“Bringing The Ultimate Fighter to FOX Sports 1 is like adding a big bat to an exciting young lineup,” said [Fox Sports Media Group COO and co-president Eric] Shanks. “TUF has jump-started the careers of dozens of fighters, many who have gone on to become UFC champions. It’s going to be a welcomed addition to FOX Sports 1, and the perfect anchor for our Wednesday prime time UFC block. We’re absolutely thrilled to have it.”
“Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter just ended and it was the best season we’ve ever done,” said UFC® President Dana White. “Season 18 is going to be historic and groundbreaking with the first-ever women coaches, and men and women training and living together, and we’re excited to be airing it on the best new sports network in the country, FOX Sports 1.”
“Bringing The Ultimate Fighter to FOX Sports 1 is like adding a big bat to an exciting young lineup,” said [Fox Sports Media Group COO and co-president Eric] Shanks. “TUF has jump-started the careers of dozens of fighters, many who have gone on to become UFC champions. It’s going to be a welcomed addition to FOX Sports 1, and the perfect anchor for our Wednesday prime time UFC block. We’re absolutely thrilled to have it.”
“Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter just ended and it was the best season we’ve ever done,” said UFC® President Dana White. “Season 18 is going to be historic and groundbreaking with the first-ever women coaches, and men and women training and living together, and we’re excited to be airing it on the best new sports network in the country, FOX Sports 1.”
Later, the announcement boasts that TUF “has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping and Matt Serra.” Ah, yes…who could possibly forget Michael Bisping‘s epic title reign as the UFC Middleweight Interim Gatekeeper Champion of the U.K.? Nice try, guys.
The UFC has announced an official date for its long-awaited return to Boston. Earlier today, UFC president Dana White took to his Twitter account to release the following statement:
For those uninitiated, Speed TV is set to be relaunched as Fox Sports 1 on August 17. Fox Sports 1 will be available in 90 million homes, and will not only feature its own daily news programs, but also live college football and basketball, soccer, NASCAR and UFC events, with plans of hosting Major League Baseball games starting in 2014. The network also plans to relaunch Fuel TV as Fox Sports 2 on the same day.
The UFC has announced an official date for its long-awaited return to Boston. Earlier today, UFC president Dana White took to his Twitter account to release the following statement:
For those uninitiated, Speed TV is set to be relaunched as Fox Sports 1 on August 17. Fox Sports 1 will be available in 90 million homes, and will not only feature its own daily news programs, but also live college football and basketball, soccer, NASCAR and UFC events, with plans of hosting Major League Baseball games starting in 2014. The network also plans to relaunch Fuel TV as Fox Sports 2 on the same day.
The UFC has only been to Boston one other time: UFC 118 on August 28, 2010. Headlined by a rematch between then-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, the main card also featured the American freakshow classic Randy Couture vs. James Toney, as well as Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis. Also noteworthy, the last time that the UFC was in Boston, the city hosted the only fan expo that matters.
Currently, there haven’t been any bouts announced for the debut of Fox Sports 1. We’ll keep you up-to-date as the card begins to fill out.
(“Listen, Erin, come train with me in Glendale for a couple weeks. I’ll teach you a few things. You’ll never have to feel like a victim again.” Photo via @erinandrews)
– FOX Sports 1 will launch on Saturday, August 17th, featuring a live UFC event in prime time. At this point, no fights have been announced for the event, which has been officially dubbed “UFC on FS1 1,” God help us.
– Following the 8/17 channel launch, the UFC will air 12 “Fight Night” events on Fox Sports 1 through 2014. Though the dates haven’t been finalized, the live fight-cards will take place on Wednesdays, and air from 8-11 p.m.
– FS1 will replace the Speed channel, and will be available in over 90 million homes around the nation. In addition to UFC programming, the new channel will feature Major League Baseball (beginning in 2014), soccer, college football and basketball, and NASCAR events.
– No, this doesn’t mean that UFC events will now be spread over three cable channels. All of the UFC’s programming on FX and FUEL — from Fight Nights, to prelim broadcasts, to preview shows, to their UFC Tonight series — will be moving to Fox Sports 1 starting in August. Well, with one possible exception. When asked about The Ultimate Fighter‘s shift to FS1, Dana White said, “We’re not ready to talk about that yet.” Hmm. Could the old dog finally be put out of its misery?
– As Fox Sports Media Group’s COO and co-president Eric Shanks explained, regarding the UFC’s channel-consolidation:
(“Listen, Erin, come train with me in Glendale for a couple weeks. I’ll teach you a few things. You’ll never have to feel like a victim again.” Photo via @erinandrews)
– FOX Sports 1 will launch on Saturday, August 17th, featuring a live UFC event in prime time. At this point, no fights have been announced for the event, which has been officially dubbed “UFC on FS1 1,” God help us.
– Following the 8/17 channel launch, the UFC will air 12 “Fight Night” events on Fox Sports 1 through 2014. Though the dates haven’t been finalized, the live fight-cards will take place on Wednesdays, and air from 8-11 p.m.
– FS1 will replace the Speed channel, and will be available in over 90 million homes around the nation. In addition to UFC programming, the new channel will feature Major League Baseball (beginning in 2014), soccer, college football and basketball, and NASCAR events.
– No, this doesn’t mean that UFC events will now be spread over three cable channels. All of the UFC’s programming on FX and FUEL — from Fight Nights, to prelim broadcasts, to preview shows, to their UFC Tonight series — will be moving to Fox Sports 1 starting in August. Well, with one possible exception. When asked about The Ultimate Fighter‘s shift to FS1, Dana White said, “We’re not ready to talk about that yet.” Hmm. Could the old dog finally be put out of its misery?
– As Fox Sports Media Group’s COO and co-president Eric Shanks explained, regarding the UFC’s channel-consolidation: “Dana and Lorenzo have been saying for a long time that fans, honestly, in that first year were a bit confused. Some of it was on Fuel, some was on FX and some was on Fox. This is really that last lever to pull, and it puts everything in one place.”
– The UFC will still air four network events on FOX per year. The promotion’s contract with FOX runs through 2018.
– During yesterday’s press conference, UFC president Dana White was accompanied by champions Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey, and Cain Velasquez. As Kevin Iole put it on Yahoo!, “It sent a powerful visual, with a black man, a Hispanic man and a white woman being received so well by potential advertisers and sponsors: The UFC cuts across all races and genders.” (Ed. note: The UFC could have saved some money and just brought Benson Henderson. He’s black, he’s Asian, and he has girl-hair.)
