Spike TV to counter-program UFC on FOX 1 with Velasquez and Dos Santos fights

Further solidifying the rift between the UFC and its longtime cable partner, Spike TV today announced counter-programming for the UFC's debut on network TV.

On Nov. 12, Spike TV will air a "UFC Unleashed" marathon – dubbed "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title" – featuring past fights with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

Not surprisingly, the marathon begins just as Velasquez and Dos Santos fight at UFC on FOX 1, the UFC's first show on network TV.

The event kicks off a monumental seven-year deal between the UFC and FOX. As part of the deal, which includes four annual events on FOX, other UFC programming such as "The Ultimate Fighter" and UFC Fight Night events will move from Spike TV to FOX-owned FX and FUEL TV.

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yeah your not going up agianst VS anymore. This is Fox and anyone who watches football (the UFC demo in a nutshell) is aware that fight is going down.

Spike's playing with fire on this one, imo.

I've grown to despise them (Spike) actually. They should rename themselves, "The 1001st Way to Die".

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

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I rather see a John Claude Van Damme marathon instead

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Posted by emfleek

Spike's playing with fire on this one, imo.

I've grown to despise them (Spike) actually. They should rename themselves, "The 1001st Way to Die".

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And then CSI will come in for a marathon to investigate all 1001 deaths.

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

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They're playing to the extreme casual fans here. Those fans already know to tune into Spike for MMA. Now, even if they've heard that JDS will be fighting Cain that night, they'll check spike and sure enough "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez" will be there in black and white. By the time, they realize that this isn't a build up to the fight, the Fox event will be over. I think it will work to a certain degree. People who don't follow the sport closely can be fooled easily. I used to work with a guy that would ask if I'd seen the UFC the night before. He'd say it anxiously, knowing that I liked to discuss MMA with him. I'd say, "do you mean Affliction?", assuming he thinks everything MMA was UFC. He'd say, "no, the UFC on Spike last night". I'd tell him that it was a taped replay of a previous event. Until he looked it up on the internet, he wouldn't believe me that it wasn't live. I've seen it first hand...people will get confused and/or fooled. UFC and Fox should advertise the shit out of the event, if they want to minimize the damage from Spike. The casual fans make up a majority of the audience...and they've been watching the UFC on Spike ever since they began tuning in.

Sorry, Spike. FOX will have my full attention that night.

this looks like a job for captain DVR!

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

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They're playing to the extreme casual fans here. Those fans already know to tune into Spike for MMA. Now, even if they've heard that JDS will be fighting Cain that night, they'll check spike and sure enough "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez" will be there in black and white. By the time, they realize that this isn't a build up to the fight, the Fox event will be over. I think it will work to a certain degree. People who don't follow the sport closely can be fooled easily. I used to work with a guy that would ask if I'd seen the UFC the night before. He'd say it anxiously, knowing that I liked to discuss MMA with him. I'd say, "do you mean Affliction?", assuming he thinks everything MMA was UFC. He'd say, "no, the UFC on Spike last night". I'd tell him that it was a taped replay of a previous event. Until he looked it up on the internet, he wouldn't believe me that it wasn't live. I've seen it first hand...people will get confused and/or fooled. UFC and Fox should advertise the shit out of the event, if they want to minimize the damage from Spike. The casual fans make up a majority of the audience...and they've been watching the UFC on Spike ever since they began tuning in.

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if these same casual fans watch football on FOX, they will surely know about the fight on FOX

I don't blame Spike at all. I would do it to if I was them.

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Posted by prophecy033

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

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They're playing to the extreme casual fans here. Those fans already know to tune into Spike for MMA. Now, even if they've heard that JDS will be fighting Cain that night, they'll check spike and sure enough "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez" will be there in black and white. By the time, they realize that this isn't a build up to the fight, the Fox event will be over. I think it will work to a certain degree. People who don't follow the sport closely can be fooled easily. I used to work with a guy that would ask if I'd seen the UFC the night before. He'd say it anxiously, knowing that I liked to discuss MMA with him. I'd say, "do you mean Affliction?", assuming he thinks everything MMA was UFC. He'd say, "no, the UFC on Spike last night". I'd tell him that it was a taped replay of a previous event. Until he looked it up on the internet, he wouldn't believe me that it wasn't live. I've seen it first hand...people will get confused and/or fooled. UFC and Fox should advertise the shit out of the event, if they want to minimize the damage from Spike. The casual fans make up a majority of the audience...and they've been watching the UFC on Spike ever since they began tuning in.

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if these same casual fans watch football on FOX, they will surely know about the fight on FOX

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I'm sure "some" people have seen that. There will still be plenty of people tuning into Spike that night though. Realistically, there is really no reason to watch Spike over Fox that night. I can't think of one. Spike will still do halfway decent numbers though, mark my word. And for every person watching Spike, it was a missed opportunity to watch something much better, had they known better.

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

---

They're playing to the extreme casual fans here. Those fans already know to tune into Spike for MMA. Now, even if they've heard that JDS will be fighting Cain that night, they'll check spike and sure enough "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez" will be there in black and white. By the time, they realize that this isn't a build up to the fight, the Fox event will be over. I think it will work to a certain degree. People who don't follow the sport closely can be fooled easily. I used to work with a guy that would ask if I'd seen the UFC the night before. He'd say it anxiously, knowing that I liked to discuss MMA with him. I'd say, "do you mean Affliction?", assuming he thinks everything MMA was UFC. He'd say, "no, the UFC on Spike last night". I'd tell him that it was a taped replay of a previous event. Until he looked it up on the internet, he wouldn't believe me that it wasn't live. I've seen it first hand...people will get confused and/or fooled. UFC and Fox should advertise the shit out of the event, if they want to minimize the damage from Spike. The casual fans make up a majority of the audience...and they've been watching the UFC on Spike ever since they began tuning in.

