an impact. It's a delicate balance but if anyone can do it, it's him.
I'm positive there are those who roll their eyes at the notion about more explaining and descriptions and will claim it potentially would disrupt the natural flow of watching a match. However, this is why the UFC is on Fox. They need to bring more people in and can't assume the attention span is going to be there for people to self-educate like there was when the boom period began in 2005.
When Rogan is talking with that Fox Sports microphone in front of his face, he is to be judged alongside his peers in football, baseball, NASCAR and every sport that Fox airs. His role is that of an educator for what's happening so everyone from the rookie to the novice understands what's going on. Rogan has done a good job in the past. Now, it's his time to be great.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, people, joe rogan, rogan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 3: John Dodson vs Darren Uyenoyama booked for May 5 in New Jersey
John Dodson is heading back to New Jersey.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 winner, who made a trip to the "Garden State" last year to tryout for the former Spike TV reality show, is now booked to throw hands against Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 3 on May 5, 2012, from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford.
And he'll do it in his natural weight class of 125-pounds.
Dodson (12-5) graduated at the top of his TUF class, laying waste to Brandon Merkt, "Prince" Albert and Johnny Bedford. That set up a showdown against T.J. Dillashaw in last December's live finale, which he won in devastating fashion.
Can "The Magician" show off some new tricks as a flyweight?
Standing in his was will be Uyenoyama (7-3), also the beneficiary of the promotion's new weight class.
"BC" has been playing pinball with his career, bouncing off promotions such as Cage Combat Fighting Championships (CCCFC), Deep, Shooto, Strikeforce and now the UFC. His first appearance inside the Octagon resulted in a unanimous decision win over Norifumi Yamamoto.
Who establishes themselves as the next big thing at 125-pounds?
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a lightweight fight featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. The victor is widely-expected to move on to face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, who compete next month at UFC 144 in Japan.
Stay tuned for future announcements to this still-developing fight card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dodson, garden state, future announcements
Read the full article at MMA Mania102 Days Out: Nathan Diaz Vs Jim Miller Booked For UFC On FOX 3
Dana White took to Twitter Tuesday evening to announce that a fight between lightweights Jim Miller and Nathan Diaz had been finalized for May 5th in New Jersey. The event will be the third UFC on FOX production. The fight between Diaz and Miller will not be the main event. Miller is 10-2 in the UFC while Diaz has a record of 8-3 at lightweight in the promotion.
The two men round out first ten picked to appear on Fox cards. They join:
Junior Dos SantosCain VelasquezRashad EvansPhil DavisChael SonnenMichael BispingDemian MaiaChris Weidman*
*injury replacement for Mark Munoz.
Nathan Diaz is the 13th ranked fighter in the division. He is a Graciefighter.Jim Miller is the seventh ranked fighter in the division. He fights for AMA fight club.
We will have more on the match up as it nears.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fox, miller
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendNate Diaz-Jim Miller Booked for UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey
Jim Miller and Nate Diaz, both coming off impressive victories, will meet May 3 at UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey in what may turn into a top lightweight contenders fight.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, nate diaz, jersey
Read the full article at Heavy MMATUF Champ John Dodson Moves to Flyweight, Faces Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 3
Filed under: UFC, NewsLast year's Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson won't stick around at bantamweight.
With the arrival of a flyweight class in the UFC, the "Magician" will disappear from the 135-pound weight class to move down to the flyweight division, where he will face Darren Uyenoyama at the upcoming UFC on FOX 3 event, the UFC confirmed late on Tuesday night.
Dodson (12-5) steamrolled his way through season 14 of TUF last year, knocking out TJ Dillashaw in the finals to capture his division. The Team Greg Jackson trained fighter is 27 years old.
Uyenoyama (7-3) will also be making his octagon flyweight division, though he has fought in the UFC once before, defeating Kid Yamamoto via decision at the first UFC on FOX show.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place on May 5 from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The only other announced bout to date is a lightweight fight between highly ranked contenders Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, flyweight, kid yamamoto, darren uyenoyama
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDodson vs. Uyenoyama at UFC on Fox 3
UFC officials added a bantamweight bout pitting John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama to the UFC on Fox 3 fight card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bantamweight bout, dodson, uyenoyama
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama Announced For UFC on FOX 3 on May 5
It looks like the UFC liked the idea of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller as much as everyone else did after their recent wins because they’ve gone ahead and booked the match-up for UFC on FOX 3 on May 5.
Dana White announced the fight this evening on Twitter.
Our 3rd FOX fight May 5th at the IZOD Center in New Jersey will feature Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller!!! Nate = 3 sub and 5 FON Jim = 3 SON!!
Dana didn’t mention any title implications involved with the fight, but you have to imagine the winner would be right up there with the Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis winner for the next lightweight title fight. There’s definitely a lot of possibilities at lightweight right now.
Another UFC on FOX 3 match-up was also announced tonight. TUF 14′s bantamweight winner John Dodson will move down to flyweight to take on Darren Uyenoyama.
Images via Dave Mandel for Sherdog
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, nate, jim
Read the full article at MMA ConvertNate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Booked for UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in New Jersey
Ahead of the second UFC on Fox event this Saturday, UFC President Dana White announced today that UFC on Fox 3 will take place on May 5 in New Jersey and will feature a showdown between top lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
White confirmed that UFC on Fox 3 will take place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 5th, the same night as a major boxing match featuring Flory Mayweather much like the UFC’s Fox debut in November, which preceded Pacquiao/Marquez III.
Miller (21-3) just posted his eighth win in his last nine matches after submitting Melvin Guillard in the first round of the UFC on FX 1 main event last Friday. A native of New Jersey, Miller also fought on the two most recent cards held in the state, with wins over Kamal Shalorus at UFC 128 last year and Mark Bocek at UFC 111 in 2010.
Diaz (15-7) is coming off of arguably the most impressive victory of his career, as he defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 141 in December. Diaz, who returned to the lightweight division in September, is now sporting a two fight win streak after a 2-2 record at welterweight.
With Frankie Edgar defending the lightweight title against Ben Henderson at UFC 144 on February 25th in Japan, this matchup could possibly determine the number one contender. No other matchups were announced for the event, but Diaz vs. Miller is unlikely to be the headliner.
This will be the third straight year the UFC has held an event just outside New York City following UFC 111 and UFC 128 at the nearby Prudential Center in Newark. As the UFC continues to push for legalizing MMA in the state of New York, the organization routinely returns to New Jersey in hopes of demonstrating the money an event in New York City could bring.
For the latest UFC on Fox 3 rumors and UFC on Fox 3 news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, miller, jersey
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyJim Miller vs. Nate Diaz On Tap for UFC on Fox 3 May 5 in New Jersey
The UFC has now planned their third Fox show for May 5 at the IZOD Center in New Jersey and the first fight has also been announced.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox show, jersey, izod center
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 3: Jim Miller vs Nate Diaz fight set for May 5 in New Jersey
With the sophomore effort of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just days away on Jan. 28, 2012, the promotion today announced that a fantastic lightweight showdown will be featured on its third show on network television at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012.
Jim Miller, who hails from nearby Sparta, will take on Stockton, Calif., scrapper Nate Diaz in what is likely a number one 155-pound contender eliminator match in the UFC on Fox 3 televised main card.
UFC President Dana White shared the good news via his official twitter account. No other bouts for UFC on Fox 3 have been revealed at this time.
More on this breaking news shortly.
Posted in: ufc, fox, championship ufc, sophomore effort, izod center
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJim Miller vs Nate Diaz UFC on Fox 3 May 5th
submitted by kevinhill92 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, miller, jim
Read the full article at RedditChris Weidman Couldn’t Pass Up Opportunity of a Lifetime to Fight at UFC on Fox
Grand opportunities usually come once in a lifetime, and undefeated UFC middleweight Chris Weidman knows that his is staring him in the face when he fights Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, weidman, lifetime
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC plays it safe with 'Evans vs Davis' event on FOX and it could produce disastrous results
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make its second venture into the network television waters this coming Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, when it brings the UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event to the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
It's a pay-per-view caliber fight card featuring two different match-ups that could determine the next challengers to the middleweight and light heavyweight championships. If that sounds like a good thing, that's because it is, but the match-ups themselves could result in three of the least aesthetically pleasing fights possible.
When the UFC dipped its toes in to test the waters with FOX last November, it did so with a heavyweight championship fight that all but guaranteed a knockout. Sure enough, 64 seconds into the bout, Junior dos Santos floored Cain Velasquez with a looping punch to win the title and send the fans home happy.
When the ratings came in, the fight was deemed a smashing success, having garnered a peak of 8.8 million viewers for the short but sweet contest. Obviously, that gives hope for something to build on.
However, UFC President Dana White was quick to tell folks that he was dealing with a lot of heat behind the scenes and we, both the media and fans, are not privy to the kind of pressure his organization is put under from various sources. Perhaps that played a big part in the "play it safe" mentality when it came to booking the next FOX card.
Let's take a brief look at the three match-ups on tap for Saturday that feature big names but are likely going to be duds inside the cage.
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
A solid match-up featuring two guys who have shown no aversion to trash talking each other to help hype the fight. But they've also both made no bones about the fact that wrestling is going to play a big part in the eventual outcome. Evans boasts knockout power in his hands that is to be respected, enough so that we could very well be looking at 25 minutes of Davis shooting for takedowns and because Rashad has serviceable takedown defense, they could end up stalling each other out up against the fence while the Chicago crowd showers them with boos. Not exactly a good look for live TV and not something that will maintain viewership. When you factor in Davis best route to victory is to get Evans to the floor, and Rashad isn't exactly a jiu-jitsu wizard, this one has potential snoozefest written all over it. If Evans wins he earns a title shot, sure, but if he does it in a fight everyone hates, will anyone want to see his championship chase? Will the casuals convert to pay-per-view buyers because of it?
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
This fight isn't much different than the main event. Bisping has hands that have best been described by his peers as "pillow fists." That's because he's not knocking anyone out with them and Sonnen isn't the kind of fighter who takes frequent trips to Queer Street anyway. Chael, meanwhile, has made his name by simply dragging opponents to the mat and outworking them from top position on his way to decision victories. Sure, he's got submissions in his arsenal, as he showed against Brian Stann, but those are few and far between. Bisping is better off his back and should cancel any threat of that type of attack. The blueprint here seems to be Sonnen taking the Brit down and "The Count" hunting for submissions. It's likely going to look that way for all three rounds, too. Or Sonnen gets a takedown and Bisping manages to get back up (which he's very good at doing) and they simply repeat that process. Unless Bisping finds a submission or Sonnen's ground and pound actually scores a knockout (as if), this should serve as the worst possible appetizer to the main event to come.
185 lbs.: Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
Despite these two having the least amount of name value, they have the biggest potential to deliver the most fireworks. Maia is a jiu-jitsu wizard who creates sweet poetry when he works his craft on the mat against what always seems to be helpless opponents. Weidman is the furthest thing from that, as he provides quite the foil for Maia's vaunted grappling. So what's the problem here? Well, even if they get into a glorified jiu-jitsu match and trade submission attempts on the mat, how likely is the casual crowd tuning in on FOX to be enamored with it? Sure, the educated portion of the fanbase will have a gay old time but folks tuning in hoping to see some free FIGHTS -- you know, where two guys stand and trade punches until someone gets knocked out -- will be terribly disappointed. And believe me, there are far more of those fans that exist than anyone cares to admit.
This is a fascinating card for many reasons, but the biggest of which is that UFC decided to play it so safe with the matchmaking, offering three separate fights between foes who could all cancel out the strengths of the other. It's entirely possible -- likely, even -- that all three bouts go to decision. One on the one hand, that means casual fans will be exposed to all aspects of MMA but on the other it means they may very well come to learn terms like "lay-n-pray."
No one wants that.
Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen could earn title shots against Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, respectively, by winning their fights this Saturday night. It's just unfortunate they may very well do so in the most mundane, spiritless way possible.
Now who wants to tell me why I'm full of crap?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sonnen, evan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRevised UFC on FOX 2 schedule includes presser invite for fans, Cruz Q&A
UFC on Fox 2 Sold Out for “Evans vs. Davis” in Chicago
UFC on Fox 2 has officially sold out the United Center in Chicago for Saturday’s event, which is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, the UFC announced on Monday.
The Fox-televised tripleheader also features a middleweight number one contender’s bout between Chael Sonenn and Michael Bisping and another middleweight matchup between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman.
Check out the latest UFC on Fox 2 fight card below and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete UFC on Fox 2 coverage.
MAIN CARD
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman
PRELIMINARY CARD
Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Mike Russow vs. John-Olav Einemo
Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon
George Roop vs. Cub Swanson
Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely
Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson
Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby
Pictured: Rashad Evans
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC On Fox 2: Dana White Releases First Video Blog
UFC President Dana White got to video blog action early this week, releasing his first UFC On Fox 2 video blog on Monday, which focused on all the backstage happenings from last Friday's UFC On FX premiere.
Some highlights:
For the medical students in our readership, you'll get plenty of the post-fight doctor checkups. Eye scans, hand checks, verbal questions...they're all here!
A shot of Jorge Rivera and his goodbye in the cage with the Nashville crowd chanting "Jor-Hey!"
Before his walkout, Mike Easton is yelling at Jared Papazian somewhere in front of him. To say he's an intense dude is an understatement.
An 'only in the UFC' moment when a bloodied Christian Morecraft and Pat Barry shared a moment as both are being checked out.
Papazian's coach admonished him for running around too much in the Easton fight and reminding him about leaving it all in the cage. It was a refreshing moment where a coach was being brutally honest minutes after a fight instead of trying to make his charge feel good for the sake of an ego.
Remember when White said he was waiting for Guillard to take things more seriously? We get a shot of Guillard posing for a picture backstage with an arena worker before his fight. I worked for a pro hockey team for seven years and arena workers were always told to never bother the athletes/entertainers and especially when it was showtime, but apparently things are different in Nashville.
Post-fight, Guillard explained how he got caught in Miller's rear naked choke.
Jon Jones gave his predictions for Saturday's Rashad Evans-Phil Davis tilt, adding "Rashad's chin sucks."
See the 10-minute clip after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, fox, blog, christian morecraft, arena workers
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2 Videos Blog with Dana White (Episode 2)
UFC President Dana White is back with his first video blog for Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago, which features a behind the scenes look at this past weekend’s “UFC on FX 1: Guillard vs. Miller” event and Jon Jones’ prediction on the UFC on Fox 2 main event between rival Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, video blog, rashad evans
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox 2 Videos Blog with Dana White (Episode 1)
UFC President Dana White is back with his first video blog for Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago, which features a behind the scenes look at this past weekend’s “UFC on FX 1: Guillard vs. Miller” event and Jon Jones’ prediction on the UFC on Fox 2 main event between rival Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, video blog, rashad evans
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDana White’s UFC on FOX 2 Video Blog: Part One
The UFC takes us behind the scenes of UFC on FX 1 in this first installment of Dana White’s UFC on FOX 2 video blog.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White UFC on Fox 2 Video Blog – Day 1
It's UFC on Fox 2 week and here is the latest installment of Dana White's video blog, including a prediction on the main event from light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, dana, blog
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White UFC on FOX - Chicago vlog day 1
submitted by killzy707 [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, killzy, vlog, chicago
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2 tickets sold out for 'Evans vs Davis' at United Center in Chicago
Tickets for UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012, today sold out, according to a press release from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that was issued earlier this evening.
The sophomore effort by the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion on network television is set to take place at the 20,000-seat United Center, which is home to the NBA's Bulls and the NHL's Blackhawks.
UFC President Dana White was, unsurprisingly, thrilled to make the announcement:
"The fans in Chicago have wanted us to come back there for a long time and they proved why it's a great sports town by selling out the United Center. Get ready Chicago! We're bringing a night of fights that you won't forget!"
The last (and only other) time the organization ventured near the "Windy City" was with UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote" at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont back in Oct. 2008.
UFC on FOX 2 features a main event between top 205-pound contenders Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, which will earn "Suga" the next light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones this summer if he can pull off the victory.
In the co main event, Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping will collide for the next crack at UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, while another middleweight clash -- Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman -- will round out the televised main card.
It's going to be very entertaining night of fights, which is apparently attracting a significant amount of interest based on the terrific ticket sales.
Remember that even though that UFC on Fox 2 tickets are sold out, they can still be purchased through StubHub.com. It will also be available to watch right in your living room on the local FOX network at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.
For the latest UFC on Fox 2 news and notes check out our event archive right here. And for the latest "Evans vs. Davis" fight card click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, ticket, chicago
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Undisputed Winner – Evans vs. Davis (Video)
Rashad Evans takes on Phil Davis in a light heavyweight battle at UFC on FOX 2 on Saturday night. Watch the UFC on FOX 2 Undisputed 3 Fight Simulation.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fox, phil davis, evan
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis in Chicago Sold Out
The UFC's return to Chicago for the first time since October 2008 is already a successful one. UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis at the United Center is sold out.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, chicago, ufcs return
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 sells out Chicago's United Center
Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event officially has sold out, UFC executives today announced.
The event, which is the UFC's sophomore effort on the FOX network, takes place Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center.
A tripleheader featuring light heavyweights Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis airs on FOX and precedes the night's FUEL TV-televised preliminary card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, chicago, fox network
Read the full article at MMA JunkieInjured big toe presented big problems for UFC on FOX 2's Evan Dunham
So Evan Dunham, what are your hobbies?
Training, training and training.
This could be a problem when you're trying to stay injury-free, and the 30-year-old lightweight, who next fights Nik Lentz this weekend at UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago, is still working that out. Or just as likely, crossing his fingers.
Posted in: ufc, dunham, fox, training, evan dunham
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2: Chris Weidman 'the wrestler' will be looking for submissions against Demian Maia
Former UFC middleweight number one contender Demian Maia is a five-time world jiu-jitsu champion with four UFC "Submission of the Night" bonuses. He's widely-recognized as one of the most gifted grapplers in his division, if not the entire promotion.
So why is Chris Weidman looking to take their fight to the ground?
Probably because he's a wrestler. Not just any wrestler either, but a NCAA Division 1 All-American out of Hofstra University, undefeated in seven professional fights and 3-0 inside the Octagon.
In other words, he's good.
It should come as no surprise then, to hear the Ring of Combat veteran was first choice to replace Michael Bisping at the UFC on FOX 2 event this Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. "The Count" left Maia without a date to the big dance when Mark Munoz needed a substitute against Chael Sonnen.
It was "good stuff," as Weidman explains to USA Today, and an opportunity he wasn't going to let "someone else jump in there and take."
Have a look.
"I'm a wrestler. I'm always going to start the fight obviously standing, (but) if the takedowns are there, I'm going to get my takedown. I'm always going to be looking to pass and I'm always going to be looking for submissions no matter who I'm fighting. Some people never have opportunities like this given to them. I wasn't going to let someone else jump in there and take that opportunity, so it's good stuff."
If Weidman can win, and win convincingly, it might catapult him to the top of the 185-pound food chain, and perhaps one fight away from challenging for the strap.
Perhaps a victory in the "Windy City" will put him in line to welcome "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" back to the cage later this year?
The re-worked UFC on FOX 2 event, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injuries to battle for the right to fight division champion Jon Jones.
Let's also not forget the aforementioned middleweight title eliminator that pits former championship challenger Sonnen against Bisping, the winner of which will battle 185-pound kingpin Anderson Silva later this year.
And it all plays out on free TV.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our comprehensive event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, im, wrestler
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSportsnet ONE to carry UFC on FOX prelims
Sportsnet brings you another 5 hours of live fights Saturday as UFC on FOX prelims will air on Sportsnet ONE, main card on regional channels
Posted in: ufc, fox, sportsnet, fox prelims, fights saturday
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX prelims and live coverage
Watch UFC on FOX prelims NOW on Sportsnet ONE followed by the main card at 8 pm ET on Sportsnet regional channels.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sportsnet, prelim, fox prelims
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX main card and live coverage
Watch UFC on FOX main card NOW on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific. Also, follow live fight results here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, fight results, ontario west
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX NFL Playoff Commericial Featuring Jon Jones
Here’s the new UFC on FOX commercial featuring Jon Jones that ran during yesterday’s 49′ers vs. Giants game.
Posted in: ufc, jon, jone, fox, jon jones
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX commercial featuring Jon Jones from NFL Playoffs (Video)
For those mixed martial arts (MMA) fans who don't give a rat's ass about the National Football League (NFL) or its playoffs, you probably weren't glued to the idiot box this weekend, missing out on the latest commercial from the FOX network advertising its new partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was front and center on Sunday (Jan. 22, 2012) afternoon in the above UFC on FOX commercial that took a soft but whimsical approach to the network's addition of cage fighting.
The timing couldn't have been better.
UFC on FOX two is less than a week away, going down this Saturday night (Jan. 28) live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and featuring a light heavyweight contendership fight between former 205-pound champion Rashad Evans and undefeated up-and-comer Phil Davis.
The winner?
They might be facing than yep, you guessed, "Bones" Jones. So what did you think of the commercial Maniacs? Doing anything for you? (Better quality coming soon.)
Posted in: ufc, jone, fox, chicago illinois, networks addition
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRashad Evans vs. Phil Davis: Let the Fireworks Begin at UFC on Fox
A week before their main event at UFC on Fox, Rashad Evans and Phil Davis have already started with the verbal sparring.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, phil, evan
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Evans vs Davis' on Jan. 28 in Chicago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently put the finishing touches on its upcoming network televised fight card from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Sat., Jan. 28, 2012.
UFC on FOX 2 will feature a light heavyweight match-up between former division champion Rashad Evans and undefeated prospect Phil Davis. The winner could be in line for a shot at Jon Jones 205-pound title.
Also booked for the "Windy City" fight card is a middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. UFC President Dana White has declared the winner the new 185-pound number one contender.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 2 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Main Card (FOX):
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping185 lbs.: Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
265 lbs.: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow155 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz135 lbs.: Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon145 lbs.: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby265 lbs.: Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson155 lbs.: Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Jan. 28), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on FUEL TV.
We're still a few days away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Evans vs. Davis" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.
For all the latest news and notes for UFC on FOX 2 be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, card
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FX 1 Video Highlights
Video: Highlights: UFC on FX 1
Video highlights from UFC on FX 1 via Fox Sports.
Posted in: ufc, fx, fox, video, sport
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFans invited to next week's UFC on FOX 2 open workouts in Chicago
The UFC returns to network television this month, and fans are invited
to attend next week's UFC on FOX 2 pre-event open workout sessions in Chicago.
UFC officials recently announced the pre-fight activity will take place Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Chicago Boxing Club.
UFC on FOX 2 headliners Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, as well as Michael
Bisping, Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, Chris Weidman, Mike Russow and
John-Olav Einemo all appear during the session, which begins at 1 p.m.
ET (12 p.m. CT local time) and are free and open to the public.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, chicago, weeks ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis Weigh-Ins Set for Chicago Theatre
The official weigh-in event for UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis will take place at the historic downtown Chicago Theatre on Jan. 27, preceded by a Q&A with Jon Jones.
Posted in: ufc, fox, chicago, theatre, chicago theatre
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2 weigh in results, information and details for 'Evans vs Davis' on Jan. 27 in Chicago
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" is set to take place next Friday (Jan. 27, 2012) live from the Chicago Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 5 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
UFC on FOX 2 will feature a light heavyweight match-up between former division champion Rashad Evans and undefeated prospect Phil Davis. The winner could be in line for a shot at Jon Jones 205-pound title.
Also booked for the "Windy City" fight card is a middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. UFC President Dana White has declared the winner the new 185-pound number one contender.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 2 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Main Card (FOX):
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping185 lbs.: Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia
Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
265 lbs.: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow155 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz135 lbs.: Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon145 lbs.: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby265 lbs.: Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson155 lbs.: Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller
For those fortunate enough to be in "Chi-town" next week, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 3 p.m. CT. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones at 2 p.m. local time.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Jan. 28), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on FUEL TV.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FOX 2 coverage you can handle.
For all the latest news and notes on "Evans vs. Davis" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, evan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 weigh-ins slated for Jan. 27 in Chicago, Jon Jones hosts Q&A
Weigh-ins for this month's "UFC on FOX 2" event take place Friday, Jan. 27, at The Chicago Theater.
The nearby United Center hosts the following night's FOX-broadcast event,
which features a light heavyweight headliner between former champ
Rashad Evans and undefeated contender Phil Davis.
Additionally, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who could
potentially meet the winner of UFC on FOX 2's main event, hosts a
special Q&A session for UFC Fight Club members prior to the
weigh-ins.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, host, qampa session
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 2 Media Call: Chael Sonnen says "business is done" with Anderson Silva
Top Light Heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis will headline the stacked UFC on Fox 2 fight card, set to take place January 28th from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Also featured will be a pair of Middleweight clashes, one of which pits Chael Sonnen against Michael Bisping in the co-main event, while the other will see Demian Maia take on rising prospect Chris Weidman.Below are highlights from today's UFC on Fox 2 Media Conference Call, which included headliners Rashad Evans and Phil
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, demian maia, todays ufc
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on FOX 2
UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis
Date: January 28, 2012
Venue: United Center
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Articles
Video
UFC on FOX 2 play-by-play
Main Bouts (on Fox):
-Rashad Evans (16-1-1; #2 Light Heavyweight) vs. P
[...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, vs, evan
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 2 Card: Evans vs. Davis
An injury to Mark Munoz has completely remade the top of the UFC on Fox 2 card, which takes place on January 28th in Chicago, IL. Munoz was originally scheduled to face Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping was scheduled to face Demian Maia, but everything got flip-turned upside down. Sonnen will now face Bisping in a number one contenders matchup, and Maia will now meet undefeated uber-prospect Chris Weidman. And you've got Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis still in the main event. How do you like that, Chicago? Here's the revised and current card (undercard after the jump):
Jan 28th, live on Fox from Chicago, IL:
Main Card:
Rashad Evans (16-1-1) vs. Phil Davis (9-0)
Michael Bisping (22-3) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1)
Chris Weidman (7-0) vs. Demian Maia (15-3)
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Preliminary Card:
Evan Dunham (12-2) vs. Nik Lentz (21-4-2, 1 NC)
Michael Johnson (9-6) vs. Shane Roller (10-5)
Johnny Bedford (18-9-1) vs. Mitch Gagnon (8-1)
Jon Olav Einemo (6-2) vs. Mike Russow (14-1, 1 NC)
George Roop (12-8-1) vs. Cub Swanson (15-5)
Charles Oliveira (14-2, 1 NC) vs. Eric Wisely (19-6)
Joey Beltran (13-6) vs. Lavar Johnson (15-5)
Chris Camozzi (15-5) vs. Dustin Jacoby (6-1)
Posted in: fox, vs, card, evan, chicago il
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Production Changes in Motion with New Hires
When the UFC signed a new broadcasting agreement with Fox, UFC president Dana White said that there would be numerous changes. Two new hires signal that change is now afoot.
Posted in: ufc, fox, change, signal, broadcasting agreement
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 odds: Chael Sonnen (-450) and Chris Weidman (-200) open as favorites
The UFC on FOX 2 odds and betting lines have been readjusted for the recent fight card switcherooni, one that saw Michael Bisping move up to fight Chael Sonnen and Chris Weidman jump in to battle Demian Maia.
Those changes were brought about following the injury to Mark Munoz, who is no longer competing on the FOX televised event, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Sonnen jumped out to a whopping -450 favorite according to Bodog, which may be attributed to his high level wrestling-based attack, coupled with Bisping's perceived lack of finishing power. Or maybe the bookies just don't like "The Count," who limps in as a +325 underdog.
While that line may curve toward the high side, it's not the head-scratcher that Weidman vs. Maia appears to be.
Despite just seven professional fights, Weidman is a -200 favorite over Maia (+160), which is surprising, considering that Weidman's best attribute is his wrestling. And is anyone giving him an advantage if he secures the takedown?
Weidman is a NCAA Division 1 All-American out of Hofstra University, but Maia, whose striking has improved by leaps and bounds, is a five-time world jiu-jitsu champion with four UFC "Submission of the Night" bonuses.
He also has twice the experience, fighting guys like Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz. Weidman's top (and only) three UFC opponents are Alessio Sakara, Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor. And he has just two (T)KO victories in seven wins.
But he's still the favorite.
Alright Maniacs, you've heard my take on these numbers. Who is ready to make an argument to support them? Let's hear your best case in the comments section below.
More on the UFC on FOX 2 shake-up here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sonnen, maia, weidman
Read the full article at MMA ManiaChris Weidman Tapped to Face Demian Maia at UFC on Fox in Chicago
With Michael Bisping moving up the card to face Chael Sonnen in Mark Munoz's absence, Chris Weidman steps in to meet Demian Maia at UFC on Fox in Chicago.
Posted in: fox, michael bisping, chicago, demian maia, chris weidman
Read the full article at Heavy MMADemian Maia vs Chris Weidman fight set for UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28
Demian Maia was seemingly the odd man out earlier this afternoon when it was announced Mark Munoz was injured in training and would be unable to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2, which will take place in less than two weeks at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012.
That's because his opponent, Michael Bisping, was tapped to replace "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" opposite "The Peoples Champion." But then undefeated middleweight prospect Chris Weidman stepped up on short notice, accepting a fight against the former number one 185-pound contender hours later in what will certainly be the toughest test of his bright mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
Weidman, the jiu-jitsu protege of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion Matt Serra, has won back-to-back fights inside the Octagon since making his debut with the promotion in June 2011. He stopped Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 131 and then Tom Lawlor at UFC 139, both via submission.
"All American" -- who was a decorated amateur wrestler at Hofstra University -- won't have nearly the same type of submission success against Maia, who is perhaps the most dangerous mat technician in the division, if not on the entire roster.
For Maia, this is certainly a step backward -- the originally-scheduled middleweight tilt represented an opportunity to re-establish his place among the division's elite. After a five round dance with Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, the decorated grappler has gone 3-1, with his lone defeat coming by way of close unanimous decision to fellow contender Mark Munoz.
A convincing win in "The Windy City" over Bisping would have certainly "Count"(ed) toward getting him back "in the mix." Now he'll have to suck it up and attempt to win a lose-lose fight -- if he wins, it doesn't advance him much further, while a loss is a straight up momentum killer.
The good news is that the UFC, either way, will likely reward him handsomely for accepting the bout, either in victory or defeat, now and in the future.
UFC on FOX 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injuries to battle for the right to fight division champion Jon Jones.
Also penciled in for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator that pits former championship challenger Sonnen against Bisping, the winner of which will battle "The Spider" later this year.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our comprehensive event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, division, maia
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On FOX 2: Fight Card Switcheroo
Mark Munoz is injured and due to this unfortunate situation, we suddenly have a dramatically improved fight card!
@danawhiteDana White
Munoz is injured and out of the FOX fight! Now it's Chael Sonnen vs Mike Bisping jan 28th and the winner will fight Anderson for the title.
@danawhiteDana White
3rd fight in the FOX Jan 28th is Maia vs Undefeated Chris Weidman!!!
Seriously, this is so awesome. Weidman gets a major step up in competition, Anderson Silva gets a new challenger AND Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis!
The trash talk has already commenced in the Bisping vs. Sonnen world:
@ufcUFC
Chael: "I am going to knock the teeth out of this snot nosed Brit who calls himself royalty, who calls himself a Count. I am MMA royalty and America will tune into the Chael Sonnen show next Saturday on FOX."
@ufcUFC
Bisping: "He's been kicked out of politics, kicked out of real estate, and I am going to kick him out of the middleweight division."
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, title danawhitedana, mma royalty
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendChris Weidman In Against Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2
Undefeated middleweight Chris Weidman will take the place of Michael Bisping and meet Demian Maia on short-notice on the main card of next Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event, UFC President Dana White announced on Tuesday.
Earlier today, Bisping replaced an injured Mark Munoz in a number one contender’s bout against Chael Sonnen that co-headlines the January 28 event in Chicago.
Weidman (7-0) is 3-0 in the UFC with wins over Alessio Sakara, Jesse Bongfeldt, and Tom Lawlor since debuting last March, while Maia (15-3) topped Jorge Santiago in October to rebound from a loss to Munoz with his third win in his last four fights.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
For complete UFC on Fox 2 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, maia, demian maia, weidman
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox: Demian Maia To Face Chris Weidman On Short Notice
Tuesday afternoon it was announced that Mark Munoz had sustained an arm injury in training and that Michael Bisping would face Chael Sonnen for a number one contender's match for the middleweight title. After the initial shock wore off fans and media were left asking: what about Demian Maia? Maia's management was adement that he'd still fly to Chicago in hopes that the UFC would find a replacement. Well that didn't take Joe Silva and the UFC to long as Dana White has formally announced that Demian Maia would face Chris Weidman on January 28th.
The tweet said the following:
3rd fight in the FOX Jan 28th is Maia vs Undefeated Chris Weidman.
Dana confirmed with a fan that Palhares was offered the fight and turned it down. Belcher was never an option because he is hurt.
Full tweet after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
@danawhiteDana White 3rd fight in the FOX Jan 28th is Maia vs Undefeated Chris Weidman!!! Jan 18 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
Posted in: ufc, fox, maia, maia vs, weidman
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDemain Maia Draws Chris Weidman to Mend UFC on Fox Triple Bill
The UFC didn’t have much time to find a replacement when Mark Munoz fell off the UFC on Fox 2 fight card on Tuesday, but they scrambled, quickly re-shuffling the deck.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mark munoz, chris weidman, demain maia
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyChris Weidman steps in to face Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2
Undefeated middleweight prospect Chris Weidman will get a shot to fight on network TV.
UFC president Dana White today announced that Weidman will meet Demian Maia at this month's UFC on FOX 2 event.
Weidman fills a spot opened when Maia's original opponent, Michael Bisping, was pulled to replace an injured Mark Munoz and face Chael Sonnen, also at UFC on FOX 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mark munoz, maia, weidman
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMaia to fight undefeated Weidman for 3rd fight on UFC on Fox 2
submitted by pleasebequiet [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, pleasebequiet, rd
Read the full article at RedditMichael Bisping in for Munoz, Meets Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox
Middleweight contender Mark Munoz has been forced out of his UFC on Fox 2 co-main event bout with Chael Sonnen, and Michael Bisping will step up a notch on the card to face him.
Posted in: fox, bisping, michael bisping, chael sonnen, chael
Read the full article at Heavy MMAMark Munoz Injured, Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping Booked At UFC on FOX 2; Montreal PPV Postponed
Some major UFC news broke late this afternoon.
First up, there’s been a big shake-up in the UFC on FOX 2 line-up. Dana White announced via Twitter today that Mark Munoz has withdrawn from UFC on FOX 2 with an injury and now Michael Bisping will meet Chael Sonnen in a middleweight number one contender’s match.
Munoz is injured and out of the FOX fight! Now it’s Chael Sonnen vs Mike Bisping jan 28th and the winner will fight Anderson for the title.
Bisping was set to face Demian Maia before the shuffle occurred. It’s unclear if Maia will fight someone else or be pulled from the card entirely.
It seems the trash talk between Sonnen and Bisping has already begun. Sonnen and Bisping issued the following comments via the UFC’s twitter account.
Chael: “I am going to knock the teeth out of this snot nosed Brit who calls himself royalty, who calls himself a Count. I am MMA royalty and America will tune into the Chael Sonnen show next Saturday on FOX.”
Bisping: “He’s been kicked out of politics, kicked out of real estate, and I am going to kick him out of the middleweight division.”
In other big UFC news, The Canadian Press is reporting that the UFC has scrapped plans to return to Montreal in late March for what was going to be UFC 145.
The UFC has postponed its March show in Montreal.
UFC 145 was scheduled for March 24 at the Bell Centre. But the UFC has shelved it for the time being, citing complications in scheduling and a desire to deliver a “championship card.”
The card was close to filling up but lacked a main event. It sounds like they wanted to book a championship fight — probably at light heavyweight since that’s the only division it would have been remotely feasible in — but it apparently didn’t come together in time.
Most of the fights that were booked will move over to the Atlanta pay-per-view on April 21, according to the report.
Images via Dave Mandel for Sherdog
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at MMA ConvertMunoz Injured; Bisping to Face Sonnen on Fox for UFC Title Shot
Mark Munoz has suffered an elbow injury and will be unable to face Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2, UFC President Dana White announced Tuesday via Twitter.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sonnen, elbow injury, face sonnen
Read the full article at SherdogChael Sonnen vs Michael Bisping booked for UFC on FOX 2 with Mark Munoz injured
And the winner gets Anderson Silva. No fooling.
That's according to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, who today (Jan. 17, 2012) made the announcement via his official Twitter account.
Munoz is injured and out of the FOX fight! Now it's Chael Sonnen vs Mike Bisping jan 28th and the winner will fight Anderson for the title.
That leaves Bisping's original opponent and fellow middleweight contender Demian Maia without a date to the big dance; however, it does help filter the murky waters that is currently the UFC middleweight title chase.
The extent of Munoz's injury or possible timetable for return has yet to be revealed.
UFC on FOX 3 will be headlined by a light heavyweight contendership fight between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and is currently slated for Jan. 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago Illinois.
More on this breaking news in just a bit.
Discuss.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, munoz, jan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMunoz out at UFC on FOX 2, Bisping vs. Sonnen now meet for shot at champ Silva
Mark Munoz's shot at UFC gold will have to wait.
UFC president Dana White today announced via Twitter an injury has forced Munoz to withdraw from a planned UFC on FOX 2 meeting with Chael Sonnen, who now meets British slugger Michael Bisping instead.
The two clash on the FOX televised main card of this month's "UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs. Davis" event, which takes Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc gold, munoz, months ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMunoz injured... Sonnen vs. Bisping for UFC on FOX 2 instead for #1 contender.
submitted by MarkEffed [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, contender, munoz
Read the full article at RedditDemian Maia: 'Underrated' Michael Bisping is respectful, polite and intelligent
What's this? Kind words for Michael Bisping?
The British bad boy, lambasted by fans for his behavior on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14, as well as his saliva-to-air missile on Jorge Rivera at UFC 127 last year in Australia, has an unlikely fan in the middleweight division.
UFC on FOX 2 opponent Demian Maia.
The grappling wizard, who faces "The Count" on the network-televised special from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 28, 2012, has no reason to think bad of his fellow 185-pound contender.
From his interview with YourMMA.tv:
"I think he is a very good fighter, with a solid record, underrated in many senses and well-rounded. In theory, his ground game should be a little weaker than his striking and wrestling, but the people he has fought usually haven’t capitalized on that during his fights, and he has proven himself a lot! So I have to say he is very well rounded. I don't have any problems at all with Bisping. He was always very respectful and polite whenever we met, so I have no reason to think bad of him. I think he is an intelligent guy and has helped our sport to grow a lot in the UK and Europe, and that can't be denied."
For Maia, the middleweight tilt represents an opportunity to re-establish his place among the division's elite. After a five round dance with Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, the decorated grappler has gone 3-1, with his lone defeat coming by way of close unanimous decision to fellow contender Mark Munoz.
A convincing win in "The Windy City" will surely "Count" towards getting him back "in the mix."
For Bisping, it could be the final hurdle in the 185-pound title chase.
UFC on FOX 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injuries to battle for the right to fight Jon Jones.
Also penciled in for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator that pits former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our comprehensive event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, michael bisping, middleweight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2: Will fight fans finally cheer for Rashad Evans on Jan. 28 in Chicago?
Anyone who has ever gone to see Rashad Evans compete under the ZUFFA banner knows it's not unusual to hear the boo-birds singing in unison at the mere mention of his name.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he's consistently beaten fan favorites, or that he's not afraid to speak his mind. Or maybe it just feels like the cool thing for sheeple to do.
Whatever the case may be, that streak could be broken at UFC on FOX 2, when Evans steps into the Octagon against rising star Phil Davis as part of the promotion's return to the FOX airwaves at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
After the jump, hear "Suga" explain why in his blog for the Chicago Sun Times.
"There are 11 big bouts on the card – and some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts like Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping are appearing in big fights – and the UFC told me there are only a couple of hundred tickets left. By fight night there will be over 14,000 fans packed into the arena and, as a Chicago guy, I know I’m going to have a lot of support come fight night. More than nine million Americans watched the first UFC on FOX fight last November, with tens of millions more watching around the world. I’m so excited to be given the chance to perform on such a gigantic stage. It’s a little crazy, but at the same time because it is happening in Chicago, it’s weirdly familiar too. I’ve lived in Chicago for over four years, and I’m going to be proud to represent the city when I step inside the Octagon."
Evans is expected to earn a light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones should he be able to overcome the rise of "Mr. Wonderful" later this month.
"Bones," himself the subject of more than a few boos, could also help Evans get back into good graces with fight fans. And if he wins? Well, that remains to be seen.
Stay tuned.
For more on the UFC on FOX 2 light heavyweight contendership fight of Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, evan, chicago
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMore UFC 142 Video Highlights
Video: Highlights: UFC 142
More UFC 142 video highlights via Fox Sports.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, sport
Read the full article at MMA ConvertCM Punk Won’t Escort Chael Sonnen to Octagon at UFC on Fox 2
WWE champion CM Punk won’t escort Chael Sonnen to the the Octagon at UFC on Fox 2 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago after WWE chairman Vince McMahon nixed the arrangement just one week after it was first reported, Punk told MMAFighting on Friday.
Sonnen faces Mark Munoz in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 with the next shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva likely on the line.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and also features middleweights Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Pictured: Chael Sonnen
Posted in: ufc, fox, punk, sonnen, mark munoz
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 3 targeted for May 5
RIO DE JANEIRO - The UFC's third network-televised event likely will take place on May 5.
On Friday UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com that's the date officials have targeted for UFC on FOX 3. f4wonline.com first reported the date.
However, a host city, venue and potential fights haven't been determined for the card, which is the second of four that FOX has planned for 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mmajunkiecom thats, date officials, fights havent
Read the full article at MMA JunkieCM Punk Won't Escort Chael Sonnen to Octagon at UFC on FOX
Filed under: UFC, NewsWWE champion CM Punk will not escort Chael Sonnen to the Octagon prior to Sonnen's fight against Mark Munoz on Jan. 28, after all.
Punk confirmed with MMAFighting.com that WWE chairman Vince McMahon decided against letting him walk out to the cage with Sonnen later this month. MMA reporter FrontRowBrian broke the news Friday afternoon.
The Punk/Sonnen pairing created a major buzz in both the MMA and professional wrestling world when it was first reported, but most assumed it was UFC president Dana White who would be against the idea of a pro wrestler walking out to the cage with a top fighter on FOX, not McMahon.
UFC on FOX, headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, returns on Jan. 28 from the United Center in Chicago. Sonnen vs. Munoz will serve as the co-main event. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, punk, sonnen, mcmahon ufc
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 3 Targeted for May 5
The third UFC on Fox event is targeted to take place on May 5, the same night boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has booked for his next fight, though it appears unlikely to be a superfight with Manny Pacquiao.
The potential date was reported by Dave Meltzer and Bloody Elbow.
UFC on Fox 2 takes place on January 28 and features a tripleheader of Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz, and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia.
Junior dos Santos knocked out UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in just 64-secondsat the first UFC on Fox event on Nov. 12, which also took place on the same night as a major boxing match, but concluded before Pacquiao outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez on pay-per-view. The UFC would likely repeat the strategy if UFC on Fox 3 and Mayweather both land on May 5.
The UFC on Fox 3 main event has not yet been reported and likely hinges on the results of upcoming bouts as most of the UFC’s top fighters are already scheduled for their next matchups.
For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, manny pacquiao, place, fox event
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC And Fox Target May 5 For Third Network Show
Dave Meltzer is reporting that the third UFC on Fox event will take place on May 5. That is the same date that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has blocked out for his next fight. Despite all the bluster from Floyd on Twitter yesterday there is almost no chance of the fight that date being against Manny Pacquiao. The next best option would be for a bout with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez but the reported negotiations with Robert Guerrero probably mean that's what we're more likely to see.
Regardless, the UFC will probably take the same tactic that they did when they aired the UFC on Fox show against Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez and insist that they'll be off the air in time for the Floyd fight.
If it is Mayweather against Guerrero it's much less important to play that up since it won't do half the number of buys as the standard Floyd or Manny show with "The Ghost" having no name value whatsoever.
No word yet on what the target main event would be for the UFC on Fox 3 card. Cinco de Mayo weekend is traditionally a big fight weekend in boxing where promoters have looked to put on big cards featuring Latino fighters. Given Cain Velasquez's loss on the first Fox fight, I doubt they'd try to use the same tactic with his rumored bout with Antonio Silva.
Update: Bloody Elbow has been able to confirm this news. The target date is May 5.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, floyd, name value
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFox News Picks Up Jacob Volkmann Administrative Leave Story
Not surprisingly, Republican-slanting Fox News picked up the story Tuesday on UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann being put on administrative leave from his assistant high school wrestling coaching job following some negative comments he made toward Barack Obama at UFC 141.
After his win over Efrain Escudero, Volkmann told Joe Rogan that Obama needed a "glassectomy", a joke medical procedure where "you cut your belly button out and put a piece of glass in there so when you have your head up your butt you can see where you're going."
Volkmann told Fox News that one parent had complained to Minnesota's White Bear Lake High School and that on the Friday following his victory, he was told he couldn't be around the wrestlers anymore. He added he will contact an attorney if he's not reinstated within two weeks.
Fox interviewed Gene Policinski of the First Amendment Center about the issue:
"It's offensive, but we really don't want the government to use mere offensiveness to govern speech," Policinski told FoxNews.com. "But the terms of his employment agreement might give [district officials] greater latitude."
Policinski said Volkmann's comments may provide a "negative impression" in the eyes of district officials, but noted that he appeared in the capacity of a mixed martial arts fighter -- and not an assistant wrestling coach. Remarks that pertain to the president, however, can be taken "more seriously" than those relating to other individuals, he said.
The UFC has taken no action against Volkmann and isn't expected to. This is the second time Volkmann has been put on administrative leave from the school following his infamous UFC 125 comments about Obama.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox news, volkmann, district officials
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNovember 2011 MMA Recap: UFC On Fox Gets 8.8 Million Viewers, Forrest Griffin Controversy, Hendo Vs. Shogun Classic
Other than the length of the action, November's major highlight -- the UFC's debut on Fox featuring a heavyweight title fight between the returning Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos -- hit on all cylinders and brought in a massive, massive audience. It also was a month of fighters saying stupid things and SB Nation acquiring a major asset.
November 2011: Eight Point Eight
For months, we heard about the UFC's debut on Fox. We raised an eyebrow when we heard it was a single fight on the show and raised it higher when we heard Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida was being relegated to Facebook with no chance of making air. People talked and debated and talked some more. Finally, it was time for the UFC's biggest public moment and it lasted all of 64 seconds.
Despite the quick fight and a new champion in dos Santos taking his crown, the buzz was mainly positive and the numbers showed that an MMA record 8.8 million people watched the fight itself. Needless to say, the UFC and Fox were thrilled and all eyes looked toward the full contract to kick off in 2012, which would include 2000 hours of programming on Fuel TV.
And by the way, Henderson vs. Guida turned out to be a great fight with "Bendo" earning a shot at UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar as a result. Too bad no one saw it. A lot of people did see boxer Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, which was on the same night.
****
The month was permeated with two stories of fighters making unfortunate comments, led off by former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin joking on Twitter that "rape is the new missionary". He later claimed it was because he was flipping through channels and couldn't believe all the media stories about rape, but admitted it was a dumb thing to say given the medium. He visited several rape crisis centers, donated money and managed to keep his job, something that wouldn't be the case one month later for another fighter.
Shortly thereafter, fellow UFC light heavyweight and Penn State alum Phil Davis chimed in on the Jerry Sandusky scandal, telling another media outlet that ousted head coach Joe Paterno followed protocol and that it wasn't fair he was going to be remembered for the scandal. It was probably the wrong thing to say at a time when tensions were high on the subject, but he still said it.
****
The month closed out with one of the best MMA nights of the year, headlined by what many feel is the best battle in MMA history between Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua. For 25 minutes, the two fit every cliche one could imagine: going toe to toe, swinging for the fences, grasping victory from the jaws of defeat. It was a simply stunning and awesome fight, ironically coming one week after a huge audience had just seen a minute of action with Velasquez vs. dos Santos
In the co-main event, Wanderlei Silva remained out of the retirement line by defeating Cung Le in a fun battle, while Urijah Faber overwhelmed Brian Bowles to earn a third fight with 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz. Unfortunately for Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez, their four-round Bellator classic happened on the same night and was overwhelmed by chatter of Hendo vs. Shogun. Chandler submitted Alvarez to win the 155-pound title and made himself a name in one single fight.
For the rest of November's news that included a drug test failure and one of the sport's best known fighters returning to action, keep on reading after the jump.
Other Stuff That Happened
In one of the most underpromoted cards of 2011, Mark Munoz stopped Chris Leben in the main event of UFC 138. Leben later reportedly cut 21 pounds in 24 hours and later tested positive for Oxycodone and Oxymorphone...Chael Sonnen got the nod for his long-awaited rematch against Anderson Silva. Silva had heat with manager Ed Soares...The UFC on Fox 2 card was booked for January with Davis vs. Rashad Evans on top...Fedor Emelianenko returned to action and beat up Jeff Monson for three rounds on an early Sunday AM pay-per-view...Boxer Joe Frazier died of liver cancer at 67 years old.
Quinton Jackson got his wish to fight Ryan Bader at UFC Japan...The first UFC on FX show was announced, while the UFC on Fuel TV debut got Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez as a main event...Alistair Overeem sued Golden Glory and they planned a countersuit...Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey continued their verbal battles.
145-pound champion Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes was booked for UFC 142...Gina Carano decided to not fight in December...The UFC filed a lawsuit against New York State and two SBN writers signed on as plaintiffs...Nate Marquardt found an opponent for his February BAMMA debut...Gray Maynard talked about leaving for AKA...Arianny Celeste and Sonnen sparred on Twitter...SB Nation announced they were buying MMA Fighting.
Bloody Elbow Archive of November 2011 Stories
Past Monthly Recaps:
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, november
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2 Fight Card: Evans vs. Davis
The UFC returns to the big time with it's second live card on Fox on January 28th. Instead of just one fight on the main card, they will go with three this time. The main event will be a five-rounder between top light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. The televised card also includes two excellent middleweight fights, with Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz facing off in a probable number one contender's bout, and Michael Bisping meeting Demian Maia. Here's the whole card (prelims after the jump):
Jan 28th, live on Fox from Chicago, IL:
Main Card:
Rashad Evans (16-2-1) vs. Phil Davis (9-0)
Mark Munoz (12-2) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1)
Michael Bisping (22-3) vs. Demian Maia (15-3)
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Preliminary Card:
Evan Dunham (12-2) vs. Nik Lentz (21-4-2, 1 NC)
Michael Johnson (9-6) vs. Shane Roller (10-5)
Johnny Bedford (18-9-1) vs. Mitch Gagnon (8-1)
Jon Olav Einemo (6-2) vs. Mike Russow (14-1, 1 NC)
George Roop (12-8-1) vs. Cub Swanson (15-5)
Charles Oliveira (14-2, 1 NC) vs. Eric Wisely (19-6)
Joey Beltran (13-6) vs. Lavar Johnson (15-5)
Chris Camozzi (15-5) vs. Dustin Jacoby (6-1)
Posted in: fox, vs, card, evan, chicago il
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowShane Roller replaces Cody McKenzie to face Michael Johnson on FOX
Cody McKenzie will not get the chance to face Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 2 as an injury has knocked the former Ultimate Fighter competitor out of action.
In McKenzie’s place will be a multi-time All American wrestler as Shane Roller has accepted the bout. Roller-Johnson will be part of the undercard for the January 28 show with the bout being televised by FUEL TV.
Roller (10-5) is just 1-2 in the UFC since his time in WEC where he racked up a 6-2 record including wins over Danny Castillo, Anthony Njokuani, and Jamie Varner. Comparably, Johnson (9-6) shares the exact same record inside the Octagon. His last fight came in October where he was submitted by crafty Brit Paul Sass. With their 1-2 marks, this is likely a critical match for both men if hoping to remain on the UFC roster.
UFC on FOX 2 features a triple-headed headliner involving Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz, and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael, jamie varner, shane roller
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 2: Shane Roller vs Michael Johnson booked for Jan. 28 with Cody McKenzie hurt
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 alum Michael Johnson has been paired up against Shane Roller for a 155-pound scrap at the UFC on FOX 2 event scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Roller replaces Johnson's original opponent, Cody McKenzie, who was forced to bow out of the upcoming contest due to injury.
After making his UFC debut with a knockout win over Thiago Tavares, Roller (10-5) dropped back-to-back fights to Melvin Guillard (knockout) and T.J. Grant (submission).
The World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran is likely in a do-or-die situation from a contractual standpoint, as three straight losses never bodes well for up-and-coming fighters.
Will Johnson send him to the unemployment line?
Like Roller, "The Menace" is 1-2 inside the Octagon, wrapping a pair of losses to Jonathan Brookins and Paul Sass around a UFC on Versus 4 stoppage over Edward Faaloloto.
And also like his opponent, the Jan. 28 fight could be for all the marbles.
UFC on Fox 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injury to battle for the right to fight Jon Jones.
Also booked for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator pitting former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, johnson, roller
Read the full article at MMA ManiaShane Roller vs. Michael Johnson official for UFC on FOX 2
As expected, Shane Roller has stepped in to replace injured Cody McKenzie and now meets fellow lightweight Michael Johnson at this month's UFC on FOX 2 event.
MMAjunkie.com first broke news of the change earlier this week, and UFC officials formally announced it.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place Jan. 28 at United Center in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, shane roller, cody mckenzie, months ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWWE Champ CM Punk to Escort Chael Sonnen to Octagon at UFC on Fox 2
WWE champion CM Punk will escort UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to the Octagon when he takes on Mark Munoz at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.
A title shot against middleweight champion Anderson Silva will be on the line between Munoz and the outspoken Sonnen, who dominated Silva before being submitted in the final round of their first meeting in 2010.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and also features top middleweights Michael Bisping and Demian Maia.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, sonnen, mark munoz
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPunk seconds Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2
MMA Fighting reportsWWE wrestler CM Punk will accompany Chael Sonnen to the Octagon at UFC on Fox 2. Punk, a Chicago native and MMA fan, appeared on an episode of the MMA Hour last year talking about his admiration of mixed martial arts.
Payout Perspective:
Is the Punk appearance good for the UFC? Does Punk’s appearance muddy the lines between the UFC and WWE? Is it a sign of things to come with the new UFC-Fox relationship?
In the end, the Punk walkout may not be a big deal unless Fox picks up on it pre-fight. From a practical standpoint, the pairing of Punk and Sonnen will be an attraction for Chicago. It also makes sense because Punk’s character is anti-hero and Sonnen (in a way) mirrors that persona. But for the casual viewer tuning in for the first time, will they associate MMA with professional wrestling? From the WWE’s standpoint, its good, free publicity for its sport. Punk is becoming one of the top two or three wrestlers in the company and the appearance on network television can only help. Definitely, those anti-pro wrestling people cannot like the fact that the UFC is crossing over (again) into the world of pro-wrestling.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, punk, sonnen
Read the full article at MMA PayoutShane Roller vs. Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 2 with Cody McKenzie Injured
Shane Roller has stepped in for an injured Cody McKenzie and will meet Michael Johnson in a lightweight matchup on the preliminary card of UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, according to MMAjunkie.
Roller (10-5) is in need of a win after back-to-back losses to Melvin Guillard and TJ Grant, which followed a “Knockout of the Night” against Thiago Tavares in his UFC debut. Johnson (9-6), The Ultimate Fighter 12 runner-up, stopped Edward Faaloloto in June for his first UFC win, but fell to Paul Sass in October.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and also features top middleweights Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Johnson
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, michael, cody mckenzie
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWWE Champion C.M. Punk to Accompany Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2
It's fair to say Chael Sonnen is pulling out all the stops for his UFC on Fox 2 fight against Mark Munoz, even welcoming a special guest for his walkout.
Posted in: ufc, fox, chael sonnen, mark munoz, chael
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyCharles Oliveira-Eric Wisely confirmed for UFC on FOX 2
A featherweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Eric Wisely will indeed take place at UFC on FOX 2 as had been rumored, finding a place on the FUEL TV-broadcasted prelims.
Oliveira will be making his debut at featherweight after going 2-2 with a no-contest inside the Octagon. Oliveira started fast, defeating Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero, but has stumbled as of late in losses to Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone.
Wisely is set for make his debut with the UFC, bringing at 19-6 record with him. The Iowa-native competed for the Strikeforce Challengers series earlier in his career, most notably giving lightweight Pat Healy a run for his money this past August.
UFC on FOX 2 will be headlined by a bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and features fights pitting Chael Sonnen against Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE
Posted in: ufc, featherweight bout, fox, oliveira, phil davis
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainCharles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely official for UFC on FOX 2 prelims
Brazilian prospect Charles Oliveira recently
announced his intention to drop to the featherweight, and his debut
fight at 145 pounds is now official.
As MMAjunkie.com first reported, Oliveira meets newcomer Eric Wisely at UFC on FOX 2.
UFC on FOX takes place Jan. 28 at United Center in Chicago. The evening's main card airs on FOX. Oliveira vs. Wisely is part of the
evening's eight-bout preliminary card, which airs on FUEL TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, oliveira, newcomer eric
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAugust 2011 MMA Recap: UFC Signs With Fox, Brock Lesnar Returns, UFC Rocks Rio
As the summer came to a close, the UFC culminated their rise to prominence by signing a deal with Fox that had a ripple effect with fight promotion and their Spike relationship and then went back to their roots with a show in Rio, Brazil that exceeded expectations inside and outside the Octagon.
August 2011: Blame It On Rio
In one of the biggest business stories in MMA history, the UFC inked a seven-year deal with Fox, ending their run with Spike that started in 2005 and bringing MMA action back to primetime network TV. There was no shortage of stories and opinions with threads on how the deal would affect placement of major fights and whether this meant that MMA had finally arrived in the mainstream.
The deal called for four events on "big" Fox, The Ultimate Fighter and other events moving to FX on Friday nights and Fuel TV becoming essentially the UFC network with 2000 yearly hours of original and archive programming. A bonus show would kick things off in November (Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson was speculated early), part of four straight weeks of UFC events.
The impact of the deal will truly be felt in 2012, but the early signs (major advertising and promos during NFL games) was a great sign that Fox was taking the relationship seriously.
****
The UFC returned to Brazil for the first time in 12 years with UFC 134, punctuated by three finishes by native sons that electrified the wild Rio crowd. Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva showed why he was such a favorite, defeating Yushin Okami with ease in a second round TKO victory while Mauricio Rua humbled a distracted Forrest Griffin in just two minutes.
But the lasting memory was Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira knocking out Brendan Schaub in an upset that had to be seen to be believed. The crowd went into a euphoric state and was a fantastic lasting moment of the historic return -- a reason why the UFC said they were returning in 2012 with a show at a large open air venue. It was almost enough to make people forget about Nogueira's unfortunate statement about not wanting to train with a gay student.
****
After undergoing surgery to remove a foot of his colon and with his future in doubt, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar announced that "he was back" with Dana White acknowledging that his top pay-per-view star was getting back in the gym in hopes for an early 2012 return.
The rest of a busy August in MMA continues after the jump.
Zuffa severed ties with the Golden Glory fight team over the process on how fighters were paid, releasing three fighters as a result. White broke down the issues and later said he was open to working things out as he wanted Alistair Overeem in the UFC...Rashad Evans defeated Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort decimated Yoshihiro Akiyama at the injury-riddled UFC 133 event, but the big story was Dennis Hallman's choice of trunks. White was less than thrilled...Jon Jones called Evans a 'jealous snake'...Matt Hamill retired...Rampage Jackson said Jones was spying on his camp.
Fedor Emelianenko was released by Strikeforce but M-1 Global was quick to say he wasn't retiring...Ronda Rousey started making noise about being the new face of women's MMA...UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos was booked for UFC 139...Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal was announced...Chris Lytle announced he was retiring and then submitted Dan Hardy in a great moment. Despite four straight losses, Hardy kept his job...Ben Henderson looked incredible in dominating Jim Miller.
Trainer Sean Tompkins passed away at just 37 years old...It took 10 seconds for Kimbo Slice to win his pro boxing debut...Jason Miller was arrested...Pat Curran won Bellator's featherweight tournament....Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki II looked to become a reality...Jack Shields passed away...Pro Elite was rumored to be in talks with CBS/Showtime, while Zuffa said they were going to re-evaluate Strikeforce on Showtime.
Full archive of July stories on Bloody Elbow
Past Monthly Recaps:
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, event, deal
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow11 for 11: No. 1 UFC-Fox television deal
The number one business story of the year was the UFC-Fox deal as mixed martial arts entered the mainstream with its 7 year, $90 million television rights deal.
The deal was an upgrade from its $35 million a year deal with Spike TV. The longtime relationship between the UFC-Spike relationship deteriorated this year with passive aggressive moves. Spike debuted UFC 132’s Countdown show during the middle of the day instead of its usual primetime placement. It also counterprogrammed UFC’s live Versus card in June with a marathon featuring main eventer (at the time) Nate Marquardt. And, of course, there is the issue of the UFC library rights.
Fox immediately marketed the UFC’s November 12th debut with promos during MLB and NFL games. It also ran its UFC Primetime show on an NFL Sunday to encouraging ratings.
The UFC on Fox Payout Perspective details the huge ratings Fox received for the 1 hour program which featured approximately 1 minute of actual fight action. It was the most watched UFC event ever.
FOX TV Rating Breakdown (Quarterly):
- UFC on FOX (9:00 pm-9:15 pm): 5.25 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:15 pm-9:30 pm): 5.48 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:30 pm-9:45 pm): 7.09 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:45 pm-10:00 pm): 4.88 million viewers
- Overall: Average of 5.7M viewers watched the fight live or via DVR playback within the same day. (Nielsen)
Via UFC press release:
The hour-long UFC on FOX premiere scored a 3.1/5 household rating/share, with 5.7 million viewers making it the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind on any network since 2003 when 7.0 million tuned in to watch Lewis-Klitschko on HBO. Velasquez-dos Santo is also the highest-rated and most-watched professional fight of any kind on a broadcast network for OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S FIGHT NIGHT on FOX. (4.3/6, 5.9 million viewers) in 1998.
FOXSports.com, one of the world’s leading sports web sites with almost 30 million unique visitors monthly, also delivered substantial viewing for UFC-related video. On Saturday, FOXSports.com tallied an impressive 257,000 total live streams for the nine undercard matches, while all UFC content during and around the event generated over 1 million streams. Other than Super Bowl-related content, this was the biggest video event in FOXSports.com history.
The number of live streams on FOXSports.com is notable as its not usual that we see these numbers for the UFC Facebook streams. It shows the impressive numbers the UFC put up on multiple platforms.
In addition to Fox and online, Fuel TV and Fox Deportes had solid ratings for the UFC’s debut. Spike TV also put up huge numbers as it played past UFC fights of JDS and Cain opposite UFC on Fox.
We will see how the UFC-Fox relationship does in its first full year. UFC on Fox 2 is set for January 28th and Spike TV is set to counter as well. It will be interesting to see how the UFC will do on Fuel and FX. We’ve already seen a potential problem with Fuel TV as the UFC 141 Countdown show only garnered 15,000 viewers for its debut. Hopefully for Fuel TV, its January 1 UFC marathon will raise awareness that it is the new home for UFC programming.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, viewer, tv
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on FOX 2: Mitch Gagnon vs Johnny Bedford booked for Jan. 28 with Eddie Wineland hurt
A pair of bantamweight brawlers will get their hands dirty at the UFC on FOX 2 event on Jan. 28, 2012, when the promotion takes over the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 hopeful Johnny Bedford will square off against Canadian newcomer Mitch Gagnon following a "brutal" injury to Bedford's original opponent, Eddie Wineland.
UFC.com has it:
With Eddie Wineland sidelined, one of Canada's very best bantamweights, Mitch Gagnon, has stepped in to fill the spot against Johnny Bedford at the UFC on Fox event January 28th in Chicago. Verbal agreements are in for the bout between Bedford, a TUF 14 standout, and the 8-1 Gagnon, who will look to extend his six-fight win streak.
Despite getting pasted by eventual finalist John Dodson, Bedford (18-9-1) was able to bounce back at the TUF 14 live finale and run a clinic on fellow contestant Louis Gaudinot.
Gagnon comes to the UFC with an 8-1 record and penchant for strangling opponents. His most recent victim was David Harris under the Ringside MMA banner last October.
UFC on Fox 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injury to battle for the right to fight Jon Jones.
Also booked for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator pitting former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bedford, johnny bedford, gagnon
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Signs Mitch Gagnon to Face Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 2
Johnny Bedford was in need of a new opponent for UFC on Fox 2, and now he has one, with the announcement that the UFC has signed Canadian submission specialist, Mitch Gagnon, to face Bedford on short notice in a bantamweight bout on the January 28th card in Chicago:
With Eddie Wineland sidelined, one of Canada's very best bantamweights, Mitch Gagnon, has stepped in to fill the spot against Johnny Bedford at the UFC on Fox event January 28th in Chicago. Verbal agreements are in for the bout between Bedford, a TUF 14 standout, and the 8-1 Gagnon, who will look to extend his six-fight win streak.
Gagnon is a Montreal native, but trains in Ontario with Team Shredder. In his nine career fights, Gagnon has lost only once (by decision), and finished all eight other fights by submission, seven of which came in the first round. Gagnon appears to favor chokes as his weapon of choice, with five wins by guillotine and two wins by rear naked choke. Some of our readers may remember Gagnon appearing on the 2011 BloodyElbow.com World Scouting Report as a featherweight (where he was ranked as the #10 prospect), but he is now competing at 135 lbs.
Mitch Gagnon (8-1)W David Harris (sub - guillotine) - Ringside MMA 12W Rejean Groulx (sub - slam) - Ringside MMA 10W Guillaume Lamarche (sub - guillotine) - Ringside MMA 6
UFC on Fox 2 coverage
Posted in: ufc, fox, bedford, gagnon, mitch
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowReplacement Mitch Gagnon meets Johnny Bedford at UFC on FOX 2
With Eddie Wineland scratched from the card, UFC newcomer Mitch Gagnon has taken his spot on next month's UFC on FOX 2 card.
He now meets fellow bantamweight and Wineland's original opponent, Johnny Bedford, in a preliminary-card matchup, officials today announced.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnny bedford, eddie wineland, fellow bantamweight
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMitch Gagnon Steps In Against Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 2
Bantamweight Mitch Gagnon has stepped in for an injured Eddie Wineland and will make his UFC debut against TUF 14′s Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, the UFC announced today.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and also features Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia on its Fox-televised main card.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Johnny Bedford (via UFC.com)
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc debut, johnny bedford, eddie wineland
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPaul Sass, Eddie Wineland Out of UFC on Fox 2, Lentz in for Sass
One of the more anticipated bouts at UFC on Fox 2 has been scrapped due to injury, and a Chicago-area fighter has been forced off the card as well. Luckily, the UFC was able to find a suitable replacement for one of them at least. MMA Fighting has the news:
Paul Sass and Eddie Wineland recently suffered injuries and have been removed from the undercard of the Jan. 28 UFC on FOX 2 event in Chicago, the UFC announced Monday evening.
In for Sass against Evan Dunham will be Nik Lentz (pictured). Meanwhile, a new opponent for Johnny Bedford is to be announced.
After going undefeated in his first seven bouts in the UFC (five wins, a draw and a no-contest), Lentz was finally legitimately defeated at UFC 140 earlier this month when he dropped a unanimous decision to Mark Bocek. Dunham bounced back from two losses in a row with a win over Shamar Bailey at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September. The bout is still scheduled for the undercard.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, sas, lentz
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowInjury Forces Eddie Wineland Off UFC on Fox Card
Eddie Wineland has suffered a training injury, forcing him out of his fight against Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnny bedford, training injury, wineland
Read the full article at Heavy MMAEddie Wineland latest fighter scratched from UFC on FOX 2
With a little more than a month remaining before the UFC returns to FOX it appears the card has been infested by injury bugs, as bantamweight Eddie Wineland has been forced to withdraw from the January 28 event after suffering some sort of undisclosed damage while training for his bout with Johnny Bedford. Wineland was looking to snap a two-fight skid and will now have to wait a little longer before receiving his opportunity at course-correction.
News of Wineland’s status was reported by the UFC. Bedford, who himself was a replacement for Demetrious Johnson, is still expected to be booked for the show so opponents are currently being sought.
The lineup saw another contest between Paul Sass and Evan Dunham go down the drain yesterday after Sass suffered an injury. The British submission-specialist has since been replaced by Nik Lentz.
UFC on FOX 2 is highlighted by the tripleheader of Rashad Evans-Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen-Mark Munoz, and Michael Bisping-Demain Maia.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc returns, wineland, drain yesterday
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 2 lineup undergoes two changes with loss of Paul Sass, Eddie Wineland
The UFC’s January 28 return to FOX took a slight hit Monday night when it was announced that Paul Sass and Eddie Wineland had both been scratched from the card after each man suffered an injury while training for their respective opponents. Sass was scheduled to face Evan Dunham at the event while Wineland was set for a bout against Johnny Bedford.
Fortunately it looks like Bedford and Dunham will both still see action in Chicago, as the UFC also revealed Nik Lentz would step in for Sass while an adversary was currently being sought for the Ultimate Fighter 14 alumnus.
UFC on FOX 2 Press Conference Highlights
Lentz holds an overall record of 21-4-2 and recently saw a four-fight winning streak ended by Mark Bocek at UFC 140. Prior to the December outpointing “The Carny” had picked up victories over Rob Emerson, Tyson Griffin, Drew Fickett, and Rafaello Oliveira.
UFC on FOX 2 is headlined by Rashad Evans taking on Phil Davis in hopes of finally cementing his contendership status, while other premier match-ups include Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia.
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, sas, paul sass
Read the full article at Fighters.comEvan Dunham vs Nik Lentz announced for UFC on Fox 2 with Paul Sass scratched
Undefeated British submission savant, Paul Sass, was recently injured in training and has been forced out of his upcoming lightweight fight against Evan Dunham at UFC on Fox 2, which is scheduled to take place at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just shared the bad news via its official Twitter.com account; however, it has already tapped Nik Lentz to replace Sass against Dunham.
Lentz was just in action at UFC 140: "Jones vs. Machida" earlier this month, dropping a close unanimous decision to Mark Bocek. Prior to the loss, "The Carney" had recorded five wins inside the Octagon, as well as a "No Contest" and a draw.
He'll look to get back in the win column against perhaps his toughest 155-pound test to date against Dunham in a fight that will take place on the under card. Dunham (12-2) rocketed to the top of the lightweight buzz list with wins over Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin; however, a close split decision loss to Sean Sherk, followed by a first-round ass-whooping at the hands of Melvin Guillard, sent the talented Oregon native to the back of the line.
He quickly rebounded with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Shamar Bailey at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September.
UFC on FOX 2 will headlined by a 205-pound showdown pitting former light heavyweight champion "Suga" Rashad Evans against "Wonderful" undefeated contender Phil Davis. In the co-featured fight of the night, Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz will collide in a middleweight match up that will likely determine the division's next number one contender.
To check out the latest UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" fight card and rumors click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, dunham, fox, vs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaInjuries Bite UFC on Fox 2 Card
Injuries have hit the upcoming UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, injury, chicago
Read the full article at MMA WeeklySass and Wineland Withdraw from UFC on Fox 2 Card
Paul Sass and Eddie Wineland are off the UFC on Fox 2 fight card due to injury, the promotion announced via Twitter on Monday night.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sas, wineland, eddie wineland
Read the full article at SherdogInjuries Force Sass and Wineland From UFC on Fox 2 Card
Paul Sass and Eddie Wineland are off the UFC on Fox 2 fight card due to injury, the promotion announced via Twitter on Monday night.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sas, wineland, eddie wineland
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on Fox 2: Wineland and Sass Injured, Nik Lentz In Against Evan Dunham
Nik Lentz has replaced an injured Paul Sass and will face Evan Dunham in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fox 2, while bantamweight Eddie Wineland has also been sidelined from his matchup with Johnny Bedford at the Jan. 28 event in Chicago, the UFC announced Monday night.
Wineland’s replacement has not yet been determined.
Lentz (21-4-2) dropped a unanimous decision to Mark Bocek at UFC 140 earlier this month for his first UFC loss in eight fights, while Dunham (12-2) rebounded from losses Sean Sherk and Melvin Guillard with a win over Shamar Bailey in September.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and also features Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia on its Fox-televised main card.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Evan Dunham
Posted in: ufc, dunham, fox, evan, paul sass
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyCard of the Year: UFC 139
Filed under: UFCEver since UFC 139 ended, I've been wondering why we loved it so much.
Was it because of the roller coaster ride that was Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Shogun Rua? Or how about the vintage Wanderlei Silva performance against newcomer Cung Le? Perhaps Urijah Faber's dominant win over Brian Bowles in front of the partisan crowd did the trick?
Mix those moments together, sprinkle in the return of Ryan Bader, the emergence of Chris Weidman and Michael McDonald, and you've got yourself one memorable card. Certainly, we can all agree on that.
But I'm going to take things one step further. I believe UFC 139 was the 2011 Card of the Year because it came at the perfect time.
UFC 139, if you recall, happened just seven days after the organization's much-anticipated debut on FOX. This was the UFC's big coming out party on network television, and it seemed like everyone, especially UFC president Dana White, was anxious to see how America would receive our little sport that could.
So the UFC promoted the heck out of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. FOX promoted the heck out of it, too. Even though only one fight was to be televised, and even though the sure-to-be-great Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida tilt was virtually ignored from a promotional standpoint, we got what was going on. We may not have liked it, but we (well, most of us) got it.
And as you know by now, the heavyweight title fight lasted just 64 seconds. Henderson-Guida turned out -- no surprise here -- to be one of the best fights of the year. The one-hour telecast generated record-breaking ratings, and it seemed like everyone in the UFC was, for the most part, pleased with the evening. It was a good night for the sport, but we couldn't help but wonder what might have been.
However, there was no time to relax because UFC 139 was just seven days away. Six former champions in the top three fights? The return of Dan Henderson? The debut of Cung Le? The UFC's first show in the MMA hot bed of San Jose, Calif.? This one seemingly had it all.
Yet, due to the importance of the UFC on FOX event, it was completely overshadowed. And we talked about that all week long. Over and over again. Honestly, we probably talked about it too much.
But then the fights came. Danny Castillo kicked things off with a dominant win over Shamar Bailey. Seth Baczynski kept things going with a sweet guillotine choke win over Matt Brown. Weidman's submission. Bader's knockout. You know the rest.
And then the main event happened. It was was an incredible display of heart, skill and determination. An incredible display of MMA. Dan Henderson had his moments. Shogun Rua had his moments. The first five-round non-title fight in UFC history turned out to be -- by MMA standards -- a thing of beauty.
Even White, who joked earlier in the week that he was suffering from a UFC on FOX hangover, seemed more like himself after the fight. He was relaxed and quick to call Hendo vs. Shogun one of the best fights ever.
UFC on FOX was great, don't get me wrong. But UFC 139 was ... familiar. Just seven days after the biggest night in MMA's history, it reminded us why we started watching this sport in the first place. Not for the glitz and glamor of network television, but because MMA cards, more often than not, seem to deliver a great night of fights, top-to-bottom.
So when mainstream America went back to ignoring MMA, the UFC's best delivered. Originally, most of us thought it was a mistake to book UFC 139 a week after UFC on FOX. Now it's clear its timing couldn't have been better.
The rest of the field:
2. UFC 140: Jon Jones caps off a historic year, Frank Mir submits Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Chan Sung Jung's record-tying knockout.
3. UFC 129: Record attendance, record gate, seven finishes.
4. UFC 134: The most electric crowd in UFC history, Anderson Silva dominates at home, Nogueira's emotional comeback.
5. UFC 132: Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber put on a classic, Chris Leben KOs Wanderlei Silva in seconds, Tito Oritz stuns Ryan Bader.
Honorable mention: UFC Live on Versus 5, Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fox, vs
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseRashad Evans: Phil Davis won't be taking anybody down at UFC on Fox 2
Contrary to his recent statements, top Light Heavyweight contender Phil Davis won't be taking anybody down at UFC on Fox 2. At least, not according to his opponent, Rashad Evans, who acknowledges Davis' wrestling pedigree, but insists that, without "all aspects of the game," it won't help "Mr. Wonderful" much come January 28th. Instead, Evans, also an accomplished collegiate wrestler, says he expects much of the bout to be contested upright, where the man with the better...
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil, evan, davi
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on FOX 2 Ticket Promo
UFC on FOX 2 takes place on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois and will air live on FOX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The latest UFC on FOX 2 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, card, chicago illinois
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 2 video trailer for 'Evans vs Davis' on Jan. 28 in Chicago
Remember when the UFC's deal with FOX was announced and everyone worried that the fights made for free television wouldn't exactly be anything worthwhile? Turns out those fears were unfounded.
That's because UFC on Fox 2, which is scheduled for the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 28, 2012, is bringing a triple main event to network TV. In the headlining bout, Rashad Evans will look to earn a shot at Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones when he battles undefeated wrestler Phil Davis.
In the co-main event, Chael Sonnen continues his crusade on the middleweight division with another bout against a buddy, as he'll look to take Mark Munoz out of the 185-pound championship chase.
Anderson Silva awaits the winner.
Finally, British banger Michael Bisping will square off against Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia for the right to be next in line for a title shot against whoever is holding the middleweight title when Sonnen, Munoz and Silva settle up.
It's a hell of a card, Maniacs. And it's free. Can't beat that.
For all the latest news and notes on the UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2: Lavar Johnson vs Joey Beltran booked for Jan. 28 in Chicago
There's some heavyweight horsepower headed to the UFC on FOX 2 fight card, as Lavar Johnson migrates from Strikeforce to challenge 265-pound scrapper Joey Beltran on the network televised special scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brought word of the heavyweight hook-up late last night.
Johnson was considered one of the top division prospects under the Strikeforce banner; however, a seven-fight win streak quickly spiraled into back-to-back losses when Shane Del Rosario and Shawn Jordan exploited the "Big" hole in his submission defense.
The heavy-handed power puncher is hoping for a fresh start inside the Octagon.
Standing in his way in Beltran, who is a mediocre 3-3 since signing with the world's largest fight promotion but puts on thrilling performances that have transcended his win/loss record to date.
Aside from Mexicuting Rolles Gracie and Tim Hague, Beltran also pounded out Aaron Rosa and has never been knocked out in 19 professional fights.
Expect fireworks in this one.
UFC on FOX 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injuries to battle for the right to fight division champion Jon Jones.
For the latest "Evans vs. Davis" news and notes check out our comprehensive event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, heavyweight, beltran
Read the full article at MMA ManiaQ&A with Lorenzo Fertitta: Fox deal, PEDs, and growing the sport
submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fox, deal, fertitta, likewildpotato, qa
Read the full article at RedditDana White Named Broadcasting & Cable Magazine 2011's Top Sports TV Executive
UFC President Dana White has been named 2011 Sports TV Executive Of The Year by Broadcasting & Cable Magazine and is on the cover of their December issue.
White has had quite a year, helping orchestrate the UFC's seven-year deal with Fox which will see the MMA organization run four events on "big" Fox with secondary programming featuring live events and compilation programs spilling over to FX, Fuel TV and other Fox family outlets.
Fuel will become the unofficial home of the UFC with over 2000 hours per year of original and archived programming, driving demand among MMA fans who don't yet have it.
He also helped facilitate a deal with Showtime to extend the Strikeforce brand for another two years in a deal announced Thursday, keeping another source of revenue alive while keeping competition off the pay-cable channel. In addition, Spike TV has one more year on their contract, giving the UFC more exposure on a major ad-supported cable network.
In the cover story (available online for subscribers), White addresses pay-per-view numbers being down and what that means for the future.
We are down, but not quite that much. We're in this funk right now. We are in this weird transition from Spike to Fox. If we were still deep in our Spike deal, I would be programming a lot of things on that network right now that I am not. So we are in this weird position between injuries and the transition period from Spike to Fox. We're not concerned. We had a lot of great main events lined up, and the list of injuries is crazy. We lost 10 main events [in 2011] to injury.
The 42-year-old White has never won the award before.
Posted in: fox, event, deal, year, tv
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAll UFC on FOX 1 Drug Tests Come Back Clean
All fighters at UFC on FOX 1 passed testing for recreational and performance-enhancing drugs.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, drug, performanceenhancing
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 1 drug test results come back clean for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
UFC on Fox 1 drug test results are in from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), who today confirmed (via Sherdog.com) that 14 fighters tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at UFC on Fox 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" on Nov. 12 have all passed with flying colors.
Main event participants Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos as well as Ben Henderson, Clay Guida, Ricardo Lamas, Clay Harvison, Cub Swanson, Mackens Semerzier, DaMarques Johnson, Robert Peralta, Aaron Rosa, Pablo Garza, Matt Lucas, and Dustin Poirier were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others.
Results from these battery of tests all returned negative.
The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed drug tests in the past.
"Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" featured Brazilian bomber, Junior dos Santos, doing what he does best by knocking out Cain Velasquez. Except this time, the victory earned him the UFC heavyweight championship.
That may have been the only bout to make the FOX airwaves but it's not the only fight that happened that night.
No, Ben Henderson turned in yet another masterful performance in taking a unanimous decision victory over Clay Guida, which earned "Bendo" a 155-pound title shot.
But don't take my word for it.
Complete UFC on Fox 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" results, commentary and updates are all right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, test
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCSAC: All UFC on Fox 1 Tests Come Back Negative
All UFC on Fox 1 drug screens came back clean, Sherdog.com confirmed with the California State Athletic Commission on Thursday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, commission, california state, sherdogcom
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on FOX 1 drug tests come back clean
All drug tests conducted at this past month's landmark UFC on FOX 1 event came back clean.
