Although the primary FOX network will air just one fight during next week's UFC on FOX 1 event, its sister channel, FOX Deportes, will air three.
In addition to the heavyweight headliner of champ Cain Velasquez (9-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Junior Dos Santos (13-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), FOX Deportes also will air lightweights Clay Guida (29-11 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Ben Henderson (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and featherweights Dustin Poirer (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
UFC on FOX 1 takes place Nov. 12 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The event is a teaser of the landmark UFC-FOX deal that officially kicks off in 2012. As part of FOX's one-hour special, only Velasquez vs. Dos Santos will air live. (The entire undercard streams on FOX.com and Facebook.) FOX Deportes, though, starts two hours earlier and will air the three fights.
FOX is available in approximately 115 million homes. FOX Deportes, a Spanish-language channel, is available in approximately 18 million.
Despite the one-hour run time on FOX, officials initially said a second fight could make it to air, presumably via tape delay, if the main event ended early. Most notably, that opened the door for Guida vs. Henderson, which very well could determine the UFC's next lightweight title challenger.
However, earlier this week, UFC president Dana White confirmed that only Velasquez vs. Dos Santos will be part of the FOX broadcast. Guida's manager later told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) it was FOX's decision, not the UFC's.
As part of the UFC-FOX deal, which runs seven years and is believed to be worth approximately $100 million per year, FOX will air four annual events. Additionally, UFC Fight Night events and "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series will move to FOX-owned FX, and FUEL TV also will air the UFC's specialty programming, including UFC on FOX 1's official fighter weigh-ins on Nov. 11.
Source: In addition to title fight, FOX Deportes to air Henderson-Guida and Poirier-Garza
