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UFC & FOX Sign On The Dotted Line

UFC

UFC signs deal with FOXThursday, in a major step forward for mixed martial arts, FOX Sports announced that they had come to terms with the Ultimate Fighting Championships on a seven-year agreement. The deal calls for the televising of four live cards per year in primetime, as well as a variety UFC relating programming, slated to air throughout the FOX family of networks. The package is reported to be worth $100 million annually.

For the past six years, the UFC had been airing on Spike TV. Spike will reportedly replace the UFC action with shows such as "Bar Rescue' and "Auction Hunter". These programs will attract only a small percentage of the UFC audience, as interest in mixed martial arts has skyrocketed and simply outgrown Spike. 

The network may replace the UFC with the far lesser known rival organization Bellator, in order to somewhat placate MMA fans. 

The UFC's FOX debut is scheduled for November 12, the same night that Manny Pacquiao will get into the ring with Juan Manuel Marquez. It will be interesting to see how much the UFC bites into the pay-per-view buys for one of the biggest boxing matches of the year. 

The newly announced partnership seems like a knockout win for both the UFC and FOX. 

 

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Bruce has traveled the world, both working for and covering a wide array of the sports world’s greatest events. Below is a sampling of the level of experience and perspective he brings to ifollosports.com.

OLYMPIC GAMES:  
Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Salt Lake City 2002, Beijing 2008     
*Editor of the Official Report of the 1984 Olympic Games

PAN AMERICAN GAMES:   
Caracas 1983, Indianapolis 1987, Havana 1991, Mar del Plata 1995, Winnipeg 1999



WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES:   
Zagreb 1987, Duisberg 1989, Sheffield 1991, Buffalo 1993, Fukuoka 1995, Sicily 1997, Palma de Mallorca 1999 

USA TRACK AND FIELD:     
World Championships (Helsinki 1983), World Junior Championships (Athens 1986), World Cup (Rome 1981), World Cup (Havana 1992), Pan American Junior Championships (Barqisimeto 1982, Orlando 1986)  Editor of USATF annual calendar project (1980-1991) and Cross Country handbook (1979-1991) 

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 
World Baseball Classics in 2006 and 2009.

ASSOCIATED PRESS     
Correspondent covering the Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA Bruins basketball, track and field, and swimming 1977-1989
  

A California native, Bruce is a 
graduate of UCLA and resides in Venice Beach.

 

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