UFC on G4? What This Would Mean for G4, Spike and the UFC

With the UFC's deal with Spike TV running out at the end of the year, there has been much speculation as to whether the UFC will attempt to return to its longtime home at Spike or perhaps seek out a new network to call home.

With recent reports coming in that the UFC has been negotiating buying controlling interest in G4, it seems more than likely that the former tech channel will now be home to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. What will this mean for both parties?

A Much Stronger Lineup for G4

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Los Angeles Police Officers patrol the outside of Staples Center before Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on May 2, 2

Its no secret to longtime fans of G4 that in recent years the programming has gone downhill in a BIG way. A unique channel that once defined itself as being "Tech TV" was known for having a very video game-heavy lineup, mixed in with shows like Attack of the Show, which focused on some of the broader aspects of modern-day technology.

If you happen to flip across G4 today, however, that may come as a surprise. A typical day's programming on G4 will include no less than five hours of COPS (or its college spin-off, Campus PD), an old kung fu movie or two and some bogus "edgy" late night TV.

Out of its initially very successful lineup, the network has kept X-Play as well as Attack of the Show, though X-Play is now a sad, pathetic shell of the very entertaining show it used to be, and AOTS (while by far still the most watchable program left on G4) has been declining in quality for quite some time now.

If the UFC owned a controlling share in G4, you can bet we will be seeing quite a bit of it playing on this network, which will be a VERY welcome change.

A Massive Drop in Viewers for Spike TV

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LAS VEGAS - DECEMBER 07: UFC Light Heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts Champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson arrives at Spike TV's 2007 'Video Game Awards' at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 7, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Get

As bad as the programming is currently on G4, thinking of Spike TV without any UFC promotions or fights is a very unappealing thought.

Personally, one of the only reasons I ever watch Spike is for The Ultimate Fighter or the occasional episode of UFC Unleashed. Most of Spike's other programming has either been rerun to death or was never a great idea to begin with (I'm looking at you, 1000 Ways to Die).

I can safely say that if the UFC does end up no longer having a deal with Spike TV, it will most likely fall out my list of channels to surf by. (Plus, with the absence of the UFC, they might manage to actually show MORE reruns of CSI. *shudder*)

The only possible upside for Spike if this deal comes to fruition is that the fighting league Bellator will most likely be transferred from MTV to Spike. Even with this, the loss of the UFC name will no doubt greatly affect the number of viewers who regularly tune in to watch Spike TV.

A Reboot for UFC Programming

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 27: Michael Bisping of Great Britain kicks Jorge Rivera of the USA in their middleweight bout part of at UFC 127 at Acer Arena on February 27, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

I was never satisfied with the amount of exposure and airtime that the UFC received on Spike TV. The idea that the UFC could now own a majority share of its own television channel is honestly very exciting.

Not only will we probably get to see more frequent airings of shows like UFC Unleashed, as well as the probable return of The Ultimate Fighter, but the probability of new types of programming that the UFC could potentially become involved in (Friday Night Fights, anyone?) is something that most fans of the UFC would definitely look forward to.

Whatever the outcome of the network change would be, I'm sure Dana White and the UFC could think of some pretty awesome and entertaining new programming to draw in new fans and keep longtime fans hooked.

A Victory for Fans of the Sport

A network change for the UFC would not only affect the networks involved, as well as the UFC itself, but would also greatly affect the way that the UFC is distributed and presented to fans of mixed martial arts.

Most fans of the sport are aware of the UFC programming on Spike TV and would most likely follow this programming to its potential new home at G4. At the same time, the probable relocation of the Bellator fighting league to Spike, a channel that more MMA fans would be inclined to watch, will give the league a MUCH higher degree of exposure. (Seriously, when was the last time you sat down and watched MTV for anything other than Bellator...or Jersey Shore?).

Plus, the probable evolution of the programming that we would see in a channel owned by the UFC is pretty much limitless and very, very exciting for any fan of the sport.