A California State Athletic Commission official today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that tests for both recreational drugs and steroids/performance-enhancing drugs all were passed.
UFC on FOX took place Nov. 12 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, test, drug, drug tests
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2: Eddie Wineland vs Johnny Bedford booked for Jan. 28 in Chicago
Lost in the shuffle of the recently announced UFC flyweight tournament, is the fact that one of its competitors, Demetrious Johnson, already had a bantamweight bout lined up next month.
Johnson was all set to take on Eddie Wineland at UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, until he got the call to move down to the freshly created 125-pound division. A chance at a championship is far more important than a fight against Wineland, after all.
Sorry, Eddie.
The good news, though, is the powers that be wasted no time in finding him a new opponent. From UFC.com:
"With Demetrious Johnson joining the flyweight division, former bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland will now be facing TUF 14 standout Johnny Bedford on January 28th in Chicago," said UFC president Dana White today. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.
That'll do.
After winning consecutive "Knockout of the Night" bonuses in his final two WEC bouts, Wineland was thrown into the fire for his first two under the UFC banner.
He lost clear unanimous decision's to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, respectively. This fight is no battle for contention; it's a fight for employment.
Bedford has far more to gain and a lot less to lose. He made a successful debut with the promotion just this past Dec. 3 with a dominant third round technical knockout win over Louis Gaudinot.
A win over a former WEC champion would do wonders to springboard is career.
UFC on Fox 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injury to battle for the right to fight Jon Jones.
Also penciled in for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator pitting former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, bout, fox, wineland
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 prelims to air on FUEL TV with post-event show
As expected the preliminary card for next month's UFC on FOX 2 event will air live on FUEL TV.
Officials recently confirmed the plans, which include the night's full preliminary card and a post-event show on the cable station.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center. The night's main card, which features three bouts, airs on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, postevent show, bouts airs
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTUF 14’s Johnny Bedford replaces Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FOX 2
When former 135-pound contender Demetrious Johnson was recently named as one of four men fighting for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship it left Eddie Wineland, whom he was scheduled to face at UFC on FOX 2, without an opponent. However, that problem has since been fixed with TUF 14 competitor Johnny Bedford stepping in to fill the vacancy left by Johnson’s departure from the bout.
Bedford has won seven of his last eight fights including two in a row, one of course being his UFC debut earlier this month at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale where he stopped Louis Gaudinot with strikes a little less than midway through the third round of their rumble. He holds an overall record of 18-9-1 with fourteen finishes.
Bedford Impresses at TUF 14 Finale
A former WEC title-holder, the 18-8-1 Wineland has struggled since transitioning over to the UFC with a pair of losses against Urijah Faber and most recently Joseph Benavidez. Prior to the slide he had won four straight, as well as notched victories against a number of respected adversaries such as Antonio Banuelos and George Roop.
UFC on FOX 2 is scheduled for January 28 and features a tripleheader at the top of the card with the bouts involving Demian Maia vs. Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz, and Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis. Bedford-Wineland is expected to be part of the evening’s preliminary card being shown on FX in the hours preceding the FOX broadcast.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, tuf, bedford
Read the full article at Fighters.comWith ‘Mouse’ Flyweight Bound, Wineland-Bedford Set for UFC on Fox 2
Demetrious Johnson will no longer compete against Eddie Wineland at UFC on Fox 2, promotion officials announced Wednesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, wineland, eddie wineland
Read the full article at SherdogJohnny Bedford Faces Eddie Wineland at UFC on Fox
With Demetrious Johnson now involved in the first ever UFC flyweight tournament, Eddie Wineland needed a new opponent for UFC on Fox and now he has one.
Posted in: ufc, fox, demetrious johnson, johnny bedford, eddie wineland
Read the full article at MMA WeeklySpike Will Counter-Program UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis
As Dana White would say, "It is what it is." Spike TV will counter-program the next UFC on Fox broadcast with Rashad Evans and Phil Davis content of its own.
Posted in: rashad evans, spike tv, fox broadcast, ufc, fox
Read the full article at Heavy MMAEddie Wineland Meets TUF 14′s Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 2
With Demetrious joining the new flyweight division, The Ultimate Fighter 14′s Johnny Bedford will take his spot on the UFC on Fox 2 fight card in a preliminary matchup with fellow bantamweight Eddie Wineland at the January 28 event in Chicago, the UFC announced today.Wineland (18-8-1) won his last four fights in the WEC, where he previously held the bantamweight title, but is still looking for his first UFC win following losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. Bedford (18-9-1), a semifinalist on TUF 14, scored a third-round TKO of fellow castmember Louis Gaudinot at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale earlier this month.UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and also features Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia on its Fox-televised main card.For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.Pictured: Eddie Wineland
Posted in: ufc, fox, bantamweight title, johnny bedford, thirdround tko
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyPeralta-Semerzier Bout from UFC on Fox 1 Ruled No-Contest by CSAC
Robert Peralta’s victory over Mackens Semerzier at UFC on Fox 1 was Tuesday changed to a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission.
Posted in: fox, california state, mackens semerzier, nocontest, peraltasemerzier bout
Read the full article at SherdogWould you be interested in the Gracie Brothers being Ju-Jitsu analysts for Fox?
Fox and ESPN often demonstrates football plays on a simulated field with ex-players. The Gracie Brothers are good looking enough and they make some of this stuff so understandable to laymen. submitted by PeteFord [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fox, brother, gracie brothers, jujitsu analysts, fox fox
Read the full article at RedditDana White's $26,000,000 gamble on UFC on FOX 2 - MMA News
submitted by alphahouse44 [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, news, alphahouse
Read the full article at RedditFuel TV Plans to ‘Market the Hell’ Out of the UFC
The UFC may have signed a deal with Fox, but the real home for the most programming will end up being on the Fox owned Fuel TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, ‘ market, hell ’
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFuel TV Plans to ‘Market the Hell’ Out of the UFC
The UFC may have signed a deal with Fox, but the real home for the most programming will end up being on the Fox owned Fuel TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, ‘ market, hell ’
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDemian Maia: I Know I Can Submit Michael Bisping
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, UFC on FOXCHICAGO -- Demian Maia thinks he can be the first person to hand Michael Bisping a submission loss.
"He has a good submission defense but it doesn't matter," Maia recently told MMA Fighting. "I've fought guys before that have never been submitted before many times and I've submitted them. I know I have the chance to submit him."
It will also be his strategy when he meets Bisping at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28. Maia acknowledges this fight against Bisping will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his jiu-jitsu skills again.
Maia, who held submission wins in his first five UFC fights, has seen his six most recent fights end in decision. Maia explains the lack of finishes have been due to more challenging opponents and his focus on improving in other areas of MMA.
"It's expectations," Maia told the press at last week's UFC on FOX 2 conference. "I fight everytime tougher and toughers guys. I took time to learn more boxing, thai boxing and even wrestling. I cannot just train jiu-jitsu anymore. I need to be an MMA fighter."
Maia last fought at UFC 136 in October, outpointing Jorge Santiago after three rounds. Meanwhile, Bisping is coming off a win against Jason "Mayhem" Miller on Dec. 3.
Maia was informed on Dec. 2 the possibility of meeting the winner of Bisping-Miller later at UFC on FOX 2. After Saturday's fights, Bisping had to return home and decide if he would make a quick turnaround and fight again on the Jan. 28 card. The fight wasn't official until last Wednesday's UFC on FOX 2 press conference at the United Center.
"They just set me the flight tickets yesterday, like two hours before I went to the airport," Maia said. "We just came here."
In fact, Maia didn't sign the bout agreement until after the conference.
If Maia wants to submit Bisping though, he'll have to take him down first. Bisping has done a solid job keeping the fight standing, winning nine of his 15 UFC fights via (T)KO.
"Sometimes people underrate him, I don't know why," Maia said. "But I think he's tough, he's good. He's only lost three fights in his career." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, bisping, maia
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBrutal Bedford Gets Bout Against Wineland
"With Demetrious Johnson joining the flyweight division, former bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland will now be facing TUF 14 standout Johnny Bedford on January 28th in Chicago," said UFC president Dana White today. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.More Middleweight Matchups for UFC on FOX 2 updated December 7The televised card for UFC on FOX 2 was revealed today to be a triple-header, with last weekend's TUF 14 Finale winner Michael Bisping returning to action January 28 against Demian Maia. The winner of that bout will be next in line for a middleweight title shot after the winner of Sonnen-Munoz, taking place the same night.
1024x768
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Another middleweight matchup has been verbally agreed to for the undercard of that event, as 6-1 Dustin Jacoby takes on 15-5 Chris Camozzi.Seven Fights Set for UFC on FOX 2 updated December 5The fight card for UFC </a>on FOX 2 is gathering steam as a number of bouts have been verbally agreed upon by the athletes, UFC president Dana White announced today. In the night’s main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad
Evans battles the unbeaten Phil Davis to determine the next challenger
to the 205-pound title. Plus, in the night’s co-feature, controversial
middleweight contender Chael Sonnen takes on “The Filipino Wrecking
Machine” Mark Munoz in a bout that will decide which fighter gets the
next crack at champion Anderson Silva.In lightweight action, 12-0 undefeated submission specialist Paul Sass will face 12-2 lightweight contender Evan Dunham. Plus, Ultimate Fighter veterans Michael "The Menace" Johnson will take on the freshly-shorn Cody McKenzie. More bouts in the works include:- Cub Swanson will take on the always-dangerous George Roop in the talent-packed featherweight division.- One of the bantamweight division's toughest competitors, Eddie Wineland, will meet one of the UFC's fastest, Demetrious Johnson.- UFC 131 Fight of the Night winner John-Olav Einemo will face Chicago’s 14-1 Mike Russow in a heavyweight throwdown
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, winner, middleweight
Read the full article at UFCShonie Carter is (so far unsuccessfully) campaigning to be on UFC on FOX 2 card
submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, likewildpotato, carter, shonie carter
Read the full article at RedditShonie Carter Told by UFC Matchmaker That UFC on FOX 2 Card Is Full
Filed under: UFC, NewsCHICAGO -- Although there's no spot currently for him on the card, UFC veteran Shonie Carter says he won't stop his campaign to take part in the Jan. 28 UFC on FOX 2 event.
Carter is asking for a one-fight deal with the UFC to compete on the undercard of what will be the biggest MMA card in his hometown of Chicago.
On Wednesday, Carter attended the UFC on FOX 2 press conference not as a fighter, but a journalist.
"It actually hurts to be here and be a journalist and thinking fight at the same time," Carter told MMA Fighting, standing on the floor of the United Center. "These young men, I've watched them when they were rookies. They grew up watching me and I have the upmost and profound respect for all of them and I don't ever quit. I believe in fighting the good fight and until that first bell rings, or until the weigh-ins are over, I am going to campaign."
At the press conference, UFC president Dana White replied to a reporter's question about Carter by saying "I think he needs to talk to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva," before sending out a "Good luck, Shonie."
Carter says there's no room on the card for him but he's holding out hope for an opening.
"I have reached out to [Silva] and he said the card was full," Carter told MMA Fighting. "But I'm still working out like a mad man."
On paper, Carter doesn't deserve consideration on the card, having lost six of his last seven fights. And Carter, who is best known for a spinning backfist knockout over Matt Serra, hasn't competed in the UFC in five years.
But to Carter's credit, the former WEC champion has been a staple in the Chicago martial arts scene for over a decade and remains a well-liked figure in the sport. He also insists fighting at the United Center would be a special moment for him and a thank you to all his hometown fans. Carter grew up in the West Side of Chicago and he's so close to the arena that he's just two bus rides away.
"11-and-a-half minutes, I timed it," Carter said with a laugh.
While it might be a long shot, it doesn't hurt to try. Carter will continue his Internet campaign as well as checking back with Silva.
"I'm going to keep bugging him," Carter said. "Until he says yes." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, chicago, carter
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseChael Sonnen Says He is Fox's American Idol, Network Should Thank Him
Chael Sonnen is making a claim as the best talker in the history of mixed martial arts. He set the tone for the rest of his career with his trash talking before his UFC middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva. The absurd levels he went to with that fight actually left some disappointed when he treated his bout with Brian Stann like just another fight.
Chael is back to his old tricks with his next fight. Sonnen will be meeting Mark Munoz on the UFC's second trip to Fox.
At the presser for that fight yesterday, Chael talked about how much he thinks the network owes him:
"I would imagine that he's the best [wrestler]. He's certainly the most decorated, you know? I haven't given it a lot of thought. I'm not a wrestler either. I'm a fighter from the mean streets of Westland, Oregon. This is the way it goes. I think everybody up here is grateful to be on FOX. They say, "FOX, thanks," everybody but me. I would say, "FOX, you're welcome. You've been telling people for years you've got the American Idol and now you finally do."
Sonnen's thoughts on Anderson Silva's "fake injuries" and Munoz's accusations that he cheated in their college wrestling match after the jump.
On Silva:
"I don't believe Anderson's hurt. I know he says he's hurt and then he was in training camp with Wanderlei that got caught on tape. He just got done working with Machida that got caught on tape. I really don't care about Anderson Silva. I truly don't. How hard is it gonna be to become world champion beating up math teachers? I don't understand it. Give Anderson Silva my schedule and see how well he does. Yeah, I think he's ducking me. I think he's ducking Dan Henderson. I don't know if he'd be eager to fight Bisping, you'll have to Dan about that comment but no, I don't think he's hurt."
On Munoz's cheating accusations:
"Mark's explanation of heat of the moment, I appreciate that but I assure you it was a calculated and premeditated event and I offer no apology. Secondly, I don't even remember college. I'm driving around in a car with no insurance, a pocket with no money and the biggest thing on my mind was which kid to sit next to on exam day so as far as a wrestling match, that was the fourth thing on my mind. I assure you on January 28th, I will be ready. It will be one more in the win column, one more above the mantel and one more for the bad guy."
Posted in: fight, fox, anderson, he, dont
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2: Dana White not playing it safe in primetime with Evans vs Davis, Sonnen vs Munoz
When the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) invades the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012, with UFC on Fox 2, five of the six participants in the events triple-header main event are highly accomplished grapplers (sorry Michael Bisping).
Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Phil Davis have all had successful amateur wrestling careers in college and have utilized those skills to great effect in MMA.
Demian Maia is one of the most accomplished and decorated grapplers in the world, having participated in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) grappling tournament; placing 1st and 2nd in separate events, and winning the UFC's "Submission of the Night" award four times.
But if that makes you think that Zuffa officials were cautious when it comes to matchmaking to keep their new partners over at FOX happy, think again.
When asked if the UFC deliberately matched up so many wrestlers on the main card to avoid having potentially brutal knockouts aired on network television in primetime, a baffled UFC President Dana White assured fans and media in attendance that that's simply not the case:
"This guy (Mark Munoz) has got one of the nastiest ground-and-pounds in the business. One of the most vicious, nasty, smash you up against the cage ground-and-pound there is. This guy (Rashad Evans) comes out with one of the most vicious knockout highlights I have ever seen when he kicked Sean Salmons in the face. I don't think you can see anything more vicious than that. Anything can happen on any given night with anybody. I mean I can't look at two fighters and say, "Hey, let's put this one on because this won't happen or that won't happen." The thing that makes this sport so exciting is that it's completely unpredictable. We got over our hump with the first FOX fight. We went out there, the presentation was perfect, it came off great, quick knockout which people are used to and more importantly, no complaints. So, it is what it is. This sport is on FOX and its going to be for seven years and there are going to be knockouts and there are going to be submissions, there is going to be some nasty ground-and-pound. It is what it is."
The inaugural UFC on FOX show, which went down on Nov. 12, 2011, from Anaheim, Calif., ended in brutal fashion as Junior Dos Santos knocked out then UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez just 64 seconds into the fight.
That right there would seem to quell the notion that FOX is scared of knockouts.
Then again, upon crunching some numbers, all six headlining competitors (Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz, Phil Davis, Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans) have a combined total of five knockout victories, nine submission wins, 12 technical knockouts and, wait for it ... 24 combined wins by way of decision.
What do you say Maniacs, careful planning or sheer coincidence?
Posted in: ufc, fox, knockout, evan, munoz
Read the full article at MMA ManiaIt was 'The Chael Sonnen Show' at the UFC on FOX 2 press conference in Chicago
Everyone knows that if you put Chael Sonnen and a microphone in a room together, it's only a matter of time before he starts spitting out golden nuggets.
That was certainly the case today (Dec. 7, 2011) at the UFC on FOX 2 press conference in Chicago, Illinois. Sonnen, who's slated to fight Mark Munoz in a number one contender eliminator bout in the co-featured fight of the night at the United Center, had plenty to say about his arch nemesis, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
On second thought, no one was immune from his sharp tongue.
Sonnen commented on everything from friends fighting each other, Silva's injury, how his and Munoz's wrestling stacks up against each other and much more.
You've got to read it to believe it:
To get things started, Sonnen was asked about his thoughts on his and Munoz's collegiate wrestling match where Munoz has claimed that the former UFC middleweight title challenger attempted a kneebar (which is illegal) during their battle.
Munoz tried to put out the flames by saying he felt that it wasn't Sonnen's fault and that's the reason a referee is there, but the Oregonian took full responsibility for what happened.
"Mark's explanation of heat of the moment, I appreciate that but I assure you it was a calculated and premeditated event and I offer no apology. Secondly, I don't even remember college. I'm driving around in a car with no insurance, a pocket with no money and the biggest thing on my mind was which kid to sit next to on exam day so as far as a wrestling match, that was the fourth thing on my mind. I assure you on January 28th, I will be ready. It will be one more in the win column, one more above the mantel and one more for the bad guy."
Sonnen also addressed the fact that "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" is not exactly a guy he's happy about fighting, but reiterated that he's doing it anyways. He wants to set an example for other friends or teammates that refuse to fight each other.
"Everybody's got guys they don't want to fight and Mark is definitely on the top of my list and not just because I like him but because he's a hard match. I've competed with him before and I've never beat him. But look, we have to do this and on top of that, Mark and I agreed to fight to set example for the rest of the guys. This is just competition. Basketball players don't not play each other just because they're friends or they practice together or any other excuse that guys have for saying, "No." The answer is, "Yes." We will compete and we will shake hands and we will live with the result."
Dan Henderson had previously commented about Anderson Silva's injuries, saying they'd "heal up real quick if Michael Bisping were offered as a title challenger," as a way to say "The Spider" is milking them to avoid both Chael Sonnen and himself.
Sonnen had his own theory on the matter, and he used video evidence to back it up.
"I don't believe Anderson's hurt. I know he says he's hurt and then he was in training camp with Wanderlei that got caught on tape. He just got done working with Machida that got caught on tape. I really don't care about Anderson Silva. I truly don't. How hard is it gonna be to become world champion beating up math teachers? I don't understand it. Give Anderson Silva my schedule and see how well he does. Yeah, I think he's ducking me. I think he's ducking Dan Henderson. I don't know if he'd be eager to fight Bisping, you'll have to Dan about that comment but no, I don't think he's hurt."
Lastly, Sonnen really hammed it up when asked if Munoz was the most gifted wrestler he's ever faced. He took the question, turned it around and then took it to a level where he switched to talking about how amazing he is, as the mouthy ex-Realtor has been prone to doing.
"I would imagine that he's the best [wrestler]. He's certainly the most decorated, you know? I haven't given it a lot of thought. I'm not a wrestler either. I'm a fighter from the mean streets of Westland, Oregon. This is the way it goes. I think everybody up here is grateful to be on FOX. They say, "FOX, thanks," everybody but me. I would say, "FOX, you're welcome. You've been telling people for years you've got the American Idol and now you finally do."
As we head into 2012 and the UFC's second major event held on the FOX flagship station, one of the key questions still remains: is Chael Sonnen ready for primetime TV? Or even more, is America ready for Chael Sonnen?
What do you think, Maniacs?
For more quotes and video from today's UFC on Fox 2 press conference click here and here.
Posted in: fox, sonnen, he, munoz, dont
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGeorges St. Pierre's Injury Places Extra Importance on Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones' Upcoming Fights
2011 saw a significant dip in the number of overall pay-per-view buys for UFC events. Everything from an over-saturation of events to some significant injuries to top drawing fighters played a part in this.
Today news broke that Georges St. Pierre's ACL was blown and that he'd be out for at least ten months. With St. Pierre representing one of the few stars in the UFC that can reliably draw big PPV numbers, it places an extra emphasis on the rest of the top stars succeeding and the UFC making all the right moves.
We've spent a good amount of time this week talking about Jon Jones and how it appears that he still isn't a huge name in terms of drawing power. I still think that this goes back to a general mishandling of the Rashad Evans situation. Jones needed a true rival to help build up his name and Evans was set to be that man.
After Jones won the title from Mauricio Rua, the fight with Rashad was set and filled with bad blood and the kind of storyline that would have sold and made the winner into a star. Instead, a hand injury forced Jones out and the two men ended up fighting a little over a month apart.
Now, we're about to see the same thing yet again but with Rashad having pulled out and now Jones fighting this Saturday and Rashad fighting at the end of next month.
With St. Pierre out, the UFC needs major fights in 2012 and Evans vs. Jones fits the bill.
That means that Saturday night's title defense for Jones against Lyoto Machida carries a lot of importance. While Machida is a good fighter and a former champion, he lacks the same kind of starpower that Jones may be capable of with the right fights.
And Evans has to do his part in a very tricky Fox fight in January with Phil Davis. I like Evans to win that fight, but Davis isn't an easy out and could bring the whole Jones/Evans thing crashing down. And, I'm sorry, but Jones vs. Davis is not a major fight.
Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva, Fox's impact on 2012 and more after the jump..
Brock Lesnar remains a superstar even after taking some beatings in his last two fights (one of which he won). If he loses at UFC 141 at the end of the month to Alistair Overeem, it's yet another star down. Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos can make for a big PPV main event, but dos Santos vs. Overeem will need a strong co-main event or to be put on Fox to avoid a bad buyrate.
Fox is bringing good attention to the UFC but in the wake of a hugely successful debut we've seen a UFC 139 card that did well under 300,000 buys and now a UFC 140 card with Jones that isn't selling well and seems to lack any major buzz.
Fox is in no way a bad thing, but it is not going to serve to be the lone saving factor for a big 2012.
Even the major rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, one of the few seemingly sure things for 2012, could fall apart if Sonnen loses to Mark Munoz at the January Fox show. In that case Silva would likely get matched up with Michael Bisping, but Bisping has to win on the Fox card as well (vs. Demian Maia).
Basically, 2012's loss of GSP could be the first step in a bad year for the UFC. Jones may beat Machida, Evans may beat Davis, Lesnar may beat Overeem, Sonnen may beat Munoz and Bisping may beat Maia. The UFC should hope so anyway because:
Jon Jones vs. Rashad EvansBrock Lesnar vs. Junior dos SantosAnderson Silva vs. Chael SonnenSilva/Sonnen Winner vs. Michael Bisping
Sure looks like a lot more money than:
Lyoto Machida vs. Phil Davis (or Jon Jones vs. Phil Davis/Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson)Alistair Overeem vs. Junior dos SantosAnderson Silva vs. Mark Munoz
The fate of the UFC's 2012 may all hang in the balance over the next 2 months.
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fox, vs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDustin Jacoby vs. Chris Camozzi added to UFC on FOX 2
A middleweight bout between Dustin Jacoby and Chris Camozzi has been added to next month's UFC on FOX 2 event.
Officials today announced the fight, which likely will earn the loser his UFC walking papers.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center. The night's main card, which features three bouts, airs on FOX. However, Jacoby vs. Camozzi will be part of the preliminary card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, middleweight bout, jacoby, chris camozzi
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 Real Time Conference Call Highlights
The UFC has decided to build off the wild success of their initial offering on FOX by putting together a card that would easily merit a PPV purchase had the organization decided to take a different route.
Featuring co-headlining, contendership-determining clashes Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz, UFC on FOX 2 also recently added a bout between Michael Bisping and Demian Maia with obvious impact on the middleweight division, as well as a handful of other intriguing preliminary pairings.
The six men set to entertain fans on January 28 are all scheduled to take part in a press conference for the upcoming show and, as always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in throughout to relay information and soundbytes in real time to readers. UFC President Dana White is also expected to be on hand.
Festivities kick off at 2:00 PM EST.
Read below for highlights as they unfold from the stage:
Rashad Evans
Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen
Mark Munoz
Michael Bisping
Demian Maia
Dana White
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, demian maia, middleweight division
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainWatch Today’s UFC on Fox 2 Press Conference
Watch the Wednesday, Dec. 7, UFC on Fox 2 kickoff press conference streaming live on MMAWeekly.com at approximately 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, mmaweeklycom
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBisping-Maia Joins Jan. 28 UFC on Fox 2 Bill in Chicago
Only days removed from his winning effort against Jason Miller at “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 finale, Michael Bisping has been handed his next assignment: Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia.
Posted in: fox, jason, bisping, jason miller, jiujitsu
Read the full article at SherdogMichael Bisping-Demian Maia rounds out “tripleheader” at UFC on FOX 2
It will be a quick turnaround for Michael Bisping, as “The Count” has signed to face Demian Maia on January 28 at UFC on FOX 2. Bisping recently defeated Jason “Mayhem” Miller this past weekend to extend his current win streak to four.
The UFC announced the match-up earlier today.
Maia is coming off a victory over Jorge Santiago at UFC 136 that improved his mark to 3-1 since a loss to current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva back in 2010. Bisping’s last four victims have been Miller, Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jorge Rivera.
UFC on FOX 2 will feature title-eliminator bouts between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, along with middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz. Bisping-Maia will be a featured fight on the FOX show, which will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, jorge santiago, count ”
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on Fox Video: Rashad Evans Vs. Phil Davis Press Conference
Join Bloody Elbow today at 2 PM ET as we bring you the UFC on Fox press conference live. The press conference will be held this afternoon at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dana White will be in attendance as will Rashad Evans and Phil Davis who fight in the main event, Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz as the co-main event, and Michael Bisping and Demian Maia in the featured bout.
The first "official" show under the new seven year deal between the UFC and Fox and will take place on January 28, 2012 at the United Center. Bloody Elbow will have analysis of the press conference following the conclusion of the video.
The UFC on Fox Fight Card:
Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs Mark Munoz
Michael Bisping vs Demian Maia
Demetrious Johnson vs Eddie Wineland
Evan Dunahm vs Paul Sass
John Olav Einemo vs Mike Russow
Cody McKenzie vs Michael Johnson
Charles Oliveira vs Eric Wisely
George Roop vs Cub Swanson
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, conference, vs
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMichael Bisping vs. Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2, Spike To Counter-Program With ‘UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis’
It’s official. Michael Bisping will fight at UFC on FOX 2 and his opponent will be former middleweight top contender Demian Maia. The UFC confirmed the news in an email blast sent out earlier today.
Maia is coming off a win against Jorge Santiago at UFC 136 where he demonstrated improved striking, while Bisping just beat the crap out of Mayhem Miller at the TUF 14 Finale. Bisping has fought a lot of tough guys but he’s never faced someone with the submission expertise that Maia possesses. It will definitely be an interesting clash of styles.
On a related note, it looks like Spike TV is following the same counter-programming formula they used for UFC on FOX 1. Spike announced today that they will be airing another taped fight marathon titled “UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis” featuring several of the UFC on FOX 2 fighters before, during and after the UFC on FOX 2 broadcast. The schedule is as follows:
4:00pm ET/re-airs at 9pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
5:00pm ET/re-airs 10:00pm PT – UFC Fight Night 24 – Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
7:00pm ET/ 4:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Chael Sonnen vs. Renato Sobral (UFC 55)
8:00pm ET/ 5:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Mark Munoz vs. Kendall Grove (UFC 112)
9:00pm ET/ 6:00pm PT– UFC Unleashed – Rashad Evans vs. Brad Imes (“The Ultimate Fighter 2” finale)
10:00pm ET/ 7:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson (UFC 114)
11:00pm ET/ 8:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida (UFC 98)
Spike TV president Kevin Kay explained earlier this week that this counter-programming strategy wasn’t intended to steal viewers from the UFC on FOX cards but to piggyback off all of the promotion FOX does for the events in an effort to monetize their UFC library rights. Nevertheless, 700,000 people watched the taped Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos fights on Spike last month while the live championship fight was taking place on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, pt
Read the full article at MMA ConvertSpike TV to counter-program UFC on FOX 2 with Evans-Davis special
Spike TV today further clarified what we already knew: The gloves are off.
After counter-programming the first UFC on FOX event and scoring approximately 800,000 viewers, Spike TV also will counter-program the second one.
Spike TV will run a "UFC Unleashed" marathon featuring UFC on FOX 2
headliners Rashad Evans and Phil Davis on Jan. 28 to counter FOX's live
event broadcast that same night.
Posted in: ufc, fox, spike tv, tv, spike
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBisping vs. Maia 3rd Marquee Bout at UFC on Fox 2
Days removed from his domination of Jason “Mayhem” Miller at The Ultimate Fighter Finale, Michael Bisping has his next fight lined up... Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, maia, demian maia
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTickets On Sale for UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis in Chicago
Tickets for UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis go on sale Wednesday to UFC Fight Club members and Friday to the general public.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sale wednesday, sale, chicago tickets
Read the full article at Heavy MMABisping and Maia set to fight at UFC on Fox 2
Fresh off his win at the TUF 14 Finale, Michael Bisping is set to face fellow middleweight Demian Maia at UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bisping, maia, finale
Read the full article at sportsnet.caMichael Bisping vs. Demian Maia Set for UFC on Fox 2
Fresh off his Saturday win over Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Michael Bisping will meet Demian Maia in a middleweight showdown at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, the UFC announced today.
Bisping (22-3) stopped his rival coach Miller via third-round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale for his fourth-straight win following victories over Jorge Rivera, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Dan Miller. Maia (15-3) is 3-1 since coming up short against middleweight champion Anderson Silva early last year, including an October win over Jorge Santiago to bounce back from a loss to Mark Munoz.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by a pair of title eliminators between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, miller, bisping, maia
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyMichael Bisping vs Demian Maia fight announced for UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago
No rest for the wicked.
Fresh off a three-round beatdown of Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale this past weekend (Dec. 3, 2011), Michael Bisping will return to the Octagon against former number one division contender, Demian Maia, at UFC on Fox 2.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made the 185-pound showdown, which will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012, official earlier this morning.
More on this breaking news shortly.
UFC on FOX 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injuries to battle for the right to fight the winner of Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida.
Also penciled in for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator that pits former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our comprehensive event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network television, jason miller, contender bout
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 2 Press Conference Video
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXAt the UFC on FOX 2 press conference on Wednesday, UFC President Dana White will be joined by fighters Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz, and we'll carry the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
UFC on FOX 2 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago. It will be the organization's second show on FOX.
The press conference video, which will be live at 2 p.m. ET, is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Fight Card
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, mark munoz
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMichael Bisping vs. Demian Maia added to UFC on FOX 2
Next month's UFC on FOX 2 event has another marque attraction.
UFC officials today announced that fresh off his victory at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Michael Bisping will meet fellow middleweight contender Demian Maia at the network-televised event.
"UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs. Davis" takes place Jan. 28 at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, months ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieSpike TV Will Counter-Program Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis on Fox
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFC, UFC on FOXThe UFC's TV contract with Spike runs out at the end of the year, and Spike has already announced that it plans to aggressively counter-program the UFC's programming with its new TV partner, Fox.
Spike sent out a press release on Wednesday announcing that it will air a Saturday night programming lineup on January 28 entitled UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis, which will run simultaneously with the UFC on Fox card headlined by Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis.
Spike's lineup will run from 4 PM to midnight and feature fights involving Evans and Davis, as well as Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Michael Bisping, all of whom are also fighting on the Fox card on January 28.
For Spike, this is basically an attempt to use the powerful marketing of the UFC and Fox against them: Fox will market Evans and Davis during NFL games, and the UFC will put Evans and Davis on billboards, and when fight night rolls around, some viewers flipping through the channels will end up watching their old fights on Spike.
Labeling the event "Evans vs. Davis" may do a disservice to some viewers who will set their DVRs for "Evans vs. Davis" only to realize after the fact that they recorded the wrong program, although it's hard to imagine many viewers will be fooled into watching the wrong fight. But this is the way Spike programming is likely to look for the remainder of 2012: When UFC fighters are live in the Octagon, Spike will treat its viewers to a heavy dose of reruns from the same fighters. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, spike, evan, davi
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch today's UFC on FOX 2 presser live on MMAjunkie.com at 2 p.m. ET
A special UFC on FOX 2 press conference takes place today, and you can
watch a live stream of the proceedings here on MMAjunkie.com at 2 p.m.
ET (1 p.m. CT local time).
The press conference takes place at Chicago's United Center, which also
hosts UFC on FOX on Jan. 28. The presser is free and open to the public.
Featured at today's event are UFC president Dana White, headliners
Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, and co-headliners Mark Munoz and Chael
Sonnen.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, today, hosts ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMichael Bisping to Face Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFC, News, UFC on FOXA middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Demian Maia has been added to the UFC on FOX 2 event on Jan. 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Bisping-Maia joins the previously announced Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz matchups In what the UFC is billing a "tripleheader on FOX."
Bisping (22-3) last Saturday earned a dominant win over Jason "Mayhem" Miller via third-round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in Las Vegas. Soon after, UFC president Dana White hinted at Bisping being a possible addition to UFC on FOX 2. Bisping will enter the Jan. 28 fight undefeated in his last four fights.
Maia (15-3) went .500 in two fights in 2011. Maia fought Munoz at UFC 131 last June to a close unanimous decision loss and then bounced back in October at UFC 136 with a safe decision win over Jorge Santiago.
The current UFC on FOX 2 lineup now looks like this:
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz
Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia
Evan Dunham vs. Paul Sass
Michael Johnson vs. Cody McKenzie
Cub Swanson vs. George Roop
John-Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, bisping, maia
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2 Press Conference: Chael Sonnen says FOX found the "real" American Idol
UFC President Dana White, alongside the event's main card line-up, were in attendance today at The United Center in Chicago, Illinois for a special UFC on Fox 2 Press Conference. The stacked "triple-header" will be headlined by a Light Heavyweight showdown between perennial contender "Suga" Rashad Evans and "Mr. Wonderful" Phil Davis, while top Middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz will go head to head in the co-main event. Also featured will be a second 185-pound clash pitting Michael Bisping against
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, comain event, card lineup
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on Fox 2 Rumor: Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia to be Announced Wednesday
There has been some buzz over the past few days that Michael Bisping would be matched up with Demian Maia at UFC on Fox in his next fight following the Brit's destruction of Jason Miller. Now it seems the pieces are falling into place for that to become a reality at the Chicago press conference on Wednesday.
First, just days ago, Dana White was hinting at Bisping getting a spot on the card (via ESPN):
...A collision, possibly with Demian Maia, is a "possibility" for the Fox card in January.
"UFC on Fox 2 will have three headliners, we just haven't announced the other one yet," White toldMMA Fighting, having already announced Rashad Evans v Phil Davis and Sonnen v Munoz.
He was then asked, 'Are you implying Bisping may be on that card as well?', to which White replied: "It's a possibility."
After doing some follow-up I was told by sources close to the situation to expect that Maia vs. Bisping would be announced this week.
Late Tuesday night, Bisping tweeted out
@bispingmichael I'm on the plane to Chicago! My first time here. What should I go for eats and drinks? Any recommendations????Dec 07 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReply
It does seem that the only reason for Bisping to fly to Chicago would be to make the announcement.
This would make the UFC on Fox 2 broadcast card:
Rashad Evans vs. Phil DavisChael Sonnen vs. Mark MunozMichael Bisping vs. Demian Maia
So no title fights, but a lot of top ten fighters all positioning themselves to challenge for a title.
Posted in: fox, vs, card, bisping, maia
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSeven Bouts Official for UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago
Seven bouts are now set for the UFC's second effort on network TV, as the promotion announced Tuesday five new contests for UFC on Fox .
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, network tv, bouts official
Read the full article at SherdogGeorge Roop vs. Cub Swanson Set for UFC on Fox 2
A featherweight addition to the UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago has been announced by the UFC, as George Roop will face Cub Swanson at the January 28th event:
Cub Swanson will take on the always-dangerous George Roop in the talent-packed featherweight division.
Although both men have looked impressive at times, neither has been able to string together consecutive wins since 2008. Roop, who competed on the eight season of The Ultimate Fighter, has competed as high as 155 lbs, and all the way down to 135 lbs, but seems to have found his niche at 145 lbs. Looking dangerous in knockout wins over Chan Sung Jung and Josh Grispi, Roop also seems to falter against opponents who are highly skilled in certain areas, getting oustruck by Mark Hominick and outgrappled by George Sotiropoulos. Nonetheless, Roop is looking to build off a close split decision loss to the highly-touted Hatsu Hioki at UFC 137.
Swanson has faced some of the toughest competition available at featherweight, with previous fights against UFC champ, Jose Aldo, and current #1 contender, Chad Mendes. Returning from a year-long layoff after a neck injury when he fought Ricardo Lamas at the first UFC on FOX event last month, Swanson got caught in an arm-triangle choke from Lamas and was forced to tap after an entertaining back-and-forth grappling battle.
George Roop (12-8)L Hatsu Hioki (split decision) - UFC 137W Josh Grispi (KO) - TUF 13 FinaleL Mark Hominick (TKO) - UFC Fight for the Troops 2
Cub Swanson (15-5)L Ricardo Lamas (submission) - UFC on Fox 1W Mackens Semerzier (split decision) - WEC 52L Chad Mendes (unam. decision) - WEC 50
UFC on Fox 2 coverage
Posted in: ufc, fox, george, roop, swanson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSeven fights confirmed for UFC on FOX 2
The UFC’s January 28 appearance on FOX is starting to shape up to be far better than its predecessor, a statement saying a lot considering the presence of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos on the inaugural card and broadcast’s record-breaking viewership.
With about six weeks to go, UFC on FOX 2 is set to be headlined by former light heavyweight title-holder Rashad Evans looking to cement his long-awaited second shot at the belt by facing undefeated phenom Phil Davis and also features colorful middleweight Chael Sonnen taking on surging grappler Mark Munoz with a bout against 185-pound champion Anderson Silva up for grabs.
Now the UFC has confirmed five other fights for the Chicago-based event including today’s earlier news regarding Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland.
Johnson vs. Wineland Latest Bout Added to January FOX Card
The remaining quartet of clashes are all sure to entertain and span the divisional spectrum starting with a featherweight fight between aggressive 145ers George Roop and Cub Swanson.
Moving up a notch, Ultimate Fighter alums Cody McKenzie and Michael Johnson meet in the Octagon, as will British submission specialist Paul Sass and ever-improving Xtreme Couture competitor Evan Dunham.
Finally, as rumored, heavyweight BJJer John Olav Einemo takes on Chicago cop, and 14-1 Mixed Martial Artist, Mike Russow.
UFC on FOX 2 will be shown live on the network with preliminary pairings likely headed to FX, Fuel TV, or ION.
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, today ’s, chicagobased event
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 2: Cub Swanson vs George Roop booked for Jan. 28 in Chicago
The UFC on FOX 2 fight card continues to take shape for the promotion's trip to the United Center on Jan. 28, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois, as Cub Swanson and George Roop have been paired off for a 145-pound preliminary scrap in "The Windy City."
Swanson (15-5) is 2-3 over his last five, having last competed at UFC on FOX 1, where he found himself on the wrong end of a second round arm-triangle choke courtesy of Ricardo Lamas. Roop (12-8-1) has also struggled in recent appearances, losing a split decision to Hatsu Hioki at UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" last month in Las Vegas.
Could one of these competitors be facing the chopping block with a loss in "Chi-town?"
UFC on Fox 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injury to battle for the right to fight the winner of Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida.
Also penciled in for the FOX fight card is a middleweight title eliminator pitting former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
For the latest UFC on FOX 2 news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, hatsu hioki, swanson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGeorge Roop vs. Cub Swanson Added to UFC on Fox Card in Chicago
The UFC made official several previously reported fights for UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis, and added a new one. Featherweights George Roop and Cub Swanson will battle in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, chicago, fox card, cub swanson
Read the full article at Heavy MMADemetrious Johnson draws Eddie Wineland at UFC on FOX 2
A “must win” fight where future contendership is concerned has been booked for the UFC’s return to network television in late January in the form of Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland. Both bantamweights have been to the divisional peak but are freshly off losing performances meaning the man who comes up short at UFC on FOX 2 will have a long road to travel in terms of earning a title-fight in the future.
News of the match-up has been confirmed by the UFC.
Johnson was last seen in October against 135-pound king Dominick Cruz, a bout he lost on the scorecards in large part due to his inability to fend off the champion’s takedowns or handle the general size difference between the two. “Mighty Mouse” holds an overall record of 9-2 with notable victories over Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Miguel Torres.
Johnson Content at 135 but Waiting for Flyweight
Wineland, WEC’s inaugural bantamweight title-holder, has gone 0-2 since transitioning to the UFC but is 18-8-1 overall with fourteen finishing performances.
UFC on FOX 2 features two bouts for contendership with Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis determining the top challenger at 205-pounds and Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz doing the same for middleweights.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, johnson, wineland
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on Fox 2 Officially Adds Five Fights Including Roop vs. Swanson
Five more fights are now official for UFC on Fox 2, as a new featherweight bout between George Roop and Cub Swanson was confirmed on Monday along with previously reported matchups of Paul Sass vs. Evan Dunham, Michael Johnson vs. Cody McKenzie, Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland and John-Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow.
UFC on Fox 2 takes place on January 28 in Chicago and is headlined by a pair of title eliminators between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: George Roop
Posted in: ufc, featherweight bout, fox, vs, roop
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox 2 Fight Card Up to Seven Bouts
UFC president Dana White on Monday bolstered the UFC on Fox 2 fight card, firming up seven bouts.
Posted in: ufc, fight, bout, fox, card
Read the full article at MMA WeeklySpike TV President Explains Why They Always Put Overseas UFC Events On Tape-Delay
Not that it matters anymore since the UFC’s relationship with Spike TV is basically over, but many people have wondered over the years why Spike TV always insisted on broadcasting overseas UFC events at night on tape-delay instead of live in the afternoon.
Well, in an interview with Sherdog, Spike TV president Kevin Kay explained that the answer is really simple. It’s all a matter of $$$.
By the way, people always criticize us and say, like, “Well, why doesn’t Spike do them live, if they be at two o’clock in the afternoon or three o’clock in the morning? The real reason we didn’t do them live is because we couldn’t sell advertising at those times. We pay a lot of money for the product. We need to monetize it and make our money back, and, so, putting a fight on at 10 o’clock in the morning on Spike when we don’t get decent advertising rates … it’s is an advertising issue, just to clear that up, because I‘ve heard that many times.
Not surprisingly, their decision to counterprogram UFC on FOX 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” with “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title” , or as Kay explains it, ride on the coattails of the UFC’s first FOX broadcast, was also about money.
The deal [is] there’s a tail-end year of the library, and we pay for it. And we pay a good price for it. So we have to use it, and we’d be foolish not to use it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t schedule it. And I think, look, as a guy that’s scheduled television shows and has the library to use, we’re going to take advantage of the fact that Fox and FX are going to be out there promoting guys who we have in the library. It’s like free marketing, and we’d be silly not to take advantage of that. That’s our job. Our job is to use this library and monetize it. If the shoe were on the other foot, I can guarantee you Dana White would do what we’re doing.
We weren’t hoping to confuse anybody, but we purposely titled it “Unleashed: For the Heavyweight Title,” because “Unleashed” said to our fans who watched us loyally for six years now — they know “Unleashed” means taped. That’s the title of the taped library show, so we weren’t trying to confuse anybody. But what we did do is take advantage of the fact that Fox was promoting the hell out of Junior and Cain for months it seemed like, on the NFL and every place else that they were promoting it, putting a lot of muscle behind it. And we believed that people would watch. And actually, if you look at the ratings, before the fight [on Fox], we were up to 900,000 viewers; during the fight, we went down to 700,000 viewers; and after the fight, we went back up to 900,000 viewers. I think people wanted to see more Junior and Cain. From us, it’s just a programming move; that’s what it is. It’s a programming move, and it paid off. Those were pretty high “Unleashed” ratings these days. And you know, again, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t make those moves.
Both the Dana White and Kevin Kay maintain that the UFC and Spike executives still have great relationships despite the split, but at the end of day it really does come down to business and money and both are going to do what’s best for theirs regardless of how mean-spirited it might seem at the time. To be clear though, Kay does genuinely hope that the UFC continues to grow, because if they don’t, then no one else in the industry will including Bellator which they now have a vested interest in making a success.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ’t, spike, library
Read the full article at MMA ConvertCharles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely Targeted for UFC on Fox 2
Charles Oliveira is expected to make his featherweight debut against newcomer Eric Wisely at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, according to MMAjunkie.
Oliveira (14-2), who had been rumored to take on Robert Peralta, began his UFC career with “Submission of the Night” wins over Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero, but is winless in his last three fight after earning “Fight of the Night” honors in a no contest against Nik Lentz between losses to Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone.
Wisely (19-6) is also a former lightweight who has won 5 of his last 6 fights, losing his lone Strikeforce bout to Pat Healy in August while earning wins over UFC veterans Hermes Franca and Matt Veach.
UFC on Fox 2 is headlined by a pair of title eliminators between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Charles Oliveira
Posted in: ufc, fox, oliveira, mark munoz, “ fight
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyCharles Oliveira Meets Newcomer Eric Wisely at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago
A pair of lightweights will drop to featherweight and meet next month at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago. Charles Oliveira will welcome Strikeforce vet Eric Wisely to the UFC.
Posted in: ufc, fox, chicago, charles oliveira, newcomer eric
Read the full article at Heavy MMAReport: Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely In the Works for UFC on Fox 2
It appears that Charles Oliveira will make his featherweight debut at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago on January 28th. Although earlier reports pointed to Oliveira facing Robert Peralta at the first UFC on FX show in Nashville, it appears that match-up has been scrapped and "Do Bronx" will instead face UFC newcomer, Eric Wisely, in featherweight bout on the Fox card according to MMA Junkie:
Charles Oliveira (14-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and newcomer Eric Wisely (19-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have agreed to meet next in their new weight classes next month at UFC on FOX 2, event sources confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Oliveira hasn't seen action since getting TKO'd by Donald Cerrone at UFC on Versus 5 in August. Now looking to boost his UFC record past .500 at a new weight class, Oliveira should prove to be quite large at featherweight and his dynamic skills on the feet and on the ground could prove to be a tough challenge for any UFC featherweight.
Wisely is an Iowa native, and a veteran of the midwest regional scene, and is best known for two wins over former UFC lightweight title contender, Hermes Franca, in 2011, along with a submission win over another former UFC fighter, Matt Veach, earlier this year. Oliveira vs. WIsely is expected to take place on the preliminary portion of the UFC on Fox 2 card.
Charles "do Bronx" Oliveira (14-2)L Donald Cerrones (TKO) - UFC on Versus 5NC Nik Lentz - UFC on Versus 4L Jim Miller (submission) - UFC 124
Eric "Little Lee" Wiseley (19-6)W Brandon Girtz (TKO) - Downtown ShowdownL Pat Healy (unam. decision) - Strikeforce Challengers 18W Lance Wipf (split decision) - Superior Cage Combat 1
UFC on Fox 2 coverage
Posted in: ufc, fox, oliveira, featherweight, eric
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 tickets for 'Evans vs. Davis' on sale soon for United Center in Chicago on Jan. 28
Tickets for UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis," which was recently made official for the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, will go on sale to the general public on Fri., Dec. 9, 2011, at 10 a.m. CT.
UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption.
UFC on Fox 2, which will mark the promotion's second appearance on network television, will be headlined by a light heavyweight number one contender bout, as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis return from injury to battle for the right to fight the winner of Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida.
Also penciled in for the Fox fight card is a middleweight title eliminator pitting former championship challenger Chael Sonnen against streaking 185-pound wrecking ball Mark Munoz.
Here is the UFC on Fox 2 tickets sales schedule:
UFC Fight Club presale: Weds., Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. CT UFC Newsletter presale: Thurs., Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. CT General tickets sale: Fri., Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. CT
UFC on Fox 2 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on UFC on FX at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.
For the latest UFC on Fox news and notes check out our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, ticket, ct
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCharles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely targeted for UFC on FOX 2
Two lightweights are headed to the featherweight division.
Charles Oliveira and newcomer Eric Wisely have agreed to meet next in their new weight classes next month at UFC on FOX 2, event sources confirmed with MMAjunkie.com.
The event takes place Jan. 28 at United Center in Chicago, and at least three fights are expected to air as part of the night's FOX-televised main card.
Posted in: fox, event, weight classes, newcomer eric, nights foxtelevised
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 Tickets On Sale Next Week, Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis & Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz Official
UFC on FOX 2 is official.
UFC on FOX 2 is scheduled to take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, January 28, and will air live on FOX at 8pm ET/5pm PT.
The card will be co-headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and a middleweight number one contender’s bout between Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz. Sonnen denied that he was fighting Munoz just three days ago, but clearly plans either changed or Sonnen wasn’t being truthful.
A public press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the United Center at 1pm CT.
Ticket info below.
UFC Fight Club Presale: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 10am CT
UFC Newsletter Presale: Thursday, Dec. 8, 10am CT
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, Dec. 9, 10am CT
Tickets will be priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50, and $40. They can be purchased at the United Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.
The latest UFC on FOX 2 fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dec, sonnen, ct
Read the full article at MMA ConvertSonnen-Munoz, Evans-Davis Slated for UFC on Fox 2
Two pivotal confrontations have been announced for the UFC’s second network television effort, as the No. 1 contender for both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles will be decided at UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, contender, ufc ’s, sonnenmunoz evansdavis
Read the full article at SherdogChael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz Set for UFC on Fox 2
Middleweight contenders Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz will meet in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 to determine who will get the shot at champion Anderson Silva, the UFC officially announced on Saturday before The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Sonnen (26-11-1) nearly dethroned Silva in August 2010, but was submitted in the final round and was then sidelined for more than a year after a failed drug test. Sonnen returned to the Octagon in October with a second-round submission of Brian Stann that earned him a rematch, but he’ll face Munoz first with Silva out until June.
Munoz (12-2) has won four-straight since a narrow loss to Yushin Okami last August, including a unanimous decision over former title challenger Demian Maia in June and second-round TKO of Chris Leben at UFC 138 last month.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place on January 28 in Chicago and is headlined by a showdown between light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Chael Sonnen
Posted in: ufc, fox, sonnen, munoz, secondround tko
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 2 co-headliners feature Evans-Davis, Sonnen-Munoz in title eliminators
The UFC's second network-televised event on FOX has its co-headliners.
UFC officials today announced that next month's UFC on FOX 2 event will
feature light-heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis and
middleweights Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz.
Evans vs. Davis will be contested as a five-round non-title fight, a UFC
official confirmed with MMAjunkie.com. Both fights determine No. 1
contenders.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, ufc official, months ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC® on FOX Doubleheader For The No. 1 Contenders Hits Chicago
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT MAIN EVENTRASHAD EVANS vs. PHIL DAVISMIDDLEWEIGHT CO-FEATURECHAEL SONNEN vs. MARK MUNOZPRESS CONFERENCEWednesday, Dec. 7 – 1 P.M. CTUnited Center – Chicago, IL*FREE AND OPEN TO PUBLIC*STREAMED LIVE AT UFC.COMTICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, DEC. 9 - 10 A.M. CTLas Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that it will host a press conference at 1 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the United Center in Chicago. UFC President Dana White will discuss the UFC® on FOX event scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at United Center. In the night’s main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans battles the unbeaten Phil Davis to determine the next challenger to the 205-pound title. Plus, in the night’s co-feature, controversial middleweight contender Chael Sonnen takes on “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz in a bout that will decide which fighter gets the next crack at champion Anderson Silva.The four competitors will join White at the press conference, which is free and open to the public. It will also be streamed live at www.ufc.com. Tickets for UFC® on FOX are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50, and $40, and go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the United Center Box Office.UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Dec. 8, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com. The two-hour UFC® on FOX broadcast airs live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. History was made during the debut of UFC® on FOX as 5.7 million viewers (8.8 million peak) tuned in to watch Cain Velasquez battle Junior dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title on Saturday, Nov. 12. WHO: DANA WHITE, UFC PresidentRASHAD EVANS, former UFC light heavyweight championPHIL DAVIS, unbeaten UFC light heavyweight contenderCHAEL SONNEN, UFC middleweight contenderMARK MUNOZ, UFC middleweight contender WHAT: UFC® on FOX Press ConferenceWHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. CT*DOORS OPEN TO PUBLIC at 12 p.m.*1 p.m. – Press Conference BeginsWHERE: United Center1901 West Madison StreetChicago, IL 60612For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.About Ultimate Fighting Championship®Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® is the world’s premier MMA organization and produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the globe. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. In 2012, FOX will broadcast four fights annually. In spring 2012, The Ultimate Fighter®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on FX. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, reaching a half a billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages.UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and more than 400,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with more than 1.7 million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.Ancillary businesses include best-selling DVDs, a magazine, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, ufc ®, dec
Read the full article at UFCCody McKenzie Fights Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago
Former TUF 12 housemates Michael Johnson and Cody McKenzie, left, are expected to meet in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, chicago, cody mckenzie
Read the full article at Heavy MMACody McKenzie says he's fighting Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 2
Friends and former teammates apparently will clash when Cody McKezie and fellow lightweight Michael Johnson meet next month at UFC on FOX 2.
McKenzie recently tweeted news of the bout.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place Jan. 28 at United Center in Chicago. A light-heavyweight bout between former champ Rashad Evans and Phil Davis is expected to headline.
Posted in: ufc, fox, michael johnson, lightheavyweight bout, bout ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMichael Johnson vs. Cody McKenzie Set for UFC on Fox 2
A lightweight matchup between The Ultimate Fighter 12 teammates Michael Johnson and Cody McKenzie is set for the UFC on Fox 2 fight card on January 28 in Chicago, McKenzie announced Friday.
Johnson (9-6) suffered a first-round submission to Paul Sass in October after knocking out Eddie Faaloloto for his UFC win in June to rebound from losing to Jonathan Brookins in the finals of TUF 12. McKenzie (12-2) has dropped back-to-back submissions to Yves Edwards and Vagner Rocha after choking out fellow castmember Aaron Wilkinson in his Octagon debut in December.
UFC on FOX 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and also includes Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland, Paul Sass vs. Evan Dunham, and Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow.
For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Johnson
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, johnson, mckenzie
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyReport: Evan Dunham vs Paul Sass possible for UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28 in Chicago
There's a fantastic lightweight battle brewing for the UFC on FOX 2 event, pitting top division prospect Evan Dunham against the sassy stylings of British submission specialist Paul Sass.
ESPN UK first brought word of the pending match-up, which is under consideration for the United Center on Jan. 28, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois.
Dunham (12-2) rocketed to the top of the lightweight buzz list with wins over Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin; however, a close split decision loss to Sean Sherk, followed by a first-round ass-whooping at the hands of Melvin Guillard, sent the talented Oregon native to the back of the line.
He quickly rebounded with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Shamar Bailey at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September.
Can he survive the dreaded "Sassangle" in the "Windy City?"
Sass is undefeated at 12-0 and has finished 11 of his victims by way of submission. If you're keeping score at home, the count is eight triangle chokes and three heel hooks -- including one over Michael Johnson at UFC on Versus 6 back in October.
Scary stuff.
UFC on FOX 2 is expected to be headlined by a 205-pound showdown pitting former light heavyweight champion "Suga" Rashad Evans against "Wonderful" undefeated contender Phil Davis.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to the UFC on FOX 2 card as they become available.
Posted in: ufc, dunham, fox, evan, sas
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEvan Dunham vs. Paul Sass Added to UFC on Fox 2
Lightweights Evan Dunham and Paul Sass are slated to meet on the undercard of UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, according to ESPN UK.
Duham (12-2) earned a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey in September to snap a two-fight losing streak to Sean Sherk and Melvin Guillard, while England’s Sass (12-0) has remained unbeaten with submission wins over Mark Holst and Michael Johnson in the UFC.
UFC on FOX 2 is headlined by light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and also includes Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland and Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow.
For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Evan Dunham
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, sas
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyEvan Dunham vs Paul Sass Added to UFC on Fox 2
A lightweight bout has been added to the UFC on Fox 2 card with Evan Dunham meeting undefeated British fighter Paul Sass.
Posted in: ufc, dunham, fox, evan, sas
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyI totally agree with this commentator Dana White needed to calm down and Brock Lesnar came off so smooth at UFC on Fox 1
submitted by alancar [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fox, brock lesnar, lesnar, brock, commentator dana
Read the full article at RedditEvans vs. Davis headlines UFC on Fox 2
A light-heavyweight bout between top contenders Rashad Evans and Phil (Mr. Wonderful) Davis will reportedly headline UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, evan, lightheavyweight bout, phil mr
Read the full article at sportsnet.caReport: Evans vs. Davis Headlines UFC on FOX 2
A bout between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis is reportedly scheduled to headline the second UFC on FOX card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, headline, phil davis, evan
Read the full article at Heavy MMARashad Evans vs. Phil Davis to Headline UFC on Fox 2
After an injury cost him yet another title shot, former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will return to the Octagon to face Phil Davis in the main event of UFC on FOX 2 on January 28th in Chicago, according to ESPN.
The pair were first booked to meet at UFC 133 in August, but Davis had to withdraw from the fight due to a leg injury. Evans went on to face replacement Tito Ortiz, defeating him via TKO in the second round.
During the fight, Evans (16-1-1) injured his hand, forcing him to postpone the opportunity to challenge Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. Rather than waiting for Evans to heal, Jones decided to sign on to fight Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, which takes place December 10th.
Prior to the victory at UFC 133, Evans was set to challenge Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the title at UFC 128, but he had to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury. Jones took his place, going on to defeat Rua for the championship.
Davis (9-0) has not fought since defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in March at UFC Fight Night 24. Prior to this extended layoff, Davis fought five times in the span of thirteen months. The former All-American and NCAA national champion wrestler at Penn State is 5-0 in the UFC, including victories over Nogueira, Tim Boetsch, Alexander Gustafsson, and Brian Stann.
Evans and Davis are expected to be the main event of the UFC’s second event on FOX, after a rumored matchup between middleweight contenders Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz fell through. The expected co-main event was also moved, as Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez is now headlining UFC on Fuel TV 1.
UFC on FOX 2 takes place January 28th at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Other matchups set for the event include Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland and Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow.
For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Rashad Evans
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyRashad Evans vs. Phil Davis set for UFC on FOX 2 headliner
Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Bout Set for UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFC, News, UFC on FOXA light-heavyweight match pitting former division champion Rashad Evans and rising contender Phil Davis will take place at the upcoming UFC on FOX 2 show in January, sources told MMA Fighting on Wednesday, confirming an overnight report from ESPN.
Late on Tuesday night, UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting that he could not yet confirm the show's main event. But while the promotion has yet to announce the pairing, barring any unforeseen setbacks, it is expected to be made official within days and is likely to serve as the headliner.
Evans (16-1-1) lost out on a pair of possible title shots against current champ Jon Jones due to respective injuries to both men over the last few months. At UFC 133, he was nearly set to face Jones until a hand injury sidelined the champ. Evans was then paired with Davis, but a knee injury scuttled that fight as well.
Instead, Evans ended up facing and defeating Tito Ortiz in a second-round TKO.
Unfortunately for Evans, he injured his hand during the fight and could not take a December 10 date with Jones either, allowing Lyoto Machida to step in and fight for the belt.
If Evans wins, the UFC will once again attempt to set him up for another title shot, this time against the Jones-Machida winner.
To do so, he'll have to get past the unbeaten Davis, who has not fought since earning a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueria in March. At 9-0, Davis has cracked the top 10 of most light-heavyweight polls, but the former Penn State collegiate wrestling All-American faces a big step up in competition against Evans. His knee now healed, he's being asked to jump right into top competition.
The UFC on FOX 2 card takes place at Chicago's United Center on January 28 and is the official kickoff to the seven-year deal signed between UFC and FOX in August. A one-hour teaser event held in November drew an average of 5.7 million viewers, with 8.8 million watching Junior dos Santos capture the heavyweight title by knocking out Cain Velasquez. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, injury, evan, davi
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseReport: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis to headline UFC on FOX 2
If it was good enough for UFC 133, it's good enough for FOX.
According to ESPN, UFC officials have booked Rashad Evans and Phil Davis for a headlining slot in the promotion's sophomore effort on network television.
The two top light heavyweights, who were expected to meet at this past August's UFC 133 before Davis was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury, will now headline UFC on FOX 2, which takes place Jan. 28 in at Chicago's United Center.
Posted in: ufc, fox, phil davis, light heavyweights, davi
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 2 fight card and rumors for 'Evans vs Davis' on Jan. 28 in Chicago
Event: UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis"Date: Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET on FoxLocation: United Center in Chicago, Illinois
Main Event:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis
Main Card (FOX):
185 lbs.: Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz135 lbs.: Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland265 lbs.: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow
Preliminary Card (May not be televised):
TBA
*Fight card and line-up subject to change
For all the latest and greatest news and notes on UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" click here.
Posted in: fox, vs, lb, card, evan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReport: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis To Headline UFC on FOX 2
It looks like the rumors were true. ESPN.com is reporting that Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis will headline UFC on FOX 2.
Rashad Evans and Phil Davis will meet in a light heavyweight bout slated for Jan. 28.
The fight, which multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.com, will take place at UFC on Fox 2, the promotion’s second show on the network.
The Evans-Davis fight is expected to headline the UFC on Fox 2 card, which takes place at the United Center in Chicago.
Evans and Davis were originally supposed to meet at UFC 133, but Davis suffered a knee injury which eventually led to Tito Ortiz filling in on short notice. Hopefully they both make it to Chicago healthy this time.
It still hasn’t been confirmed by the UFC, but Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz is expected to take the co-main event slot.
Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA ConvertReport: Evans vs. Davis Booked for UFC on Fox 2
It appears that a light heavyweight battle between former UFC champion Rashad Evans and rising contender Phil Davis has been re-scheduled for UFC on Fox 2.
Posted in: ufc, fox, contender, evan, davi
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyReport: Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis fight booked for UFC on FOX 2 main event on Jan. 28 in Chicago
Let's try this one again ... but on a much bigger stage.
Light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Phil Davis have been re-booked to square off as the headlining fight of the UFC on Fox 2 event scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois.
ESPN.com brought word of the pending match-up a short while ago.
More on this breaking news in just a bit.
Posted in: fight, fox, event, phil davis, chicago
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReport: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis To Headline UFC on FOX 2
submitted by FightCove [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, headline, phil, headline ufc
Read the full article at RedditJake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez To Main Event UFC Fuel TV Debut
As alluded to Monday on Bloody Elbow and reported by MMA Junkie and others Tuesday, Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez will be the main event for a yet-to-be announced UFC event on Wednesday, February 15th. The show is expected for Omaha, NE, and will be the promotion's first event on Fuel TV.
Ellenberger (26-5) is on a five-fight win streak and is coming off a 53-second TKO win over Jake Shields in September, while Sanchez (23-4) has two wins in a row. His last victory was a controversial unanimous decision over Martin Kampmann in March, a fight that many saw going for Kampmann. He was scheduled to face Matt Hughes at September's UFC 135 but had to withdraw due to injury.The UFC has been starting to fill up cards on the Fox family of networks for the first quarter of 2011, adding Jorge Rivera vs. Eric Schafer, Ryan Jimmo vs. Karlos Vemola and Mike Brown vs. Vagner Rocha for UFC on FX 1 and Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo for UFC on Fox 2. To this point, none have been confirmed by the UFC.
If the Ellenberger/Sanchez fight and event on Fuel are indeed a go, it's interesting the UFC would put such a high-profile welterweight fight on a network that only reaches 32 million U.S households where FX reaches nearly 100 million. Perhaps this is the kickoff to a 'call your cable provider' campaign by the UFC and Fox for fans to demand increased Fuel TV distribution.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, event, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowZuffa, The UFC, PPV, Fox, & the State of the Nation for MMA fans (from sherdog, long but interesting read)
submitted by muayguy [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, zuffa, mma fans, muayguy link
Read the full article at RedditJon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow expected for UFC on FOX 2
Heavyweights Jon Olav Einemo and Mike Russow are expected to meet at UFC on FOX 2.
Sources close to the event today confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.com following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.
Although not officially announced by the promotion, UFC on FOX 2 is
expected to take place Jan. 28 at United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mike russow, event today, promotion ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieReport: Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo Added to UFC on Fox 2
Mike Chiapetta at MMAFighting.com brings word of a heavyweight addition to the next UFC on Fox card, scheduled for January 28th in Chicago. Chicago native, Mike Russow, will face Dutch grappling specialist, Jon Olav Einemo, according to the report:
Einemo is back with the promotion and will take on Mike Russow as part of the upcoming UFC on FOX 2 card on January 28, MMA Fighting has learned. Sources confirmed that both sides have verbally agreed to the bout.
As Chiapetta mentions, Einemo is "back" after the UFC resolved their dispute with fighters managed by the Golden Glory team in Amsterdam. Other Golden Glory fighters, including Alistair Overeem and Marloes Coenen, were dropped by Zuffa several months ago after UFC president Dana White expressed displeasure with the way that managers were handling the fighters' finances, but the turmoil was cleared up soon after, and the fighters welcomed back into the Zuffa fold.
Russow, who is still employed as an officer in the Chicago Police Department, was supposed to face Dave Herman back in October, but the bout was scrapped after Herman tested positive for marijuana in a pre-fight screening. Russow hasn't fought since TKOing Jon Madsen in March, and hasn't lost a fight since early 2007.
Mike Russow (14-1-1)W Jon Madsen (TKO) - UFN 24W Todd Duffee (KO) - UFC 114W Justin McCully (unam. decision) - UFC 102
Jon Olav Einemo (6-2)L Dave Herman (TKO) - UFC 131W James Thompson (submission) - 2H2H: Pride and HonorL Fabricio Werdum (unam. decision) - Pride 31
The only other fight confirmed for the UFC on Fox 2 card right now is a bantamweight match-up between Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Wineland, but a Chael Sonnen-Mark Munoz scrap is heavily rumored.
UFC on Fox 2 coverage
Posted in: ufc, jon, fox, einemo, russow
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowReport: John Olav Einemo Returns To The UFC To Fight Mike Russow At UFC on FOX 2
Good news, John Olav Einemo is back in the UFC.
MMA Fighting reported the news earlier today along with word that Einemo will be back in action at UFC on FOX 2 in a heavyweight bout against Mike Russow.
Shortly after losing in his UFC debut in a bout that won Fight of the Night at UFC 131, John Olav Einemo was surprisingly cut from the UFC. As it turned out, Einemo was part of the fallout from an ongoing business issue between his Golden Glory management team and the UFC.
Now, it appears a resolution has been struck, as Einemo is back with the promotion and will take on Mike Russow as part of the upcoming UFC on FOX 2 card on January 28, MMA Fighting has learned.
Sources confirmed that both sides have verbally agreed to the bout.
It’s unclear if Einemo left Golden Glory like Alistair Overeem did or if Golden Glory managed to patch things up with Zuffa, but if it’s the latter, here’s to hoping other innocent GG fighters caught in the crossfire like Marloes Coenen get the opportunity to return to the Zuffa fold as well.
Image via CombatLifestyle.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, einemo, mike russow, patch things
Read the full article at MMA ConvertJon Olav Einemo Returns to UFC to Face Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 2
Heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo, who was cut after dropping his UFC debut over issues with his management Golden Glory, will return to the Octagon to face Mike Russow at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, according to MMAFighting.
Einemo (6-2) suffered a second-round TKO to Dave Herman that earned “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 131 in June in his first fight in more than four years. Russow (14-1), a Chicago police officer, stopped Jon Madsen in March for his third-straight UFC win and 10th in a row overall, but an October return was scrapped after Herman failed a pre-fight drug test.
UFC on Fox 2 does not yet have a main event, but a bantamweight bout between Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Wineland is also targeted for the event.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Mike Russow
Posted in: ufc, jon, fox, einemo, russow
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyJohn Olav Einemo Back in UFC, Likely to Face Mike Russow at UFC on FOX 2
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, face, mike, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditChael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz Not Signed For UFC on Fox 2
There have been a lot of rumors about a big middleweight matchup between Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen being set for UFC on Fox 2. With Dana White confirming that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is out until next June, it seems obvious that both of these guys will need to take another fight before either gets a shot at the title. But Bloody Elbow has confirmed that a bout between the two has not been signed off on yet.
While some sites are reporting it as a done deal according to their sources, BE spoke to Mr. Sonnen himself and he says the bout has not been confirmed or signed. A matchup with Munoz remains a possibility, but nothing has been set in stone as of late last night.
Sonnen last competed at UFC 136, where he thoroughly dominated Brian Stann and submitted him in the second round. Munoz is coming off a corner-stoppage win over Chris Leben at UFC 138 and is on a four-fight winning streak.
The event in question, which takes place on January 28th in the United Center in Chicago, will have four fights on the main card. No other bouts have been announced yet.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
Posted in: ufc, bout, fox, sonnen, munoz
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox: Happy Thanksgiving Dana White
What is UFC president Dana White thankful for this Thanksgiving? That's an easy one... UFC on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, thanksgiving, thanksgiving thats, thanksgiving dana
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyChael Sonnen vs Mark Munoz set for UFC on FOX 2
submitted by WLiam2012 [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, chael, munoz, wliam
Read the full article at RedditDana White: No Regrets After UFC on Fox Debut
Think Dana White's got regrets about the UFC on Fox debut after seeing the Dan Henderson-Shogun Rua fight? Think again. White maintains UFC on Fox 1 was perfect.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, debut, dana whites
Read the full article at Heavy MMADana White: UFC on Fox 2 Will Get Ramped Up a Notch
If you're still griping about the UFC's Fox debut being just one 64-second fight, get over. Dana White says UFC on Fox 2 will make you happy.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, debut, youre
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 2: Demetrious Johnson vs Eddie Wineland on tap for Jan. 28 in Chicago
Former UFC bantamweight number one contender Demetrious Johnson will try to get back on his horse after falling to Dominick Cruz earlier this year in a fast-paced fight against Eddie Wineland, currently scheduled for UFC on FOX 2 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
MMA Weekly brought word of the pending match-up earlier today.
Johnson (9-2) gets an A for effort, but was unable to match "The Dominator" in the striking department at UFC on Versus 6 back on Oct. 1. The loss to Cruz snapped a four-fight winning streak that included unanimous decision victories over Miguel Torres and "Kid" Yamamoto.
Not a bad start for the 25-year old Kirkland native.
Wineland (18-8-1) had also put together a string of four straight wins, which vaulted him into a showdown opposite former champion Urijah Faber at UFC 128.
Unfortunately "The California Kid" was the busier of the two and took home the judge's nod to move on to bigger and better things, while Wineland attempted to rebound against Joseph Benavidez.
He was unable to overcome his opponent's "Joe-Jitsu" and now has back-to-back losses heading into "The Windy City," so expect a sense of urgency in this 135-pound match-up.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to the UFC on FOX 2 fight card as they become available.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, wineland, opponents joejitsu
Read the full article at MMA ManiaChael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz possible for UFC on Fox 2 Main Event
A number-one contender bout between top Middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz is reportedly in the works for the January 28th UFC on Fox 2 card.MMAInterviews first reported the match-up, citing sources close to the fighters.Sonnen (26-11-1) has pushed for a another shot at division Champion Anderson Silva since failing to dethrone the Brazilian back at UFC 117. Though the close nature of the bout, which saw the Team Quest fighter dominate the champ for much of their encounter only to be submitted
Posted in: ufc, fox, sonnen, mark munoz, chael
Read the full article at Low Kick
Rampage off Japan card, FOX spot likely
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is very likely to be on the next UFC on FOX broadcast.He has been removed from his tentative place on the UFC Japan...
Posted in: ufc, rampage, fox, japan, fox broadcasthe
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyDemetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland Targeted for UFC on Fox 2
A bantamweight matchup between recent title challenger Demetrious Johnson and former WEC champ Eddie Wineland is in the works for the second UFC on Fox event, which is expected to take place on January 28 in Chicago, MMA Weekly reports.
Johnson (9-2) came up short against bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz in October following back-to-back UFC wins over Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres by “Mighty Mouse.” Wineland (18-8-1) ended his WEC career with four-straight wins, but is 0-2 in the UFC after losing to fellow contenders Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez.
Johnson-Wineland is the first fight rumored for UFC on Fox 2, which will feature a two hour, four fight main card after Junior dos Santos’ 64-second knockout of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was the only fight featured on the first UFC on Fox broadcast.
The event takes place one week after the UFC debuts on FX on Jan. 20 with Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller and one week before UFC 143 on Feb. 4 with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz.
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Demetrious Johnson
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, johnson, demetriou
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDemetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland in the Works For UFC on FOX 2
Speedy bantamweights Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Wineland will square off at UFC on FOX 2 in January.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, wineland, eddie wineland
Read the full article at Heavy MMADemetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland In the Works for UFC on Fox 2
Former UFC bantamweight title contender Demetrious Johnson will make his return to action against former WEC champion Eddie Wineland at the UFC on Fox 2 fight card.
Posted in: ufc, fox, demetriou, eddie, wineland
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 139 Results: Dana White Versus the Marge Simpson's of the World
One of the first questions Dana White was asked at last night's UFC 139 post fight press conference -- outside of an opportunity to gush over the simply amazing main event between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua -- was whether a war like Shogun vs Hendo is the sort of fight he'd like to see on Fox considering how short Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos was and how people were wanting more than what the UFC delivered. Dana White maintains if he could go back in time he wouldn't have changed a thing and that the hardcore fans need to shut up about it. Transcription by me:
Reporter: Obviously a war, I mean those guys were bloodied and hurt in battle ... is that the type of fight you'd like to see on Fox? I mean people were complaining last week, 'we didn't get enough', is this too much for Fox?
Dana White: Let me tell you guys what ... I said it before and I'll say it again, if I could go back in a time machine and do the Fox fight over again, it would have been done the same exact way. Exactly the same way. The hardcores can bitch about that fight, I could care less what they think about that fight. I don't care, y'know? And people are like "Oh, you don't care what your fans think!?" - No! I do not care what you think. That fight had to go the way that it went because none of you guys understand what goes on behind the scenes. If that fight that happened tonight went on Fox for the first time ever ... let me tell you what, I would not be having a good time these last 5 or 6 days. Believe me. We got to ease our way (in), we live in this bubble, gang, we live in this bubble that the rest of the world doesn't live in or understand and we're still in an education process and educating the masses about what this sport is and what it's all about.
Those of us who are in this room, and people who have been watching this for a long time are blown away and just incredibly appreciate what those two did tonight in there, and you can understand what they went through and what was going on and, y'know, the rest of the world will go "Oh my god, what was that!?" ... you just don't understand. You guys might, I'm not talking to you; those of you that think we didn't do the right thing on the first Fox fight do not understand what it takes to build this sport and to be on national television. So 'shut up again'.
Later on in the post fight press conference media scrum, Dana White re-iterates the potential hurdles he believes UFC have to avoid:
Dana White: If you could have like a Shogun type fight, you know a Shogun / Henderson type fight on TV - I mean imagine what that (viewing) number would get to ... but that's not the fight you want for your first time on network television. It (the Fox Show) couldn't have gone any better, it worked out perfect for us, so yeah I'm pretty happy. The big thing is to go on network television and not have Fox getting flooded the next day with "Get this s**t off the television", you know what I mean? And I mean really if you watch that show, I don't care if you're the biggest freak - I mean these do, these freaks they come out of nowhere, right? I call them the 'nothing better to do with their lives' people - get a job, have some kids - do something! These people come out of nowhere and start attacking this sport, literally saying that it should go away; that we should shut down the UFC and this thing should go away - yeah OK, that's 'realistic'. But those are the kind of people that come after you, y'know? And it's just crazy.
So there was none of that. To have the event on and have none of that is incredible.
The UFC under the Zuffa umbrella have for a number of years been extremely image conscious and have an almost irrational fear of being perceived the wrong way publicly, which is perhaps why they are so particular about the media they're willing to credential to cover their events live and in person and why Dana White gets super defensive and often labels MMA writers with a critical opinion of the UFC as 'Internet idiots'.
There was a point in time where perhaps this was the right attitude to have, when the UFC was truly fighting for its own survival and with it the hopes of a sport that was otherwise an underground spectacle with a cult following.
I myself believe the UFC has achieved so much in both commercial success and its state regulation lobbying efforts that this fear of the sky falling over the slightest misstep has been completely unwarranted for several years. I also believe trying to micromanage its image to the point of delivering a more sports-like but ultimately sanitary product as a way of 'easing' its way into broader demographics is missing the whole point of going into business with a network like Fox.
As TV networks go, Fox is known for being the ones at the cutting edge of television and willing to push the envelope, and the UFC trying to 'blunt its edge' to make themselves more palatable for the masses just seems at odds with Fox's ability to blaze trails.
Fox has thrived on television products that have sparked controversy for years. Just look at Big Fox's schedule - Family Guy, American Dad and one of the most successful shows of all time, The Simpsons. The Simpsons has been protested against and criticized even by a US President about having a bad effect on children and for sending a bad message to the people of America. But it's still here, and it's still on network television some 20 years after its inception.
If these shows were merely controversial or in some cases shocking and offensive without some kind of inherent quality to back themselves up with, they wouldn't be on TV anymore. Even with Family Guy which has been canceled a number of times, DVD sales prompted Fox to pick the show back up and stick with it. Fox should already know that the UFC's PPV numbers and sponsor attraction from the likes of Bud Lite and Harley Davidson, as well as its general presentation and ability to showcase exceptional fights speaks volumes about its quality.
Even a fear of certain fights possibly being too graphic to watch pales when compared with the simulated gore that can often be seen in a medical show like 'House' where some episodes have shown eyeballs bursting, orifices bleeding and eviscerations. All of these shows can be dismissed as fictional while the UFC's product is real, but hysterical outrage isn't going to be so discerning and for the other shows this public attention has actually been of benefit.
What's so interesting about Dana White's concerns and describing the 'freaks' he believes would bombard Fox with complaints, is it's almost a perfect match to the type of character Marge Simpson is and even the stance the character took in the Mixed Martial Arts themed episode "The Great Wife Hope" (Season 21, Episode 3).
The episode satirizes the outrage these sorts of people have with an entity like MMA while spoofing the stereotypes associated with the sport, and gives Marge Simpson such gems of dialogue as "Call me a killjoy, but I think that because this is not to my taste - no one else should be able to enjoy it", and then a little later when addressing the episode's MMA promoter "Chet, I'm here to ask you one simple thing - please go out of business and donate all your profits to charity".
The Simpsons' writers were able to succinctly display the flawed mentality of the types of people Dana White is wanting to avoid, but by trying his utmost to deliver a product that will fly under their radar just to prevent a few early headaches, the UFC might not actually be putting its best foot forward in showcasing the best the sport has to offer.
Featuring fighters that are known to be loose cannons in and out of the cage understandably should be avoided, but the contrast of the visceral nature of the sport coupled with the often great sporting prowess and conduct by the fighters involved is something the UFC should not shy away from when it comes to their presence on national television. The benefit of this dual layer to MMA is of capturing the interest and imagination of the public which can lead to growth, and it far outweighs the drawback of having to contend with the Marge Simpsons of the world.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, dana, people
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Says Storytelling the Key to UFC on Fox
Unlike a UFC pay-per-view that's straight to the point with fights, Dana White says the UFC on Fox will be like a Hollywood movie with the stories of the fighters coming to the forefront.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, fights dana, hollywood movie
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDan Henderson vs Shogun Rua fight on FOX? Dana White says 'no, thanks'
When the UFC debuted on network television on Nov. 12, 2011, it did so with a heavyweight championship fight on FOX that culminated in a 64 second knockout.
And while the bout itself pulled big time ratings, to the tune of 8.8 million viewers, the entire event broadcast did significantly less, garnering 5.7 on average throughout the hour long broadcast.
The blame for that lies in the fact that the fight was so short. Interest was there, but it was never allowed to build through a long war of attrition. No one viewer got the chance to shoot a buddy a text telling them to "turn the fight on, this one is crazy."
They definitely would have had that chance if Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua had met one week sooner.
In the main event of UFC 139 last night (Sat., Nov. 19, 2011) in San Jose, "Hendo" and "Shogun" engaged in a fight already regarded as one of the greatest of all time, a five round epic clash of titans.
You would think UFC President Dana White would have wanted something like that for his promotion's first foray into network TV. And you would be wrong.
If you could have like a (Rua-Henderson) type fight on TV, I mean, imagine what the number would get to. But that's not the fight you want for your first time on network television," said White at the UFC 139 post-fight press conference. "I said it before and I'll say it again: if I could go back in a time machine and do the FOX fight over again, it would be done the same exact way. Exactly the same way. The hardcores can bitch about that fight, I could care less what they think about that fight. I don't care. And people are like, 'Oh, you don't care what the fans think?' No, I do not care what you think. That fight had to go the way that it went because none of you guys understands what goes on behind the scenes. If that fight that happened tonight went on FOX for the first time ever, let me tell you what, I would not be having a good time these last five or six days."
That seems like an interesting stance to take at first but when giving it a closer examination, maybe White has a good point.
After all, before the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight ever popped off, photos were taken showing members of the UFC crew painting over blood inside the Octagon.
Clean presentation or conscious decision to avoid looking barbaric?
Silly as that may sound, detractors of MMA are still out in force. In fact, before the FOX broadcast, protesters gathered outside UFC headquarters to voice their disapproval of the promotion and called for FOX to cut all ties with the organization.
