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    Cagewriter

    The UFC to take on the Olympics in August

    By Maggie Hendricks | Cagewriter – Wed, Feb 8, 2012 9:11 AM EST

    (Getty)On Tuesday night, the UFC announced on Fuel TV that fights will return to Atlantic City for an FX show on June 22 and to Fox on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. The date of the Fox show will pit the UFC directly against the Summer Olympics.

    The UFC hasn't shied away from the Olympics in the past. UFC 110, which featured Cain Velasquez taking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round, aired against the 2010 Winter Olympics. Georges St. Pierre defended his belt against Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on the second night of the 2008 Summer Games.

    [Related: Jon Fitch vs. Josh Koscheck fight could happen]

    But there are two big differences here. First of all, this is network television vs. network television. The previous UFC events that took on the Olympics were pay-per-views, which generally attract a more hard-core fan base. With network television, the UFC is seeking casual fans. During the Olympics, casual sports fans tune into the Games.

    Secondly, the UFC's other Olympic-conflicted events fell on nights with with light schedules at the Games. Aug. 4 will be jam-packed with sports popular in the U.S. Swimming will award medals in four races. Basketball and beach volleyball will play early-round games. In track and field, the men's long jump and women's heptathlon and 100-meter events will conclude. The gold- and bronze-medal tennis matches will take place at Wimbledon.

    Who will win the ratings battle? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

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    20 comments

    • BM
      BM  •  Lake Zurich, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      MMA needs to be an Olympic sport.... Then everyone wins
    • Y. Song
      Y. Song  •  Singapore, Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Does the author of this article not understand timezones? Or does she not know the Olympics will be in London? By the time a 7pm PST UFC on FOX show kicks off in LA, it will be 3am in London. Unless they will have Olympic events that late, there will be no conflicts other than with highlight reels on NBC. So basically this article is completely redundant.. but not only that, what is amazing is Maggie Hendricks thinks she is somehow smarter than UFC and FOX executives when picking a fight date/time? Give me a break...
      • kryptonic
        kryptonic 3 months ago
        NBC uses tape delay and broadcasts the important events in primetime, not in a highlight show. If you don't think the US men's basketball team or the 100 meter final is going to be competition for the UFC, even on tape delay, I believe you're heavily mistaken.
      • Y. Song
        Y. Song 3 months ago
        This isn't Beijing. NBC will be playing these live throughout the bulk of the day during which people at home, office, or school will be watching and/or being updated of the results online or in the news. The way we communicate and get information now is much different than even 3 Olympics ago. So by the time prime-time comes by, a well marketed live FOX event will have no issues competing against tape delays, for which the viewing public will have already known the results.
    • Jason
      Jason  •  3 months ago
      Let's see, reruns of Olympic events where I already know what happened, or a live fight? Wake me up when the Olympics aren't taped for prime time.
    • The Unsilent Majority
      The Unsilent Majority  •  3 months ago
      Add Sambo, and televise that and wrestling. That would make for some fun summer olympics.
    • justin p
      justin p  •  Hamilton, Canada  •  3 months ago
      hello! Timezones make it a non issue. Oh yeah, and the fact they play the same events 50 times a day anyways, in full, in part, replay after replay.
    • Sbigshaun
      Sbigshaun  •  3 months ago
      I don't think it'll affect the ratings much for the UFC. I'm sure they'll do what they can to make the card as stacked as they can (mybe the Diaz/Condit rematch????). And was it just me or wasn't there a story out at the end of the olympics last time that said that ratings CONTINUE to go down here in the US?
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Plano, Texas  •  3 months ago
      And this will be the day that the world recognizes that MMA and the UFC in particular are taking over the world of sports.

