The agreement will include four live events in prime time or late night each year, the first time UFC has aired on broadcast television.

Silva, who is the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion, went on to knock out Vitor Belfort with a kick, in their fight at UFC 126 in February 2011, and Machida also credited him for helping him perfect the crane kick that he used to knock out Randy Couture at UFC 129 in May 2011.

viewers can access UFC programming on pay-per-view television in the U. S., Brazil, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Italy.

UFC programming can also be found on FX, Fuel TV, and Fox in the U. S., on ESPN in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, as well as in 150 countries and 22 different languages worldwide.

Thirty-six states enacted laws that banned " no-hold-barred " fighting, including New York, which enacted the ban on the eve of UFC 12, forcing a relocation of the event to Dothan, Alabama.

The UFC continued to air on DirecTV PPV, though its audience remained minuscule compared to the larger cable pay-per-view platforms of the era.

UFC 15 saw limitations on hair pulling, and the banning of strikes to the back of the neck and head, headbutting, small-joint manipulations, and groin strikes.

After the long battle to secure sanctioning, SEG stood on the brink of bankruptcy when Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and their business partner Dana White approached them in 2000, with an offer to purchase the UFC.

The Best Damn Sports Show Period aired the first mixed martial arts match on American cable television in June 2002, as well as the main event showcasing Chuck Liddell vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 37. 5.

Spike also signed on to broadcast live UFC Fight Night, a series of fight events debuting in August 2005, and Countdown specials to promote upcoming UFC pay-per-view cards.

After a very successful run on Spike and with the upcoming announcement of the UFC's new relationship with Fox, Spike officials made a statement regarding the end of their partnership with the UFC, “ The Ultimate Fighter season 14 in September will be our last ... Our 6-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future .”

The UFC continued its rapid rise from near obscurity with Roger Huerta gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and Chuck Liddell on the front of ESPN The Magazine in May 2007.

UFC 100 was a massive success garnering 1. 7 million buys under the drawing power of former NCAA wrestling champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar and his rematch with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre going head-to-head with Brazilian knockout artist Thiago Alves, and Pride legend Dan Henderson opposing British middleweight Michael Bisping ; rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom.

In fact, ESPN would eventually devote additional coverage of the UFC and other MMA news with the television debut of " MMA Live " on ESPN2 in May 2010.

These fights segued into a very popular clash between former UFC Champions and rivals Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson — rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights — at UFC 114, featuring the UFC's first main event headlined by African-American fighters.

Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased World Extreme Cagefighting in late 2006 and held the first WEC event under new ownership on January 20, 2007.

| UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk

* Joe Rogan on his UFC career

Le is expected face Rich Franklin on November 10, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 6.

| UFC on Fuel TV 6

Gomi is expected to face Mac Danzig on November 10, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 6.

Ludwig lost to Che Mills on September 29, 2012, via TKO for injury stoppage, at UFC on Fuel TV 5.

| UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic

Kruth was expected to make his UFC debut on April 14, 2012 against Cyrille Diabaté at UFC on Fuel TV 2.

Kruth was expected to finally make his UFC debut against Fabio Maldonado on September 29, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 5 in Nottingham, England.

UFC programming will be aired on various Fox properties, including the Fox network ( which will air four live events per year, the first of which priemiered in November 2011 ), FX, and Fuel TV.

Franklin is expected to return to the middleweight division against Cung Le on November 10, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 6.

For example if the energy drink company Red Bull wanted to target 18-25 year old action sport athletes, they are able to purchase commercial time on a niche network such as Fuel TV who only narrowcasts the UFC, thus making their message more valuable by marketing to a concentrated audience.

The move proved to be pivotal, as Fertitta helped strike TV deals in China, France, Mexico and Germany as well as open alternative revenue streams with a new UFC video game and UFC action figures, among other projects.

Spike TV plans to air Bellator in 2013, after the rights to the UFC ( Ultimate Fighting Championship ) library ends in 2012.

In 1997, he appeared on the popular TV sitcom Friends, portraying Pete Becker, whom Monica Geller dates for several episodes, and who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ).

Super Dave returned on Spike TV for four episodes premiering November 14, 2009 after UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera, and again on November 17.

The event was a monumental moment in UFC history because it was the first ever UFC appearance on basic cable TV and would be exposed to a brand new mainstream audience.

The UFC and Spike TV did what they thought they needed to do for ratings, but in the end, my fans, my family and my God know exactly who I am.

On January 11, 2007, Couture announced his return from retirement in an interview on the Spike TV magazine show, " Inside the UFC ".

In 1997, Abbott appeared as a UFC fighter in the TV show Friends, defeating Jon Favreau's character, the billionaire Pete Becker, who was dating Monica at the time.

The series was a success for both Spike TV and the UFC.

McCarthy also appeared in the TV series " Friends ", season 3 episode 24 " The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion " where he plays the referee of a UFC match between Tank Abbott and Jon Favreau.

The track " Last Man Standing " taken from the album Beyond the Horizon was featured on the Spike TV mini series UFC Primetime on January 31, 2009, documenting the build up to UFC 94 Georges St-Pierre vs B. J.

For the rest of 2006, pay-per-view buy rates continued to skyrocket, with 620, 000 buys for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie — featuring Royce Gracie's first UFC fight in 11 years — and 775, 000 buys for UFC 61 featuring the highly anticipated rematch between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 3.

In its 1952 tax returns, the UFC claimed the land was worth $ 3. 00 per acre.

| UFC 3: The American Dream

It was also announced that Filipović would make his UFC debut on February 3, 2007 at UFC 67 in Las Vegas against Eddie Sanchez, promoting him under the name Mirko " Cro Cop " alternatively with and without quotation marks.

On July 3, 2009 however, it was reported that he might have re-signed with the UFC after getting an offer " he couldn't refuse " by UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta who personally flew to Filipović's residence in Zagreb.

Filipović was defeated by Ultimate Fighter alumni Brendan Schaub on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones by way of KO at 3: 44 of the third round.

In his last fight with the UFC, Filipović was defeated by Roy Nelson at UFC 137 by TKO due to punches in round 3.

* Pride Fighting Championships was also featured in the video game UFC Undisputed 3.

The UFC on Fox 3 event took place at the arena on May 5, 2012.

On September 9, 1994, Shamrock returned to the octagon at UFC 3 in an event that was marketed by the UFC as the ultimate rematch between two-time champion Royce Gracie and # 1 contender Ken Shamrock.

He later revealed that he entered UFC 3 with a knee injury and aggravated the injury during the event.

With this win, Shamrock advanced to the finals of UFC 3.

Kimo was best known at this time as the man who ended Royce Gracie's consecutive UFC tournament wins dating back to their fight at UFC 3.

** UFC 3 Tournament Finalist

| UFC 3

| UFC 3

UFC on FX 3 took place at the arena on June 8, 2012.

Gracie withdrew from a fight before it began with Harold Howard at UFC 3, due to dehydration after his fight with Kimo Leopoldo.