That didn't happen, of course, but it's definitely something that has to be taken into consideration. And that's likely why White wouldn't have wanted a bloody, brutal war the likes of which Henderson and "Shogun" had last night.
Brand new eyes may not have been happy with that as the appetizer, which is really all Velasquez vs. dos Santos was meant to be. And it was just that.
So maybe it worked out in the end. Then again, what are the chances the next UFC on FOX main event will come anywhere near the level of epic Henderson vs. Rua reached?
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fox, vs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDetails Emerge for UFC on Fox 2 and UFC on FX
Details have begun to emerge for the UFC's first shows of 2012 under the Fox and FX banners respectively.
Posted in: ufc, fx, fox, fx banners, fx details
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC boss says FOX viewers wouldn't have been ready for Henderson vs. 'Shogun'
SAN JOSE, Calif. - It's already earned praise as one of the greatest fights in UFC history - if not MMA history.
But Dan Henderson's epic victory over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Saturday's UFC 139 main event could have been disastrous had it aired on FOX instead of pay-per-view, UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com.
And if you don't agree, well, you know the drill: You can shut your pie hole.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mma history, ufc boss, ufc history
Read the full article at MMA JunkieDana White Wouldn't Have Wanted Dan Henderson-'Shogun' Rua Fight on FOX
Filed under: UFCSAN JOSE, Calif. -- Five rounds of bloody, back-and-forth action. That's what UFC president Dana White got out of Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139, and what he must have hoped he would get out of Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for the UFC's FOX debut last weekend, right?
Not so fast, said White, who admitted that while the 64-second heavyweight scrap on FOX didn't offer much chance to build up the ratings, a brutal 25-minute fight like the UFC 139 main event would have had some negative consequences for the organization's network debut.
"If you could have like a [Rua-Henderson] type fight on TV, I mean, imagine what the [ratings] number would get to," White said. "But that's not the fight you want for your first time on network television."
With a peak of 8.8 million viewers, White has reason to be pleased with the first FOX offering. Following the UFC 139 press conference he confirmed rumors that he celebrated the ratings milestone by leaping up on a table in the UFC offices and sending all his employees home early.
"I hear all kinds of rumors about, oh, I heard he was flipping out after the fight and all this [expletive]," White said. "No, I wasn't flipping out and yes, I did jump on a table and send everybody home. I was pretty excited."
But as much as hardcore fans might have liked to see something on par with the Henderson-Rua scrap on network TV, White suggested it might have been too violent for mainstream FOX viewers to handle right off the bat.
"I said it before and I'll say it again: if I could go back in a time machine and do the FOX fight over again, it would be done the same exact way. Exactly the same way. The hardcores can bitch about that fight, I could care less what they think about that fight. I don't care. And people are like, 'Oh, you don't care what the fans think?' No, I do not care what you think. That fight had to go the way that it went because none of you guys understands what goes on behind the scenes. If that fight that happened tonight went on FOX for the first time ever, let me tell you what, I would not be having a good time these last five or six days."
That's because, White said, the UFC is "still in the education process" when it comes to introducing mainstream sports fans to his product. Even with the quick, bloodless debut, White said there were still opponents who didn't want it on network TV.
"These people come out of nowhere, attacking this sport, literally saying that it should go away, that we shut down the UFC and this thing should go away," said White. "That's realistic. But those are the kind of people that come after you. It's crazy."
But as White has been repeating ever since the FOX debut, the UFC still needs to "ease into" the mainstream rather than charging in with a bloody battle like Henderson-Rua, which might be hard for the uninitiated viewer to stomach. Just don't expect that easing process to last very long, according to the UFC president.
"In my opinion, we eased into it already. We did it, we put the first fight on FOX, now we're going with four fights. And the more fights you do, the more chance you have to have one of these."
In theory, maybe. In practice, you could put on MMA fights for years and not see anything like what Hendo and Rua produced on Saturday night. That's what makes it so special, whether the mainstream viewer is ready for it or not. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fox, that
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMacDonald on MMA: UFC 139 picks
The Athlete talks UFC on FOX, gives his predictions for UFC 139 and a couple bonus picks.
Posted in: ufc, fox, athlete, bonus, couple bonus
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX gate totals $1,072,187 with 9,864 tickets sold for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
UFC on FOX recorded a live gate of $1,072,187 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Nov. 12, 2011, according to official figures from the California State Athletic Commission released yesterday.
The final attendance of 11,607 was a result of 9,864 tickets sold and 1,743 complimentary tickets while approximately 1,700 tickets remained unsold.
By comparison, UFC 137 recorded a live gate of $3,900,650 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011, with a final attendance of 10,313 (8,179 tickets sold, 2,134 complimentary and 409 tickets unpurchased).
UFC on FOX featured just one fight for the network telecast, a 64-second win for Junior dos Santos, who stripped Cain Velasquez of the heavyweight crown via first round technical knockout in front of nearly nine million viewers.
Untelevised contests, which streamed live via the promotion's Facebook page as well as FoxSports.com, featured memorable bouts of Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson as well as Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, gate, fox, vs, ticket
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox ratings go from bad to okay to great
Well, it looks like my speculation that UFC on FOX’s Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight might not have been the most-watched MMA fight in US history turned out just like my speculation in IFL stock. Both times, I ended up writhing in self pity with human rectal spatter all over my face. After totally not suspicious recalculations, the 64 seconds of the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos title bout attracted 8.8 million viewers, shattering Kimbo vs. Thompson’s previous record peak of 6.5 million. The UFC brass is also going door to door counting people who watched the fight on DVR in a Scientology-style mission to get the final tally over 9 million. In reaction to hearing that the show attracted so many viewers, rumor has it that Dana White jumped on a desk like Tom Cruise and told everyone to leave work and go celebrate by smashing the nearest vagina and swilling Bud Light. According to Sports Illustrated, the UFC broadcast began with 5.2 million viewers, but lost about 800,000 during 36 minutes of pre-fight soporifics. Within three minutes of the end of the fight, the audience shrunk back down to 5.9 million viewers. The lesson behind this is obvious: if people wanted to hear someone with severely inflamed bowels pretending to be an expert analyst, they would watch the Republican presidential debates. Dana White seems to have gotten this message, telling Ariel Helwani that the next UFC on FOX card will probably feature four, count ‘em, four fights, two of which have already been booked and will be revealed to the public after he makes the HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT to FOX next Monday. Dare we dream of prelims sneaking into the broadcast? DARE WE???
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, viewer
Read the full article at FightlinkerClean start for UFC on Fox
The UFC cleaned blood off the cage mat before going on air last week for its debut broadcast on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, week, fox, cage mat, debut broadcast
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX Network Debut: Payout Perspective
Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective! This week we’ll be taking a look at the UFC on FOX network debut headlined by the UFC Heavyweight Title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
The event took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and featured the HW title fight between Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos. This was the only fight scheduled to air on the FOX network (60 minute time slot reserved from 9:00 pm-10:00 pm ET). The prelims portion was headlined by Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida, which aired on Facebook, FOXSports.com, and on Fox Deportes in the USA. FOX Deportes aired Velasquez vs Dos Santos, Guida vs Henderson, and Garza vs Dustin Poirier. Facebook.com and FOXSports.com aired the rest of the prelims.
Fighter Disclosed Payouts
Note: that the money reported below is only the money required to be reported by the commission, which does not take into account undisclosed bonuses or “locker room” bonuses, as they are referred to in MMA.
Courtesy of MMAJunkie:
The total disclosed payroll for the event was $666,000.
Junior Dos Santos: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus)
def. Cain Velasquez: $100,000
Ben Henderson: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Clay Guida: $40,000
Dustin Poirier: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Pablo Garza: $8,000
Ricardo Lamas: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Cub Swanson: $15,000
DaMarques Johnson: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Clay Harvison: $8,000
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto: $15,000
Robert Peralta: $16,000 (includes $ win bonus)
def. Mackens Semerzier: $8,000
Alex Caceres: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Cole Escovedo: $6,000
Mike Pierce: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Bradley: $18,000
Aaron Rosa: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Lucas: $6,000
Attendance and Gate
MMAJunkie reports that UFC on FOX held at the Honda Center in Anaheim officially drew 11,607 in attendance for a $1.07 million gate. 1,700 tickets were unsold and 1,743 were comps. The average paid ticket price was $108.70.
It was not a great event in terms of gate and attendance, but that was to be expected as the UFC purposely lowered the ticket prices to try and pack the event as much as they could to give the UFC on FOX event a great atmosphere. In terms of gate and average paid ticket price, it will probably be one of their lowest numbers for a domestic event with the caliber of fighters on the card. These numbers reflect what typical Ultimate Fight Night or UFC on Versus events would do, though those have a considerably lower payroll and don’t typically have title fights with much smaller venues. This event also had the benefit of being held in Southern California where Cain Velasquez won the HW title against Brock Lesnar and had the novelty of being the UFC’s first network TV event, so by those standards, not selling out has to be a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, the main event was going to be televised for free on Network TV and all prelims were streaming for free on Facebook, so it may not be as bad of a number as it seems.
Ratings
MMAPayout reported this weekend that the UFC on FOX event on Saturday night averaged 5.7 million viewers (3.1 rating) and peaked at 8.8 million viewers. The demos were: M18-34: 4.3 (peak rating 7.19) and M18-49: 4.0. This was the largest audience ever to watch an MMA event in the United States, breaking the record of 5.3 million (3.7 rating) by The Ulitmate Fighter episode on Spike TV which featured Kimbo Slice vs Roy Nelson back in 2009.
Other notable high rating MMA shows include Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz on Spike TV in 2006 which averaged 4.3 million viewers (3.1 rating) and UFC 75: Henderson vs Rampage in 2007 on Spike TV did 4.7 million viewers (3.1 rating). The reason why the rating numbers don’t match the viewers is due to the increase of reach Spike TV has increased in the past few years.
On Network TV, the previous rating champ was the EliteXC Primetime event which featured Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson, which avaged 4.85 million viewers (3.0 rating).
FOX TV Rating Breakdown (Quarterly):
- UFC on FOX (9:00 pm-9:15 pm): 5.25 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:15 pm-9:30 pm): 5.48 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:30 pm-9:45 pm): 7.09 million viewers
-UFC on FOX (9:45 pm-10:00 pm): 4.88 million viewers
- Overall: Average of 5.7M viewers watched the fight live or via DVR playback within the same day. (Nielsen)
FOX TV Rating Notes:
- If you combine the FOX and FOX Deportes telecasts (one in Spanish, one in English), it would have received close to a 3.5 rating with 6.2 million viewers and a peak of 8.8 million and a M18-34 rating of 4.7. It is believed a peak close to 9 million was achieved combining both.
- The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 beat every college football game this season except the LSU vs Alabama game on CBS.
- The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 beat 65% of the playoff and World Series baseball games this season on FOX.
- The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 was the third highest rated television show of the year for FOX Deportes.
- The show drew 1.7 million women over the age of 18.
- The median age of viewers for the telecast was 35 years old.
- The 5.7 million viewers was the most watched fight in broadcast on US television since HBO’s Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko back in 2003
- UFC programming delivered a total of 6.7 million impressions across all FSMG television networks.
- The peak of 8.8 million lasted as long as the fight did, which was 1 minute (fight started at 9:40 pm).
- By 9:45 pm, the viewership had dropped to 5.9 million. Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson peaked at 6.51 million and lasted for 10 minutes and 38 seconds. (Sports Illustrated) … about 25% of the audience had left at the end of the main event.
- UFC on FOX began with 5.2 million viewers and dipped as low as 4.4 million before viewership started to climb around 9:36 pm, as the fighters were starting to make their way to the Octogon. (Sports Illustrated)
Fuel TV Ratings:
- Two Hour UFC Pre-Fight Show (4:00 pm-6:00 pm ET) averaged 77,000 viewers (0.21 rating) making it Fuel TV’s highest rated program of the year. The prefight show also drew an average of 58,000 viewers in the M18-49 demo, the largest since the network become nationally rated.
-The UFC prefight show ranked as a top 20 show in the time period for Men 18-34 (.29), performing about as well or better than widely distributed networks like History Channel (.31), USA (.25), SyFy (.19) and AMC (.13). FUEL TV also performed well in the Men 18-49 demo (.31), close to or matching ubiquitous networks like Discovery (.36), Comedy Central (.35) and MTV (.31).
- The One-Hour UFC postfight show (7:00 pm – 8:00 pm ET) drew 37,000 viewers.
FOX Deportes Ratings:
- Nearly 500,000 average viewers watched the event on FOX Deportes.
- The quarter-hour from 9:30 to 9:45 did about 900,000 viewers on Fox Deportes in Spanish.
- The Velasquez-dos Santos fight delivered a 3.9 coverage area HH rating, 487,000 viewers, and 352,000 A18-49 making it the highest-rated fight of any kind in Spanish language cable history.
- Saturday’s undercard coverage ranks as the second highest-rated fight-event in FOX Deportes history with a 3.4 HH rating, 365,000 viewers, and 237,000 A18-49 viewers.
- Saturday’s fight ranks as FOX Deportes’ highest-rated program since the Manchester United vs. Chelsea Premier League soccer match (5.0) on Sept. 18.
Spike TV Counter Programming Ratings:
- Spike TV’s Saturday night telecast of “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title” between 9:00-10:00 pm ET drew 719,000 viewers and a 0.6 rating with Men 18-34. List of ratings for “Unleashed” episodes pre and post UFC on FOX are listed below:
- At 8:00 pm: Before UFC on FOX went live, “Unleashed” drew 923,000 viewers .
- At 10:00 pm: After the UFC on FOX had gone off air, “Unleashed” drew 787,000.
FOXSports.com:
- Tallied 257,000 total live streams for the nine undercard matches, while all the UFC content during and around the event generated over 1 million streams.
- Other than Super Bowl related content, this was the biggest video event in FOXSports.com history.
Top Rated MMA Shows (Average Viewers):
- 5.7M viewers (8.8M peak), “UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs Dos Santos”, FOX (11/12/2011)
- 5.3M viewers (6.1M peak), “The Ultimate Fighter: Kimbo Slive vs Roy Nelson”, SPIKE TV (09/30/2009)
- 4.9M viewers (6.5M peak), “EliteXC Primetime: Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson”, CBS (05/31/2008)
- 4.7M viewers (5.9M peak), “UFC 75: Dan Henderson vs Rampage Jackson”, SPIKE TV (09/08/2007)
- 4.2M viewers (5.7M peak), “UFC: Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz 3″, SPIKE TV (10/10/2006)
Top Rated MMA Shows (Ratings):
- 3.7 Rating, M18-34: 6.9, “The Ultimate Fighter: Kimbo Slive vs Roy Nelson”, SPIKE TV (09/30/2009)
- 3.1 Rating, M18-34: 6.0, “UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs Dos Santos”, FOX (11/12/2011)
- 3.1 Rating, M18-34: 6.0, “UFC: Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz 3″, SPIKE TV (10/10/2006)
- 3.1 Rating, M18-34: 5.7, “UFC 75: Dan Henderson vs Rampage Jackson”, SPIKE TV (09/08/2007)
- 3.0 Rating, M18-34: 3.2, “EliteXC Primetime: Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson”, CBS (05/31/2008)
- What we can take from these numbers is how impressive Spike TV has performed over the last several years with UFC content. The 3.7 rating with a 6.9 M18-34 rating is almost unheard of at the moment, and even the UFC on FOX couldn’t top that, although FOX has a bigger reach than Spike TV, which is the reason why viewership is higher for FOX with the same or lesser ratings.
General Rating Notes:
- FOX scheduled the Velasquez vs Dos Santos bout to start at 9:40 PM, which was exactly when Stanford vs Oregon – a top 10 college football game – was going into halftime in order to acquire some extra viewers who may have been flipping channels.
- By starting at 9:40 p.m., if the fight went passed 3 rounds, it would go well past 10 p.m., when the local news was scheduled to start for FOX affiliate stations. At that point, a ton of new viewers would be watching the final rounds of what on paper expected to be an exciting fight a bump the ratings. A five round fight would have ended past 10:10, not accounting for reading the decision, nterviews, and wrap up, which would take you closer to 10:20.
- FOX was selling ads based on predictions of 4.5 million viewers, which means they easily met their goal (5.7 million).
- The strongest markets for the show were Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tulsa, San Diego, Greensboro, New Orleans and Los Angeles. It aired in Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles out of prime time.
Storylines
- FOX Flexes Promotional Muscle for UFC
Sports Business Daily did a great story on the FOX’s promotional efforts heading into the UFC on FOX event.
The early returns have been strong, Fertitta said. The “UFC Primetime” preview show that Fox aired after its NFL telecasts two Sundays ago drew a 1.3 rating, which equates to about 2 million viewers. That about doubled the audience for similar UFC preview shows on Spike. Saturday night’s prime-time debut was close to sold out shortly after it hit the street, Fertitta said. Fox typically gets about $50,000 for a 30-second spot during its Saturday night programming, according to survey results published by Ad Age. ABC gets about $85,000 for spots on Saturday night college football.
…
While Fox Sports co-President Eric Shanks would not discuss specific rates for the one-hour, one-fight show, he said they exceeded expectations.
…
“The first fight out of the gate, there is tremendous interest,” Shanks said. “We had no problem selling at a good rate. And we haven’t even started the seven-year clock yet.”
- Not Airing Guida vs Henderson Proves Costly for the UFC. Did they Have A Choice?
Guida vs Henderson was exactly the type of fight that would have drawn plenty of viewers for the UFC before the big HW Title matchup. It had all the ingredients needed to build up a viewing fanbase and could have possibly served as their new version of Griffin vs Bonner, which propelled their popularity over on Spike TV. It was an exciting and technical fight, which breath-taking back and forth between the two which resulted in a Fight of the Year candidate. It also lasted 3 rounds, which is exactly what was the dynamic needed to show to the new MMA spectators tuning in: a fight can last all 3 rounds or 1 minute, but it will be exciting either way.
The question is who’s call was this and did they have a choice? According to Ben Grossman from Broadcasting and Cable, “For those wondering, Fox did not have the rights to show the rest of the fights Saturday night on air, as Spike TV technically still owns those rights until the end of the year, so what turned out to be the best fight of the night – the one before the main event — was only available online.” I believe this is the reason why prelims, including the Guida vs Henderson fights were only shown to international viewers and on FOX Deportes, a Spanish broadcast.
- Culinary Workers Union Picketing UFC Headquarters During Weekend
Over the weekend, the Culinary Workers Union was picketing UFC headquarters in Las Vegas and trying to mobilize people to send messages to FOX to cancel its TV contract with the UFC. They have already made their voice clear sending a letter to the FTC regarding the UFC’s practices and also creating multiple websites highlighting Dan White’s past rants and vulgar language as well as “Unfit for Children” propaganda. The has also been activity by the union to back the anti-MMA legislators in New York as well as sending letters to major UFC sponsors encouraging them to drop the MMA promotion.
- Critiquing UFC on FOX Broadcast
Luke Thomas of MMA Nation had a great article on some of the things UFC and FOX can tweak in order to improve future broadcasts (10 Steps To Improving UFC On Fox Broadcasts) … Loretta Hunt gives her own opinions and suggestions on SI.com (Three thoughts on UFC on Fox 1). Having Dana White as an analyst in the post-fight wrap-up provided some cringe-worthy moments for fans, as both Thomas and Hunt mentioned. It has been a common complain heard from within the MMA media circle, how Dana White criticized Valasquez plan and questioned Dos Santos stamina, as he appeared nervous and angry at the outcome.
- Social Media Activity Backfires on the UFC
FightOpinion has done a great job documenting the Penn State sex scandal and how Forrest Griffin’s jokes on Twitter were not taken very kindly by various media outlets and anti- sex and child abuse organizations. The Culinary Workers Union was also quick to point the controversy out on their anti-UFC website. Loretta Hunt was invited to NPR to talk about the matter. The segment’s title was “Misogyny in the UFC” (45 minute mark). Since
Odds and Ends
- The UFC painted over the blood on the Octogon before going live on FOX, per FOX’s request. Dana White said they wanted to go on air with a nice clean presentation package and that it had nothing to do with FOX reacting negatively towards blood on the mat.
- For a brief moment at the beginning of the UFC on FOX broadcast, FOX flashed the following message: “The following might be the most exciting live sporting event in the history of television, and it’s our duty to say: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED”
- The next UFC on FOX event has been scheduled for January 28th, 2012 being held in the United Center in Chicago.
- The first UFC on FX event will take place on January 20th and will be headlined by Jim Miller vs Melvin Guillard. Sydney, Australia and Nashville Tennessee have both been rumored as potential sites to host the event.
- FOX Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill stated that FOX specials would be 90 minutes, airing from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturday nights with two or three fights. The UFC on FX live cards will take place on Fridays and would be 2 hour shows. Fuel TV events will be 3 hours in length and will also air all prelims.
- UFC 2012 Target Schedule: 14 PPV events, 4 UFC on FOX events, 6 UFC on FX events, and a minimum of 6 UFC on FUEL TV events. The Ultimate Fighter will also have around 24 live events on FX on Friday nights.
Mainstream Thoughts on UFC on FOX
- Notes And Thoughts About UFC On Fox (Broadcasting & Cable)
UFC on Fox could have gone better but it definitely could have gone much worse. The fact of the matter is Saturday night showed that Fox is exactly what UFC needed, and UFC can be a major player for Fox, FX and whatever Fuel ends up being down the road, for a long, long time.
- Quick KO good or bad for UFC on Fox? (ESPN)
Fox Sports chief executive David Hill admitted he and president Dana White discussed the “tactics” of booking a single, heavyweight fight in hindsight, but added he was overwhelmingly satisfied with the product.
…
“It absolutely delivered everything I hoped it would,” Hill told ESPN.com. “I spoke to Dana and maybe, tactically, Dana didn’t play it the right way. But this is what you get in this sport. This is world heavyweight champion action.”
- UFC’s Fox debut neither home run nor strikeout (Yahoo)
Saturday night was a similar step, just on a larger scale. Instead of Spike TV, it was the Fox network. Instead of two unknown scrappers, it was the two best heavyweights in the sport..
…
Unfortunately, MMA is unpredictable. As president Dana White said over-and-over in promoting the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos heavyweight title match, the company’s live network TV debut on Fox, it could end in 30 seconds, or it could go five rounds.
- UFC’s network TV debut a success, despite lasting all of 64 seconds (Sports Illustrated)
That doesn’t go just for the Fox telecast, either. While the early undercard was playing out to a smallish crowd of diehards inside the arena, there was a brightly lit red carpet set up outside, where celebrities from MMA to the TV B-list — most from Fox programs, naturally — passed through a gauntlet of cameras, asked the same questions by every microphone wielder, smiling the same smiles for every lens. Inside, once the preliminaries were out of the way, the building had filled with a deafening roar, the octagon mat was cleaned of undercard blood stains. Don’t want to make a bad first impression with squeamish new viewers.
- UFC on Fox: What the Media Is Saying (Hollywood Reporter)
The bout lasted a little over a minute, with Dos Santos knocking Velasquez to the ground with a punch to the temple and a beat down that followed until the referee stopped the fight.
…
Reaction to the broadcast ranged from the humorous to the general consensus that Fox has a winner with the franchise.
- A few thoughts about tonight’s UFC fight … (San Francisco Chronicle)
No mercy, indeed. The heavyweight Junior Dos Santos/Cain Velasquez fight ends with Dos Santos knocking out Velasquez after just over a minute in the first round. I would say that was the second-worst case scenario with UFC’s historic first fight on network TV. (Worst case scenario by far was a gruesome injury.)
- Fight Night in America (Esquire)
The hype on Fox was nothing short of lunatic. Dana White, the bald genius UFC president and probably the smartest sports executive in the country, wore a black suit. So did Brock Lesner, and so did Alistair Overeem when they cut to him octagon-side, which doesn’t sound so good, as if we were going to look back in thirty years on them as the new Ali and Frazier, which doesn’t either. Junior Dos Santos made his ring walk to “Gonna Fly Now,” which is the theme from Rocky. Cain Velasquez walked into the cage, petrified, and they stared at each other and they kicked some little kicks and then, a minute into the kicking and the staring, Dos Santos sent a loopy and rather laughably slow right hook to Velasquez’s left ear. Velasquez dropped to the canvas and then Dos Santos went and hit the shit out of him eleven times. The referee took his sweet time to stop it. It was over. There was no blood. It wasn’t very exciting.
- Ultimate fighting is too brutal to be considered a sport, even if it’s on TV (Washington Post)
Excuse me, but ultimate fighting is not safer than cheerleading. I’ve watched some ultimate fighting. It’s a brutal sport. In fact, I don’t think ultimate fighting is a sport at all. It’s violence presented as entertainment..
…
By showing fights on Fox, UFC is trying to turn ultimate fighting into a regular sport and to make kicking someone in the face as normal as shooting a free throw. Close to 6 million people watched the Saturday night fight. Fox plans to show more ultimate fighting in the next few months.
- Ultimate fighting is too brutal to be considered a sport, even if it’s on TV (Deadspin)
I’d planned to write something about the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight today. But the fight lasted all of 64 seconds. Gotta feel for anyone who sat through eons of buildup only to make for the suds and miss the action. The UFC’s debut on Fox was a flop. A disappointment on a grand scale. A few leg kicks from Velasquez, one overhand right from Dos Santos and that was the end of it. Dunzo. The card in its entirety.
- UFC proves it’s here to stay (The Globe and Mail – Canada)
Rarely sticklers for journalistic purity, Fox used White himself as an analyst (Imagine Gary Bettman as the star of Coach’s Corner). Even as the main card tanked with headliner Cain Velasquez succumbing in just 64 seconds to challenger Junior Dos Santos, White and co-analyst Brock Lesnar kept pitching the gospel. White savaged Velasquez’s passivity. “I don’t understand why Cain wouldn’t go in for the shot, pressure him and not stay in his range. But what the hell am I? I’m not anybody’s coach or trainer.”
…
Right. Resistance is futile. UFC is here to stay. Or, as our mother used to say, until somebody loses an eye.
- UFC Was Never Meant For Network Television (IBTimes – New York)
It’s not the management of the UFC that will prohibit the sport from moving forward. The UFC will continue to expand its brand name recognition, and people will continue to tune in and watch the big fights. Mixed-martial arts isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and, therefore, UFC won’t be going anywhere either. But as for UFC being part of a dinner conversation in most American homes, that will never, ever happen. The sport is too volatile on too many levels.
- Dos Santos claims Velasquez’s UFC belt in Fox show (Chron)
The brief fight was the only event on a one-hour broadcast on Fox, which signed the UFC to a seven-year broadcast deal earlier this year. Any newcomers to the sport who tuned in got a taste of MMA’s violence, but not much else — particularly if they returned late from a commercial break.
…
Or even if they blinked.
- All Up in the Videos (The Classical)
And that’s how a typical display of MMA’s chaotic nature and dos Santos’ signature power were recast as a bad, stupid thing—the natural result of Velasquez fighting foolishly against a one-dimensional foe—which in turn recast a heavyweight title fight as an anti-climactic scuffle pitting an idiot against some non-athlete. At the risk of belaboring things, the person doing this was the president of the UFC, whose job is supposed to be spinning any result into a story that makes the viewers care. I’ve followed the sport for over a decade, and even I was starting to wonder if I should keep caring.
Social Media – Sports Business Circle Reactions After KO
- Michele Steele: “Huge night for UFC debut on Fox — hard to believe that UFC started w $2M investment 10 years ago, now $2 BILLION brand”
- John Ourand: “Wow. A knockout in the first minute?? Bad news for Fox. … What’s Fox’s filler programming now?”
- Bill Simmons: “UFC loses its network virginity to Fox and it’s over in under 90 seconds. Just like real life!”
- Darren Rovell: “UFC had the same problem years ago when ESPN put Chuck Liddell on SportsCenter & ESPN Mag. Then he lost in minutes.” … “If you’re a UFC newcomer, how do you feel after tonight? 46.2% less likely to watch, 32.4% more likely to watch, 21.4% have to see more.”
Twitter and Google Trends
Social Media on that Saturday was quite peculiar. There were literally no sporting events trending on that day (usually some of the hottest trends occur during sporting events). “Bendo” and “Clay Guida” were all trend topics for the night. In fact, airing all of the prelims on Facebook seemed to have hurt the buzz for the show as these were the only two topics to trend before the UFC on FOX broadcast. During the event, #UFCONFOX, “Cain Velasquez“, and “Dos Santos” were all trending along with “Pacquiao” and “Marquez“.
In Google under the “Hot Searches” section, “Cain Velasquez vs Dos Santos” (#17) and “UFC on FOX” (#20) were the only two items in the top 20 relating to the event on November 12 while “Manny Pacquiao” and “Marquez” were 4th, 8th, 10th, 11th, and 14th on the list. College Football’s “Oregon vs Stanford” was #16.
From looking at some of these social trends, it can be speculated that having no fights on some form of TV platform with a combination of the boxing match and the college football game affected some of the UFC’s buzz going into the event. It can also be assumed that although the ratings were good for Fuel TV’s standards, it did not help build up and carry momentum into the UFC on FOX event. Facebook fights still appear to have very little effect on getting more viewers to order or watch the fights at this point.
Airing the fights on FX and carrying the audience over to FOX on their next event should pay dividends for them and create more social media buzz that could bring more eyeballs into their next broadcast. Social Media was heavily underutilized for this event.
Sponsor, Promotion and Marketing Watch
- UFC on FOX Sponsors in the Cage: Uncharted 3 (PS3 Video Game), Muscle Pharm (Supplements), Xyience (Sports Drinks), SafeAuto (Insurance), Marines, G’zOne (Casio Phone), Bud Light (Anheuser-Busch), UFC Undisputed 3 (Video Game- THQ), and the main sponsor of the event was Dodge (US Automobile).
UFC on FOX TV Spots: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (video game), Tapout (with kids practicing MMA inside a cage, which was an interesting choice of a spot to expose to the mainstream audience considering recent debates on that subject), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (movie), UFC 139 promo, Jack in the Box, AMPM, & a good amount of local spots.
Cain Velasquez Sponsors: Dethrone (apparel), Milwaukee Tools, MicroTech, Oak Grove Technologies, Lugz (footwear), BSN (supplements), California Wheels, and AKA (gym).
Junior Dos Santos Sponsors: TOTVS, Gillette, Renato Saraiva, Analise, Team Nogueira (gym), Pretorian (apparel), Siciliano, Bony Acai (sport drink), and his own brand Cigano.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, viewer
Read the full article at MMA PayoutDana White talks UFC 139, promises four exciting main card fights at UFC on FOX 2
Ultimate Fighting Championship Presdent Dana White, who was absent from the UFC 139 pre-fight press conference due to illness, shared thoughts about this weekend's fight card and the burning topics revolving about UFC's debut on FOX last weekend. Dana White revealed next UFC on FOX (or FX) fight card will feature four "big and fun" fights, in what would be the first official fight card in the UFC-FOX.
White also related to the "what's next" question regarding UFC 139 main event clash between Dan Henderson
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, dana, card
Read the full article at Low KickLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of November 13, 2011
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Mauricio Rua and Dana White pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MiddleEasy, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and Five Ounces of Pain, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, MMAFighting speaks with Dana White, Lowkick speaks with Fedor Emelianenko about his fight with Jeff Monson and MMAConvert gets Jim Genia to break down the recent lawsuit that the UFC filed against New York.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Interview with Fedor Emelianenko (LowKick)
I had an exciting opportunity to interview Fedor Emelianenko in Netherlands (3 hours by train from my home, up north in Groningen), ahead of what could easily be the most important fight of his illustrious MMA career. Visibly reenergized Emelianenko shared about his plans for the fight with Jeff Monson, and what he's been concentrating on in this training camp
- Presenting the Matt Mitrione phone message contest (Cage Potato)
- Grappling with issues - 11/17/11 (Five Ounces of Pain)
Is Cain Velasquez destined for a title-shot in 2012? Should the winner of this weekend's main event between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua jump Rashad Evans as #1 contender? Will Fedor Emelianenko‘s fight flop on PPV? Could UFC 139 mark the final time Wanderlei Silva steps into the ring?
- Around the Octagon with Dana White? (video) (MMA Fighting)
White talks about UFC 139, W. Silva's future, UFC on FOX 2 and more. Watch Ariel Helwani's Exclusive Interview
- Wanderlei Silva running from retirement (5thRound)
For 15 edge-of-your-seat years, Wanderlei Silva has participated in some of the most spectacular fights in MMA history. However, much like an NFL running back, there are only so many hits the human body can endure before it's time to call it quits.
- Interview with Mark Coleman (video) (MiddleEasy)
- Ken Pavia on leaving MMAgents for Takedown Fight Media & MMA current events (TheFightNerd)
"If you believe King Mo and some fighter sentiment its only a matter of time before they merge - I believe King Mo said ‘it's dying on the vine.' It seems that Zuffa bought Strikeforce to add more main event type fighters to their roster to support their increased scheduling. That said, if the rumors about Strikeforce and Showtime are true, that'll be a certain way to secure its future."
- Media insider fallout from UFC on FOX (Fight Opinion)
So, wait a second - when PRIDE was drawing 20 million viewers on Fuji TV and getting paid a lot a money last decade, that didn't qualify MMA reaching ‘adulthood' status because it happened in Japan instead of America? Don't get me wrong - I'm not someone who thinks that UFC ‘failed' with the Fox showing on Saturday night.
- SpikeTV's UFC on FOX counterprogram nets 719,000 viewers (MMA Payout)
MMAPayout.com has learned that Spike TV's Saturday night telecast of "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title" between 9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT drew 719,000 viewers and a 0.6 rating with Men 18-34. List of ratings for "Unleashed" episodes pre and post UFC on FOX are listed below
- Chris Weidman: Tom Lawlor doesn't have the experience like I do (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
"As far as experience goes, look at Alessio Sakara. He had plenty more experience than me. He was in the UFC forever. I didn't let that get to me. Tom Lawlor, he hasn't been there as close to as long. I won't let that get to me. The way I look at it is, I 've been wrestling my entire life. I've faced top notch competition for a very, very long time. Tom Lawlor doesn't have that experience."
- Jim Genia breaks down the UFC lawsuit against New York (MMA Convert)
"I'm here to give you a breakdown on this nuclear bomb that's been activated in the Empire State - and make no mistake, a lawsuit that implores the federal judicial system to take action against a state is no precision instrument meant to galvanize; it's a weapon of mass destruction meant to leave devastation in its wake. If you want a law that empowers an athletic commission to regulate a sport, the nice, friendly route is to lobby, secure votes and let the system runs its course. The hard-ass route, which is far and away what this is, ensures that legislators are left grumbling. And a grumbling legislator can be bad. Very, very bad. But we'll get to that later. Now, the facts..."
- Dan Henderson responds to Shogun (Fightline)
Dan says good luck trying to become the first to knock me out
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fox, emelianenko
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White interview: UFC on FOX 2 main event will not be a title bout, event will feature four fights (Video)
The UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event was a "beautiful sports production" and a "100-percent successful home run show" according to UFC President Dana White.
This despite his post-fight complaints regarding the performance of Cain Velasquez, who lost the heavyweight championship that night (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) to Junior dos Santos in Anaheim, California.
The event broke the record for the most-watched fight in mixed martial arts history, averaging 5.7 million viewers for the hour long primetime broadcast and peaking at 8.8 million viewers for the 64 second fight.
One of the many criticisms of the event is the fact that there was far too much talking, far too little fighting. Naturally, there's always room for improvement.
We'll get to find out exactly how different things will be with the UFC on FOX 2 show, which has been announced for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. White confirmed this to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, as well as offering up a couple more details of the second network television broadcast.
For starters, the main event will not be a championship fight as it was on the first show. It will be "a real exciting fight" but a title will not be up for grabs.
Secondly, the main card will feature four bouts. White did not indicate how long the broadcast is scheduled to run but if each fight is slotted a half hour of time and you adjust for commercials, that should land the show right around the previously rumored two and a half hours.
All this sounding good to you, Maniacs?
Hear more from White in the full entry, including his thoughts on the folks who were picketing the UFC offices during the first FOX show, the upcoming UFC 139 fight card and a when the date might be for Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen part deux.
Posted in: ufc, fight, show, fox, event
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Confirms UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28 in Chicago with Two ‘Great’ Fights Already Lined Up
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Dana White to talk about a variety of topics heading into UFC 139 including the event, last weekend’s FOX debut, their next FOX card and what’s going on with the Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen rematch. Here’s a quick rundown of news and notes.
— Dana White confirmed that UFC on FOX 2 will take place on Jan. 28 in Chicago. They already have two “great” fights lined up to headline the show, but he isn’t spilling the beans until he tells FOX first on Monday. The plan is to air four fights total. There will not be any title fights on the card. Again, Dana wouldn’t drop any names, but there is a lot of speculation floating around that Rashad Evans will be one of the headliners. Just a rumor for now, but it does make sense.
— Dana White blames the lack of buzz for UFC 139 and other year-end events on the “transition period” they’re going through with the networks. They expect the end of the year to be “rocky.” Dana believes all the work they put into the next two years will be more important than the last 10.
— Dana is expecting an “influx” of new people with a lot of money getting into the MMA business in the next few years in addition to Viacom and Showtime. Sounds like he knows something we don’t know.
— A lot of possibilities for Dan Henderson if he wins Saturday including possible title shots at 185 or 205. A win for Shogun would put him back in the title picture (somewhere).
— If Wanderlei Silva gets knocked out again this weekend, he and Dana will “need to talk” about retirement. Dana won’t sit back and watch someone get knocked out over and over again.
— Unless I missed something, it was believed Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles would be fighting for the next bantamweight title shot. When asked about it, all Dana would say is “we’ll see what happens.”
— Dana says they painted the blood on the canvas on the FOX broadcast because they wanted a “clean presentation” and didn’t want the canvas to look like it was used.
— Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 is definitely going to happen, but they’re still working on the date.
— Dana called the interview Chael Sonnen did with TSN’s Michael Landsberg earlier this week “very weird.”
— No new updates on the Strikeforce situation.
— There’s no fear of the New York MMA situation worsening if they don’t win their lawsuit.
Posted in: ufc, fight, title, fox, dana
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox Salaries: Dos Santos and Velasquez top $666,000 Payroll
Newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos ($220,000) topped an ominous sounding $666,000 payroll for the UFC’s Fox debut. Dos Santos’s opponent, Cain Velasquez, had the second highest payout on the card coming in at $100,000 for his efforts.
Below is the total payroll for UFC on Fox 1. As always the standard disclaimer applies, these numbers do not reflect bonus money, sponsor payouts, locker room bonuses, or any other payouts related to the event.
Total payroll:
Junior Dos Santos: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus) def. Cain Velasquez: $100,000
Ben Henderson: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def. Clay Guida: $40,000
Dustin Poirier: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Pablo Garza: $8,000
Ricardo Lamas: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Cub Swanson: $15,000
DaMarques Johnson: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. Clay Harvison: $8,000
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto: $15,000
Robert Peralta: $16,000 (includes $ win bonus) def. Mackens Semerzier: $8,000
Alex Caceres: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Cole Escovedo: $6,000
Mike Pierce: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus) def. Paul Bradley: $18,000
Aaron Rosa $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Matt Lucas: $6,000
More UFC on Fox coverage: UFC on Fox results, UFC on Fox bonuses, UFC on Fox ratings
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, bonus, ufc
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWanderlei Talks UFC on FOX and Shogun (video)
At the UFC 139 press conference, Wanderlei Silva shared his thoughts on the first UFC on FOX show. He also talked about his history with Shogun and how things have led up to today.
Posted in: ufc, fox, shogun, fox show, shogun video
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 could be coming as soon as January 2012
It appears the UFC isn’t done organizing events for the opening stretch of 2012 after already announcing their debut on FX and a stop in Rio de Janeiro for January. According to multiple sources, the world’s foremost MMA organization is also looking at Chicago for a January 28 return to FOX.
The UFC is coming off a massively successful inaugural show on the network with a broadcast peaking at nearly nine million viewers, the most ever for a MMA event, even though the only televised bout lasted 64 seconds.
A Look at the UFC’s Debut on FX
News of UFC on FOX 2 first surfaced in a report from Yahoo with other outlets having since come forward with information confirming the story.
Though it’s still too early to know for sure who would headline the card, it looks like Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II is the desired pairing. Given the magnitude of the match-up it would certainly make sense considering the FOX label.
For those keeping score, assuming things unfold as expected, the UFC will hold events on 1/14 (UFC 142), 1/20 (UFN 26), 1/28 (UFC on FOX 2), and 2/4 (UFC 143).
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, january, opening stretch
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on Fox 2 Fight Card Rumors
Rumored fight card for UFC on Fox 2 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on January 28, 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fight card, fox, chicago illinois
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White: UFC on FOX 2 Set for Jan. 28 in Chicago
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsThe UFC's second outing on FOX will land in Chicago, UFC president Dana White confirmed to MMA Fighting on Thursday.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, White said that the event will take place on January 28. Although he didn't specify the venue, it is expected to take place at the United Center.
White said he is expecting to put together a four-fight main card, and has several fights in mind, but would not divulge any details until speaking with his FOX partners on Monday. He said that he is not expecting to include a championship fight on the card.
The event will mark the UFC's first time in Illinois since UFC 90 in October 2008.
The addition means that the promotion will produce four events in four weeks spanning from January 14 to February 4. In addition to the UFC on FOX show, the stretch includes UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UFC on FX in Nashville, and UFC 143 in Las Vegas.
The UFC's first foray on to network television was last Saturday, with an event that drew an average of 5.7 million viewers and a peak of 8.8 million to watch Junior dos Santos knock out Cain Velasquez to capture the heavyweight championship. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, las vegas, ufc mma
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox 2 Likely to Land in Chicago
Mere days after UFC on Fox 1 is in the books, UFC on Fox 2 is in the planning stages.
Posted in: ufc, fox, planning, land, books ufc
Read the full article at MMA Weekly8.8 Million Viewers Show the Sky’s the Limit for UFC on Fox
The success of the first ever UFC on Fox show continues to grow with ratings, and the fighters in the sport are just as excited.
Posted in: show, fox, fox show, sky ’s, viewers show
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White Talks UFC 139, FOX Ratings and FOX 2 Main Card
Filed under: MMA Rumors, MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsSAN JOSE, Calif. -- Watch below as UFC president Dana White talks about Saturday night's UFC 139 card, reuniting with Dan Henderson, whether Wanderlei Silva is fighting for his job, his post-UFC on FOX hangover, the second UFC on FOX show, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2, and Zuffa's lawsuit in New York.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, wanderlei silva, zuffas lawsuit
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseReport: UFC on FOX 2 scheduled for Jan. 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois
UFC on FOX, which featured a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, was a ratings home run, peaking with a staggering 8.8 million viewers during the Nov. 12 telecast.
So what does the promotion have planned for an encore?
UFC on FOX 2, naturally. After all, every great show demands a sequel and with a seven year stretch ahead of them, the world's largest fight promotion isn't wasting any time in getting its brand back on the air.
Yahoo! Sports has the report:
Multiple sources confirm that Jan. 28 is the target for UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago at the United Center.
Shoehorning UFC on FOX 2 into a late January slot is an ambitious move, considering how crowded the current 2012 schedule has already become. UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" kicks things off on Jan. 14, followed by UFC on FX a week later.
UFC 143: "St. Pierre vs. Diaz" follows the rumored FOX event on Feb. 4. Oversaturation? Not if the fights deliver.
Stay tuned.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, center, jan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Suspensions: Rosa, Bradley, 'Kid' Face 6 Months Out
Three fighters could be sidelined for up to six months following Saturday's UFC on Fox 1.
Posted in: ufc, fox, month, bradley, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at SherdogDos Santos wins big with UFC on FOX purse
Brazilian banger Junior Dos Santos made a minimum of US$265,000 in dethroning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Posted in: ufc, fox, champion, do, banger
Read the full article at sportsnet.caNew Champion Dos Santos Tops UFC on Fox 1 Paydays
Junior dos Santos walked away from UFC on Fox 1 the big winner on Saturday, as the Brazilian took home both the UFC heavyweight title and the evening's largest payday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, champion dos, tops ufc
Read the full article at SherdogJDS tops UFC on FOX payroll with $220k
submitted by alphahouse44 [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox payroll, top, payroll
Read the full article at RedditManny Pacquiao payout for Marquez 3 fight buries UFC on FOX's Junior dos Santos
Last Saturday (Nov. 12, 2011), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) went head-to-head with professional boxing.
Well, sort of.
UFC on FOX 1 took place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on the same night that boxing's "Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 3" occupied Las Vegas.
However, the fight cards did not occur simultaneously. UFC on FOX was all wrapped up by the time the boxing pay-per-view (PPV) was even started.
There was no competition. Not really.
"Mixed martial arts (MMA) vs. boxing" is a topic that has become more and more popular in the combat sports community. But at this point, is there really a comparison?
"It's all about "the Benjamins," but you knew that already. What it really comes down to is: Who's getting paid? After the jump, we'll take a look at the difference in payouts received by the UFC's big winner on Nov. 12 contrasted against that of professional boxing's Manny Pacquiao.
The reports are indicating that World Boxing Association (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao received somewhere in the neighborhood of $22 million.
To receive this cool settlement, "Pac Man" had to win a grueling 12-round decision victory (a decision which some questioned as being the right one).
The UFC's Junior dos Santos banked a little more than ten percent of that which Pacquiao was paid, coming in at $220,000.
"JDS" earned his paycheck for one minute and four seconds of work that ended with Cain Velasquez face down on the canvas and "Cigano's" hand raised in the air.
That said, time in the ring or cage shouldn't be the measuring stick with which we equate monetary value. If so, "Iron" Mike Tyson would owe a lot of people a lot of money. (Wait -- Tyson does owe a lot of people a lot of money. Nevermind.)
Comparing dos Santos to Pacquiao at this point in their respective careers is not accurate. That's a given. Also, a free card on FOX can't really be gauged against a professional boxing PPV that has been built up for months.
Regardless, the numbers show that athletes in the sport of MMA have a long way to go in terms of catching up to boxers, in reference to how much of the "door" they are bringing home.
How do you Maniacs feel about those numbers? Are MMA fighters getting a fair deal? Could boxers possibly be overpaid? Where do you weigh in?
Sound off!
For complete UFC on FOX payouts and salaries click here. For "Pacquiao vs Marquez 3" fight video, results, highlights and reactions click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, boxing, pacquiao, manny
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Medical Suspensions: Velasquez Out
Cain Velasquez was sidelined as part of the UFC on Fox 1 medical suspensions announced on Thursday, alongside three fighters with six-month suspensions.
Posted in: ufc, fox, suspension, velasquez, suspensions velasquez
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX medical suspensions and injuries for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) today issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," which took place on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
With several of the bouts ending early (and violently), there were quite a few fighters who were flagged follow up visits with their doctors, including "Kid" Yamamoto, who could be riding the pine for up to six months for a fractured finger.
His opponent, Darren Uyenoyama, will take a two-month vacation to heal a lacerated eyebrow.
Also getting a mandatory timeout was Clay Harvison, who was stiffened by DaMarques Johnson via bone-crunching knockout on the night's preliminary card.
But that's not all.
Here is the complete list of UFC on FOX injuries and their medical instructions:
Aaron Rosa: Suspended 180 days (180 days no contact) for possible left wrist fracture.
Paul Bradley: Suspended 180 days (180 days no contact) for possible left elbow fracture.
Mackens Semerzier: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for TKO and 60 days (60 days no contact) for cut to scalp.
Darren Uyenoyama: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) cut to left eyebrow.
Norifumi Yamamoto: Suspended 180 days (180 days no contact) for possible fracture to left hand finger.
Clay Harvison: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for TKO.
Cain Velasquez: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for KO.
Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.
For complete UFC on FOX results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, contact, bonecrunching knockout
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX salaries and payouts for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' event fighters
The official fighter purses for those who competed at UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" this past Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., were released earlier today by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
Main event participants, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez ($100,000) and newly-crowned division kingpin Junior dos Santos ($220,000), claimed nearly half the disclosed $666,000 fighter payroll.
Former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson came in second with $60,000 by defeating Clay Guida ($40,000), while Mike Pierce got a cool 36k for outworking Paul Bradley ($8,000).
Here is the complete list of UFC on FOX payouts:
Junior dos Santos: $220,000 ($110,000 to show, $110,000 to win) Cain Velasquez: $100,000 Dos Santos def. Velasquez via knockout
Ben Henderson: $60,000 ($30,000 to show, $30,000 to win) Clay Guida: $40,000 Henderson def. Guida via unanimous decision
Dustin Poirier: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Pablo Garza: $8,000 Poirier def. Garza via submission (Brabo choke)
Ricardo Lamas: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Cub Swanson: $15,000 Lamas def. Swanson via submission (arm-triangle choke)
DaMarques Johnson: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win) Clay Harvison: $8,000 Johnson def. Harvison via knockout
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win) Norifumi Yamamoto: $15,000 Uyenoyama def. Yamamoto via unanimous decision
Robert Peralta: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win) Mackens Semerzier: $8,000 Peralta def. Semerzier via technical knockout
Alex Caceres: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win) Cole Escovedo: $6,000 Caceres def. Escovedo via unanimous decision
Mike Pierce: $36,000 ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win) Paul Bradley: $8,000 Pierce def. Bradley via split decision
Aaron Rosa: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)Matt Lucas: $6,000 Rosa def. Lucas via majority decision
Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.
For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC on FOX go here.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX salaries: Dos Santos ($220K), Velasquez ($100K) lead payroll
Headliners Junior Dos Santos ($220,000) and Cain Velasquez ($100,000) were the top earners at this past weekend's UFC on FOX event.
MMAjunkie.com today requested and obtained the list of official disclosed paydays from the California State Athletic Commission.
The total disclosed payroll for the event was an evil-sounding $666,000.
Posted in: fox, event, california state, weekends ufc, payroll headliners
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFirst official fight card under the UFC / Fox deal begins to take shape
This past weekend’s UFC on Fox event was just a teaser for what is to come when the deal between the UFC and Fox officially begins in January. It appears that the first event under the seven year deal between the UFC and FOX will take place on January 20 and will originate from Nashville, TN, with the card being broadcast on the FX network.
The UFC recently began filling that fight card. The evening’s main event will feature a lightweight bout between Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller. Both
Posted in: ufc, fox, melvin guillard, jim miller, evening ’s
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on Fox 2 Expected for January 28th in Chicago
submitted by col0rado [link] [9 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, january, col, chicago
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 2 Expected for January 28th in Chicago
The UFC's winter schedule just got a whole lot busier. Yahoo Sports' Steve Cofield is reporting that the UFC is already planning their second UFC on Fox event, and it will emanate from the United Center in Chicago on January 28th:
Multiple sources confirm that Jan. 28 is the target for UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago at the United Center. That'll be followed by the Georges St-Pierre-Nick Diaz fight on Super Saturday in Las Vegas on Feb. 4.
No fights have been announced for the event yet, but this broadcast is expected to run longer than last weekend's Fox debut and feature more than just a single fight. Cofield also broke the news earlier that the first UFC Fight Night on FX will take place the week prior in Nashville. So in case you're wondering, here's what MMA fans can look forward to from the UFC over the next few months:
12/03/11: TUF 14 Finale (Las Vegas)12/10/11: UFC 140 (Toronto)12/30/11: UFC 141 (Las Vegas)01/14/12: UFC 142 (Rio de Janeiro)01/20/12: UFC Fight Night 26 on FX (Nashville)01/28/12: UFC on Fox 2 (Chicago)02/04/12: UFC 143 (Las Vegas)
Stay tuned to BloodyElbow.com and MMANation.com for more updates as these fight cards come together.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, la, chicago
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox: payroll, suspensions, attendance and live gate
The final suspensions,pay and live attendance numbers rare in for the UFC’s first show on FOX. The only televised n the fight card saw Junior dos Santos capture the UFC Heavyweight title from Cain Velasquez via 64-second knockout. The co-main event, streamed on the UFC facebook page, saw Ben Henderson punch his ticket for a Lightweight title bout against UFC Champion Frankie Edgar.
UFC on Fox Payroll:
Junior Dos Santos: $220,0000 ($110,000 plus $110,000 win bonus) vs. Cain Velasquez:
Posted in: ufc, fox, title bout, attendance numbers, bonus vs
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on Fox 1 Peaks at 8.8 Million Viewers
According to the recently released Nielson ratings UFC on Fox 1 peaked at 8.8 million viewers. That number beat out Elite XC’s previous MMA record of 6.5 million viewers when Kimbo Slice defeated James Thompson on CBS.
Predictably, the numbers peaked the highest during the short fight’s 62-second duration. The numbers drastically dropped following the end of the fight, though they remained higher than the pre-fight numbers which dropped to 4.4 million.
The peak, as well as the earlier reported average, marked the most-watched UFC event in history. The UFC has already looked to capitalize on the successful network debut by including the network deal in their recent lawsuit filed against the state of New York.
More UFC on Fox coverage: UFC on Fox results, UFC on Fox bonuses, UFC on Fox ratings
Posted in: ufc, fox, number, ufc, network deal
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 1 Ratings Update: 8.8 Million People Watched Junior dos Santos TKO Cain Velasquez
Thank you all very much for your support and helping us CRUSH our 1st fight on FOX!!about 3 hours ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite@danawhiteDana White
The rest of the ratings for the UFC’s network television debut on FOX are finally in. And like before, the numbers continue to look better as more information comes in.
The key number in this final ratings report is the peak rating. According to MMA Junkie, nearly nine million people watched Junior dos Santos finish Cain Velasquez in a little over a minute.
This past weekend’s UFC on FOX headliner between Cain Velasquez and new champ Junior Dos Santos peaked with a solid 8.8 million viewers on the FOX network, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with industry sources.
MMA Junkie added that the viewership dropped down to 5.9 million within three minutes of the bout’s abrupt conclusion, so if the fight had gone several rounds, the average viewership of 5.7 million likely would have been much higher. While it’s surely disappointing that didn’t happen, the numbers turned out to be quite solid, especially when you consider that FOX sold their ad inventory based on a predicted 4.5 million viewers. At the end of the day, it’s all about selling commercials for these networks and not disappointing their advertisers is never a bad thing.
On a related note, Spike TV only managed to trick 719,000 viewers into watching replays of Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos fights on their channel while the live fight was going down on FOX.
Fuel TV drew 83,000 viewers for the pre-fight show and 37,000 viewers for the post-fight show. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a pretty significant jump compared to the 18,000 viewers Fuel TV averaged in those same time slots one week prior.
All in all, it seems the UFC-FOX partnership had a very successful opening night.
Posted in: fight, fox, do, rating, viewer
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX peaks with 8.8 million viewers for Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos fight
Hello, smashing success? UFC on FOX, pleased to meet you.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White optimistically declared a few months ago that the first ever foray for his promotion on network television on Nov. 12, 2011, would blow the previous ratings record for a mixed martial arts (MMA) event "out of the water."
And while at first it looked like he was wrong, when the final tally came in, he was right.
That's because SI.com brings word that the "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event broadcast peaked with a staggering 8.8 million viewers this past Saturday night. Here's a bit more for the SI.com report:
In minute-by-minute ratings, the 9 p.m. primetime telecast dipped to 8.741 million viewers at the 41-minute mark (the fight's conclusion), then dipped to 6 million viewers by 9:45 p.m. The telecast began with approximately 5.2 million viewers and dipped as low to approximately 4.4 million before starting its main climb around 9:36 p.m.
The total broadcast averaged 5.7 million viewers, which was considered a success without anyone getting too overly enthusiastic about it. The peak number, however, gives reason for optimism for later broadcasts.
There's no word on when exactly the next UFC on FOX event will be, though the very first UFC on FX show is being targeted for Jan. 20 in Nashville.
Anyone care to venture what those debut ratings will look like? Anticipation is surely much higher now.
UFC on FOX featured just one fight, a 64-second knockout win for Junior dos Santos, who stripped Cain Velasquez of the heavyweight crown via first round technical knockout at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, viewer
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX Peaks with 8.8 Million Viewers, But There's a Lesson to Be Learned
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXShort but sweet. That's one way to describe the 64-second Junior dos Santos-Cain Velasquez fight on FOX this past Saturday. At least, that's how it must look to the UFC and the network now that the revised ratings info is out.
According to SI.com, the hour-long broadcast began with 5.2 million viewers, then peaked with 8.802 million viewers during the brief but violent contest for the UFC heavyweight strap.
If you're struggling to put those figures in perspective, this means that dos Santos-Velasquez is the most watched MMA fight in history, knocking off the Kimbo Slice-James Thompson brawl on CBS, which lasted about ten times as long and peaked with two million fewer viewers. But while the numbers give the UFC and FOX reason to smile about the newfound partnership, there's a lesson in these stats as well.
For starters, look at the ratings arc. The show began with around 5.2 million viewers, according to SI.com, and then proceeded to lose eyeballs during the 30-plus minutes of pre-fight promo pieces and analysis. That number jumped way up when the fight finally started, then immediately started to decline once it was over.
By the time Velasquez was face down on the canvas, viewers were on their way out. Four minutes after the end of the fight, the show was down to six million viewers and falling.
In other words, even network TV viewers are far more interested in action than in talk, and breathless post-fight analysis is the surest way to send them scrambling for the remote.
If you're Dana White or Fox Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill, here's where you've got to be wondering how big a number you could have had if the fight had only lasted a round or two. You've also got to be wondering about the wisdom of broadcasting just the one fight.
Hindsight being what it is, it's easy to say that the Ben Henderson-Clay Guida fight would have been a ratings magnet as a lead-in for JDS-Velasquez, but that doesn't make it any less true. A jump in numbers like the one FOX saw means that people were likely on the phone or the internet, telling their friends that the fighters were finally on their way to the cage and it was time to tune in. Imagine if those same people had been reaching out to one another during the seesaw bout between the two lightweights, encouraging their friends to get in on this appetizer before the main event.
Could it have broken 10 million viewers? Maybe. Probably. Would it have made the 64-second ending to the heavyweight scrap seem more like an exciting change of pace and less like a long climb for a short slide? Definitely.
Again, it's easy to say that now that we know how the fights turned out, but at the same time, is anyone surprised to learn that so many viewers wanted more fighting and less talking?
If the UFC and FOX are smart, they'll use this as a learning experience. Granted, they won't always feel the need to do so much viewer education once this is no longer a network TV novelty, but clearly it's the action that brings the viewers. Once the fists start flying, that's when people start watching. As much as people might love his product, viewers are far more interested in seeing it for themselves than in hearing Dana White shout about it after the fact.
Still, if the UFC can pull 8.8 million viewers on network TV for a fight that barely lasted long enough for fans to compose a decent text message to their friends, imagine what it will pull once the deal begins in earnest and it can put together a show that's more than just a teaser. If your biggest problem is that you leave your audience wanting more after your network debut, maybe you don't have that many problems. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, viewer, network
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox peaked at 8.8 million viewers, most watched MMA fight of all time
submitted by Chicago31 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, mma fight, chicago
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox Debut Peaked With 8.8 Million Viewers
As the days have passed there have been more details and information on the rating information for the UFC's debut on Fox. The latest development sees that the event peaked with 8.8 million viewers for the debut effort. That is a massive number and speaks to the debut being an undeniable success in terms of peak viewership.
There have been some indications that Fox still has minor concerns about being able to sell ads given the rather random nature of fight duration but that is something that should be able to be corrected as the promotion and the network figure out ways to keep viewers around for the duration of broadcasts. The fact that about 3 million viewers changed the station after the fight ended meant that a big chunk of them didn't see the commercials that advertisers were paying to get in front of eyeballs.
The obvious solution is more fights, less talking as there is only so much that can be said about men fighting that will keep viewer interest versus actually watching action.
But again, that is likely to change in 2012 when the deal actually kicks into full swing and the FX and Fuel shows provide chances to tinker with the broadcast structure and find the sweet spot for balancing pro sports production with delivering the violence that is at the base appeal of the sport.
Changes will come, but for now the UFC can celebrate a true success in the first test effort on their new network partner.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, viewer, debut
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX peaks with 8.8 million viewers for Velasquez-Dos Santos title fight
MMA has a new most-watched fight in U.S. television history.
This past weekend's UFC on FOX headliner between Cain Velasquez and new champ Junior Dos Santos peaked with a solid 8.8 million viewers on the FOX network, MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with industry sources.
Within three minutes of the bout's conclusion, the audience dwindled to 5.9 million viewers. Overall, the event averaged 5.7 million viewers.
Posted in: fox, viewer, mostwatched fight, industry sources, fox peaks
Read the full article at MMA JunkieSurf's up, dude. 11-Time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (via Transworld Surf) hit the UFC on FOX...
Surf's up, dude. 11-Time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (via Transworld Surf) hit the UFC on FOX red carpet on Nov. 12 to see some mixed martial arts history. More pics from the pre-show festivities right here.
Posted in: fox, arts history, transworld surf, surf, fox surfs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPacquiao/Marquez vs UFC on Fox AKA Boxing writer doesn't know MMA
submitted by Incognetus [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, boxing, writer, pacquiaomarquez
Read the full article at RedditMMA Top 10 Rankings: dos Santos Takes Top Spot
Crushing Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox, Junior dos Santos blasted his way to the top stop in the heavyweight rankings; plus we've added an oft-requested feature!
Posted in: fox, do, ranking, weve, heavyweight rankings
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White’s UFC 139 Video Blog: Part One – BTS at UFC on FOX 1
The UFC gives us a behind the scenes look at UFC on FOX 1 in this first installment of Dana White’s UFC 139 video blog.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, blog, – bts
Read the full article at MMA ConvertSubo Says: UFC on Fox (1?) Wrap Up
-First point: I didn't notice a number at the end of this event's name. Are numbering systems kaput? Will we see a Versus-style "just name it after the headliners" theme in the future? That seems unlikely, as it's been confirmed that every Fox card going forward will air two fights (and clock in at 90 minutes - fingers crossed for at least the possiblity of more fights making air). Just do the damn numbers - either integrate them with the PPV ones or start anew with Fox. You didn't spend all of these years conditioning us to dick with that now, did you?
-Second point: see the picture above. Nothing short of a flat-out slobberknocker would have satisfied the hardcores, who looked forward to this day in the same way that morons anticipate the Second Coming. This isn't pro wrestling: scripting what happens is a one-way ticket to oblivion and the federal pen. You put the best fighters in the world against each other again and again and you record what happens.
-Dana White has caught some flack for doing the same thing he always does after a card (ie, offer half-assed analysis of the main event while loudly proclaiming that he doesn't know what he's talking about). This time, he questioned why Cain was content to stand at distance with JDS instead of using his wrestling to try to secure an advantage. Well, news flash, everyone: so was Cain. He said after the fight that the game plan was to pressure and get in close, and that he just didn't execute what they had practiced. In addition to offering a more compelling fight and answering more questions (STILL don't know how JDS reacts to elite-level wrestling), doing so would have saved us another round of indignant blog posts in reaction to the most mundane of repetitive occurances.
-Benson Henderson really is a beast, and so is Donald Cerrone. Hendo's recent triumphs over Jim Miller and Clay Guida have really taken some of the shame off of Cowboy's 0-2 record against him; the guy is powerful, has great wrestling, is practically unsubmittable (prepares to e-mail dictionary in support of making that a word) and is putting time and energy into evolving his striking. Bendo won't be the biggest fighter or best wrestler that Frankie Edgar has ever faced, but his unique combination of attributes might be a tall order for the smaller champ.
-Anyone that doesn't like Clay Guida can fuck off.
-I still think Pablo Garza is awesome - it's just that Dustin Poirier is a better fighter right now. Great performance by the Diamond.
-I was impossibly wasted for the Facebook portion of this card (I'm going to blame it on excitement for the event - I mean. the UFC was on Fox last night. Wow. Holy cow. Can we just revel in that for a moment? As Letibleu said in response to Polly's post earlier, I miss just being a fan sometimes). Thus, I invite all of YOU to give ME... uh... YOUR favorites in the comments.
Posted in: fight, fighter, fox, clay guida, nbspgreat performance
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC on FOX: Blood stains painted over prior to 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' televised main event
I see a red floor and I want it painted black blue...
Ultimate Fighting Cosmetics (UFC) had a little brushing up to do before the UFC on FOX main event title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos last Saturday night (Nov. 12) in Anaheim, California.
Literally.
Esther Lin of MMA Fighting captured the above shot, featuring members of the production crew painting over the blood stains leftover from the event's preliminary action.
It is, after all, the first-ever collaboration between FOX and the UFC and it might not bode well for future broadcasts if curious eyes tune into see a blood-soaked canvas.
Baby steps.
Not that UFC on FOX didn't have its share of violence anyway, thanks to a cranium-cracker from Junior dos Santos, who stripped Velasquez of the 265-pound crown via first round knockout.
If you're trying to find out where the blood came from, look no further than our UFC on FOX preliminary results and live blog from the Honda Center right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, round knockout, firstever collaboration, blood stains
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLuke Thomas has 10 suggestions for improving the next UFC on Fox. Read them at MMA Nation.
Luke Thomas has 10 suggestions for improving the next UFC on Fox. Read them at MMA Nation.
Posted in: ufc, fox, luke, nation, luke thomas
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX results: Junior dos Santos sleeping with UFC heavyweight belt
Dream big.
"What I want to hear is ‘the NEW UFC heavyweight champion,' that's what I want to hear. I sometimes imagine Bruce Buffer saying that, and it gives me motivation. Becoming the champion is a dream so big that I could never have imagined it."
That's an excerpt from Nov. 11, 2011, just one day before Junior dos Santos did what he set out to do since the first day he stepped foot inside the Octagon: Become UFC heavyweight champion.
Now that dream has been realized, with a violent 64-second stoppage over Cain Velasquez at the UFC on FOX event this past Saturday night from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
In a promotion whose tagline is "as real as it gets," "Cigano's" victory was about as big as it gets. Not only did he win the heavyweight title against one of the sport's finest athletes, he did it in front of a record-breaking audience on network television.
The Brazilian boxer worked very hard to get the belt and he's not ready to let it go. Or take it off, for that matter. Not even to go to bed, according to his wife (via SporTV):
"He doesn't leave the belt's side. I spoke to him five hours after the fight and he was lying on the bed of the hotel (getting ready to go to sleep), with the belt."
It's impossible to hear of Junior's devotion to the title and not recall the hilarious Tim Sylvia interview with Sherdog's Savage Radio Show, where "The Maine-iac" admitted to leaving the strap around his waist during coitus.
"I've had sex before with the belt on. That was back in the Ricco Rodriguez days. The night I won the belt I had a sexual experience with the belt on, but hey, I was 25 years old and it was the biggest thing that ever had happened to me in my life. The girl was like, ‘Hey, are you going to take that thing off?' and I said ‘No, I'm not. I'm wearing it and if you have a problem with it, then I'm leaving.' I hate to say it, but if I do win the belt again, then this time it's never coming off. I'm going to wear it a lot more."
Dos Santos is heading back to Brazil to recuperate from a knee injury he suffered prior to his UFC on FOX title fight. That means he's likely to be stuck at home with lots of downtime.
Be on your guard, Mrs. JDS!
For a complete recap of "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" click here. For video highlights click here and for complete UFC on FOX 1 results and recap of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, belt, do
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe first UFC on FOX television broadcast was a success, but more can be done to improve future...
The first UFC on FOX television broadcast was a success, but more can be done to improve future events, according to MMA Nation's Luke Thomas. But what? And how? Click here to find out.
Posted in: ufc, fox, success, television, future events
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 Highlights: Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida, Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swason, Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Video: Highlights: Guida/Henderson
FOX only showed Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos on the UFC on FOX 1 broadcast, but they did post video highlights from the three fights — Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida, Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swason, Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza — that would have made up the main card.
Video: Highlights: Lamas/Swanson
Video: Highlights: Poirier/Garza
Posted in: fox, video, vs, velasquez vs, guidahenderson fox
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Shows the Perils of False Promotion
No known weaknesses.
That was the line we heard regarding (now former) UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez heading into the historic defense of his title against Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 1. We heard it again on the broadcast, courtesy of Joe Rogan. Cain Velasquez has no weaknesses.
Of course, anyone who has followed Cain's career knows this line is nothing more than PR spin. He does have a weakness, and it's in his stand-up defense. Prior to dos Santos, Cain had faced one ranked Heavyweight who used striking as his primary weapon. That striker, Cheick Kongo, hurt Velasquez more than once, prompting many to ask if Cain had problems with his chin and his defense. On Fox, the heavy handed dos Santos found that chin again, and showed that yes, Velasquez can be knocked out, and yes, he does have a weakness.
The question then is, why couldn't the UFC be honest?
Why spin this hyperbole about Cain and his invincibility? Couldn't the story have just as easily been "Velasquez is a dominant champion, but he hasn't faced a powerful striker in 2 years. Last time he did, Cain found himself in trouble. Does the KO specialist challenger have his number?" That's the true story, the one hardcore fans knew was the actual narrative of the fight. But the UFC chose to sell us "Cain can't be beaten" instead.
The trouble is, Cain was beaten, and he was beaten convincingly. And this is where the problem with this kind of promoter speak comes in. Because now, fans who bought the UFC hype are left confused. What the UFC wants fans to walk away thinking is that dos Santos is Just That Good. But instead, the dishonest message only ends up muddying the water and damaging the credibility of the messengers.
This kind of promotion is nothing new to the UFC. They have long promoted champions as unbeatable with no flaws, and challengers as the perfect foil to this superhuman champion. But watching Fox's more sport-oriented production brought the absurdity of these claims into focus.
The UFC needs to take a cue from more mainstream sports coverage. Cut the spin and give fans the truth. An honest appraisal of Velasquez would have added more drama to the fight, not less. And it would have demonstrated that these analysts are indeed experts who understand the complexities of the sport.
Dana White has long insisted that the UFC and MMA should be considered a mainstream sport. The Fox broadcast was a good step in that direction. Now it's time to take that next step and dial down the hyperbole. Sell the fans the truth.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, fan, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 2 Rumored to be 2.5 Hours
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, hour, fox, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditFive Fights To Make After UFC on FOX 1
What's next for Junior dos Santos, Clay Guida, Cain Velasquez and the rest of the UFC on FOX competitors? Jeremy Botter takes a look.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, clay guida, what
Read the full article at Heavy MMAJunior dos Santos Fought Cain Velasquez with Knee Injury, Needs Surgery
Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez in just 64-seconds to become the new UFC heavyweight champion in Saturday’s UFC on Fox main event despite a knee injury that had him on crutches just last week.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira disclosed the injury in a post-fight interview with MMAFighting and dos Santos’ doctor, Fabio Costa, said “Cigano” will reguire surgery for a large lesion on his meniscus that will sideline him for a month even though he was able to fight through the injury on Saturday.
Fortunately, the time off should have little impact on dos Santos’ first title defense, as he waits to face the winner of UFC 141′s main event between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem early next year.
More UFC on Fox coverage: UFC on Fox results, UFC on Fox bonuses, UFC on Fox ratings
Pictured: Junior dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, injury, knee injury
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUpdated UFC on Fox ratings not so terrible after all
The preliminary ratings for Saturday’s UFC on FOX card suggested a total viewer count of 4.65 million. In reaction to this news, general disappointment and feelings of “Let us all worship at the alter of Kimbo!” prevailed even though the 2.4 rating/7 share for adults ages 18-49 made it the second-most-watched program in that demographic for the hour and third-highest overall. Dana White was in such a tizzy about how the JDS-Velaszuez fight turned out that his veneer of smiles and forced professionalism cracked at the post fight press conference when he told people who wanted a better show to “seriously, shut up”. But not content to let a day go by without burying us in an alphabet soup of numbers and confusing gibberish, the big TV types quickly told us to keep our pants on because quick live TV ratings always undercount the mountain and pacific time zones. So now we are being told that an average of 5.7 million people watched UFC on FOX over the hour it was broadcast, its 3.1 rating making the UFC’s broadcast length and girth quite impressive in magnitude. The UFC’s wang was larger indeed than every college football game this week besides Stanford-Oregon, but three college football games airing in primetime combined for ratings of 8.9/17, sinking the UFC’s battleship. News sources who normally seem to be getting extra octagon girl services from the UFC quickly ran with this news and called UFC on FOX the most-watched MMA fight in US network TV history. This “fact” was regurgitated by others throughout the MMA interwebsphere until it became something of a hackneyed truism. But does this capture the entire truth? The Kimbo-Thompson EliteXC event drew only a 3.0 rating with an average of 4.85 million viewers for the entire two-hour broadcast. But the last hour of the broadcast averaged 6.12 million viewers, and the time of the actual Kimbo-Thompson fight, from 11:30-11:51PM, peaked at 6.51 million viewers. So UFC on FOX was not the most-watched hour of MMA on network television, as some are saying, and it probably was not the most-watched fight either. We’ll find out the peak quarter hour ratings later this week, but my guess is that 65 seconds of fighting may not have been enough to garner a large rise in the peak quarter hour of the broadcast. Even Jared “$kala” Shaw would be reasonable enough to tell us that the ratings would have been helped by the addition of the Guida-Henderson bout to the broadcast. Since the ratings pop that the UFC got during the first Bonnar-Griffin fight, we have seen that sustained periods of hot, frenetic MMA action bring in additional viewers by word of mouth and stumbling of fingers across remotes. Perhaps due to this simple fact, which we all knew long ago, rumors are now circulating that future UFC on FOX broadcasts will consist of two fights, which still seems a bit boner busting to us, but what do we know ... we're just actual MMA fans.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, rating, broadcast
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC on FOX - I was there...it didn't suck
submitted by crod23 [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox i, thereit didnt, thereit
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox Results: Junior Dos Santos' Popularity On Rise Following Win
Allow me to make an extremely obvious statement: Brazilian fans are some of the most passionate in the world. MMA fans got to see it first hand when the UFC went to Brazil this summer and the American fighters were showered with chants of "You're gonna die". The arena absolutely erupted when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira knocked out Brendan Schaub and the place was damn near deafening when Anderson Silva finished Yushin Okami in the second round. It was an atmosphere years in the making and one hopefully the UFC can repeat when they make their return in January.
While American fans were focusing on the Fox deal and how monumental it was for the UFC to be shown on network television, another deal was being made. The massive success that was UFC 134 was enough for Zuffa to seal a deal with Brazil's largest television station Globo. On the UFC on Fox media call, Junior dos Santos repeatedly mentioned that fighting on Globo was a dream come true. It mattered more for the young Brazilian to fight on Brazilian television than on Fox. It's a concept that it sometimes tough for American's to wrap our heads around. Heck, if you look on this site we've been pushing the Fox deal while completely ignoring the Globo one.
Well for dos Santos it seems that dream and enthusiasm was not misplaced. With a reported 10 million of his countrymen tuning in for his fight against Cain Velasquez this past Saturday, Junior dos Santos is likely the newest star in Brazil. He captured the UFC Heavyweight title on national television and the rags to riches story was complete. It took Anderson Silva an entire UFC title run and a front kick to Vitor Belfort's face to break through in Brazil. For Dos Santos, it may have only taken 64 seconds.
The good news doesn't end there for Junior either. Along with 10 million of his countrymen seeing him capture UFC gold, it seems that he connected with fans on twitter as well. Between Saturday night and Sunday morning he added 20,000+ new followers. This number is massive and shows that people were impressed by his knockout and personality. I'll be honest and say that I was unsure how first time viewers would take to a grown man bawling his eyes out on television. It appears that they too enjoyed his genuine reaction to such a major accomplishment.
While Dana White was obviously disappointed in the fight immediately after the fact, now that the numbers are starting to come in, I'm sure he's happy the way things went down. The Brazilian market is wide open with multiple fighters breaking through. The ratings on Globo are obviously rock solid (better than those on Fox). And the champion is a lovable fighter who has real reactions to situations. Add the fact that Dos Santos is talented enough to hold onto the belt for a long time and the UFC finally has stability in the heavyweight division. This is what the end goal for Saturday was, to create a star and stability. They got both with one knockout punch.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, fox deal, television
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX ratings (revised) reflects 5.7 million viewers for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
Up, up and away.
The UFC on FOX ratings have been updated following Saturday night's (Nov. 12, 2011) network television debut, featuring a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
According to FOX, "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" brought in 5.7 million viewers, an increase of well over a million from the initial estimate of 4.64 and enough to score a 3.1 household rating, a record for most-watched event in the 18-year history of the UFC.
From the official press release:
FOX Research projects that [Saturday] night's UFC on FOX premiere broadcast to win the 9:00-10:00 PM time period across key demos including Adults 18-34 (3.2), Adults 18-49 (3.0); Men 18-34 (4.3) and Men 18-49 (4.0) ... Among the Men 18-34 demographic, the UFC on FOX premiere posted a 4.3, strong enough to out-rate every college football telecast this season on any network with the exception of last week's No. 1 vs. No. 2 LSU-Alabama match-up (through 11/5).
Click here to see how these updated numbers compare to the Kimbo Slice offerings from EliteXC. Ratings for UFC on FOX in key markets, after the jump.
Las Vegas: 5.3Dallas: 5.1Phoenix: 5.1San Antonio: 5.1Tulsa: 4.9San Diego: 4.8Greensboro: 4.6New Orleans: 4.5Los Angeles: 4.3
UFC on FOX featured just one fight, a 64-second knockout win for Junior dos Santos, who stripped Cain Velasquez of the heavyweight crown via first round technical knockout at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, rating, fox ratings
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Results: An Easy Way To Make The Ben Henderson-Clay Guida TV Situation Right
With all due respect to UFC President Dana White, I'm not going to "shut up" about wanting to see Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson and neither should anyone else. It was a No. 1 contender fight in the UFC's deepest weight class and the co-main event on the Fox debut undercard. If people weren't clamoring to see this lightweight epic, White should be worried.I'm not going to rehash the argument of whether they should have aired the fight, whose decision it was to air or not air or anything of the like. What's done is done and all both sides can do now is learn from this kickoff to a potentially great relationship.What I do want to dish about is what the UFC needs to do to rectify the situation now. Unless you just woke up from a Nyquil-induced nap, you've likely heard that Henderson defeated Guida in a fun and spirited battle that could only be seen domestically in the U.S. on Facebook or Fox Sports Deportes.While it's idealistic to think that millions huddled around their laptops and watched, my guess is that the 18-34 demographic didn't do that in droves on Saturday at 8:30 PM EST. While video consumption these days is staggering, bars aren't streaming Facebook fights and it's a bit antisocial at parties to watch a computer screen for 15-20 minutes.Luckily for everyone involved, the UFC is sitting on a very desired and hot piece of content that a large amount of people want to see for the first time or relive -- content that can serve as the kickoff to what should be a great battle between 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar and Henderson in February. The solution is cheap, easy to implement and is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection and computer.All the UFC has to do is make the fight available on UFC.com for free streaming immediately. Obviously, the desire is to have the ability to watch the fight in full HD-TV glory but where could that be done ASAP? An option could be a bonus 30-minute show following this week's The Ultimate Fighter, but that seems like an unlikely option with the fractured UFC/Spike relationship and logistics involved. UFC Unleashed is fine, but no one should have to wait that long.Making Henderson/Guida available online would help the promotion capitalize on the buzz, driving traffic to their slick website and promoted via the UFC's favorite social media tool of choice: Twitter...with some Facebook promotion thrown in there too.
By not making the fight available immediately, the UFC is missing out on a goodwill opportunity with their fans and also giving a subconscious nod toward one of their most hated rivals: piracy. How so? If you didn't see the fight live and really wanted to check it out, where did you go? Yeah, that's what I thought: a site that makes the videos available illegally. I'm not judging, but everyone does it from time-to-time or in some cases, all the time.
