THE CANADIAN PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Despite his rocky past with Showtime, UFC president Dana White has taken over negotiating duties with the network from UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta — meeting with executives on Wednesday in New York to talk about the future of Strikeforce on the premium cable channel.
“I think it went really well,” White said of the meeting with officials of the network, which inked a five-year deal with Strikeforce back in 2009.
White wouldn’t elaborate on specifics of the conversation or on the likelihood that Showtime would renew its contract that expires next year now that Strikeforce is owned by UFC parent company Zuffa.
He did, however, admit things were smoother now that former Showtime sports head Ken Hershman had departed for the same role at HBO.
“I don’t know what their plans are, but I had a great meeting with them. It went very well, and we’ll see how it progresses,” White said.
White laughed off a reporter’s inquiry about whether Showtime owner Viacom’s recent purchase of Bellator Fighting would quiet those who believe UFC has a monopoly on MMA.
“This is not a monopoly. It’s the dumbest thing ever said. We are far from a monopoly,” he said. “If we’re a monopoly, Viacom now owns a mixed martial arts company. They’re sitting on five billion dollars cash. What does that make us? Now we’re the mom-and-pops. I can tell you this: The UFC has been tremendously successful. We’re not sitting on $5 billion in cash.”
GOING GLOBAL
The first international version of the American reality fighting TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” will take place in Brazil, White said.
“We’re doing all those, too,” White said of long-time rumours that the popular series, which has aired on Spike TV since the show debuted in 2005, would take place in Canada or the Philippines. “This one (Brazil) just got done really fast.”
White said although he wasn’t sure of a date yet or location, that the UFC would quickly return to Brazil for another live show.
“It’s a huge market for us. It’s incredible down there,” White said of Brazil, which hosted its first UFC event in 13 years with a sold out UFC 134 card in August.
“We’re going to do as many as we possibly can.”
White said that the UFC’s international focus right now is concentrated on sanctioning events in Japan, France, China and India, as well as efforts in the states that include legalizing MMA in New York and possibly hosting an outside show in Hawaii.
ESPN’S ANIK JOINS UFC
Jon Anik, the host of ESPN2’s weekly “MMA Live” show, has joined the UFC broadcasting team and will commentate the live Ultimate Fighter episodes when they air on FOX starting in 2012, in addition to other UFC duties.
“I believe the UFC’s as strong a brand as there is in professional sports, but what really drew me to this organization was the people behind it,” the 33-year-old Boston native said.
“If I was leaving ESPN, there was only one destination: the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It’s a dream come true.”
