Dana White
Second Fox show takes place Jan. 28 in Chicago
Dana White still doesn’t care if you had a problem with the first UFC on Fox show. But if you did have a gripe with the one-fight-only concept of the debut, relax – the next one will likely satisfy you.
UFC on Fox 2 will take place on Jan. 28 in Chicago. The UFC president on Saturday confirmed earlier reports of the date and location to Heavy.com after the UFC 139 press conference in San Jose, Calif.
But White also said the first official show under the UFC’s seven-year deal with Fox (UFC on Fox 1 was a special event that was not part of the deal that kicks off in 2012) is likely to be a two-hour broadcast and feature four fights.
“I don’t think you’re going to see a title fight, but I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed in what you’re going to see,” White said. “We’re giving you some good fights.”
One fight has already been reported for the show – a bantamweight bout between recent title challenger Demetrious Johnson and former WEC 135-pound champion Eddie Wineland, who does some of his training in Chicago and lives in nearby Northwest Indiana. Whether that fight would be on the potential four-fight televised main card remains to be seen, but White hinted at one name viewers might see on Fox – Chael Sonnen.
“It’s possible,” White said of the inclusion of the middleweight top contender on the show.
Sonnen has hinted at having no problem taking a fight while waiting for champion Anderson Silva, who White said Saturday will probably not be ready until June. In the meantime, that could mean Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz, with the winner getting Silva next.
White maintains the first show on Fox was done right – with just the heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and new champion Junior dos Santos. But he said that warm-up period of one show is all that will be needed – and the hammer gets dropped for the next one, including the possibility viewers will see an instant classic like the UFC 139 main event between Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
“We put the first fight on Fox, and now we’re going with it,” White said. “The more fights you do, the more chance you have to have one of these (like Shogun-Henderson). We introduced the sport. It’s going to take time, and we’re going to have to educate a lot more people. We know who we’re catering to (with pay-per-views). When you opt in to buy this thing, you know what you’re getting. When you go to your local bar and you go there because they’re playing the UFC, you know what you’re getting. What we’re going to do more of on Fox is more storytelling. We’re going to explain who these people are and break it down and get deeper into their lives.”
The UFC’s Fox debut 10 days ago peaked with a reported 8.8 million viewers during the Velasquez-dos Santos fight, and that number was expected to grow with DVR plays.