FOX SPORTS’ UFC PROGRAMMING FEATURES UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON FOX SPORTS 1: MACDONALD VS. SAFFIEDINE, THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: ESPARZA VS. HILL, PLUS FERTITTA AND MACDONALD INTERVIEWS ON UFC TONIGHT
By
Mike Johnson on 10/1/2014 4:12 PM
FOX SPORTS’ UFC PROGRAMMING FEATURES UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON FOX SPORTS 1: MACDONALD VS. SAFFIEDINE, THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: ESPARZA VS. HILL, PLUS FERTITTA AND MACDONALD INTERVIEWS ON UFC TONIGHT
Here’s a list of key UFC programming premiering over the next week on FOX Sports 1.
UFC TONIGHT – MACDONALD AND FERTITTA INTERVIEWS, PLUS CORMIER GUEST HOSTS
· Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Wednesday, Oct. 1 (8:00 PM ET)
· Talent: Kenny Florian, Karyn Bryant, Daniel Cormier, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: On UFC TONIGHT, No. 2-ranked light heavyweight Daniel Cormier joins Florian and Bryant in studio. The crew interviews No. 2-ranked welterweight Rory MacDonald about his headliner at this Saturday’s UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MACDONALD vs. SAFFIEDINE. Plus, they also catch up with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Bryant and Helwani provide additional reports.
THE UTLIMATE FIGHTER: FABER GUEST COACHES, NO. 1-RANKED ESPARZA FACES NO. 16-RANKED HILL
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Wednesday, Oct. 1 (10:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Melendez, Dana White
- This Week: This week on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, after Team Melendez loses its third fight in a row, tensions between Heather Clark and the rest of Team Melendez escalate. Urijah Faber takes over for Anthony Pettis for a few days as a special guest coach. Then, in the fourth fight of the tournament, Team Pettis pits No. 1-ranked Carla Esparza against No. 16-ranked Angela Hill for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.
SAFFIEDINE’S LEG KICKS COULD BEST MACDONALD, SAYS EVANS: A clash of top-10 welterweights headlines UFC® FIGHT NIGHT ON FOX SPORTS 1: MACDONALD vs. SAFFIEDINE on Saturday, Oct. 4 (10:00 PM ET), when No. 2-ranked Rory MacDonald (17-2) battles No. 9-ranked Tarec Saffiedine (15-3). MacDonald has won seven of his past eight bouts, while the former Strikeforce champion Saffiedine has his sights set on a title shot, if he can extend his current five-fight win streak. However, MacDonald could be vulnerable to Saffiedine’s leg kicks, says UFC on FOX analyst Rashad Evans: “I think it’s going to take more than the jab for MacDonald. That jab will leave him in a vulnerable spot. Those leg kicks from Saffiedine will get there before the jabs. He’s really going to have to mix it up by wearing him down, get some clinches in there, make it more of a brawl and that’s his best chance to win this fight.” To watch UFC on FOX analysts preview the fight, click: http://bit.ly/1uxjAoy
UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW: NO. 1-RANKED LIGHTWEIGHT MELENDEZ JOINS AS ANALYST
- Network/When: FOX Sports 2 & FOX Sports GO, Friday, Oct. 3 (3:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Karyn Bryant, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Heidi Androl
- This Week: The UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW features veteran combat sports journalist Karyn Bryant as host, with No. 2-ranked light heavyweight Daniel Cormier and No. 1-ranked lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez providing analysis as the 24 fighters attempt to make weight. Heidi Androl interviews fighters during the show.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS: THREE LIGHTWEIGHT CLASHES FEATURED
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1* & FOX Deportes & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Oct. 4 (8:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik, Brian Stann (FOX Deportes: Víctor Dávila and Fabricio Werdum)
- This Week: The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS feature four bouts including Daron Cruickshank (15-5) versus Anthony Njokuani (16-8, 1NC) in a lightweight bout. Two more lightweights square off when Olivier Aubin-Mercier (5-1) faces Jake Lindsey (9-1). Another lightweight clash between Jason Saggo (10-1) and Paul Felder (8-0) follows, while flyweights Patrick Holohan (10-0-1) and Chris Kelades (7-1) open the PRELIMS. (*Due to MLB playoffs, the PRELIMS could start on FOX Sports 2, then move to FOX Sports 1 at the conclusion of the game.)
UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON FOX SPORTS 1: MACDONALD VS. SAFFIEDINE FEATURES BATTLE BETWEEN TOP 10 WELTERWEIGHTS
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Deportes & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Oct. 4 (10:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik, Brian Stann (FOX Deportes: Víctor Dávila and Fabricio Werdum)
- This Week: The UFC’s No. 2-ranked welterweight Rory MacDonald (17-2) battles No. 9-ranked Tarec Saffiedine (15-3) in the highly anticipated headlining bout. The three-hour main card also features five more thrilling matchups, including a key bantamweight clash between No. 4-ranked Raphael Assuncao (21-4) and No. 10-ranked Bryan Caraway (19-7), while The Ultimate Fighter Nations welterweight champion Chad Laprise (9-0) moves to lightweight to face Yosdenis Cedeno (10-3). The Ultimate Fighter Nations middleweight champion Elias Theodorou (9-0) looks to stay undefeated against Bruno Santos (14-1). Welterweights Nordine Taleb (9-2) and Li Jingliang (9-2) face off, and bantamweights Mitch Gagnon (11-2) and Roman Salazar (9-2) kick off the main card action. To watch the promo, click here: http://bit.ly/1mN51dV
FOX SPORTS LIVE RECAPS UFC FIGHT NIGHT WELTERWEIGHT CLASH
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Oct. 4 (1:00 AM ET)
- Talent: Karyn Bryant, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Heidi Androl
- This Week: Host Bryant and analysts Cormier and Melendez join FOX SPORTS LIVE to recap the fights, including the pivotal welterweight headliner between MacDonald and Saffiedine. Androl interviews fighters onsite.
UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER: UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMP HENDRICKS ON THE BRINK
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Oct. 5 (9:30 PM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik
- This Week: From the rigors of his weigh-in experience to the culmination of one of the greatest title fights in UFC history, exclusively witness UFC 171 through the eyes of Johny Hendricks in On the Brink, as he bests Robbie Lawler for the welterweight belt.
