UFC 141: Is Friday's Time Slot the Right Move for the Event?

UFC 141 won't be taking place on a Saturday night. I know, stop the presses, the world must be coming to an end.

So, if the UFC isn't on Saturday night, it must be on a Sunday night like the typical WWE pay-per-view right? Nope, it's on Friday night.

What's the reason for the change? It's only this little thing called New Year's Eve.

Unlike some other bloggers and analysts that feel the show will suffer from a Friday time slot, I actually believe it works to the UFC's benefit.

The UFC's main demographic is young males. The average young male will be looking at the bottom of a few bottles (or cans depending on their economic standing) on Saturday night.

Sure, the casual fan won't be aware of the change in time slots, but I don't feel the casual fans are the ones who are willing to drop money on a PPV. Casual fans who are unsure about a sport are much more likely to watch as part of a group (at a sports bar, for example) than sit at home to watch a UFC event.

The hardcores are well aware of UFC 141 being on Friday night and will spend the money regardless of the night. For the casual fans that are willing to drop money for a PPV at home, Friday night arguably works best for their NYE plans.

On Saturday night, most people will be busy drinking and dancing the night away, not sitting in front of a TV screen at home.

Will the UFC PPV buys suffer some? Of course, but I don't believe the number will be so drastic that UFC 141 will be considered a failure by any means.

The bout between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone could be the fight of the year, and fans will be interested in Alistair Overeem's debut in the UFC. Brock Lesnar also happens to be one of the biggest PPV draws for the UFC.

Given that a lot of Lesnar's fans are crossovers from WWE, a Friday time slot is nothing new to them.

Avoiding conflict with people's NYE plans combined with Lesnar's ability to draw PPV numbers will prevent UFC 141 from being a financial failure.

With Georges St-Pierre out with an injury, this gives Lesnar the opportunity to prove he really is "the next big thing" and reassert himself as the top moneymaker in the UFC.