UFC Planning Announcement That Will “Rock The MMA World”
Posted by Kris Karkoski on Jun 6, 2008 at 12:17 am ET55 Comments
In an interview with ESPN The Magazine UFC President Dana White has revealed that the UFC has finalized a deal that will “rock the MMA world”. The promotion will officially announce the details of the deal next week.
Here’a snip from the Q&A:
“There’s something no one else has heard. You have no idea some of the stuff that we have planned. I’m going to make an announcement next week that is going to blow people’s minds. That deal is done, but my employees don’t even know yet. I’m renting out a place next Thursday and I’m going to tell them. Then we’ll make the announcement later that day. It’s an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years.”
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for updates on the major announcement.
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Whatever it is i hope its something useful to help compete with the other up and coming org’s like Affliction and Dream
The UFC has always made an impact when these rumors start. I’m getting the same feeling as when BJ Penn came back only I think this is much bigger. I wonder if fighters are getting raises or PS3s? Now the anticipation is killing me!
C’mon Dana! The suspense is killing me! Whatever it is, it’s gotta be better than the EliteXC/CBS deal!!! Could it be Fox?
i am thinking its gonna be something more buisness oreinted such as a new magazine or something to that effect. I dont believe it has anything to do with the fighters themselves more with dana launching this company to a higher level essentially stiff arming these other organization. then again fedor coulture??????
I have to believe it’s a TV deal. I speculate about it in an upcoming post but if it’s going to “rock the mma world” I think it has to be a TV deal of some type.
I have to agree with Kris. It’s hard to imagine anything else that could truly “rock the mma world.” Unless Dana has taken his finger off the pulse…
dana white is a fkn clown
The Gay Octagon is opening – Dana, Forrest, two TUF 7 finalists come out of closet
yawn,,,,hype move along….nothing to see here…
“It’s an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years.â€
Definately cant be an announcement of a new fighter. A TV deal it could be. Or maybe that fighters are not going to be wearing gloves anymore. Instead binding their fists with cloth that has been dipped in tar and broken glass…. hmmmm
I’m thinking it’s a deal with HBO. That would be incredible.
I think it would be wild if they have managed to get Gina Carano or other talented female fighter like her. I’m really hoping that UFC throws some female fighters in the octagon soon. As far as “where this business is going”, I think having female fighters would just make good business sense.
Maybe they are going to start rigging the fights like EliteXC?
Maybe a deal with ESPN…
I think Dana and the UFC have a done a deal with Fox, if im right then thats ****in huge! And it’s gonna blow Elite XC right out the water!
There relationship with SPIKE TV is still good and didn’t the UFC just sign a new contract with them ?
Bring back the tournaments and invite other promotions !!!!! lol
it was leaked and its co promotions with affliction and there bringing back tournaments plus knees to the head but not kicks
dan henderon vs chuck liddel good fight
I think they have made a TV deal as well. i wish they would do a super bowl type deal once a year where the top champions fight. Could be bringing the 145 pounders with Faber/Pulver being such a great fight. Should be interesting.
Joel, i don’t think it’s going to Fedor/Couture because they are both with affliction, could be wrong, wish i was wrong because that is a dream come true
I heard it is the change in TUF. Instead of the current format, they will keep the tournament aspect of it but have live fights. That is part of the new TUF deal with spike tv.
If that’s it that will be a disappointed because most of the fights on that show aren’t good enough to draw that big of a viewing audience. I would watch it just being a huge fan of the sport but unless you are a big fan it’s not appealing.
As 90% of you have said has to be a TV deal.
I’m hoping the multiple announcements like the introduction of the 135 & 145 divisions, Penn vs GSP in MSG, Fedor vs Randy & someting about the bloody game !
All unlikely i know LOL
The announcement is probably a TV deal where all of us will be happy to learn that we will be getting to watch more UFC fight cards. I could be wrong but it seems the majority of us feel a new TV deal coming on. I would love more UFC jammed down my throat. I can’ get enough. It tastes so good. If it is not a TV deal, I am hoping for this:
Dana comes into the octogon and introduces Vince MacMahon who will come out to his theme song, “No Chance.” Vince will then take the microphone and bash Gary Shaw with threats of The Great Kahli or Big Show attacking him…Then Vince will call out Bisping and have him slammed through a table by Miguel Torres of all people…..I know that will never happen it just sounded fun to me.