Now imagine you're one of these "new fans" that jumped on board after Saturday's Fox event and heard that Henderson/Guida was awesome. You weren't aware of the Facebook stream and really want to quench your thirst for some more UFC. You do some Google searching for the fight video and are amazed to find out you don't really have to pay for anything if you choose not to. Why should the UFC lose that traffic to illegal sites? It's not a pay-per-view event where you're trying to entice replay buys. It was a free fight on Facebook that can have a long tail effect. When's the last time that happened?That we've had to wait this long for some resolution is frustrating, but my gut instinct is that the Henderson/Guida replay will find its way onto Saturday's UFC 139 as a bonus for those ordering the show. If that was to happen, it would be a nice gesture but wouldn't have the impact as putting it on the UFC website now.Despite what White suggested, buying a ticket to the event wasn't an option for this writer and because of a Saturday night social commitment with non-UFC fans, streaming via Facebook wasn't either. Does that means I should be penalized? Of course not. It's 2011 and all the UFC has to do to make this right by everyone involved (including the fighters who should have their talents promoted far and wide) is to put Henderson/Guida on UFC.com and let the magic of social networks and a rabid fanbase/media do the rest.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, saturday, facebook
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSo I was Scared." Dos Santos and MMA Own Their On Fox moment
10 years after Zuffa purchased the UFC from SEG, 18 years after UFC 1 aired on pay per view and 66 seconds after the opening bell MMA's debut on Fox was over. The first event in a seven year partnership between Fox and the UFC acted as an introduction to the sport rather than your typical streamlined fight show. A prefight TV panel of NFL on Fox studio host Curt Menefee, UFC president Dana White, and the promotion's number one pay per view draw Brock Lesnar set the stage for the Cain Velaquez (9-1) and Junior Dos Santos (14-1) main event with the aid of prepackaged video clips from UFC Primetime. A little more than 37 minutes into the 6:00 PM PST broadcast, the fighters entered the cage and the doors shut. Standard Bruce Buffer intro, normal referee instructions, a courtesy glove tap from both combatants were all motions we see before any fight. Outside of the 750 square foot Octagon the weight of the MMA world gleamed at their TV sets with anticipation. The scheduled five round title fight was not only about Velasquez and Dos Santos, it was about the spirit of a sport that has lived, died and been resurrected again. The MMA community could be labeled as tight knit. This moment in MMA history was far from just the UFC's but it included an entire fringe sports world waiting to see what would happen to their once bootleg pastime. In a battle for brand awareness the UFC won the moment they became TV dance partners with the Fox Broadcasting Company. At 6:41 PM PST referee John McCarthy peeled off Dos Santos from a fallen Velasquez. Dos Santos will be the first UFC heavyweight champion of the Fox era. Inside the cage Dos Santos and Velasquez only had a few brief exchanges. The challenger stalked with a right hand while Velasquez attempted to slow down Dos Santos' press with a diet of leg kicks. Velasquez, a former two-time All American at Arizona State University, would attempt one takedown off a caught leg kick from Dos Santos. The fight would hit the floor only once. Dos Santos' setup for the fight ending punch was one part boxing stance and one part pressure. With Velasquez circling away Dos Santos uncorked an overhand right with a singular mission to concuss. The punch landed behind the champion's temple and Dos Santos made the follow up attack academic. Almost a dozen punches to the grounded Velasquez landed from Dos Santos before the fight was called. In a moment that cannot be premeditated a rush of pure emotion engulfed Dos Santos in his post-fight interview. "I have no words to say what I'm feeling," Dos Santos said. "Cain Velasquez for sure was my toughest opponent. I was afraid to fight with him because he's very tough. I wasn't 100 percent for this fight, so I was scared."Like the amount of fight time actually aired to TV viewers, the soft spoken former champion made just a brief post speech. "I will come back, and I will get this belt back for sure," said Velasquez. After a spike of adrenaline from the power of a heavyweight knockout, UFC brass and the MMA community as a whole let out a sigh of relief. Their sport's debut on a grander stage was passing in real time but had the tension of many of years of built up pressure. The yet to be announced second event in the UFC and Fox's budding relationship is expected to be back by the first quarter of 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at UltMMAUFC on FOX fighters reflect on historic event
This past Saturday night’s UFC on FOX event was a decade in the making but came and went in the blink of an eye with a sixty-four second stamp capping off a memorable evening, especially for those who tuned in to catch a plethora of entertaining preliminary pairings including “Fight of the Night” between lightweights Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
Shortly after the house lights went back to full blast and the crowd cleared out, headliners Cain Velasquez and newly-named champion Junior dos Santos faced the press alongside Guida, Henderson, and UFC President Dana White to discuss their performances and the show in general.
A Behind the Scenes Look at the Week Before UFC on FOX
“Establish the punches and kicks, put a little pressure forward, and take it where I was gonna take it,” said Velasquez of his strategy entering what would turn out to be the first loss of his career. “Not to force anything….fight smart…and I didn’t do that tonight.”
Check out the full press conference below (questions/answers start at 14:45):
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, fox event, house lights
Read the full article at Fighters.comMainstream News Media Reaction to UFC on FOX Premiere Generally Positive
Filed under: UFC, News, Sports Business and Media, UFC on FOXFOX's first foray into mixed martial arts earned generally positive reviews from mainstream news media around North America. The one-hour UFC event saw an average of 5.7 million viewers tune in to watch Junior dos Santos knock out Cain Velasquez and capture the heavyweight championship in just 64 seconds.
While the fight wasn't the lengthy showcase of technique and skill many had hoped for, it at least presented the sport as a major event and spotlighted the human side of two of its best fighters, two things that should help future events as the UFC and FOX officially begin their deal in 2012.
In case you're wondering what the rest of the world is saying about UFC on FOX, here are some excerpts from mainstream media sources from the last two days.
Fox's UFC Broadcast a Hit with Viewers - The New York Times
"One reason Fox acquired the rights to the U.F.C. on broadcast and cable (FX) was to attract the often elusive demographic of young viewers, especially men 18 to 34. According to Nielsen figures, the U.F.C. broadcast generated a 4.3 rating among men 18 to 34, more than any college football telecast this season (through Nov. 5) except for the Louisiana State-Alabama game on Nov. 5."
A Few Thoughts about Tonight's UFC Fight - The San Francisco Chronicle
"Beyond the forgettable fight, most of the first UFC on Fox was well done. The broadcast team did a good job of keeping things simple for new fans, and then airing two mini-documentaries that revealed Dos Santos and Velasquez as introspective, humble and intelligent people. My UFC-averse wife was riveted, and ended up watching the fight with me. Velasquez' apology to fans after the fight also showed class. Even if the fight was a letdown, the broadcast did its job in breaking some false stereotypes about mixed martial arts."
UFC on FOX: What the Media is Saying - The Hollywood Reporter
"Reaction to the broadcast ranged from the humorous to the general consensus that Fox has a winner with the franchise."
Fight Night in America - Esquire
"Cain Velasquez walked into the cage, petrified, and they stared at each other and they kicked some little kicks and then, a minute into the kicking and the staring, Dos Santos sent a loopy and rather laughably slow right hook to Velasquez's left ear. Velasquez dropped to the canvas and then Dos Santos went and hit the s--- out of him eleven times. The referee took his sweet time to stop it. It was over. There was no blood. It wasn't very exciting."
Notes And Thoughts About UFC On Fox - Broadcasting and Cable
"Seriously, I read a lot of people on Twitter and elsewhere saying the 64-second KO was a nightmare for Fox. You couldn't be more wrong. People don't tune into UFC to see a ballet, especially the heavyweights. They tune into see someone get punched or kicked in the face and go to sleep. Sorry to say it out loud, but it's true. Believe me, I love the technical aspects of a beautiful ground game as much as anyone, but when heavyweights bang, the fans want a KO, and they got a big one."
Dos Santos Claims Velasquez's Belt in FOX Show - Associated Press
"Any newcomers to the sport who tuned in got a taste of MMA's violence, but not much else -- particularly if they returned late from a commercial break. Or even if they blinked."
UFC Proves It's Here to Stay - The (Toronto) Globe and Mail
"Resistance is futile. UFC is here to stay. Or, as our mother used to say, until somebody loses an eye."
UFC Was Never Meant for Mainstream - The International Business Times
"It's not the management of the UFC that will prohibit the sport from moving forward. The UFC will continue to expand its brand name recognition, and people will continue to tune in and watch the big fights. Mixed-martial arts isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and, therefore, UFC won't be going anywhere either. But as for UFC being part of a dinner conversation in most American homes, that will never, ever happen. The sport is too volatile on too many levels."
UFC Makes History with first Primetime Event on FOX - York Daily Record
"I'm not sure it gave new fans a full taste of what the sport's about - but hey, Mike Tyson fights used to end like that too. MMA fans, I think, are satisfied as long as they are entertained. And for a minute and four seconds, it was just that." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sport, velasquez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseNetwork execs say UFC on FOX averaged record 5.7 million viewers
With updated figures, network executives say this past weekend's first-ever UFC on FOX event scored a 3.1 household rating and an average audience of 5.7 million viewers.
That's up for sharply from the initial estimates of 4.64 million viewers.
According to FOX officials, the Nov. 12 broadcast was the highest-rated event in UFC history, and once final figures are in, it's expected to win the adults 18-34, adults 18-49, men 18-34 and men 18-49 demographics.
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, ufc history, fox event
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWhile the 64-second UFC on Fox 1 main event between Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos struggles...
While the 64-second UFC on Fox 1 main event between Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos struggles to deliver, the 15-minute co-featured fight of the night between Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida shined. Nate Wilcox over at MMA Nation talks about the reasons the "Fight of the Night" should've represented MMA in the Fox broadcast, too, right here.
Posted in: fox, vs, velasquez vs, fox broadcast, night shouldve
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX results recap: A look back at the 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' network television debut
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has completed its network television debut as UFC on FOX 1 delivered as promised to the fans -- both the veteran hardcores and the curious potential new enthusiasts -- in attendance at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on Sat., Nov. 12, 2011.
After months of hype and speculation, the world finally got to see what UFC on FOX is going to look like, from the pre-fight programming on Fuel TV, to the actual FOX broadcast booth and back to Fuel TV, once again, for the post-fight wrap-up show.
Some fans complained about there only being one fight on the hour-long inaugural broadcast. UFC president Dana White made his opinion clear on their respective criticism.
The gist of it? "Shut up."
All in all, UFC on FOX ended up being an entertaining night of fights and a fairly successful debut for the UFC on the mainstream airwaves.
After the jump, MMAmania.com takes a look back on the key moments that comprised UFC on FOX -- for better or worse:
In the main event, the two baddest heavyweights on the planet entered the Octagon to settle the debate: Who is tthe greatest heavyweight on Earth today?
Cain Velasquez came into the event looking unbeatable, owning a perfect 8-0 record in the UFC and looking every bit the part of the champion.
Junior dos Santos, for his part, hasn't looked too shabby himself, winning all seven of his UFC bouts by bludgeoning his opponents with top-level boxing and killer instinct.
After an insane amount of build-up, the climax finally came when "JDS" caught Velasquez with a massive overhand right that clipped the champion behind his ear and sent him crumbling to the mat.
Dos Santos wept for joy. Velasquez vowed to return. There was somber mourning mixed with elated rejoicing. It was an epic smorgasbord of emotion.
Read a full recap of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight at UFC on FOX here.
Afterwards, it was uncovered that dos Santos came into the fight with a fairly serious knee injury, but was able to fight through the pain en route to bringing home the championship belt.
During the post-fight coverage, Velasquez took some criticism from UFC president Dana White for his fight strategy. Former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar also weighed in on why he felt Velasquez came up short.
Watch the video highlights of the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight at UFC on FOX here.
In the co-main event, Clay Guida and Ben Henderson battled it out for the right to be the rightful long-haired energetic heir to the number one contender spot in the lightweight division.
For three rounds, fans who checked out the fight via Facebook or FoxSports.com were treated to a fight that went everywhere, did everything and left no box unchecked.
Ultimately, "Bendo" outclassed "The Carpenter" and earned the unanimous decision nod. Both fighters took home the bonus for "Fight of the Night." Well deserved, I might add.
Afterwards, it was announced that Henderson would be taking on lightweight strap holder Frankie Edgar on Feb. 25 as the main event when the UFC travels to the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Read a full recap of the Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson fight at UFC on FOX here.
Ricardo Lamas put the featherweight division on notice with a terrific submission win over Cub Swanson. His second round arm-triangle victory earned him the bonus for "Submission of the Night."
Dustin Poirier, a disciple of former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) cast member Tim Credeur, got in on the submission fun with a second round D'Arce choke that left his opponent, Pablo Garza, gasping for air and tapping so he could get some.
But that's enough from us, Maniacs. What was your favorite UFC on FOX highlight?
For complete UFC on FOX results and a detailed recap of all the action click here. To check out a recap of the UFC on FOX early prelim fights that were streamed online via Facebook click here. Want to know what happened with the rest of the UFC on FOX "Prelims" portion of the card? To read a full recap click here, here and here.
And just in case you want to get up to speed on the entire UFC on FOX fight card from top to bottom click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Media/insider fallout from #UFC’s debut on Fox @MMASupremacy @mauroranallo @LBSports @mbish86
A mixed reaction to the Mixed Martial Arts network debt of UFC on Fox broadcast network TV.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, reaction, mediainsider fallout
Read the full article at Fight OpinionVideo: UFC on Fox 1 Post-Fight Press Conference
Saturday's UFC on Fox post-fight press conference can be viewed here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, postfight, video ufc
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on Fox Results Recap: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
After all the hype, we were left with just over one minute of action, and a new Heavyweight champion. In the big UFC debut on Fox, Junior dos Santos KO'd Cain Velasquez in just over a minute to become the new UFC Heavyweight champion. Surely dos Santos now moves up to a position as the world's top Heavyweight, as he is now 14-1 and a flawless 8-0 in the UFC against some tough competition. Velsaquez earns the first loss of his career, and is now 9-1.
The common logic going in was that if Velsaquez could drag the fight into the later rounds, he would have an advantage, but that dos Santos had the hands to end it quickly. It turned out that the second option was correct. Both men started by exchanging standing, but dos Santos landed a hard right hand by Cain's ear. The champion fell to the mat, stunned and disoriented. Dos Santos showed great killer instinct, finishing him off, and claiming the belt. Perhaps it wasn't the back and forth war that Fox and the UFC wanted, but for fans of the sport, it was a shockingly dominant win and a great way to welcome Cigano into the highest ranks of the division.
What was the high spot of this fight?
It's 64 seconds of action, so really the whole thing is a highlight reel, but obviously the big dos Santos right hand KO is the money moment.
Where do these guys go from here?
Last night, the path was made clear for Junior dos Santos. As the new champion, he'll next face the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. Both present interesting match-ups, though completely different styles. Lesnar vs. dos Santos would be a do-over of the planned Ultimate Fighter grudge match from earlier this year, while a dos Santos vs. Overeem contest would be a battle between the top two strikers in the Heavyweight ranks.
As for the former champion, there's talk of Velasquez rematching Cheick Kongo now, though that seems pointless to me. Cain should stay at the top, fighting the very best. I'd like to see him against Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, or one of the potential incoming Strikeforce Heavyweights.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. A historic night, and a 64 second KO to crown a new champion. Really, no reason at all not to watch.
More BE coverage of UFC on Fox 1 in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UPDATE - UFC on Fox Results: 5.7 Million Viewers Makes Cain vs JDS Most Watched UFC Event Ever- Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Results: Guida vs. Henderson FightMetric Report - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Results: Third Man In the Cage Flawless In Main Event - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: International Broadcast More Fan Friendly Than U.S. Show - KJ Gould
UFC on Fox Results: Unrealistic Expectations Drive Criticism of Cain Velasquez - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Results: Winners, Losers, and Additional Thoughts - Matthew Roth
UFC's Debut on Fox a Success Despite Only Sixty-Four Seconds of Action - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Video: Junior dos Santos KO's Cain Velasquez
UFC on Fox Results: Dana White Needs to Keep Promoting his Fighters, Not Bury Them - KJ Gould
UFC on Fox Results: Junior Dos Santos Confirms Torn Meniscus Leading To Title Fight - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Results: Ben Henderson Earns Shot At Frankie Edgar In Japan - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos Results and Post-Fight Analysis - Matthew Roth
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 99: UFC on FOX Results Review
UFC on Fox Post-Fight Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Results: Junior dos Santos Crushes Cain Velasquez, Becomes New UFC Heavyweight Champion - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Results: Ben Henderson Edges Clay Guida in Wild Affair - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos - Live Results and Play-By-Play For Main Event - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Prelims - Matthew Roth
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX results: Brock Lesnar steals the show as an analyst
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" took place last night (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and featured a heavyweight championship fight pitting Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos.
The latter knocked out the former in just 64 seconds, planting him with a big overhand right before finishing the job just seconds later. It was a thrilling, albeit short, conclusion to a heavily hyped match-up in the UFC's debut on network television.
But the real star of the show was wearing a suit and analyzing the bout both pre and post-fight up in the booth alongside Dana White and Curt Menefee -- Brock Lesnar.
From the very first moment he showed up on the FOX set, Lesnar's presence commanded all the attention he so rightfully deserves. The 6'3'' 278-pound behemoth has an effect not unlike gravity. Everything and everyone is naturally drawn to him, like him or not.
All the better was his poise and composure, something White seemed to struggle with. Lesnar was clear and concise while making plenty of solid points and thoughtful analysis of the action. Most importantly, though, and perhaps most impressively, he successfully promoted both himself and his upcoming fight on Dec. 30 against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 without allowing that to become the focal point of the broadcast.
In short, he stole the show.
Check out the video of White and Lesnar, along with host Curt Menefee, breaking down dos Santos' big win after the jump and see for yourself.
Video: UFC on FOX: White/Lesnar recap
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, lesnar, ufcs debut
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Ratings Average 5.7 Million for Most Watched UFC Event Ever
The UFC on Fox debut averaged 5.7 million viewers on Saturday night, making it the most-watched UFC event ever despite featuring just 64-seconds of fighting, as Junior dos Santos knocked out champion Cain Velasquez in the opening round to win the UFC heavyweight title.
UFC on Fox was the most-watched professional fight since 7 million tuned in for Lewis-Klitschko on HBO in 2003 and won several key demographics over college football competition, including Stanford vs. Oregon on ABC. More men 18-34 tuned in for UFC on Fox than any college football game this season except last weekend’s matchup between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.
UFC on Fox also beat Kimbo Slice’s CBS debut in 2008 with EliteXC, which averaged 4.9 million viewers.
More UFC on Fox coverage: UFC on Fox results, UFC on Fox post-fight notes
Pictured: Velasquez and dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, opening round, fox ratings
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyNielsen says UFC on Fox debut drew 5.7 million viewers
submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, debut, nielsen
Read the full article at RedditObservations from My Couch: UFC on FOX ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’
A few observations from UFC on FOX: “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos”:
-The bantamweight version of Alex Caceres looked smooth on the feet and confident as hell on the ground. Let’s keep him.
-Tough break for Mackens Semerzier, who was beaten not by anything his opponent did particularly well but by an accidental headbutt to end all accidental headbutts. How was Robert Peralta not KO’d by that, too?
-Stick a chopstick in Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, he’s done.
-Did it seem like Cub Swanson was a little too confident and showboaty when he was fighting Ricardo Lamas? If that’s the case, then HA! YOU LOSE!
-Thank you, “Fightville”, for making me care about the fortunes of promising up-and-comer Dustin Poirier.
-Just as we knew it would be, Ben Henderson versus Clay Guida was a fight for the ages. It pretty much had everything, at a speed of 100 mph, and when it was over, there is no doubt FOX executives were kicking themselves at not having aired it live on network television.
-Yes, the bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez was woefully short. But if it had been five rounds of one man lying sweaty atop the other, we’d all be weeping today for the inevitable decline of our sport.
Posted in: fox, do, velasquez, network television, ricardo lamas
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX Post Fight Press Conference
submitted by HaxleRose [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, conference, haxlerose
Read the full article at RedditPacquiao vs Marquez 3 or Velasquez vs Dos Santos: Which did you prefer?
Whether it was recognized as such or not, last night (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) was quite the historic night for combat sports in general. The UFC debuted on FOX and boxing had one of its two biggest drawing fighters back in action.
Early in the evening, Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez in just over one minute to claim the heavyweight championship at UFC on Fox 1 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
A short while later, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez engaged in a heated back-and-forth war that saw "Pacman" come away with a nail-biting majority decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
We covered both fights here at MMAmania.com (check out all the boxing coverage right here and all the UFC on Fox coverage right here), and we're curious. Which of the two match-ups did you prefer?
Poll
Which megafight did you prefer last night? Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez or Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos?
Pacquiao vs. Marquez. Better fight, bigger names.
Velasquez vs. Dos Santos. Can't beat the UFC on FOX with the heavyweights.
Too busy on YouTube watching Kimbo Slice get "street certified."
144 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, pacquiao
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Red Carpet Photo Gallery
The stars were out Saturday night! Check out the UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos Red Carpet photo gallery, courtesy of photographer James Mills.
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, gallery, carpet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On FOX Scores Big, Most-Watched UFC Event Ever
UFC’s highly anticipated network debut took place Saturday night, as challenger Junior Dos Santos defeated Cain Velasquez to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world. The fight only took 64 seconds, but it was enough to become the most-watched
UFC event ever.
History was made last night as the UFC made its broadcast television debut on FOX, and a record audience tuned in as the challenger, Junior dos Santos defeated defending champion Cain Velasquez in a first round knock out to claim the coveted heavyweight crown. It was the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind in eight years, according to fast national ratings made available by Nielsen Media Research.
The hour-long UFC on FOX premiere scored a 3.1/5 household rating/share, with 5.7 million viewers making it the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind on any network since 2003 when 7.0 million tuned in to watch Lewis-Klitschko on HBO. Velasquez-dos Santo is also the highest-rated and most-watched professional fight of any kind on a broadcast network for OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S FIGHT NIGHT on FOX. (4.3/6, 5.9 million viewers) in 1998.
FOX Research projects that last night’s UFC on FOX premiere broadcast to win the 9:00-10:00 PM time period across key demos including Adults 18-34 (3.2), Adults 18-49 (3.0); Men 18-34 (4.3) and Men 18-49 (4.0). Competitive fast national ratings for other networks are currently unavailable.
The UFC on FOX debuted strong opposite significant college football competition last night. ABC’s primetime Oregon-Stanford broadcast averaged a 6.0/11, while NBC’s Maryland-Notre Dame primetime broadcast averaged a 1.4/3 and ESPN averaged a 1.5/3 in prime for Alabama-Mississippi State (college football ratings are overnights – overnight for UFC on FOX event was 3.5/6). The three games combined to total 8.9/17 in primetime. Interestingly, among the Men 18-34 demographic, the UFC on FOX premiere posted a 4.3, strong enough to out-rate every college football telecast this season on any network with the exception of last week’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 LSU-Alabama match-up (through 11/5).
The most recent mixed martial arts programs on broadcast television were a series of EliteXC events on CBS in 2008. The premiere of UFC on FOX attracted an average audience +16% higher than the premiere of EliteXC on CBS (5/31/08), their most-watched EliteXC event (5.7 vs. 4.9 million viewers). UFC on FOX also out-performed the EliteXC show in household rating (3.1 vs. 3.0) and across key male demos: Men 18-34 +34% (4.3 vs. 3.2); Men 18-49 +33% (4.0 vs. 3.0); and Men 25-54 +23% (3.8 vs. 3.1).
Las Vegas led all local markets with a 5.3/9, followed by Dallas (5.1/10), Phoenix (5.1/9), San Antonio (5.1/8), Tulsa (4.9/8), San Diego (4.8/9), Greensboro (4.6/6), New Orleans (4.5/6) and Los Angeles (4.3/8).
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, broadcast, mostwatched
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on Fox Results: Third Man In the Cage Flawless In Main Event
As the most violent mainstream sport in existence, there is one sole factor that stands as mixed martial art's saving grace: safety.
Most of the hoopla surrounding the momentous UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos show centered around our beloved pastime nestling in alongside America's traditionally accepted circle of sports. While the echoes of yesterday's jeers of "human cockfighting" are probably less present than ever before, make no mistake about it -- one procedural mishap resulting in unnecessary blood or bodily harm will expedite those aspersions back to the forefront.
The Fox show represented the opportunity for a new level of mass exposure and, while the excitement of the main event was the cardinal dictator, we often take for granted how imperative the responsibilities of the referee are. This is exactly why being an MMA official is an utterly thankless role: if you execute flawlessly, you are merely doing your job and no one takes notice; if you are out of position or a split-second late on a crucial call, you are mercilessly pilloried by the wrath of angry fans and become the scapegoat for all that is imperfect in the world.
MMA's uniqueness is what makes it the best sport on earth, yet we can never forget that a referee blunder has potential repercussions on the reputable image it's built over the last decade as well as the health, family and future of its prized competitors.
One minute into the heavyweight title bout on the Fox broadcast, Junior dos Santos clipped Cain Velasquez with a massive overhand right. The champ went down but maintained his wits and tried to endure the incoming volley of strikes that the pouncing Brazilian followed up with. After a series of blinding left hands there was a distinct change and Cain Velasquez was no longer defending himself intelligently.
Big John McCarthy immediately recognized the fallen champion's inability to protect himself and intervened with precision timing. McCarthy has been in that exact situation hundreds of times before but, as with all the other elements of last night's precedential show, this circumstance might have been the most important of all.
There are those of us who are aware that anything but a flawless enforcement by the referee could have spelled disaster and, for that reason alone, I'd like to acknowledge Big John McCarthy for another commendable performance.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, john mccarthy, mccarthy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX results: Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida fight metric reports shows 'Smooth' dominance
Other than the champion of the weight class, there has been no lightweight fighter who has impressed more in the last year than Ben Henderson. That includes last night (Nov. 12, 2011) in Anaheim, California, at UFC on Fox 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," where "Bendo" put in an impressive effort against top division contender Clay Guida.
Impressive effort is actually selling it short. Henderson was dominant, as you can see in the Fight Metric report above, which shows "Smooth" landing 102 total strikes (40 significant) compared to just 35 from Guida (11 significant).
That's enough to earn him a crack at Frankie Edgar in Japan on Feb. 26, 2012.
Henderson's more than just a solid striker, though, and he proved that in the clinch and when "The Carpenter" tried to wrestle with him. Check out the grappling and performance reports after the jump.
For more on this fight, check out the blow-by-blow here and the analysis right here. To check out all our amazing coverage of UFC on Fox 1 before, during and after the historic event, click here.
Posted in: fight, fox, henderson, check, report
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: International Broadcast More Fan Friendly Than U.S. Show
While the American fans' experience of UFC on Fox last night featured 1 minute of fighting sandwiched between 59 minutes of promotional fluff and basic analysis, it seems the international broadcast had a lot more meat to it. Just from the feedback from fans at Bloody Elbow and from watching myself in the UK via Premier Sports, our hour of television was mostly packed with combative action.
Based on the collective experience of fans watching in the UK, Canada, Australia, the Philippines and Sweden, we opened with Jon Anik playing host, welcoming us to the broadcast and boldly claiming the UFC Heavyweight title as the most prestigious in all of combat sports; the initial mood was already celebratory. A quick pass-over to Rogan and Goldie before we were treated to an immediate replay of Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida to get things going. I thought this was a smart move and wondered if Fox had changed their minds and wanted to wait and see how this fight turned out before giving the go-ahead for its inclusion on the main broadcast. That at the least would have made sense, but it would appear American fans missed out unless they caught it online.
There were commercial breaks between rounds but that was to be expected, and because the fight was a replay they didn't cut into the beginning of the second or third.
Jon Anik comes back on and reaffirms what most should now be feeling: what a great way to get things going with this Fight of the Night performance. Back to Rogan and The Goldster and the introduction of the main event fighters Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, their entrance, the fight and the post fight interviews, all without a commercial break. I imagine this would be the same as the Fox broadcast.
After the Octagon was cleared, we were then treated to a replay of DaMarques Johnson KO'ing Clay Harvison.
With the wild energy of Guida vs Henderson as a lead-in followed by two emphatic (T)KO stoppages, the international fans were more than satisfied with the portion of MMA they got in the comfort of their living room. Jon Anik remains a pro and helped make the presentation feel like a legitimate sporting event and a positive experience. We also benefited from not having to listen to Dana White be a Buzz Kill in his appearance on the U.S. post-fight show.
It's just a shame American fans were shortchanged, even if it was free to watch on Television. Hopefully they can better service its audience when the UFC 'officially' starts working with Fox next year.
Posted in: fight, fox, fan, broadcast, jon anik
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBreaking down the UFC's first show on FOX
Everyone was pretty curious about how the UFC's first event on FOX was gonna look. Questions were asked, nervous answers from UFC brass were delivered, and many a run through was done by production staff leading up to the show. In the end, I'd say things went pretty well. You'd need to get down to nitpicking to find fault with the presentation, so I'd label that part of things a success.'FOX Sports' was the vibe for the show, with their football fanfare music playing throughout the broadcast. We went from our standard Goldberg / Rogan setup to a dual setup where we got passed back and forth between Ye Olde Sportsdesk and the commentary team. Generic FOX Sportsdude Curt Menefee's souless blah blah blah drove things along well enough, and Dana White and Brock Lesnar added some stiff but passable analysis to get us through things.Once things switched over to fight time, it was more or less a return to the standard way the UFC runs things. Even though the fight went just over a minute, there were no hiccups in how the show felt ... some commercial breaks and a return back to the sportsdesk killed the last 15 minutes and with that the first UFC on FOX was in the bag.The major complaint coming out of the event was how the fight went. After 30 minutes of hype and build-up, Cain Velasquez went down in the first exchange to a glancing blow off his temple. It wasn't one of those famous knockdowns that look like a guy just ate a shotgun blast to the head. Cain just lost his balance, rolled, then ate a few more shots before Big John stepped in to stop things. Several of the casual people around me checking out the fight looked around in confusion. "So ... was that it?"In the end, the fight went down like many of my sexual encounters. Lots of hype and build-up ... then 65 seconds of action culminating in a not so orgasmic finish. After all the sizzle, there was barely a bite of steak for potential MMA fans to enjoy.Let this be a lesson to FOX: more MMA is always better than less. The UFC had set things up so that Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida was ready on the sidelines in case what happened on Saturday night happened. Unfortunately, the decision was made to focus on the heavyweight championship fight and only the heavyweight championship fight. It was a decision that probably made sense at the time ... not so much in retrospect. Big fights might get people to tune in, but it's often the guys on the undercard making sure fans leave an event feeling like they got enough fights to fix them until next time.
Posted in: ufc, fight, show, fox, thing
Read the full article at Fightlinker(Pic) UFC on FOX disclaimer is awesome: "The following might be the most exciting live sporting...
(Pic) UFC on FOX disclaimer is awesome: "The following might be the most exciting live sporting event in the history of live television, and it's our duty to say: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED." To check out what happened at UFC on FOX 1 click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pic ufc, fox disclaimer, viewer discretion
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 Post-Fight News & Notes: 4.64 Million Viewers, Heavyweight Knee Injuries, Edgar vs. Henderson at UFC 144 in Japan
A rundown of post-fight news and notes coming out of UFC on FOX 1…
— 14,019 UFC fans filled the Honda Center for a $1.1 million live gate.
— Junior dos Santos earned an extra $65,000 for knocking out Cain Velasquez in the UFC’s network television debut. Ricardo Lama picked up the submission bonus for choking out Cub Swanson with an arm-triangle. Fight of the Night honors went to Ben Henderson and Clay Guida for their thrilling three-round war.
— The ratings are in… According to the fast national numbers (not the final numbers) TVbytheNumbers.com is reporting, the UFC on FOX 1 broadcast drew 4.64 million viewers and a 2.4/7 share in the adults 18-49 demo. For it’s timeslot, it placed second in the demo, one tenth behind the Stanford vs. Oregon football game and third in overall viewers. Both the game (7.11m) and a repeat of NCIS (5.5m) garnered more viewers. The episode of COPS that immediately preceded the UFC broadcast on FOX also drew more viewers (4.81).
EliteXC’s debut on CBS with Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice also edged it out in average viewers (4.81m), but the UFC did beat it’s 2.2/7 in the 18-49 demo by a couple tenths.
It’s also worth noting that the UFC’s 4.64 is not the final number and is expected to rise when the final ratings come out tomorrow, so there’s a good possibility it will end up beating EliteXC in average viewers. What it probably won’t beat it however is Kimbo Slice’s taped fight with Roy Nelson in the third episode of TUF 10 on Spike TV. That one-hour episode drew 5.3 million viewers and peaked at 6.1 million.
— I’m certainly no expert on ratings, but to me this seems like fairly decent results (though a little depressing that a TUF episode with Kimbo on a cable channel beat it). Not exactly bad, but not all that great either and probably not what FOX was hoping for. The belief is the UFC would have added more viewers throughout the fight if it had actually gone several rounds or they would have aired the Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight, but it never built the audience because there was only one minute of fighting in the entire 60-minute broadcast. In hindsight, they definitely should have aired the Henderson-Guida fight, but don’t tell Dana White that.
“For anybody to bitch about this fight, and they didn’t get to see this fight…shut up,” White said following UFC on FOX, which took place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
“Our deal doesn’t start until January,” White said. “So this fight here, was what these guys wanted to kick this thing off as a welcome the UFC to FOX fight. This fight wasn’t part of the deal. The deal is for seven years, so many fights on FOX.
“After we signed the deal, FOX said, ‘Why don’t we do this? Why don’t we do a fight right away? Let’s put a great fight on TV and let everybody know about the partnership.”
“You should have bought tickets, then, if you want to see all the fights and you don’t want to watch it on Facebook,” he said. “Seriously, shut up. I don’t even want to hear it.”
It was believed that it was actually FOX’s call to only air the Velasquez-JDS fight, however Fox Sports head honcho David Hill made some interesting comments after the show that seem to suggest otherwise.
“It absolutely delivered everything I hoped it would,” Hill told ESPN.com. “I spoke to Dana and maybe, tactically, Dana didn’t play it the right way. But this is what you get in this sport. This is world heavyweight champion action.”
“I once bought a night of boxing from legendary promoter Don King,” Hill said. “There were three bouts on that card and do you know how much boxing I got? Forty-seven seconds. I’ve been covering fights forever. It comes with the territory.
“If it had gone five rounds tonight, people would have gone, ‘It went so long, it was boring.’ This is genuine. This is real. It’s this generation’s boxing.”
Lorenzo Fertitta was also expecting the decision to hurt the ratings, but still sees the show as a success.
“You always want a fight that’s going to be decisive and we certainly had that,” UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta told ESPN.com.
“From a ratings perspective, it will probably affect it in a negative way. People tune in to watch the fight and once it’s over, you tend to leave the channel. But overall, I think it’s going to be a success.”
It could have been better, sure, but this event was more or less an experiment that the UFC and FOX can learn from. They mentioned on the conference call last week that they’re targeting 90-minute events for future FOX shows, which would give them time to air three fights. I expect they will get better results with that format assuming they book the right fights.
— As for the actual fight, holy smokes, JDS absolutely clobbered Velasquez with that overhand right. Junior explained after the fight that he wanted to end it early because he actually tore his meniscus in his knee 11 days before the fight.
“I was feeling a little in my knee,” dos Santos said. “I wouldn’t like to fight five rounds with Cain. It was a big advantage for him because he’s got really good stamina. So that was a different pressure on me. I think I felt good in the fight, but I was feeling a lot of pressure.”
It was serious enough that JDS nearly pulled out of the fight beforehand, but his team convinced him he could handle it. While that decision turned out to be the right one, the bad news is it’s going to require surgery.
“I got a very serious injury in my knee, my meniscus,” said the new champion. “You know, ten days ago I couldn’t walk very well. I stayed two days with [crutches], but I asked my doctor to help me because it’s the fight of my life and I can’t miss that fight.”
That doctor, Fabio Costa, told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that dos Santos has a large lesion on his meniscus that will require surgery to fix, and which nearly forced him out of the bout entirely.
“Ten minutes before the fight he told us, ‘My knee, I have something in my knee.’ [We] said, ‘Calm down. You are a tough guy. You are our warrior. You can go.’ Now he’s the champion.”
It turns out JDS wasn’t the only one with a knee injury heading into the fight though. Velasquez downplayed rumors that he had also suffered a serious knee injury that nearly forced him out, however Joe Rogan told Ariel Helwani after the fight that he had to have his knee shot up with cortisone too. Transcription via Fight Opinion:
Joe Rogan: “The main event was really a perfect result for Junior dos Santos, exactly what he wanted to do — connect, land, hurt him bad, and finish him off. That’s what his game plan was, that’s what he did. I was surprised that Cain Velasquez didn’t try to either take him down or force him immediately into some sort of a grappling contest, force him to work hard and tire him out but… you know, who knows what the game plan was. There was a lot of rumblings about Cain Velasquez having a knee sprain, that he got shot with cortisone before the fight, so… who knows if that played a part in it, you know?”
Ariel Helwani: “Everyone in Cain’s camp was denying that but I’m wondering if you found out any more information, if that was in fact true.”
Joe Rogan: “Oh, it is true, yeah, it is true. Yeah, I mean, I’m sure they denied it before the fight but I know for a fact it was true.”
Dana White was critical of Velasquez’s decision to stand with JDS instead of immediately putting pressure on him with his wrestling, however as Rogan suggested, perhaps Velasquez wasn’t able to shoot like he normally does with a banged up knee.
Looking forward, Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will fight on Dec. 30 to determine JDS’ first challenger. I’m not gonna lie, I really hope Overeem wins that one because I really want to see the two best strikers in the heavyweight division square off next year. Whoever wins, let’s just hope that JDS’ knee surgery doesn’t keep him out and delay the next heavyweight title fight for too long.
— As reported the other day, Frankie Edgar will defend his title next at UFC 144 in Japan and his opponent will be the winner of last night’s pivotal lightweight match-up — Ben Henderson. Dana White confirmed the news following the event.
Henderson told reporters that he plans on putting on as much weight as possible to get an advantage over the relatively small champion.
“I’m sure [Edgar] is used to it, but it’s definitely something I do want to take advantage of: my size. I want to get as big as possible, bulk up a little bit and do a good job of cutting weight, re-hydrating – do a very scientific job of that to be as big as possible, size-wise, shape-wise, to my advantage.”
It’s funny how things turn out. Think back to the WEC’s very last fight late last year. It was a WEC lightweight title fight between then champion Ben Henderson and rising star Anthony Pettis and a UFC lightweight title shot was on the line. Pettis pulled off the most amazing kick we’ve ever seen in the history of the sport in the final minutes of that fight, earned the decision and the title shot, but never got it because Edgar and Maynard fought to a draw and Pettis ended up losing to Clay Guida. Now here we are nearly a year later, and it’s Henderson who’s fighting for the title before Pettis. This sport is nothing if not crazy and unpredictable.
Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, viewer, knee
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox Results: 4.64 Million Viewers Lower Than Expected For Fox Debut
So if you have a twitter you'll already know that MMA media types are proclaiming the UFC's first foray onto Fox as a massive failure now that the initial ratings are released. Prior to the night, expectations ranged from the realistic (6.5 million) to the hilarious (10+ million). There was also some discussion regarding what would be an acceptable number for Fox and the UFC with hopes they would surpass Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson.
According to the people at TV by the Numbers, the hour long show did a 2.4 rating with a 7 share. Total viewers for the initial estimates are 4.65 million. Now, these are incredibly early and shouldn't be considered the final rating. TV by the Numbers included a disclaimer saying "Due to the nature of live coast-to-coast programming the ratings for ABC (College Football), CBS (Republican Debate) and Fox (UFC) are approximate and subject to more than the typical adjustments in the final numbers. See below for more information on these Fast Affiliate Ratings." This essentially means that there are a number of households that haven't yet been tallied.
So what does this mean? Well it means that the broadcast wasn't perfect and there is still things that both the UFC and Fox can change. We know now that it was Fox's decision to only air one bout which may have been to the detriment of the show's ratings. It also means that with MMA being such a hard sport to plan for, a 35 minute pre show may not be the best idea when a fight can literally end at any moment. Not having a backup plan hurt the UFC and Fox.
The good news though is that more people tuned in for the fight than Notre Dame vs Maryland and the only thing that did bigger ratings was Stanford vs Oregon. Things aren't too bad when put in the right perspective. People saw Junior Dos Santos crush Cain Velasquez last night, the show served its purpose and the UFC has a new star as the heavyweight champion.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, rating, number
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Sunday Morning Rumor Mill
Everything that I've done since 11.11.11 is just a precursor until I zonk out on my sofa and play Skyrim for the remainder of the day. That's why I made it a point to get the Sunday Morning Rumor Mill out as soon as possible. I couldn't comfortably kill imperial soldiers knowing that I'm neglecting the MiddleEasy readers out there. UFC on FOX, Bellator and Asia are covered in this weeks edition of The Sunday Morning Rumor Mill, so enjoy.
I received an email this morning from a guy at the Honda Center in Anaheim who saw a crazed MMA fan jump in the Octagon shortly after UFC on FOX wrapped up. He managed to film the guy jumping over the barrier and into the octagon only to be restrained by security at the event. Now this guy claims that once 'someone in a suit' saw that he was filming the incident, his camera was confiscated and that he was instructed to call a number to retrieve his equipment. After he arranged to pick up his camera later that night, he claims that a couple videos were deleted, including the footage of the fan running into the Octagon. Seems like a pretty wild accusation, but if The Sunday Morning Rumor Mill didn't exist, then you would have never known.
Last night just before the UFC on FOX broadcast, one FOX production member asked an MMA media member 'Who is going to win the fight?.' Apparently this guy was under the impression that MMA is pre-scripted, like professional wrestling and the winner was already determined.
A lot of people asked why I didn't attend the UFC on FOX event, even though Anaheim is about an hour drive away from Hollywood. This is not really a rumor, but let me break it down for you -- since everything in this universe could use a little breaking down. Last night, MiddleEasy sponsored our fellow writer, DaMarques Johnson, in his absolute destruction of Clay Harvison. Still have no idea how he didn't receive 'Knockout of the Night,' but that's beyond the point. MiddleEasy is also considered an 'official MMA news source' by ZUFFA. When a 'news source' is sponsoring a fighter on the same event in which they are covering, then it creates what is known as a 'conflict of interest.' This has happened before with our sponsorship of Jason High in Strikeforce and last night, we were unable to attend the event. This is perfectly understandable. We're just happy DaMarques Johnson's right fist and Clay Harvison's skull had a formal introduction last night. However, MiddleEasy will attending UFC 139 as media this upcoming weekend.
Asia may have ONE FC, but according to Japan's MMAIronman, a new promotion is starting in Japan and it looks to 'bring MMA back in the country.'
It's rumored that a few Brazilian MMA media members that 'covered' this weekend's fight were told by 'others' to act more professionally.
UFC on FOX 2 is slated to go down January 28th 2012.
According to Kevin Iole, all UFC on FOX cards will be two fights for the remainder of their contract.
Cesar Gracie says Miguel Cotto requested Nick Diaz to be in his camp for his upcoming fight against Margarito.
Posted in: ufc, night, mma, fox, rumor
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on FOX ratings: Initial estimates give event 4.64 million viewers
The very-early ratings are in for Saturday's UFC on FOX event, and the one-hour special drew an estimated 4.64 million viewers, according to tvbythenumbers.com.
More complete and accurate ratings information will be available on Monday.
But based on initial estimates, the UFC on FOX broadcast (and Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos title fight) scored similar ratings as "EliteXC: Primetime," a 2008 CBS-televised event with a "Kimbo Slice" vs. James Thompson headliner that scored 4.3 million viewers and a peak of 6.5 million.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, rating, fox event
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 1 ratings draw 4.5 million, fail to top Kimbo Slice on CBS
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White optimistically declared a few months ago that the first ever foray for his promotion on network television on Nov. 12, 2011, would blow the previous ratings record for a mixed martial arts (MMA) event "out of the water."
He was wrong.
The ratings are in for UFC on Fox 1, which was an hour-long historic event for the promotion, featuring a heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos that White declared was an homage to the good 'ole days of boxing and Muhammed Ali, George Foreman and Joe Frazier, among others.
Despite White's nostalgia and best intentions, UFC on Fox 1 reeled in about 4.5 million viewers last night, which is about 2 million less than the sport's very first taste of terrestrial television three years ago (May 31, 2008) on CBS, when Miami bareknuckle brawler Kimbo Slice took on James Thompson in the Elite XC: "Primetime" main event.
Oh well.
It certainly didn't help that the UFC on Fox 1 main event lasted only 64 seconds, with dos Santos drilling Velasquez upside the head early and finishing off the Mexican fighter shortly thereafter to become the division's latest champion. Had it been more competitive, or at the very least lasted longer, the telecast would more than likely performed better.
What's more, the trilogy fight between Manny Pacquaio vs. Juan Manual Marquez later in the evening certainly didn't help the situation.
Regardless, it wasn't a total flop. The pre- and post-fight shows (for reviews of both click here and here) were entertaining, and the actual pomp and circumstance leading up to the fight was a treat to watch even if it lasted less than one minute.
It certainly gives the promotion and the network a base on which to improve. And if Brock Lesnar defeats Alistair Overeem later this year at UFC 141, it's a pretty good bet that we'll see him and dos Santos locked inside a cage in primetime sometime in early 2012.
That's a record breaker.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, promotion, fox, event, blowbyblow coverage
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUpdated Ratings: UFC Pulls in 5.7 Million Viewers to FOX Debut
Filed under: UFC, News, Sports Business and Media, UFC on FOXSaturday night's UFC on FOX debut drew in an average of 5.7 million viewers during the one-hour show in adjusted ratings released Sunday afternoon by Nielsen Media Research through FOX.
Preliminary overnights initially suggested an average of 4.6 million viewers for the event, which saw Junior dos Santos knock out Cain Velasquez in the first round, but those estimates were expected to change as more information became available. The final number suggests an audience that was around 20 percent larger than originally thought.
According to FOX, it was the most watched professional fight since boxing heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko drew 7 million viewers to their HBO fight in 2003. The network also says it projects the hour to win its key demographics, including the coveted 18-to-34-year old age group.
While the event was the first time ever for the UFC on broadcast television, it wasn't the first time for MMA on a network platform. In 2008, an EliteXC event was the first to pull off the feat, airing an event featuring Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson that drew an average of 4.3 million viewers. That event, which lasted more than two hours, peaked with over 6.5 million viewers to watch Slice knock out Thompson. The match went into the third round, likely helping the broadcast draw viewers as it went along. That's a stark contrast to dos Santos-Velasquez, which lasted just 64 seconds.
The one-hour special was extremely strong among the male 18-34 demographic, as it out-rated every college football game this year with the exception of November 5's LSU vs. Alabama game, a matchup that featured No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the national rankings.
Among local markets, Las Vegas led the nation in ratings. Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma rounded out the top five. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, viewer, fox debut
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJonathan Snowden argues that UFC on Fox means "MMA Sells Out And Its A Great Thing To See." Read it...
Jonathan Snowden argues that UFC on Fox means "MMA Sells Out And Its A Great Thing To See." Read it at MMA Nation.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, jonathan snowden, snowden
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Results: Winners, Losers, and Additional Thoughts
Less than 24 hours ago the UFC made its Fox debut with a heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. The high of the night has worn off and now it's time to break down the fights, the production, and the intangibles from the broadcast television debut.
Winners:
Junior Dos Santos - Some people would say that Junior's had the toughest road to a UFC title than any of the current champions. After beating Fabricio Werdum in his debut, he's faced Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson, and Shane Carwin. Last night was the culmination and he put a stamp on the occassion. He's the undisputed heavyweight champion and it couldn't happen to a more humble guy. My hat's off to him.
Ben Henderson - How much difference a year makes eh? He lost his WEC lightweight belt at WEC 53 along with an immediate shot at the winner of Frankie Edgar/Gray Maynard II. The shot went to Anthony Pettis who opted to not wait around and lost it when he faced Clay Guida at the Ultimate Fighter 13 finale in June. Bendo went on a tear in the UFC and after last night, has been rewarded with a title shot in Japan.
Dustin Poirier - The man to derail the Josh Grispi hype train picked up another big win. He's probably two fights out from a featherweight title shot. He has legitimate skills on the feet and ground. It'll be exciting to see how he progresses moving forward.
Darren Uyenoyama - He's had to deal with a ton of garbage with Shooto in the past and last night he got to showcase that he is one of the top grapplers at 135. He picked up a win over a name fighter and the bantamweight division has a new contender.
Fox and the UFC - Last night was fantastic. The production values added by Fox were noticeable immediately and the format was successful. MMA fans need to realize that last night wasn't for us. It's sole purpose was to introduce the sport to a larger audience. They did it. It was a success.
Losers and additional thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Losers:
Cain Velasquez - It's bad enough that he lost his title in 64 seconds but the champion was absolutely torn apart by UFC President Dana White. He'll obviously return to form and contend for the belt again in the future. For now he's the biggest loser on the night. Props for handling defeat with grace, there's no reason to apologize for a loss.
Clay Guida & Ben Henderson - If a FOTY candidate happens and noone sees it, did it really happen? That's the philosophical question that these two will be dealing with for the next couple of weeks. Absolutely great performance, too bad the only people who saw it were fans who tuned into Facebook.
Fox and the UFC - The plan was for the opening two rounds to be entirely commercial free. This tells me that they had anticipated the fight would at least get out of the first. Having a quick knockout probably isn't what they were hoping for and it may have turned off some new fans that a fight can end so suddenly.
Dana White - The UFC President is an emotional man but he absolutely tore down his former champ for the entirety of the post-fight segment. He never once built up Dos Santos, instead continuously saying "he has a bad gas tank". I said immediately afterwards that White will probably regret not using the time better but such is life. He's a loser on the night for not recognizing how to use Fox better to promote his new champion.
Additional Thought:
The way that MMA fans complained last night was absolutely hilarious. So much so that at this point I'm sure they'll complain about anything. The UFC gave away a title fight on free television and the complaints were that they had to watch the rest of the card on their laptops? Most of you illegally stream fights anyways. And if you do pay for fights then you saved $55 and got a card for free. What can you possibly complain about when it comes to the fights?
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, title, fox
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox draws 5.7 million viewers
The one hour UFC on FOX presentation on November 12 brought in 5.7 million viewers according to the numbers released by the FOX Sports Media Group (via Sherdog.com). Those numbers would make the initial UFC on FOX broadcast the most watched UFC event in the history of the promotion.
The UFC on FOX broadcast featured only one fight, a heavyweight title bout that saw Junior dos Santos end the reign of UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in (hope you didn’t leave the room for a snack) a mere 64
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox broadcast, hour ufc, fox presentation
Read the full article at Low KickUFC Quick Quote: Dana White wants you to shut up and stop bitching about not seeing more fights on FOX
"This fight was not part of the (FOX) deal. The deal is for seven years (and) so many fights on FOX. This time, that time, this was never part of the deal. After we signed the deal, FOX said, 'Why don't we do this, why don't we do a fight right away, lets put a great fight on TV, kick it off and let everybody know about the partnership?' That's what this thing was. For anybody to bitch about this fight and they didn't get to see that fight, shut up! You should have bought tickets then if you wanted to see all the fights and you don't like to watch it on Facebook. Seriously, shut up. I don't even want to hear it."
-- Why so angry? An upset Dana White goes off at the UFC on FOX 1 post-fight press conference when asked about the possibility of adding more than one fight to future network television cards. After the highly anticipated heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos ended just over a minute after it began, fans and media alike began to question the decision to make it the only bout to make the air. Hindsight being 20/20, did the UFC make a bad decision only airing one fight at an event that was going to introduce mixed martial arts to a brand new audience? Not helping the UFC's argument is the fact that the Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson match-up lived up to -- and likely exceeded -- all expectations. It would have accomplished everything they were hoping for from the main event: A close fight that went the full 15 minutes and displayed all aspects of MMA. In fact, that fight went on to earn "Fight of the Night" honors. Showing that live would have made a pretty big difference, wouldn't you say? Still, White is simply tired of listening to fans complain b
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, deal, dont
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Morning After: Cain Velasquez Will Be Back
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXIt's a little bit funny and a little bit sad that there are probably a million or more people who watched the UFC on Fox Saturday night -- people who had never seen a UFC fight before -- who came to the conclusion that Cain Velasquez is a bum.
Velasquez lasted only a minute before Junior Dos Santos finished him off with a right hand to the ear and several punches on the ground, and to the uninitiated it might have looked like Velasquez just isn't all that good. But although we all have a tendency to overreact when a fighter suffers a dramatic knockout loss, let's take a step back for just a moment to remember that Cain Velasquez is really, really good.
I'll be shocked if Velasquez doesn't fight for the UFC title again in the next couple of years. Velasquez will be back.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Results | UFC on FOX Post-Fight Press Conference
What makes me so confident in Cain? The fundamental reason is that Velasquez is simply one of the most talented heavyweights that MMA has ever seen. We've been hearing it since 2006, when Velasquez first decided to fight professionally: Everyone in the MMA world who saw him then agreed that he was the perfect physical specimen to become an elite MMA fighter. The strong wrestling base, the speed, the power, the athleticism. This guy is the total package. That hasn't changed because of one bad night against Dos Santos.
The other reason I feel so sure that the 29-year-old Velasquez will be back is the other thing we've heard about Velasquez since Day One: He has a phenomenal work ethic. Velasquez isn't the type to deal with a setback by packing it in. Velasquez is the type to get right back into the gym and immediately start working to get better.
The one caveat I should add there is that I think Velasquez may have been a bit out of shape for this fight. I spoke to Velasquez during his recovery from shoulder surgery, and he mentioned that he wasn't able to run while his shoulder was immobilized, and that as a result he had gained weight. He came in at 249 pounds for the Dos Santos fight -- five pounds heavier than he weighed against Brock Lesnar -- and he looked puffier and less defined than he had previously. A big part of trusting in Velasquez's work ethic is trusting that he'll be in better shape for his next fight than he was against Dos Santos.
But I do trust that, and I trust that Velasquez is going to be competing for a UFC title again. The heavyweight division in the UFC is not particularly deep, and I'd probably pick Velasquez to beat anyone other than Dos Santos right now. If Velasquez gets back in the ring and gets better, there's no reason to think he won't earn a rematch with the man who's just beaten him.
UFC on Fox notes
-- It's too bad Fox decided only to broadcast one fight, because Ben Henderson's unanimous decision victory over Clay Guida deserved to be seen by more than just the hard-core fans who watched the online stream. Henderson put on a great show, and he'll be a tough opponent for UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Too bad that show was seen only by thousands online, instead of millions on Fox.
-- The ending of the Robert Peralta-Mackens Semerzier fight was extremely unfortunate: The two men accidentally clashed heads, Smerzier took the worse end of the collision, and Peralta was able to capitalize and finish Semerzier off with punches. If referee Big John McCarthy had seen the accidental head butt he would have called a halt to the action to give Semerzier time to recover. But McCarthy missed it, and Peralta got the win.
-- Ricardo Lamas is now 2-0 since dropping down to featherweight this year, and he's looked great in both fights. He forced Cub Swanson to tap out to an arm-triangle choke on Saturday night.
UFC on Fox quotes
-- "I didn't want to follow up. There's no need to be an A-hole." -- DeMarques Johnson on why he let up before the referee stepped in after knocking out Clay Harvison.
-- "I came in here the best I've ever been." -- Dustin Poirier, after forcing Pablo Garza to tap to a D'Arce choke. The 22-year-old Poirier is now 3-0 since dropping to 145 pounds, and I agree with his own assessment that he looked better than ever. He looks to me like a future featherweight champion.
Good call
McCarthy deducted a point from Matt Lucas for losing his mouthpiece three times. That's an unusual reason for a point deduction, but it was absolutely the right call: It's every fighter's responsibility to keep his mouthpiece in his mouth, and McCarthy enforced the rule properly. "You've got to keep your mouthpiece in your mouth," McCarthy told Lucas, in an instruction that should be so obvious it doesn't need to be said. Amazingly, Lucas lost his mouthpiece one more time after the point deduction.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-139230%
Bad call
Aaron Rosa ended up beating Lucas by majority decision, 30-26, 30-26 and 28-28. I don't know who the judge was who gave Lucas two of the three rounds against Rosa, but that judge couldn't have been more wrong: The issue with the mouthpiece aside, Rosa clearly deserved to win the fight.
Stock up
During his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Alex Caceres was known more for his brash personality and his amusing nickname -- Bruce Leroy -- than for his ability to fight. But Caceres moved down to bantamweight and got the first win of his UFC career in a very impressive unanimous decision victory over Cole Escovedo. Caceres has always had a flashy striking style, but what I really liked about him on Saturday was that he showed off a much more sophisticated ground game than we had ever seen from him in the past. Bruce Leroy is heading in the right direction.
Stock down
In 2007, Kid Yamamoto was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Since 2007, Yamamoto is 1-4, including a unanimous decision loss to Darren Uyenoyama on Saturday. This fight was a beatdown: The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26, and I agreed with the judge who had it 30-26, as I thought Uyenoyama deserved a 10-8 for the first round. It's sad to say this about Yamamoto, but he just doesn't have anything left. Maybe the UFC will keep him around for one more fight on its Japan card in February, but if so, that will be his retirement match.
Fight I want to see next
Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem. The winner of the upcoming fight between Overeem and Brock Lesnar gets the next crack at Dos Santos, and although I have nothing against Lesnar, I think Overeem would be a more interesting fight because I believe Overeem and Dos Santos are the two hardest hitters in the heavyweight division. Overeem vs. Lesnar takes place on December 30, and Overeem vs. Dos Santos is my way-too-early pick for Fight of the Year in 2012.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX Debut a Rollercoaster Ride
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXAt the first event of the promotion that would come to be known as the UFC, things did not get off to a particularly promising start. In introducing the night's action, play-by-play commentator Bill Wallace incorrectly referred to it as the "Ultimate Fighting Challenge" twice within 10 seconds.
Eighteen years to the day later, UFC on FOX marked the promotion's debut on network television, with a single fight broadcast around the nation. Like UFC 1, it was essentially an informercial, designed to pull in sports enthusiasts and channel surfers in hopes of creating new fans.
As a general broadcast, UFC on FOX was a success. The production was slick, the spirited crowd gave it a big-show feel, and it came across as a major event. On the flipside, the heavyweight championship match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos went just 64 seconds, robbing the UFC of a chance to give new viewers a deeper look at a textured sport.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Results | UFC on FOX Post-Fight Press Conference
Overall, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Let's take a look at the broadcast and break it all down.
9 pm ET: FOX opens the show with a black and white card which reads, "The following might be the most exciting live sporting event in the history of television, and it's our duty to say: Viewer discretion advised." Cool.
9 pm: The FOX Sports theme music kicks off as host Curt Menefee announces the UFC is part of the FOX family. A nice touch, and for football fans especially, a clear signal that this is going to be a big deal.
9:01 pm: FOX shows a quick montage with a brief history of the promotion, and introduces Velasquez and dos Santos. A good idea, but not in-depth enough to offer any real insight into the UFC's wild ride.
9:03 pm: Menefee and UFC president Dana White are at the FOX Sports anchor desk inside the arena to discuss the significance of the fight and the event. I have no problem with White having a presence and speaking about the company's rise. But to have the company president as the fight analyst doesn't make for optimal presentation. It would be a much better idea to have a retired fighter giving unbiased analysis without a promoter's slant.
9:09 pm: Brock Lesnar joins White and Menefee to discuss the fight. Lesnar mentions he'll fight the winner of Velasquez-dos Santos, getting in a nice plug. Given Lesnar's status as perhaps the most well-known UFC fighter, his presence was practically mandatory. Lesnar wasted no time doing some verbal sparring with White, though he incorrectly predicted Velasquez would be able to take dos Santos down and keep him there. He wasn't the only one.
9:13 pm: FOX shows a segment on dos Santos that describes his early life, including an interview with his mother in which she tells a story of when as a youth, he refused to fight back against a bully because he didn't like to fight. This was a good, humanizing piece for those people who still insist fighters are thugs.
9:20 pm: A similar segment on Velasquez airs, detailing his father's sacrifices as a manual laborer to build a better life for his family, and how Cain learned his work ethic from him. Although this is a story many of us have heard before, it's important for the rest of the world tuning in to gain a little personal knowledge of the fighters.
9:25 pm: Menefee throws the fight to Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan for more analysis. Rogan describes dos Santos as sort of a throwback to the early days of the UFC for his reliance on one art: boxing. It's not too far off, but it downplayed dos Santos' wrestling brilliance, the fact that he's a jiu-jitsu brown belt, and that he's extremely athletic.
9:29 pm: dos Santos makes his way to the cage to the "Rocky" theme song and a chorus of boos. A great walkout song, but have fighters forgotten he loses? Rogan presciently asks, "The big question for him in this fight is, can he land the big shot standing up?"
9:33 pm: Velasquez makes his walk to the cage. At this point we're over a half-hour in and haven't seen a punch, so most people are probably getting a bit edgy. I understand the need for a pre-fight show but this is on the longish side. Hopefully that's because it's the first one, and in the future we can cut it down.
9:36 pm: Bruce Buffer begins introductions. Now we're in business. dos Santos looks calm and composed. Velasquez's body language isn't great. His gaze is downward as he walks side to side.
9:39 pm: Ref John McCarthy gives the "Let's get it on" opener. Let's.
9:40 pm: It's over. What? Look, many mainstream media members and other sports fans took shots at the UFC after dos Santos needed just 64 seconds to beat Velasquez, but those numbskulls should know that sports are unpredictable. There were three big sports events last night. This was one. In the second, Juan Manuel Marquez was robbed by the ringside judges in a loss to Manny Pacquiao. In the third, No. 4 Stanford was blown out by Oregon by 23 points in college football. Sports are unpredictable. We can't control that. That said, it clearly would have been beneficial for UFC to have a longer, technical fight that showcased more of the "mixed" part of MMA. But that's life.
9:54 pm: After post-fight interviews and some Rogan/Goldberg banter, we're back at the FOX Sports desk. White immediately questions Velasquez's strategy, asking why he didn't go for the takedown. This is a good question. But the entire post-fight analysis between the two is spent criticizing Velasquez while no credit is given to dos Santos for executing his plan. In essence, White acted more like an analyst than a promoter here, because he probably should have spent the time pumping up his new champion. That's good and bad, and it's another example of why White shouldn't be in the role. He can't serve the audience and his company, and he shouldn't have to. Just to be clear, it wasn't his idea. FOX Sports requested him there, but the network would do better to bring in their own analyst for these situations.
UFC 1 didn't exactly get off to a great start and things worked out OK. UFC on FOX had its issues, from timing to analysis. The fact that we only got 64 seconds of action in 60 minutes probably left a few hungry for more, but hopefully that just means they'll be back for another bite. With a seven-year FOX deal, there will be plenty more shows to choose from.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-139230% Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, sport, do
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX results: Junior dos Santos had knee injury 10 days before Cain Velasquez fight
Junior dos Santos became the new heavyweight champion of the world last night (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) at UFC on FOX 1 in Anaheim, California, by knocking out Cain Velasquez in just 64 seconds.
As if that wasn't already impressive enough, it turns out "Cigano" did this just 10 days removed from a torn meniscus in his knee that had him on crutches and barely able to walk.
Here's how he explained it at the post-fight press conference last night (via MMAFighting.com):
"I got a very serious injury in my knee, my meniscus. You know, 10 days ago I couldn't walk very well. I stayed two days with [crutches], but I asked my doctor to help me because it's the fight of my life and I can't miss that fight."
Because of his injury, Dos Santos had no plans on going the full five rounds, even if that's what UFC and FOX executives wanted for their big debut on network television. The longer the fight went on, the worse off the Brazilian would be.
So why not land a huge punch, finish the job and take home 12-pounds of gold in just over one minute? It's much easier and more efficient that way.
And that's exactly what he did.
Hear more from the new champion after the jump, as he talks about the biggest win of his career and the resolve it took to push through such a serious injury. For a complete recap of the bout click here. For video highlights click here and for complete UFC on FOX 1 results and recap of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, day, injury
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 Video Highlight: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
ESPN brings us highlights from the UFC on FOX 1 main event heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1 Post-Fight Interviews: Dos Santos, Big Nog, Rogan, More
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Junior dos Santos, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Joe Rogan, Dustin Poirier, Alex Caceres, DaMarques Johnson and Ricardo Lamas following UFC on FOX 1 to talk about the fights.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, ricardo lamas, nog rogan
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDidn’t Like One Fight on Fox? Dana White Says Too Bad
For weeks, UFC President Dana White has said that the first ever main event for their debut on Fox could go '10 seconds or 25 minutes'.
Posted in: ufc, week, fox, dana, fox dana
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 Post-Fight Press Conference Video Highlights
Video highlights of the UFC on FOX 1 post-fight press conference via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video, postfight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX red carpet pics from 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was on the red carpet tonight (Nov. 12, 2011) live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, for UFC on FOX 1, featuring a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos.
The promotion's network television debut, which will kick off a seven year broadcast agreement worth upwards of $100 million, is attracting more than just the mixed martial arts (MMA) community.
Riding the red carpet earlier this evening was an influx of sports and entertainment celebrities, including UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, UFC 141 headliner Alistair Overeem, Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke and of course, plenty of attractive women.
UFC on FOX red carpet pics, courtesy of Fuel TV and Facebook, after the jump.
Pro BMX Rider Mike Escamilla
Blink-182 Drummer Travis Barker
UFC 141 headliner Alistair Overeeem with TapouT's Skyscrape
Hot women
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones
Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke
UFC middleweight Brian Stann
Hollywood actor Ron Perlman
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre
UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz
Okay Maniacs, help me out here. Who is this?
Mystery guests part two. Anyone?
That's it from the red carpet at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Now it's time to see why they all turned out in the first place. A little thing called UFC on FOX.
Maybe you've heard of it?
For complete UFC on FOX results and live play-by-play for "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, champion, honda center, carpet
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Post Fight Presser: Cain Velasquez on Losing the Belt (Video)
UFC on Fox 1 has been lauded as a milestone. It doesn't matter to Cain Velasquez. What matters to him is that he veered off course and it cost him the UFC heavyweight championship.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, doesnt matter, matter
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC’s Fox debut neither home run nor strikeout (Yahoo! Sports)
The UFC on Fox debut didn't feature a Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar-type fight, but gives the company something to build on.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, debut, company something
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThe Incredible Expanding UFC on FOX post!!!
Well, the thing MMA fans worried about kinda sorta happened tonight: rather than a rousing battle of heavyweight proportions, we instead barely got a fight as Junior Dos Santos clipped Cain Velasquez and put him down in just under a minute into their heavyweight title fight. It wasn't a bad fight by any means. But there wasn't a lot of meat to it. Junior caught Cain in an early exchange, it wasn't a 'Holy Shit' knockdown, and the way the stoppage went it almost looked like perhaps Cain could have continued (at least for a few seconds until Junior landed another blow).If only FOX had gone along with the original idea of having Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida open up the broadcast. Those two put on a 15 minute fightfest of epic proportions featuring back and forth fisticuffs, crazy scrambles, close submission attempts, and everything else that defines a great MMA fight. Alas, only those tuning into facebook got to see it, and those watching FOX got 64 seconds worth of fighting.
Joe Rogan talks about Cain Velasquez having to have a cortisol injection into his knee before the fight in order to compete.
Posted in: fight, fox, wasnt, shit knockdown, submission attempts
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC on Fox Post Fight: Benson Henderson Talks Frankie Edgar (Video)
MMAWeekly.com caught up for an exclusive one on one interview with new No. 1 lightweight contender Benson Henderson after his win over Clay Guida at UFC on Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, henderson, clay guida, benson
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyPhotos from UFC on Fox (album)
submitted by lumbugg [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, album, fox album
Read the full article at Reddit(GIF) Junior dos Santos knocks out Cain Velasquez at UFC on FOX 1 to capture the heavyweight...
(GIF) Junior dos Santos knocks out Cain Velasquez at UFC on FOX 1 to capture the heavyweight championship tonight (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) in Anaheim, California. Did this go how you expected it to, Maniacs? For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.
Props: IronForgesIron.com
Posted in: ufc, fox, anaheim california, blowbyblow coverage, heavyweight gif
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Results: Ben Henderson Earns Shot At Frankie Edgar In Japan
Yesterday at the UFC on Fox weigh ins Joe Rogan announced that the winner of Clay Guida and Ben Henderson would be the number one contender for Frankie Edgar's lightweight belt. With the fight of the year candidate in the books and Henderson as the victor, the fight was made official at the post fight press conference. It was rumored that the next Frankie Edgar fight would be at Zuffa's first attempt to break into the Japanese market in January. Dana White confirmed this rumor tonight.
The Guida/Henderson fight did not disappoint tonight, going all three rounds to a Unanimous decision. It was the kind of fight that has fans begging for two more rounds. It was the kind of fight that had fans questioning why the UFC decided not to air it on television. Henderson was the aggressor the whole time and walked away as the new challenger. It was almost a year ago that he lost his shot at the title when Anthony Pettis upset him at WEC 53. What difference a year makes. Pettis is fighting on prelims and Ben Henderson is getting a title shot.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, henderson, ben henderson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBrydon on UFC on FOX: Just a tease
The UFC's first fight live on network TV didn't last very long, but it was still a great moment for the sport.
Posted in: ufc, fox, brydon, tv, network
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 1 results: Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos fight video highlights
Junior dos Santos knocks out Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC on Fox 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, to become the new heavyweight champion. The inaugural network television broadcast event went off without a hitch, as the excitement reached a fever pitch just before these two went at it. But it ended early, as "Cigano" landed a hard overhand right that put Velasquez on Queer Street and eventually finished him off with ground-n-pound just 66 seconds into the fight. The Brazilian knockout king, who adds yet another to his already impressive resume, will now await the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight champion, velasquez, fight video
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Photo Gallery
We've got exclusive photos from the heavyweight title fight at the historic UFC on FOX event in Anaheim. Check 'em out inside.
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, fox event, anaheim check
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC Japan: Ben Henderson vs Frankie Edgar title fight official for Feb. 25
UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," which emanated from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, is officially in the books.
So too, is the hunt for a new lightweight title contender.
That's because Ben Henderson staked his claim as division number one contender with a three round unanimous decision win over Clay Guida on the preliminary portion of the promotion's network television debut.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, during the UFC on FOX post-fight wrap-up show on Fuel TV, confirmed that "Smooth" will fight reigning champion Frankie Edgar when the UFC returns to Japan at the Saitama Super Arena on Feb. 25, 2012.
Henderson (15-2) sawed his way through "The Carpenter" to win his third straight win since transitioning to the UFC and while they've all been won on the judge's scorecards, his performances have been impressive.
They've also been against some of the best lightweights in the division.
"Bendo" will need every ounce of that momentum to dethrone Edgar (14-1-1), who's fresh off a technical knockout win over 155-pound "Bully" Gray Maynard back at UFC 136.
And if Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez is victorious over Jorge Masvidal in December, expect him to be waiting in the wings for the winner of of this upcoming match-up.
How about it Maniacs, early predictions for this 155-pound title fight? Can Henderson find "The Answer" to beating Edgar and reclaim the lightweight belt -- something he held back in the WEC?
Opinions, please.
For complete UFC on FOX results and play-by-play click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, henderson, ben henderson, edgar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Bonuses: Cigano, Henderson, Guida, Lamas Bank $65K
Junior dos Santos, Ben Henderson, Clay Guida and Ricardo Lamas each took home post-fight bonuses worth $65,000 after Saturday’s inaugural UFC on Fox event.
Posted in: fox, henderson, lama, ricardo lamas, saturday ’s
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos Results and Post-Fight Analysis
"This is the moment UFC fans around the world have been waiting for" - Bruce Buffer. Bruce Buffer summed up the very thoughts that MMA fans have been feeling since the UFC announced the deal with Fox. It was OUR night. This is OUR sport. And WE finally have hit the big time. The night was the UFC's coming out party to a much larger audience and FOX put forward all the bells and whistles to make sure that it looks like a legitimate sport with their production. The fight unfortunately didn't live up to the expectations with Junior Dos Santos finishing Cain Velasquez in 64 seconds to capture the UFC heavyweight belt.
Due to contract restrictions the UFC was unable to air the undercard on FX or Fuel, instead having to put four fights on Fox Deportes. It is a shame since these four fights were extremely entertaining and displayed everything that we love about MMA.
There will be two viewpoints on the Fox broadcast. The first is that the only purpose was to build a star. If that is the case then it worked out well since Junior can be sold as the heavy handed champion who has soul-sucking power. The other is that the only reason for the broadcast was to build up an audience. In order to do so many pundits predicted the fight would have to go at least two rounds. It's a point of view supported by the fact that plans were for the first two rounds to air commercial free. If this is the case then the fight would be viewed as an absolute failure. My personal opinion? I'm not sure that either is entirely wrong. The broadcast definitely helped with establishing Junior as a monster. Unfortunately, ending a fight in a minute definitely hurts some of the audience building hopes.
As far as the production, I loved what Fox brought to the table. Judging by twitter I'm alone in this opinion as most MMA media types were pretty outspoken about it having a cookie cutter feel. There's a reason for that since that is what non fans expect from sports. They don't want Gladiator intros. They don't want Dana White and Joe Rogan yelling at each other. They want suits and professional feel. That's what Fox delivered.
Hindsight being 20-20 the UFC would have been better served airing Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida on the broadcast. The fight was a FOTY candidate and would have been perfect to introduce fans to the sport. I get the reasoning for not airing the fight as you need to put the best product forward and there's no better product on paper than a heavyweight championship.
Junior's post-fight speech is exactly why I love MMA so much. The ability to interview a fighter right after such a big moment allows for raw emotions. That was as genuine a reaction as you'll ever get in life. The tears in his eyes were those of joy and this fight means as much for him as it does for Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera and the rest of his team.
Dana White's comments in the post-fight analysis booth left much to be desired. I understand the frustration that his champion got finished in a round but there's no reason to let those negative emotions come through on a broadcast. When he's sitting in that chair he's supposed to be the objective promoter, not criticize a fighter and camp. His exact comments were:
Listen, I'm no strategist and I'm nobody's coach but I don't understand why they didn't go for the shot early. They should have shot in on Junior Dos Santos knowing that he has the power early in the fight and tries to knock you out. But the truth is that Junior Dos Santos gets tired at the end of fights, you know? Here he is standing right in front of him trying to trade and bang with Junior Dos Santos and gets hit with that big right hand right behind the ear and down he goes. Down goes his heavyweight championship. I'll say it again, not saying that I'm some strategy coach but I don't know why they wouldn't take the shot on him and wrestle early.
It's one thing to feel a fight out but when you're standing right in front of a guy that you know his biggest weapons are his hands and he can knock you out and this thing is a five round fight. Get in there and start working him. Stay busy and put him against the fence. Rough him up and tire him out a little bit and bring it into the later rounds where Junior Dos Santos is well known for getting tired.
I can't agree with the President's opinions on the champion or his decision to bury his new crowned champion. It's bad for business and a bad decision to say these things in front of a new audience. The time would have been better served building Junior Dos Santos up as a force in the decision. I'm sure that Dana will look back and see this as well.
Additional thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
The Facebook/FoxSports.com prelims were pretty good. While there weren't any finishes besides the weird ending to Robert Peralta and Mackens Semerzier's fight, they turned out to be decent scraps. The UFC has been trying to build up Alex Caceres since he made his debut on the Ultimate Fighter and tonight definitely established him. It was the absolute best that Bruce Leeroy has ever looked. On the flipside, the highly touted signing of Norifumi Yamamoto should be considered a bust at this point. He's now 0-2 in the UFC and just hasn't been able to find the exciting style that made him a star in Japan. His loss is Darren Uyenoyama's gain as he now has a big win over an established name. Nice to see new blood in the bantamweight division.
The final four fights continued on Facebook or fans were able to switch on their televisions and watch them live on Fox Deportes. The Spanish announce team is extremely excited during fights which makes for a great experience. With two submissions, a knockout, and a fight of the night in the final four prelims, they definitely set the tone for the main event. Dustin Poirier may be a win or two away from a featherweight title shot and Ben Henderson was awarded a shot at Frankie Edgar's title.
Overall, this was a solid night of fights. It may be the emotions from finally being able to say that MMA has made it but there's no disappointment in the evening. Fox did a great job at promoting the product in the lead up and the presentation tonight was fantastic. It was a night and day difference than Strikeforce and EliteXC's attempts at network broadcasts and hopefully things improve in the future.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, broadcast
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 1 bonuses and awards for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' in Anaheim
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, has officially wrapped, which means it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.
To the tune of $65,000 each.
The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 20 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving "The Golden State" with a second sack of simoleons.
In one of the biggest landslides in UFC history, freshly crowned heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos' waistline is sagging big time with the addition of a 12-pound belt and 70K after his first round "Knockout of the Night" over Cain Velasquez.
Welcome to the mainstream, fellas.
Also hauling in a wheelbarrow full of cash is Ricardo Lamas, who impressed Facebook and FOXSports.com viewers with a sweet "Submission of the Night" winning arm triangle choke of Octagon debutant Cub Swanson. Look out, featherweights, here he comes.
Finally, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida took home "Fight of the Night" honors for their thrilling back-and-forth war of attrition that saw "Bendo" earn a lightweight championship bout against Frankie Edgar early next year thanks to a unanimous decision victory.
It's just too bad the folks on FOX didn't get to see it.
Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC on FOX 1:
Knockout of the Night -- Junior dos Santos
Submission of the Night -- Ricardo Lamas
Fight of the Night -- Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida
Again, each fighter received $65,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.
For complete UFC on FOX 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, do
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX draws a reported 14,019 attendees for $1.1 million live gate
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Saturday's "UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos"
event drew a reported 14,019 attendees and generated a live gate of $1.1
million.
UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's
post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com attended.
Featuring a heavyweight title fight between new champion Junior Dos
Santos and former beltholder Cain Celasquez, "UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs.
Dos Santos" marked the UFC's live debut on network television and served
as a teaser to the two companies' seven-year deal, which officially
begins in 2012.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, network television, celasquez ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox: Junior dos Santos Gives New Audience a Lesson in MMA
Tonight in Anaheim, with the UFC debuting on Fox to millions of new viewers, with all the eyes of the sport upon him, Junior dos Santos said, "This is MMA." With reflexive anticipation of Cain Velasquez's left hook, he ducked down and launched an overhand right - the most famous move in the sport, popularized by vintage Chuck Liddell - landing flush on his opponent's temple. With Velasquez's equilibrium scrambled, dos Santos followed his severely dazed opponent to the mat and unleashed a series of devastating blows that forced referee John McCarthy to step in and save the champion.
It took just over one minute for "Cigano" to make his statement. Hailing from the best fight camp in all the sport, his eloquence should never have been in question. This, after all, is the most persistently violent sport in all of North America. And, though some may be hesitant to admit so, we all watch it for the violence. Perhaps that isn't one's primary motive, but it must be part of the appeal of the sport. The oft-drawn, trite parallel between mixed martial artists and Roman gladiators is actually quite valid; to some degree, we watch to see one man draw blood from another.
It's a primal urge, something we lack in our daily lives. One of the most thrilling scenes in all of film comes from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, when the primate realizes he can reclaim his territory via violence - he uses a weapon, and sets himself down the path to humanity. It's a stunning look at what sets us apart from the lesser species. It's a statement to our superiority. And so we have these combative athletes who, bound by the laws of civilization, turn their bodies into weapons, embodying physical dominance. It's what made boxing a fixture of this culture for more than a century. And now it is what brings MMA to the widest audience possible.
Boxing, of which I am a fan, has become heavy, laden with egos, pretentions, and flawed ethics that seem to seep into the raw sport far too often. There are no ethics in Junior dos Santos leaping atop his downed foe, raining down blow upon blow, expressing poetry by motion, and claiming to another man, "I am your superior." If nothing else can be said of MMA, then let it be known that this is the most honest of all sport, and tonight, "Cigano" gave all the nation a lesson in truth.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: mma, fox, sport, do, blow
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC on FOX bonuses: Dos Santos, Lamas, Henderson, Guida earn $65K fighter awards
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Junior Dos Santos, Ricardo Lamas, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida
each earned $65,000 fight-night bonuses for their performances
at Saturday's UFC on FOX event.
Dos Santos earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" award, Lamas picked up
the "Submission of the Night" bonus, and Henderson and Guida took home
"Fight of the Night" honors.
MMAjunkie.com learned of the bonus winners and award amounts at UFC on FOX's post-fight press conference.
Posted in: night, bonus winners, fox, bonus, lama
Read the full article at MMA JunkieHistory in the Making: dos Santos KO’s Velasquez at UFC on Fox
The first ever historic UFC on Fox show lasted an hour, but it only took Junior dos Santos just over one minute to claim the UFC heavyweight title with a knockout of Cain Velasquez.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, fox show
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 results recap: The broadcast offers a glimpse into future production of events
Consider this evening's historic broadcast as "UFC for Dummies."
With a name indicating a tongue planted firmly in its cheek, the "... for Dummies" line of instructional books have been a mainstay in every bookstore for several years now and became so popular that copycats began to spring up almost immediately. Let's say someone wanted to start growing their own tomatoes and carrots in the backyard but didn't have the foggiest idea where to begin. The "Gardening for Dummies" entry in the series would be the ideal choice to help add a healthy shade of green to their thumb.
And UFC on Fox 1 was exactly that for the Las Vegas fight promotion.
While pay-per-view (PPV) events add a little bit of backstory to each fight and its participants, it's minimal since the production largely assumes that if someone if paying good money to watch the show, they likely know their way around the Octagon and its fighters. They probably know that Josh Koscheck has solid wrestling and pretty good knockout power while also recognizing that Nate Diaz is just as likely to tear a limb off with a submission as he is pound his opponent out with excellent boxing.
But this show wasn't for those fans. It was carefully crafted to introduce the sport -- scratch that, the UFC -- to someone who had never seen an Octagon fight before or perhaps had only seen one or two in passing. It was set up to highlight the longtime money division in combat sports -- the big boys at heavyweight -- and two fighters -- Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos -- who promise to be a major part of it for years to come.
But we shouldn't expect the exact same treatment every single time the UFC shows up on Fox.
Why? Well, I'm glad you asked.
As Dana White has said almost every time he's had a microphone in front of him in the past week, Fox has been the best partner the UFC has ever had. In fact, their deal doesn't officially start until the turn of the new year but this event was scheduled for one particular reason. It was designed -- top to bottom -- as an introduction to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) and in particular, the top dog in the business.
The format of highlighting only one fight -- the heavyweight title bout which was won by the Brazilian -- despite a lightweight tilt between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida which promised to provide fireworks -- and did -- was the most obvious anomaly. When the deal proper begins in 2012, the UFC will begin airing events on Fox more in line with that of a pay-per-view (PPV). It won't be a five fight card as is the norm with their numbered events but two -- possible three -- fights should be expected on each of the four scheduled events in the next year.
Having to allow time for that many punches, kicks, knees, and submissions won't afford the production team the opportunity to treat every show like a UFC primer. They will of course likely continue using Fox's visibly superior HD cameras as well as ariel shots provided by blimps but don't expect extended video packages for each and every fighter like the ones dos Santos and Velasquez received tonight.
The production leading up to and after the bout was what differed radically from a typical UFC show. In a commentary booth were Curt Menefee, Dana White, and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar providing analysis, insight, and predictions. The NFL on FOX theme -- at least I thought it was exclusive to NFL, perhaps it's the FOX Sports theme -- segued the show in and out of commercials.
But once the two titans started to make their way to the Octagon, the production felt very familiar. There was little deviation at that point from what fans would expect from the usual PPV offering from Dana White and company.
Tonight's production likely won't be replicated in full and was a one-time occurrence for an event that served to introduce the UFC to a much wider audience. It did, however, give us a glimpse into what the future of the UFC on Fox holds for us.
