(“Don’t call me homey, brah.” “Don’t call me brah, homey.” / For more photos from the presser, visit Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)
A lot of interesting developments coming out of yesterday’s “UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz” press conference…
— UFC President Dana White confirmed that the first international edition of The Ultimate Fighter will be in Brazil, not the Philippines as previously reported. White described TUF Brazil as “a done deal,” though other details, including its host and where it will take place, haven’t been locked down yet. The series will air in Brazil, and possibly on FUEL TV in North America. White also said that the UFC will be actively working on booking “as many [events] as we possibly can” in Brazil.
— Meanwhile, the UFC is also working on putting together their first event in Hawaii, which is slated for 2012, and could be held at an outdoor venue. In the past, the UFC had been hesitant to promote a show in Hawaii due to an exorbitant promoters’ tax the state required, but that situation was later “fixed”, and rumors of a UFC show at the Aloha Bowl have circulated for the past two years.
— While only the main event is guaranteed airtime during the one-hour UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Santos broadcast on November 12th, Dana White confirmed that the entire supporting card will be viewable on Facebook and FOX.com. Notably, that includes the possible #1 lightweight contender match between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
— Has Chael Sonnen successfully trash-talked his way into a rematch with Anderson Silva on Super Bowl weekend? As White explained at the UFC 137 press-conference, “I am meeting with (Anderson’s camp on Saturday)…You know Chael’s position. And I think Anderson’s position is really the same as Chael’s. Anderson’s really pissed off about the stuff that Chael has said.” When asked if the fight could be set up for Super Bowl weekend, White replied, “I think it would make sense, yeah.”
— And get this: Strikeforce might actually survive into 2012. Said DW: “I met with Showtime yesterday and I had a great meeting with them. I’m jumping in [to the negotiations]. Lorenzo Fertitta and I divide and conquer. We’re both so busy and we’re working on so much stuff, so to get this deal moving we needed the kinder, gentler side of the UFC there in the beginning. Now, I’m going to go in there and close it…We had a great conversation. We moved the ball forward and we’ll see what happens. There is no deal done. I just think we had a great meeting… We have a chance that Strikeforce lives.”
Considering that Strikeforce has already been raided for its best fighters — Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, and Alistair Overeem, with Gilbert Melendez on the way — it doesn’t seem like Strikeforce would be anything other than a feeder league. But with Bellator on the rise, diluting the MMA talent pool could be the end goal in itself.