(“Let’s try to make this thing last at least one round, deal?”)
UFC president Dana White announced during a conference call today that a heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will be the only bout on the promotion’s inaugural one-hout broadcast on Fox November 12. The heavily-anticipated bout, which was rumored to be the capper for UFC 139 a week later in San Jose, was instead moved to the Fox show and will now be the UFC’s landmark first fight on network television. The promotion is confident that it could do for them what Griffin vs. Bonnar I at the TUF 1 finale did for the sport back in 2006.
White says that he’s “literally betting everything” that the fight will deliver and the fact that the UFC and Fox are putting all of their eggs in one basket with the bout, which could be an issue if it is over quickly, especially since the network is planning a big red carpet Superbowl-type party in Hollywood and a pre and post-fight show for the event, proves this. Fox Sports chairman David Hill is also confident that the bout won’t disappoint fans, referring to it as MMA’s equivalent of a “Ali-Foreman.”
The remainder of the show, which will be held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, will feature a full 10-fight card, will likely be broadcast elsewhere according to White, who said they are ironing out those details now.
Tickets for the event go on sale next Friday at the Honda Centre.