UFC 122 To Be Free?

[Maestro]

Ultimate Fighting Championship fans will get two free events in one month's time.

Company officials previously announced that October's UFC 120 event in London will air via same-day delay on Spike TV, and sources close to the organization told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that November's UFC 122 event also is expected to air on the cable station.

Although not officially announced, UFC 122 takes place Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

The event is expected to air via a six-hour delay on Spike TV.

UFC 122, which takes place a week before a tentatively scheduled UFC 123 pay-per-view event, marks the UFC's return to Germany, which hosted its first show – UFC 99 with a Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva headliner – in June 2009. Despite some resistance from the German media that resulted in a ban on minors from attending the show, UFC president Dana White vowed the organization would return to and continue its expansion in the European country.

Currently, no fighters have been booked for UFC 122. However, veteran lightweight and German fighter Dennis Siver (16-7 MMA, 5-4) is expected to compete on the card. Additionally, two MMA agents told MMAjunkie.com that UFC officials are actively searching for additional German fighters to sign for the event.

Middleweight Vitor Belfort – who's already been promised a title shot – also could return at the show, possibly against the winner of this weekend's title fight between middleweight champ Anderson Silva and challenger Chael Sonnen. However, Belfort could instead compete at UFC 123, which is expected to take place in the U.S., since the UFC rarely hosts title fights in overseas markets.

Spike TV, a UFC cable partner since 2005, airs UFC Fight Night events and The Ultimate Fighter Finale broadcasts. However, it also airs some regularly numbered UFC events, especially when they take place overseas. UFC 105, for example, took place this past November and aired via same-day delay on Spike TV.

For more on UFC 122, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/20149/spike-tv-to-air-ufc-122-via-same-day-delay-from-germany.mma

I doubt we will see Belfort V Silva/Sonnen at 122 now. Unless this is Dana's way of "paying the fans back".

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Well, the Euro cards always do bad buyrates anyway, so it makes sense to give it up for free and pop a big rating for Spike.

Say what you want about Dana and the watered down shows, but he gives fans a lot of good, free, MMA. And he could easily get away with not doing that.