THIS JUST IN SOURCES WITHIN THE UFC SAY:
“Zuffa in a surprising move decides to buy Affliction. With the new change Fighters and spectators alike are now banned from wearing TAPOUT or other competing clothing to any UFC event.”
HBO,baby, H.B.O.
I don’t think an HBO deal would be as big of a deal as Fox. HBO doesn’t even place them on the basic cable channels were more people can watch. Adding female fighters is a great idea, but not one that deals with “where the business is going over the next five years.” With EliteXC gaining that network television spot, I would think the move would have to be similar on the UFC’s part in order for it to show 5-year direction.
This could possibly be a deal with New York. Perhaps a UFC event at Madison Square Garden finally happening? Now that would be something special. UFC has their own lobbyist and he could have finally made a breakthrough in New York like he did in Michigan. Otherise I’d love to see HBO as sgtrocknroll says.
Its going to be a TV deal with both ABC and ESPN,
Most likely, it’s a TV deal with Fox, which actually has been rumored. Dana didn’t like what any of the other stations were offering. If it involves the WEC, it will be the incorporation of the welterweights and above into the UFC and Lightweights and below to WEC. It could also be an announcement about UFC 89, 90, or 90 being held in New York or Boston. It’s one of those 3 things I guarantee it.
Or may be Blake Bowman came out of the closet.
WHEN ARE THEY GONNA ANNOUNCE THIS
i dont think its female fighters or new weight classes or a any new fighters. he said its gonna rock them mma world something never seen so you cant add the small guys cause the ufc owns wec and that would be stepping on toes. elite xc has females i have never actually seen them fight but i cant imagine there is that many high quality fighters maybe a handfull. but i believe it will be a series of things then by themselves will be little but all added up will break the camels back so to speak. we are going to find out next week. he said that non of his employees even know about it so i cant imagine he could do to many deals ( contracts) without a few of his employees god forbid dana does these dealing all by himself. who knows the craziness that will be announced.
maybe tito is danas new partner ha just tell us dana we dont like waiting were men lol
Well there has been rumors going around that Dana and UFC were in talks with FOX working on a deal ever since Gary Shaw, EliteXC, and Strikeforce made the annoucement that they had landed deals with CBS and NBC respectively. Two companies that Dana had already tried working deals with previously but to no avail (samething with HBO). Maybe he’s finally landed the deal with FOX. This would be HUGE because now he can broadcast UFC and WEC events. This means more exposure for not only Dana and UFC but for fighters like Rampage, GSP, BJ, Anderson Silva, Urijah, Brian Stann, Migual Torres, Carlos Condit in order to push them into super star status along side Liddell whose already a big star.
If not FOX, than maybe ESPN which would give them outlets to ABC as well, being that they are owned by the same company. This would be even bigger than a deal with FOX and would supercede the deals that Elite and Strikeforce made with CBS and NBC.
As far as fighters are concerned, who could they bring that would rock the MMA world other than maybe Fedor who has already signed with Affliction. The siging of Takanori Gomi would be HUGE, but would that necessarily rock the MMA world? (not sure), so I don’t think it would be a new fighter.
Burtoni, maybe you’re right in that Dana will annouce the infusing of some of the WEC fighters with the UFC, but would that rock the MMA world? I don’t think so.
I guess we will just have to wait and see! I just hope Dana doesn’t build up the anticipation and then the news he breaks really isn’t that much of a big deal after all. That would suck!!!
An HBO deal would be better than a network deal because HBO viewers aren’t as squeamish. HBO has already had boxing so it seems that MMA is the next logical step. Whether or not this is the big announcement, I don’t know. But it would be better for the sport than a network deal.
Dana already tried to work a deal with HBO way before he tried working one with CBS and NBC and neither of them were successful because Dana said HBO, NBC and CBS wanted to much control of the production of the show. He said he wasn’t going to sign a stupid deal like that. Maybe you’re right Tmoney, maybe he was able to go back to HBO and land the deal. That would be HUGE!
its going to be stupid…like Mickey’s sponsoring the first WEC event in Brazil.
a tv deal doesnt rock the mma world either, since ufc, wec, elite, etc. all have tv deals already (and we’ve already seen what happens when mma is forced to conform to network tv rules).
