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.