LOS ANGELES – The cat was let out of the bag earlier this week, but FOX is officially the new home of the UFC, thanks to a seven-year, multi-media rights agreement with Zuffa, LLC.
The first UFC event on FOX will happen on Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif – the same night as the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view from Las Vegas. The remaining UFC content across the FOX networks begins in January 2012.
Fans of The Ultimate Fighter will be happy to know that the reality MMA show will be live for the first time ever. All 12 TUF fights will air live on FX instead of prerecorded.
The final season of TUF on Spike will start in September.
FX will also televise six live UFC cards per year.
“Mixed martial arts is not only the fastest-growing sport in the world but also the world’s most exciting form of man-to-man competition, and the UFC is the world’s premier MMA organization,” said Eric Shanks, president and co-COO of FOX Sports Media Group. “Since FOX Sports is America’s No. 1 sports network and FOX is America’s No. 1 network for young adults, the UFC on FOX is a perfect match.”