UFC on FOX: Top Quotes Announcing Velasquez vs. Dos Santos

Huge news came down today from the UFC as President Dana White announced that the main event of the first UFC on FOX fight card will be the heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

Rumors began yesterday when it was announced that today's media call would be happening, but the MMA community will be happy to hear that perhaps the most anticipated heavyweight fight in the company's history will be available for free on network television.

In addition to this big news, there were also some other interesting tidbits that came out of the call, including information regarding another current champion who was considered for the main event as well as the health of superstar fighter Brock Lesnar.

Bleacher Report covered the media call this afternoon and we have assembled some of the best quotes from Dana White as well as executives from FOX in one, easy-to-navigate location. 

The Main Event

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“We are going with the most prestigious championship in all of sports—the heavyweight title.”
—Dana White 

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Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will be the main attraction on the very first UFC on FOX fight card scheduled for November 12, 2011. 

“We wanted to deliver, and what better way to do that than the most prestigious title in the sport, the UFC heavyweight title," White added. 

Who Else Was Considered for the Main Event?

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“Do you go with the pound-for-pound greatest fighter? Timing is an issue, Anderson is coming off of a fight.”
—Dana White 

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The UFC President has made no mistake about it in recent months. He believes that current middleweight champion Anderson Silva is the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artist not only today, but in the history of the sport.

Silva would have made a great choice as the main event, but only fought six days ago and there isn't a particularly obvious opponent already in place for him. 

Viewership on FOX

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“We’re on the biggest network by a long-shot. This is going to be the most-watched mixed martial arts event in North American and South American history. Not only here in the United States, but we’re going to break our record down in Brazil, too, with this heavyweight matchup.”
—Dana White

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The UFC returned to Brazil this past Saturday night and they will be airing this first UFC on FOX event on television in Brazil as well. 

Other Televised Fights on FOX

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“This is it. We’re going one hour with a five-round championship fight.”
—Dana White 

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The Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight could be 25-minutes of action, but if it ends before the time limit as many expect that it will, the UFC could air a "best of" of the night's best under-card fights.

Compensation

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“These guys are very happy with what they’re being paid.”
—Dana White 

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A heavyweight title fight is typically not one that would be given away for free on television. The fighters are also typically compensated very well for main eventing any pay-per-view event. 

But without giving any specific numbers, White indicated that both Dos Santos and Velasquez will be receiving healthy paychecks for this monumental fight. 

Negotiating with the Fighters

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"It was the easiest conversation I've ever had yanking guys off pay-per-view and putting them on television. It took all of about three minutes for them both to agree."
—Dana White 

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These two heavyweight titans know that this could be the defining moment of their mixed martial arts careers. Performing in front of what is expected to be a record-breaking television audience will give them the kind of exposure that no pay-per-view could hope to capture. 

Manny Pacquiao Fight the Same Night

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“I hate Bob Arum, I hope he only does one buy for this fight.”
—Dana White

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Always a source for a funny quote about another promoter, Dana White smashed boxing promoter Bob Arum who had previously referred to UFC fans as "skinhead white guys."  

Arum will be promoting the Manny Pacquiao fight on pay-per-view the same night as UFC on FOX. However, the UFC President also added that the UFC's show will be over by the time Pacquiao fights. 

A Fan at Heart

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“But I love Manny Pacquiao and I hope he does 3 Million Buys. So it’s kind of a Catch-22 for me.”
—Dana White

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Despite his distaste for the promoter, Dana White is an avid fan of boxing and the sport's biggest star Manny Pacquiao. 

UFC Becoming Mainstream

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"We're not mainstream yet...We've been given this opportunity and you can bet your ass that we're going to take it."
—Dana White

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Though he admits that his product is not yet comparable to the NBA or NFL, White believes that this deal with FOX is a big step toward that eventual goal.  

White also added that he expects the boxing fight to affect the UFC's numbers in a positive way because their product is free for the evening while the boxing event is on pay-per-view. 

Super Bowl Atmosphere

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“We will be launching the UFC on FOX with a Super Bowl-style, red-carpet and tailgating party with every star in Hollywood.”
—David Hill

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FOX knows what they're doing when it comes to promoting huge sporting events. The UFC will fit right in. 

How Big Is This Fight for FOX?

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"This is like us getting Ali-Foreman."
—David Hill 

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Though Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos may not be known to the general population in the same way that Muhammad Ali and George Foreman were, that may all change on November 12, 2011. 

What If It's a Boring Fight?

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"I'm literally betting everything that this won’t be a boring fight."
—Dana White 

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The confident UFC President made sure to note that neither Velasquez nor dos Santos have been involved in a "boring" fight for the promotion yet. 

Brock Lesnar's Health

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"Brock Lesnar is 100 percent and will begin training again soon."
—Dana White

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Contrary to reports this week that the former UFC heavyweight champion may be headed for retirement following his most recent battle with diverticulitis, Dana White made it clear that his biggest star to-date will not be retiring.

No word yet on when he will be back in the cage, but Lesnar's return will be a highly anticipated and a great source of marketing material for the UFC.