      WINNING!!
      • sirharper
        sirharper 3 months ago
        It will be a reality check for the sport du jour.
    • Ross
      Ross  •  Toronto, Canada  •  3 months ago
      even when the Olympics were in Vancouver they were well finished for the day before the UFC events started at 10pm. since London is a 5 hour difference from the East Coast, no live Olympic coverage is going to overlap by a good 6-7 hours
    • Christian
      Christian  •  3 months ago
      im watching the olympics over the ufc any day.
    • jayng200
      jayng200  •  Manila, Philippines  •  3 months ago
      Overall the Olympics will win out, but Im sure the UFC shows will get the majority of the male 18-30 segment.
    • Chilling Villain
      Chilling Villain  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 months ago
      How about including MMA in the Olympics...USA will take gold everytime.
      • rian
        rian 3 months ago
        #$%$. have you ever heard of a country named BRAZIL???
      • MtdewComacho
        MtdewComacho 3 months ago
        Um, wrong, at least 3 of the UFC champions are not US citizens.
      • Like Totally
        Like Totally 3 months ago
        Chilling: Thanks for being patriotic. But reality is a bi1ch. USA *might* win Silver.
    • matt priebe
      matt priebe  •  3 months ago
      This is why we have PVR's
    • Ross
      Ross  •  Toronto, Canada  •  3 months ago
      no one mentions the Dutch huh?Overeem, Schilt, Aerts, Struve, Coenen?or the Russians?Fedor, Kharitonoc, Nurmagobadaev? (he was #$%$ impressive at UFC on FX 1)as a Canadian, we don't have much outside GSP... who is the second best Canadian fighter? Rory Mcdonald? Mark Bocek? I'll take 3 of the Dutch or Russians over my countrymen as p4p better fighters and likelier to take a medal
    • Stephanie
      Stephanie  •  3 months ago
      People watch the olympics? i thought that was just something read about or cought the highlights of on the evening news? You hear how many golds we have vs each country but to actually wach that crap, oh well i guess some people watch golf and baseball.
    • Jono Loves Bacon
      Jono Loves Bacon  •  3 months ago
      If you like ANY sport in particular, then the Olympics arent for you.
      More than half of the coverage is blahblah analusts and human interest story catering to the mom crowds more than sports fans. If you like volleyball, handball, track or field, youre better off watching the world championships rather than pray that your TV is on during the 3mins they give your sport some airtime.
      The only crossover sport UFC fans might want to catch is gymnastics.

      aired against the 2010 Winter Olympics

      Please dont humour the northern countries into believing anyone cares about shootin/cross skiing or lugeing. Its a regional affair where most of the 60-70 countries barely have snow (expcet for this year in europe). The only good part is ice hockey on the big ice surfaces but lest face it, americans dont really about hockey either.
      The canucks love of curling is shared in the US by retirees who dont play it on ice and call it shuffleboard.

      This is non news unless Usain Bolt roid filled run (oh, no.,... he;s a 'new' bread of athlete) happens to be on at the exact same time. And that will last a whole 9secs.
      I dont see see heptathlon and long jump and US vs Angola first round basketball taking anyone away from a fight. Beach volleyball is another story (find a south american feed for this, trust me, the understand camera work very well)
      Its a good programming move for guys whose wives force them to watch games with them: now they have an excuse no to.
      • sirharper
        sirharper 3 months ago
        Wrestling, Judo and Boxing are all Olympic sports...so much for your crossover claim.
    • Barry
      Barry  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  3 months ago
      sorry fanboys, but uncle dana wouldnt shut down the ufc for 6 months so these guys can train for and fight in the olympics. one guy goes and does a movie and he flips out, you really think hes gonna watch all his best fighters go back to their native country for three months to train for a card that he isnt promoting? get your head out from your collective #$%$
    • Krumpled4skin
      Krumpled4skin  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 months ago
      I am thinking Big Country can be in a Olympic competitive eating contest
    • OGNutcracker
      OGNutcracker  •  3 months ago
      Wrestling is barely shown during the Olympics. So you think they want wrestlers throwing haymakers in the Olympics too?? You kids have a sense of humor. Try beating X-Games or even Boxing first. That's right, Boxing is in, MMA, not...
    • OGNutcracker
      OGNutcracker  •  Jakarta, Indonesia  •  3 months ago
      MMA in the Olympics?? Hahahaha.. Yeah right. Try beating CSI on Fox first.. CSI reruns as a matter of fact. You kids are sitting too close to the Cagewanker screen and not seeing the bigger picture. Glorified Tough Man comps in the Olympics?? Never gonna happen
    • kenoking
      kenoking  •  Lake Forest, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      MMA - hands down.
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