And I, for one, can't wait.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, event, production
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX: New Champion Crowned, Debut Event Success
Lights, red carpets, a polished Brock Lesnar calling the commentary before the main event. Everything leading up to the heavyweight championship bout was promised and much more. FOX started the program by showcasing their other big name sports events on the channel (World Series, Daytona 500, NFC Playoffs and more) educating the new MMA audience [...]
Posted in: fox, event, brock lesnar, lesnar, event everything
Read the full article at Fighthub TVDos Santos Dethrones Velasquez in 64 Seconds at UFC on Fox 1
All Junior dos Santos needed was one punch, and he landed it.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, punch, dethrones velasquez
Read the full article at SherdogUFC on Fox Results Recap: Junior dos Santos Knocks Out Cain Velasquez
Junior dos Santos knocked out UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in just 64-seconds to win the title as the UFC made its network debut on Fox on Saturday night from Anaheim, California.
Dos Santos caught Velasquez with a punch to the ear that sent the champion stumbling to the canvas and followed up with unanswered punches on the ground that forced referee “Big” John McCarthy to stop the fight just over a minute into the scheduled five-rounder.
In the UFC on Fox co-main event, lightweight contender Ben Henderson outpointed Clay Guida to earn the next shot at champion Frankie Edgar.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fox, champion, do
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX result: Dos Santos stuns champ Velasquez in 64 seconds, wins title
ANAHEIM, Calif. - The UFC's long-awaited network-television debut lasted a mere 64 seconds.
In the first of what will be regular events on FOX, Junior Dos Santos connected with an overhand right that set up a first-round TKO victory over reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
The fight headlined the landmark UFC on FOX event, which took place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, honda center, fox event, tko victory
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX 1 results: Junior dos Santos knocks out Cain Velasquez to win heavyweight championship
The historic UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" broadcast has officially wrapped from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. In the main event of the evening, and the only fight to make the one hour primetime special, Cain Velasquez defended his heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos.
Well, he didn't defend it. He lost it, actually.
That's because Dos Santos came in hard and fast with a big overhand right and put Velasquez to the mat. Some follow up shots turned the champion over and that was it.
Junior dos Santos defeats Cain Velasquez to become the UFC heavyweight champion on the very first UFC on FOX network broadcast. And he did it in just over one minute.
Dos Santos landed a nice right hand in the early going but Velasquez walked through it. A takedown attempt failed early from the champion.
The crowd was electric for everything.
Just one minute into the round and with "Cigano" looking as comfortable as ever, he landed hard and clean just above Velasquez's temple and near his ear.
That's the sweet spot, ladies and gentlemen.
Follow up ground and pound finished the job for a short but electrifying heavyweight title fight. Was it as good for you as it was for Dos Santos?
Click here for all the results and live blow-by-blow of the UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event action from Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Post Video: Dustin Poirier
Following is victory over Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox 1, Dustin Poirier spoke one-on-one with MMAWeekly.com's Erik Fontanez about his victory.
Posted in: ufc, fox, victory, poirier, pablo garza
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox Post-Fight Press Conference Video and Coverage
Join us here at Bloody Elbow.com at approximately 10:15 ET/7:15 p.m. PT for live video and coverage of tonight's UFC on Fox post-fight press conference. You can catch the live video at the Youtube link below the jump. The winners of the UFC on Fox fights will sit down to talk about their performances and Dana White will announce the Fight of the Night bonuses. All the fallout from the card will be discussed, along with a variety of other stuff.
The main event of tonight's card is a showdown for the UFC heavyweight title, with champion Cain Velasquez defending against Junior dos Santos. It is the only fight that will be shown on Fox, but another major bout on the card is a lightweight # 1 contenders matchup between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida. That will be shown live on Fox Deportes and Facebook.
$xx,xxx Bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Submission of the Night:Knockout of the Night:
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, video, coverage
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 1 Post-Fight Press Conference
The UFC on FOX 1 post-fight press conference will stream live in the video player above following the FOX broadcast.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video player, postfight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX broadcast airs on the 18th anniversary of UFC 1
Tonight we celebrate UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos."
But 18 years ago to the day, an event, unlike anything anyone had ever seen, took place in Denver, Colorado. The event was called "The Ultimate Fighting Championship" (UFC). The purpose? To see who was the best fighter in the world.
Fighters from all disciplines, from all over the world, came to test their skills against one another.
Though the event was billed as "no holds barred," there were a few rules in place to protect the competitors, like no biting and no eye gouging. There were no weight classes which meant that, since it was tournament format, any fighter could easily outweigh his opponent by more than 25 pounds.
The fight card consisted of athletes that at that point, no one had ever heard of before.
Gerard Gordeau, Teila Tuli, Kevin Rosier, Zane Frasier, Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, Patrick Smith, Trent Jenkins, Jason DeLucia and eventual tournament winner, Royce Gracie, all convened in "Mile High City" to see who truly was the best.
Gracie, who was the smallest competitor in the tournament, amazed everyone with a fighting technique that not many people had heard of before. The discipline was known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The undersized Gracie submitted Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeu as he became the first-ever winner, taking home bragging rights along with a $50,000 check.
Throughout the years to come, the UFC fought tooth-and-nail to get the recognition and respect it deserved. From battling politicians such as Senator John McCain, who labeled the sport "human cockfighting," to trying to gain fans to accept a new style of fighting, it took 18 years but the UFC has truly come full circle.
Thanks to Zuffa, the UFC has received a complete makeover.
From adding rules, weight classes and getting sanctioned by the majority of stateside athletic commissions (as well as traveling to countries all over the world), the UFC is now one of the biggest and richest sports organizations on the planet. The days of people shying away from the sport may now be over.
Now, blue chips sponsors such as Harley Davidson and Bud Light proudly display their product throughout the UFC and it seems that everyone is knocking at the door trying to get a piece of the MMA pie.
From dominating the pay-per-view arena, to making millionaires out of countless fighters, to selling out arenas all over the world, the UFC, with its new FOX partnership, has finally been accepted into the mainstream world. The UFC will hold its first title fight on free cable TV tonight (Nov. 12), as it debuts on the FOX network.
The same FOX network that carries the NFL's Super bowl and MLB's World Series.
Unlike UFC 1, in which a young and undersized fighter dominated the night, two of the biggest and best heavyweights in the world will take center stage at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will battle for the right to be called UFC heavyweight champion of the world.
Like Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin at the first ever Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Finale, Velasquez and Dos Santos have a chance to do something special for the UFC. The two heavyweights will be responsible for introducing the sport of MMA and the brand that is the UFC to a whole new audience and in the process, usher the promotion into a whole new era that will change the landscape of MMA for the years to come.
Happy 18th birthday, Ultimate Fighting Championship.
For UFC on FOX results and live play-by-play for "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" click here.
Posted in: ufc, world, fighter, fox, do
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Post Video: DaMarques Johnson
After defeating Clay Harvison in stunning fashion at Saturday night's UFC on Fox 1, DaMarques Johnson went one-on-one with MMAWeekly.com's Erik Fontanez to talk about the victory.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, damarque, clay harvison
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox Post Video: Alex Caceres
Alex Caceres, finally getting on the winning track at UFC on Fox 1, went one-on-one with MMAWeekly.com's Erik Fontanez.
Posted in: ufc, fox, cacere, alex, mmaweeklycom
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1: Results
Saturday night’s ‘UFC on FOX 1’ event saw a new heavyweight champion crowned.Junior Dos Santos needed just 64 seconds to put Cain Velasquez...
Posted in: ufc, fox, champion, do, rsquo
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC on FOX 1: Gate and attendance
The ‘UFC on FOX 1’ live event was attended by 14,019 fans, according to numbers UFC president Dana White gave out at the post-event press conference....
Posted in: attendance, ufc, fox, conference, president
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC on Fox Results: Early Facebook Fights Produce New Contenders
The early fights for the UFC on Fox prelims resulted in one nasty knockout, a dominant submissions and a new fighter to watch in the bantamweight division.
Posted in: ufc, fox, facebook fights, fox results, fox prelims
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDespite 'Perfect Night,' Dana White Has Strong Words for Critics of FOX Debut
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXANAHEIM -- UFC president Dana White showed up to the post-fight press conference after his organization's network debut on FOX looking more relieved than elated.
"I feel great," he insisted almost defensively, before the question was even finished. "It's behind me. I've been waiting for this."
In fairness, this was the end of an incredibly stressful period in White's life. The Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos bout he'd hyped as "the biggest fight in UFC history" had ended in just one minute and four seconds after a hard right hand from dos Santos sent Velasquez on the path toward defeat. As many viewers of the post-fight show on FOX noted, White's commentary about Velasquez's performance didn't make him sound terribly pleased about the effort he'd gotten from his champion on the big night.
But as White told reporters inside the Honda Center on Saturday night, he knew the risks of putting two heavyweights in the cage from the very beginning.
"I said it in the first press conference: this thing could go 30 seconds or this thing could go 25 minutes. We'll see. Either way it'll be a great fight and it was. That's what happens when you put two heavyweights in there who bang. Anything can happen. ...As soon as those fights start, whatever happens happens. There's nothing you can do about that. We can't control the fights."
As for his remarks about Velasquez's game plan, questioning why he didn't try harder to use his wrestling skills and get dos Santos to the mat, White painted himself as just another observer with his own take on the proceedings.
"I wouldn't say that I was critical," said White. "I had an opinion. When we went back to the post[-fight] show, I said, you know, I don't understand why Cain wouldn't have shot, gone in for the shot, try to work, pressure him, and not stay in his range and try to bang with Junior in the early rounds. But what the hell am I? I'm not anybody's coach or trainer. It was just my impression about the fight."
A soft-spoken Velasquez admitted he'd strayed from his own strategy, brief though the fight was, saying his original goal had been to establish his striking game and "if the takedown is there, take it."
"It was my fault," said the former champion. "I didn't pressure him enough. The game plan was to go in there and pressure."
Even though the fight ended with a definitive TKO, White didn't seem particularly thrilled with how quickly it was over, and with good reason. A 64-second fight leaves little opportunity for ratings to build from the pre-fight show, and might make a poor impression on first-time viewers who haven't seen the sport before.
Meanwhile, the undercard bout between lightweights Ben Henderson and Clay Guida was a three-round thriller that streamed on Facebook and FoxSports.com rather than airing on the network broadcast. Had FOX opted to air that fight as well, it might have helped ratings reach a greater peak for the main event, though don't tell that to White, who pointed out that this was a special introduction show -- not a part of the UFC-FOX deal.
"For anybody to bitch about this fight and how they didn't get to see that fight -- shut up," he said. "You should have bought tickets if you wanted to see all the fights and you don't like to watch it on Facebook. Seriously, shut up. I don't even want to hear it."
Regardless of what the ratings turn out to be in the U.S., White claimed that dos Santos' home country tuned in to the fast and furious fight en masse, with an estimated viewing audience of 60 million.
"60 million people," White repeated. "There's 200 million people in the country. That's pretty crazy."
Upon hearing this, a grin spread across dos Santos' face. "I'm famous," said the new UFC heavyweight champion.
And regardless of how longtime MMA fans might criticize the UFC's presentation in its network debut, White termed it "the perfect night" from a production standpoint, and cautioned that broadcasting on FOX isn't as simple as some might think.
"What you guys have to understand is tonight we were talking to people who had never seen the UFC before. We weren't talking to the hardcore fans. We weren't talking to the people who'd been watching for years. We were talking to and trying to educate people who'd never seen it before. Now that we're on a mainstream platform, many of you don't realize all the battles we fight behind the scenes. It's crazy. Every freaking weirdo comes out from everywhere. You know, 'fighting is on TV!' We've been on TV for six years, coalition of 'I have nothing better to do.' We have to ease into this thing." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, people
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch Tonight’s UFC on Fox Post-Fight Press Conference on MMAWeekly.com
Watch the Saturday, Nov. 12, UFC on Fox 1 post-fight press conference live on MMAWeekly.com at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, mmaweeklycom, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyAlex Caceres Didn't Want to Let Dana White Down at UFC on FOX
ANAHEIM, Calif. - MMA Fighting caught up with Alex Caceres after his UFC on FOX win over Cole Escovedo. 'Bruce Leeroy' discussed Jon Jones' influence in his training, why he struggled early on in his UFC career, the pressure he faced, his new diet and how Dana White's pre-fight talk gave him a spark.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc career, alex caceres, cacere
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 11/12 Network Coverage and Schedule
FOX Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill, FOX Sports Co-President Eric Shanks & FUELTV General Manager George Greenberg joined forces with UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta earlier today to preview coverage of the first ever UFC heavyweight title bout on network television between defending champion Cain Velasquez and No. 1 contender Junior dos Santos.
This historic bout airs LIVE exclusively on FOX Saturday, November, 12 (9:00 PM ET). FUELTV airs the LIVE weigh-in on Friday, November 11 (7:00 PM ET) and a two-hour special prefight show Saturday, November 12 (7:00 PM ET) featuring analysis from a champions’ roundtable and exclusive interviews from the red carpet arrivals of celebrities and athletes attending the historic fight.
Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00 p.m. ET — Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes
4:45 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX prelims live on Facebook and FOXSports.com
5:30 p.m. ET — Weigh-ins re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET — UFC Primetime re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET — Re-air of Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET — UFC prelims live on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET — Pre-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar
9:00 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX broadcast, hosted by Curt Menefee, along with Dana White, Brock Lesnar and Joe Rogan. Mike Goldberg and Rogan will call the heavyweight title fight.
10 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Florian and Bonnar
***
Saturday’s UFC on FOX Red Carpet Celebrity List:
FOX
Michael Strahan (FOX NFL SUNDAY)
Howie Long (FOX NFL SUNDAY)
Odette Annable (House)
Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Howie Mandel (Mobbed)
Max Greenfield (New Girl)
Jake Johnson (New Girl)
Lamorne Morris (New Girl)
Hannah Simone (New Girl – pictured)
Jesse Spencer (House)
FX
Joelle Carter (Justified)
Walton Goggins (Justified)
Nick Searcy (Justified)
Nick Kroll (The League)
Dayton Callie (Sons of Anarchy)
Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy)
Dorian Brown (Wilfred)
Jason Gann (Wilfred)
Fiona Gubelmann (Wilfred)
FUELTV
Danny Kass (Adventures of Danny & The Dingo)
Luke Trembath (Adventures of Danny & The Dingo)
Bas Rutten (Punk Payback with Bas Rutten)
Mike “Rooftop” Escamilla (Strangers in Danger)
Zack “Catfish” Yankush (Strangers in Danger)
Charlie Andrews (Knights of Mayhem)
SPORTS
Jim Brown (NFL Legend – pictured)
Brad Penny (MLB pitcher)
Kelly Slater (Professional Surfer)
FILM, MUSIC & TELEVISION
Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters)
David Arquette
Travis Barker
Gina Carano (Haywire)
Claire Coffee (Grimm)
Ryan Guzman (Step Up)
Gilles Marini (Brothers & Sisters)
Nicole Murphy (Model)
Ronnie Mund (The Howard Stern Show)
Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist)
Mickey Rourke (Immortals)
Matt Sanders (Avenged Sevenfold)
Karina Smirnoff (Dancing with the Stars)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Nick Swardson (Jack and Jill)
Kenny Wormald (Footloose)
Neon Trees
UFC
Michael Bisping
Carlos Condit
Dominick Cruz
Chuck Liddell
Gilbert Melendez
George St. Pierre
Brian Stann
Yahoo Sports
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, amp, — ufc
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on FOX Sports set design for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' (Complete)
You saw the UFC on FOX set while it was under construction (if you didn't click here). Now take a look at the completed set design for the "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event taking place tonight (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) just a few short hours from now at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
How do you like it, Maniacs?
The UFC on FOX 1 primetime special will feature Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight championship live on free TV against Brazilian knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
But before they get down and dirty, Curt Menefee, Jay Glazer, Dana White, Kenny Florian, Brock Lesnar and others will get us ready with pre-fight shows on FUEL and FOX, respectively.
Check out a pic of Glazer and Florian rehearsing today after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, honda center
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Primer: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
In the main event of UFC on Fox 1, Cain Velasquez (9-0; 7-0 UFC) faces Junior dos Santos (13-1; 7-0 UFC). This fight is for Cain's UFC Heavyweight championship, and is the only televised fight on the card. It's also a clash between the top two Heavyweight fighters in the world according to the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, where Velasquez is ranked #1 and dos Santos #2. The card airs on Fox on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.
This is an interesting fight where the actual fight itself has taken something of a backseat to the business ramifications. Which, in many ways, is entirely understandable. This is a very important historic fight. It's the UFC's first foray onto Fox, and network television. We've also been promised a new look with a more sports-oriented presentation. In short, it's the dawn of a new era, and fans are excited to see what it brings. As for the fight itself - it's the top two Heavyweight fighters in the world clashing for the title. The two men hold only 1 loss between them, and both have steamrolled through all their UFC competition. This is going to be good.
How do these two stack up?
Velasquez: 29 years old | 6'1" | 77" reachdos Santos: 27 years old | 6'3" | 77" reach
What have these two done recently?
Velasquez: W - Brock Lesnar (TKO) | W - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (KO) | W - Ben Rothwell (TKO)dos Santos: W - Shane Carwin (UD) | W - Roy Nelson (UD) | W - Gabriel Gonzaga (KO)
How did these two get here?
Cain Velasquez won the Heavyweight title a year ago. Injury sidelined him during the first part of this year, but that turned out to be somewhat advantageous as it put him in position for this fight. The champion is a perfect 9-0. Of those 9 fights, only 1 has gone to a decision, and that was the only fight where he ever looked in danger. He is a superb wrestler with incredible cardio and drive. He's added a top notch striking game to that wrestling to become a dangerous fighter in every aspect. If there's a weakness, it's the fact that he has been hit and hurt.
Cigano, Junior dos Santos, is also undefeated in the UFC. He's a bit more one-dimensional than Velasquez, but it's quite a dimension. Dos Santos is a striker, and primarily a boxer. His strategy is simple - keep the fight standing and land those bombs in his fists on the champion. He's used those heavy hands to obliterate Fabricio Werdum, to break the face of Mirko Cro Cop, and to savagely beat down Shane Carwin among others. Cigano is the epitome of a fighter who can end his opponent's night in an instant, but he's also ready to keep up the pressure and wear his opponent down over multiple rounds. This is his first 5 round title fight.
Why should you care?
It's an incredibly close fight between two of the best in the world, competing for the sport's top honor. And it's free. Hopefully this is one that new fans do tune in for, because they won't be disappointed.
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCSAC issues UFC on FOX judging assignments for Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Just in time for the UFC's network debut, the California State Athletic Commission has assigned judges for a pivotal heavyweight title fight between champ Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santos.
CSAC Executive Director George Dodd today told MMAjunkie.com that judges Lester Griffin, Abe Belardo and Nelson "Doc" Hamilton will score the title fight.
UFC on FOX takes place tonight at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event's one-fight main card airs live on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, card airs, honda center, anaheim calif
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX chat is up!
Posted in: ufc, fox, chat, fox chat
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC on FOX 1 Live Results and Coverage
It didn’t seem possible years ago when the UFC was struggling to remain on PPV, but tonight the worlds largest MMA organization takes that next step into the mainstream when they make their debut on network television. Coming to us from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California; it’s UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will provide complete results along with a round by round recap of the main event fight.
The action kicks off at 4:45 PM EST on Facebook.com or FoxSports.com with nine preliminary fights. Then at 9 PM EST, the UFC goes live on FOX with the main event.
UFC on FOX 1 is headlined by Cain Velasquez, the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, taking on knockout artist Junior dos Santos in a fight guaranteed to deliver fireworks. While that will be the only fight airing live on FOX, the co-main event features a lightweight showdown between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida, in a battle to determine the #1 contender to the title.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Kid Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Clay Harvison vs. DaMarques Johnson
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
MAIN EVENT
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, event
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 1 Real Time Results
In the epic words of Bruce Buffer, “It’s tiiiiiiiiiime!” After months of anticipation the UFC’s debut on FOX has arrived with as good a main event as even the most naïve fan could have hoped for prior to its announcement.
Headlined by undefeated UFC heavyweight king Cain Velasquez coming off a year-long layoff to defend his gold against Brazilian bomber Junior dos Santos, UFC on FOX 1 is a card ripe with entertaining match-ups including Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza and Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
Even better, fans can watch the title-fight for free, live tonight on FOX at 9:00 PM EST, as well as check out streaming prelims through Facebook (as well as FOX Desportes in regards to a few) when things fire up at 4:45 PM EST.
Also, don’t forget you can win signed merchandise from Guida and Poirer by entering our easy-to-win UFC on FOX contest!
Fighters.com will be here throughout, relaying live results back to readers who are unable to find a television or stream video.
Read below for a full list of UFC on FOX outcomes:
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Clay Harvison vs. DaMarques Johnson
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, time results, epic words
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX Live Blog: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos Updates
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXANAHEIM, Calif. -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, the UFC heavyweight championship bout on tonight's UFC on FOX special from the Honda Center.
Velasquez (9-0) will be defending his title for the first time since winning it against Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in October 2010. Velasquez then underwent surgery due to a right shoulder injury suffered during the fight. Dos Santos (13-1) has been victorious in all seven of his UFC fights. In his most recent fight, Dos Santos defeated Shane Carwin by unanimous decision at UFC 131 in June.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Results | Latest UFC News
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-139230%
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox Primer: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
In a Lightweight fight at the UFC on Fox 1 show, Clay Guida (29-11; 9-5 UFC) faces Ben Henderson (14-2; 2-0 UFC). This highly anticipated Lightweight fight is the final fight of the prelim portion of the card. Guida is currently ranked #7 at Lightweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, with Henderson in the top 5 at #4. The prelims will be streamed online at FoxSports.com and Facebook starting at 4:45 p.m. ET.
This is a fight that has kind of stumbled into #1 contender status. Both Jim Miller and Anthony Pettis looked on the way to Lightweight title shots, but loses to Henderson and Guida respectively set up this clash. Now, it looks like the winner of this match will challenge Frankie Edgar in Japan in February. The only real shame of this is that fans will have to do a little work to see it. This really deserves to be semi-main event on a PPV where both men will get some more exposure. Let's hope folks tune in for this one.
How do these two stack up?
Guida: 29 years old | 5'7" | 69" reachHenderson: 27 years old | 5'9" | 70" reach
What have these two done recently?
Guida: W - Anthony Pettis (UD) | W - Takanori Gomi (Sub) | W - Rafael dos Anjos (Sub)Henderson: W - Jim Miller (UD) | W - Mark Bocek (UD) | L - Anthony Pettis (UD)
How did these two get here?
Clay Guida is a five year veteran of the UFC. For much of that time, he was known as the guy who had great Fight of the Night quality fights, but would often find himself on the losing end. But after changing his training camps and beginning to work with Greg Jackson, Guida has put it all together to become a true contender. He's on a 4 win streak that includes derailing former WEC champion Pettis. Working with Jackson, Guida has begun really emphasizing his wrestling and ground control, shying away from the wild slugfests that characterized his earlier UFC run. Guida is a former Strikeforce champion who is now looking to finally break through in the UFC and move from lower end top 10, to #1 contender.
Ben Henderson has made a (pardon me) smooth transition into the UFC. The former WEC Lightweight champion had a tremendous 10 fight win streak from 2007-2010, but fell to Pettis in the final WEC fight (where he became the highlight reel victim to the now famous Showtime Kick). Analysts were not sure how he would do in the UFC, but he answered those questions with a shockingly dominant win over Jim Miller this summer. How impressive was that win? Only three men have ever defeated Miller - champion Edgar, former #1 contender Gray Maynard, and Henderson. Henderson has a strong all around game, with incredible submission defense, and is the favorite in this fight.
Why should you care?
If the #1 contender status isn't enough, add in the fact that this should be a fantastic strategic fight. It will likely be a bit more nuanced than the main event, so I understand not showing it to casual fans tuning in on Fox, but for a look at the technical side of the sport, this will be well worth your time. Find a computer and check it out.
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, guida
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX: Quick Results
Live results for all fights on the "UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" card from Anaheim.
Posted in: ufc, fight, result, fox, do
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC 'Primetime' on FOX: Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos video
Here is the complete video of the UFC on Fox 1 "Primetime" special that features UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and the number one contender to his title, Junior dos Santos.
The special originally aired on the FOX network on Oct. 30, 2011. It's worth another look as the world's premiere mixed martial arts (MMA) organization will finally debut on network television later this evening (Nov. 12, 2011) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with an hour-long broadcast that is set to start at 9 p.m. ET.
Get an in-depth look at the lives and training camps of both men as they prepare for what is being called the biggest -- and most important -- fight in the promotion's history. The most prestigious championship in all of sports will be on the line.
Watch parts two and three of UFC on FOX's "Primetime" special after the jump:
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on Fox 1, beginning with the preliminary card bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 5 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the heavyweight championship bout, which is set for an approximate 9 p.m. ET start time, as it happens.
See you soon!
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, training camps, primetime
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Primer: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
In a Featherweight fight at UFC on Fox 1, Dustin Poirier (10-1; 2-0 UFC) faces Pablo Garza (11-1; 2-0 UFC). This is the second to last fight on the prelim card. Poirier is currently ranked #12 at Featherweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Garza is unranked. The prelims will be streamed online at FoxSports.com and Facebook starting at 4:45 p.m. ET.
This Featherweight fight is between two men who are somewhat mirror images of each other. Both came up through the US regional MMA scene. Both came into the WEC as Lightweights. And after suffering a loss at Lightweight, both men dropped to Featherweight and made the transition to the UFC. They're both 2-0 in the UFC and undefeated at 145 pounds. One of them will take their first Featherweight loss here, while the other tries to break out of the pack in this still developing division.
How do these two stack up?
Poirier: 22 years old | 5'9"Garza: 27 years old | 6'1" | 73" reach
What have these two done recently?
Poirier: W - Jason Young (UD) | W - Josh Grispi (UD) | W - Zach Micklewright (TKO) Garza: W - Yves Jabouin (Sub) | W - Fredson Paixao (KO) | L - Tiequan Zhang (Sub)
How did these two get here?
Despite the similarities in their backgrounds, Poirier has the higher ranking and profile thanks to the quality of his wins. In particular, he made an impression by upsetting #1 contender Josh Grispi at UFC 125. He's followed that up with a win over Jason Young. Despite that Grispi victory, Porier has not yet gained much traction in the division. A win here is another good step on the road to title contention, and would hopefully lead him to a higher level of opponent.
Pablo "The Scarecrow" Garza had a very brief UFC run on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, where he was eliminated in the qualifying round. He moved over to the WEC as a Lightweight, and then dropped down to Featherweight when the WEC merged with the UFC. Like Poirier, he is 2-0 in the UFC, but his wins both come via spectacular stoppages - first a Knockout of the Night flying knee on Fredson Paixao, then a Submission of the Night flying triangle on Yves Jabouin. He's a flashy fighter, and is he pulls off another highlight reel win here, the UFC would be wise to give him some more exposure next time out.
Why should you care?
This is a good fight between two interesting up and comers. Poirier is moving into contender status, and a win here will keep elevating him. But Garza is known for fireworks, and can make more of a name for himself by stealing Poirier's momentum, especially if he does so the way he has won his last two.
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX Live Blog: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Updates
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXANAHEIM, Calif. -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson, a lightweight bout on the undercard of tonight's UFC on FOX event from the Honda Center.
The winner of this fight will challenge Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight strap. Former WEC champ Henderson (14-2) has won both his UFC fights against Mark Bocek and Jim Miller by unanimous decision. Guida (29-11) has won his last four fights and is coming off a win over Anthony Pettis.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Results | Latest UFC News
Round 1:
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-139230%
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, henderson, blog
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos - Live Results and Play-By-Play For Main Event
You know what's getting me excited? Hearing Bruce Buffer announce "IT'S TIIIIIIIIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING" on Fox. I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it. Tonight is the the premier of UFC on Fox with Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight belt against Junior Dos Santos.
The fight airs live on FOX at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. The production will be different from what we as fans are used to seeing with UFC fights. While the broadcast kicks off at the aforementioned times, the fight probably won't start until 35 minutes into the hour. For the first 35 minutes the fans watching from home will be able to see live interview with the fighters as well as breakdowns of the fight from the broadcast team.
Tonight is about introducing the sport to the non-fan and this time will be spent educating them on the sport. The first two rounds of the fight will be commercial free. And as Dana has said, it doesn't matter if this goes "25 seconds or 25 minutes" it will be the only fight shown on the broadcast.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Official Result:
Posted in: ufc, fight, round, fox, do
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Primer: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
In a Featherweight fight, Cub Swanson (15-4; UFC Debut) meets Ricardo Lamas (10-2; 1-0 UFC) as part of the UFC on Fox 1 card. This is the seventh of the nine prelim fights. Neither man is currently ranked in the Featherweight USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. The prelims will be streamed online at FoxSports.com and Facebook starting at 4:45 p.m. ET.
This is a contest between two solid veterans of the WEC. Both men had long runs in the company and made the transition to the UFC earlier this year when the two organizations merged. They are both well-rounded fighters who have experience in jiu jitsu and other disciplines. Swanson adds a kickboxing base to his jiu jitsu, while Lamas complements it with wrestling, and that clash between striking and wrestling could end up deciding the winner in this fight.
How do these two stack up?
Swanson: 28 years old | 5'7"Lamas: 29 years old | 5'8" | 69" reach
What have these two done recently?
Swanson: W - Mackens Semerzier (SD) | L - Chad Mendes (UD) | W - John Franchi (Sub) Lamas: W - Matt Grice (TKO) | L - Yuri Alcantara (KO) | W - Dave Jansen (UD)
How did these two get here?
Cub Swanson made his WEC debut all the way back in 2007. In his time with the company, Swanson faced many of the organization's top names, including Jose Aldo, Jens Pulver, and Chad Mendes. Unfortunately, Swanson ended up on the losing end of all these big fights. This Greg Jackson trainee has had a tough year in 2011. Twice, he has been scheduled to face Eric Koch in what would be Swanson's UFC debut, and twice that fight has been cancelled due to a Swanson injury. I can't expect that after a year off and two fight canceling injuries Swanson will be at 100% here.
Ricardo Lamas is a Chicago area fighter with good wrestling credentials from college. He has a very impressive WEC debut in 2009 when he upset veteran Bart Palaszewski. He went 4-2 in the WEC at Lightweight, then made the drop down to 145 when he switched over to the UFC earlier this year. His UFC debut was another impressive victory as he stopped Matt Grice in the first round. He's yet to really capitalize on the momentum from that win over Bartimus, but he definitely has the potential to emerge as a contender in the future.
Why should you care?
Apologies to Swanson, but Lamas is the one who draws my interest here. He's a good prospect who has shown the potential to do very well. Another stoppage win here could help him gain some footing at Featherweight.
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, swanson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Primer: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
In a Welterweight fight at UFC on Fox 1, DaMarques Johnson (12-9; 3-3 UFC) faces Clay Harvison (9-3; 1-1 UFC). This is the sixth of nine preliminary fights on the card. Neither man is currently ranked in the Welterweight USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. The prelims will be streamed online at FoxSports.com and Facebook starting at 4:45 p.m. ET.
This fight is a battle between two Ultimate FIghter alum. Johnson was a member of Dan Henderson's team on the US vs. UK season, making it to the Welterweight finals. There, he was defeated by James Wilks. Harvison was a member of Brock Lesnar's team, and lost in the quarter-finals to eventual finalist Ramsey Nijem. This fight is a do-over of sorts, as these two were originally set to meet at the Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger Fight Night in September. Johnson had to pull out of that fight due to injury, and Harvison was submitted by replacement Seth Baczynski.
How do these two stack up?
Johnson: 29 years old | 6'1" | 75" reachHarvison: 31 years old | 6'1" | 73" reach
What have these two done recently?
Johnson: L - Amir Sadollah (TKO) | W - Mike Guymon (Sub) | L - Matt Riddle (TKO) Harvison: L - Seth Baczynski (Sub) | W - Justin Edwards (SD) | W - Aric Nelson (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Johnson fought in a number of small shows, primarily in Utah, and put together a 9-6 record before being signed to The Ultimate Fighter. After losing in the finals, he started to amass a decent UFC record, winning his next 2 fights and earning bonuses for each. But he's 1-2 in his last three and doesn't seem long for the UFC. Johnson has fared well against mainly no name fighters, but has struggled every time he has stepped up the level of opponent. He could easily be cut if he loses here.
Harvison also came up through the small regional scene, fighting on shows with colorful names like "Wild Bill's Fight Night." He won his first UFC bout - a split decision against Justin Edwards, before losing to Baczynski. At 31 years of age, he's a bit older than most fighters at this early stage of their career, and if he has hopes of making a name for himself, it has to begin now. A loss here would be his second in a row, and like Johnson, could result in his leaving the UFC.
Why should you care?
Johnson tends to finish lower-tier guys, and he often does in with a highlight finish, so look for that here. It's also one of those potential "loser leaves town" fight, which adds a bit of drama. But honestly, this is not the most compelling fight in the world.
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Primer: Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
A couple of guys that know a thing or two about Japanese MMA will meet in the octagon. One is a former pound-for-pound great that is looking for a career resurgence, and the other has left his JMMA political problems behind and will look to make his UFC debut a memorable one. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) meets Darren Uyenoyama (6-3, 0-0 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC on Fox 1.
Neither fighter is currently ranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, though either of them could easily crack the list with a couple of solid wins. This bantamweight UFC on Fox fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Yamamoto: 34 years old | 5'4" | 66" reachUyenoyama: 32 years old | 5'6" | Unknown reach
What have these two done recently?
Yamamoto: L - Demetrious Johnson (UD) | W - Federico Lopez (KO) | L - Masanori Kanehara (UD)Uyenoyama: W - Shuichiro Katsumura (TKO) | L - Tomoya Miyashita (SUB) | W - Brad Royster (UD)
How did these two get here?
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is a superstar in Japan and despite being very undersized, he was a top lightweight in K-1 Hero's a few years ago. A serious knee injury and marijuana scandal put him on the sidelines for all of 2008, and he's never been quite the same since. He's gone just 1-3 in the last 3 and a half years, and lost his only UFC fight by decision to Demetrious Johnson back at UFC 126 in February. He's a very skilled fighter, but does he have another run left in him? A win over Uyenoyama would be a great start.
Darren "BC" Uyenoyama is a veteran of Strikeforce, DEEP and Dream and probably first got a lot of attention for an excellent bout with Hideo Tokoro at Dream 4. His biggest win was in his last bout, as he defeated then-Shooto featherweight (132 lb) champion Shuichiro Katsumura by TKO in a non-title bout. Shooto never followed through with their promise of a title shot or a bout with Masakatsu Ueda, and left Uyenoyama in limbo for a long time over the situation. Finally he gave up and made his way into the UFC, and this bout with Kid.
Why should you care?
It's a pretty good style matchup. Uyenoyama is an excellent grappler who can hang on the feet, and Yamamoto is a very good striker with good takedown defense. Who will blink first?
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTook a picture with The Janitor at the UFC on FOX weigh ins yesterday
submitted by xKrazExMNUx [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, picture, xkrazexmnux, ins yesterday
Read the full article at RedditOf course Mauro Ranallo gave us a special 'UFC on FOX' rap freestyle...
It's important to note that none of this stuff was scripted. LayzieTheSavage literally walked up to Mauro Ranallo, handed him the shirt that he's been asking us for, and not only did Ranallo rap about the gear, but he also intertwined it with a short UFC on FOX breakdown. I don't know how he executed it with such great precision. It's one of MMA's greatest mysteries. However, as long as Ranallo will drop freestyles on the masses, we will be there to film it.
Check out Mauro Ranallo's special UFC on FOX freestyle -- because you know you want to.
Posted in: fox, mauro ranallo, ranallo, scripted layziethesavage, ranallo rap
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on Fox Primer: Cole Escovedo vs. Alex Caceres
It's a loser-leaves-town situation in the third fight of the night. Both guys have lost their first two bouts in the UFC, and they'll be fighting for their jobs when they face off in the octagon. Cole Escovedo (17-8, 0-2 UFC) meets TUF 12's Alex Caceres (5-4, 0-2 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC on Fox 1.
Neither fighter is currently ranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and with zero wins between them in the UFC, you're not going to see either of them gracing the esteemed list anytime soon. This bantamweight UFC on Fox fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Escovedo: 30 years old | 5'7" | 69" reachCaceres: 23 years old | 5'10" | 68' reach
What have these two done recently?
Escovedo: L - Takeya Mizugaki (TKO) | L - Renan Barao (UD) | W - Steven Silver (SUB)Caceres: L - Jim Hettes (SUB) | L - Mackens Semerzier (SUB) | W - Jahmal McLennan (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Cole "Apache Kid" Escovedo became the first WEC featherweight champion way back in 2002, and eventually lost it to Urijah Faber in 2006 (After defending it once in fours years). He fought once in the IFL after he dropped the title, where he got knocked out by legend Jens Pulver. After another loss and 2 1/2 years out of the fight game, he returned in 2009 at bantamweight and won the Palace Fighting Championships bantamweight title, handing highly-touted prospect Michael McDonald his only defeat to date. He has gone 6-3 at BW so far, with losses in a return match with McDonald and his two UFC bouts where he was decisioned by top contender Renan Barao and TKO'd by Takeya Mizugaki.
Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres is the man that never stops smiling. He entered the public consciousness as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 12, winning a couple of bouts by submission before he was decisioned by Michael Johnson. He dropped his first two bout in the UFC by submission to Mackens Semerzier and Jim Hettes. Both bouts were contested at featherweight, and Cacares will drop to bantamweight for this bout with Escovedo.
Why should you care?
If you like watching Alex Cacares getting submitted, this is the fight for you to watch!
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowESPN MMA Live: UFC on FOX 1 Preview
On this week’s edition of ESPN MMA Live, the crew previews UFC on FOX 1 and recaps UFC 138.
ESPN MMA Live Archive
If you have trouble playing the video, you can also watch it on ESPN.com.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, espn, espn mma
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX: Under The Radar
Jeremy Botter is here to tell you why you should pay attention to Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza.
Posted in: ufc, fox, jeremy, attention, poirier
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 1 fight card: Previews, predictions and a complete guide to 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
For fans of mixed martial arts, this past week has been a slow crawl of steadily rising anticipation for tonight's "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event, going down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
UFC on FOX 1 will mark the promotion's first venture into the prestigious world of network television. It will be a one-hour primetime special that will feature just one match-up.
But it's a big one.
Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line against division number one contender and noted knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
It's been a flurry of non-stop news, analysis, quotes, predictions and previews for the past week and it's certainly understandable if you missed out on a few stories.
But don't worry, Maniacs, we've got you covered.
In cased you missed any or all of it — or just want to keep the discussion alive — below are links to all the major storylines heading into tonight's broadcast.
In we go:
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos"
Fight card and line-up
Results and live fight coverage
UFC on FOX 1 predictions and previews:
Predictions from the myth himself, Nostradumbass
Facebrook "Prelims" predictions and preview
Fight preview: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Fight preview: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Fight preview: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Fight preview: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Fight preview: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC on FOX 1 press conferences:
Pre-fight press conference
Press conference video
Press conference staredown pics
UFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins:
Weigh-in results
Weigh-in photos gallery
Weigh-in staredown pics
Weigh-in video
UFC on FOX 1 odds:
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Velasquez vs. Dos Santos round-by-round betting breakdown
Complete odds and betting guide
UFC on FOX 1 news:
How to watch the event
Event poster
Conference call live blog
Open workouts photo gallery
Open workouts videos
John McCarthy will be the referee for Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
First look at the UFC on FOX set (Pic)
The Red Carpet list of celebrities
Exclusive interview with Cole Escovedo
Exclusive interview with Pablo Garza
Complete statistical breakdown of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC on FOX 1 editorials:
MMA 101: Looking into the kickboxing and Muay Thai aspect of MMA prior to UFC on FOX
MMA 101: Looking into the wrestling aspect of MMA prior to UFC on FOX
MMA 101: Looking at the most utilized strikes prior to UFC on FOX
MMA 101: Looking at the most frequently utilized submissions prior to UFC on FOX
MMA 101: Comprehensive technique guide for UFC on FOX fans, new and old
History in the Making: The UFC heavyweight title in the Zuffa era part one
History in the Making: The UFC heavyweight title in the Zuffa era part two
History in the Making: Cain Velasquez stops Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
History in the Making: Junior dos Santos batters Shane Carwin for 15 minutes at UFC 131
Lorenzo Fertitta: UFC on FOX will cost Zuffa $16 million ... but it's worth it
FOX is a huge commercial, an investment in the future growth of MMA
Dana White is nervous about breaking his little bubble of armbars and triangle chokes
Dana White invites sports fans around the world to watch the event
Clay Guida has fought numerous opponents better than Ben Henderson
Ben Henderson doesn't need to be on TV, he just needs to beat Clay Guida
A win at UFC on FOX by Norifumi Yamamoto would be huge for Japanese MMA
UFC on FOX 1 videos:
Dana White video blog episode one
Dana White and Jay Glazer rap about a dream realized
UFC on FOX: The Ring ... Announcer
UFC on FOX promo destroys boxing bigot Bob Arum
Predictions from fighters on the main event
Even more predictions from fighters on the main event
There are actually more predictions from fighters on the main event
Cain Velasquez video blog
Cain Velasquez visits the set of NFL on FOX to talk Junior dos Santos fight
Cain Velasquez break dances on FOX Sports Latin America
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos UFC Undisputed 3 simulation
If Cain Velasquez strikes with Junior dos Santos, someone's getting knocked out
Junior dos Santos really thinks he can knock out Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez is planning for a five round war against Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos doesn't want to go five rounds with Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez: Junior dos Santos really doesn't have a hole in his game
Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on FOX made all the sense in the world
Clay Guida's wrestling against Ben Henderson will be exciting
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson preview
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza preview
That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being.
What has been the biggest story heading into this event? Or is that just a silly question considering the very nature of this show?
Sound off, Maniacs.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Primer: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Two solid wrestlers will face off in the second bout of the night, with one coming off a very tough loss and the other dropping back down to his natural weight class. It just happens to be a rematch as well. It will either be a solid wrestling match or a bunch of less-than-pretty striking when Mike Pierce (12-4, 4-2 UFC) meets Paul Bradley (18-3, 0-1 UFC) in a welterweight bout at UFC on Fox 1.
Neither fighter is currently ranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. Pierce was teetering on the edge of the list before the Hendricks fight, making it to number 25 at least once. The loss in that fight was a big setback though, and he'll need a couple of big wins to get back there. This welterweight UFC on Fox fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Pierce: 30 years old | 5'8" | 71" reachBradley: 28 years old | 5'9" | 71" reach
What have these two done recently?
Pierce: L - Johny Hendricks (SD) | W - Kenny Robertson (TKO) | W - Amilcar Alves (SUB)Bradley: L - Rafael Natal (UD) | W - Eddie Larrea (SUB) | W - Kenneth Allen (SUB)
How did these two get here?
Mike Pierce debuted in the UFC with a decision win over Brock Larson, then was given a huge test in Jon Fitch at UFC 107. He dropped a decision, but was probably the only person other than Georges St. Pierre to hurt Fitch in the UFC by stunning him with punches in the third round. It was a performance that many still remember vividly. He put together three straight wins after that, but suffered a big setback when he dropped a very close split-decision loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 133. He'll look to start the climb back into contention with a win over Bradley, a guy he already holds a decision win over when they first met back in 2009.
Paul Bradley is a two-time Division 1 All-American wrestler from the vaunted University of Iowa who entered MMA after his wrestling days were over. He racked up 11 straight victories to start his career before running into Mr. Pierce. Pierce beat him by unanimous decision, so Bradley will be looking to avenge his first loss on Saturday night. Bradley hs also competed in Strikeforce and made his UFC debut at middleweight against Rafael Natal. He dropped a decision, and will return to 170 for this bout with Pierce.
Why should you care?
Pierce is still a very, very good welterweight and while he's not the most exciting guy in the world, his fights are usually interesting to watch from a technical standpoint. Plus, it's wrestler vs. wrestler, and that means it'll stay on the feet for 15 minutes, right? Right?
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Primer: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
The opening bout of the UFC on Fox card will feature one fighter returning to his natural weight class, and another making his UFC debut. You want to talk about a diet plan? It should be interesting to see how dropping 51 pounds affects a fighter when Aaron Rosa (16-4, 0-1 UFC) meets the debuting Matt Lucas (10-3, 3-2 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout.
Neither fighter is currently ranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, which shouldn't come as any shock. Both fighters will be looking for their first UFC win and Rosa didn't even fight at LHW in his debut. This light heavyweight UFC on Fox fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Rosa: 28 years old | 6'3" | 77" reachLucas: 37 years old | 6'1" | Unknown reach
What have these two done recently?
Rosa: L - Joey Beltran (TKO) | W - Abe Wagner (SUB) | W - Devin Cole (UD)Lucas: W - Shawn Frye (KO) | W - Jojo Thompson (UD) | W - Shawn Frye (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Aaron Rosa has fought in nearly every organization that is broadcasted on television in North America, but this is just his second shot at the big stage. He has competed at both heavyweight and light heavyweight in the past, and his most high-profile bout before entering the UFC was probably a TKO loss to former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante. In his UFC debut, he engaged in a thoroughly entertaing brawl with Joey Beltran at UFC 131, where he finally succumed in the third round and lost by TKO. He's returning to light heavyweight for this bout.
Matt "Luke Duke" Lucas is a two-time NCAA Division 2 wrestler at Northern Colorado and will be making his UFC debut at the ripe age of 37. He has been a pro for five years and has picked up 14 wins (half of those by TKO), with his only losses coming to Giva Santana (The Arm Collector), and current Bellator fighter Richard Hale. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak.
Why should you care?
If Lucas chooses to engage on the feet, it could be a pretty entertaining slugfest. And other than Mike Whitehead, I've never seen a guy lose 50 pounds in between fights. Could add some interest to the fight, I guess (okay, not really).
More UFC on Fox preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC on Fox 1: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox 1: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Weigh-In Results: Velasquez - 249, Dos Santos - 239 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson For Number One Contender - Matt Roth
UFC on Fox: Saying Goodbye to Gladiator Man With an Examination of Gladiatorial History
UFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs dos Santos Staff Picks and Predictions
UFC on Fox: For Champions, What A Difference Five Years Can Make - Josh Nason
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox 1: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, Fabricio Werdum Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
UFC on Fox: Yamamoto vs. Uyenoyama and Escovedo vs. Caceres Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
UFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming - Matthew Roth
UFC on Fox Press Conference Video and Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox Promo Video Takes Bob Arum to Task - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: Historical Significance of Network TV for Heavyweight Title Fight Being Undersold - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox: With Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson in the Dark, Lightweight Title Picture Gets Murky - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Career Retrospective Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 97: UFC 138 Aftermath, UFC on FOX Discussion
UFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - Leland Roling
UFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - Tim Burke
UFC on Fox: Clay Guida Wants Title Shot After Ben Henderson Bout - Brent Brookhouse
UFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX Undercard Live Blog: Poirier vs. Garza, Swanson vs. Lamas, More
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXANAHEIM, Calif. -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for the preliminary bouts on tonight's UFC on FOX event from the Honda Center.
For tonight's special, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos will air on FOX at 9 p.m. ET, while the remaining nine bouts will not be televised, but streamed instead on Facebook and FoxSports.com.
For Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida, click here.
The live blog is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Results | Latest UFC News
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Round 1:
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Round 1:
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Round 1:
Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Round 1:
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Round 1:
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Round 1:
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Round 1:
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Round 1:
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, round, fox, vs, blog
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Saturday Morning Link Party
Throw your hands in the air and be prepared to lower them whenever you garner a collection of strange looks from people. Your favorite day of the week has finally arrived and you can relax in knowing that the world will not come to an end this weekend. Don't worry, I've already checked. We're safe. Now that our civilization is going to survive, you will have an ample amount of time to make a celebrity appearance at our Saturday Morning MMA Link Party. Red cups are in the backyard. Don't spill anything. Thank you.
[list class="bullet-6"] [li]Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and the Cardio Question. [MMAFighting]
"Ask the people who know what it's like to have Cain Velasquez in their faces on a regular basis, and they'll tell you that there's a big difference between thinking you can handle the UFC heavyweight champion's non-stop pressure and actually experiencing it."
[/li] [li]Junior Dos Santos and the Five Most Impressive UFC Contender Runs in Recent History. [CagePotato]
"Unless you’ve been locked in a closet for the last week with no internet reception, you’re probably aware that the UFC’s inaugural event on network television transpires this weekend, headlined by a gargantuan heavyweight showdown between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos."
[/li] [li]UFC’s Kyle Watson teams with heavy metal band for UFC on FOX contest. [Fives Ounces of Pain]
"Kyle Watson, a fighter in the UFC and a former cast-member of The Ultimate Fighter, is stepping outside the Octagon to take on a member of A Band of Orcs, a metal band, in a contest for UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos."
[/li] [li]UFC on FOX Staff Predictions Special: Guest Picks From MMA Media Members. [LowKick]
"LowKick.com Staff and fellow MMA media members share their picks for this weekend's UFC Heavyweight title clash between Cain Velasquez.."
[/li] [li]listair Overeem Thought Brock Lesnar Would Be Bigger In Person [MMAConvert]
"MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Alistair Overeem following the UFC 141 press conference today to get his thoughts on Brock Lesnar, tomorrow’s heavyweight championship and his lawsuit with Golden Glory."
[/li] [li]Manny Pacquiao’s Trainer Freddie Roach Anxious to Test Nick Diaz’s Boxing. [5th Round]
"Mixed martial arts fans will finally get the 170-pound clash they’ve been waiting for when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre takes on Nick Diaz at UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend."
[/li] [li]UFC on FOX: Cain Velasquez Relishing in Mexican Pride. [Bleacher Report]
"When the UFC started promoting Brock Lesnar versus Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, the phrase "Mexican-American" was used in the campaign with little hesitation. In fact, it was the biggest tool to advertise the now-UFC heavyweight champ."
[/li] [li]Bellator 57 Weigh-In Results from Canada. [The Fight Nerd]
"The Bellator 57 weigh-ins have been completed from Orillia, Ontario in preparation for Bellator’s Saturday night event at Casino Rama, which features the finals of the Welterweight tournament as Ben Saunders squares off against Douglas Lima."
[/li] [li]UFC on FOX 1 fight card: Cub Swanson finally makes his Octagon debut against Ricardo Lamas. [MMAMania]
"Admittedly enough, all the spotlight for the UFC on Fox 1 fight card tonight (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) has centered around the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos heavyweight championship fight, and for good reason."
[/li] [li]Forrest Griffin, Joe Paterno, and Penn State child sex scandal (updated w/ Dana White comments). [FightOpinion]
“Memo to athletes and media personalities: this is a real sex scandal. Rape and child abuse are not issues to crack jokes about. This is not something to make light of, especially when it involves allegations regarding defenseless or impressionable children."
[/li] [li]USA Today purchases MMA Junkie. [MMAPayout]
"USA Today Sports Media Group announced its purchase of MMAJunkie.com. The purchase includes “its related editorial assets across all platforms, including its daily radio show.”
[/li] [/list]
Ask the people who know what it's like to have Cain Velasquez in their faces on a regular basis, and they'll tell you that there's a big difference between thinking you can handle the UFC heavyweight champion's non-stop pressure and actually experiencing it.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, velasquez, li
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on Fox 1 Full Weigh-in Video
Check out the full weigh-in video from Friday's UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos weigh-ins in Santa Monica, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, weighin, fridays ufc, weighin video
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFOXSports.com Presents: UFC on FOX Preliminary Fights Live Stream (Starting 5PM EST)
Before Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos dispute the UFC Heavyweight title tonight LIVE and FREE on FOX, Ben Henderson, Clay Guida, Pablo Garza, Dustin Poirier, Cub Swanson and many others will entertain the crowd at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of UFC on FOX prelims. First bout of the night will start at around 5PM EST, featuring the Light Heavyweight collision between Aaron Rosa and Matt Lucas, while Clay Guida and Ben Henderson will end the undercard portion with their #1 Lightweight
Posted in: ufc, fox, honda center, fox prelims, undercard portion
Read the full article at Low KickWatch UFC on FOX 1 tonight! 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' live video stream/TV programming schedule for Nov. 12
It doesn't get much easier than this.
No tape delays. No pay-per-view (PPV) purchases. No toggling between Spike TV and PPV. Just FOX, baby. And a little Facebook live stream mixed martial arts (MMA) action, too. That's it.
Unless you've locked yourself in your mother's basement, playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" until your fingers bleed, or are just plain dense, then you should know that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make its celebrated debut on network television, FOX, later this evening (Nov. 12, 2011).
UFC on Fox 1 is an historic hour-long broadcast that begins at 9 p.m. ET. It features just one bout, but it's a fantastic fight that is scheduled for five rounds: UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, defending his world title against number one division contender, Junior dos Santos.
Of course, there are several other scraps that will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., prior to main event, including a number one lightweight contender eliminator match between Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida. These nine fights will all air live via streaming video on Facebook and FoxSports.com, beginning at around 5 p.m. ET.
There's more.
Get the latest details on the UFC on FOX 1 fight card, who is fighting who, which celebrities are expected to saunter down the red carpet, as well as how to keep yourself updated, after the jump:
Main Event: 265 lbs.:
UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Preliminary Card (Broadcast live on Facebook):
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama 145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
145 lbs.: Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier
185 lbs.: Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce 205 lbs.: Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa
170 lbs.: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
To watch the UFC on FOX 1 "Prelims" on Facebook, (if you have a Facebook profile) simply "Like" the UFC Facebook page and check out the "UFC Live Streams" tab on the left-side menu. The live stream will also be available to watch on FOXSports.com for those fight fans who don't have Facebook accounts.
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FOX 1, beginning with the Facebook prelims at 5 p.m. ET TONIGHT (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011). In addition, we will be your one-stop-shop for all the post-event coverage and highlights immediately following the show.
In addition, UFC and FOX have scheduled a ton of pre- and post-fight coverage programming to air on FUEL TV and FOX Deportes, including a pre-fight show hosted by Jay Glazer, along with Brock Lesnar, Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar. For a complete UFC on FOX 1 programming schedule for later this evening click here. To check out the list of celebrities who were announced to walk down the red carpet prior to the UFC on FOX television event click here.
And to get up to speed on all the news and notes for UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," be sure to hit up our event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, facebook, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAs landmark event beckons, UFC on FOX ref Herb Dean dicusses art of officiating
UFC on FOX referee Herb Dean has said he's always looking for a reason to let a fight continue. Reason being, he wants to give fighters the best chance they can of winning the fight while protecting their safety.
What he often finds, though, is that fighters don't seem to be particularly concerned with their safety, at least from what they say.
Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres once used a customary backstage meeting with his referee to instruct the official not to stop the fight unless he was knocked out cold.
Posted in: fight, fox, dean, fighters dont, landmark event
Read the full article at MMA JunkieDustin Poirier Shooting for UFC on Fox Fight of the Night
Win or lose, Dustin Poirier is shooting for nothing less than the fight of the night when he squares off with Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox fight, pablo garza, poirier shooting
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMAterial Facts (11/11/11) : UFC on Fox Edition
Welcome to this week’s edition of MMAterial Facts, where we feature articles from around the MMA community.
***
This week’s MMAterial Facts:
Photo: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
- Fowlkes: How White’s Love of Boxing Led Us Here (MMA Fighting)
“White: It was [Fox Sports Media Group Chairman] David Hill. I went in and said, listen, USA’s Tuesday Night Fights and ABC’s Wide World of Sports, we all used to watch those, all of us who were big boxing fans. I didn’t miss Tuesday Night Fights ever. Every Tuesday night I was on the couch. But when I was younger, I remember my uncles all getting around the TV and watching Wide World of Sports. When we told them the fight was going to be the heavyweight championship, they said, ‘Do that, just do the one fight, the heavyweight championship.’ It makes sense. That’s really the way it went down. It was David Hill’s call.”
- Protest & presser at UFC HQ scheduled for Saturday at 11 AM (Fight Opinion)
“On Saturday, Nevada survivors of sexual assault, concerned parents and Las Vegas casino workers will gather outside UFC’s headquarters at 2960 West Sahara Avenue. They are demanding that advertisers and FOX Sports “drop the UFC” until the UFC makes it evident to the public that it no longer tolerates violent, sexist and homophobic language, and adopts and enforces a code of ethical conduct similar to those that exist in other professional sports.”
- Interview with Pablo Garza (MMA Mania)
“With the way I finished my last two fights, people want to think that I’m going to go out there and do something insanely crazy and all that stuff. I’m just gonna go out there and try to win the fight, you know what I mean? If I do something spectacular in the process, that’s bonus points but I don’t purposely go out there and think like, “Alright, maybe this time I’ll try like a back flip or something.”
- Frankie Edgar Will Likely Defend UFC LW Title Against Henderson-Guida Winner In Japan (MMA Convert)
“Two respected MMA media outlets are reporting that Frankie Edgar will cross the Pacific to defend his title next February when the UFC returns to Japan. And word is UFC on FOX 1′s Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida will likely determine his opponent.”
- Here’s the tremendous UFC on FOX weigh-in that you need to see (MiddleEasy)
“By this time tomorrow, we either will have a new heavyweight champion or can solidify that Fedor has been dethroned as the greatest heavyweight of all time. One of those scenarios will 100% take place within 24-hours, and that should fill all of you with incredible anxiety. I’ve been so tensed throughout the day thinking about this fight that I’ve only consumed two things since yesterday, and both of those things begins in ‘vienna’ and ends in ‘sausages.”
- Pros Favoring Velasquez Heading Into ‘UFC On Fox 1′ (FightLine)
“When it was initially announced that Cain Velasquez would make the first defense of his heavyweight belt against Junior dos Santos, the early betting lines favored dos Santos to win, as the memory of his thrashing of Shane Carwin was still fresh in everyone’s mind. With time though, public opinion in general shifted in Velasquez’s favor, with the majority of pundits, fans and fighters alike picking Velasquez to beat dos Santos.
…
FightHubTV’s Marcos Villegas recently polled a few California-stationed MMA fighters over who they see going home with the belt tomorrow night and their opinions reflected that majority. “
- Junior Dos Santos and the Five Most Impressive UFC Contender Runs in Recent History (Cage Potato)
“You see, unbeaten runs aren’t common in the UFC. This isn’t the world of boxing, where fighters are fed 20 journeymen before they get thrown to the lions. And that’s precisely why the MMA community purrs over such immaculate resumes. So which UFC fighters built up the most impressive win streaks en route to their first title shot? These five come to mind…”
- UFC on FOX Breakdown: The Main Event (Five Ounces of Pain)
“Its status as MMA’s weakest and at times, most embarrassing division is well-earned. Its oxygen consumption equals that of every other weight class combined, and cardio is often thrown out the window before Bruce Buffer is done with his fighter introductions. However, every now and then, the heavyweight division offers a bout that captures the imagination of fight fans like no other.”
- Celebrities for “UFC on FOX” Red Carpet Event Announced (5thRound)
“FOX promised to host a star-studded red carpet extravaganza to kick off their MMA debut, and they weren’t kidding. This Saturday starting at 4PM PT, FUEL TV’s Nicole Dabeau will greet actors, athletes and other notables as they enter the Honda Center in Anaheim, California to watch Cain Velasquez defend his UFC heavyweight crown against Junior dos Santos.”
- Interview with UFC on Fox co-headliner Clay Guida (LowKick)
“Ben Henderson is pretty much the same (as Anthony Petts), great on the feet and solid on ground. I won’t go into detail, but I want to finish this fight. To me, a big win earns a title shot. I want to win big so that there is no question about my title shot. Everyone hyped Melvin Guillard as the obvious next shot, but then he lost in the first-round to Joe (Lauzon). So, I figure with a big win, then it’s my turn for that title shot.”
…
“It’s amazing really. To come from a wrestling background that doesn’t really have a professional circuit, other then the Olympics or the WWE, it is amazing to think that now I’m on PPV and will be on Fox. It’s just unreal and awesome. Plus, I meet so many people that just want a picture or to say hello – the fans are usually really cool. I feel that I have been a great ambassador for the UFC, and I hope to continue that trend.”
- UFC 1-75 summed up in Tweets (TheFightNerd)
“Scrawny Brazilian beats all with complex hugging and squeezing moves,
including boxer with one glove and Ken Shamrock. -UFC 1 in tweet form
…
Pat Smith kills a ninja, but is scared of Royce Gracie being on top.
-UFC 2 in tweet form
…
“If you’re coming on, come on!” says Canadian with epic mullet. -UFC 3
in tweet form”
- Dana White: UFC on FOX a ‘”Dream Come True“(BleacherReport.com/MMA)
“Lorenzo [Fertitta] and I sat down and we talked about a lot of different fights we can make. This one made sense,” White says. “Not only with the heavyweight championship of the world, but the fight between these two athletes. These guys are monsters, man. When have you seen either of these guys in a boring fight that was just horrible? The answer is never.”
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fox, heavyweight
Read the full article at MMA PayoutNine Ways of Looking at the UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXThe UFC's debut on FOX is almost here and the talking is (thankfully) almost done. Before we all grab our popcorn and settle in for the big night, some thoughts, questions, predictions, and meandering musings for a Saturday afternoon.
I. Best-case scenario for the UFC on Saturday night? Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos go back and forth in a seesaw bout that lasts at least three rounds, giving viewers the chance to freak out over Twitter and in emails/text messages/barely coherent phone calls to friends, thus driving up the ratings with each round. Worst-case scenario? The fight ends via questionable stoppage/injury/accidental foul 30 seconds in, and everybody goes to bed angry. Hey, this is MMA. Anything can happen.
II. But imagine the worst-case scenario does happen. What then? FOX executives probably won't tear up their contract with the UFC and leave it in tiny pieces in the parking lot of the Honda Center. Fight fans will recognize that sometimes this stuff just happens, and they won't stay mad for long. Maybe these "millions of new viewers" we keep hearing about will smirk to one another as they change the channel. Maybe it will take a while to convince those people to give this another go, but it won't be impossible. My point is, while the stakes are certainly high here, this isn't make-or-break for the UFC. It's more like make-or-bummer. Even if the fight goes as badly as it can possibly go, the sport and the UFC will survive. It's not that first impressions don't matter -- they do. But then again, we've all heard stories where couples had disastrous first dates before eventually finding themselves in long, happy marriages.
III. There's a lot of talk about what kind of ratings this show needs to do in order to be considered a true success. Odds are we'll still be arguing over the numbers and what they mean for weeks to come, but the way I see it there's really only one true benchmark this show: you've got to beat Kimbo. EliteXC: Primetime averaged a little over 4 million viewers and peaked with about 6.5 million. Just for the sake of self-respect, not to mention bragging rights, the UFC has to beat the internet brawler and his off-brand employers.
IV. Just getting to fight day with both combatants healthy has to feel like a victory in itself. After all the plugs for the "heavyweight championship of the world" during every quarter of every NFL game on FOX, can you imagine if one of these guys had pulled out with an injury last week? That would have been disastrous, and we can probably assume that the UFC took the time to impress that point upon both fighters. Now there are rumors that Velasquez suffered some injuries in training camp and you have to wonder if he might be soldiering through them even when it isn't a good idea, all just to please his boss. If that results in a diminished performance against dos Santos, neither Velasquez's nor the UFC's interests will be served by it.
V. The response from the weigh-in crowd yesterday suggests that plenty of fans are aware of and interested in the Clay Guida-Ben Henderson bout on this card, but what about the rest of the fights? If you're Dustin Poirier or DaMarques Johnson, is anyone but your friends and family thinking about you on Saturday night? Honestly, probably not. While the undercard is decent, there sure isn't much star power there. That, combined with the 1:45 p.m. local start time could mean a lot of empty seats for guys who are still fighting their hearts out, regardless of whether anyone is watching.
VI. While we're on the subject of collateral damage from this unique fight night situation, how about the poor souls on UFC 139 next weekend? Sure, the hardcores are looking forward to Dan Henderson and "Shogun" Rua going at it, but for the most part it's been drowned out by the big media push for the FOX debut. UFC officials just haven't had the time or energy to do much promotional work on it lately, and who can blame them? This event has understandably gotten the full-court press from the UFC's PR staff, but that leaves next weekend's pay-per-view standing in the shadows.
VII. On Thursday the UFC sent out a list of red carpet attendees who will lend their air of celebrity to this event by smiling and waving on their way into the arena. The list contained the names of a bunch of actors, most of whom I'd never heard of, and in parenthesis next to their names were the FOX TV shows that they're on. Again, most of which I'd never heard of. One familiar name did make the list, however: Gina Carano. And in parenthesis next to the former "face of women's MMA"? Haywire. As in, the upcoming Steven Soderbergh flick that has kept her away from the sport ever since her loss to "Cyborg" Santos. Sure, that's what we all know Carano from. That movie none of us have seen yet.
VIII. Henderson and Guida are dealing with their network TV snub in the exact right way. Every time it's come up in interviews this week -- and it's come up a lot -- they've both insisted that they aren't disappointed by the lack of major TV exposure for their fight. That's the kind of team player the UFC likes to see. But lest they be too easy-going and end up as doormats, they've both indicated that they want to hold the UFC president to his promise to get their fight on TV as soon as possible. Guida praised his boss as a "a magician" who will find a way to make it happen. Henderson put the responsibility on himself, saying that, "Some way, some how, this fight's going to make it to air. ...Dana White's going to want to put this one on primetime television." In other words, we won't scream and cry about being slightly overlooked, but we won't be ignored either.
IX. If you're expecting to wake up to a brave new world of MMA awareness and appreciation on Sunday morning, don't. Even if this event is as huge as White has repeatedly promised, the impact probably won't be immediately apparent beyond the insulated walls of the MMA community. Why? Frankly, there's kind of a lot going on across the sports news landscape right now. The Penn State child abuse scandal has dominated headlines this week, the NFL gets back to work on Sunday, and the Pacquiao-Marquez fight could potentially upstage the UFC by going last and closing out this fight night with a bang. That's not to say that a great fight won't bring MMA a few new converts, but the benefit with this FOX deal is long-term mainstream exposure. As White said, it's about "investing in the future" and indoctrinating new fans. It's bigger than one night or one fight. Let's not forget that. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, way
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX discussion thread
ANAHEIM, Calif. - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from "UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on FOX live-results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.
Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 4:45
p.m. ET (1:45 p.m. PT) for the preliminary card and 9 p.m. ET for the
main card.
Posted in: fox, honda center, official results, comments section, roundbyround updates
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox Live Results and Play-by-Play (4:45 p.m. ET)
Sherdog.com will report from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fox, headlined by a UFC heavyweight title clash between champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, result, fox, honda center, anaheim calif
Read the full article at SherdogFirst look at the UFC on FOX set for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' (Pic)
Obviously, it's still under construction but here's the first look at the UFC on FOX set that will be utilized tonight (Sat., Nov. 12, 2011) in Anaheim, California, leading into the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos heavyweight championship fight.
NFL on FOX lead man Curt Menefee will play host for the festivities while FOX analyst Jay Glazer, UFC President Dana White and UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar will serve as analysts.
After the jump, check out a pic of Menefee rehearsing for the big event.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, anaheim california, jump check
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX: Weigh-In Photo Gallery
HeavyMMA photographer James Law was on hand for today's UFC on FOX weigh-ins. Check out the complete gallery inside.
Posted in: ufc, fox, gallery, weighin, todays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox: Greatest Milestone in MMA History?
The UFC takes to Fox on Nov. 12, airing the UFC heavyweight title bout between titleholder Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santo. Is it the biggest fight in MMA history?
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, mma history, dos santo
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox: Cain Velasquez Vs. Junior Dos Santos Weigh In Highlight Videos
Lemme tell you how stoked I am right now. I've loved the work that the All Elbows crew (EKC and Esther Lin) do since my days writing for Unintelligent Defense. Now that they are part of the SB Nation family as members of the MMA Fighting team, it's possibly the greatest thing. E. Casey Leydon is the man behind the video camera for all of Ariel Helwani's video interviews. He's also the guy who put this highlight video of today's UFC on Fox weigh ins.
For those that didn't see them live on Fuel TV or online, it's important to note that all fighters made weight. It's also important that the crowd was absolutely enormous for the weigh ins and super lively. In fact, the only crowd I can remember being louder was the Brazilians for UFC 134 in Rio. In Anaheim, it's definitely obvious that the audience will be supporting Cain Velasquez, who will draw from the American and Mexican communities of SoCal. The second biggest pop was definitely for Ben Henderson.
Anyways, enjoy.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, videos lemme, mexican communities
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 1 Weigh-in Photo Gallery
Check out MMAWeekly.com's exclusive UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos weigh-in photo gallery!
Posted in: ufc, fox, photo, gallery, weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 weigh in video (full) for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' in Anaheim
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" weigh-in event went down today (Nov. 11, 2011) at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, Calif., where all 20 competitors tipped the scale to make their respective bouts official for tomorrow's (Nov. 5, 2011) historic event.
In the video above, the first fighter steps on the scale around the 14-minute mark.
Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos, which is the only fight from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., that will air during the network's hour-long broadcast that begins at 9 p.m. ET -- both came in well below the division's 265-pound limit.
For complete UFC on FOX weigh in results click here, for staredown pics click here and a complete photos gallery will be posted shortly.
Ready to rumble yet or what, Maniacs?
Posted in: fox, do, velasquez, anaheim nbspufc, results clicknbsphere
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Main Event Weigh-in Video
Watch MMAWeekly.com's exclusive UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos weigh-in video!
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, mmaweeklycom, weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox Weigh Ins -- Youtube link.
submitted by JesusHadALittleLamb [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, jesushadalittlelamb, youtube, jesushadalittlelamb link
Read the full article at RedditWeigh-in Video: UFC on Fox 1
Friday's UFC on Fox weigh-ins can be viewed here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, friday, weighin, fox weighins
Read the full article at SherdogAll fighters scheduled for UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos make weight
Dana White has been vocal about the pressure he’s felt during the final leg of preparations surrounding Saturday night’s historic debut on network television. Set for FOX at 9:00 PM EST, UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos features headlining action from heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez who puts his title on the line against powerful Brazilian Junior dos Santos. However, the UFC President should sleep a little better tonight in lieu of successful weigh-ins from top to bottom meaning the card will go on as scheduled.
Velasquez measured in at 249 pounds for the bout with “Cigano” ten pounds lighter at 239 pounds. The ensuring staredown featured none of the drama from the main event match-ups of UFC 137/UFC 138 with both men maintaining the respect each has shown throughout the build towards their landmark bout.
Here is a rundown of UFC on FOX weights:
Aaron Rosa (204 lbs) vs. Matt Lucas (203 lbs)
Mike Pierce (171 lbs) vs. Paul Bradley (171 lbs)
Alex Caceres (136 lbs) vs. Cole Escovedo (134 lbs)
Mackens Semerzier (146 lbs) vs. Robert Peralta (145 lbs)
Norifumi Yamamoto (135 lbs) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (135 lbs)
Clay Harvison (169 lbs) vs. DaMarques Johnson (171 lbs)
Cub Swanson (145 lbs) vs. Ricardo Lamas (145 lbs)
Dustin Poirier (146 lbs) vs. Pablo Garza (145 lbs)
Ben Henderson (156 lbs) vs. Clay Guida (156 lbs)
Cain Velasquez (249 lbs) vs. Junior dos Santos (239 lbs)
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, lb
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 1 ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’ Weigh-In Results
The UFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins took place earlier this evening at the the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
All fighters made weight. It’s worth noting that Cain Velasquez came in several pounds heavier than he has in past fights (5 more than vs. Lesnar, 7 more than vs. Big Nog, etc.) which is already fueling speculation that he may not be in optimal shape for this fight. And it wouldn’t be be surprising if he isn’t since he sat on the sidelines for so long after shoulder injury/surgery. It will be interesting to see if that becomes a factor tomorrow night.
The weigh-in results:
Cain Velasquez (249) vs. Junior Dos Santos (239)
Clay Guida (156) vs. Ben Henderson (156)
Pablo Garza (145) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
Ricardo Lamas (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
Clay Harvsion (169) vs. DaMarques Johnson (171)
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (135) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (135)
Robert Peralta (145) vs. Mackens Semerzier (146)
Alex Caceres (136) vs. Cole Escovedo (134)
Paul Bradley (171) vs. Mike Pierce (171)
Matt Lucas (203) vs. Aaron Rosa (204)
Fighters in non-title fights are allowed to weigh in one pound over the weight class limit.
UFC on FOX 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” will take place tomorrow, Nov. 12, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will air live on FOX at 9pm ET/6pm PT.
More UFC 116 weigh-in pics at CombatLifestyle.com. Video via MMA Fighting.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, weighin
Read the full article at MMA ConvertCain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos staredown pic from UFC on FOX 1 weigh ins
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" is just around the corner, emanating from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Caliornia, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011.
And that means all the pre-fight festivities, like press conferences (here), weigh-ins (here) and the obligatory staredown pictures that come with them.
Above we have the main event of the evening, featuring Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. This is more than just a heated match-up with the heavyweight championship on the line. This is the historic first UFC fight on network television.
Time to roll, baby. Rolling in the hole.
The Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson staredown pic is after the jump. For complete UFC on Fox 1 weigh-in results click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Weigh-In Results
Complete fighter weigh-in results for "UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos."
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, weighin results
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX Live Weigh-In Results
A scenario once thought to be little more than a MMA fan’s fantasy is set to unfold tomorrow night from Anaheim, California, as the UFC is poised to make its network debut on FOX with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and imposing contender Junior dos Santos helping usher the new era through their main event match-up.
Before Velasquez and Dos Santos can display their talents in front of the millions of people anticipated to be tuning in they have to first deal with the formality of making weight with neither expected to come close to the 265-pound heavyweight limit.
However, their peers’ potential of missing a required mark is a bit higher, and as such Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in to the proceedings as usual while relaying live results back to readers when things begin this evening at 7:00 PM EST.
Read below for a full list of UFC on FOX weights:
Mike Pierce ( lbs) vs. Paul Bradley ( lbs)
Aaron Rosa ( lbs) vs. Matt Lucas ( lbs)
Mackens Semerzier ( lbs) vs. Robert Peralta ( lbs)
Alex Caceres ( lbs) vs. Cole Escovedo ( lbs)
Clay Harvison ( lbs) vs. DaMarques Johnson ( lbs)
Norifumi Yamamoto ( lbs) vs. Darren Uyenoyama ( lbs)
Cub Swanson ( lbs) vs. Ricardo Lamas ( lbs)
Dustin Poirier ( lbs) vs. Pablo Garza ( lbs)
Ben Henderson ( lbs) vs. Clay Guida ( lbs)
Cain Velasquez ( lbs) vs. Junior dos Santos ( lbs)
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, lb
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX Weigh-In Highlight Video
Filed under: UFC, Videos, UFC on FOXSANTA MONICA, Calif. -- The UFC on FOX weigh-ins took place Friday afternoon at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Full UFC on FOX weigh-in results here; highlights below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, weighin, santa monica, fox weighin
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox Weigh-In Results and Coverage
Bloody Elbow will be providing live results and coverage when all 20 fighters on the card step on the scale at today's UFC on Fox weigh-ins from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. The weigh-ins will be shown live on Fuel TV, and you can also watch them on the Youtube stream after the jump. The show begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
The main event is for the UFC heavyweight title, with champion Cain Velasquez defending against contender Junior dos Santos. Both will have to make the heavyweight title bout limit of 265 pounds.
Join us and share your thoughts as the weigh-ins unfold.
Main Card:Cain Velasquez ( ) vs. Junior Dos Santos ( )Preliminary Card:Clay Guida ( ) vs. Ben Henderson ( )Pablo Garza ( ) vs. Dustin Poirier ( )Ricardo Lamas ( ) vs. Cub Swanson ( )Clay Harvsion ( ) vs. DaMarques Johnson ( )Norifumi Yamamoto ( ) vs. Darren Uyenoyama ( )Robert Peralta ( ) vs. Mackens Semerzier ( )Alex Caceres ( ) vs. Cole Escovedo ( )Paul Bradley ( ) vs. Mike Pierce ( )Matt Lucas ( ) vs. Aaron Rosa ( )
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, weighin, todays ufc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox now contains 100 percent more redneck
"One's the son of illegal immigrants who came here to steal American jobs, the other's from South America or some crap. The rest is virtually identical."
It's been a long time since there was a threesome at the UFC's commentary table (not counting Chuck Liddell's after-hours activities), but that's about to change at their Fox debut this weekend when none other than Cocksword himself will join Joe and Goldie as an "analyst."
“This is focused on the heavyweights and the heavyweight championship fight on Saturday night between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos,” said White. “We're going to be talking about Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar. Overeem will be there, and Brock Lesnar is actually going to be one of the analysts on the show, breaking down the fight. He [defended the title] against Cain Velasquez, and he was supposed to fight Junior dos Santos, so his opinion is interesting.”
So if you're wondering why the fuck Lesnar of all people would be on the mic, the answer is so that they can promote his upcoming fight with Overeem. This is obviously not something that the UFC often does, and in fact I can't remember anyone besides Randy Couture being the third man (also known as "Lucky Pierre") in the booth. But like it or not, Lesnar is one of the highest profile names to casual fans, and particularly to those who don't usually watch MMA at all. His personal politics also go together with Fox News like peas and carrots, but this is really about the "Fox newbs" who will recognize that ex-wrestler guy and then go buy the PPV to watch him ultimate-fight some huge black fellow from Europe.
read more
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, lesnar, fox news
Read the full article at FightlinkerLuke Thomas examines how Fox has used sports as a key part of their growth as a network and if the...
Luke Thomas examines how Fox has used sports as a key part of their growth as a network and if the UFC partnership will continue that history. Read it at MMA Nation.
Posted in: fox, luke, network, luke thomas, ufc partnership
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 1 Weigh-Ins Stream Live at 7pm ET
The UFC on FOX 1 ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’ weigh-ins will stream live in the video player above at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Weigh-in results will follow on a separate post.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, video player, weighin
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1 Open Workout Highlights: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Highlights from yesterday’s UFC on FOX 1 open workouts courtesy of UFC.com and MMA Heat.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, workout, workouts courtesy
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1: Preview & Predictions
Taking a look at the historic Velasquez vs. Dos Santos bout and the other major fights on the FOX debut.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, debut
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC Sells Out Advertising Space for Debut on Fox, Attracts Big Name Sponsors
When the UFC's new deal with Fox was first announced, one of the concerns that was raised by analysts was whether the promotions could attract new advertisers. The UFC had already signed major brands such as Harley Davidson and Burger King as sponsors, but could they bring in bigger fish? Could Fox demand big money for prime time advertising space connected to mixed martial arts on network television?
According to an article published by Adweek, the UFC has sold out all of the advertising space for the prime time UFC on Fox show this week, going so far as to turn a few advertisers away:
Despite the potential for mayhem, Fox has had no trouble selling ads in and around the fight. "We sold out all 15 units in a week," says Todd Siegel, executive vp, Fox Sports Cable Sales. "In fact, we could have sold more units, but people came to us a little late. We had to turn down a couple movie studios as well as an automotive client."Media buyers say a 30-second spot in The UFC on Fox cost just north of $100,000. Among the marketers advertising are Anheuser-Busch, the Casio G'zOne Commando smartphone, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Two studios--20th Century Fox and Warner Bros.--have also made buys.Velasquez and Dos Santos will begin trading blows at 9:35 p.m., following a half-hour setup by host Curt Menefee, UFC president Dana White, and announcer Joe Rogan. Fox will not throw to commercial between the first and second rounds, electing instead to keep its cameras on the octagon.
Advertisers likely see this as a major opportunity. It's the UFC's first foray into network television, and the event will feature a bout for the UFC heavyweight title. Naturally, the spectacle of the event should create some allure for casual sports fans in general. Fox's promotional push for the event should have a dramatic effect as well. Those factors likely contributed to the hefty asking price, which is normally around $50,000 according to a report at MMAPayout.com.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, network television, advertising
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX open workout videos for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
Above, video highlghts from yesterday's UFC on FOX open workouts, featuring reigning heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
The pair will do battle as the featured fight on the promotion's network television debut, UFC on FOX 1, which emanates from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, at 9 p.m. ET on November 12, 2011.
A closer look at the preparations of both the challenger and the champion, after the jump.
The Challenger...
The champion...
Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of all the action on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX (with Facebook "Prelim" fights beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET).
Now that you've seen them both a day out from the fight, are you still comfortable with your original pick? Or have you started to waver in either direction?
For a preview of tomorrow night's UFC heavyweight title fight click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, honda center, workout videos
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Official Weigh-in Results
The UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos weigh-ins take place Friday at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET at the Santa Monica Civic Center in Santa Monica, Calif.
Posted in: fox, pm, place friday, monica, santa monica
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFriday Link Club: UFC on FOX 1 Preview, The Other Side Of Chael Sonnen
Ariel Helwani hits the streets of Hollywood to find out how mainstream MMA is… or isn’t.
UFC on FOX Main Event Breakdown: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos | MMA Fighting
The success of both starts with offense. Both men are among the most prolific offensive heavyweights in UFC history. Actually, they are the most prolific offensive fighters in UFC history among all division. Again, this can be proven with numbers. According to FightMetric, they rank No. 1 and 2 in UFC history for significant strikes landed per minute all-time.
UFC on FOX Breakdown: The Main Event | Five Ounces of Pain
Its status as MMA’s weakest and at times, most embarrassing division is well-earned. Its oxygen consumption equals that of every other weight class combined, and cardio is often thrown out the window before Bruce Buffer is done with his fighter introductions. However, every now and then, the heavyweight division offers a bout that captures the imagination of fight fans like no other. Whether it is Randy Couture and Pedro Rizzo setting the gold standard for five-round wars, or Fedor Emelianenko‘s titanic battles with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, little can rival the electricity of a legitimately thrilling heavyweight prizefight. This Saturday night, headlining the UFC‘s historic debut on FOX, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos have the chance to eclipse any of the previously mentioned encounters.
