(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
Commissioners Tim Finchem and Dana White announce "groundbreaking" PPV event!
It’s a stroke of genius, really.
PGA Tour and UFC officials made the startling announcement early Monday morning that following this week’s Masters Tournament various professional golfers will square off against the UFC title holders in an unimaginable team cage fighting competition.
As it will be a sanctioned event, the title at each weight class will officially be up for grabs.
Both commissioners, Tim Finchem (PGA) and Dana White (UFC), released a joint statement that provides some insight: “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to combine our sports for this groundbreaking event.
"This has the potential to introduce each of our respective sports to an entirely new fan base. The PGA vs. UFC will be the greatest PPV event in television history.”
They have a point. Although the game of golf boasts a fan base of some 61 million people, the PGA Tour itself has very little opportunity to reap the dividends available to other sports via pay per view sales.
This event will certainly satisfy that ever-increasing demand, while exposing millions of new viewers to MMA.
“I doubt very many people will pay extra to watch golf on TV, and I doubt very many people will tune in to watch cage fighters play golf. This is the best of both worlds, and a fantastic opportunity to partner with the juggernaut UFC.”
Finchem further added, “I think my boys will surprise the MMA world. This isn’t a cash grab. I expect some very competitive fights.”
We’ll see.
Commentators for the event, officially billed as “UFC 97: From the Course to the Cage,” will be Johnny Miller and Joe Rogan. Surprisingly, each is proficient in the others’ sport.
Rogan is a scratch golfer and Miller trains with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz during the off-season in Huntington Beach, CA, where he’s known as “The Silverback.”
To make things more interesting, in a UFC first, Miller will use a telestrator to help describe the action for the novice fight viewer.
Here’s a preliminary breakdown of each title fight, by weight class...
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