SPIKE to counter FOX show again

http://mmajunkie.com/news/26420/spike-tv-to-counter-program-ufc-on-fox-2-with-evans-davis-special.mma
Spike TV today further clarified what we already knew: The gloves are off.

After counter-programming the first UFC on FOX event and scoring
approximately 800,000 viewers, Spike TV also will counter-program the
second one.

Spike TV will run a "UFC Unleashed" marathon featuring UFC on FOX 2
headliners Rashad Evans and Phil Davis on Jan. 28 to counter FOX's live
event broadcast that same night.

Beginning in 2012, the UFC moves its free-TV programming to the FOX
family, including the FOX network and cable affiliates FX and FUEL TV.
For the past seven years, Spike TV has aired that content. But they're
splitting at year's end (though Spike TV has the UFC's
library/taped-content rights through 2012), and the relationship has
become increasingly less cordial in recent months.

UFC on FOX 2 follows this past month's initial UFC on FOX card, which
averaged a U.S.-MMA record 5.7 million viewers, though the Junior Dos
Santos vs. Cain Velasquez headliner peaked with 8.8 million viewers.
Spike TV's counter-programming featured Velasquez and Dos Santos, who
were the only fighters to compete on the "teaser" show.

However, UFC on FOX 2, which takes place at Chicago's United Center,
runs two hours and features a solid three-fight main card. Headlining is
a No. 1 contender's bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis (contested
over five rounds), and middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz also
meet in a title eliminator (three rounds). And as announced today,
recent TUF 14 Finale winner Michael Bisping will have a quick return to
action and meets former title challenger Demian Maia.

Spike TV's counter-programming special for the event runs six hours and
begins at 4 p.m. ET/PT. UFC on FOX 2 headliners Evans and Davis are the
focus of the "UFC Unleashed" marathon, which includes some of their
biggest fights from past years. Sonnen, Munoz and Bisping also are
featured.

The full Spike TV schedule includes:

• 
  4 p.m. ET/reairs at 9pm PT: UFC Unleashed – Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
  
• 
  5 p.m. ET/reairs 10 p.m. PT: UFC 137 - Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  
• 
  7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: UFC Unleashed – Chael Sonnen vs. Renato Sobral (UFC 55)
  
• 
  8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT: UFC Unleashed – Mark Munoz vs. Kendall Grove (UFC 112)
  
• 
  9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT: UFC Unleashed - Rashad Evans vs. Brad Imes (“The Ultimate Fighter 2” finale)
  
• 
  10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT: UFC Unleashed - Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson (UFC 114)
  
• 
  11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT: UFC Unleashed – Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida (UFC 98)
  

It's going to be the same misleading commercials that will make you think the real fights are going to be on SPIKE. It was crazy how misleading the commercials were for JDS vs Cain.

haha, of coarse theyll counter it... this has to be pissing dana the fuck off

Not big pains towards the Fox show, i know they'd prefer the %10 bump in ratings, but the real pain is in any pre fight or post fight show's, which I believe do get aired somewhere.


And I can't blame spike, no way they strong arm the UFC into buying back those rights, Dana would NEVER go for that, but if 800,000K are going to tune in, then u do it.

I'm hoping this works for SPIKE and the UFC buys that shit up. I'm all for this stuff being moved to FSN,FX or FUEL and Bellator going to SPIKE.