The Daily Line: Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Best Heavyweight Title Fight Of All Time? | Fightline
Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on pay-pre-view likely wouldn’t outsell Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, a non-title fight. Even with the ballyhoo over the UFC’s debut on Fox, Velasquez vs. dos Santos doesn’t carry with it the breathless aura that Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic did during the Pride era. So, is Saturday’s main event really the best heavyweight match-up of all time?
UFC on Fox 1: Fighters and Coaches Predict Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Title Bout | Bleacher Report
Considering the magnitude of this fight, BleacherReport.com gathered insight from some of the sport’s most knowledgeable coaches and talented fighters.
THQ couldn’t wait until Saturday, so they made Cain and JDS square off in the digital octagon | MiddleEasy
It’s been 382 days since the UFC heavyweight championship has been defended, but finally, this Saturday we will get to see Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos enter the octagon on Fox. The guys at THQ couldn’t handle the wait for the heavyweight showdown any longer, so they set up a computer controlled Cain Vs. JDS match for our viewing enjoyment. If you haven’t heard, the scientific method of letting digital athletes compete with the computer behind the gamepad has been used in Madden to predict the Super Bowl for years. You can argue on message boards all you want, but the videogames never lie (more like they are slightly above average in predictions at best, but that isn’t as dramatic).
Clay Guida: I won’t go into detail, but I want to finish Ben Henderson (Exclusive) | LowKick
“Ben Henderson is pretty much the same (as Anthony Petts), great on the feet and solid on ground. I won’t go into detail, but I want to finish this fight. To me, a big win earns a title shot. I want to win big so that there is no question about my title shot. Everyone hyped Melvin Guillard as the obvious next shot, but then he lost in the first-round to Joe (Lauzon). So, I figure with a big win, then it’s my turn for that title shot.”
“It’s amazing really. To come from a wrestling background that doesn’t really have a professional circuit, other then the Olympics or the WWE, it is amazing to think that now I’m on PPV and will be on Fox. It’s just unreal and awesome. Plus, I meet so many people that just want a picture or to say hello – the fans are usually really cool. I feel that I have been a great ambassador for the UFC, and I hope to continue that trend.”
Ben Henderson remains a 5-to-2 favorite over Clay Guida | Fight Opinion
Clay Guida is very confident (ask Showdown Joe) about his chances of beating Ben Henderson. Extremely confident. Ben Henderson is also very confident, so much so that he pulled the Razor Ramon toothpick routine during his media session.
Introducing Chael Sonnen: One UFC fan’s story about the fighter you never knew | MMA Mania
“I took my 11 year old son, Ty, to UFC 136. He is a huge UFC fan and we traveled from NJ to go to the Fan Expo and attend the fight. After Chael’s victory, my son approached the security gate to get his autograph. Chael lifted my son over the gate and took him behind the scenes where the other fighters were either recovering from their fight or preparing for an upcoming battle. A security guard brought me back as well, and what followed is a father/son moment that we will both never forget.”
Hot Potato Throwback: 16 Photos of Sexy PRIDE Commentator Eiko Koike | Cage Potato
From 2000-2006, PRIDE’s Japanese commentary team included a gorgeous model/actress named Eiko Koike, who famously broke into tears after Fedor Emelianenko kicked the crap out of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 25. (See the 9:01 mark of this video.) Was she a talented broadcaster? I have no idea. Have I spent the last hour searching for pictures of her on the Internet? Absolutely. Check out the gallery below for our favorite Eiko Koike photos, and curse the fact that us Westerners were stuck with these homely bastards.
Forrest Griffin Apologizes for ‘Rape’ Tweet | 5thRound
“I feel bad, I want to apologize, I feel like a should be punished a little bit,” Griffin told KTNV. “I like to cause trouble, I like to stir the pot and I like to make a mess of things, but I really do not want to be mean or malicious to anyone.”
Update on Xyience Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case | MMA Payout
Some interesting movement in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case of sport drink manufacturer Xyience. Last week, Forbes reported that Fertitta Enterprises was sanctioned by the Bankruptcy Court in Nevada for failing to provide certain information previously requested by the Bankruptcy trustee.
UFC 1-75 summed up in Tweets
| TheFightNerd
MMA Journalist Jim Genia has seen it all in the world of MMA, having been there since practically the inception of the sport. His new book, “Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts“, just came out recently and we had a chance to speak with him as well about it to meet the author, but here is a chance to get to know the writing style of Jim better. On his twitter account, Jim amuses himself by tweeting abridged versions of every UFC event ever. When I say abridged, I mean it as the tweets condense an entire show into under 144 characters.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, heavyweight, vs
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX's Guida vs. Henderson winner expected to face champ Edgar in Japan
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, winner, mattyblayze, edgar
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX Weigh-In Video
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXAll the fighters on the UFC on Fox card will step on the scale at the UFC on Fox weigh-ins Friday, and we'll carry the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.
In the main event, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and No. 1 contender Junior Dos Santos will both be comfortably below the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds. Velasquez, who has been out of action for more than a year with a shoulder injury, weighed in at 244 for his last fight, against Brock Lesnar. Dos Santos weighed in at 239 for his last fight, against Shane Carwin.
The weigh-in starts at 7 p.m. ET and the video is below.
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Fight Card | UFC on FOX Results
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, weighin, heavyweight limit, coverage ufc
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX's Guida vs. Henderson winner expected to face champ Edgar in Japan (MMAJunkie.com)
LOS ANGELES – Maybe fighting on Facebook isn't the worst thing in the world. While many MMA fans and...
Posted in: fox, vs, mma fans, isnt, facebook isnt
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC on FOX live and official weigh-in results (MMAJunkie.com)
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from today's official "UFC on...
Posted in: ufc, fox, official, mmajunkiecom, monica
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsYou will want to look at DaMarques Johnson's shorts this weekend at UFC on FOX
Sure we've sponsored DaMarques Johnson in the past, but this time it's on the biggest stage MMA has ever encountered. UFC on FOX is expected to shatter the existing viewership numbers for an MMA event which is currently held by EliteXC, CBS and most importantly -- Kimbo Slice. To sponsor a guy fighting on FOX, the same network that airs Family Guy is a massive honor.
Wait, so you're telling me that FOX is only airing one fight tomorrow, even if it lasts 10-seconds?
Well, damn. There goes MiddleEasy's hopes for being launched on a large television network. I guess we'll just have to keep pitching our television script that one network has already turned down and the other seems to be too polite to tell us 'no.' Regardless, check out DaMarques Johnson's fresh new baby blue fight shorts with the MiddleEasy logo on the front.
Be sure to watch DaMarques Johnson's fight against Clay Harvison which will air internationally, free of charge on Facebook. Be sure to follow DaMarques Johnson on Twitter while you're at it. Besides, your Twitter timeline needs an improvement anyway.
Posted in: fox, johnson, network, damarque, damarques johnson
Read the full article at Middle Easy[Reminder] UFC on FOX weigh-ins are today at 7pm EST/4pm PST. Link goes directly to ufc.tv to watch.
submitted by col0rado [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, today, reminder ufc, fox weighins
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox Weigh-In Results for “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos”
Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s UFC on FOX debut take place today in Anaheim, California as heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, challenger Junior dos Santos, and the rest of the card hit the scale to make their fights official.
The UFC on FOX weigh-ins begin at 7pm ET and MMAFrenzy.com will have official results below:
MAIN CARD (Fox – 9pm ET)
Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC Heavyweight Championship
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook – 4:30pm ET)
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyonyama
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
For the latest UFC news and complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Cain Velasquez (via UFC.com)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, card
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyClay Guida vs. Ben Henderson UFC on Fox Preview
Video look at the co-main event for tomorrow night's historic UFC on Fox card, Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ben, comain event, tomorrow nights
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX weigh in results LIVE from Santa Monica for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" is set to take place today (Fri., Nov. 11, 2011) live on FUEL TV from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California.
The first fighter expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
UFC on FOX 1 will mark the promotion's first venture into the prestigious world of network television. It will be a one-hour primetime special that will feature just one match-up.
But it's a big one.
Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line against division number one contender and noted knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
Complete UFC on FOX weigh in results, after the jump.
Main Event:
265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez ( ) vs. Junior dos Santos ( )
Preliminary Card (Facebook):
155 lbs.: Clay Guida ( ) vs. Ben Henderson ( ) 135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto ( ) vs. Darren Uyenoyama ( ) 145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier ( ) vs. Pablo Garza ( ) 145 lbs.: Cub Swanson ( ) vs. Ricardo Lamas ( ) 145 lbs.: Robert Peralta ( ) vs. Mackens Semerzier ( ) 185 lbs.: Paul Bradley ( ) vs. Mike Pierce ( ) 205 lbs.: Matt Lucas ( ) vs. Aaron Rosa ( ) 145 lbs.: Mackens Semerzier ( ) vs. Robert Peralta ( ) 135 lbs.: Alex Caceres ( ) vs. Cole Escovedo ( )
For those fortunate enough to be in Santa Monica today, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Nov. 12), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FOX coverage you can handle.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, monica
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWatch Today’s UFC on Fox Weigh-in on MMAWeekly.com
Watch the Friday, Nov. 11, UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos weigh-in live on MMAWeekly.com. The fighters are slated to step on the scale at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, mmaweeklycom, fox weighin
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX: How Dana White's History With Boxing Has Led Us Here
Dana White loves boxing. Sure he does. He loves it the way you love an ex who is and was absolutely no good for you, who you'll still meet for a drink when they're in town (just one, though, then I've really got to run), and who you're pretty sure is going to self-destruct one day, with or without your help.
In a way, that's what makes it possible to continue loving them. If they were doing too well, you might be bitter. But this way you can just shake your head, remembering the good times but feeling genuinely relieved that your futures are no longer tied together.
Without White's rocky relationship with the sport of boxing, maybe this FOX deal doesn't happen. Without boxing, maybe it's not so important to White to make it happen, or to make sure it goes off so smoothly that it ushers in a new golden era of combat sports on network TV. It's as if he's doing this not just because it's a savvy business move, but because this is what boxing used to do, back when they were both young and innocent and so in love.
This came up again and again when I spoke to White earlier this week for a Sports Illustrated article (yes, I'm plugging my own article, what of it?). Even when I asked him questions that, to me, seemed to have nothing to do with boxing, somehow we ended up back on the subject again. Take this exchange, for instance:
SI.com: Tell me a little about how you guys made the final decision to only do one fight, no matter what. At first it seemed like you were considering the possibility of running another fight or some highlights if you had time. How did you decide to just focus on this one fight?
White: It was [Fox Sports Media Group Chairman] David Hill. I went in and said, listen, USA's Tuesday Night Fights and ABC's Wide World of Sports, we all used to watch those, all of us who were big boxing fans. I didn't miss Tuesday Night Fights ever. Every Tuesday night I was on the couch. But when I was younger, I remember my uncles all getting around the TV and watching Wide World of Sports. When we told them the fight was going to be the heavyweight championship, they said, 'Do that, just do the one fight, the heavyweight championship.' It makes sense. That's really the way it went down. It was David Hill's call.
To recap, the question was: why only one fight? And, in a simplified form, the answer was: David Hill wanted it that way. So why did we take the little detour to talk about his addiction to Tuesday Night Fights?
More Coverage: UFC on FOX Fight Card | UFC on FOX Results
Because deep down, White's still a boxing junkie. Yeah, it probably makes him sad to see what that industry has become and where that sport is headed, and he doesn't want to think he or his company has anything to do with it. As he reiterated in an open letter "to fight fans" that the UFC emailed out yesterday:
"There's always been a lot of talk about the UFC killing boxing. I've always said that boxing is hurting boxing, not the UFC. I honestly believe that many people are fans of both. And I can prove it: on September 17, the UFC drew two million viewers to a live fight on cable TV ... a couple hours later over 1.3 million fans bought the Floyd Mayweather PPV. Fight fans stayed in and watched both!"
First of all, just because the UFC and boxing both drew similar numbers on the same night, that doesn't necessarily mean they drew the same people, no matter how many times White repeats that claim. Second of all, since when does White go out of his way to assert that he and his competitors are helping each other?
Even on the eve of the landmark UFC on FOX show, the specter of boxing -- specifically, Manny Pacquiao -- looms over everything. When White so much as mentioned Pacquiao's name at Wednesday's press conference even the pro-UFC crowd broke out into cheers. You could argue that White is trying to make the case that his FOX show is working with rather than against Saturday's boxing pay-per-view simply because he's hoping to get a little of the Pacquiao fight night magic to rub off on him, but it's more than that.
As White insisted when I talked to him about it, the money-losing venture on FOX is an attempt to do "what boxing stopped doing," and that's "investing in the future of the sport and of this brand."
Said White: "By putting this on, there's going to be a whole generation of people who grow up with the UFC on television, just like I did with boxing when I was a young kid, and just like many people did with football. It becomes nostalgic in your life and it becomes something you remember from growing up. That's what we're doing by putting this on television."
In other words, it's about indoctrinating the next generation of fight fans. It's about wedging the UFC into mainstream America's collective sports consciousness in order to insure a brighter future. But it's also, at least a little bit, about making the UFC and MMA into a new version of the boxing that White remembers, a boxing that doesn't really exist anymore, at least not in that form.
Maybe that's why it's fitting that the UFC's big FOX debut should take place on the same night as one of the biggest boxing pay-per-views of the year. Without that sport, once so available and accessible that you always knew where to find a young Dana White on Tuesday night, maybe we wouldn't be right here, right now, on the verge of an event that seems likely to propel this sport toward something, even if none of us know what. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, sport, boxing
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos live weigh-in results and preview videos
UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos weigh in resultsAnaheim, CACain Velasquez () vs. Junior Dos Santos ()Clay Guida () vs. Ben Henderson ()Pablo Garza () vs. Dustin Poirier ()Ricardo Lamas () vs. Cub Swanson ()Clay Harvsion () vs. DaMarques Johnson ()Norifumi Yamamoto () vs. Darren Uyenoyama ()Robert Peralta () vs. Mackens Semerzier ()Alex Caceres () vs. Cole Escovedo ()Paul Bradley () vs. Mike Pierce ()Matt Lucas () vs. Aaron Rosa ()The UFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time) at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California.Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs. Junior Dos Santos (13-1)Clay Guida (29-11) vs. Ben Henderson (14-2)
Posted in: fox, vs, do, velasquez, clay
Read the full article at UltMMAStars Coming Out for UFC on Fox Debut
More than 50 celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports are expected to walk the red carpet before Saturday's UFC on Fox debut in Anaheim, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, debut, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox 1 Weigh-in Results (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
Sherdog.com will report from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, Calif., with live updates as fighters take to the scales for the UFC on Fox 1 weigh-ins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Posted in: fox, pm, pt, monica, santa monica
Read the full article at SherdogTweets of the Week - 11/11
UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs Dos Santos - Kind of a Big DealCheck out this video youtu.be/XhF1WVRDcxM thanks again DCDG. Getting ready for today's @UFCONFOX Open Workouts. Ready for Saturday! -Cain Velasquez Don’t miss the UFC Heavyweight Championship Saturday, live and free on FOX at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT #UFConFOX -Junior Dos SantosVELASQUEZ vs. DOS SANTOS!!! twitpic.com/7ck3k6 -Dana White Only a few days now until the biggest fight of my life. -Clay Guida if you're a fan of @ufc you gotta love #UFConFOX showing a FREE heavyweight title fight this Sat. at 9pm EST/6pm PST & FREE undercard online -Benson HendersonWhat does everyone think I should wear at the Weigh Ins @ufc Friday Anaheim? -Clay Harvison "@MissSinfield: @ClayHeavyMetal i would just go with anyones advice apart from @RamseyNijem ? ;)" what? RUDE -Ramsey NijemDont worry I'm not Stripper @RamseyNijem Lol -Clay Harvison Weigh ins day, time to shed some pounds! Thanks for everybody's support I have the best fans in the world! #winning -Pablo GarzaI make sure my corner men get the royal treatment @ufc #UFCONFOX yfrog.com/kl8d3gdj -Cub Swanson The Diamond is in LA!! -Dustin PoirierMy 3rd and final video blog for UFC on Fox. bit.ly/sTbvje -Darren Uyenoyama My custom @ufc shorts in the color my lil buddy Nathan requested over at Angels Hands Foundation:) yfrog.com/kkdy3lguj -DaMarques Johnson After a very difficult day, I am in route to LA for my fight this saturday, time to focus, very driven, ready, ready for anything.... -Ricardo Lamas If u don't know that Cain is fighting JDS for UFC HW title this Sat, live & free on FOX at 9 pm ET then we are NOT friends #UFConFOX -Kenny Florian THIS IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL..the #UFC is broadcasting the #heavywieghtchampionship fight on FOX this Saturday. 9 pm ET, 6pm PT #UFConFOX @ufc -Nick Ring What if the Outlaw Army and Mayhem Monkeys Joined Forces?!I can't believe the #OutlawArmy is almost at 100k! -Dan Hardy Ok, it is Wednesday. Who wants a team Mayhem Jersey? www.mayhemmonkeys.com -Jason Mayhem Miller AwwwLove when my daughter wakes up and smiles.... Feeling like no other !!! -Anthony Pettis Shout Out to Our Vets! I want to thank all the men and women that protect our country and keep us safe. Thank you Veterans!! 11/11/11 -Roy NelsonHappy Veterans Day Thank you to all the men and women out there serving for our country :-) -Demetrious Johnson If you don't donate to this mustache the terrorists will win. stachebash.org pic.twitter.com/qXt5DSMk -Tim Kennedy Happy Veterans Day all, special thanks to all the Marines I was lucky to serve & lead. I learned more than u can imagine from you. -Brian Stann Uhhuhuhuh. You said LongerWho has had braces longer Frank Shamrock or Butt-Head? -Danny Castillo Chael: Hall of Fame Tweeter?As Champion, I need nothing except my list of demands. Fighting on the date I'VE selected is my right for being better than you, Yes YOU. -Chael Sonnen Dude, I just read @sonnench 's history of tweets and if it's not considered eligible for the hall of fame on its own... -Matt Mitrione Kick it 'til it tells you the AnswerI FORGOT HOW TO DO THIS!!! twitpic.com/7csh4l -Pat Barry Stephan Bonnar Can Sell your CoffeeAhhhh....nothing gets your ready to dish out some morning ass whoopings like a fresh cup of folgers. -Stephan Bonnar Fish Don't Have FingersSuperman and fish fingers with ketchup... Just like when I was a kid! -Dan Hardy Fighters Being PettyAnd yessss, that was @GatorHotdogDog making his appearances on #TUF14 -Jason Mayhem Miller At PetsMart trying to find things that'll help my cat lose weight. Sure she's overweight, but at least she has a pretty face. -Daniel Downes @dannyboydownes Heard that b4. Every1 knows I have the best looking pet in the @UFC "Stew Dizzle" AKA Pug-Nasty pic.twitter.com/CzE17ODN -Danny Castillo @lastcall155 don't hurt her feelings! twitpic.com/7ckxew -Daniel Downes
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, pm, ufconfox
Read the full article at UFCOfficial UFC on FOX Weigh In Results
UFC ON FOX is headlined by the heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos and airs live and free on FOX beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Beginning at 4:45pm ET / 1:45pm ET, viewers can watch nine prelim bouts for free on Foxsports.com or on Facebook. MAIN EVENT – UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPJunior Dos Santos (239) VS Cain Velasquez (249)ONLINE FIGHTSBen Henderson (156) VS Clay Guida (156)Pablo Garza (145) VS Dustin Poirier (146) Ricardo Lamas (145) VS Cub Swanson (145)Clay Harvison (169) VS Damarques Johnson (171)Darren Uyenoyama (135) VS Kid Yamamoto (135)Robbie Peralta (145) VS Mackens Semerzier (146)Cole Escovedo (134) VS Alex Caceres (136)Paul Bradley (171) VS Mike Pierce (171)Matt Lucas (203) VS Aaron Rosa (204)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, official ufc
Read the full article at UFCThe UFC wants you to tell 10 friends that UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" is going down...
The UFC wants you to tell 10 friends that UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" is going down this Sat., Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. As if any of them didn't know already. The promotion has pulled out all the stops to market the biggest fight in MMA history, including pre-fight shows and specials across the FOX Sports network of channels. By the time Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos touch 'em up to get it on sometime around 8:15 p.m. ET, where will you be? And will you have 10 friends Maniacs with you?
Posted in: ufc, fox, mma history, friend, anaheim california
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 open workouts photos gallery for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
The extremely talented Esther Lin was on the scene in California to freeze-frame some of the UFC on FOX 1 combatants at today's (Nov. 10) open workouts, including the big dogs in the yard, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
The two heavy hitters will square off on Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011) in the promotion's major debut on network television with the heavyweight championship on the line at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Someone tell Dana White they made it through and only the weigh-ins remain before fight night and the biggest bout in the history of MMA.
Velasquez and dos Santos may be the only fight airing on FOX on Saturday but a major lightweight clash in going down earlier in the evening with Clay Guida taking on Ben Henderson in a potential lightweight number one contender match-up.
Check out a few shots of all involved after the jump, courtesy of Esther Lin at MMAFighting.com.
Cain Velasquez:
Clay Guida:
Ben Henderson:
For the complete UFC on FOX 1 open workout photos gallery by Esther Lin click here.
Posted in: fox, do, velasquez, esther lin, esther
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 Pre-Fight Interviews: Velasquez, Dos Santos, Henderson, Guida
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida to talk about their fights this Saturday at UFC on FOX 1.
Posted in: fox, henderson, do, clay guida, ben henderson
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1 Preview: Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida
Ben Henderson and Clay Guida meet in a pivotal lightweight bout this Saturday, Nov. 12, at UFC on FOX 1. You won’t see it on FOX, but Ben Henderson says it’s going to be so good, the UFC will have to put it on TV “somehow, someway.”
“Someway, somehow, this fight will make it to air,” Henderson said at Thursday’s pre-UFC on FOX media workouts in Rosemead, Calif. “If it is afterward or whatever, Dana White is going to want to put this one on primetime television. He’s going to be like, ‘Oh, wow. We need to get this on TV somehow, someway.’ I’m going to make sure of that.”
Posted in: fox, ben, henderson, ben henderson, primetime television
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Betting Lines
The betting lines are out for the whole UFC on Fox card, and there's nothing too juicy to be honest. There are only three close fights out of the nine on the undercard, and it doesn't look like a card that will feature a lot of longshot upsets. Of the whole undercard, I personally only see real value in two lines, and marginal value in one other one. Ricardo Lamas at -160 is a solid bet, as is Cole Escovedo at -245. I don't normally say anything up in the -250 range has a lot of value, but let's face it - I'm pretty sure Alex Caceres is gonna get smoked. The only other one with a tiny bit of value might be Pablo Garza at +240. Here are the lines for the whole card:
Lines courtesy of bookmaker.eu
Nov 12th, live on Fox from Anaheim, CA:
Main Card:
Cain Velasquez (9-0) -170 vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) +140
Preliminary Card:
Ben Henderson (14-2) -260 vs. Clay Guida (29-11) +210
Pablo Garza (11-1) +240 vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1) -300
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) -360 vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3) +290
Ricardo Lamas (10-2) -160 vs. Cub Swanson (15-4) +130
Clay Harvison (9-3) +205 vs. DaMarques Johnson (12-9) -255
Robert Peralta (15-3) -120 vs. Mackens Semerzier (6-3) -110
Paul Bradley (18-3) +245 vs. Mike Pierce (12-4) -305
Aaron Rosa (16-4) -155 vs. Matt Lucas (14-2) +125
Alex Caceres (5-4) +195 vs. Cole Escovedo (17-8) -245
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: fox, vs, card, line, value
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAriel Helwani asks the Cookie Monster and Michael Jackson about UFC on Fox
Zeus tried telling me today that most of Hollywood would be inside eating soup playing Elder Scrolls Skyrim, but I think he may be wrong. Before everyone explores the cold north of Tamriel, there is a really strong chance that Hollywood, along with the rest of the world, will be watching Cain Vs. JDS live on Fox. There is no easy way of proving this, but with UFC on Fox looming, Ariel Helwani helped answer that question by putting on his investigative reporter suit and taking to the streets of Hollywood. The SB Nation reporter then asked an extremely random collection of people/ghosts/cookie addicted creatures how much they knew about MMA and the UFC, and if they were aware of this Saturday's title fight.
So in the end, Kimbo Slice is bigger than MMA?
[source]
Posted in: ufc, fox, ariel helwani, hollywood, scrolls skyrim
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on FOX Red Carpet list of celebrities announced for Nov. 12 in Anaheim
When the UFC comes to network television this Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011) it will do so with FOX Sports rolling out the red carpet to welcome the fastest growing sport in the world.
Literally.
Before the live UFC on FOX 1 broadcast hits the air at 9 p.m. ET and Cain Velasquez defends his heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos, FOX is throwing a party that will have a "Super Bowl type of feel."
That means you can expect plenty of celebrities and sports personalities to hit the Red Carpet, which opens 4:00 p.m. at the Honda Center.
A complete list of who to expect to show up is after the jump.
FOXMichael Strahan (FOX NFL SUNDAY)Howie Long (FOX NFL SUNDAY)Odette Annable (House)Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee)Matthew Morrison (Glee)Howie Mandel (Mobbed)Max Greenfield (New Girl)Jake Johnson (New Girl)Lamorne Morris (New Girl)Hannah Simone (New Girl)Jesse Spencer (House)
FXJoelle Carter (Justified)Walton Goggins (Justified)Nick Searcy (Justified)Nick Kroll (The League)Dayton Callie (Sons of Anarchy)Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy)Dorian Brown (Wilfred)Jason Gann (Wilfred)Fiona Gubelmann (Wilfred)
FUEL TVDanny Kass (Adventures of Danny & The Dingo)Luke Trembath (Adventures of Danny & The Dingo)Bas Rutten (Punk Payback with Bas Rutten)Mike "Rooftop" Escamilla (Strangers in Danger)Zack "Catfish" Yankush (Strangers in Danger)Charlie Andrews (Knights of Mayhem)
SPORTSJim Brown (NFL Legend)Brad PennyKelly Slater (Professional Surfer)
FILM, MUSIC & TELEVISIONDave Annable (Brothers & Sisters)David ArquetteTravis BarkerGina Carano (Haywire)Claire Coffee (Grimm)Ryan Guzman (Step Up)Gilles Marini (Brothers & Sisters)Nicole Murphy (Model)Ronnie Mund (The Howard Stern Show)Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist)Mickey Rourke (Immortals)Matt Sanders (Avenged Sevenfold)Karina Smirnoff (Dancing with the Stars)Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)Nick Swardson (Jack and Jill)Kenny Wormald (Footloose)Neon Trees
UFCMichael BispingCarlos ConditDominick CruzChuck LiddellGilbert MelendezGeorges St. PierreBrian Stann
For a complete rundown of all the news and notes surrounding the upcoming UFC on FOX 1 event this Saturday click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, amp, danny amp, carpet list
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCelebrities Announced for UFC on Fox Red Carpet
Fox promised to roll out the red carpet for the UFC's first event on the network and they weren't kidding.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, carpet fox, carpet
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWhat will Dana White do if something happens to Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos before UFC on FOX?
He will die.
Not literally, of course, or at least we hope not. But the president of the biggest fight promotion in the world, Dana White, is a bundle of nerves heading into the biggest night in UFC history this Sat., Nov. 12, 2011, in Anaheim, California.
When asked in the media scrum at the UFC on FOX 1 pre-fight press conference what he would do if something happened to Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos, the two men contesting for the heavyweight title at the Honda Center, he had this to say:
"I'll die. I will die if something happens to one of these guys. Don't even ask me that. You and me are fighting now because of that. Oh yeah, I'm a mess over this thing. It is what it is. This is a full contact sport and that's how they train and you roll with the punches, pun intended. It happens. If you look at our history, when it happens, we fix it. We figure it out and we find a way. That's the business we're in and that's what we do. It's Wednesday, I'm feeling good that nothing can happen between now and Saturday."
That was yesterday shortly after the pre-fight press conference. That leaves open media workouts today (Nov. 10), the weigh-ins tomorrow (Nov. 11) and then it's all clear for fight night on Saturday (Nov. 12).
Let's just hope everyone makes it there in one piece. There's a little too much on the line for a bit of bad luck to come along now.
After the jump, White talks about all things UFC on FOX and the upcoming Manny Pacquiao fight against Juan Manuel Marquez going down on the same night. Oh, and he goes after Bob Arum ... again.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, nov
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox’s Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos “The Biggest Fight in UFC History”
Saturday’s UFC on Fox main event between UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will be the “biggest fight in UFC history,” UFC President Dana White said at Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference, as the UFC makes its first impression for millions of viewers.
“This is without a doubt the biggest fight in UFC history,” White said. “This thing started as a small fringe sport and has grown to what it is today. This Saturday night as we step out onto FOX, millions of people will see UFC who’ve never watched before. As we take this step forward into what we call ‘mainstream,’ we were much more fortunate in that we were able to hand pick a fight that we wanted to put on FOX. If I had to do it all over again, this is still the fight I’d pick to put on network television.”
Velasquez and dos Santos both promised an exciting fight, while dos Santos predicted a finish of the champion
“From both of us, we have exciting fighting styles, Velasquez said. We don’t go out there and put on boring fights. We’re both going to go forward. That’s what fans are going to see, that’s what people who haven’t seen this before are going to see on Saturday.”
“It’s going to be a great fight and a war,” dos Santos said. “I think a lot of people are going to be rooting for him on Saturday night, but I know I’ll have a lot of people rooting for me around the world. I’ll use that energy on Saturday night. I will give my best to make this belt a Brazilian belt. I’m ready to go five rounds, but I think this fight finishes before.”
Wednesday’s press conference also brought more details about UFC programming on Fox in 2012. While Saturday’s event features just Velasquez vs. dos Santos on Fox, with a full preliminary card topped by lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson streaming on Facebook.com/UFC, future shows on the network will run 90 minutes and feature 2 or 3 fights.
In 2012, every UFC fight will be televised, as the prelims that currently air on Facebook will move to FUEL TV, which will air 2000 hours of UFC programming during the year, and featured preliminary bouts will shift from Spike to FX.
For the latest UFC news and complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Velasquez and dos Santos (via @DanaWhite)
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, saturday
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox: Dana White, the Unlikely Man To Lead the UFC to Prominence
The American Dream. A three word cliche used to describe why people move to the United States by whatever means necessary. Chasing the mythical land of opportunity. Where any man or woman can change their stars should they work hard enough. The same can be said about Las Vegas, the home of Zuffa. It's a city where anyone can become a millionaire and a person can be whoever they want, if they they can dream it. It's a cliche that very often never actually plays out, with many of us continuing to work a job where upward movement is rare and the ability to become the CEO is nearly impossible.
It seems that Dana White never got that memo. A hotel bellhop turned boxercise instructor, White was never supposed to become rich and famous. He reached his ceiling and would have to settle into a life as just another man living in Las Vegas. He was the manager for Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, but with the SEG-owned UFC in shambles, the money just wasn't there in the sport to support a family on MMA. These relationships; however, did provide him some knowledge that SEG was looking to sell the company. Finding partners in childhood friends, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, Dana was given the opportunity to not only turn the promotion around but also his own career path.
The Zuffa run UFC struggled for years, despite White's best efforts. A year into the purchase he was given his first opportunity to deal with network television, showing a single fight on Fox Sports' Best Damn Sports Show, Period. While it was a relative ratings success, the sport just didn't catch on in the United States. Four years and a reported debt of $44 million, Zuffa took one last gamble to make the UFC successful with the reality television show The Ultimate Fighter. Even with the finale happening live, the Spike TV execs wouldn't commit to a second season. It was only until Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonner that both sides knew they captured lightning in a bottle.
We're just over 48 hours away from the UFC finally making their network television debut. The anxiety is high for everyone at Zuffa, with the understanding that Saturday could determine if MMA or Ultimate Fighting will be accepted by a much larger audience. The desire isn't to reach the casual fan. The hope is to capture the non-fan and detractor. Dana White said on yesterday's media call that the goal of the card and broadcast is to educate the audience on what they are seeing. Everyone involved has been rehearsing since Tuesday to make sure the fights go off without a hitch.
Jonathan Snowden of MMA Nation knows what's at stake. Snowden, a former tape trader, has been a fan of this sport long before the Zuffa regime and has witnessed the rise and fall and rise again of the UFC. He also understands why the UFC is banking on Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
The Fox experiment is just beginning. We'll all know soon enough if the average sports fan will love this sport the way hardcore fans do. For most of us, the UFC is more religion than sport. It's what we live and breathe. Once you get it in your blood, every other sport pales in comparison.
The future of MMA is now - we've been on a roller coaster ride together for 18 years. Saturday we finally take the plunge down that first giant hill. The mainstream might end up rejecting our beloved. But it won't be because of Dana White and the UFC. They've done everything we could have possibly dreamed to get us here, to this pivotal moment. I'll be watching. I hope ten million more are by my virtual side.
The UFC is leading with their best foot forward and Fox is keeping in stride. With a lead up to card spanning the entire suite of Fox platforms and Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar providing analysis on a pre-show, Saturday night is about the heavyweights. MMA fans complaining about Guida and Henderson being relegated to Facebook fail to see the big picture. White has dealt with the fans and media questioning his decisions and looking for an opportunity to say "told ya so" since he took over the UFC.
Now 10 years after the purchase he finally has the chance to say it himself. He can say "I told you that pushing for government regulation when others were content fighting at Indian casinos as a good idea." He can say "I told you that a reality television show about fighters would work." And he can finally say "I was right all along for holding out on a network television deal." He can say all these things because they are true. He can say all these things because he possesses the vision to see where the sport will be in five years. And he can say these things because he, along with his friends turned a niche, dying sport, into a global powerhouse. The "American Dream" does exist as long as you are willing to make the sacrifice. Just ask Dana White.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, sport, year, fan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox: Don't Believe the Hype
The UFC will reach a major milestone this Saturday when they make their network debut on Fox. Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will meet Junior dos Santos in what has been billed as the biggest fight in UFC history, but I'm a little skeptical. I fully expect this fight to draw big numbers on Fox, especially with all the marketing the network has done in the lead up to this Saturday, but I don't see it being the fight everyone is making it out to be.
The main reason Griffin vs Bonnar captured the attention of such a wide audience on Spike was the back and forth brawl that ensued. It wasn't so much the opportunity and coverage; it was an incredible fight, and caught the interest of an entirely new fan base witnessing MMA for the first time. The fight on Fox this Saturday is unlikely to have the same effect.
MMA isn't the niche sport it once was, and though it's still a long ways off from becoming a true mainstream sport, the majority of Fox viewers have probably watched an MMA fight at one time or another. Fox does cater to an older audience than the usual UFC demographic which could attract some new viewers, but I think the fight will for the most part draw in fans with at least some prior knowledge of what the UFC is all about.
Also, I don't see this being the back and forth scrap many are expecting. Perhaps it's all the hype Dana and Fox have been generating, but a lot of fans seem to be expecting a real slugfest. This is very unlikely. Cain Velasquez is one of the best wrestlers in the heavyweight division, and will control where this fight takes place. He's chosen to strike with his last two opponents, but neither had much to offer on the feet, and so Velasquez felt safe showing off his improved stand up. This won't be the case against JDS.
Junior dos Santos is easily one of the best strikers in the division and has proved this time and time again in the octagon. The only fighter Cain has fought that is even remotely comparable is Cheick Kongo, and he landed some devastating punches in every single round of that fight. Unless Velasquez is over confident in his striking, you should expect him to take Santos down at will, and unleash some heavy ground and pound for the majority of the fight. This approach may be effective for Cain, but it's unlikely to cause a major stir among viewers.
With all that said, Saturday will still be a momentous night for MMA fans everywhere. This marks the start of a major partnership between the UFC and Fox, and could change the way the general public views our favorite sport. Here's hoping for one hell of a fight.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, saturday, fan
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendSB Nation writers weigh in on the possibility that UFC on Fox can outdraw Kimbo Slice vs James...
SB Nation writers weigh in on the possibility that UFC on Fox can outdraw Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson.
See what Luke Thomas, Michael David Smith, Thomas Myers and others think will be the final result on MMA Nation.
Posted in: fox, vs, nation, slice, writer
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAd inventory sold out for UFC on Fox
Ad Week reports that all ad inventory for Saturday night’s UFC on Fox event has been sold. Media buyers indicate that a 30 second spot for Saturday night cost “north of $100,000.
Via Ad Week:
Media buyers say a 30-second spot in The UFC on Fox cost just north of $100,000. Among the marketers advertising are Anheuser-Busch, the Casio G’zOne Commando smartphone, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Two studios–20th Century Fox and Warner Bros.–have also made buys.Velasquez and Dos Santos will begin trading blows at 9:35 p.m., following a half-hour setup by host Curt Menefee, UFC president Dana White, and announcer Joe Rogan. Fox will not throw to commercial between the first and second rounds, electing instead to keep its cameras on the octagon.
The $100,000 number is double the amount that was previously reported. In a survey, Ad Age stated that Fox typically receives about $50,000 per 30 second spot on Saturday night.
Payout Perspective:
All signs point to a big night Saturday. The price per spot for Saturday indicates that mainstream advertisers are intrigued by the potential for the UFC to draw the casual fan in key demos. Of course, the skeptic may argue not to look too deeply into the price considering that Fox usually does not run live events as part of its Saturday night lineup. With a start time of 6pm/9pm (PT/ET), its interesting that the UFC has indicated the fight will not start until 35 minutes after the hour. Its obvious that there will be a lot of run up to educate the casual fan but it seems like the UFC could include another match in this hour.
Posted in: ufc, night, fox, saturday, ad
Read the full article at MMA PayoutBrock Lesnar Tagged as Analyst for UFC on Fox Event
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been called upon to be an on-air analyst for this Saturday's UFC on Fox heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Lesnar lost the belt to Velasquez by first-round TKO at UFC 121, and was scheduled to meet Dos Santos at UFC 131 before having to bow out due to a second bout with diverticulitis. Dana White addressed the idea of adding Lesnar to the analyst team on yesterday's UFC 141 conference call:
"[Lesnar] fought Cain Velasquez for the title, and he was supposed to fight and was getting ready to fight Junior Dos Santos. So his opinion is interesting. This show is going to focus on the heavyweights and the heavyweight championship."
Lesnar is scheduled to face Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141, and both fighters will be on hand for a press conference before the UFC on Fox weigh-ins tomorrow. Overeem will be attending the UFC on Fox event, but likely won't have any on-air role.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, lesnar, fox event
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Expects Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos To Be An ‘Absolute War’
“You see what these two fight like and you can pretty guarantee the way this fight is going to go. I can tell you what’s not going to happen. It’s not going to be boring, there’s not going to be any stalemating, and this fight’s going to be an absolute war… Give me my entire roster of guys, make every one of them healthy, and this is still the fight I’d pick. This is the fight that I picked to put on network television, and it is important, and I picked this fight for a reason.”
— Dana White, via MMA Fighting, hyping UFC on FOX 1′s main event between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos
From the get go, I thought this fight was a rather interesting choice to kick off the UFC’s big FOX deal. On one hand, Dana’s probably right about the fight being an “absolute war.” Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos rarely turn in a dull performance, if ever, and likely won’t in the most important fight of their respective careers. On the other, neither of them have the same kind of star power that say Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano had when they made their network television debuts. The UFC is surely hoping this fight will propel their drawing power to new heights, so it makes a lot of sense for them. But for FOX, they’re looking for ratings and I’m honestly concerned about Cain and JDS’ ability to deliver that. Furthermore, the fact that pay-per-view numbers and ratings are down quite a bit this year — neither UFC 136 or UFC 137 broke 300,000 — makes me wonder if the UFC’s brand power isn’t as strong as it’s been in recent years. I’m hoping they’ll be able to match or even beat Kimbo’s numbers on CBS (4.3m avg, 6.5m peak) and nail the demos, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t either. If it tanks, no, I don’t think FOX would bail, but I imagine they would ask for bigger names that move the needle when the real seven-year contract kicks off next year.
Image via CombatLifestyle.com
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, dana, network television
Read the full article at MMA ConvertBenson Henderson Doesn't Feel Slighted by Lack of Exposure on FOX
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, Videos, UFC on FOXROSEMEAD, Calif. -- MMA Fighting caught up with Benson Henderson on Thursday to discuss his upcoming fight against Clay Guida, not fighting on FOX, whether he feels disrespected that he's not on FOX, Guida's run in the UFC and whether the winner of this will fight for the lightweight title.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, clay guida, ufc mma, fox guidas
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem Targeted by UFC, Fox Marketing Push
Last week during an interview with USA Today's Sergio Non, UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta conveyed the perfect message of what fans can expect from their new deal with Fox. "It's a huge commercial.", stated Fertitta when asked about whether the deal was a marketing strategy. The obvious beneficiaries of the hour-long "commercial" are Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, but as UFC President Dana White pointed out to MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani in an interview yesterday -- Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem are heavily involved in the promotion's push to rake in bigger revenues.
Most notably, Lesnar and Overeem will participate in a press conference on Friday prior to the UFC on Fox weigh-ins. The presence of mainstream media outlets makes this a no-brainer, especially if the UFC can get coverage of the upcoming bout from some of the outlets that normally never cover mixed martial arts. White also mentioned that Lesnar and Overeem would participate in the pre-fight analysis show alongside Fox NFL Sunday's Curt Menefee.
What's the UFC's reasoning behind targeting Lesnar vs. Overeem, an event that's a little over one month away, as the fight they want to push to the UFC's newest audience? The first thing that comes to mind is... well, It's Brock Lesnar! He's the most recognizable fighter in the promotion among casual sports fans, so getting the word out about his upcoming pay-per-view fight will surely increase his appeal and the event's bottom line.
The promotional push will also allow the UFC to build up an aesthetically-pleasing fighter like Alistair Overeem, who will undoubtedly appeal to the masses with his Adonis-like physique and brutal striking game. He's a guy, in my mind, that the UFC can count on to remain in the upper-tier of the promotion for a long time, especially if we consider how shallow the division has become.
The move does steer clear of predictions that the promotion would attempt to drive pay-per-view buys for events that followed shortly thereafter. In this case, UFC 139 is one week away and features a stacked main card headlined by Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le. It's somewhat surprising considering the gloomy numbers that UFC 136 and UFC 137 have reportedly done.
We can't look at it as a bad move however. Lesnar's presence alone makes it an easy decision considering his transcendent appeal to fans outside of the sport. He's going to draw in more fans if the UFC can find a way to make his presence more known. The UFC on Fox marketing push should provide that platform.
I imagine we'll see a similar trend for future UFC on Fox events. Both Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have spoken about the importance of a lengthy promotional push for major events to succeed. Since the goal of the network portion of the Fox deal is to market the brand and its fighters in order increase the UFC's bottom line in the long haul, it makes perfect sense that they would use their biggest promotional tool with the idea that big fights need a longer marketing push. It will be interesting to see which fights the UFC tries to push next on the network platform, but I imagine some of the UFC's most prominent champs will be among the names for consideration.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, overeem, fox, event, lesnar
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox: Dana White Talks Production, Pay-Per-View vs. Free Shows
MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani managed to snag an interview with UFC president Dana White after yesterday's press conference, and Dana was very clear on one thing - UFC on Fox is huge for the UFC. He talks about not being this nervous for a long time, and covers the significance of this compared to Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar from the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale. He had a telling quote about the melding of UFC production and Fox Sports production, which has been something that held back previous TV deals for Zuffa:
"It's not that we have to play with the other side. We are, you know, we're on their network. We're partners.in this deal, and it's a Fox Sports presentation. You know, it's being presented by Fox Sports. So it's gonna have the Fox Sports feel to it, but when it comes to the fights, the elements that matter to me, and the way that the fights are broadcast and the way the fights are shot, that's what we do."
He also mentions that instead of a Q&A before the UFC on Fox weigh-ins, there will be a full-fledged press conference featuring Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, since tickets for UFC 141 went on sale this week. He also vaguely confirms that Velasquez suffered a very minor injury in camp, but it was nothing that would threaten the fight at all. He had one more interesting quote regarding pay-per-views vs. free shows:
"Pay-per-view is definitely our business model, but I think that when you ask fans to buy 12-14 fights a year, you gotta give 'em back a lot of free fights and that's what we do. I mean, we do 12-14 pay-per-views a year, but next year we're doing 34 fights. So the rest are all free, you know?"
He also discusses Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida and the death of Joe Frazier. Check it out below.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, fox sports, payperview
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Video Promo for Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
For complete coverage of UFC on Fox 1 and Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyHeavyMMA Podcast Episode 62: UFC 138, UFC on FOX
The HeavyMMA podcast returns with a look back at UFC 138 and an extensive preview of Saturday's historic UFC on FOX card in Anaheim.
Posted in: ufc, fox, podcast, heavymma, fox card
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC moving away from Facebook fights in 2012
After an overwhelmingly positive response to the company’s decision to start giving fans the ability to watch all preliminary pairings take place live through Facebook, the UFC has decided to take things up a notch and will start airing non-PPV bouts on television through a variety of FOX outlets.
“When this deal starts in January, every live fight, no matter what it is, all goes to FOX,” explained UFC President Dana White in a conference call with media discussing his organization’s relationship with FOX. “Some are going to FX and some are going to Fuel. It’s going to depend, but every live fight will be on a FOX platform.”
UFC/FOX Talk Relationship
“There are going to be a ton of live fights on Fuel,” White continued. “You’re not going to be able to not have Fuel if you’re a UFC fan.”
A FOX executive on hand for the call supported White’s statements, adding 25% of Fuel’s programming will be related to the world’s foremost MMA promotion.
The move signals the death of UFC streaming through Facebook with the final batch of prelims coming on December 30 for UFC 141, the last show before the UFC’s deal with FOX takes full effect.
A significant number of live UFC events are expected to take place through FOX next year including ten full shows and a revamped version of the Ultimate Fighter featuring real time results every Friday night on FX.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, facebook, fuel
Read the full article at Fighters.comDana White says he's intentionally freaking himself out for UFC on FOX
The way Dana White effortlessly crushes self-esteem and egos is synonymous with Atilla the Hun, and now it looks like he's intentionally doing it to himself leading up to UFC's first venture on FOX primetime. It's like he's one of those catholic monks that systematically beats their body to get closer to God. If you asked me what they're called three years ago, I would have known -- but a lot of partying has gone on between then and now, so whatever brain cell that retained that information is now retired in the recesses of my mind. Some would even argue that the fate of mixed martial arts lies within White's hands -- which are also white. Interesting.
LayzieTheSavage caught up with Dana White at yesterday's UFC on FOX presser to see if he is indeed stressing out about the event and what is his 'worst case scenario' for UFC on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, he, yesterdays ufc
Read the full article at Middle EasyDana White talks UFC on FOX, says Anderson Silva will have to fight Chael Sonnen
UFC President Dana White shared his thoughts ahead of this weekend's Ultimate Fighting Championship's debut on FOX with a Heavyweight title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Once again, White spoke about the importance of UFC on FOX, and its influence on the future of Mixed Martial Arts. Dana White related to the match-up between Velasquez and dos Santos as "stylistically best", claiming that it's nothing but his duty to bring back the big Heavyweight superfights to mainstream
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, championships debut, arts dana
Read the full article at Low KickFox Commentators Welcome UFC with Open Arms
Fox employs some of the most recognized names in broadcasting like Joe Buck, Howie Long, and Terry Bradshaw and they are all very much on board for the UFC coming to Fox.
Posted in: ufc, fox, terry bradshaw, fox commentators, arms fox
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyClay Guida Grapples with Role as UFC on FOX's Forgotten Fighter
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXLOS ANGELES -- When Clay Guida arrived at Wednesday afternoon's UFC on FOX press conference, there was an empty chair and a card with his name on it waiting for him on the dais. By the time the press conference got underway, there was neither.
"They had spaces and then they realized, oh wait, they're not showing our fight [on FOX] so why would we be up there?" said Guida. "I understand, but old duder could have been hanging out at the hotel, sitting by the pool or something."
If you're waiting to hear Guida complain about his lot in life, that's about as close as you'll get. Clad in shorts and a hoodie and looking more like he was ready for a day at the beach on this warm fall afternoon, Guida's laid-back attitude fit right in with his southern California surroundings. If there's any fighter in the UFC who could look so relaxed about not only being left off the historic FOX debut, but also about being pulled out of his hotel to stand around in the L.A. sun for no reason, clearly it was the duder.
When you really stop and think about it though, it's hard to fathom how even Guida could not be seething with a certain quiet rage on this particular afternoon. Here he was, a few days away from a top contender bout with Ben Henderson -- the kind of fight that can make or break a nearly 30-year-old fighter's career -- and he was being treated like the kid who'd showed up to the dance without a date.
In a way, being on the first UFC on FOX card makes him a part of history, but being relegated to the internet stream and the Spanish-language broadcast also makes him more of background player to that history than a living participant.
But instead of brooding in a corner while Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos soaked up the media attention, Guida sat in the front rows, snapping his own photos like one of the fans. He wasn't interesting in griping about what he'd missed out on, he explained afterward, but rather focusing on where he still had to go.
"I'm not necessarily disappointed, more determined now," said Guida. "Life has kind of come full circle and my MMA career has come full circle. Five years ago I was on the undercard of UFC 64, just trying to win my fight and get put on the broadcast. This one, hopefully there's a chance, but they're going to put it on FoxSports.com, Facebook, you know."
In other words, people will see his fight, even if it's just the hardcores. And Guida is confident that the bout will eventually find its way onto the airwaves, since "Dana [White] is a magician. ...He will do his best to get it on TV."
Of course, by the time the bout does air for English-speaking American viewers, there's always the chance that Guida won't like what they see. Some oddsmakers have Henderson as a nearly 3-1 favorite, and if Guida loses this chance to position himself as a lightweight title challenger, he may never get another one.
After all, his current four-fight win streak has been almost two years in the making, and he hasn't faltered since his submission loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 107 -- an experience that stays with him to this day, he said.
"I still use the Kenny Florian fight as motivation," Guida said. "I thank him every day in my training for teaching me a lesson, unfortunately. I was trying to strike with a striker, but now I've learned to go back to my roots and that's hard work and wrestling."
It's hard to argue that Guida has made the most of those two attributes in recent fights, but will it be enough against Henderson? Not surprisingly, Guida doesn't seem to be stressing himself out over it at the moment.
"Patience is part of being a professional athlete," he said. "Five years seems like a long time, but to me it seems like I was just stepping in the cage on October 14, 2006. To me it's about the journey, not just the destination." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, clay guida, guida
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseExclusive: Dana White Talks UFC on Fox (video)
Dana White talked with MMAWeekly.com about the historic UFC on Fox show. Watch the exclusive video interview here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox show, video interview, talks ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDos Santos hungry for title at UFC on FOX
Junior Dos Santos talks about his much anticipated heavyweight title fight vs Cain Velasquez in Anaheim.
Posted in: ufc, title, fox, do, anaheim
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 1 Pre-Fight News & Notes: Dana White Is A Nervous Wreck
A UFC on FOX 1 media conference call and pre-fight press conference was held earlier today in anticipation of the UFC’s big network television debut this Saturday on FOX. There was plenty of news and notes coming out of the press events. We got a rundown below along with Ariel Helwani’s interview with Dana White.
— First and foremost, Dana White revealed today that he has been such a nervous wreck over this show he hasn’t slept in four days.
“I’m a mess over this thing; I’m a mess,” White said. “I’m telling you guys. I’m not trying to play it cool or whatever. But I’m a [expletive] wreck. I’m a wreck. I haven’t slept in four days. I feel weird.
“I can’t wait for Saturday to be over with. I just want to get it over with. I want to nail this thing, I want to do it right, and I want to move forward. I just want to get this first one under my belt.”
“The only thing that I care about right now is this fight,” he said. “Seriously, when I tell you guys this I couldn’t be more serious or more literal – I am not thinking of anything, nothing. I don’t care about anything with my business – anything on this planet, anything right now – except the fight getting pulled off.”
There’s no doubt Cain Velasquez is a big fight, but Dana White even went as far to say it’s “the biggest fight in UFC history.”
— The UFC of course has a lot riding on the success of this event. They claim they’re losing money on the show — Lorenzo Fertitta estimates as much as $16 million — but if it pulls good ratings, it would be a great start to what UFC brass sees as a long-term investment in the future growth of their business. If not, who knows what would happen, but it definitely wouldn’t be a good sign.
If you ask Dana White what a good rating would be, you won’t get much of an answer.
“On network television, I’m not an expert,” he said. “I don’t know what they consider bad. Saturday nights aren’t traditionally a big night for television, either network or cable. … (FOX Sports chairman and CEO) David Hill today told me it’s a jinx to talk about it. So I’m not going to talk about it. I just want to put up a good number. That’s the answer I’m supposed to give.”
Dana White may be playing dumb, but word is they’re hoping to best EliteXC’s CBS record with Kimbo Slice and James Thompson which averaged 4.3 million and peaked with 6.5 million viewers.
— The UFC confirmed today that all live fights will air on TV in one way, shape or form starting next year.
“When this deal starts in January, every live fight, no matter what it is, all goes to Fox,” said White. “Some are going to FX and some are going to Fuel. It’s going to depend, but every live fight will be on a Fox platform.”
The early prelims that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing on Facebook will air on FUEL TV while the Spike TV prelim specials will air on FX. FUEL TV is also expected to broadcast the preliminary cards for FX and FOX shows.
Additionally, FUEL TV will broadcast 2,000 hours of UFC programming which will include overseas events not on pay-per-view, weigh-in specials, international versions of TUF, “Countdown” and “Primetime” specials and other shoulder programming in 2012.
“Twenty-five percent of our programming will be devoted to the UFC. We’re going to have north of 2,000 hours,” said Greenberg. “At the end of the day, this is an introduction to a new sport that has absolutely been put on the map in the last 10 years.”
Unfortunately, only 26 million people currently get FUEL TV. FOX is surely banking on the UFC to help build that network like they did with Spike considering they’re devoting 25% of their programming schedule to the UFC.
— The UFC plans to heavily promote the upcoming Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem heavyweight number one contender’s bout this weekend. Instead of hosting a Q&A session like they usually do, they’re holding a special pre-fight press conference with Lesnar and Overeem before the weigh-ins. Both fighters will also be in attendance and Lesnar will even serve as an analyst on the FOX broadcast.
“This is focused on the heavyweights and the heavyweight championship fight on Saturday night between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos,” said White. “We’re going to be talking about Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar. Overeem will be there, and Brock Lesnar is actually going to be one of the analysts on the show, breaking down the fight. He [defended the title] against Cain Velasquez, and he was supposed to fight Junior dos Santos, so his opinion is interesting.”
Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have called this show a big UFC commercial from the very start. It looks like they’re going to take full advantage of that.
— Conference call audio below via MMA Weekly
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, dana, tv
Read the full article at MMA ConvertJay Glazer Previews UFC on Fox
Check out Fox Sports analyst Jay Glazer previewing the big fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos in this FoxSports.com video.
Posted in: fight, fox, glazer, jay, fox check
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox Conference Call: Details of the Deal
Listen to the full audio from Wednesday's UFC on Fox conference call, where Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Fox execs discuss the details of their deal and Velasquez vs. dos Santos.
Posted in: fox, fox conference, wednesdays ufc, fox execs, lorenzo fertitta
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 pre-fight press conference full video for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
The UFC on FOX 1 pre-fight press conference begins at the 13:20 mark.
Join UFC President Dana White, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos as they dish the dirt on the upcoming UFC on FOX 1 event, scheduled for this Sat., Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
For a transcript of all the presser news and notes hit up our UFC 137 press conference live blog right here. And to see the staredown pic of Velasquez vs. dos Santos click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, do, anaheim california
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC and Fox Take Boxing’s Bob Arum to Task (video)
The UFC and Fox take boxing promoter Bob Arum to task over his derisive comments about the UFC and mixed martial arts.
Posted in: ufc, fox, boxing, derisive comments, task video
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNo Regrets for Dana White Ahead of UFC on Fox Debut
Dana White says he's nervous for the first time in a long time as he heads into Saturday's UFC on Fox event in Anaheim.
Posted in: ufc, time, fox, fox event, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on Fox Round Table - Is Velasquez Vs. Dos Santos The Most Important Fight In UFC History?
Matt Roth - With the UFC finally making their network tv debut, is it safe to say that Velasquez vs Dos Santos is more important for the UFC than Griffin vs Bonnar at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale?
Leland Roling - No. Without the significance of Griffin-Bonnar, we probably aren't where we are at today in terms of opportunity.
Tim Burke - I agree with Leland. Griffin/Bonnar was the culmination of a 10 million dollar experiment that very nearly bankrupted the company. If that fight wasn't what it was, the UFC likely wouldn't be owned by the Fertittas anymore. Even if Cain/JDS is somehow a colossal failure, there's a lot more cushioning in place, financially and otherwise for Zuffa to bounce back and try again. It's an important fight. But nothing will ever be as important as Griffin/Bonnar was for the organization long-term.
KJ Gould - I think it could be as important, but I'm not sure if it's more. Griffin vs Bonnar was Zuffa UFC's breakthrough moment ending the dark ages of Western MMA and turned the company around from a losing effort into a profitable enterprise. I think Dos Santos vs Velasquez is the UFC's chance to legitimise itself among casual sports fans and the general public at large. At least I think that's what the plan is and what is hoped for. We'll have to wait and see what kind of impact it actually has.
Fraser Cofeen - KJ has it right on the "wait and see" part. Griffin vs. Bonnar became more important as it happened because it was such a fantastic fight. This one? If it's amazing and turns on a ton of new fans, then yes, it could end up being more important. If it's a total bust, that too could be massively important. But if it's just OK then it won't have a huge impact. I mean, what kind of impact did Smith vs. Lawler II have on EliteXC, you know?
Tim Burke - I think the difference though is that the UFC had nothing going for them when Griffin/Bonnar went down. They were out 10 mil, Spike wasn't willing to pay for season 2, and all looked lost. That fight card (and that fight in particular) is what made Spike change their mind, and they produced the show for season two and continued to show programming. In the case of Cain/JDS, the UFC has already signed the mega-deal. There just isn't as much riding on this in those terms. When it comes to more casual viewership and expanding the sport, for sure it's important. But it's not do-or-die, so it can't possibly be AS important as the TUF 1 Finale.
Matt Roth - I think this is possibly more important just because of what's at stake. The UFC has been trying to "legitimize" the sport for years. They finally have the chance to pull in an audience that doesn't know anything about the sport, who most likely still call it cage fighting. If the fight is a complete bust, this could force the UFC and Fox to reevaluate their plan. They're planning to interview the fighters much in the same way they do with the Superbowl. Even the format could negatively affect the fight.
Josh Nason - This is a hard question to answer as no one expected Griffin/Bonnar to be that good or that important to the company. The end result ended up starting something that the UFC and Spike were more than happy to capitalize and build on. Velasquez/dos Santos is the result of long-term planning and finding the right broadcast partner and deal that would make this possible.
Perhaps the more accurate question is whether in five years,will the Velsaquez/dos Santos fight will do as much positives for UFC business as Griffin/Bonnar did in its subsequent five years. My gut instinct is to say no because I think the UFC's insistence on 30+ events per year will lessen the demand on pay-per-view. I don't think the business has peaked, but I can't get past the notion that if people wanted to watch UFC, they would have tried it out by now and already been on board.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Leland Roling - Honestly, I don't even know why we are comparing the two. If you take into account the fact that Griffin-Bonnar had to have the success it had in order to propel the UFC to where it is today, it's the obvious choice. It saved the UFC for inevitable death in my mind.
The UFC on Fox deal doesn't have to be a major success for the UFC to continue to live on and make a profit. The circumstances aren't the same, nor are the consequences of a monumental failure.
KJ Gould - For all intents and purposes, MMA is still a niche sport with UFC being the premier brand. Many were hoping UFC 100 would take the sport in general to the next level and while it was a landmark event I don't think it had any long term impact. The good that show did has been largely negated by factors such as Brock Lesnar appearing to be a shell of his former self and a host of other injuries that have sidelined marquee fighters which has prevented cards from selling as well as they could have.
Yes, UFC can continue to make a profit at the top of this niche, but I think success on Fox with the first show acting as a catalyst is paramount to their growth and expansion. A bad showing this weekend could potentially be a setback that might take years to overcome, but a great showing could well lead to another boom period.
Josh Nason - KJ, you reminded me about something that I really noticed with UFC 100: ESPN attention. Perhaps because of the Fox deal or other issues, I don't notice any ESPN televised coverage other than results on the scroller and MMA Live. I'll be interested to see if this gets any coverage on the Worldwide Leader this week, but my assumption is that it doesn't. Getting ESPN to validate your existence is a big thing with the casual fans they're looking to attract.
Leland Roling - I'm willing to bet it gets ESPN play.
KJ Gould - Dana White needs to 'play the game just a little bit' to get ESPN to cover the UFC properly. ESPN were supposedly not too pleased with Dana White choosing MMA Fighting over them to break the news of the Strikeforce buyout, and it doesn't help that White easily gets into internet bust-ups with them from time to time as well. Maybe Dana hopes Fox Sports can give him the coverage he feels ESPN never afforded the UFC but I'd like to think he's not arrogant enough to completely cut them off. Of course, he did just practically poach Jon Anik from them recently. Who knows what their relationship is like at the moment.
Ben Thapa - My perspective, if it's worth anything: This is the single best chance for Zuffa to continue the process of minor reinventions that all truly successful organizations and companies go through to stay dominant. Without that process of slow conceptual and production turnover, Zuffa stagnates and we're stuck with the gladiator intro for yet another decade. A dominant and highly entertaining bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos makes for a happy Fox network team. A fully enthusiastic and cooperative Fox team can help turn the Zuffa broadcasts into productions that are far more composed, less reliant upon the fighter's personal brand and more appealing to the masses - where the big money waits.
In many ways, this particular title bout is perfect for Zuffa's purposes. The unstated goal of White and the Fertita brothers has been to push the brand of the UFC over the mega-star fighters like Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre. This is a smart business idea as stars can dim due to age and injuries that sideline those stars for too long. Boxing has seen itself shrink down to a handful of mega-stars with alphabet soup belts in play around the world. By dint of success, constant self-promotion and the collapse of other rivals, the UFC stands alone as the premier fight organization in the world and the biggest stars fight within its cages. Zuffa puts on the UFC show, creates the PPV market and pays the money to promote. They've reaped the rewards thus far, but the sport has plateaued of late and the need for a strong brand that extends beyond the fighters themselves is clear.
Cain and Junior are incredibly talented mixed martial artists. The odds are high that these two men are going to put on a brilliant and explosive fight that can convert fence-sitters in droves. However, neither has yet been able to build a personal brand with the fans that is stronger than Zuffa's. If the fight fails to fully live up to its staggering potential for exquisite controlled violence, that might be alright for Zuffa. Any positives that result from the UFC on Fox show will be shared equally between the fighters and the UFC. Any negatives can be explained away by pointing out the non-megastardom of Cain and Junior. The best part is that this is done while preserving the "mega-stars on PPV" model that got them this far. A truly disastrous show can perhaps be redeemed by promising Jon Jones for the next fight.
This is the golden opportunity for the UFC to discard the nu-metal trappings of Griffin/Bonnar, seize the attention of a bigger audience and enter a time of stability that UFC 100 failed to deliver. Griffin/Bonnar let the UFC survive and figure out by iterative process what sort of worked for their audience. I believe this to be the one big chance for the UFC to grow up, access professional knowledge built over successful decades of multi-sport broadcasting and move this sport beyond the realm of highly passionate hardcore fans into the mainstream.
A great fight leaves the UFC in the catbird seat with the world at their fingertips. A bad fight makes it a hard struggle that might cripple their chances of true growth.
Ben Thapa - Another take, as I'm bored at work. I've never understood why Griffin/Bonnar has been adopted by the mixed martial arts media as the fulcrum by which mixed martial arts in America was saved.
PRIDE was where the best fighters were in 2005, the WEC had been in business for four years and the various Brazilian shows were bubbling up now and then. Griffin/Bonnar was a tipping point for the continued survival of Zuffa alone and blind luck let the right combination of grit, determination and unpolished skill occur at the right time for the UFC. To Zuffa's credit, Spike and the UFC quickly capitalized on that fight and things began to look up for Zuffa. At the same time, if Zuffa had died shortly afterwards, we would likely still have a strong MMA scene here in the U.S. as other organizations expanded into the void.
Somehow the UFC has managed to continue the process of not screwing up too much or deeply to get this opportunity with Fox. This is their shot at legitimacy. This is the time to leave behind the nu-metal trappings that won over all the wrestling fans and to embrace a more mass-appeal vibe. This fight determines whether that transition process from niche sport to mainstream institution gets off to a roaring start. A slow start can be overcome, but the last slow start on Spike had to be rescued by Griffin/Bonnar.
The importance of breaking through to the big money of the mainstream is why this fight and this Fox deal is the most important moment in Zuffa history. If it fails, mixed martial arts is doomed to stagnate for another decade until another network builds the courage and resources to make the failed attempts at CBS and Fox a distant memory - like Griffin/Bonnar should be in the minds of MMA fans.
Leland Roling - "The importance of breaking through to the big money of the mainstream is why this fight and this Fox deal is the most important moment in Zuffa history. If it fails, mixed martial arts is doomed to stagnate for another decade until another network builds the courage and resources to make the failed attempts at CBS and Fox a distant memory - like Griffin/Bonnar should be in the minds of MMA fans."
I don't agree. What's more important? Stacking more money on top of the revenue they've already made, or creating a "Golden Age" of growth at a low point that could have potentially led to their death? In my mind, there's no debate. The reality series plus Bonnar-Griffin helped the UFC get where it is today. It's a cause that had the effect.
KJ Gould - I think it's a matter of expectations, which has been touched on a little bit. UFC weren't expecting what they got out of Griffin vs Bonnar and what it snowballed into. Going into the first Fox show I'd imagine they have lofty expectations of what it can do for the UFC so in that respect they may have a greater sense of importance about this show then they did at the time of the first live TUF finale on Spike.
Ben Thapa - I'm doing my best to pull a Snowden - plausible stance that can easily be shredded if you have the right knowledge.
Dallas Winston - It's just another very pivotal stage.
Griffin x Bonnar was the initial step that brought MMA into a larger spotlight. The purchase of Pride vanquished their only legit competitor and extended their range to the entire globe instead of just the US. Acquiring Strikeforce was another huge stride because it seemed to put the MMA world on notice that, as hard as it is to just survive or turn a profit as an alternative brand, even if you succeed you are likely to be taken over and counter-programmed all the way there.
With any legit competition being absorbed and the overall momentum of the company and its roster at an all time high, this is just another potential for further advancement in the market. It's hard to compare it with what got them there in the first place.
Ben Thapa - But if the narrative of Griffin/Bonnar is to be believed, then the UFC basically had nothing to do with anything other than creating a situation which spit out the one perfect fight at the perfect time. If it didn't work, they were out of business. PRIDE, WEC and perhaps Strikeforce would have picked up the reins and become the brightest stage.
Why it is so important that Zuffa succeeds is that PRIDE and Strikeforce were run with much uncertainty regarding fights, fighters, negotiations and pay. To be fully fair, the UFC has some of that, but it's not a business crippling problem as it was for PRIDE and perhaps for Strikeforce as well. Zuffa is the cleanest and if it fails to stick with Fox, then what incentive do they have for staying clean?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, zuffa, griffinbonnar
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAfter Saturday's one-fight debut, FOX likely to air more bouts on event nights in 2012
UFC and FOX officials believe Saturday's one-fight TV card, UFC on FOX, is the best introduction to an audience that may not be familiar with MMA.
Of course, those familiar with the sport and the UFC's product are conditioned to watch major events with a four- or five-fight main card on PPV and a two-fight Spike TV card bolstered by preliminary-card bouts on Facebook.
Among the big changes on the horizon when the UFC's partnership with FOX formally begins in January 2012 is a 90-minute timeslot for major events broadcast on the network.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, card, events broadcast
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox Media Call News: Fuel To Have 2000 Hours Of Programming
Today, the UFC and Fox held a media call to discuss this upcoming weekend's fight card as well as to breakdown the relationship between the two parties. The call included members of the entertainment press such as Variety Magazine, who had questions about the nature of the show and if the event will have a disclaimer that the fight may not be for the faint of heart. However, there were some interesting tidbits as well.
The fight will be broadcasted on Fox Sports radio. Just the idea of a fight having play by play done on the radio is interesting. Fox will be utilizing a multi-platform strategy. Fox Sports radio, FoxSports.com, Fuel, Fox Deportes, FX, and Fox.
The UFC is treating this fight as a way to break into America. They'll be doing a lot of story telling and explaining what is going on in the cage. They understand they aren't dealing with casual fans, they're dealing with non-fans.
Fuel TV will be devoting 25% of its scheduling to UFC related programming. They will air UFC events, Unleashed-type shows, Countdowns, Primetimes, weigh ins, and news type shows. There is also the opportunity to air the international Ultimate Fighter episodes once those kick off.
The breakdown for events is: Fox cards will air for an hour and a half, FX will air for two hours, and Fuel will be three hours.
Going forward all fights will be aired. Fuel will replace the Facebook portion while FX will air the Spike TV portion of the PPV and Fox cards.
Regarding international events, they still don't have any plans. Some will air live while others will air via tape delay. It will depend on the television schedules. If the cards are for Fox, they will likely air live.
This is great news and answers a lot of questions that fans were concerned about regarding the relationship between Fox and the UFC. Fox truly is invested in this partnership and is making Fuel the home for UFC programming. It benefits both parties as it will up the subscriptions on the channel while the UFC gets a network they essentially can call their own.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, fuel, fox cards
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPressure is on UFC, Not Fighters, to Deliver on Fox
UFC President Dana White says the pressure to deliver in the Fox debut is all on their shoulders, not on Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, shoulder, pressure
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 Real Time Press Conference Highlights
In less than a week history will be made in Anaheim as the UFC debuts on network television and what an unveiling they’ve planned! Sandwiched between pre/post-fight analysis and coupled with coverage on a number of FOX outlets, UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos is poised to wow new and old fans this Saturday night when undefeated heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defends his title against Brazilian striker Junior dos Santos.
Before the two talented competitors take to the Octagon they will take to the stage later today as part of a press conference related to the epic event. Joining them will be Ben Henderson and Clay Guida, two lightweights on the cusp of contendership clashing earlier in the evening, as well as UFC President Dana White.
As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in throughout and relaying highlights back as they unfold in real time starting at approximately 4:00 PM EST.
Read below and see what all of the involved parties have to say:
Cain Velasquez:
Junior dos Santos:
Ben Henderson:
Clay Guida:
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, prepostfight analysis
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FOX 1 Promo: Silencing Bob Arum
The UFC gives Bob Arum a pair of Stockton Heybuddy’s in this UFC on FOX 1 promo.
Posted in: ufc, fox, bob, bob arum, promo
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White Talks UFC on FOX, His Hectic Schedule and Joe Frazier
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, Videos, UFC on FOXLOS ANGELES - MMA Fighting caught up with UFC president Dana White after the UFC on FOX pre-fight press conference Wednesday. He discussed his nerves leading up to the fight, what his life is like just days before the UFC on FOX debut, how this show will be different than past UFC events and his favorite Joe Frazier moment.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, fox debut, joe frazier
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX: Silencing the Critics
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, mattyblayze, critic
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX: Live Pre-Fight Press Conference
Watch today's UFC on Fox press conference live from Los Angeles right here on HeavyMMA.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, todays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 1 Preview: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Shoot Media brings us a preview of the UFC on FOX 1 main event: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC Quick Quote: Dana White is 'nervous' about breaking his 'little bubble' of armbars and triangle chokes
"I'm nervous. This is the first time in a long time that I've been nervous. I don't get nervous anymore. I get excited and I get pumped up for fights. But you know, I'm nervous for this fight. I'm genuinely nervous like I was at UFC 30 when we did our first one ... But the way that I approached this whole coming-out party on Fox is, we live in this little bubble. I live in a world of armbars and rear-naked chokes and triangle chokes and ground-and-pound and all that stuff, but there's millions and millions of people who have never even heard of any of that and don't know anything about the UFC. As big as the UFC may seem, it's not. We're so far from mainstream still, and now we've been given the opportunity to do it. That's why Saturday is so important. It feels good and I'm excited, yeah, but I'm nervous, man. I'm excited and I'm nervous, and I don't like to be nervous."
Welcome to the big show. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White tells SI.com he's "nervous" about introducing a mainstream audience to the world of mixed martial arts at the upcoming UFC on FOX network television debut on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California. While Zuffa and FOX can produce the living expletive out of Saturday night's one-hour show, it's up to the fighters, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, to deliver the goods. Anyone think White will feel blue on Sunday morning? Or will this be a heavyweight fight for the ages? Anyone else got butterflies?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, im, i dont
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Press Call Updates
The UFC and Fox are holding a media call today at 2:00 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT to preview the UFC on Fox card. FOX Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill, FOX Sports Co-President Eric Shanks& FUELTV General Manager George Greenberg join UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to preview UFC ON FOX: LIVE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT: VELASQUEZ VS. DOS SANTOS.
The UFC and Fox are going all in for this fight with four and a half hours of coverage on Fuel TV pre and post fight. Fuel will also be airing the weigh ins live on Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. Fox Deportes is running a special called "Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride" a series about the life of the UFC champion.
In addition to television coverage provided by FOX Sports, FUEL TV and FOX Deportes, FOXSports.com plans to live stream the press conference on Wednesday, Thursday's open workout, Friday's weigh-in and the nine undercard bouts that precede the Velasquez-Dos Santos showdown on Nov. 12. Editorially, in the days leading up to the bout the site plans: a profile on UFC maestro Dana White by Bill Reiter; a story on the role of religion in fighting; how UFC training has helped several NFL players; profiles on Velasquez and Dos Santos; and more.
As per usual, Bloody Elbow will be providing updates from the call. Follow me (@mattroth512) for live tweets from the media call. Following the call I will provide any additional notes for discussion.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe UFC's new FOX Era will be defined by nationalism, globalism
It's fitting that on the 18th birthday of the Ultimate Fighting Championship this Saturday night, the UFC enters a new era: the FOX Era.
The octagon debuts on major network TV with a live one-hour special featuring a heavyweight title tilt between champion Cain Velasquez and No. 1 contender Junior Dos Santos.
FOX Sports president Eric Shanks called the bout their "Ali-Foreman." While Velasquez-Dos Santos doesn't hold the significance of the "Rumble in the Jungle," it's a far cry from the sporting level of UFC 1 on Nov. 12, 1993, to say the least.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fox, era, fox era
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FOX Discussion
The UFC on FOX press conference begins this afternoon at 4pm EST/1pm PST. The combined win percentage of Cain & JDS is .956 - the highest in a UFC HW title fight since Ricco & Sylvia (.968) in 2003. This is without a doubt the biggest moment for MMA in the United States as the top organization broadcasts a HW Title fight on primetime broadcast television. Who do you think will win? Will UFC learn from EliteXC/StrikeForce's mistakes? How will American media respond? What about the rest of the card? I'm taking Cain (though I'd bet on JDS as an underdog with the given odds) in the ME and I'd like to see Bendo win, but I think we might see Guida control him heavy. Either way, I envision this being a moment - like Forrest/Bonnar TUF Finale - that we look back at in many years as a 'turning point' of sorts for the sport. Related Articles: UFC on FOX's 'baddest man on planet' Velasquez looks to recapture Anaheim magic UFC on Fox 1 Preview - Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Return of the King Cain Velasquez: Junior dos Santos is not going to knock me out Video: Junior Dos Santos Gets In Muay Thai Training For Title Fight ‘Cigano’ feels no pressure on becoming a 'global star' in the UFC Lorenzo Fertitta: UFC on FOX debut will cost Zuffa $16 million ... but it's a worthy investment submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, planet velasquez, guida control, organization broadcasts
Read the full article at RedditWatch Today’s UFC on Fox Press Conference on MMAWeekly.com (4 pm ET)
Watch the Wednesday, Nov. 9, UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos pre-fight press conference live on MMAWeekly.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, press, mmaweeklycom
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyLorenzo Fertitta: UFC on FOX debut will cost Zuffa $16 million ... but it's a worthy investment
Chump change!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make its network television debut this Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011) with UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," a five-round main event title fight between reigning division champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
If you're thinking "that's a pay-per-view (PPV) quality headliner," it is.
But a short-term loss is a long-term gain. That's according to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, who told the Sports Business Journal that he expects a healthy return over the next ten years thanks to FOX:
"When we were on Spike TV, that was a launching pad. We look at Fox as a bigger and better platform that could elevate the brand. We’re flat out going to lose money on this fight. But that’s the investment we’re making. Those are the steps we’ve got to take to make Cain and Junior pay-per-view stars and lift up the whole thing. Maybe we think a little funny here, but that’s well worth forgoing $16 million. Take that out over the next 10 years and we get a healthy return."
Fertitta's goal is to convert 100,000 freebies into 100,000 PPV buys, using the FOX network to re-launch the brand into the mainstream market in much the same way Spike TV did (on a smaller scale) back in 2006 with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Speaking of TUF guys, the proving ground for up-and-coming fighters is moving to a live format when it transitions to the FX channel in Spring 2012, with 13 live episodes followed by an all-live season finale to crown the next Ultimate Fighter champion.
The landmark deal, one that spans seven years and is valued at $100 million, may just be a series of "commercials" to attract advertisers, sponsors and PPV buyers through the recruitment of new fans -- and the re-introduction to old ones.
Anyone think the UFC has put its best foot forward? Or have you reserved judgement until the fighters actually throw down?
For more on the "future investment" of the UFC click here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, year, fertitta
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Ben Henderson Says Winning is More Important Than Being on TV
Ben Henderson is prepared for the biggest challenge of his career this weekend when he faces Clay Guida at UFC on Fox 1. Guida has already knocked one former WEC fighter off his perch (Anthony Pettis), and is prepared to do it again. With only the UFC heavyweight championship fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos airing on the network, the much-anticipated lightweight battle between Bendo and Guida has been relegated to Fox Deportes, Facebook, and Fox.com. Henderson was apparently bothered about it at first, but isn't really concerned about it any more. He talked to Sergio Non of USA Today about a variety of things, including that issue:
I was pretty surprised when I first heard about it. I'm not going to lie. … When I heard that, to be honest, I was a little bit sad about that. I was a little bit bummed out.
Of course, this is a historic moment. First time on Fox, it's a huge, huge, big historic moment for the UFC, for my sport, for MMA. I'm happy I'm a part of it. I'm happy I'm on the card, the co-main event.
I would definitely like to be on Fox, though. But whatever. It is what it is.
The more I thought about it, I was able to settle myself down and be like, "You know what? It doesn't really matter." All that matters is me getting my hand raised, getting that W. Being on Fox or Facebook or Foxsports.com of Spike TV or Versus or pay-per-view, it all doesn't really matter; what matters is you winning, you getting your hand raised.
He also talks a bit about the style matchup between the two:
With Clay, I think I can do pretty much what I want to. If he wants to stay standing, I can take him down or I can keep it standing, because I think I'm a better stand-up fighter than he is. If he wants to take it the ground, I think I'm a better wrestler, I can avoid the takedown or if I want to take it to the ground, I can dictate where the fight takes place at.
The interview is very informative, and goes much more in-depth into how Henderson thinks he can beat Guida, why Guida he thinks was able to beat Pettis, and if Bendo thinks he deserves a title shot if he wins. I highly recommend checking out the whole thing, which you can do here.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, guida, im, matter
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPro MMA Radio 172: UFC on FOX 1 Preview, Larry Pepe To Host Fox Sports Radio Pre & Post-Fight Shows
We have partnered with Pro MMA Radio to bring you weekly replays of PMR as the official radio show of MMAConvert.com.
Pro MMA Radio can be heard live every Monday evening at 9PM ET/6PM PT. Replays and podcasts of every show are available 24/7 by going to the “Replay Corner” section of ProMMARadio.com, our own Pro MMA Radio page or by clicking the banner below.
On this week’s edition of Pro MMA Radio, FIGHT! Magazine’s Jim Casey joined the show to help host Larry Pepe recap UFC 138 and preview UFC on FOX 1. Also, Larry Pepe will be hosting the UFC on FOX 1 pre and post-fight shows on Fox Sports Radio. The pre-show will start at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The post-show will then follow as soon as the UFC on FOX 1 broadcast ends.
You can listen to a replay of this week’s edition of Pro MMA Radio by clicking the banner below. A radio player with links to the show’s archives will open in a pop-up window, so please make sure your browser is set to allow pop-ups for this site.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, radio, mma radio
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1 Pre-Fight Press Conference Streams Live at 4pm ET
The UFC on FOX 1 pre-fight press conference will stream live in the video player above at 4pm ET. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will be in attendance.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video player, prefight
Read the full article at MMA ConvertEvery UFC Fight Will Be Televised in 2012, With FUEL Hosting 2,000 Program Hours
Filed under: UFC, News, UFC on FOXSince signing a deal to bring programming to FOX networks for seven years starting in 2012, UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said that if you're an MMA fan, you're going to want to make sure you have access to the FUEL cable station. Until now though, the scope of FUEL's devotion to the UFC has been somewhat unclear.
No longer. On a Wednesday teleconference featuring executives of both FOX Sports and the UFC, it was revealed that FUEL will broadcast over 2,000 hours of UFC programming in 2012, devoting about 25 percent of their entire schedule to all things octagon.
