UFC Announces First Fight On Fox; "Fair And Balanced" Coverage On Fox Sports Ensues

In August, the UFC revealed that it was teaming up with Fox to broadcast fights. Details were scarce at the time. The UFC usually reveals such details later in media conference calls. And it usually declares such media conference calls in the manner that Crazy Eddie once sold stereos: "UFC PRESIDENT DANA WHITE TO MAKE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW" was the subject line of an e-mail I received on Thursday. White made the announcement yesterday: the UFC's debut fight on Fox would be between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight championship. Yes, it's a big fight, and if the resulting breathless coverage at Fox Sports is any indication, the UFC now has the perfect partner with which to scream and gesticulate.

Below are some excerpts from a couple Fox Sports stories about the ANNOUNCEMENT. We begin with "Matchup for UFC on FOX 1 says a lot" by Scott Sawitz, who humbly refers to the fight as "the most important card in MMA history":

It used to be that when Dana White would call a press conference for a big news item, it would end up being something significant - but not something that would change the world as we know it, as he would proclaim.

That all changed in 2011. ...

This is the biggest and best chance for UFC's parent company, Zuffa, to expand its audience beyond its wildest dreams. This is the moment that the UFC has been building to for years, and now we have the big selling point for the initial UFC on FOX card. And they did something no one ever imagined they would.

They got the biggest possible fight paired with the biggest and best chance at drawing an audience. ...

Sometimes it's nice to have your faith rewarded.

Here are some choice bits from "UFC makes big move in first FOX fight" by Will Cooling:

UFC president Dana White shocked the world Friday by announcing on a media conference call that the world heavyweight championship fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos has been moved from the Nov. 19 UFC 139 pay-per-view to the organization's Nov 12 debut on FOX. ...

One imagines that the hand-wringing articles from the boxing press wondering why the UFC's heavyweight championship is featured prominently on America's premier sports network while boxing's has over the years struggled to get onto premium cable are already being written. ...

Friday's announcement shows that with the new television deal, it's anything but business as usual for the UFC. The company's debut on network television is a momentous occasion and one to which the organization is fully committed. The UFC's debut on FOX gives the organization the chance to showcase two of its best fighters and hold up its world championships as being on par with major sporting trophies such as the Super Bowl, Champions League and World Series that have all been broadcast on the network this year.

Hold on. Sorry. I need to vomit. There. I vomited. Wait. I need to vomit again. There. I vomited again. And now for a non-hyperbolic announcement of our own: FOX SPORTS HUFFS UFC DONG.