Author: Matt Erickson [matt-erickson]

The UFC will start its 2013 FOX event schedule with an event Jan. 26 in Chicago.

UFC officials on Monday announced the rumored card, which will take place at United Center and is expected, like past FOX-broadcast cards, to feature four bouts on the main card.

The UFC also visted United Center in Chicago in January 2012 for its first FOX card after the start of its seven-year deal with the network.

Ratings for the eighth episode of “The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson” tied a season high this past Friday.

1.1 million people tuned into the UFC’s reality competition on FX, a sharp increase from the numbers in the three weeks prior. The ratings equaled the number the show hit with its fourth episode of the season.

The figure marks a 63 percent increase in viewers from the 676,000 who tuned into episode No. 7 the previous week.

Eddie Alvarez was this past weekend given the green light to entertain offers from other promotions, as promised by Bellator CEO Rebney.

But the ex-champ on Monday told MMAjunkie.com Radio that the process of taking bids is still in the early stages.

“This decision is a lot less in my hands than the fans think it is because of the matching clause,” Alvarez said. “It’s up to whichever promotions are bidding. It’s up to them to bid the proper number for me to go.”

Bellator’s seventh season continued Friday with semifinal bouts in both the heavyweight tournament and featherweight field at Bellator 79.

Video highlights of the two semifinals, as well as a pair of main-card slugfests, now are available.

They include Richard Hale’s come-from-behind TKO stoppage of Thiago Santos in the heavyweight main event and Shahbulat Shamhalaev’s knockout of Mike Richman in the featherweight co-feature.

A month after taking its FX road show to Australia for the second time, the UFC and the cable network will head to South America.

The just-announced UFC return to Brazil in January, made official by the promotion early Saturday, officially will be its seventh card on FX. Sources close to the promotion on Saturday confirmed the broadcast plans to MMAjunkie.com.

“UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping” (or numbered, UFC on FX 7) will take place Jan. 19 with a four-fight main card and eight fights on the prelims.

A month after taking its FX road show to Australia for the second time, the UFC and the cable network will head to South America.

The just-announced UFC return to Brazil in January, made official by the promotion early Saturday, officially will be its seventh card on FX. Sources close to the promotion on Saturday confirmed the broadcast plans to MMAjunkie.com.

“UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping” (or numbered, UFC on FX 7) will take place Jan. 19 with a four-fight main card and eight fights on the prelims.