It was just one of several details released regarding the future plans between the new partners. Among the other major revelations is that starting in January, every UFC fight that takes place anywhere around the world will be televised. In the recent past, most undercard fights have only been available online on Facebook.com.
Using the multiple platforms available, the UFC plans to broadcast most live preliminaries on FUEL before the main card begins on pay-per-view, FOX or FX, depending on the specific event. Under the terms of their deal, in 2012, FOX will broadcast four events while FX will host six.
While Saturday night's UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. dos Santos event will only be one hour, future network television broadcasts will likely increase and feature more than one fight, according to FOX Sports co-president Eric Shanks, who said the network is leaning towards 90-minute blocks and two or three fights per broadcast.
"It's going to be an incredible night, and we just want to make sure we have the time to tell the story about this [Velasquez vs. dos Santos] fight, but going forward you can look forward to longer fight nights on FOX," he said.
White said that he was happy with the time slot and promotion, and noted that complaints about only one fight airing on Saturday night should be muted by promise of the future exposure on multiple platforms.
"We couldn't ask for anything more," he said. "This is like a dream come true. No matter how many fights it is, it's a damn good thing."
While the FOX fights will no doubt gain UFC their biggest audiences and the move to FX is expected to inject new life into The Ultimate Fighter, it seems clear that UFC executives are just as excited about being the anchor programming for FUEL. According to last estimates provided by TV By the Numbers, FUEL is currently available in just over 32 million households, less than a third the number of households that can watch FX. Yet the hope amongst both sides is that UFC programming will help the channel grow and gain wider clearance.
Aside from broadcasting prelim fights, FUEL will air all UFC shoulder programming including Countdown, Primetime, Unleashed, Best of PRIDE, The Ultimate Insider and more.
Asked if the proliferation of UFC programming on the channel would eventually result in it being rebranded as the "UFC channel," White said he was pulling for the possibility. FOX Sports Media Group chairman David Hill said that while FUEL's target demographic would change slightly with the explosion of UFC programming, it would maintain its current name. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, programming, fuel
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on FOX: Ben Henderson doesn't need to be on TV, he just needs to beat Clay Guida
UFC on FOX, party of two, your time slot is now available...
Despite a stellar preliminary card, the UFC on FOX network television event, scheduled for Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011), in Anaheim, California, will only feature two fighters during the hour-long broadcast: Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
That doesn't mater to Ben Henderson.
While he was initially "bummed" about being relegated to the Facebook and FoxSports.com live video stream for this weekend's extravaganza, "Bendo" quickly realized that beating Clay Guida is the only thing that matters, not how many people get to watch him do it.
The former WEC lightweight champion elaborates to USA Today:
"When I heard that, to be honest, I was a little bit sad about that, a little bit bummed out. (But) the more I thought about it, I was able to settle myself down. … Being on Fox or Facebook or Foxsports.com of Spike TV or Versus or pay-per-view, it all doesn't really matter; what matters is you winning, you getting your hand raised.Clay's on a big fight win streak," Henderson says. "I only have two wins so far in the UFC, but both wins over quality opponents. … If I were to hear that Clay or I -- the winner of us; after I beat Clay -- get a title shot, I wouldn't be too surprised about that."
Henderson recently derailed the Jim Miller hype train and spoiled his title plans by dominating him at UFC on Versus 5 to secure a lopsided unanimous decision victory.
With Melvin Guillard no longer in the mix and Anthony Pettis working his way back up, it's very possible the winner of Saturday's lightweight affair could be next in line for a 155-pound title shot.
Unless Gilbert Melendez has something to say about it next month in Strikeforce.
How about it Maniacs, anyone think the winner of Henderson vs. Guida should get an immediate title shot against division kingpin Frankie Edgar?
Why or why not?
Posted in: ufc, title, fox, henderson, clay
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox Twitter Guide
It's back. Your complete Twitter guide to the historic UFC on Fox event. Keep up with all your favorite fighters and personalities with just a few clicks.
Posted in: ufc, fox, twitter, fox event, twitter guide
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC Quick Quote: Dana White invites sports fans around the world to witness MMA history on Nov. 12
"One of the great things about being a sports fan is remembering exactly where you were when a moment in history was created.... Regardless of the year, the teams or the outcome, sports give us an outlet and an opportunity to be a part of history. It’s something we can tell our kids about decades later, something we relive with our buddies over beers as we recount where we were and how our lives have changed since. In just a few days, we at the Ultimate Fighting Championship are presenting fans across the world with another opportunity to be a part of sports history. This Saturday, live and free on FOX from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the UFC heavyweight championship of the world will be decided when undefeated Cain Velasquez defends his crown against knockout artist and number one contender Junior dos Santos. Not only does this mark our first event on FOX since we announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with the network this past summer, but it marks a return to the glory days for many sports fans. It signals a return to the days when sports’ biggest prize – the world heavyweight title – is decided live and free on network television."
-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White waxes poetic, penning a column in today's Chicago Sun-Times that invites mainstream sports fans to witness mixed martial arts (MMA) history this weekend. Of course, White is referring to the landmark UFC on FOX 1 one-hour television broadcast, which features a main event between UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. It is the first of many fights the will be featured on FOX; however, perhaps none will be more significant. To get his point across, White tugs on nostalgic sports heart strings, saying that the event on Nov. 12, 2011, which will begin at 9 p.m. ET, will be on the same historic level as Kirk Gibson's winning walk-off homerun in the 1998 World Series or Buster Douglas' upset of Mike Tyson with a stunning finish inside the Tokyo Dome back in 1990. Once again, White also assures fans that tuning into the "epic heavyweight title fight" on the FOX broadcast will not interfere with Manny Pacquiao's trilogy fight against Juan Manuel Marquez later in the evening. Think White's public plea is effective (and accurate) enough to reel in new fans or is he simply reaching in his comparisons?
Posted in: ufc, world, fox, sport, fan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBout order revealed for Saturday's "UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event
As far as UFC fight weeks go, this one is certainly a big one.
And while UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and top challenger
Junior Dos Santos will be the center of attention until they finally
square off on FOX this Saturday night, 18 other fighters will also
compete at UFC on FOX 1.
UFC brass recently revealed the official 10-bout lineup for the Nov. 12
event, which takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, honda center, bout order, saturdays ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" weigh-ins, as well as the UFC 141 press conference,...
The UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" weigh-ins, as well as the UFC 141 press conference, have been moved to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium this Fri., Nov. 11, 2011, in Santa Monica, California. The UFC 141 presser kicks off at 2 p.m. PT and the UFC on FOX weigh-in starts at 4 p.m. Be there or be square, Maniacs.
Posted in: ufc, fox, weighin, santa monica, fox weighin
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Preview: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos/ Guida vs. Henderson
By Will Gray This weekend, the UFC will once again be making history for what they have been able to do, in a time where mixed martial arts is still challenging legislation for national sanctioning and some groups are calling it barbaric, they have managed to sign a multi-million, multi-year broadcasting deal with FOX networks [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, broadcasting deal
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUFC on Fox: The Challenge of Promoting Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos
Like the other two million reported viewers, I tuned in for the debut of UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on Fox last Sunday. Admittedly, my expectations for the show were soured by the constant stream of UFC-themed shows I've watched over the years, most notably the similar message the UFC Countdown shows attempted to convey to their audience. Personal triumph over tragedy or succeeding against adversity are common themes, and UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos was no different.
What stuck out the most about the show was the lack of personality that both men exhibited. Surprisingly, the Brazilian Junior dos Santos was the more candid participant in the feature, showing off a personality that got him labeled as the gym's clown by his coaches and teammates.
Velasquez, on the other hand, was portrayed as the family man who has an invested interest in his Mexican heritage. While the show pushed images of Velasquez spending time with family, training, and signing autographs with fans, there wasn't a lot of focus on Velasquez's personality. In many moments, he seemed like a robot, so engulfed in the task at hand that he was comatose to the outside world.
Personalities sell fights. The more drama one can create in the lead-up to a fight, the better. If the UFC can promote a fight for four to six months without having the bout get dismantled by injury, it will undoubtedly sell more pay-per-views if the participants are jawing at each other. Fans who think Chael Sonnen won't sell with the proper timeframe and a slot on a Fox show are crazy.
Without that type of hype, what exactly can the UFC and Fox expect Velasquez and Dos Santos to produce in terms of ratings? What about in the context of creating new fans that enjoy the product for 20 years? Ideally, that's what Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White want to happen. They want fans to enjoy the fight so much that they become consumers like most of us, buying up pay-per-views and watching UFC content at every opportunity. Are these the two fighters to do that?
The excitement of such a monumental step toward becoming a mainstream sport, in my opinion, has blinded some of the analysis of this event. Obviously, the fact that the UFC is debuting on Fox with a heavyweight title showdown between two sure-fire heavyweight finishers is a huge plus to start, but am I to believe the fighters' bland personalities and the non-existent drama is going to sell this event to non-UFC fans?
I suppose the more pertinent question to ask is whether one of these fighters can transcend that line of logic and win fans over purely based on performance. Who's the last fighter who has done that? One could make the argument that Anderson Silva is progressing to that level without the help of a personality that connects with the larger American fanbase, but it isn't quite on par with a guy like Brock Lesnar. Lesnar had the help of crossover appeal, and a guy like Georges St. Pierre was propelled by nationalism.
Interestingly enough, my line of thinking has circled around into one final thought. The UFC made the right choice in pitting Velasquez vs. Dos Santos in their debut on Fox. Neither guy has the personality to play the heel or connect emotionally with an enormous fanbase in one hour on a Sunday afternoon. So, why attempt to promote these guys when other options possess those traits?
That's the experiment. Can the additional marketing power of Fox produce stars out of Velasquez and Dos Santos despite their inability to "talk smack" or "play the heel"? We won't know for months after the fight goes down this Saturday, but the results could prove what many of us have been asking for years -- can the UFC produce stars quicker? They are now in a position to find out.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, personality
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX 1 Promo: The Ring Announcer
The UFC does a little parody on “The Ring” in this viral promo for UFC on FOX 1.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ring, promo, ring announcer
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX: The Ring…Announcer
A woman is haunted by a video of...Bruce Buffer. Watch this hilarious video clip and get ready for UFC on FOX!
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, video clip, ring …announcer
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX: The Ring ... Announcer (Video)
What is it with reporters? You take one person's Bruce Buffer video and force the world to experience it... spread it like sickness.
It's ... TIME! For UFC on FOX. Well, almost. This parody on "The Ring" doing anything for ya?
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, ring, ya
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX: The Ring......Announcer
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fox, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, ringannouncer
Read the full article at RedditDana White UFC on Fox Video Blog 1
UFC president Dana White gives you behind the scenes look leading into the historic UFC on Fox show.
Posted in: ufc, show, fox, dana, scene
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC stars talk UFC on FOX: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
Ultimate Fighting Championship stars shared their thoughts and predictions ahead of this weekend's UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos in Anaheim, California. The event is widely considered as one of the most important Mixed Martial Arts cards in recent years, also featuring the Lightweight collsion between Clay "The Carpenter" Guida and Ben Henderson.
Don't forget to check LowKick.com throughout the week for latest UFC on FOX updates and
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, check lowkickcom, arts cards
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on Fox: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1
UFC president Dana White is back with his first video blog for the big UFC on Fox show this weekend. As usual, the first episode looks back at recent events, with both UFC 137 and UFC 138. Dana also makes it clear that UFC on Fox won't interfere with people wanting to watch Manny Pacquaio vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.
The UFC 137 footage kicks off similar to the footage from UFC 136, with the doctors checking over some of the guys that lost on the card. They also show a few of the fighters shaking hands with the guys that beat them. Mirko Cro Cop most definitely doesn't want to be checked out by the docs. The footage ends with a cyborg-looking B.J. Penn getting his handwraps removed and embracing the man that defeated him in the main event, Nick Diaz.
The UFC 138 stuff kicks off with a ticket giveaway in a park, then covers the same format at the 137 stuff. The footage of Brad Pickett and Chris Leben is likely the best stuff on the blog, though I'd suggest skipping the 8:00-8:30 section if you're squeamish. The blog ends with about two minutes of footage from the UFC on Fox press conference featuring Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Overall it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you liked the first part of the UFC 137 blog (that featured UFC 136).
Posted in: ufc, fox, blog, stuff, footage
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDespite Large Audience Expectations, UFC on FOX 1 Will Be Money Loser for UFC
Filed under: UFC, NewsFor months, UFC president Dana White has said that it is the only thing he cares about. His concentration on UFC on FOX 1 has bordered on obsession. You can understand his focus, as the event will potentially put his product before the eyes of millions who have never seen it before. The Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos matchup might draw the largest television audience in UFC history, but that is simply a guess. One thing we know for sure is that it will be a money loser.
The quest to get the UFC on primetime network TV had been a long-held goal for years for White, and an idea that stemmed from his youth. White could remember becoming a boxing fan while watching ABC's Wide World of Sports and realized that broad exposure was a logical route for expanding the UFC's fan base. For now, though it will be a costly one.
That is because the UFC budgets each event as though it is a stand-alone business. It has its own marketing and advertising budget, and revenue expectations.
According to Sports Business Daily, the UFC forecasted that if it was on pay-per-view, a Velasquez vs. dos Santos heavyweight title fight would have brought in about 800,000 pay-per-view buys.
That would have made it a huge success and financial windfall. By those estimates, the event would have raked in about $40 million in revenue, money which is shared by cable and satellite pay-per-view distributors in splits which are not public record but believed to be near 50/50 with some variations. That would have meant around $18-20 million in revenue for the UFC. Even if the event did 400,000 buys -- a number which SBD suggested was more likely given the results of recent similar fights -- the promotion still would have earned something around $8-10 million in revenue.
The FOX deal is believed to pay the UFC an average of around $100 million annually, but some sources have indicated that the figure starts a bit lower than that average and increases each year over the length of the deal.
This show, however, is not part of that contract, negotiated independently and according to White, it is being written off as a loss-leader with an eye towards the future.
"It's an investment in the company," he recently said. "In no way, shape or form do we come anywhere close to making our money back. You don't go on free television and make your money. That's just not how it works. We're going to get smashed on this fight, but it's an investment in the future of the business."
According to SBD, the UFC also reportedly had to dig into its pockets to pay Velasquez a bonus to offset the pay-per-view cut he lost when the company decided to feature him on free television.
It's not all bad news though. In addition to arena gate and merchandising revenue for the historic show, the FOX deal is expected to bring in new advertising dollars. Though usual sponsors like Dodge and Bud Light are likely to be the more prominent ones for the premiere, FOX executives have indicated that new sponsors will be on board for the first event in 2012.
With FOX's mainstream audience and ability to reach the target demographic of 18-34 year old males, the UFC sees the network as a driver for more explosive growth, the same way it helped push the rise of NASCAR. UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told SBD that he believes the company could create 100,000 new pay-per-view buyers from the early exposure alone. So while the promotion expects the first event to be a short-term money-loser, they are banking on the belief that it will eventually increase the company's bottom line.
It's a strategic move that brings the product its widest exposure, with the hope that a fan-friendly platform turns into fan dollars.
"Our goal has always been to bring big, free fights back to network television," White said. "Now that we have a network deal, we're looking at it as, obviously we're going to take a hit on the pay-per-view side for a big fight like this, but we're thinking long-term for the future of the sport and making the sport bigger. That's why we're going to do it, and continue to do it." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, money, event, payperview
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White, Urijah Faber, Joe Lauzon Discuss UFC on Fox
The UFC debuts on Fox this weekend and Dana White, Urijah Faber and Joe Lauzon talk about what that means for the sport of MMA.
Posted in: ufc, fox, joe lauzon, faber, urijah faber
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe UFC on Fox vlog day 1
Lotsa backstage footage from 137 and 138, plus the Cain / Junior press conference!
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, footage, lotsa
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC on FOX Roundtable: Big Questions Before the Big Fight
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXWe're just a few days away from the first UFC on FOX event, and still so many questions remain. What will the show look like? Will Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos manage to deliver in the UFC's hour of need? And what ever shall I wear?!
To answer at least a couple of these queries, I enlisted the help of my MMA Fighting colleague Mike Chiappetta for a good old-fashioned writers' roundtable. Let's do this.
1. What do you make of the decision to air just one fight on FOX? If you were calling the shots, how would you spend that extra time?
Fowlkes: I'm going to file this under 'Decisions I Understand, But Do Not Like.' It's a big file, one that begins with my parents' refusal to take me to a Guns N' Roses concert in 1991, and one that gets a little fatter every time the city denies my request to re-zone my garage as a tanning salon.
The UFC made a bold and perhaps brilliant move by throwing a heavyweight title fight on network TV. Everyone, regardless of their combat sports IQ, can appreciate the significance of the heavyweight title. Two big guys are going to try and knock each other out on a channel you could get with your grandmother's TV? Of course you want to see that.
When deciding how best to use the hour-long introduction on FOX, I can understand the need to both a) take some time and educate new viewers on what all this MMA nonsense is really about, while also b) preparing for the unlikely possibility that Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will go the full five.
That said, would it kill them to keep one of the evening's better fights in the can, just in case? If there's an amazing fight somewhere on the undercard, wouldn't you want the flexibility to throw it onto the broadcast, time permitting? I know you need to take a minute and explain to some viewers that, contrary to what they've heard, biting and eye-gouging are not allowed in this crazy Thunderdome-esque sport, but too much of that and you risk condescending to your audience. I realize I'm biased, but I'd rather see a hand-picked fight from the prelims than a primer on joint locks.
Chiappetta: Reality check ... Let's not forget that this fight isn't even part of the actual UFC-FOX contract. It is essentially a one-hour infomercial preview to advertise the coming of the UFC on FOX in 2012. And what do they give us? It's not Ron Popeil talking about a new product that is going to change your life. They're giving us a UFC heavyweight championship fight. For free. Yet people complain this isn't enough? So you're telling me you would rather have paid $54.95 to watch five fights just before the holiday season hits? I'm not buying it. This is a lot of belly-aching over something MMA observers should be thrilled about. I think MMA fans are conditioned to believe they're getting the short end of the stick no matter what. Having the spotlight on just one significant fight will make it easy to understand for those who are tuning into MMA for the first time, and this may hurt to hear, but this fight is more about them than you.
I like the fact that FOX will have brief pre-fight interviews with Velasquez and dos Santos, which will probably make the start time of the fight around 9:15 pm ET. If the fight ends in a flash, I would of course show replays and allow time for analysis of what just happened. And in the true spirit of the infomercial sell, I'd have Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem on site to hype their fight and promote the winner as the next contender for the championship. One hour will go by in a flash.
2. A lot seems to depend on whether this fight goes 25 minutes or 25 seconds. Call it: who wins, how, and when?
Chiappetta: If Cain Velasquez never suffered through his shoulder injury, this would be easier to predict, but a torn rotator cuff is a serious injury for any athlete, let alone someone whose livelihood depends on punching, pushing and pummeling for position. Because of that, a question mark hangs over this fight that otherwise wouldn't be there.
That said, I have to assume that Velasquez is close enough to 100 percent that he'll be able to do most of the things that have led to his unbeaten record and the title. He'll mix up his striking with punches, kicks and elbows, sprinkle in a few takedowns and even grind dos Santos against the cage in hopes of sapping his explosiveness and power. dos Santos' hands are so gifted that there's simply no reason to engage him where he's best, and Velasquez doesn't have to. It is Velasquez's motor that will ultimately win it, though. He can fight at a blistering pace longer than anyone at heavyweight. After the grind of a couple of rounds, that will get to dos Santos.
Velasquez wins by TKO from ground strikes late in the third round.
Fowlkes: The big question for me is, how conservative will Velasquez decide to play it? Are we looking at a replay of his fight with Cheick Kongo, which was a real nail-biter for every second it stayed standing and a total blowout every time it hit the mat? Or will the pressure to go all Forrest Griffin-Stefan Bonnar for the FOX debut get to the champ and make him do some things that might not be in his best interest?
I might be more worried about that with a different fighter, perhaps one known to let the spirit of the moment take him out of his game, but that's not Velasquez. The poise he showed in his bout with Brock Lesnar will serve him well here, and having a smart camp full of veteran coaches won't hurt either. I think he trades punches just long enough to open dos Santos up for the takedown, then he wears him out on the mat. I agree that it will be more of a grind than an explosion, and I also agree that dos Santos will succumb to the pace and the pressure more than the sheer power.
But because I agree with you, I must attempt to upstage you by getting even more specific with my prediction. Thus: Velasquez wins by TKO (corner stoppage), at the end of the fourth round, following 20 solid minutes of straight-up beatdown that JDS' trainers simply cannot stand to watch any longer. As Velasquez celebrates across the cage, JDS remains on his stool, blinded by swelling, insisting that he can continue even as his coach fans him with a towel and tells him that he doesn't have anything left to prove. "Not to me," he'll add, choking back tears. "Not to anyone."
Thank you and goodnight!
3. The undercard fighters are, in a way, a part of history here, but is this a raw deal for guys like Clay Guida and Ben Henderson?
Fowlkes: Short answer: yes. How could it not be a raw deal? Usually, even if you're the curtain-jerker for a UFC pay-per-view, there is at least a chance that you could end up on TV. If you have a great fight or a quick finish you might just make the broadcast and please your sponsors, not to mention your family and friends. Granted, it's far from guaranteed, but at least you have that lottery ticket in your back pocket.
With this event, however, there's not even a chance. Even Guida and Henderson will have to be content with a Facebook stream and an appearance on Fox Deportes. No offense to The D (that's a hip new nickname I'm trying to start for Fox Deportes -- just play along), but I'm not sure Guida grew up dreaming of the day he'd be fighting on a Spanish-language cable TV broadcast. Years from now these other guys on the FOX card might be the answers to a trivia question, but Cain and JDS are what people will remember. Kind of a bummer, when you consider what's at stake in some of these fights that will be afterthoughts for the vast majority of viewers.
Chiappetta: I don't know Fowlkes, have you ever seen a Spanish telenovela? If the hero gets the girl, I don't think Guida would be so opposed.
But yes, it is a raw deal for Guida and Henderson, who will be competing in the biggest fight of their lives before an internet audience of ... thousands? That said, I would expect a raucous crowd at the venue in Anaheim, and there is a huge potential reward in it for both men, so it's not exactly going to be meaningless. In some ways, this might be a bigger letdown for Guida, who has fought for the UFC for five years and probably saw this bout as his coming-out party. Henderson is at a much earlier stage in his career, and after recently coming over from the WEC, he might not take the bright lights and big audiences for granted.
An internet stream is not the optimal outlet for a fight of this importance, but at least the winner can soothe himself with the probable top contender status that is likely to come his way. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at AOL FanhousePoirier Ignores LSU Hype, Prepares For UFC on Fox
Football madness is sweeping Louisiana, but UFC featherweight Dustin Poirier is solely focused on finishing Pablo Garza at UFC on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, lsu hype, ufc featherweight, pablo garza
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 1 International Viewing Channels Announced
Good news for those of you outside the US. The UFC finally released what channels UFC on FOX 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” will air on across the globe.
I’m not sure about the exact times in those countries, so you may want to check your local listings.
Argentina – Fox Sports
Australia – One HD
Brazil – Globo
Canada – Rogers SportsNet
Croatia – Fight Channel
Ireland – Setanta
Italy – Sky Italia
Japan – Wowow
Korea – CJ Media
Mena – OSN
Mexico – Fox Sports
New Zealand – Sky TV
Philippines – ABS-CBN
United Kingdom – Premiere Sports
As a reminder, the prelims will stream live on Facebook and FoxSports.com at 4:45 pm ET/1:45 pm PT followed by the FOX broadcast in the US at 9pm ET/6pm PT.
Posted in: ufc, fox, sport, channels ufc, fox broadcast
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White UFC on Fox Video Blog (Episode 1)
Dana White’s first video blog for Saturday’s UFC on Fox event goes behind the scenes of the recent UFC 137 and UFC 138 events along with highlights from the UFC on Fox press conference.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, video blog, fox event
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDana White UFC on Fox Video Blog – Day 1
UFC President Dana White presents the first installment of his latest video blog for the week of UFC on Fox 1.
Posted in: ufc, fox, video, video blog, blog
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White’s UFC on FOX 1 Video Blog: Behind The Scenes At UFC 137 & UFC 138
The UFC gives us a behind the scenes look at UFC 137 and UFC 138 in this first installment of Dana White’s UFC on FOX 1 video blog.
Posted in: ufc, fox, blog, scene, ’s ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White UFC on FOX Vlog Day 1
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, day, vlog, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox: John McCarthy Likely to Referee Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
According to a report that came out last week, Big John McCarthy was 99% likely to referee the UFC on Fox main event bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. MMA Mania spoke to George Dodd, the Executive Officer of the California State Athletic Commission and asked for an update today. And it still appears that BJM will be center stage on Fox on Saturday night:
"It's 99 percent still. There's always that last minute thing that could always change something. Obviously something could happen to John or whatever the case may be but for right now, until he steps in the cage, it's 99 percent sure."
McCarthy has refereed MMA since 1993 and was the ref for virtually every main event the UFC staged up until the end of 2007. He retired from reffing to become a commentator in early 2008, but returned less than a year later. There was a lot of friction between McCarthy and Dana White over that retirement and McCarthy's subsequent work with rival promotions, along with some issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who efused to re-license him. Nonetheless, he will be in the octagon for one of the biggest fights in UFC history this weekend.
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, john, mccarthy, george dodd
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 1 Play-by-Play: Clay Guida vs. Benson Henderson
UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Clay Guida vs. Benson Henderson on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, playbyplay, clay
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1 Play-by-Play: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Dustion Poirier vs. Pablo Garza on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, playbyplay, poirier
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1 Play-by-Play: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, cacere, alex, playbyplay
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1 Play-by-Play: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, mike, playbyplay, bradley
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1 Play-by-Play: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.
Posted in: ufc, fox, matt, playbyplay, rosa
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox Betting Lines: Velasquez, Henderson, Poirier Favorites
The betting line for the UFC on Fox main event championship fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos this Saturday has seen some movement lately. The line has been out for a while now, and Cain was a slight favorite when it dropped, but he's gradually becoming a bigger and bigger favorite as the days tick by. In addition, Ben Henderson is creeping up as a bigger favorite to take out Clay Guida in a lightweight battle. Finally, Bookmaker is the first site to put out a line for the Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza fight, and Garza is a distinct underdog.
Of course, you can catch Velasquez vs. Dos Santos live on Fox, and the other two bouts on either Fox Deportes or Facebook. The lines for the rest of the card will likely drop in the next couple of days. Here are the lines for the three fights mentioned above:
Odds courtesy of bookmaker.eu
Nov 12th, live on Fox from Anaheim, CA:
Main Card:
Cain Velasquez (9-0) -160 vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) +130
Preliminary Card:
Ben Henderson (14-2) -240 vs. Clay Guida (29-11) +190
Pablo Garza (11-1) +240 vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1) -300
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, velasquez, line
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFox's UFC debut is White's dream come true (Yahoo! Sports)
Dana White's firm commitment to putting first-rate fights on Fox will guarantee the UFC’s continued growth .
Posted in: ufc, fox, ufc ’s, firstrate fights, whites dream
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsFox promoting UFC in preparation for Saturday night
The Sports Business Journal reports on Fox’s promotion in anticipation of the big debut of the UFC on Fox Saturday night. Notably, Lorenzo Fertitta stated that Zuffa will lose money Saturday night as it is virtually giving away an estimated $10-15 million PPV payday.
The UFC hopes that Saturday night’s fight will create “100,000 new pay-per-view buyers.” Despite forgoing the short term monetary gain in hopes of future success, Fox promises a “brand bomb” for the UFC in promoting the fight on Saturday night. Aside from its promotion across all of its networks, Fox is producing a two-hour prefight show on Fuel which will include “red carpet arrivals and interviews with celebrities, fighters and (Dana) White.”
Fertitta indicated to the USA Today that Saturday night’s fight was “a huge commercial” for future UFC events. The SBJ indicates that the UFC is giving up an $10-15 million PPV payday by featuring JDS-Cain on free television. Fertitta believed that this fight would garner about 800,000 PPV buys although other estimates had it at 400,000 buys. Its likely that the estimates reflect optimistic and conservative viewpoints for this card. Even if you take the 400,000 buys, its estimated that Zuffa would take a $8-9 million cut.
The promotion of the UFC on Fox has been most visible during the MLB playoffs and the NFL on Fox. Last week’s UFC Primetime on Sunday did remarkably well considering it went up against NFL games. NFL announcers are still trying to get used to promoting the UFC. Notably, during the Cowboys-Seahawks game yesterday, Chris Myers talked about Cowboy RB DeMarco Murray’s MMA training as helping with his NFL conditioning. As you may recall, Murray stated he would wear a UFC logo on draft day if he was voted to be on the cover of EA Sport’s NCAA Football game.
Some notable takeaways from the article (subscription required):
-Fertitta stated that Spike TV was a “launching pad” and Fox as “a bigger and better platform that could elevate the brand.” A little jab at Spike TV which will have Bellator on its network in 2013.
-Fox typically gets $50,000 per 30-second spot for Saturday night programming according to Ad Age. By comparison, ABC, which airs college football Saturday night, receives $85,000 per 30-second spot. No word on how much Fox is charging for this Saturday night although Fox stated that it “exceed expectations.”
-Dodge will be on the mat as the primary sponsor. Anheuser-Busch and the U.S. Marines will also be sponsors. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox also bought spots for ads during the broadcast. These will likely promote movies for the upcoming holiday season.
-New sponsor deals will start in 2012. So, its unlikely we’ll see new sponsors or “one-offs” Saturday night.
Payout Perspective:
To say that this week is a big week for the business of MMA (and the UFC) is not hyperbole. Saturday night’s fight is a major stepping stone for the UFC and could determine the future of the business. Fox has been in full force in promoting Saturday night and it would be a major disappointment if the viewership did not reflect the amount of effort and money it is taking to promote this fight.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fox, saturday
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on Fox 1 TV Schedule is Loaded
Although only one fight will be telecast on UFC on Fox 1 on "big" Fox, there is a full slate of televised coverage surrounding the event.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, schedule, slate
Read the full article at MMA Weekly"Manny Pacquiao Vs. UFC On Fox: Which Show Is The Better Choice Saturday Night?" Jonathan Snowden...
"Manny Pacquiao Vs. UFC On Fox: Which Show Is The Better Choice Saturday Night?" Jonathan Snowden breaks it down at MMA Nation.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pacquiao, snowden, choice
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 1 Fight Card Complete for “Velasquez vs. dos Santos” on Nov. 12
The lineup for Saturday’s UFC on Fox fight card is complete, as UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez takes on Junior dos Santos in the main event of the UFC’s debut on Fox at 9pm ET.
Before the title fight, a showdown between lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson will cap off the nine-fight UFC on Fox preliminary card that streams on Facebook.com/UFC and FoxSports.com starting at 5pm ET.
The complete UFC on Fox card features:
MAIN CARD
Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC Heavyweight Championship
PRELIMINARY CARD
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyonyama
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete UFC on Fox 1 coverage.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, velasquez, card
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWhat should the realistic expectations for #UFC on Fox 1 be? @MMASupremacy @genomrosko @frontrowbrian
What should the benchmarks of success be for UFC's debut on Fox network broadcasting?
Posted in: ufc, fox, mmasupremacy, debut, ufcs debut
Read the full article at Fight OpinionUFC on FOX 1 poster: Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
As far as historic events go, UFC 100 may have been the biggest pay-per-view event in the history of MMA. But the world's largest fight promotion -- along with the sport -- will reach the pinnacle of success when it holds the UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event this coming Sat., Nov. 12, 2011, in Anaheim, California.
Live and free on network TV.
The primetime special may only be an hour long and may only feature one fight, but the match-up is nothing short of scintillating. UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line for the very first time against number one contender and Brazilian knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
It truly doesn't get any bigger than this, folks. Two giants. One title. No mercy.
To check out the latest UFC on FOX 1 fight card and rumors click here. To check out our complete UFC on FOX 1 event archive click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, fight promotion, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 1 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Nov. 12 in Anaheim
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently put the finishing touches on its first foray onto network television with the upcoming "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event scheduled for Sat., Nov. 12, 2011, from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
UFC on FOX 1 will feature just one fight ... but it's a biggie. Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line for the very first time against number one contender and noted Brazilian knockout artist, Junior dos Santos.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FOX 1, beginning with the preliminary card bouts on Facebook scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the heavyweight championship bout as it happens.
Here's the current UFC on FOX 1 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
265 lbs.: UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Preliminary Card (May not be broadcast):
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas145 lbs.: Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier185 lbs.: Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce205 lbs.: Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo170 lbs.: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
We're less than a week away from fight time, Maniacs, so feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the event below.
See you on Nov. 12 on FOX.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX: How to watch, latest fight card and every other detail you must know
Last night (Sat., Nov. 5, 2011), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made history with its first ever non-title, five-round main event between Chris Leben vs. Mark Munoz at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England.
The event nearly closed the books on the promotion's (live event) deal with Spike TV -- all that remains is The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale on Dec. 3, 2011. UFC 138 also broke the "paid attendance" record for any kind of event at Birmingham's LG Arena.
But, the high-rolling Zuffa contingent isn't done setting precedents and breaking records. Not even close.
UFC will put on its first-ever show on FOX this upcoming Saturday (Nov. 12, 2011) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a card that features the heavyweight clash between current division champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
The show is the first of many to come and should give mixed martial arts (MMA) -- new, old and still on the fence -- a taste of what is to come.
After the jump, we'll talk about the UFC on Fox 1 full fight card, how you can catch all of the action, as well as all the other pertinent information about this ground-breaking event.
Here's the complete schedule for UFC on Fox 1, as well as all the programming related to the event and how and when you can watch it:
Fri., Nov. 11:7:00 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX 1 Weigh-ins LIVE on FUEL TV7:00 p.m. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episode 3 on FOX DeportesSat., Nov. 12:3:00 p.m. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes4:45 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX prelims live on Facebook and FOXSports.com5:30 p.m. ET -- Weigh-ins re-air on FUEL TV6:00 p.m. ET -- UFC Primetime re-air on FUEL TV6:00 p.m. ET -- Re-air of "Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar" on FOX Deportes7:00 p.m. ET -- UFC prelims live on FOX Deportes7:00 p.m. ET -- Pre-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar9:00 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX broadcast, hosted by Curt Menefee, along with Dana White, Brock Lesnar and Joe Rogan. Mike Goldberg and Rogan will call the heavyweight title fight.10 p.m. ET - UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Florian and Bonnar
On fight night, the battle between Velasquez and dos Santos will be the only bout that will be shown during the hour-long broadcast.
However, there are nine other fights on the under card, which fans will be able to watch on the UFC's official Facebook page, as well on FoxSports.com. Start time for the Facebook "Prelims" has not been officially announced, but the stream traditionally begins around 6 p.m. ET.
Here's the complete UFC on Fox 1 fight card line up:
MAIN CARD:265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (Heavyweight championship bout)PRELIMINARY CARD (Streamed LIVE on Facebook and FoxSports.com):155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas170 lbs.: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama145 lbs.: Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo185 lbs.: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley205 lbs.: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE UFC on Fox 1 results from top to bottom, as usual. Be sure to check early in the evening for the blow-by-blow analysis of the Facebook "Prelims," all the way down to the main event, which starts at 9 p.m. ET.
The Maniacs usually start turning up before the event has even begun to give their bold predictions, make some ill-advised sig bets and give "expert" analysis of their own.
For even more on UFC on Fox 1 fight card, including all the latest news and notes you can handle, be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, pm, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
The dream has come true for UFC fans and the owners of the company - the UFC will air on network TV for the first time on November 12th. Dana White decided to go all out for the one-hour special that will air on Fox and only put one guaranteed fight on the card, and what a fight it it. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against number one contender Junior dos Santos. The other major interesting bout is the probable number one contenders lightweight matchup between former WEC champion Ben Henderson and Clay Guida.
If you get Fox Deportes, you can watch Henderson vs. Guida and Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza live on that station. If not, all the preliminary fights will be aired live on Facebook.
Nov 12th, live on Fox from Anaheim, CA:
Main Card:
Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) [HW Title]
Preliminary Card:
Ben Henderson (14-2) vs. Clay Guida (29-11)
Pablo Garza (11-1) vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1)
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3)
Ricardo Lamas (10-2) vs. Cub Swanson (15-4)
Clay Harvison (9-3) vs. DaMarques Johnson (12-9)
Robert Peralta (15-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (6-3)
Paul Bradley (18-3) vs. Mike Pierce (12-4)
Aaron Rosa (16-4) vs. Matt Lucas (14-2)
Alex Caceres (5-4) vs. Cole Escovedo (17-8)
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, card
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFox to Air a Variety of MMA-Related Programming Next Weekend
The UFC's lucrative deal with Fox has finally brought the octagon to network television, and Fox is doing it's best to promote the debut show. They will be airing a variety of UFC-related programming across three different channels before and after the big show, which sees UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defend his title against Junior dos Santos on November 12th. Here's a breakdown of the stuff that will be airing next weekend:
7 p.m. ET on Friday: UFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins live, Fuel TV
3 p.m. ET on Saturday: "Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride" (episodes 1-3), FOX Deportes5:30 p.m. ET: UFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins replay, Fuel TV6 p.m. ET: "UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" replay, Fuel TV6 p.m. ET: UFC 121 bout between Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar, FOX Deportes7 p.m. ET: UFC on FOX 1 live even, FOX Deportes (showing two additional live fights)7 p.m. ET: UFC on FOX 1 pre-fight show, Fuel TV8 p.m. ET: Event coverage, FOX Sports Radio9 p.m. ET: UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos, live on Fox10 p.m. ET: UFC on FOX 1 post-fight show, Fuel TV
That's a lot of content, and a good sign that Fox is taking this deal seriously.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, tv, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThere's no way Bendo vs Guida will be on FOX
When Dana White announced earlier this week that the Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez championship fight would be the only fight shown on FOX next weekend, a lot of us were left scratching our heads. After all, it seemed like the UFC had set things up so that they had the perfect prelim to slot in if the fight ended quickly: a lightweight title shot eliminator between Benson Henderson and Clay Guida. Clay Guida's manager has a theory as to why he and Ben Henderson aren't the backup:
"He has a pretty firm understanding that it's FOX's call, that FOX doesn't think he has what it takes to draw viewers," John Fosco, Guida's manager, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "That motivates the hell out of him, and he just feels that it's more reason to go out there and put it on Ben."
I guess they didn't like the idea of starting the relationship by showing some dude dry humping another dude. It's still pretty stupid though. There is a chance Henderson can escape Clay's dry hump of doom and turn the fight into an exciting scrap. They'd already know if the fight was awesome or not by the time a decision had to be made on showing it. If this is true, it's not exactly the most heartening early decision made by FOX.It's not all bad though. FOX has been awesome at promoting the November 12th event, and even though deals don't go into effect until 2012 they're already going to plaster UFC programming across their network channels. Check out the schedule surrounding the event:
read more
Posted in: fight, fox, guida, chance henderson, ben i
Read the full article at FightlinkerFox Deportes to Air Guida vs. Henderson, Garza vs. Poirier
Earlier this week, Dana White made it clear that only one fight would be shown on Fox on November 12th - the UFC heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Even if it only went 30 seconds. A lot of people wanted to see the Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight on there too, but unfortunately it was relegated to Facebook. A glimmer of hope has arisen from the ashes though, and it appears that Henderson/Guida will be on TV after all, along with Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier. They will air on Fox Deportes, Fox's Spanish sister station.
While this might seem like great news on the surface, Deportes doesn't have a lot of reach. It is only available in 18 million households in the country, as opposed to Fox which is available in 115 million homes. But if you prefer to watch Bendo vs. Guida on TV and you actually get the channel, you're set. If not, there's always Facebook.
More SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: fight, fox, vs, guida, deporte
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIn addition to title fight, FOX Deportes to air Henderson-Guida and Poirier-Garza (MMAJunkie.com)
Although the primary FOX network will air just one fight during next week's UFC on FOX 1 event, its sister...
Posted in: fox, fox network, air hendersonguida, poiriergarza mmajunkiecom, weeks ufc
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsFOX family unveils ambitious programming lineup for UFC on FOX 1 on Nov. 12 (MMAJunkie.com)
FOX will use its many assets for an ambitious day of programming geared around next week's "UFC on FOX...
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox family, programming lineup, weeks ufc
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsNetwork Reveals Programming Lineup Around UFC on Fox 1
Fox Networks recently announced an extensive lineup of programming to compliment the UFC's Nov. 12 debut.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, programming, programming lineup
Read the full article at SherdogFox Announces Complete TV Schedule for UFC on Fox 1
The UFC is going big for its UFC on Fox debut next Saturday, Nov. 12 with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez taking on top contender Junior dos Santos and Fox has now announced its complete lineup of pre- and post-fight programming for the event.
The UFC on Fox TV schedule includes:
Friday, Nov. 11:
7:00 pm ET (4pm PT) – UFC on Fox weigh-ins on FUEL TV
7:00 pm ET – Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride Episode 3 on Fox Deportes
Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00 pm ET – Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride Episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes
4:45 pm ET – UFC on Fox Prelims on Facebook.com/UFC and FOXSports.com
5:00 pm ET – UFC on Fox weigh-in replay on FUEL TV
6:00 pm ET – UFC on Fox Primetime replay on FUEL TV
6:00 pm ET – Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar replay on FOX Deportes
7:00 pm ET – UFC on Fox Prelims on FOX Deportes (Guida vs. Henderson, Poirier vs. Garza)
7:00 pm ET – UFC on Fox pre-fight show on FUEL TV
9:00 pm ET – UFC on FOX: UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
10:00 pm ET – UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV
For complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Junior dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, tv, fuel
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyFOX family unveils ambitious programming lineup for UFC on FOX 1 on Nov. 12
FOX will use its many assets for an ambitious day of programming geared around next week's "UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event.
The Nov. 12 event takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a championship main event between heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
FOX-owned FUEL TV, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports Radio also plan event-related programming.
Posted in: fox, event, honda center, programming, fox family
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta Discusses UFC's Growth, Fox TV Deal
You don't see many in-depth interviews with Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, but when he does sit down with the media it's usually a very insightful, interesting read. So the interview conducted by Sergio Non of USA today with Lorenzo is must-read stuff.
While I have a deep appreciation for the impact that Dana White has had on the UFC's success, Lorenzo's role often gets overlooked and he represents a voice that I think is going to be much more important in the network TV era. His ability to express the same points as Dana without the seeming confrontational attitude is simply easier for many people to swallow but he still exudes a great degree of confidence and doesn't suffer from the same lack of personality that many complain about with a Roger Goodell type.
Some interesting parts of the interview:
Your co-owner Dana White says you're not mainstream. How much would you agree with that?
I agree. We have definitely carved out our market and our niche, but we are not mainstream. We've had a lot of success, but you certainly can't say, at least here in America, that we're on the level of an NFL or anything of that nature.
But the good news is we have room to grow. I think this is a platform -- a platform like Fox is what can get us there.
I think there's still a large group of media and large group of just what I'd call sports fans, casual sports fans, that maybe kind of know what UFC is, but they're not saying, "Hey, right now I have to be home to watch this fight." That's what we're hoping, is to bring millions more people in to see the UFC.
I know that we've had some controversy from some of the boxing promoters, like Bob Arum, saying we're stupid; why would we put the heavyweight championship on free TV; that's a stupid move.
The reality is this: Our model has been very successful for us, as far as putting our product on free TV to generate new fans, and that's the way we look at it. I'm not concerned about what our bottom line looks like in November; I'm concerned about what it looks like five years from now.
The whole idea is to draw millions of more fans into the group. If I can convert 100,000 of those millions that will be watching for the first time into customers for the next 20 years, then our investment on Fox has paid off.
This is, of course, the ultimate value to the Fox deal. Dana White isn't being quite accurate when he says they're losing money on the Fox shows. They're not making the same amount of money that they would off of a pay-per-view, but between the broadcast rights that Fox is paying and the live gate they're certainly not coming out in the red.
But they are serving as basically a commercial for future pay-per-views. Exposing fighters, getting fans hooked, it's all part of a larger strategy that should pay off down the road. And they're able to do it in a way which should result in actual monetary gains.
In effect, they're being paid to advertise their product.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fan, theyre, sports fans
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIn addition to title fight, FOX Deportes to air Henderson-Guida and Poirier-Garza
Although the primary FOX network will air just one fight during next week's UFC on FOX 1 event, its sister channel, FOX Deportes, will air three.
In addition to the heavyweight headliner of champ Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos, FOX Deportes also will air lightweights Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson and featherweights Dustin Poirer vs. Pablo Garza.
UFC on FOX 1 takes place Nov. 12 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Posted in: fox, vs, velasquez vs, honda center, deporte
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC Primetime on Fox scores 2 million viewers
MMA Junkie reports that Fox’s first showing of UFC programming, UFC Primetime: Velassquez vs. dos Santos, received an average of 2 million viewers for a 1.3 household rating.
Via MMA Junkie:
The one-hour special, which was the first significant UFC programming on the FOX network, scored a 0.98 rating among men 18-49 and a 0.99 among men 18-34.
That means many of the viewers came from demographics that traditionally do poorly with UFC programming.
However, the “Primetime” special either preceded or followed NFL games in most FOX markets, though the times and lead-ins fluctuated wildly. But as a comparison, the primary NFL game at 1 p.m. ET on FOX averaged 17 million viewers.
The rating ties UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle this past March as the highest rated of the year.
Payout Perspective:
Exceptional ratings considering Primetime started opposite Patriots vs. Steelers on CBS as well as other football games on Sunday. In my area on the west coast it actually started at 1:40pm as The OT (NFL highlight show) went over 10 minutes from the scheduled 1:30pm start. The show received good reviews and gave a great backstory for both fighters. Even if you were to compare the NFL average viewers (17 million for the 1pm ET game) versus the UFC audience (2 million), it still has to be considered a positive since it ran up against other NFL games.
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, game, nfl
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on FOX 1 weigh-ins take place Nov. 11 at California's Santa Monica Pier
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is heading outdoors - well, for weigh-ins at least.
The official weigh-in ceremony for next week's historic UFC on FOX 1
event will take place at California's iconic Santa Monica Pier.
The ceremony, which sees UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and top
contender Junior Dos Santos lead a contingent of 20 fighters to the
scale, begins at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time). The festivities are
free and open to the public.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, weighin, ceremony
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFull Slate of UFC on FOX 1 Programming Headed to FUEL TV & Fox Deportes Nov. 12
Many people, including myself, criticized CBS for failing to properly promote the two Strikeforce cards they aired in 2009-2010. They aired some promos a few weeks out from the events from what I recall, but not much more.
Well, thankfully, they same can’t be said about FOX. They seem to be going above and beyond to ensure the UFC pulls a good rating when they debut next weekend with Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. They starting airing promos during NFL broadcasts right after the deal was announced, aired a UFC Primetime special after the football games last week (which pulled two million viewers by the way) and even had their commentators promote the event during the World Series broadcasts.
They’re not stopping there either. There’s also a full slate of UFC pre and post-fight programming heading to FUEL TV and Fox Deportes next weekend to complement the show.
Friday, Nov. 11:
7:00 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT — Weigh-ins live on FUEL TV
7:00 P.M. ET — Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episode 3 on FOX Deportes
Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00 p.m. ET — Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes
4:45 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX prelims live on Facebook and FOXSports.com
5:30 p.m. ET — Weigh-ins re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET — UFC Primetime re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET — Re-air of Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET — UFC prelims live on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET — Pre-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar
9:00 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX broadcast, hosted by Curt Menefee, along with Dana White, Brock Lesnar and Joe Rogan. Mike Goldberg and Rogan will call the heavyweight title fight.
10 p.m. ET — UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Florian and Bonnar
FOX Sports Radio will also provide five hours of live coverage next Saturday including the call of the main event. A post-fight show with Pro MMA Radio’s Larry Pepe will follow shortly thereafter.
Dana White has said over and over again that they’ll lose tons of money on this show, but to them it’s an investment. In a pretty candid interview with USA Today, Lorenzo Fertitta explained what they hope to get out of the FOX deal.
I think there’s still a large group of media and large group of just what I’d call sports fans, casual sports fans, that maybe kind of know what UFC is, but they’re not saying, “Hey, right now I have to be home to watch this fight.” That’s what we’re hoping, is to bring millions more people in to see the UFC.
The reality is this: Our model has been very successful for us, as far as putting our product on free TV to generate new fans, and that’s the way we look at it. I’m not concerned about what our bottom line looks like in November; I’m concerned about what it looks like five years from now.The whole idea is to draw millions of more fans into the group. If I can convert 100,000 of those millions that will be watching for the first time into customers for the next 20 years, then our investment on Fox has paid off.
Dana White long maintained that they would hold out on network television until the “right deal” came along. The ratings will tell the true story, but considering the amount of resources FOX is putting behind the UFC, I’m not sure they would have found a better network partner than FOX.
From what we know, it definitely seems like the “right deal.” Now it’s just a matter of seeing what they can do with it.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, tv, fuel
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC goes multi-platform for FOX debut weekend
A barrage of UFC programming will hit the FOX network on the weekend of November 12th.That date will see Cain Velasquez defend the heavyweight title against...
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight title, ufc programming, fox network
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC on FOX: Complete Television Schedule Announced
FOX has announced the complete lineup of UFC programming leading into the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos title fight. Check it out inside.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, ufc programming, television schedule
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX TV schedule stacks pre-fight coverage with Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones and more
If you want some insight into how to fight UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, who better to ask than the last man to face him inside the Octagon?
Former division kingpin Brock Lesnar, who was pounded out by Velasquez at UFC 121 just over a year ago, will be one of a handful of stars to appear on the FOX network as part of its blitzkrieg of pre-fight coverage that begins with the televised weigh in event on Nov. 11 via Fuel TV.
UFC on Fox: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" airs live on Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on (duh) the FOX network.
Lesnar will join Fox Sports’ host Curt Menefee and UFC President Dana White to kick things off on fight night. Earlier in the day, Fox NFL reporter Jay Glazer along with ESPN's "MMA Live" analyst Kenny Florian will also provide coverage while Stephan Bonnar mingles backstage with the fighters in attendance.
But that's not all.
Here is the UFC on FOX television schedule (via MMA Nation):
Friday, Nov. 11:
7:00-7:30 p.m. ET, FUEL TV: UFC Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Weigh-In Live
7:00-8:00 p.m. ET, Fox Deportes: Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Part 3)
Three-and-a-half hours of unspecified UFC programming on FUEL TV
Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00-6:00 p.m. ET, Fox Deportes: Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Parts 1, 2, 3)
5:30-6:00 p.m. ET, FUEL TV: UFC Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Weigh-In Live (Replay)
6:00-7:00 p.m. ET, FUEL TV: UFC Primetime
7:00-9:00 p.m. ET, FUEL TV: UFC on Fuel TV: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Prefight Special Live*
7:00-9:00 p.m. ET, Fox Deportes: UFC on Fox Prelims
9:00-10:00 p.m. ET, Fox: UFC on Fox Live Heavyweight Championship Fight - Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
9:00-10:00 p.m. ET, Fox Deportes: UFC on Fox Live Heavyweight Championship Fight - Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
10:00-11:00 p.m. ET, FUEL TV: UFC on Fuel TV: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Post-Fight Special Live*
The pre-fight special will also include current UFC 205-pound champion Jon Jones as well as former UFC light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin.
Even former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir will get in on the action.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main event action on fight night (Sat., Nov. 12), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.
We'll also bring you up-to-the-minute results and live play-by-play of all the preliminary fights, which will stream in real-time on Facebook and Fox.com.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FOX 1 coverage you can handle.
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, velasquez, tv
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFox Releases Full Schedule of Events for Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
UFC President Dana White has said that Fox is already the best television partner they've ever had, and judging by next weekend's events the television network is showing why.
Posted in: fox, television, television network, fox releases, weekends events
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyClay Guida rep: Untelevised slot was FOX's choice, not UFC's
A fight that could very well determine the next contender to the UFC lightweight crown is "dark."
But at least one half of that untelevised fight is not discouraged, according to his rep. Lightweight Clay Guida is using an apparent change in plans to motivate a better performance against Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 1.
"He has a pretty firm understanding that it's FOX's call, that FOX doesn't think he has what it takes to draw viewers," John Fosco, Guida's manager, today told MMAjunkie.com. "That motivates the hell out of him."
Posted in: ufc, fox, guida, fox doesnt, foxs choice
Read the full article at MMA JunkieVelasquez-Dos Santos ‘Primetime’ Earns 2 Million Viewers on Fox
The UFC’s first “Primetime” special on Fox earned an average of two million viewers for its hour-long broadcast on Sunday
Posted in: ufc, fox, viewer, ufc ’s, primetime
Read the full article at SherdogCain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos Will Be Only Fight to Air on UFC on Fox 1
The UFC on Fox main event between UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will be the only fight to air on Fox, even if it “only goes 10 seconds.”
Those were the words from UFC President Dana White on Wednesday, who joined Velasquez and dos Santos on a call to discuss the Nov. 12 event.
That leaves a showdown between lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson airing only online along with the rest of the preliminary card, even if time would have allowed it to air on Fox.
The UFC on Fox weigh-ins will air live on FUEL TV at 7pm ET on Nov. 11, while Velasuqez vs. dos Santos will also air live in over a dozen other countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, and the UK.
Quotes from White, Velasquez, and dos Santos are below:
Dana White:
“This is going to be a different format than we’ve ever done before. Obviously this is a show featuring one fight so we’re doing a lot of things differently. We are going to be rehearsing for this from Thursday.
“This is a throw-back to the old days of boxing; we are putting a big fight – a huge fight – on free TV to expose this thing to a new audience. Our goal has always been to bring big fights back to network television; we are thinking long-term for the future of this sport. It is an investment in the future of the UFC. Fans that have never seen the UFC before will see this show and that’s why we decided to put Cain and Junior in this position.
“I know for a fact this is going to be an awesome fight. I know it is going to be great. That’s why it was these two in this position. I have no worries at all this is going to be a great fight.
“There’s going to be a lot of backstage features, we are going to be talking to both guys backstage before they fight which isn’t something we’ve done for a very long time.”
Cain Velasquez:
“There’s always butterflies when you have a fight. It is natural to feel nervous, it means you are ready. But I’m not more nervous because I’ve been out (hurt) for more than a year. I know from my training camp I’m 100 percent and ready to go. I was 100 percent in July.
“I’m excited and it is a great honor to have this fight chosen by the UFC to be the first one on FOX. But I am not focused on the event, the hype or the (expected large TV audience), like any other fight I am focused on my opponent and not much else.
“Dos Santos is a great opponent. He’s very dangerous.”
Junior dos Santos:
“It was such a long wait for my title shot, but I am not sorry. This, right now, is the greatest opportunity I could have had, fighting for the world heavyweight title live on FOX for the very first time.
“I’m very happy in my life right now. I’m in such a good place mentally and physically. I’m proof that if you work hard, treat people right and don’t doubt yourself, you can achieve your dreams. I genuinely believe that Cain is the greatest heavyweight in the world and it is an honor to fight him.
“Yes, I come from humble beginnings, but I have been very lucky in my life.
“I don’t think this fight will go five rounds. I have trained for five rounds but I don’t expect this to do the distance.”
Pictured: Cain Velasquez
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, ’m
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Date: November 12, 2011
Venue: To Be Announced
Location: Anaheim, California
UFC on FOX Articles
UFC on FOX Videos
Ticket Info
Main Event on Fox:
-Cain Velasquez (9-0; #1 Heavyweight)* vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1; #3 Heavyweight)*†
-Clay Guida (29-11; #6 Lightweight) vs. Benson Henderson (14-2; #7 Lightweight)
-Dustin Poirier (10-1; #5 Featherweight) vs. Pablo Garza (11-1)
-Cub [...]
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight, vs, fox ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFOX Announces Loaded TV Lineup for UFC Debut
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFC, News, UFC on FOXFOX has announced its full lineup of programming that will air before and after next Saturday's historic UFC telecast, and it's without a doubt the most impressive TV lineup served up to fans surrounding any UFC event.
In addition to the one-hour telecast on FOX, which will feature Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title, UFC programming will air on FUEL TV and FOX Deportes.
Below is an easy to read schedule of everything you can accept to see:
Friday, Nov. 11:
7:00 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT -- Weigh-ins live on FUEL TV
7:00 P.M. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episode 3 on FOX Deportes
Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00 p.m. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes
4:45 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX prelims live on Facebook and FOXSports.com
5:30 p.m. ET -- Weigh-ins re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET -- UFC Primetime re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET -- Re-air of Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET -- UFC prelims live on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET -- Pre-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar
9:00 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX broadcast, hosted by Curt Menefee, along with Dana White, Brock Lesnar and Joe Rogan. Mike Goldberg and Rogan will call the heavyweight title fight.
10 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Florian and Bonnar
In addition, FOX Sports Radio will air five hours live coverage on Nov. 12, which will include pre-fight analysis, the call of the heavyweight title fight and a post-fight show hosted by MMA journalist Larry Pepe.
UFC on FOX 1 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, tv, fuel
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox Primetime TV Ratings: Did it Deliver?
UFC on Fox Primetime drew bigger numbers than any other Primetime episode in the past, but were the numbers as high as expected?
Posted in: ufc, fox, primetime, fox primetime, primetime episode
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX Primetime rating ties 'Fight Night 26' as highest rated UFC show of 2011
That's according to a tweet from UFC on FOX:
Sunday's #UFC PRIMETIME on FOX posted a 1.3 HH nat'l. Ties 3/26 Fight Night as highest-rated UFC program of 2011.
UFC Primetime: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," which aired on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, in conjunction with NFL football, featured a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as he gets set to take on division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
UFC on FOX is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The complete episode of UFC Primetime: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," which scored a 1.3 household rating for an average of two million viewers, after the jump.
For more on UFC on FOX click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, heavyweight champion, primetime
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White: UFC on FOX 1 inspired by boxing's once-glorious past (MMAJunkie.com)
Longtime boxing fan Dana White always envisioned an event like UFC on FOX 1. The UFC's heavily anticipated...
Posted in: ufc, fox, boxing, dana, boxings onceglorious
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC on FOX videos blog with Cain Velasquez for Nov. 12 fight against Junior dos Santos
The UFC Heavyweight Champion details the "long process" of healing from his shoulder surgery as he gears up for his UFC on FOX title defense against Junior dos Santos on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California.
Anyone think he'll be too rusty to retain? Or will his wrestling carve a path to victory in the promotion's network television debut?
More on UFC on FOX right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, shoulder surgery, fox right
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC's Poor Decision Squanders Opportunity to Promote Ben Henderson, Clay Guida
Yesterday during the UFC on Fox conference call with UFC President Dana White, champion Cain Velasquez, and challenger Junior dos Santos, news was finally released regarding the status of the main card festivities, specifically whether the one-hour special would feature more than one fight. White confirmed during the call that the special event on November 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California would only feature the UFC heavyweight championship bout on the network broadcast, even if it only lasts thirty seconds.
The news leaves the scheduled lightweight bout between former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson and UFC veteran Clay Guida out in the cold. It was originally thought that Fox executives and the UFC would find a way to include the anticipated bout on the broadcast, likely as a fill-in fight if the title bout ended quickly. Unfortunately, that won't be the case.
The decision to include Henderson vs. Guida on the UFC on Fox card seemed like an obvious and brilliant move at the time. The UFC needs to build stars, and youthful fighters like Ben Henderson and Rory MacDonald were constantly brought up by fans as possible fighters the UFC could push on the platform. Henderson just so happened to wallop surging UFC veteran Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5 in August, raising his stock considerably with the win and putting himself within striking distance of the title.
Now, the fight is stuck headlining the preliminary card, which won't receive the attention from casual fans it deserves. The logic behind adding Henderson vs. Guida to the UFC on Fox card in the first place reeks of poor decision making by the UFC. It's something we aren't accustomed to seeing on a regular basis, and that's likely why the UFC is one of the most successful organizations in the business. Unfortunately, this is a major slip-up.
The premature move to add the fight to the UFC on Fox card makes one wonder if the UFC assumed this fight would make the broadcast because of its relevance to the division or their desire to push a guy like Henderson. Perhaps Fox said no to the request later in the ballgame, but one must wonder how the UFC didn't foresee that conclusion? If they had, Henderson vs. Guida could have served as a headliner for UFC 138 or perhaps a main card bout on UFC 139.
Now, the relevant, highly-anticipated lightweight bout is relegated to the void of the Facebook preliminary card. Hardcore fans will obviously watch the fight in all its glory, but how does the UFC push the winner of this fight into contention with a performance that wasn't under the magnifying glass of casual fans?
I don't think they will. Not only has the UFC squandered a great opportunity to promote both fighters, but I think the poor decision creates another layer between contention and a title shot for both men. The UFC will undoubtedly want to create buzz around any potential lightweight title fight, and that can't be done when your fight is headlining the preliminary card on Facebook. They have to make up for the lost opportunity, and pitting the winner of Henderson vs. Guida against another worthy challenger, perhaps Cerrone vs. Diaz, may be the solution for next year.
The UFC made a major mistake in pushing Bendo vs. Guida to the UFC on Fox card too soon. Hoping for the possibility that the fight makes the network broadcast seems uncharacteristic of a promoter like Dana White, who has been always hesitant to confirm fights until the ink has dried on a contract. In this instance, it obviously wasn't confirmed that the fight was taking place on the UFC on Fox broadcast yet, so why was the fight scheduled to take place on the card regardless? It doesn't make any sense and that error has not only cost the UFC money, but it has wasted a golden opportunity to promote a youthful fighter like Ben Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, henderson, card
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVelasquez vs. Dos Santos Will Be Only Fight on Fox
submitted by nuttyp [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: do, vs, nuttyp, fox, fight
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 1 Conference Call Audio
Full audio from today’s UFC on FOX 1 conference call via MMA Weekly.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fox, conference, today
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX: 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' preliminary fights remain untelevised
If you were hoping to catch the 155-pound barn-burner between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson, well, I hope you have a ticket to the UFC on FOX event on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California.
Or at the very least, high speed Internet access.
That's because the preliminary card for the network television debut will remain untelevised, according to UFC President Dana White, who told media members on today's pre-fight conference call that 'Velasquez vs. Dos Santos' is exactly what it sounds like.
What you see is what you get.
"There's only going to be one fight. Heavyweight championship fight is the only fight that's going to be on Fox. (Even if) it goes 10 seconds. There's going to be a lot of breaking down the fight, features, going backstage. This is probably the first time we've ever done this I think, if we did we did it a long time ago, an interview with the guys before they come out. It's going to be a completely different format than we've ever done before."
The UFC on FOX undercard will stream live via Facebook and FOX.com and is almost certainly going to show up on one of the FOX channels like FX or Fuel TV at a later date.
Here is the current UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" fight card and line-up:
Main Event (Televised):
265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Preliminary Card (Facebook and FOX.com):
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas145 lbs.: Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier185 lbs.: Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce205 lbs.: Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa170 lbs.: Clay Harvsion vs. DaMarques Johnson 145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
For all the UFC on FOX news and notes click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1 Conference Call (audio)
The UFC is preparing for its Fox network TV debut with UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos. Listen in as Dana White, Cain Velasquez, and Junior dos Santos talk about the big debut.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, debut
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1: Clay Guida and Ben Henderson Won’t Fight On FOX Broadcast
Remember how Clay Guida, Ben Henderson and their respective managers took a big gamble in asking to fight on the UFC on FOX 1 card, hoping their fight would end up airing live on network television in millions of households?
Yeah, well, they lost. In fact, they would be been better off fighting on the main card of a low-rated UFC on Versus broadcast.
Reason being: Dana White confirmed on a UFC on FOX 1 conference call today that the only fight that will air on FOX on Nov. 12 is Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, even if it “only goes 10 seconds.”
That sucks for Henderson and Guida, who were hoping for the added exposure and bigger sponsorship dollars, but fans will at least have the opportunity to watch their fight if they really want to. Dana confirmed that the full 10-bout undercard will stream live on Facebook and FOX.com so you’ll be able to catch it there if your internet/computer can handle live video streaming.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, henderson, lowrated ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertVelasquez vs Dos Santos Will Be the Only Fight on Fox Regardless of Time
The upcoming card for the UFC on Fox debut is all on the shoulders of Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
Posted in: fox, do, velasquez, fox debut, shoulder
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX to feature different format
UFC president Dana White admits to feeling some prime-time pressure as the mixed martial arts juggernauts readies for its Fox network debut.
Posted in: ufc, fox, art, primetime, primetime pressure
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Fight Card Rumors
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on November 12, 2011, in Anaheim, California, fight card rumors.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, do
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 weigh ins air live on FUEL TV on Nov. 11
The official weigh in event for UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" is set to take place in Anaheim, California, on Fri., Nov. 11, 2011. No location has been determined at this time.
What has been determined, though, is that the weigh-ins will air live on FUEL TV for the very first time. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FOX weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
UFC on FOX 1 will mark the promotion's first venture into the prestigious world of network television. It will be a one-hour primetime special that will feature just one match-up.
But it's a big one.
Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line against division number one contender and noted knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
Here is the current UFC on FOX 1 fight card and line-up:
Main Event:
265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Preliminary Card (May not be broadcast):
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas145 lbs.: Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier185 lbs.: Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce205 lbs.: Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa145 lbs.: Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
For those fortunate enough to be in California that weekend, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1 p.m. GMT local time.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Nov. 5), which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 138 coverage you can handle.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, lb, weighin
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Conference Call Highlights
We've got your highlights from today's UFC on Fox conference call with Dana White, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, fox conference, todays ufc
Read the full article at Heavy MMAVelasquez-Dos Santos will be lone fight on UFC on FOX 1, regardless of length
If you want to see Clay Guida battle Ben Henderson on Nov. 12, you had better be next to a computer.
While many MMA fans have openly hoped for a quick ending in that night's
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos main event in order for Guida vs. Henderson to also air on the UFC
on FOX broadcast, UFC president Dana White today said that's not going
to happen.
White said the featured bout will be the only fight on
the broadcast, even if it "only goes 10 seconds."
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, velasquez vs, mma fans
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 1 Weigh-ins to Air Live on Fuel TV
UFC president Dana White says the UFC on Fox 1 weigh-ins will air live on Fuel TV, a Fox network.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, fuel tv, fuel
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox Velasquez vs Dos Santos Conference Call: Updates and Notes
Bloody Elbow will be on the UFC on Fox Conference call today to promote the card next Saturday headlined by Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight title against number one contender Junior Dos Santos. The two fighters will be on the call with UFC President Dana White.
The UFC on Fox card is set to air on Fox at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. While not an official part of the UFC's deal with Fox, it is a major event to set the tone for the relationship between the promotion and network. The rest of the card will air live on Facebook and FoxSports.com. There is a potential that Clay Guida and Ben Henderson are fighting for the number one contender to Frankie Edgar's title.
Follow Matthew Roth on Twitter (@mattroth512) for immediate updates. And check this post after the call for the tweets plus additional notes and thoughts.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Cain Velasquez
-
Junior Dos Santos
-
Dana White
-
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, card
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Conference Call: Cain and JDS ready to "Throwdown"
A Heavyweight title clash between division Champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will headline the stacked UFC on Fox fight-card, set to take place November 12th from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Also featured will be a Lightweight showdown between top contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson, as well as a Featherweight bout pitting Dustin Poirier against Pablo Garza.Below are highlights from today's UFC on Fox Media Conference Call, which included Dana White, as well as
Posted in: ufc, featherweight bout, fox, honda center, fox fightcard
Read the full article at Low KickI Want My UFC! DirectTV and Fox Come to Terms
Fear not UFC fans, DirectTV and Newscorp (which owns the Fox networks) have come to terms, keeping Fox programming on the satellite television service.
Posted in: fox, fox networks, terms fear, fox programming, ufc directtv
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDirecTV and FOX reach deal to carry all FOX networks, including FX and FUEL
UFC certainly dodged a bullet on this one.
Broadcast satellite service provider DirecTV has reached a deal with FOX to continuing carrying its family of networks. From the DirecTV statement:
"Fox Networks and DIRECTV have reached an agreement for DIRECTV to continue carrying all Fox Networks (including FX, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, SPEED, FUEL TV, FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes), Fox's regional sports networks, Fox Broadcasting (FOX), the FOX local stations, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. We both know the past ten days have been challenging, but we're pleased that both sides could eventually come together to ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming."
The two sides may have waited until the eleventh hour to strike the multi-year agreement but the importance of this for the UFC cannot be understated.
The world's premiere mixed martial arts organization is gearing up for what promises to be its biggest year in history in 2012, when it plans to hold 34 events. Only a dozen or so of those are planned for pay-per-view, while four shows are planned for the main FOX network channel.
That still leaves 18 events without a home. Enter FX and FUEL.
While the UFC deal with FOX paved the way for the promotion to land on network TV, which was the most high profile facet of the deal, perhaps more important are the ancillary channels.
FX, for example, will become the new home of a completely revamped version of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), which, of course, is the show that saved MMA as we know it.
FUEL, on the other hand, has become "essential" for UFC fans, according to President Dana White. That's because the channel will air live events, as well as international versions of TUF. It's more or less going to become the unofficial home for UFC.
Losing out on the 20 million DirecTV subscribers would have been a big hit to the big things UFC has planned next year.
Again, though, bullet dodged.
Any DirecTV subscribers out there jumping for joy at this news?
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, channel, directv
Read the full article at MMA ManiaNo Blackout: Direct TV-Fox settle its dispute
The NY Times reports that the Direct TV-Fox carriage dispute was resolved a day prior to a blackout of Fox regional sports networks, FX, Fuel and other Fox-owned cable channels. The new deal between DTV and News Corp. (Fox) includes Fox and Fox News Channel.
Direct TV was concerned with losing popular FX shows, “Sons of Anarchy” and new hit “American Horror Story.” The “Sons” creator Kurt Sutter filmed a public service announcement that aired last week during a “Sons” episode against Direct TV.
The public dispute occurred over the proposed retransmission fees between Fox and DTV.
Via NY Times:
DirecTV publicly resisted the higher rates proposed by News Corporation. Privately, DirecTV also contested the very notion of bundling the channels together, a common practice in the industry.
Payout Perspective:
No word on the terms of the contract although it includes “Big” Fox and the Fox News Channel. The new contract means that the UFC’s transition to the Fox Family should occur without any unnecessary breaks. This helps with networks like Fuel and FX which will house UFC content. It also will help with Jay Glazer’s new UFC show on Fuel.
Posted in: fox, news, ufc show, channel, fuel
Read the full article at MMA PayoutFox And DirecTV Reach An Agreement, UFC Not In Jeopardy
Last week I reported that DirecTV had sent a letter to the FCC in response to Fox's continual airing of misleading commercials. The complaint essentially was to let the FCC know that Fox is no longer fit to be a network and should not receive the same considerations as CBS/NBC/ABC. The Fox suite of channels including FX, Fuel, and Fox Soccer Channel were set to be pulled from the carrier today until a deal could be reached. Last night the two sides reached to an agreement and customers will not be losing their channels.
"Fox Networks and DIRECTV have reached an agreement for DIRECTV to continue carrying all Fox Networks (including FX, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, SPEED, FUEL TV, FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes), Fox's regional sports networks, Fox Broadcasting (FOX), the FOX local stations, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network," DirecTV expressed in a statement. "We both know the past ten days have been challenging, but we're pleased that both sides could eventually come together to ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming."
There are rumors as to why the deal came together so quickly. One is that Fox wanted their entire suite, including Fox Broadcasting, to be under one deal instead of multiple contracts. As with everything in business, this also means that when the next time the contract is up, Fox will have more negotiating power. The only Fox channel that isn't included in this deal is the Golf Channel, which has a month to month type contract.
This is great news for MMA fans. The UFC has always had a great relationship with DirecTV, who for a while were the only television carrier that actually supported the sport of MMA. The fact that DirecTV was in a dispute with Fox could have meant disaster for the UFC's network hopes in 2012, especially with their plans for live events. As of right now, the UFC is planning 34 events for next year, a dozen of which will air on PPV. This means that Fox, FX, and Fuel will pick up the remaining events. Fox will air four events, while FX will air six. This means that the remaining 12 will aired on Fuel.
On top of live events, there are also the live seasons of The Ultimate Fighter which will air on FX starting next year. Dana White has been on record saying that UFC fans will need Fuel TV going forward. In addition to the 12 live events, the plans for Fuel TV include airing the international Ultimate Fighters, the first of which will be TUF: Brazil, as well as highlight shows and shows similar to UFC All Access. The irony here is that the UFC failed to purchase their own network when they were in talks with NBC to buy a majority stake in G4; instead, they are getting paid to make Fuel TV a "must have" channel for Fox by turning it into essentially the UFC Network.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, channel, directv
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Full Video
In case you missed it on TV, here's the full video of the UFC Primetime special that focuses on the UFC on Fox headlining championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Get up close and personal with Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos in the weeks leading up to their November 12 championship bout on Fox.
Complete UFC on Fox fight card after the jump.
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos SantosNovember 12, 2011 - 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT
Main Card:Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) [HW Title]Preliminary Card:Ben Henderson (14-2) vs. Clay Guida (29-11)Pablo Garza (11-1) vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1)Norifumi Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3)Ricardo Lamas (10-2) vs. Cub Swanson (15-4)Clay Harvison (9-3) vs. DaMarques Johnson (12-9)Robert Peralta (15-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (6-3)Paul Bradley (18-3) vs. Mike Pierce (12-4)Aaron Rosa (16-4) vs. Matt Lucas (14-2)Alex Caceres (5-4) vs. Cole Escovedo (17-8)
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Primetime (Full Video)
In less than two weeks, reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC's debut on FOX. The event will take place on November 12, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, co-headlined by the #1 Contender for the UFC Lightweight title bout between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
UFC on FOX Primetime follows Cain Velasquez and "Cigano" dos Santos in their preparations for what is without a doubt one of the biggest fights in the UFC
Posted in: ufc, fox, clay guida, fox primetime, ufcs debut
Read the full article at Low KickUFC on FOX 1 Primetime made available for viewing
Though the buzz this past weekend may have surrounded UFC 137 and the epic encounter between Nick Diaz and BJ Penn, another highly-anticipated duo hit the airwaves in the form of heavyweight headliners Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos whose UFC Primetime was shown Sunday on FOX in the midst of NFL action.
Highlighting their journeys thus far leading up to UFC on FOX 1, a November 12 event where Velasquez will put his belt up for grabs against the Brazilian bomber in the promotion’s debut on network television, the special was gripping throughout and is sure to have roped in some casual fans based on its quality.
Velasquez Predicts All-Out War Against “Cigano”
Now, the UFC has released the video in its entirety for fans who may have not had an opportunity to catch it originally or even for those who simply want to see it again.
Watch below and enjoy! You will laugh, you will cry, and you will most certainly be proud to not only be a MMA fan but have Velasquez/Dos Santos representing the sport in less than two weeks…
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, fan, velasquez, heavyweight headliners
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Viewing Guide
UFC on Fox main event: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT:Watch live on FoxSaturday, November 12See the full fight cardWatch UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos SantosUFC on Fox Prelims streaming live & free at 4:45 pm ET/1:45 pm PT:Facebook.com/UFCFoxSports.comSaturday, November 12See the full fight cardmore UFC on Fox programming:Prefight Special LIVE at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Watch live on FUEL TVSaturday, November 12
Jay Glazer, Kenny Florian and special guests are live on FUEL TV for a
breakdown on the UFC, fighter profiles and expert analysis, as well as
celebrities from the red carpet arriving at UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs.
dos Santos.
Postfight Special LIVE at 10 pm ET/7 pm PTWatch live on FUEL TVSaturday, November 12Join Jay Glazer and Kenny Florian Live on FUEL TV for a complete breakdown of the biggest event in UFC history after Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez, and top contender, Junior dos Santos, go head-to-head on FOX.UFC Velasquez vs. dos Santos Weigh-In LIVE at 7 pm ET/4 pm PTWatch live on FUEL TV and UFC.comFriday, November 11
Posted in: ufc, fox, pm, do, velasquez
Read the full article at UFCUFC on Fox: “Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” (Full video)
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of UFC on Fox 1, which takes place on Nov. 12 featuring UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos as well as lightweight contenders Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyCain Velasquez on set with FOX NFL
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fox, mattyblayze, nfl, mattyblayze link, fox nfl
Read the full article at RedditVideo: Cain Velasquez visits the set of NFL on FOX to talk fight against Junior dos Santos
&lt;a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=96c2351c-d331-42f9-8122-342bd8bfc8a7" mce_href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=96c2351c-d331-42f9-8122-342bd8bfc8a7" target="_new" title=""&amp;amp;gt;UFC on FOX: Cain set for Nov. 12th&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;
It may have been just a tad awkward but UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez paid a visit to the NFL on FOX set to shoot the breeze on his upcoming showdown against Junior dos Santos in Anaheim. The world's largest fight promotion makes its debut on network television on Nov. 12 with a one hour special featuring one of the most promising heavyweight title fights in recent memory. The "Primetime" special aired today to rave reviews and now we're just two weeks away from showtime. Everybody ready?
Posted in: fight, fox, fight promotion, network television, velasquez visits
Read the full article at MMA Mania(Pic) UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez visits the NFL on FOX set in advance of today's slate...
(Pic) UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez visits the NFL on FOX set in advance of today's slate of games. The UFC will premiere on the network television channel with today's (Oct. 30) UFC on FOX "Primetime" show featuring Velasquez and the man who will challenge for his title on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, Junior dos Santos. For more on that click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, velasquez visits, todays slate
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReminder: UFC on FOX 'Primetime' airs TODAY (Oct. 30) alongside NFL programming
The UFC is coming to network television thanks to a landmark deal spanning seven years and valued at $100 million. The debut show, UFC on FOX 1, is set for Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, at 9 p.m. ET.
But the promotion is hitting the FOX airwaves even sooner than that.
That's because the network will premiere a one-hour special entitled "UFC Primetime" TODAY (Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011) that will provide a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as he gets set to take on division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
Right alongside FOX football.
UFC on FOX "Primetime" will air before or after your local gridiron gang, depending on your geographical market. Be sure to check local listings so you don't miss out on this historic day.
A look at the first few minutes to whet your beak before the big show after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight champion, honda center, primetime
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Primetime: Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos Live Discussion
Today, the UFC makes its first splash on network television with the airing of UFC on Fox Primetime for Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos this afternoon. This is monumental for MMA as there has never been a broadcast partner that has been so invested in the sport as to promote a card during the NFL season. Above is the first three minutes of the show which includes footage from the press conference the UFC held to announce the fight in Los Angeles.
The big news is that Fox is using the NFL coverage to help sell this fight card. Airing the Primetime today maximizes the amount of eyeballs that will see this episode. There is no set start time as it is dependent on local markets but it airs anywhere between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. which puts this in between the early and mid afternoon games. If there was ever any doubt that the UFC teamed up with the wrong broadcast partner, I hope this puts those concerns to rest. This will be a massive card and the UFC has no reason to fail.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fox, card, velasquez vs, fox primetime
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJay Glazer to host new UFC show on Fuel TV
MMA Junkie reports Fox Sport’s Jay Glazer will host a new television show featuring UFC fighters on Fuel TV as part of the new UFC-Fox partnership. “UFC Champions Roundtable” is set to debut on Fuel TV on November 9th.
Fuel TV will also have pre and post fight shows for the big UFC on Fox event on November 12th.
There is some concern that Direct TV subscribers may not see the show’s debut as Direct TV and Fox are involved in contentious negotiations related to the renewal of Fox’s contract with the second biggest distributor in the US. Direct TV has approximately 19 million subscribers.
Despite the tough rhetoric on both sides, SBJ’s John Ourand does not think the blackout of Fox channels to last long. Ourand spoke to SB Nation’s Luke Thomas on October 21st regarding the dispute.
When they go public, everybody goes crazy like I’m doing right now with this story but for your listeners who really are worried about seeing MMA on FX and MMA on FOX broadcasts, it almost certainly, if you get FX and FOX broadcasts and you’re a DirecTV subscriber now, it might go dark for a week, maybe two weeks but these types of disputes always get resolved especially with companies as big as FOX because they don’t want to lose all of FOX programming.
Payout Perspective:
If Ourand is correct, Glazer’s debut on Direct TV is in jeopardy and so is the hype on the Fox channels for UFC on Fox November 12th. The Fox-Direct TV dispute may not hurt the UFC in the long run because its likely that the blackout will not be prolonged. However, it could hurt the UFC short term, and likely during the most important time in the company’s history. Certainly, this weekend’s UFC Primetime on Fox helps with the promotion but the Fox blackout will definitely hurt UFC’s promotion as well as its transition over to the Fox networks.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, fuel tv, fox channels
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC gives look at Primetime special airing Sunday on FOX
The first installment of UFC Primetime on FOX will be shown Sunday with the show being aired immediately following regional NFL action depending on the market. It will also be streamed through the UFC’s website and broadcasted FUEL TV later in the week.
UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos features UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez defending his title for the first time against #1 contender. The fight will be held November 12 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“This is our Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar, now on a huge massive platform, and we need to deliver, and there’s no doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything and am betting that these guys (Velasquez and dos Santos) are going to deliver,” UFC President Dana White said of the special.
The special will be a condensed version of the regular three-part show and, as usual, will document the two competitors’ lives and training leading up to the historic bout.
Here is a preview of the episode:
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, honda center, nfl action
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainNew Developments in Direct TV vs. Fox Might Cost UFC Fans
The follow is a letter sent by DirectTV executive Derek Change to the FCC's Media Bureau Chief William Lake regarding Fox. For some background, there have been on going negotiations to keep the Fox suite of programming on DirectTV but with the deadline quickly approaching (November 1), Fox has started to run ads on their local channels informing customers that they will lose Fox unless they call DirectTV. It's a power play move that all networks do when they are in negotiations. Those of us in Austin have seen ESPN run similar commercials about the Longhorn Network. By contacting the provider, it allows the networks to nickel and dime at the negotiation table.
