Bloody Elbow will be on the UFC on Fox Conference call at 2:00 p.m. ET today to promote the card next Saturday headlined by Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight title against number one contender Junior Dos Santos. The two fighters will be on the call with UFC President Dana White.
The UFC on Fox card is set to air on Fox at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. While not an official part of the UFC’s deal with Fox, it is a major event to set the tone for the relationship between the promotion and network. The rest of the card will air live on Facebook and FoxSports.com. There is a potential that Clay Guida and Ben Henderson are fighting for the number one contender to Frankie Edgar’s title.
Follow Matthew Roth on Twitter (@mattroth512) for immediate updates. And check this post after the call for the tweets plus additional notes and thoughts.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Cain Velasquez
– There’s always going to be butterflies but he feels ready. It’s natural to be nervous.
– I’m not thinking about the magnitude of the fight, just preparing like usual.
– The fight is a great opportunity. I’ll go out and throw down.
– The media hasn’t been too overwhelming. Just the right amount.
– Rehab went fine. Shoulders take long. It just took time to get better but I’m happy I listened and didn’t rush it.
– It was frustrating because I’m the kind of guy who likes to stay busy. Did stuff for the UFC like signings to keep active.
– There’s no area that he lacks in. He’s going to be strong in all aspects.
– Big part is watching film. Paul Buentello has helped. There’s nothing harder than 3 guys rotating in on you.
Junior Dos Santos
– It was tough waiting so long. I’m in a good place in my life. The UFC has given me great opportunity. I want to show my best.
– Everything that the UFC has brought to his life has been great. Globo is the eyes of Brazil. It will help the growth of the sport.
– Everything has happened really fast for me. Gave 100%. I believe if you work hard and are a good person, good things happen to you.
– I never doubted myself, I never doubted good things would happen. I just applied myself.
– I’m very focused. All these opportunities have been great. Initially I was frustrated when Cain was injured.
– I believe Cain is the number one heavyweight in the world. After fighting him I want to be the number one heavyweight.
– I want to continue to change my life for the better for my family.
– I’ve been training for 3 months in Bahia. I have a big team including Big Nog and Doria.
– Cain is tough but I’m confident in my ability and confident I’ll be the winner.
– I’ve had a rigorous S&C training. I’m ready for 5 rounds but I don’t think this’ll go 5 rounds.
Dana White
– Prelims will be on Facebook and http://Fox.com, Friday at 4:00pm PT on Fuel will be the weigh ins live.
– It will be a completely different format than what we’ve done. It’s a work in progress. Changes to production start in January.
– We’re gonna be rehearsing for this Fox show to make sure it kicks off.
– HW fight is the only fight to be shown, even if it airs for half a round.
– Been working on Mexico for a long time. Mexico is taking longer than we planned. It’s tough to maneuver.
– Long term for future of the sport is why we’re going to put big fights on Fox and not just on PPV.
– You don’t make your money on free TV. We’re gonna get smashed on this card. It’s an investment for the business.
– I’m confident in Junior and Cain. These guys are aggressive. There’s definitely some pressure to make this great.
– I don’t look at what anyone else has done on network TV before.
– The event in Brazil was such a success that we landed the Globo deal. They are a monster network.
– Canadian fans can watch the fight on Rogers.
– The amount of talent TUF Brazil will create is phenomenal. My goal is to get TUF running in all these countries and do a world cup.
– I’ve been trying so hard to have people take these athletes and sport seriously. It’s one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had.
– Nothing makes me happier than having our guys on the same level as the other athletes and respected like they should be.
– Whole format will change for TUF. We go right into the finale while they’re here. The coaches will fight a week later.
– Those guys should never have been on network TV (EliteXC/Strikeforce). If they did things right they’d still be there.
– We don’t do a deal unless we have control. On the same note we respect Fox. These guys have been the best partners we’ve ever had.