This artical was written By Matt Juul(Featured Columnist) on August 18, 2011
The deal is done.
FOX Sports Media Group held a press conference this afternoon announcing their newly minted, seven-year deal with the UFC.
On hand for the conference were FOX Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill, co-presidents Eric Shanks & Randy Freer, FX President John Landgraf, UFC president Dana White, and UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.
"This was it for me. This is what I always wanted," White said. "This is the pinnacle for us... to get a deal with FOX."
White also stated that, "this partnership will be amazing and will bring the sport to the next level."
The deal plans to bring four major events to the main FOX network, as well as 32 live fights and two runs of "The Ultimate Fighter" a year to the FX network. Plans also include to bring pre- and post-fight coverage, as well as other UFC programming, to Fuel TV.
One of the biggest changes, however, is to the format of the promotion's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter".
"'The Ultimate Fighter' will be live on FX," says White, with plans to rebrand the show as "The Ultimate Fighter Live".
The show will be shot over 13 weeks, with each episode edited the week of, culminating with live fights each week.
Also, the coaches, who face off against each other at the end of each season, will have their training camps followed alongside their stint on the reality show.
But the biggest change—fans will get to vote on who fights.
"This is revolutionary television right here," said White who also promises to show the "raw, live aftermath" after each bout as well.
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta loves the new concept and praised the FX network for being "edgy". FX President John Landgraf is also impressed with the deal, saying that FX can now "stand toe to toe with anybody".
Landgraf commented that the only thing missing from FX was live sports, programming that networks such as USA regularly offer. He went on to say that "the UFC on FX will finally put us on a level playing field with all of our competitors".
The deal to bring the UFC to FOX has actually been a long time in the making. The first live UFC event ever, UFC 37.5, was actually broadcast by FOX Sports Net's "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" in 2002.
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