I’m hoping they make rule changes to allow knees and soccer kicks…and bring back the tourneys. A huge announcement that woudl shake the mma world is Dana announcing that there will be a minimum of 1-2 title fights per ppv! Now that wouldnt suck.
The rule changes you mentioned i dont’ see happening, i’m pretty positive no would license them if they did away with those rules. I don’t see the tournament format either because of the way the fighters are programmed to train and the way they are so picky about the health of a fight (swollen eyes, cuts, etc).
Maybe UFC (Zuffa) will be going to be a Public company, and all the fighters that stay on and extend their contracts will get shares of UFC stock.
Of course, Chuck would get the most shares.
Otherwise, what would prevent another organization to sign their top fighters.
Who knows ?
umm, Dana said it would rock the MMA world. Have to remember to Dana the MMA world is only the UFC… It’s a TV deal. However I can tell you 10 things I hope it would be….
I think its going to be the Fox Deal. They are going to need it at least short time to keep value up in case they ever do sell it.
I live in the England. If it was a new TV Deal in America would that affect the deal we have with Bravo over here? Anyone know?
Zuffa going public is an interesting theory. The owners are brilliant with the market capitalization work.
@ Pete90
A possible side effect of a FOX deal could be a UFC move to Sky because both are owned by Murdoch/News Corp. A UFC deal with News Corp. to be broadcast on all their networks world-wide would be interesting. But I imagine those would be totally seperate deals and any new American tv deal would have no effect outside of the States.
Pete90 i think a channel called sentanta ? has the live rights now, i recall it on sherdog a few weeks back.
Indeed this could benfit UK viewers too !
Possible new fight cards, specials & so on
They showed ‘BEDLAM’ on Setanta but Setanta only seem to have the live rights to cards in the UK like UFC 75. I hope it does have an effect because Bravo’s coverage is pretty crap getting a bit old and they keep replaying the same stuff..ultimate knockouts 1 etc. Im a big MMA fan and it would be good to see some live cards from the states!
@A lonley jew – you are right ive just looked and Setanta do have the live rights to Rampage v Griffin cant wait for that fight. Cheers mate!
Maybe they might start up Pride again. Or start an organization that fights in another country. That might be “the world” part he is talking about.
If they dont start up Pride again maybe they are going to have fights in Japan.
Not sure if this has already been mentioned but floyed mayweather junior retired friday then this announcement from the ufc the next day.Floyd has always said he could see himself fighting in the octagon .Seems very coinsidental to me
All ufc fights are now broadcast on setanta .They have the rights to everything of the ufc incuding all main events and wired
Not that it’s not possible for Mayweather to have signed with the UFC but will that determine where there business is going for five years?
Dont shoot the messenger !
I heard a rumour Zuffa have acquired Strikeforce i dont how likely this is concidering Strikeforce ties to Gary Shaws freak show.
That aquisition theory is a bombshell.I would love to see Shaw fired by White.I don’t see it happening though. I also don’t see how HBO would help that much. in this day and age you want to keep ownership as long as possible.Why sell it once(a program) when you can sell it every day.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER has signed with the UFC!!!
from a sherdog post
group of investors led by Dana White have agreed in principle to purchase the UFC from Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta for an undisclosed amount. Included in this investment group is WWE’s Vince McMahon who will now own a minority stake in the company. They also have plans on taking the company public by years end.
At the press conference also expect Dana to announce that with the help of McMahon, who has extensive connections in the New York State Athletic Commission, they were able to get the UFC sanctioned in New York, and plan on having a show sometime in the winter at Madison Square Garden. That is all I have right now.
It’s midget MMA.
I thank it could be the fight with lesnar and kimbo slice I personaly would love to see brock smack the **** out him or maybe iceman smack him around it is clear he has know cardio I just hope that Dana does not let Vince Mcmann in to this bussiness otherwise good by UFC it will turn into the WWE and we all know how Fake that is !