I want to alert you to a disturbing development that relates to the broadcast stations owned and operated by Fox Broadcasting Company, Inc. ("Fox"). Specifically, in the midst of a dispute over cable programming, Fox is using misleading advertising informing DIRECTV customers that "soon, in some markets, you may lose your local Fox station," even though our retransmission consent agreement does not expire for over two months. Furthermore while Fox continues to run these misleading ads, Fox has refused to provide us a separate offer for the continued carriage of its broadcast stations.
The first part of DirectTV's complaint is that Fox is misleading customers by letting them know that they will be losing the local Fox station. This not only shows bad faith but also leads to customers calling up DirectTV with complaints. The local network deal doesn't expire until the end of the year which means that Fox is running advertisements informing customers of impending doom when the reality is that they have plenty of time to iron out a new deal.
The carriage agreement between DIRECTV and a number of cable networks controlled by Fox Cable Networks, Inc. expired on September 30. Although the parties have been negotiating for months, Fox continues to demand that DIRECTV customers pay significantly more for the same channels they already receive. At present, DIRECTV is carrying this programming under an interim extension agreement. If a new deal is not reached, DIRECTV will suspend carriage of these cable channels on November 1.
The carriage agreement covers such channels as FX and Fuel, both of which are relevant to the UFC's deal with Fox. According to the complaint, Fox is attempting to raise the price for their carriage of channels. It's typical for most television negotiations, with ABC and NBC having done the same a few years back with Cablevision and Comcast. The deal technically expired but both acted in good faith with an extension agreement. However, with only four days remaining in October, it is likely these channels will get pulled until a new deal can be reached.
Even if the Fox cable channels are no longer carried on November 1, the broadcast stations are covered under a separate agreement, which does not expire until December 31. Fox, however, is running advertisements asserting that DIRECTV viewers "soon could even lose" the Fox broadcast stations in their local markets. One such advertisement ran in the widely-circulated Los Angeles Times editions for Sunday, October 23, a copy of which is attached hereto. In addition, Fox's television advertisements on its local broadcast stations state that viewers could lose local channels (showing clips from Glee and NFL games) that are not subject to this agreement. Ironically, at the same time it is airing these warnings, Fox has repeatedly refused to provide us with a separate offer for carriage of the Fox broadcast stations.
The Fox broadcast channels are the local Fox network, such as Fox 5 in New York. The deal isn't close to expiring and both parties have considerable time to reach an agreement. DirectTV feels that running advertisements during highly rated broadcasts is bad faith and misleading to customers. DirectTV also asserts that Fox hasn't made any effort to right the situation by providing an offer for Fox broadcast networks.
On the one hand, Fox has refused to negotiate in good faith for carriage of the broadcast stations. At the same time, it is informing DIRECTV customers that they may soon lose access to such stations, purposely conflating a potential November 1 deadline for cable programming with the additional loss of broadcast programming the delivery of which is assured through the end of the year. Fox is clearly abusing the public trust by its deliberate attempt to confuse and alarm consumers. Such conduct is certainly not what the Commission had in mind when it made Fox a steward of the nation's airwaves entrusted to serve the public interest.
DIRECTV still hopes to arrive at a fair agreement with Fox before its subscribers are deprived of any programming. In the meantime, we have demanded that Fox immediately stop running advertisements that mislead consumers by suggesting that DIRECTV subscribers may not be able to receive Fox broadcast stations. To date, Fox has failed to do so.
Because of Fox's actions, DirectTV is making the assertion that they (Fox) don't deserve to be a broadcast conglomerate. This is perhaps the most important section of the email as DirectTV is not only complaining about Fox's regards to the ongoing negotiations but also the fact that by refusing to negotiate and running commercials. they are no longer fit to serve the best interest of the viewing public. It's a huge allegation and one that the FCC won't take lightly.
So what does this all mean for MMA fans? Well for those with DirectTV, it is obvious that if a new deal isn't reached by January 1, 2012 they will miss out on a ton of programming on Fuel, FX, and Fox. The UFC is planning to air 34 live events next year with 13 being PPV which means that 21 of those will use Fox, FX, and Fuel as an outlet. The UFC is also planning to finally kick off The Ultimate Fighter for countries around the world. Those episodes will be aired on Fuel making it a channel that MMA fans need to have. On top of the international Ultimate Fighters, there will also be plenty of other programming on Fuel.
Obviously, there is still 60 days left for DirectTV and Fox to hammer out a deal. That's plenty of time and this shouldn't be a cause for concern at this moment. However, the fact that DirectTV has aired grievances with the FCC doesn't exactly bode well for the situation either. This is business as usual in the broadcasting business, we're just seeing the happenings first hand.
Posted in: fox, broadcast, channel, directtv, station
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FOX: Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida may not detemine number one contender
There's a fantastic lightweight clash pitting Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida heading to the UFC on FOX event, which serves as the promotion's network television debut on Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Unfortunately the outcome is unlikely to determine the next division number one contender in what is a stacked 155-pound division. That's according to UFC President Dana White, who told reporters at yesterday's UFC 137 pre-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting) that neither man is guaranteed a title shot with a win.
At least, not yet.
"I don't know. I have no idea. We're going to have to see what happens. I haven't even thought about it. You have to understand, the only thing I'm thinking about now is FOX. I've just got to get past this event. Everything else is taking a back seat. All the other s--- will work itself out."
Henderson is fresh on the heels of derailing the Jim Miller hype train and spoiling his title plans by dominating him at UFC on Versus 5 for three whole rounds.
Guida also played spoilsport to Anthony Pettis, who had actually earned himself a chance at the lightweight championship but chose to fight in lieu of waiting around.
Unfortunately for "Showtime," that meant a war against the energetic caveman and "The Carpenter" used his superior wrestling to send him to the back of the line, catapulting himself to the front of it in the process.
He's ripped off four wins in a row and if he makes it five at the expense of Henderson, it will become increasingly more difficult to justify not giving him a title shot.
Especially with Melvin Guillard no longer "in the mix."
Anyone think this one's a no-brainer? Or do we wait for the winner of Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal before committing to anything?
Thoughts?
Posted in: ufc, title shot, title, fox, henderson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX prelims to air online
Everyone wanted to see the lightweight showdown between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida on November 12 and now they’ll be able to. No, the bout won’t air live on FOX prior to the heavyweight main event, but the entire UFC on FOX preliminary card will air online on Facebook.com and Fox.com.
Dana White confirmed the news after yesterday’s UFC 137 pre-fight press conference.
The preliminary card currently has nine bouts scheduled and will serve as a lead in to the main event and the UFC’s debut on FOX. The one-fight FOX card starts at 9PM EST and will feature the heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior dos Santos.
Henderson vs. Guida is a big fight in the 155 division with the winner being in line for a title shot against current champion Frankie Edgar. Also on the preliminary card is a great featherweight bout between Pablo Garza and Dustin Poirier as well as the octagon return of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto taking on Darren Uyenoyama.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, featherweight bout, bout, fox, card
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDana White Takes on Culinary Union (UFC 137 video)
UFC president Dana White isn't giving in to the efforts of the Culinary Union to slam his promotion. The union recently called on Fox to keep the UFC off of its airwaves.
Posted in: ufc, fox, dana, union, airwaves
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1 Prelims Stream On Facebook, FOX.com
The nine-fight preliminary card for "UFC on FOX 1" streams live on Facebook and FOX.com this November.
Posted in: ufc, fox, stream, foxcom, facebook foxcom
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC on FOX 1 undercard will stream for free on Facebook and FOX.com
submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fox, facebook, likewildpotato, foxcom
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX Prelims to air on Facebook and FOX.com on Nov. 12
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing another round of prelims to its official Facebook page, this time for the historic UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" event on Nov. 12 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
You know the deal by now: "Like" the UFC on Facebook, watch free fights. It really is that simple.
This time, though, the complete preliminary card, which is to say every fight except Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, will also air on FOX.com.
No announcement has been made to say this will be the norm from here on out, but this most certainly serves its purpose for the time being. UFC President Dana White did say to expect the Facebook fights to go away starting when the FOX deal really kicks in come Jan. 2012.
Nothing wrong with a stopgap in the meantime.
Here's what's in store for Facebook "friends" -- and FOX.com goers -- on Nov. 12:
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson145 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza145 lbs.: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas170 lbs.: DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison135 lbs.: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama145 lbs.: Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta 135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo 185 lbs.: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley205 lbs.: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
UFC on FOX 1 marks the debut of the world's largest fight promotion on network television. And it's bringing out the big guns with Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez defending his title against Brazilian knockout king Junior dos Santos.
For all the latest news and notes on UFC on FOX 1 be sure to hit up or event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, facebook, lb
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAll UFC on FOX Fights Before Title Bout Will Air on Facebook, FOX.com
Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS -- One fight on the UFC's debut outing on network television is likely to be the most watched fight in North American TV history. The others going on that same night though won't even find their way on to broadcast television.
UFC president Dana White on Thursday said that every fight under the main event heavyweight title match will air on Facebook and FOX.com.
That means that even the possible No. 1 contenders fight pitting Ben Henderson and Clay Guida won't find its way on to TV. White said that the promotion considered putting the fights on ION, but ultimately decided against it.
"The way that we looked at this thing as we sat down and figured it out, it just made sense to do this fight on FOX and put the prelims on the internet," he said.
The UFC's deal with FOX doesn't officially kick in until January 2012, but the November 12 event will function as an introduction to the UFC, as a big audience is expected to tune in and watch heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez attempt to defend his crown against Junior dos Santos.
Meanwhile, because the UFC's current deal with Spike has yet to expire, they can not air fights on a competing cable network. That left few options, and while ION was considered, the UFC ultimately has chosen to put all its efforts behind the major main event. In related news, FOX will air a "UFC Primetime" on Velasquez and dos Santos this Sunday following their scheduled broadcast of NFL football.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, way, event
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox Prelims to Air on Facebook, Fox.com on Nov. 12
The UFC on Fox preliminary card, including the card’s co-main event between lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson, will air on Facebook.com/UFC and Fox.com on November 12, UFC President Dana White announced at today’s UFC 137 press conference.
The UFC will then debut on Fox at 9pm ET with the headlining showdown between UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior dos Santos.
White also announced today that the UFC has h ired ESPN’sMMA Live host Jon Anik, who will handle play-by-play for UFC Fight Night events and The Ultimate Fighter on FX.
The current UFC on Fox 1 fight card features:
MAIN CARD
Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC Heavyweight Championship
PRELIMINARY CARD
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyonyama
Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
For complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Clay Guida
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, card, clay
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 1 undercard streams free on Facebook and FOX.com
LAS VEGAS - The entire undercard for next month's landmark UFC on FOX 1 event will stream live and for free on Facebook and FOX.com.
UFC president Dana White today announced the plans following a pre-UFC 137 press conference.
In all, the Nov. 12 stream includes nine fights, including a key lightweight matchup between top contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fox, facebook, stream, foxcom
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox Prelims Including Henderson vs. Guida to Air Online
If you were curious how you can watch Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida and the rest of the undercard for the UFC's debut show on Fox, we now have the answer.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, guida, fox prelims
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC releases sneak peek at UFC on FOX Primetime
This Sunday the UFC will up its presence on FOX with an hour-long UFC Primetime special dedicated to the company’s November 12 debut on network television, a card headlined by heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defending his title against Brazilian bomber Junior dos Santos.
The feature rotating around UFC on FOX 1 is set to air either before or after FOX’s afternoon NFL game depending on the market.
However, before treating fans to the entire show, the UFC has released a taste of what’s to come with a three-minute clip highlighting the historic event’s announcement and showing a bit of background on Velasquez and Dos Santos.
You can watch the entire preview below:
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight champion, ufc primetime, threeminute clip
Read the full article at Fighters.com'UFC on FOX 1: Primetime' extended video preview
Ahead of Sunday's debut of the "UFC Primetime" series on FOX, the UFC has released an extended preview of the show.
"UFC on FOX 1: Primetime" is a one-hour special that previews the
organization's first network-TV event, which features a UFC heavyweight
title fight between champ Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
The preview shows debuts Sunday on FOX and airs either immediately
before or after the NFL on FOX game assigned to your given market.
Posted in: ufc, fox, preview, fox game, networktv event
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox Primetime: Velasquez vs. dos Santos Video Promo
Check out the UFC on Fox Primetime: Velasquez vs. dos Santos video promo.
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, do, primetime
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC Primetime ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’ Airs On FOX After Football This Weekend
The UFC is producing another installment of their UFC Primetime series to promote the upcoming heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The series is set to premiere this weekend before and after this Sunday’s NFL on FOX game, depending on your local market.
This hard-hitting episode will premiere Sunday, October 30 following or preceding the NFL on Fox game (varies by market, check local listings). Re-airs will follow on ufc.com beginning Monday, October 31 and on FUEL TV Wednesday, November 2. UFC Primetime, produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), is a look into the lives and preparation of Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
“This is our Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar, now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver, and there’s no doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything and am betting that these guys (Velasquez and dos Santos) are going to deliver,” said UFC president Dana White, referring to the classic Ultimate Fighter season one finale bout in 2005 that kicked off the mixed martial arts explosion that has turned the sport into the fastest growing one in the world.
UFC on FOX 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” takes place on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will air live on FOX at 9pm ET/6pm PT. The latest UFC on FOX 1 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, fox game
Read the full article at MMA ConvertIf Directv drops Fox november 1st I will be one pissed off customer
Having Versus be a premium chanel I have to pay extra for was bad enough...now you are about to drop fox? Really? Know this Directv, I am not under contract and I will happily leave in order to be able to watch fox/UFC and Fox sports for the Reds games, get a fucking deal done or watch me walk away! submitted by abuckfiddy [link] [comment]
Posted in: fox, drop fox, reds games, abuckfiddy link, directv i
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 1: Primetime Teaser
Check out this 3-minute teaser of the the upcoming "UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" Primetime show.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, primetime, teaser
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThis UFC on FOX primetime promo will make you want to kick something, anything
If you look real closely at this UFC on FOX primetime promo footage, you can see me for more than a second. This press conference took place at the W Hotel in Hollywood, which is right next to this amazing bar called 'Dillion's.' Every waitress there is like a weird hybrid of an 'Irish/Japanese school girl' since they all rock green plaid skirts and prance around like they just scored 10,000 on their pocket-sized Tamagotchi Gigapet. Prior to the press conference, my initial plan was to attend the event and then stop over in Dillion's for a drink. However, it was dyslexia day on September 20th, so I ended up spending entirely too much time in Dillion's before the event.
That day, I didn't drop kick any inanimate object, but I'm sure you will when you see this UFC on FOX primetime promo, a trailer for a 'countdown-like' episode that will premiere this Sunday on FOX. [Source]
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, promo, primetime
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on FOX 'Primetime' video preview for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos' on Oct. 30
The UFC is coming to network television thanks to a landmark deal spanning seven years and valued at $100 million. The debut show, UFC on FOX 1, is set for Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, at 9 p.m. ET.
But the promotion is hitting the FOX airwaves even sooner than that.
That's because the network recently announced it will premiere a one-hour special titled "UFC Primetime" on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, that will provide a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as he gets set to take on division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
Right alongside FOX football.
UFC on FOX "Primetime" will air before or after your local gridiron gang, depending on your geographical market. Be sure to check local listings as we get closer to showtime.
After the jump you can catch a glimpse of the first few minutes that will air this Sunday night.
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight champion, primetime, gridiron gang
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos premieres Sunday on Fox
In anticipation of their world heavyweight title clash at UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ VS. DOS SANTOS, UFC® champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will be featured on UFC Primetime®, an all-access documentary.This hard-hitting episode will premiere Sunday, October 30 following or preceding the NFL on Fox game (varies by market, check local listings). Re-airs will follow on ufc.com beginning Monday, October 31 and on FUEL TV Wednesday, November 2. UFC Primetime, produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), is a look into the lives and preparation of Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Last October, Cain Velasquez (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) became the promotion's first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion by defeating superstar Brock Lesnar in the first round. Raised by immigrant parents, Velasquez was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University.
His speed and power have been the keys to beating
bigger foes throughout his career, which now boasts a perfect record of 9-0. With a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC, Junior dos Santos (fighting out of
Santa Catarina, Brazil) finished his first five fights against
names such as Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzaga, Gilbert Yvel, Stefan
Struve and Fabricio Werdum. The rising star has one of the
top striking games in the heavyweight division and showed his ability to
go into deep water with dominant decisions over Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Shane Carwin.“This is our Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar,
now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver, and there’s no
doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything and am betting
that these guys (Velasquez and dos Santos) are going to deliver,” said
UFC president Dana White, referring to the classic Ultimate Fighter season one finale bout in 2005 that kicked off the mixed martial arts explosion that has turned the sport into the fastest growing one in the world. UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos will air live on Fox Saturday, November 12 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA at 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT. Live prelims will air on a site or channel to be determined.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, fighter season
Read the full article at UFCUFC on FOX 'Primetime' invades NFL programming on Oct. 30
The UFC is coming to network television thanks to a landmark deal spanning seven years and valued at $100 million. The debut show, UFC on FOX 1, is set for Nov. 12, 2011, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, at 9 p.m. ET.
But the promotion is hitting the FOX airwaves even sooner than that.
That's because the network recently announced it will premiere a one-hour special titled "UFC Primetime" on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, that will provide a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as he gets set to take on division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
Right alongside FOX football.
From the official press release:
On Sunday, Oct. 30, in anticipation of the UFC's landmark live primetime FOX debut in November, FOX Sports offers UFC PRIMETIME, an intense, one-hour, behind-the-scenes look at the fighters' preparation leading up to the Nov. 12 main event. FOX Sports recently announced a multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement that features programming on several FOX networks including FX and FUEL TV. Featured programming includes live fights, pre and post shows, countdown shows, and a variety of UFC-produced original programs.
UFC on FOX "Primetime" will air before or after your local gridiron gang, depending on your geographical market. Be sure to check local listings as we get closer to Sunday.
A look at the recent "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" teaser, after the jump.
How instrumental will UFC Primetime be in garnering new viewers from the millions (and millions) of NFL fans? Are we on the brink of a new frontier?
Thoughts?
Posted in: ufc, fox, primetime, fox primetime, ufc primetime
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox Primetime Special Piggybacks NFL
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. dos Santos gets Primetime treatment with a one-hour special on Fox Sports during this Sunday's NFL coverage.
Posted in: fox, fox sports, primetime, fox primetime, primetime treatment
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyHow are we going to watch Fox prelims?
While I am excited for the title fight, I want to see the Guida v Henderson more. The wiki has no information at the moment. submitted by Hop_Slam [link] [12 comments]
Posted in: title, fox, information, fox prelims, wiki
Read the full article at RedditReminder: FOX airs "UFC Primetime" on Oct. 30 in lead-up to first UFC on FOX event
As a reminder, the UFC will makes its official FOX debut this Sunday, Oct. 30.
That's when the UFC's new network-television partner airs "UFC
Primetime," a one-hour special that previews the organization's first
UFC on FOX event, which is set for Nov. 12.
The special airs either immediately before or after the NFL on FOX game assigned to your given market that day.
Posted in: ufc, fox, air, fox event, fox game
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 1 Fight Card: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
The dream has come true for UFC fans and the owners of the company - the UFC will air on network TV for the first time on November 12th. Dana White decided to go all out for the one-hour special that will air on Fox and only put one guaranteed fight on the card, and what a fight it it. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against number one contender Junior dos Santos. The other major interesting bout is the probable number one contenders lightweight matchup between former WEC champion Ben Henderson and Clay Guida.
The rest of the card, will air in some other form that hasn't been decided on by the organization as of yet. Here is the card as it stands right now.
Nov 12th, live on Fox from Anaheim, CA:
Main Card:
Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) [HW Title]
Preliminary Card:
Ben Henderson (14-2) vs. Clay Guida (29-11)
Pablo Garza (11-1) vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1)
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3)
Ricardo Lamas (10-2) vs. Cub Swanson (15-4)
Clay Harvison (9-3) vs. DaMarques Johnson (12-9)
Robert Peralta (15-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (6-3)
Paul Bradley (18-3) vs. Mike Pierce (12-4)
Aaron Rosa (16-4) vs. Matt Lucas (14-2)
Alex Caceres (5-4) vs. Cole Escovedo (17-8)
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, card, network tv
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDirecTV customers could miss inaugural UFC on Fox event on Nov. 12
It's been a long time coming for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and President Dana White in their respective trek to get the promotion on mainstream television.
There have been many bumps and bruises along the way. Unfortunately, it looks like the hits keep coming.
In August, it was announced that the UFC had formally inked a deal with FOX Sports. The agreement would ensure more free events on a popular nationwide network, as well as a move The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality television series from Spike to FX.
The inaugural offering of the UFC on FOX will take place on Nov. 12, 2011, in Anaheim, California. It will feature a massive match up between current Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos as they square off for the belt.
Most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans will have the pleasure of witnessing the event, for free and LIVE from the comfort of their living rooms. However, DirecTV customers may end up missing out on the party.
DirecTV and FOX have been in negotiations for some time now to renew their contract. An agreement has not been reached and DirecTV has taken a hard stance, threatening to pull the network from its available programming if a deal is not struck by Nov. 1.
In a public statement, a spokesperson for FOX had the following to say:
"They have given us no chance to respond before taking an unnecessarily aggressive posture and going public. It is disappointing that they have chosen bad faith tactics over meaningful negotiation. We have proposed to keep the Fox Networks on DirecTV for the same price and on the same terms as they are currently carried while we attempt to work out a fair agreement. Unfortunately, DirecTV has decided that unless they get their way, they are going to pull the plug on their customers Nov. 1."
Bad news for fans of the UFC.
DirecTV responded, citing a lack of truthfulness on the part of FOX:
"After months of making little progress in our talks with News Corp and Fox to renew our agreement to carry their regional sports networks and other national channels we've regrettably reached a point where we will be forced to suspend the channels as soon as Nov. 1 unless News Corp is willing to move toward a more reasonable price increase."
If the stalemate is not remedied, the move by DirecTV would also affect FX, National Geographic Channel, 19 regional sports networks, Fox Movie Channel, Speed, Fuel TV, Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes.
All sources have indicated that the UFC on FOX 1 event will still go on, regardless of the labor agreement situation between FOX and DirecTV.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for updates on this story as it unfolds.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network, directv, agreement
Read the full article at MMA Mania10 Fights Signed for UFC on Fox 1 on Nov. 12
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 finalist DaMarques Johnson will lock horns with Clay Harvison in a preliminary welterweight duel at UFC on Fox 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” on Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Ten fights are now official for the landmark event
Posted in: fox, honda center, clay harvison, anaheim calif, welterweight duel
Read the full article at SherdogWill the war between DirecTV and FOX affect future UFC related programming? Find out here.
Will the war between DirecTV and FOX affect future UFC related programming? Find out here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, programming, directv, future ufc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWhy The DirecTV-Fox Impasse Won't Immediately Affect UFC Viewers
The Hollywood Reporter reported Thursday night that DirecTV has threatened to drop Fox Networks if a new agreement isn't reached by Tuesday, November 1st.
Initially, this was seen as a reason for concern among the MMA masses with the UFC's debut on "big" Fox set for Saturday, November 12.
According to information in the Reporter's story, fans planning to watch on DirecTV can relax:
Fox Networks includes FX, National Geographic Channel, 19 regional sports networks, Fox Movie Channel, Speed, Fuel TV, Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes. Fox broadcast stations and Fox News Channel are not involved in the negotiations.
DirecTV is claiming that Fox is asking for a 40% increase in carriage fees. The two companies' previous agreement expired on September 30th but no progress has been made in negotiations. DirecTV reaches over 19 million homes.
If the agreement lasts for any extended period of time, the only thing affecting UFC viewers on DirecTV would be season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter and any second-run programming planned for Fuel. As of yet, no dates or schedule have been announced for either.
History Of Disputes
If this story sounds familiar, it's because Fox and parent company News Corp. have battled with providers for the last few years including Cablevision and Dish Network -- both in October 2010.
On October 1, 2010, Fox removed 19 regional sports channels and two entertainment channels from Dish Network when the two sides clashed over fees, affecting 14.3 million homes during the blackout. The issue was resolved in a month.
On October 16, 2010, three local Fox/MyNetwork TV stations along with Fox Business Network, Fox Deportes and Nat Geo Wild were removed from New York regional cable provider CableVision. Three million homes were affected in the two-week dispute.
Posted in: fox, network, channel, directv, negotiations directv
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUpdate on Fox-Direct TV contract dispute
John Ourand of the Sports Business Daily/Journal has followed up a report on the Fox-Direct TV contract dispute. The two parties have now drawn lines in the sand which has Direct TV threatening to pull Fox channels on November 1.
Late Thursday night Fox released the following statement (obtained via John Ourand’s twitter)
Despite Fox Networks’ offer of an extension during our ongoing negotiations, DirecTV has informed us and their customers that unless we agree to their demands, they “will suspend our networks on November 1.”
DirecTV sent us a proposal on Tuesday afternoon. They have given us no chance to respond before taking an unnecessarily aggressive posture and going public. It is disappointing that they have chosen bad faith tactics over meaningful negotiation.
We have proposed to keep the Fox Networks on DirecTV for the same price, and on the same terms as they are currently carried while we attempt to work out a fair agreement. Unfortunately, DirecTV has decided that unless they get their way, they are going to pull the plug on their customers November 1.
The following is Direct TV’s response (via Ourand’s twitter):
After months of making little progress in our talks with News Corp and Fox to renew our agreement to carry their regional sports networks and other national channels we’ve regrettably reached a point where we will be forced to suspend the channels as soon as Nov. 1 unless News Corp is willing to move toward a more reasonable price increase.
They are currently asking our customers to pay 40% more for the exact same Fox channels that they already receive and that’s simply unfair and unwarranted. We hope to resolve this situation before any action is taken, but we will do what’s necessary to protect our customers from excessive and unwarranted fee increases. We already provide News Corp nearly a billion dollars a year for their channels, and we have no problem continuing to compensate them fairly.
Note: Fox broadcast stations and Fox News are not affected at this time
Fox contract ends December 31, 2011 while Fox News contract ends January 31, 2012.
Payout Perspective:
Fortunately for the UFC, the Fox network will not be affected for its big “UFC on Fox” event November 12th. However, the dispute could affect its future programming on Fox networks. Why? Direct TV has 19 million subscribers and is the second biggest distributor in the US. A prolonged dispute between Fox-Direct TV could negate UFC momentum of promoting its brand on Fox networks. With UFC programming set for Fox cable networks like FX and Fuel, many of the casual viewers will not see the UFC with its new network partners. In fact, the dispute could be beneficial to Spike TV which could go heavy into airing the UFC library during this time. As we’ve pointed out, this could lead to future viewer confusion once Fox-Direct TV come to terms. We will continue to monitor to see if Fox cable networks goes dark on November 1st.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, network, news
Read the full article at MMA PayoutAfter Plenty of False Starts, UFC Ready for Primetime Network Debut
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsThe UFC's head man, as always, has plenty on his plate. He recently completed an exhausting series of four events in four weeks, the first such stretch in UFC history. It won't take long to duplicate. Another four-week, four-event stretch begins on October 29. In between, he's flying around the world for press conferences, meeting with fighters, managers and agents, and putting out the everyday fires that come along with trying to accomplish so much in so little time.
When you ask Dana White about any of this stuff, it seems almost mundane for him. He shows the same passion for his product, but after a decade in the trenches, there is a sense of routine to it all.
After years as a micro-manager -- White is the first to admit he hates giving up control -- he has built a staff that he trusts, leaving him more time to focus on big picture issues. And that's a good thing, because the scope of what's in front of him is a dizzying expanse, the one world White has yet to conquer. If you were to say he is obsessed by his new primetime network platform, he might not disagree.
"The only thing I care about right now is this first FOX fight on November 12," White told MMA Fighting in an exclusive interview. "We've been on cable television with Spike since 2005, and that was huge for us, but this is a whole other game. A whole other level. This is the time when everything changes."
While 2005 is widely regarded as the first mainstream television breakthrough for the UFC, there was actually an opportunity before that.
In 2002, White thought he was ready. Two years into Zuffa's ownership of the UFC, the promotion had just booked two events when Fox Sports Net agreed to air one fight in June during a series of summer specials. There was only one problem. The first event White booked was in early May, and the results would be known far in advance of the airing. And the second event was in July, too late. So White booked a third event in June, solely for the opportunity to air on Fox Sports. The event became known as UFC 37.5, and it marked the first time in company history promoting three events in three months.
The show took place on a Saturday afternoon at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and the plan was for Fox to air one full fight on Tuesday, three days later. While the main event pitted Chuck Liddell against Vitor Belfort, the UFC still planned to air the show on pay-per-view at a later date and could not give that fight away for free. So instead, UFC and Fox Sports Net decided on featuring Robbie Lawler vs. Steve Berger.
The ensuing broadcast would be a huge success for the UFC, which saw its biggest audience ever. Mainstream legitimacy seemed around the corner. And then? Nothing.
At the time, it was a monumental letdown for White and the Fertitta ownership group, who thought they were about to begin a fruitful relationship.
"It was like, f---, we should've got that deal then," he said. "It should've happened. But it wasn't time. It didn't happen because it wasn't time. We weren't ready for that. We're ready now. Now we're ready, all our ducks are in a row. We're the best and what we do, and now we're going to go out there and f------ nail this in the next two years. But this next year is real important."
For White and UFC senior VP of production and operations Craig Borsari, that has meant constant contact with FOX executives. It's meant regular, daily phone calls, and frequent flier miles to Los Angeles. White said either he or Borsari -- sometimes both -- has traveled to L.A. at least once a week every week since signing the new deal in August.
"Thank God it's not New York," White said.
If that seems like a lot of work for one, one-hour show (the Nov. 12 FOX TV offering will feature only one fight: a heavyweight championship match pitting Cain Velasquez against Junior dos Santos), White said it's extremely significant because the first show will be lay the groundwork for the entire seven-year relationship to follow. The Nov. 12 show is not officially part of the announced deal, which goes into effect on January 1. It's actually a bonus event worked out between the companies, and White feels it necessary to make that first network impression an indelible one.
"They're not like any other network to deal with," White said. "They don't operate like any other networks do. They're so badass, it's really crazy. They do everything top-notch, first-class. They're innovative, they take risks. Being with these guys -- and I'm not complaining -- I just don't know how the f--- we didn't do this sooner. It's crazy.
"FOX revolutionized football, NASCAR and all these other sports," he continued. "[FOX Sports chairman and CEO] David Hill has literally revolutionized how sports is filmed and broadcast. They have a lot of ideas for us, too, and I'm open to them."
White is so focused on UFC on FOX 1 that many questions relating to surrounding issues can not yet be answered. Where will the rest of the card be broadcast? White doesn't know. Will subsequent network shows also be just one hour? That's still to be determined. What kind of viewership numbers are expected? Though FOX sold out its advertising allotment, no one offers a guess for that, either.
Recently, White seemed to tip his hand on the last question. While discussing Spike counter-programming UFC on FOX 1 with a special "UFC Unleashed" featuring Velasquez and dos Santos, he told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani, "I hope I pull 10 million on FOX and 2 million on Spike. Believe me, I'll be a happy camper that next day.
But in a subsequent interview with MMA Fighting, White said that number was just off the top of his head.
"I have no idea what the possibilities are on a Saturday night for free TV," he said. "FOX hasn't given us any expectations or any number that they expect. I'm going to be happy no matter what. The way I look at this first FOX fight, we're introducing the sport to everybody. I don't know what that number's going to be, but whatever it is, we're going to build off that. When we did our last Fight Night in New Orleans, 1.8 million people tuned in on Spike. How many people are going to tune in on FOX? I don't know the answer, and neither do they. This thing is an experiment."
For both sides, it's an expensive experiment. FOX will be paying a reported $700 million over seven years, with rights fees starting lower than the average $100 million at the beginning and escalating each year. Meanwhile, the UFC is expected to lose money on the first show, with broadcast fees not likely to make up for the revenue that would have come from a pay-per-view offering.
In the long run, though, the UFC has the cash coffers to withstand a loss-leader on such a high-profile platform. The upside is without question. FOX's multi-channel deal with the UFC will eventually put the promotion not only on FOX, but also on FX, which finished in the top five for cable ratings in the most recent week. In addition, UFC will become staple programming on FUEL, with the possibility of event pre- and post-shows, live undercards and foreign versions of The Ultimate Fighter.
For the last few years, even as pay-per-view business exploded and the sport surpassed boxing and professional wrestling in revenue, White has always contended that the UFC and mixed martial arts had yet to hit mainstream. To get there, he's always said he needed network TV. The time is fast arriving.
It's going to be a challenge for all of Zuffa, and it will certainly take its personal toll on White. The next year, he says, is going to "beat the living s--- out of me." The travel, the expanded schedule, the stress, it's all just going to continue to increase. But after waiting 10 years for this opportunity, there's no hesitation about what's to come. In the words of octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, it's time.
"Next year, 2012, is going to be the biggest year for mixed martial arts," he said. "It's the one that's going to change everything. I know what I need to do. We're going to reach people who would have never watched us in a million years. We're going to kick it off and get a lot of buzz and a lot of hype, and we're going to grow off of it. We have a great partner. We're ready. Now we're going to take it to a whole other level." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, time, fox, event, year
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Video Promo
The Ultimate Fighting Championship debuts on Fox Sports with UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos on Nov. 12. Check out the UFC video promo.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, fox sports, video promo
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNew UFC on FOX promo surfaces
The push behind the UFC’s upcoming debut on network television continues to increase as November 12 grows closer by the day. With promotional material starting to appear with frequency, the latest preview for the UFC on FOX 1 was revealed on Sunday during NFL action and made it clear fans should feel “sympathy” for any of their peers who aren’t able to tune in next month.
UFC on FOX 1 marks the first of many cards to come based on the companies’ groundbreaking agreement to produce content together for the foreseeable future. Upcoming events include more live shows and a revamped Ultimate Fighter featuring live fights on FX.
The newest look at the inaugural offering highlights heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and fierce Brazilian Junior dos Santos in the slick style sports fans who tune into FOX with regularity have come to expect. Other bouts on the card, though not guaranteed for broadcast, include Ben Henderson facing Clay Guida with lightweight contendership on the line as well as a showdown between rising 145ers Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza.
More Fights Added to UFC’s FOX Debut
You can check the preview out below:
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, heavyweight champion, aren ’t, nfl action
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 1 ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’ Promos
If you’ve been watching any football or baseball on FOX in recent weeks, you’ve most likely seen several promos running for the UFC’s big debut show (fight) on the network on Nov. 12. A couple new ones ran over the weekend including the one above featuring The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” Sure beats the hell out of “Bring the Pain” or whatever you call that god-awful song that plays at the beginning of every UFC event.
Posted in: ufc, fox, promo, godawful song, ’ promos
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 1 Video Trailer
Meet "the baddest man on the planet" in the latest awesome trailer for UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, trailer, baddest man, planet
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFox-Direct TV contracts stall
Last week the Sports Business Journal reported that the television contracts between Direct TV and Fox have ended. The result could lead to a blackout of 26 Fox cable channels with the nation’s second biggest distributor.
While Fox channels remain up and running with Direct TV, the stall in new contract talks is something to keep apprised of as the UFC-Fox partnership begins. One might remember that Fox channels went dark during the MLB Playoffs on Dish Network and Cablevision last year while the parties tried to come to an agreement on a new contract.
The crux of the impasse between Direct TV and Fox is retransmission consent revenue. Its unknown what fee Fox is requesting from Direct TV although the report states Fox has been negotiating deals of $1 per subscriber per month for its broadcast network.
Payout Perspective:
The Direct TV-Fox negotiations are important for the UFC. Direct TV has 19 million subscribers and as the second biggest distributor in the US, a blackout of Fox channels could hurt UFC television programming with its new Fox partners. Certainly, the UFC would hate to see a blackout of Fox channels. One could only imagine the advantage Spike TV (with rights to the UFC library) would have with Direct TV subscribers if a Fox blackout occurred. We will continue to monitor the situation on the state of negotiations.
Posted in: ufc, fox, tv, channel, fox channels
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC on Fox Promo Set to Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil"
For those that didn't watch Sunday afternoon football, it is likely that you missed the latest promo spot for the November 12th UFC on Fox card. Fox has been promoting the Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos title fight at every turn, especially during the baseball playoffs and NFL season. Last night they debuted another promo for the fight, this time featuring the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil".
I'm a huge Stones fan and an even bigger fan of the song, which I consider one of the best soundtracks for any situation, be it Call of Duty or a UFC on Fox spot. With Fox already investing in higher production values and willing to promote an event that technically isn't part of the seven year contract, it is safe to say that the UFC has found their dream partner they were always looking for. From discussions with Dana White, I know that the November 12th card is his biggest focus and that he needs it to go off without a hitch. There also is still no word of how the rest of the card will be aired, but all signs point towards a lengthy Facebook stream due to the existing Spike TV contract.
Card after the jump...
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos SantosNovember 12, 2011Live on Fox
- Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos [UFC Heavyweight Championship]- Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida - Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza - Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas - Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama - Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta - Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo - Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley - Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, card, stones sympathy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVideo: UFC on FOX 1 video trailer
With less than a month remaining until the UFC's network-television debut, FOX has rolled out video promo spots for the event.
As you may have seen during Sunday's slate of NFL football games, UFC on FOX 1 airs Nov. 12.
Check out FOX's video trailer for the show, which promotes the "Baddest Man on the Planet."
Posted in: fox, video, sundays slate, baddest man, video ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox Video Promo for “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” on Nov. 12
UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defends his title for the first time against Junior dos Santos in the main event of the UFC’s debut on Fox on Nov. 12.
For UFC on Fox results and complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, fox results, fox coverage
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC/FOX offer sneak peek at upcoming event
The UFC and FOX have turned the marketing machine up another notch for the MMA organization’s November 12 debut on network television and produced the first of what is sure to be many promotional videos hyping the event!
As you likely know unless you’re a fan stuck somewhere in the Arctic Circle, UFC on FOX 1 features heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez putting his gold up for grabs against hard-hitting Brazilian Junior dos Santos. The card will also serve to possibly determine the next contender for Frankie Edgar’s lightweight title with non-stop grinder Clay Guida facing the “Smooth” stylings of Ben Henderson.
UFC on FOX 1 will mark a preview in itself, as multiple UFC events are scheduled to be shown in 2012 including live events next year and a re-formatted Ultimate Fighter.
Here is the preview for UFC on FOX 1:
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, ufcfox offer, marketing machine
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainCheck out multiple UFC on Fox promos
It's pretty cool to know that I'm going to rush and set my fantasy football lineup before going to watch the NFL on Fox. Then, more than likely I will see one of these sweet promos for the heavyweight showdown between JDS and Cain that is only a mere month away. My worlds are colliding in ways I never thought possible. Now if only fantasy football and the UFC on Fox could be combined into some sort of strategy card game, I would be in heaven.
Keep an eye out for these UFC on Fox promos while Wes Welker runs all over the Cowboys.
[source]
Posted in: fox, heavyweight showdown, promo, fox promos, fantasy football
Read the full article at Middle EasyOfficial preview for UFC on FOX hits the airwaves
With less than a month to go before the UFC makes history with the organization’s debut on network television the marketing campaign for UFC on FOX 1 has officially begun in full-force including a recent preview featuring headliners Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, as well as a closing graphic supporting the notion of how seriously FOX is taking the Octagon’s arrival.
UFC on FOX 1 is the first of many shows the home of MLB/NFL will broadcast with future live events planned for 2012 and beyond. In addition to Velasquez defending his heavyweight title at the top of the card, a number of other intriguing bouts are slated for the November 12 offering such as Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza and Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida.
UFC Adds For New Fights to Growing FOX Debut
You can watch the entire UFC on FOX preview below:
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, preview, heavyweight title, fox preview
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC in Fox Card
I just checked out the full card for Fox event. It seems kind of small. Does anybody know if they are going to add more fights? There are between 10-12 fights per event. The Fox event only has 6 submitted by rryguy1978 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fight, fox, event, fox event, fox card
Read the full article at RedditOriginal UFC Programming on Fox, FX and Fuel TV: ‘Anything’s Possible’
The UFC has always been known for pushing original programming, but with their new deal at Fox kicking off in 2012, they are expecting even bigger things.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fuel tv, programming, ufc programming
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White not worried about UFC on FOX undercard, confident everything will work out
The UFC will finally bring its brand of violence to network television on Nov. 19 when it offers up a heavyweight title fight pitting champion Cain Velasquez against challenger Junior dos Santos on Nov. 19 at UFC on FOX 1.
That's the good news.
In somewhat troubling news, however, at least to some fans, the undercard portion of that fight card is uncertain. Not the fights themselves; no, the card is filling up rapidly as we speak and, in fact, is almost complete.
The issue fans have is where they will be able to view the fights underneath the heavyweight championship bout that is currently scheduled to be the only match-up that makes the one-hour broadcast.
As UFC President Dana White explains, he's not exactly worried about that right now. Why? Because he's got a great partner in FOX and he knows they'll make it work.
"The undercard for UFC on Fox is the last thing on my mind," White said recently (via MMA Nation). "We'll figure it out and we'll get it up there at some point. I'm more concerned about the production on the big Fox show. They can't air it on Fuel. Our deals are not up until January. That's when we're really in business with Fox. This November 12th fight is just a bonus fight to kick off the relationship. In our Spike deal we can do broadcast on network television."
Indeed, fight fans are simply being treated to an appetizer on Nov. 12 ... if you can actually call a heavyweight championship fight an appetizer.
The main course starts next year when the deal really kicks into gear.
Still, the undercard and how it will be available is a fair question. It's possible that the UFC Facebook page will play host to those fights and that's certainly a viable option.
One thing to consider, too, is the fact that Velasquez vs. Dos Santos could very well end in 30 seconds. If that does indeed end up being the case, that opens for the door for fights like Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson to make the prime time broadcast on FOX.
And with the audience this special is sure to bring, that's one amazing opportunity for fighters looking to gain added recognition.
Whether White can work enough angles to find a way to broadcast the entire card or not, there's no question that this partnership with FOX has created an opportunity for the UFC it has never seen before.
Even if UFC on FOX 1 undercard fighters don't see the spotlight on Nov. 12, the bright lights are still looming in the distance.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, network television, undercard
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCaceres Cuts to 135, Meets Escovedo at UFC on Fox 1
Alex Caceres will make the drop to bantamweight for his next UFC appearance, as the promotion announced Wednesday that “Bruce Leroy” will lock horns with Cole Escovedo at UFC on Fox 1.
Posted in: ufc, fox, cole escovedo, ufc appearance, caceres cuts
Read the full article at SherdogAlex Caceres Drops to Bantamweight to Fight Cole Escovedo at UFC on Fox 1
The Ultimate Fighter 12′s “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres will drop to bantamweight to face Cole Escovedo in the latest addition to the UFC on Fox 1 fight card as both fighters will look to keep their UFC jobs after 0-2 starts inside the Octagon.
Caceres (5-4) tapped to rear naked chokes by Mackens Semerzier and Jim Hettes in his two UFC fights in March and August, while Escovedo (17-8) dropped a decision to Renan Barao in May before being knocked out by Takeya Mizugaki last month.
UFC on Fox 1, which takes place on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California, as headlined by heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos and also features lightweight contenders Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
For complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, escovedo, cacere
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX 1: Alex Caceres vs Cole Escovedo booked for Nov. 12
Instead of handing "Bruce Leeroy a pink slip after his latest loss, UFC President Dana White has elected to give Alex Caceres one more chance to prove himself.
He'll just have to do it in a different weight class.
That's because Caceres will drop down to bantamweight for a battle against Cole Escovedo at the UFC on FOX 1 event on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California, as announced by the promotion:
Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres is dropping to 135 pounds to take on Cole Escovedo at the UFC on Fox event in Anaheim. UFC president Dana White announced today that verbal agreements are in for the bout. "Both bantamweights had non-stop action fights in their last outings and are sure to do the same November 12."
After bouncing out of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 in episode 10, Cacares was asked back for a bout against Mackens Semerzier, in which he was submitted in the very first round.
Somewhat surprisingly, he was brought back once again and thrown in against the unheralded Jimy Hettes. He survived one round longer but mean the same fate -- a rear-naked choke submission defeat.
That's two strikes for the bubbly bantamweight. You know what's coming if he gets to three.
Attempting to send him out of there is Cole Escovedo, a 30-year-old veteran of the fight game who has fallen on similar hard times.
In five fights since July 2010, "The Apache Kid" has bounced around weight classes and amassed a poultry 1-4 record.
This was easy pickings for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Take two struggling fighters that usually bring it and pit them against one another. Winner gets to keep his job, loser leaves town.
Fireworks, anyone?
UFC on FOX will mark the promotion's debut on network television and feature heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defending his title for the first time ever against division number one contender and noted knockout artist Junior dos Santos.
For the current UFC on FOX fight card and rumors click here.
Posted in: ufc, fox, cole escovedo, cole, bruce leeroy
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAlex Caceres Drops to Bantamweight for Cole Escovedo at UFC on Fox Debut
Filed under: UFC, NewsAlex Caceres will make a weight change in the hope of getting back in the win column.
"Bruce Leeroy," the 23-year-old fan favorite from Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter," will drop to bantamweight to meet Cole Escovedo at the first UFC on Fox event next month. The UFC announced the fight Wednesday night, saying verbal agreements are in place for the fight.
UFC on Fox 1 will take place Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and will mark the first UFC broadcast under its new television deal with the Fox network, which doesn't officially begin until 2012. Headlining the card is a heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior dos Santos.
Caceres (5-4, 0-2 UFC) is likely in a do-or-die situation in his UFC career. In featherweight bouts, Caceres loss to Mackens Semerzier in his official UFC debut in March, then Jimy Hettes at UFC on Versus 5 in August, both by rear naked choke. In the latter bout, Caceres took the fight on less than two weeks notice when Leonard Garcia bowed out with an injury. While on Season 12 of TUF, Caceres competed as a lightweight.
Escovedo (17-8, 0-2 UFC) will return less than two months from his last fight, a TKO loss to Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 135 last month in Denver. Prior to that, the former featherweight lost to Renan Barao at UFC 130 in May. Also at 0-2 in the promotion, Escovedo probably needs a win to avoid a pink slip. He has lost four of his last five fights.
Aside from the heavyweight title fight at UFC on Fox 1, the card will feature a lightweight contenders fight between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson. Only the Velasquez-dos Santos fight is guaranteed to air on the one-hour Fox broadcast. No official broadcast plans for Guida-Henderson or the rest of the undercard fights have been announced. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, escovedo, cacere
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison in the works for UFC on Fox 1
After three bouts were added to the UFC on Fox 1 fight card earlier today, a welterweight showdown between The Ultimate Fighter veterans DaMarques Johnson and Clay Harvison is also in the works for the November 12 event in Anaheim, California, according to MMAjunkie.
Johnson (12-9) and Harvison (7-2) were scheduled to meet at UFC Fight Night 25, but Johnson withdrew from the September event and Harvison went on to suffer a second-round submission to Seth Baczynski, while Johnson hasn’t fought since being stopped by Amir Sadollah in March.
UFC on Fox 1 is headlined by heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos and also features lightweight contenders Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.
For complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, johnson, clay harvison, harvison
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on Fox Will Get the Sports Treatment, but Full Facelift Not Until January
When the UFC signed its new seven-year television deal with Fox, UFC president Dana White said that he sees this landmark partnership as an opportunity for an upgrade
Posted in: ufc, fox, landmark partnership, television deal, sports treatment
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 137: Georges St. Pierre on FOX Sports talks Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and more (Audio)
Even though the landmark television deal between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and FOX Sports isn't official until 2012, it hasn't stopped them from staging their first-ever event, UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," later this year on Nov. 12.
It also hasn't apparently prevented the dynamic duo from promoting other stars such as UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, who was recently a guest of the network, dishing on his upcoming fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on Oct. 29, 2011.
"Rush," naturally, also touched on the Nick Diaz-inspired drama surrounding the marquee match up, which forced the promotion to demote the Stockton slugger to the co main event opposite B.J. Penn. His trainer, as well as Condit's, Greg Jackson, was also a topic of conversation.
Listen to the entire three-minute interview with St. Pierre after the jump:
Posted in: ufc, fox, st, condit, stockton slugger
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Shaping Up
The dream has come true for UFC fans and the owners of the company - the UFC will air on network TV for the first time on November 12th. Dana White decided to go all out for the one-hour special that will air on Fox and only put one guaranteed fight on the card, and what a fight it it. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against number one contender Junior dos Santos. The other major interesting bout is the probable number one contenders lightweight matchup between former WEC champion Ben Henderson and Clay Guida.
The rest of the card, which so far consists of four fights all at lightweight or below, will air in some other form that hasn't been decided on by the organization as of yet. Here is the card as it stands right now.
Nov 12th, live on Fox from Anaheim, CA:
Main Card:
Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1) [HW Title]
Preliminary Card:
Ben Henderson (14-2) vs. Clay Guida (29-11)
Pablo Garza (11-1) vs. Dustin Poirier (10-1)
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3)
Ricardo Lamas (10-2) vs. Cub Swanson (15-4)
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 1
Posted in: ufc, fox, vs, card, hw title
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSpike TV to air Cain-JDS marathon opposite UFC on Fox 1
MMA Junkie reports that Spike TV will air a Junior dos Santos-Cain Velasquez marathon opposite UFC on Fox 1 on Saturday, November 12th. The counter-programming efforts by Spike is another sign of the unhappy ending between the network and the UFC.
Via MMA Junkie:
On Nov. 12, Spike TV will air a “UFC Unleashed” marathon – dubbed “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title” – featuring past fights with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
Payout Perspective:
The move comes as no surprise considering the ending of the Spike-UFC relationship and the fact that Spike beat Versus in ratings when Spike ran a Nate Marquardt marathon opposite UFC on Versus 4 in June. Notwithstanding the Marquardt issues for the live event, Spike beat Versus in the ratings using reruns as counter-programming. Not sure how much affect the counter-programming will be considering Fox’s marketing efforts and the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. Still, the hope for Spike is that it takes some viewers away from the live event and/or there is viewer confusion as to which channel the live UFC will be on. Regardless of the Fox marketing efforts, there is still the concern that some viewers will not get the message of the UFC move to Fox. The counter-programming is an example of things to come if Spike maintains the UFC library in the coming year. Looking at the schedule, there are some very good fights that many MMA fans may have missed on PPV and can see now on Spike.
Posted in: ufc, fox, spike tv, spike, counter-programming
Read the full article at MMA PayoutSpike TV Counter-Programs UFC on Fox Debut with Velasquez, Dos Santos Fights
Soon to be former UFC broadcast partner Spike TV will counter-program the first UFC on Fox event on November 12 with a UFC Unleashed marathon featuring previous fights from UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and fellow headliner Junior dos Santos.
The three-hour special, which airs from 9pm to midnight ET, includes Velasquez’s fights with then title-holder Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and dos Santos’ bouts against Shane Carwin and Mirko Cro Cop.
The one-hour UFC on Fox broadcast airs at 9pm ET on Nov. 12 featuring just the heavyweight title bout between Velasquez and dos Santos, but a full preliminary card will air elsewhere, including a showdown between lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
For complete UFC on Fox coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA FrenzySpike TV countering UFC on FOX broadcast with Unleashed marathon
In a somewhat surprising turn of events it appears Spike TV will counter-program against November’s “UFC on FOX” event with a three-hour block of UFC Unleashed episodes revolving around heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The move is likely meant to capitalize on the network’s ownership of the UFC’s video library before the organization departs to FOX on a full-time basis and is indicative of the deteriorating state of the two sides’ professional relationship stemming from it.
The first episode will air at 8:00 PM EST on November 19 and feature Velasquez’s title-winning performance against Brock Lesnar. The two other shows are highlighted by Dos Santos’ 2009 scrap with Mirko Filipovic and Velasquez’s domination of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110.
UFC on FOX 1 is, of course, headlined by Velasquez defending his championship against Dos Santos and marks a monumental moment in MMA history as it will be the UFC’s debut on network television.
Velasquez Predicts Five-Round War Against JDS
Spike TV was left out in the cold due to the seven-year deal between Zuffa and FOX, as all Ultimate Fighter seasons and Fight Nights in 2012 will take place on FX rather than over the airwaves of the original home of the Octagon. Since the separation Spike TV has been rumored to have an interest in bringing Bellator on at some point, a notion supported by the recent move to stream live Bellator undercards through Spike’s website.
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez, spike tv, spike
Read the full article at Fighters.comMMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp on Sunday's 'FOX & Friends' on FOX News
MMAjunkie.com editor-in-chief and "Dayton Daily News" MMA beat writer Dann Stupp will be a guest on Sunday's edition of "FOX & Friends" on FOX News.
Stupp will discuss this past week's reports out of the U.K. regarding a "kids MMA" fight (which, in fact, was simply a submission-wrestling exhibition).
The segment begins at 8:45 a.m. ET (5:45 a.m. PT) on the FOX News Channel.
Posted in: fox, news, fox news, stupp, mmajunkie.com editor-in-chief
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFox Executive: Sky’s the Limit for UFC
Speaking with Greg Savage, Fox Sports Co-President Eric Shanks discussed his network’s broadcast partnership with the UFC.
Posted in: ufc, fox executive, fox, sky ’s, co-president
Read the full article at SherdogAfter Mayweather-Ortiz debacle, White says UFC on FOX 1 officiating is key (MMAJunkie.com)
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Of the million things that concern UFC president Dana White in putting the best foot...
Posted in: ufc, fox, mayweather-ortiz debacle, mmajunkie.com, mayweather-ortiz
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsCain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos Talk UFC on FOX 1
UFC on FOX: Cain set for Junior
Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos talk to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer about their upcoming heavyweight title fight at UFC on FOX 1.
Note: Give the videos a second to load if you don’t see them right away.
UFC on FOX: Junior ready for title fight
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX: Cain Velasquez planning for five-round war against Junior dos Santos (Video)
Junior dos Santos might not have any interest in going the full five rounds at UFC on FOX 1 on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, but the man he will challenge for the heavyweight title, Cain Velasquez, is planning on doing just that. Who wins this battle and goes on to fight the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem?
Posted in: fox, alistair overeem, heavyweight title, velasquez planning, planning
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFull UFC on FOX Press Conference Pictures Gallery
UFC Heavyweight Championn Cain Velasquez and the number one contender Junior dos Santos went face to face for the first time, as part of yesterday's UFC on FOX press conference in Hollywood, California. The fight between the two will fly the flag for UFC's debut on FOX, taking place on November 12, at the famous Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
LowKick.com Photographer Scott Hirano was on site to bring the following pictures from what kicked-off UFC's promotional campaign for the Velasquez vs. Dos
Posted in: ufc, fox, velasquez vs, honda center, kicked-off ufc
Read the full article at Low KickUFC On Fox: Ad Inventory Sold Out, No Plans For Airing Undercard Yet
Tuesday's press conference in Los Angeles hyping the UFC's November debut on Fox had a few newsworthy items including a potential good sign for the future of the partnership.
Fox Sports president Eric Shanks told the raucous crowd that as of Monday, the ad inventory event was sold out.
"The response from the ad sales community has been unbelievable and we believe that will carry through to next season," Shanks said.
UFC President Dana White was asked about whether any decisions had been made regarding airing the rest of the UFC on Fox card. He said they were still working on that as they have been focusing on getting the Fox show "dialed in".
However, White may have had a Freudian slip as he said the card could air on Facebook or "Fox dot…" before stopping himself.
Last month, White said the Facebook fights would cease when the Fox deal officially kicks off in January as the media conglomerate wants to use the fights as televised content. Could that possibly include FoxSports.com?
When asked if the co-main event of Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson would make air, White said he was unsure and that they were still working on the show formatting.
More SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox
Posted in: ufc, fox, co-main event, fox deal, ad
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox: Junior dos Santos on Fighting Cain Velasquez
MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday caught up with UFC No. 1 heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos at the UFC on Fox kickoff press conference in Hollywood, Calif.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, do, contender
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Kickoff Press Conference Audio
UFC president Dana White alongside UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santos held a press conference on Tuesday to kick of UFC on Fox 1 set for Nov. 12 in Anaheim, Calif. Listen in.
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, conference, do
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 Tickets On Sale This Week
UFC on FOX 1 is official.
UFC on FOX 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” is scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday, Nov. 12, and will air live on FOX at 9pm ET/6pm PT. The special one-hour block on FOX will feature a heavyweight title fight between UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
Other match-ups announced for the card include Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson, Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama and Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swanson.
Ticket info below.
UFC Fight Club Presale: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 10am PT
UFC Newsletter Presale: Thursday, Sept. 22, 10am PT
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, Sept. 23, 10am PT
Tickets will be priced at $354, $229, $129, $94, $69 and $44. They can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.
The latest UFC on FOX 1 fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, vs, pt
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on FOX 1 Press Conference Full Video
Video of today’s UFC on FOX 1 press conference.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, video, press
Read the full article at MMA ConvertAfter Mayweather-Ortiz debacle, White says UFC on FOX 1 officiating is key
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Of the million things that concern UFC president Dana White in putting the best foot forward with UFC on FOX 1, the quality of the officiating is up there at the top.
White needs to look no further than the debacle of this past Saturday's mega-fight between boxers Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz to put his nerves on edge.
"I don't care who they put in there as long as he doesn't blow a multi-million-dollar fight and a huge opportunity for the sport," White today told MMAjunkie.com.
Posted in: ufc, fox, victor ortiz, mayweather-ortiz debacle, debacle
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWatch full UFC on FOX 1 press conference video for 'Velasquez vs Dos Santos'
UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and number one division contender, Junior dos Santos, as well as company president Dana White and FOX executives today held a press conference to promote the inaugural landmark event scheduled for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2011. For a complete detailed, live account of the presser from earlier today click here. To check out the staredown pic between Velasquez and dos Santos click here. To check out the latest UFC on FOX 1 fight card and rumors click here.
Posted in: fox, do,  , velasquez, click
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX Event Sells Out Ad Inventory for Network Debut
During today’s UFC on FOX press conference, FOX Sports President Eric Shanks announced that all ad inventory has been sold as of yesterday (9/19) for the November 19 event scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The event sold out out it’s ad inventory just one month after announcing the event (two months before it’s scheduled to take place) when the newly signed seven year TV deal between the UFC and FOX was announced. MMAFighting reports:
The quick sellout is a positive sign that blue-chip, corporate sponsors are willing to test the waters. In turn, that should mean new opportunities for fighters as well.
…
“We’ve gotten more credibility now because we’re on FOX with all these big sports leagues,” UFC president Dana White said. “The fact these guys are reaching out to these other sponsors and they’ve had a great response is big not only for us, but for the fighters, too. This will trickle down to everybody. It’s a big deal and yes, it’s been great and it’s only going to get better.”
Payout Perspective:
A few weeks back, AdWeek.com, summarized the past relationship between blue-chip sponsors and the UFC perfectly:
“Given the bloodshed and controlled violence that are hallmarks of mixed martial arts events, advertisers understandably have been skittish about aligning themselves with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But in the run-up to the UFC’s national broadcast TV debut, media buyers say demand for Fox’s new sports property should be fast and furious.”
Kevin Collins, director of national broadcast buying for Initiative, said the following regarding UFC and mainstream sponsors:
“Content is definitely an issue, but no one’s going into this with their eyes closed…You’re not going to get your traditional Sunday NFL audience, but I expect you’ll find a lot of theatrical dollars, as well as QSR and beer.”
According to FOX Sports chairman David Hill, FOX did it’s due diligence – 10 years worth of research data – before signing the TV deal with the UFC, they are not worried about the sponsorship aspect of the deal. “There might be a few companies that have a ‘Do Not Buy’ on the UFC, but there are a hell of a lot of companies that have a ‘Do Buy.’ If you look at the history of the Fox sports media group and what we do, we didn’t go into this with our fingers crossed” said Hill.
UFC President Dana White also shared his thoughts with MMAWeekly:
The hope is that the ad revenues will continue to grow across the board, and the trickle down will hit everything from the UFC itself to the fighters competing on the show.
…
“Us getting this Fox deal has already taken us to another level,” said White. “We’ve gotten more credibility now because we’re on Fox with all these big sports leagues, and the fact that these guys are reaching out to these other sponsors and they’ve had a great response is big. Not only for us, but for the fighters too.”
SPONSOR QUOTES FROM ADWEEK:
- “One national TV buyer who represents a client that has bought time on Spike TV’s UFC programming said he wouldn’t be at all surprised to see more mainstream brands begin to line up for MMA events.”
- “It’s not going to work for everyone,” said one entertainment buyer. “Some clients are more skittish than others. But we have good relationships with the Fox Sports guys, and we trust that they won’t burn us if we decide to test the waters.”
…
According to MMAPayout sources, big name sponsors such as Nike, Under Armour, and others who typically sponsor major sporting events (NFL, MLB, NASCAR, etc) on the network have stepped in to purchase the ad slots. As CBS has told us in the past, ad sales and ratings are the two most important criteria in terms of gauging a successful network debut for MMA events. After this week, FOX and the UFC now only need to focus on providing a quality event and attain a good viewership number which will get these sponsors back for the next show.
NOTE: One key point to make here is that although the UFC on FOX event sold out all of it’s inventory in about a month after announcing the event, the time ad slots they were selling were only for a one-hour show, unlike the CBS shows which were two-hour slots. UFC on FOX only had to sell half the ad time slots as a typical two-hour MMA network event would have available.
Posted in: ufc, fox, event, sponsor, ad
Read the full article at MMA PayoutAds for UFC on Fox Debut Sold Out 2 Months Ahead of the Event
The UFC's debut on Fox is already a rousing success and the show hasn't even taken place yet.
Posted in: ufc, fox, fox debut, show hasn, debut
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 Press Conference Notes: Ad Inventory Sold Out, Still Working Out Undercard Broadcast Details
The UFC and FOX held a press conference today to get the ball rolling on ticket sales for the Nov. 12 UFC on FOX 1 show in Anaheim.
Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos both gave the type of modest, respectful answers that we’ve come to expect from them. Dana White said he chose this match-up to kick off the FOX deal because there’s no doubt in his mind that this is going to be a great fight whether it lasts 25 seconds or 25 minutes.
No major news was announced at the press conference, but FOX Sports president Eric Shanks did reveal that they’ve already sold-out all their ad inventory for the show, which is a good sign. When asked what they’re ratings expectations are, Shanks joked that it had to beat the “Two and a Half Men”premiere last night that did nearly 30 million viewers, but obviously no one is expecting that.
Dana White says they’re still working out the details on how the rest of the card will be broadcast, but says the fights will be shown one way or another, possibly through Facebook or Fox.com. The one thing Dana is sure about though is how lucky they are to have great partners in FOX.
“When I say Fox has been an amazing partner, they’re not even our partners yet. The deal doesn’t start till January, these guys have gone above and beyond what we ever expected,” said White. “The next seven years are going to be amazing.”
Image via Scott Hirano for LowKick
Posted in: fox, conference, dana, ad inventory, partner
Read the full article at MMA ConvertAll the notes you need from the UFC on FOX press conference today
In honor of Cliffnotes enabling me to consistently pass English Literature throughout high school, I've compiled a list of a few notes of the UFC on FOX press conference that happened at the W Hotel in Hollywood, California today. I've been doing this MMA stuff for a while and I've never been in a press conference with fans that were this boisterous. They were literally going nuts at every mention of Cain Velasquez and when someone from the audience screamed 'I love you Dana,' the entire room reverberated with cheers.
Dana says the UFC on FOX show will have a few added 'bells and whistles,' production wise.
When Junior Dos Santos entered the conference, the fans screamed 'culero' which is apparently Spanish for a very dirty place on the human body.
Dana says they've had more meetings with FOX than any other television entity they've ever dealed with. Admits the pressure is on them to deliver, but JDS and Cain will do what they always do.
Still working on broadcasting/streaming the other fights -- mentions Facebook or FOX.com.
The ad sales are really, really high for the event.
Dana says the UFC has already received more credibility being associated with FOX.
When discussing advertisers, someone yelled 'Pinkberry' and everyone went nuts -- again.
Josh Gross from ESPN made it to the front row of the UFC on FOX press conference. Looks like Dana and Josh finally squashed their beef from the entire TUF 4 debacle.
Eric Shanks of FOX said that MMA is a sport that he always wanted to get into.
Dana opens the questions up to the fans, one person asks if Cain thinks Junior Dos Santos hits harder than Cheick Kongo.
Another fan asks Cain if he can envision himself fighting Alistair Overeem. The crowd goes nuts, again.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, dana, press
Read the full article at Middle EasyCain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos staredown pic from UFC on FOX press conference
It'll be here before you know it.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his title on the line for the first time ever when he takes on number one contender Junior dos Santos at the upcoming UFC on FOX event, which is scheduled to kick off the promotion's network television debut on Nov. 12, 2011.
The two behemoths squared off today (Sept. 20) at the UFC on FOX pre-fight press conference, designed to kick-start the promotion's hype train as it leaves the station and chugs its way into the November broadcast special.
Aside from Velasquez and Dos Santos, UFC President Dana White and FOX network executive Eric Shanks were on hand to talk turkey to the mixed martial arts media.
Highlights of today's presser can be found here.
So how about it Maniacs, this pic doing anything for you? Let's hear some early predictions for "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" in the comments section below.
Posted in: ufc, fox, do, velasquez, velasquez vs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White: No decision yet on how UFC on FOX 1 undercard will air
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - The preliminary card for November's landmark UFC on FOX 1 event will air or stream in some form.
But UFC president Dana White today said no specific decisions have been made in those regards.
"What we're really concerned about is dialing in this FOX show," he said. "We'll figure it out whether it's Facebook, Fox.com or - we'll figure something out."
Posted in: ufc, fox, decision, fox show, landmark ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on Fox 1 Tickets Go On Sale Wednesday
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos tickets go on sale this week, beginning with UFC Fight Club member presale on Wednesday.
Posted in: ufc, fox, wednesday, sale wednesday, sale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyLive Video: UFC on FOX Press Conference for “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos”
Ahead of the first UFC on Fox event on Nov. 12, the UFC will hold a press conference today in Los Angeles featuring UFC President Dana White alongside UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos, who meet in the UFC on Fox main event.
Live video of the press conference is below:
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, conference, press
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC on FOX Real Time Press Conference Highlights
Though the bout may not have the spice of a personal rivalry, this November’s upcoming title-fight between champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior dos Santos should result in a red-hot rumble between the two talented heavyweights. Making matters even more explosive is the fact the bout will take place at UFC on FOX, the organization’s debut on network television, and will be broadcast to an audience unlike any other the UFC has had thus far.
Along the many promotional stops before the popular pugilists take to the Octagon to settle their professional dispute, both men will meet with press this afternoon at 4:00 PM EST and Five Ounces of Pain will be along for the ride.
Joining Velasquez and Dos Santos on the stage will be UFC President Dana White who should no doubt have some interesting things to say given the scale of the scrap and recent rumors of Dan Henderson heading back to the UFC for a third time.
Read below for interesting items of information as they unfold from the press conference including relevant soundbytes:
Junior dos Santos:
Cain Velasquez:
Dana White:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFCSimilar Posts:
UFC 133 Press Conference Highlights
UFC 134 Press Conference Highlights
Dana White: no Floyd, no FOX, no WWE, not going public
UFC 136 Press Conference Highlights
UFC 134 Conference Call Highlights
Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, do, press
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainWatch today's UFC on FOX 1 press conference live on MMAjunkie.com at 4 p.m. ET
In anticipation of their network-television debut, the UFC and FOX today host a press conference for their Nov. 12 event.
You can watch a live video stream of the presser, which takes place at W
Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Calif., here on MMAjunkie.com at 4 p.m.
ET (1 p.m. PT).
Scheduled to attend are UFC president Dana White and UFC on FOX 1 headliners Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fox, network-television debut, hollywood hotel, video stream
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAs Velasquez And dos Santos Prepare, Commercials Sell Out for UFC on FOX Debut
Tickets have yet to go on sale for the UFC's maiden voyage on broadcast television, but the promotion can already boast a sellout in perhaps its most important indicator: television ad sales.
Just one month after the UFC and FOX announced its seven-year deal will begin with a Nov. 19 event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, the network has already sold out all of its existing commercial slots for the show.
The quick sellout is a positive sign that blue-chip, corporate sponsors are willing to test the waters. In turn, that should mean new opportunities for fighters as well.
"We've gotten more credibility now because we're on FOX with all these big sports leagues," UFC president Dana White said. "The fact these guys are reaching out to these other sponsors and they've had a great response is big not only for us, but for the fighters, too. This will trickle down to everybody. It's a big deal and yes, it's been great and it's only going to get better."
White and FOX Sports president Eric Shanks announced the ad sellout at a press conference launching the event at the W Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, California.
When asked what type of ratings FOX was expecting from the debut event, Shanks joked that "we have to beat the Two and a Half Men premiere from last night," a show that drew nearly 30 million viewers.
While he wouldn't offer a specific number, he acknowledged that the ad sales are a positive indicator in the interest for the event.
"So the response from the ad sales community has been unbelievable, and we think that'll carry forward to next season," Shanks said.
Meanwhile, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos were the main attractions, sitting on a stage with "UFC on FOX" and FOX logos behind them.
White reiterated what he's said several times since making the bout, that he specifically chose the fight with total belief that the UFC heavyweight champion and No. 1 contender would put on a show.
"I can guarantee you if this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here," White said, eyeing his fighters.
While for Velasquez, it was a relatively short 330-mile trip from his home base of San Jose to Hollywood, dos Santos flew from Brazil to take part. It was clear from the crowd reception that Velasquez will be a massive crowd favorite come fight time, something dos Santos (13-1) acknowledged early on.
"I feel great," he said. "It's good to receive good energy from the guys. It doesn't matter if the people are rooting for me or not. It matters that they're here cheering for the fight, for MMA."
The unbeaten Velasquez hasn't fought since winning the title from Brock Lesnar in a first-round TKO last October. Ironically, that bout was also at the Anaheim Center, and White noted the atmosphere in the arena was electric, something the UFC is expecting again on Nov. 12. After recovering from shoulder surgery, Velasquez said he is engaging in three daily workout sessions that include weight-lifting, sparring, jiu-jitsu and technical refinements.
All of that, stems from his belief in his opponent's skills.
"It's definitely my toughest task," he said. "dos Santos is a great fighter. He has great hands, great power, great boxing. He's looked really tough out there in his previous fights, and it's definitely going to be a tough fight."
While Velasquez and dos Santos will get most of the ink up until fight time, lightweight contenders Ben Henderson and Clay Guida will tangle in the co-main event. White said it's so far undecided where that will air. There is a chance it could end up on the FOX broadcast, or on Facebook, or elsewhere, but for now, the UFC has its full attention on the main event.
"The pressure is on us to deliver," he said. "Meaning [it's on] us and FOX to put out an event that night like you've never seen when it comes to combat sports. [Velasquez and dos Santos] are going to do what they always do. They've been delivering for 10 years, and that's why we're sitting up here today."
While White admitted feeling the pressure, both the champ and challenger said for them, it's just another day at the office. Despite the millions of eyes on them, new sponsors with their checkbooks at the ready, and the belt on the line, for them, it's just another fight.
"I feel no pressure," dos Santos, a big smile crossing his face. "It's what I do. It's what I love to do, and I'll be ready for sure to make a good show." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fox Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Press Conference Streaming Live Today at 4 pm ET
The UFC and Fox Sports are holding a kick-off press conference on Tuesday. The UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos press conference streams live at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on MMAWeekly.com, courtesy of Fox Sports.
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, conference, fox sports
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 1 ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos’ Press Conference Streams Live at 4pm ET
A special UFC on FOX 1 press conference will stream live at 4pm ET. If the stream doesn’t show up in the video player above you can also watch it on UFC.com.
Posted in: fox, conference, pm, stream, video player
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White: UFC Facebook 'Prelims' moving to FOX television in January 2012
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) began airing a live video feed of its preliminary fights from all the major televised events through its Facebook page, starting with UFC 129: "St. Pierre vs. Shields" back in April of this year.
In January 2012, that arrangement will come to an end.
That's because the UFC is moving its "Prelims" to the FOX network as part of the blockbuster programming deal it signed with the broadcast conglomerate just last month.
UFC President Dana White (via El Octagono) explains:
"[The Facebook fights] will go away when the FOX deal starts which is in January because all that programming now, I mean the reason we did the Facebook fights was because nobody could see those fights. So we put them up on Facebook as an option for fans, because we always love to give more fights. But with the fact that FOX wants to pick up all these fights, they'll be on television now."
In other words, no more hunching over your laptop to squint at grainy/choppy video feeds while trying to sync the audio as your favorite fighters go to war.
The UFC will make its FOX debut on Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., featuring a titanic heavyweight tilt between reigning champion Cain Velasquez and division number one contender Junior dos Santos.
For more on the UFC on FOX deal click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, facebook, facebook fights
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Press Conference LIVE CHAT (Starting 1PM PST)
UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and the challenger Junior "Cigano" dos Santos will go face to face for the first time, as part of today's UFC on Fox Press Conference in Hollywood, California. Hosted by the UFC President Dana White, the press conference will start at 1PM PST even. Don't forget to join us at LowKick.com for LIVE CHAT and DISCUSSION, and later on staredown pictures courtesy of Scott Hirano.UFC on FOX Ticket InformationTickets for UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ vs. DOS SANTOS are priced at
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, velasquez vs, scott hirano.ufc
Read the full article at Low KickGet UFC on Fox Tickets This Week!
Tickets for UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ vs. DOS SANTOS are priced at $354.00, $229.00, $129.00, $94.00, $69.00 and $44.00, and go on sale Friday, September 23 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Remaining tickets, if available, can be purchased at the Honda Center Box Office beginning Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m. PT.UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. Non-members may take advantage of the pre-sale by purchasing a membership with tickets at Ticketmaster checkout.A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 22, starting at 10 a.m. PT. UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ vs. DOS SANTOS airs live on FOX at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Nov. 12. It will mark the first UFC event on FOX since the companies announced a multi-year broadcast agreement last month.
Posted in: ufc, fox, ticket, ufc ®, pt
Read the full article at UFCVelasquez and Dos Santos Prepare to Ring in The Fox Era
If the raucous crowd at the UFC on Fox presser Tuesday was any indication of the energy level of the fans come fight night, then the metaphorical and physical roof of the Honda Center is going to be blown off. And, yes, it will all happen live and for free on what UFC President Dana White says is the “biggest and baddest” channel on network television: Fox. On November 12th in Anaheim, California, the UFC makes company history with its first event on network television, which is a precursor to the momentous seven year deal signed with Fox that officially starts next year. This extraordinary occasion where the Octagon will be available to be seen in action on nearly every functioning television in the world is entirely focused on one fight, one division, and one belt: the UFC heavyweight championship. As far as main events go, it does not get any better than a title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The undefeated champion, Velasquez, will be defending the belt for the first time since defeating Brock Lesnar for it last October at UFC 121. The challenger, dos Santos, has won seven straight inside the Octagon and earned the number one contender status with a unanimous decision victory over Shane Carwin in June at UFC 131. Before these two titans can clash with that coveted 10 pounds of gold on the line, these two enormous cage-fighting gentlemen had to meet the press. The evenly split fans’ chanting and cheering for the fighters was so loud it drowned out some of the media’s questions and were jokingly admonished by White to quiet down. The excitement for the fight and this Fox event was definitely noted and much appreciated by all as dos Santos pointed out, “It's good to receive this good energy from the fans. It doesn't matter if they are cheering for me or not. It is good that they are here cheering for MMA.”At 27 years old, dos Santos is preparing for his first title shot in his native Brazil with the renowned fighters of Team Nogueira: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. “Everyday I'm feeling like I'm learning more and learning the skills to be a better fighter,” says dos Santos, who is best known for his fast and powerful punching, but who showed off some picture perfect takedowns in the third round of the Carwin fight. “I love to fight standing and I'm sure to be prepared to fight on the ground. I'm learning wrestling very fast. I know Cain is a very good wrestler and he will probably try to take me down, but I will be ready for this and use my BJJ.”As for the champion, the seemingly unstoppable Velasquez has spent much of the year rehabbing from shoulder surgery following the winning of the belt. “The recovery has been good,” explains Velasquez, 29, about tearing his rotator cuff, which delayed his first title defense. “I'm doing three practices a day now. It sucked to be off that long, but all I could do was listen to the doctors. That's all I want to do is fight in the Octagon.”In his previous nine fights, Velasquez has only been taken the distance once and past the first round twice, but the champion is training for dos Santos to push him into those later rounds. “It's going to be a war out there for five rounds; that's how I prepare myself and that's how I go into each training camp thinking,” states Velasquez, who has finished eight of his nine fights by KO/TKO including Lesnar. “I do think this is my toughest test. He's got great hands, great power, great boxing. This is definitely going to be a good fight.”The two heavyweights were asked if they felt any additional pressure to perform because the fight is on Fox? Both fighters agreed that it isn’t “pressure” because this is what they love to do. “No pressure to go in there and perform because that is what we do,” asserts Velasquez, noting that they’re professional fighters and going out there and giving the fans a memorable fight is what they train for and are paid to do. “I expect to go everywhere in this fight: wrestle, go to the ground, jiu-jitsu - I don't see this being fought in just one style. My wrestling, boxing, and jiu-jitsu needs to be sharp and intact for this fight. I need to be a well-rounded fighter that night to win the fight.”The Honda Center in Anaheim, California will play host to a historic matchup and event as Cain Velasquez defends the UFC heavyweight championship against Junior dos Santos live on Fox. For the expected millions of first time UFC viewers, there may be no greater introduction to the sport than seeing two talented and athletic monsters like Velasquez and dos Santos scrap in the Octagon. As UFC President White expressed, with these two in the cage, whether the fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, it will be very exciting, especially with a belt hanging in the balance.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fox, do, velasquez
Read the full article at UFCFans Invited To UFC On Fox Press Conference Tomorrow
Fans are invited to attend a special "UFC on Fox 1" press conference tomorrow in Los Angeles.
Posted in: ufc, fox, conference, los angeles, fan
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFox Executive: Creating Stars Key to Sustainability
The UFC announced a monumental seven-year deal with Fox on Aug. 18, and the discussion from matchups to production possibilities has been alive ever since.
Posted in: ufc, fox executive, production possibilities, fox, star
Read the full article at SherdogJay Glazer Talks with Cain, Junior 6e/3p Today
Following today's UFC on Fox press conference, Fox Sports personality Jay Glazer will sit down for an unprecedented, intimate Q&A with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and opponent Junior dos Santos.Watch the broadcast at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT on the Fox Sports Facebook page.
Glazer's MMA knowledge extends beyond on-air reporting - he's personally
and professionally been involved with the sport and its major players
for years, giving him the unique perspective to question these two heavy hitters.
Posted in: fox, sport, dos santos.watch, q &, glazer
Read the full article at UFC
UFC on Fox, A Pretty Big Deal
written by James Maldonado
One of the (if not, the) biggest announcement in MMA history was made on August 18th, 2011. The UFC and Fox announced that they made a 7 year broadcast deal to air programming on Fuel TV, FX, and Fox. A joint press conference was held at Fox studios where the terms of the deal were laid out. The press conference started with a promotional video that would give any MMA fan goose bumps. It should be a clear indication of things to come, because the UFC on Fox is going to transcend the UFC to a whole new level.
According to the press conference, the deal goes like this:
-4 big fights a year on Fox. These will be full, PPV quality type cards
-Fuel TV could show some prelims, and Unleashed programming
-FX will air two seasons a year of The Ultimate Fighter, which is now live
-TUF live will feature a live fight, every Friday for the duration of the season, along with the finale fight live. Episodes will be a recap of the previous week and lead in to the live fight.
-FX will also air 6 fight night cards a year
The Spike deal ends at the end of the year, so we’ll see Spike programming move over to FX in January. But the UFC is giving Fox, and the fans, a free fight to kick off the new partnership on November 12th. It was just announced that they would move Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez up one week from Nov. 19th to Nov 12th. This, technically, should be the most important fight in UFC history.
The deal with Fox is going to bring the sport to the forefront of the sports landscape. On Saturday, promos for JDS/Cain aired during the MLB broadcast, they also promoted the Jones/Rampage fight later this month. The amount of media that can get behind the UFC and the fighters is astronomical. We’re going to see the UFC regularly advertised on Fox (and probably FX) during other sports, TV shows, etc. I also think the quality of the promotional material will get better, along with the overall feel and look of a UFC broadcast.
The amount of eyeballs that could potentially watch UFC on Fox is very large. The biggest PPV the UFC has done was UFC 100 with 1.6 million, and the average is anywhere between 300K-500K. To compare that to TV ratings, Kimbo Slice pulled in 6.51 million viewers on CBS and pulled in over 6 million for his TUF fight against Roy Nelson on Spike. Dan Henderson/Rampage Jackson (which was the last free title fight on TV) peaked at 5.6 million on Spike. The fight on Fox is expected to blow all of those numbers out of the water. The increased amount of eyeballs that will be watching the sport now will lead to increased revenue from advertisers for both the UFC and the fighters representing their sponsors.
This is a new age for the UFC, for MMA. This is going to be a platform for fighters to perform and attract new eyes to the sport. If we thought MMA was popular before, just wait. It’s only going to grow bigger from here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fx, fox, deal
Read the full article at Octagon ManiaWatch UFC on FOX live press conference
Watch the UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos pre-fight press conference live at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET.
Posted in: ufc, press conference, fox, conference, press
Read the full article at sportsnet.ca