UFC Quick Quote: Dana White invites sports fans around the world to witness MMA history on Nov. 12

"One of the great things about being a sports fan is remembering exactly where you were when a moment in history was created.... Regardless of the year, the teams or the outcome, sports give us an outlet and an opportunity to be a part of history. It’s something we can tell our kids about decades later, something we relive with our buddies over beers as we recount where we were and how our lives have changed since. In just a few days, we at the Ultimate Fighting Championship are presenting fans across the world with another opportunity to be a part of sports history. This Saturday, live and free on FOX from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the UFC heavyweight championship of the world will be decided when undefeated Cain Velasquez defends his crown against knockout artist and number one contender Junior dos Santos. Not only does this mark our first event on FOX since we announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with the network this past summer, but it marks a return to the glory days for many sports fans. It signals a return to the days when sports’ biggest prize – the world heavyweight title – is decided live and free on network television."

-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White waxes poetic, penning a column in today's Chicago Sun-Times that invites mainstream sports fans to witness mixed martial arts (MMA) history this weekend. Of course, White is referring to the landmark UFC on FOX 1 one-hour television broadcast, which features a main event between UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. It is the first of many fights the will be featured on FOX; however, perhaps none will be more significant. To get his point across, White tugs on nostalgic sports heart strings, saying that the event on Nov. 12, 2011, which will begin at 9 p.m. ET, will be on the same historic level as Kirk Gibson's winning walk-off homerun in the 1998 World Series or Buster Douglas' upset of Mike Tyson with a stunning finish inside the Tokyo Dome back in 1990. Once again, White also assures fans that tuning into the "epic heavyweight title fight" on the FOX broadcast will not interfere with Manny Pacquiao's trilogy fight against Juan Manuel Marquez later in the evening. Think White's public plea is effective (and accurate) enough to reel in new fans or is he simply reaching in his comparisons?