The Heavyweight Title match would be the only match on the Fox broadcast of the show, a risky move when there would be another nine matches on the card to be broadcast on Facebook and FoxSports.com. The match needed a good build up in order to attract a large audience, with a UFC Prime Time special presented before the bout on the two competitors. Unlike other pre-fight specials which the UFC have produced, usually focused around a red-hot feud designed to sell pay per view buys, the Velasquez-Dos Santos build up presented two very respectful human beings with humble upbringings who were both thankful for the position they were now in. Velasquez, who was born in theUSfrom Mexican parents who had emigrated in order to give their children a better life, was presented as an almost shy family man who was very respectful of the position he was in as UFC Heavyweight Champion. In one sequence he was seen mopping the floor of the gym after a training session, saying he had not stopped doing it after becoming Champion. DosSantos, on the other hand, was brought up in the slums ofBrazilto a poor upbringing and had chosen to try to do better for himself. He moved out of his family home where he grew up to make money elsewhere, initially selling newspapers and ice creams, before he discovered boxing and mixed martial arts, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Fox broadcast prior to the fight featured an in-studio analysis from Curt Menefee, who was the main presenter of the show, with comments from Dana White and Brock Lesnar. Their discussions centred around the game plan and skills of both Velasquez and Dos Santos, both of whom were undefeated in the UFC going into the fight, and who would come out on top. The conclusions drawn were that if the fight went to the mat, it would favour Velasquez’s wrestling prowess, whereas if it remained standing thanks to Dos Santos’ takedown defence, his boxing ability would give him the edge. Both White and Lesnar came across well in the broadcast, providing detailed and comprehensive analysis, though Lesnar’s usual confidence shone through as he talked about how he would overcome Alistair Overeem on December 30th and then regain his UFC Heavyweight Title in 2012.
In the arena, the match certainly had a big-fight feel. The UFC had rolled out the red carpet for celebrities attending, and in addition to Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem, Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and other fighters were also present for the match. The very vocal crowd of 14,019, which drew a gate of $1.1million, below the UFC’s average due to ticket prices being kept low with the match being on TV, was split between supporting both fighters, and a genuine atmosphere of anything could happen was projected on the live broadcast.
Onto the match itself, after Bruce Buffer’s usual over the top introductions, match control shifted over to Joe McCarthy, arguably the best referee in the world and the perfect referee for the match. After the bell sounded, the two had some brief opening skirmishes with low kicks and punches, before Velasquez attempted a single-leg takedown at the 30 second mark. For the next 25 seconds the two exchanged punches in a stand-up battle, before Dos Santos threw a huge hooking right hand to the temple of Velasquez which floored the Champion, after which Dos Santos moved in to pummel a dazed Velasquez on the floor with multiple lefts and then rights, before the Champion slumped to the mat, out cold. McCarthy waved off the challenger at the 1:04 mark as the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. It was certainly an explosive, high energy fight, with a finish which earned Dos Santos the knockout of the night honour.
Post-fight, a clearly emotional Dos Santos accepted the Heavyweight title and claimed he would be hosting a big barbeque back inBrazilto celebrate, while Velasquez said he had hesitated and not stuck to their game plan of taking the match to the mat, and applauded the ability of the new Champion. Back in the studio, Lesnar commented that the Heavyweight belt can’t seem to stay in one man’s hands long, and that all it takes is the right punch at the right time. He couldn’t have said it any better.
When all the dust had settled on Sunday morning, the TV ratings gave both the UFC and Fox something to celebrate, as 5.7 million people tuned in to see the show, making Velasquez-Dos Santos the most watched fight in North-American MMA history. This is above the level set by Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson on EliteXC: Primetime on May 31st 2008, which averaged 4.85 million viewers. While some have criticised the UFC’s decision to only broadcast one match on the show, which as we now know ended rapidly, the ratings tell a different story. If the 64 seconds wet just half of those people’s appetite for the UFC, there is certainly a chance that a large proportion of new fans were created that night.
TheUKbroadcast of the show, which aired in a free-to-view slot on Premier Sports on Sky TV, was a much different show when compared with the one broadcast on Fox. Ignoring all of the pre- and post-fight analysis from the in-arena studio, prior to the Heavyweight Title match we were treated to the three round war between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson for the next Lightweight Title shot. An all out battle which was much closer than the judges scored it, the match featured a standing war, a mat-wrestling clinic and submission and counter submissions on the canvas, leading to Ben Henderson winning the match 29-28, 30-27, 30-27, and the two of them gaining match of the night honours. Also on theUKbroadcast, after the end of the main event, we got the featherweight bout between Cub Swanson and Ricardo Lamas, which saw Lamas win by submission at 2:16 of the second round and pick up submission of the night honours.
TheUKwasn’t the only overseas broadcast of the show, with Dana White keen to emphasise at the post-event press conference thatBrazilwas broadcasting the show and an estimated 60 million people saw Dos Santos lift the Heavyweight Title in his home country. It’s no wonder thatBrazilhas been earmarked as a hotspot for the promotion in 2012, with White calling it the UFC’s newCanada.
Taking everything into account, UFC on Fox was an excellent showcase of the promotion, and the future of the relationship between UFC and Fox looks bright. Let’s see what the next seven years brings.