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if these same casual fans watch football on FOX, they will surely know about the fight on FOX

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I'm sure "some" people have seen that. There will still be plenty of people tuning into Spike that night though. Realistically, there is really no reason to watch Spike over Fox that night. I can't think of one. Spike will still do halfway decent numbers though, mark my word. And for every person watching Spike, it was a missed opportunity to watch something much better, had they known better.

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oh, I'm sure spike will have ok numbers but nowhere near that of FOX. Look, I would be doing the same as spike but I would also know that its futile.

They would be better off showing some Brock fights in my opinion.

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Posted by prophecy033

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by prophecy033

Good luck spike, you not bringing down a free championship fight with old film. They would be better off running a Steven Seagal marathon

---

They're playing to the extreme casual fans here. Those fans already know to tune into Spike for MMA. Now, even if they've heard that JDS will be fighting Cain that night, they'll check spike and sure enough "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez" will be there in black and white. By the time, they realize that this isn't a build up to the fight, the Fox event will be over. I think it will work to a certain degree. People who don't follow the sport closely can be fooled easily. I used to work with a guy that would ask if I'd seen the UFC the night before. He'd say it anxiously, knowing that I liked to discuss MMA with him. I'd say, "do you mean Affliction?", assuming he thinks everything MMA was UFC. He'd say, "no, the UFC on Spike last night". I'd tell him that it was a taped replay of a previous event. Until he looked it up on the internet, he wouldn't believe me that it wasn't live. I've seen it first hand...people will get confused and/or fooled. UFC and Fox should advertise the shit out of the event, if they want to minimize the damage from Spike. The casual fans make up a majority of the audience...and they've been watching the UFC on Spike ever since they began tuning in.

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if these same casual fans watch football on FOX, they will surely know about the fight on FOX

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I'm sure "some" people have seen that. There will still be plenty of people tuning into Spike that night though. Realistically, there is really no reason to watch Spike over Fox that night. I can't think of one. Spike will still do halfway decent numbers though, mark my word. And for every person watching Spike, it was a missed opportunity to watch something much better, had they known better.

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oh, I'm sure spike will have ok numbers but nowhere near that of FOX. Look, I would be doing the same as spike but I would also know that its futile.

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Well, of coarse it won't be close. Fox vs a cable network is apples and oranges. Spike will steal a little thunder though.

Spike probably profited quite a bit from hosting the UFC for all those years. I think they're kind of making a mistake by burning their bridges with DFW and UFC. Who's not to say that Spike would never get any sort UFC (or Strikeforce, if they miraculously don't get absorbed by Zuffa, the MMA borg) programming ever again?

thats probably all spike cares about anyways is stealing some veiws, they know they cant compete with free title fights, even versus is doin it, but theyre not gonna just sit back and let fox have it, there gonna do w.e they can to shut them down, even though fox's mma rize is inevitable

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Posted by armbar66j7

thats probably all spike cares about anyways is stealing some veiws, they know they cant compete with free title fights, even versus is doin it, but theyre not gonna just sit back and let fox have it, there gonna do w.e they can to shut them down, even though fox's mma rize is inevitable

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True but tyring to piss of Dana is bad news bears.. Now y should ufc buy their stuff from Spike when they could make them wait a full year for them to brodcast another figting org which makes more ppl get into UFC. I recall sumone saying this still have to play UFC for another year before they can go to others unless UFC buys back the media

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Posted by Manak

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Posted by armbar66j7

thats probably all spike cares about anyways is stealing some veiws, they know they cant compete with free title fights, even versus is doin it, but theyre not gonna just sit back and let fox have it, there gonna do w.e they can to shut them down, even though fox's mma rize is inevitable

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True but tyring to piss of Dana is bad news bears.. Now y should ufc buy their stuff from Spike when they could make them wait a full year for them to brodcast another figting org which makes more ppl get into UFC. I recall sumone saying this still have to play UFC for another year before they can go to others unless UFC buys back the media

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Yeah, I believe the ball was basically in Zuffa's court. Spike wants to badly move Bellator over to their channel. If my understanding is correct, Spike has the rights to all previous Spike/UFC content for the next year to play as they wish. If Zuffa opted to pay for the rights, Spike couldn't play the content, but they could put a competitor on the channel. This must be the lesser of two evils in Zuffa's mind...but I don't think Spike likes the decision too much.

Hey Spike, have fun with The Deadliest Warrior

That's like counter-programming the superbowl by showing last year's superbowl.

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Posted by ncordless

That's like counter-programming the superbowl by showing last year's superbowl.

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exactly

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Posted by ncordless

That's like counter-programming the superbowl by showing last year's superbowl.

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to be fair though, I'd rather rewatch the Giants/Patriots superbowl over a dud like the Steelers/Seahawks was

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Posted by emfleek

Spike's playing with fire on this one, imo.

I've grown to despise them (Spike) actually. They should rename themselves, "The 1001st Way to Die".

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Very clever. And I HATE HATE HATE that show. Deadliest Warrior is alright tho and the game is even better.

I agree with everyone else tho on this topic. Spike has no chance.