UFC makes its network television debut Saturday night with UFC on Fox 1, held live at Honda Center in Anaheim and broadcast in prime time (on the east coast) on Fox. There are 10 fights on the card, but only one will be televised on the one-hour special on Fox: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos, for the heavyweight title.
Velasquez is the heavyweight champion, making his first title defense since defeating Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 last October with a first-round technical knockout. Starting their network debut with such a high profile fight is a big opportunity for UFC, as president Dana White noted back in September.
"We're not mainstream. Mainstream is when you walk down the street and ask somebody if they know what basketball is. We're getting the opportunity from Fox to become mainstream," White said. "Now is the time to work. We need to step it up. You guys are going to see a lot of changes in the way the shows are run. Everything."
Velasquez is favored, anywhere from -150 to -175 per Odds Shark, over Dos Santos. The nine preliminary matches will be broadcast online on Facebook or FoxSports.com,beginning at 1:45 p.m. PST.
For wall-to-wall coverage of UFC on Fox 1, be sure to follow MMA Nation.