In case you've been living under a rock, the UFC reached a historic deal today with FOX to broadcast its events on network TV.
What came as a surprise, though, was the announcement that the promotion would put together a fight card on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, California. That's partially because it seems rushed and also because on the very same night boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao will take on Juan Manuel Marquez on pay-per-view (PPV).
Why would the UFC want to compete with one of the biggest draws in all of boxing? As it turns out, they have no plans on going head-to-head with "Pacman."
Instead, the first offering on FOX will be a one-hour special featuring two marquee fights beginning at 9 p.m. ET, with a full preliminary card underneath it, ending before Pacquiao vs. Marquez kicks off on PPV.
That's according to the Las Vegas Sun, who spoke to co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and got the following information:
"We'll be out of there before Pacquiao even walks to the ring. This is going to be a perfect night for any fight fan. Get together with your friends, watch two big fights in the UFC and then change the channel to ride into the Pacquiao pay-per-view. It's going to be a little different with the first one. It's going to literally be back-to-back action. We aren't going to mess around with a lot of pre-fight commentary, post-fight commentary. We are going to roll right in, set up the fights and let the action go. For the people coming live in Anaheim, it will be just like a full pay-per-view. It's a full fight card and if the first (televised fight) goes real quick, we'll fill in like we always do."
So again, a full preliminary card underneath it, presumably one that will be available for streaming free on Facebook (as per usual) that will lead into the FOX televised one-hour special of two fights that bleeds straight into Manny Pacquiao on pay-per-view.
When you're done salivating at the potential of that line-up, the next logical thought is how the UFC will maximize their debut hour on FOX.
As of this writing, all seven of the championships are currently already scheduled for fights and most of the fall line-up is set through until the UFC 139 event scheduled for Nov. 19 in San Jose. That card is a big reason the UFC is kicking off on FOX on Nov. 12, so they can heavily promote the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos heavyweight title fight taking place on that card.
So who does that leave for the two television fights on Nov. 12? Little help, Maniacs?
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