Not long after the announcement of a broadcast partnership between Invicta FC and UFC Fight Pass, UFC President Dana White suggested that the marriage between the two entities was only the beginning in regards to bringing unique content to Zuffa’s digital subscription service.
“You might see a lot of combat sports and other things,” White said at the time. “We’re out doing a number of deals, including non-MMA. There’s tons of potential.”
Since then, two high-profile UFC veterans have become surprise additions to the lineup of Metamoris 4, as both Josh Barnett and Chael Sonnen are slated to challenge accomplished submission artists Dean Lister and Andre Galvao, respectively, at the upcoming all-grappling event, which is scheduled for August 9 in Los Angeles, CA.
It won’t be the first time the UFC and Metamoris have mingled with one another, considering that former TUF 10 contestant Brendan Schaub competed in Metamoris’ second event. However, the participation of Barnett and Sonnen, along with the UFC’s apparent ambitiousness in regards to the potential of Fight Pass, has led many to wonder whether Metamoris could ultimately find itself alongside Invicta FC very soon.
“It’s absolutely something we’d look at for Fight Pass,” White confirmed to MMA in Asia this week. “I think people are going to be surprised by the things that are going to pop up on Fight Pass. I said it when the thing first came up, it started out as a way to get the library to all the fans, they’d have full access, and it just keeps evolving and it’s only going to get better and better.”
White also noted that the UFC has no qualms allowing Sonnen to headline Metamoris 4, considering the 37-year-old announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in early-June following the news of his failed pre-UFC 175 drug test.
“Listen, Chael retired,” White said. “He’s doing his thing on FOX and what he wants to do in his spare time now is up to him.”