Week-in-Review: UFC Maps out Late 2010 Plans

A series of announcements and news reports brought into focus the UFC’s slate of fight cards for the remainder of 2010.

For UFC 121 on Oct. 23, UFC President Dana White told ESPN “MMA Live” that the Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez main event will be the subject of the latest “Primetime” hype series on Spike TV. The three-part documentary treatment has been given to Georges St. Pierre’s fights against B.J. Penn at UFC 94 and Dan Hardy at UFC 111 and to the Rashad Evans vs. Quinton Jackson match at UFC 114, all to healthy pay-per-view sales. “Primetime” is part of a UFC 121 promotional plan that includes the UFC marketing the fight as happening in “Brocktober” in a nod to its heavyweight champion and top pay-per-view draw.

For UFC 122 on Nov. 13, Vitor Belfort confirmed he will headline the event against Yushin Okami in Oberhausen, Germany. Belfort had been shelved since beating Rich Franklin in September, as the UFC worked toward matching him with Anderson Silva. The bout was delayed earlier this year when Belfort suffered a shoulder injury. With a Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch now on the drawing board, Belfort was given the nod. The promotion was at one point negotiating a Randy Couture vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic fight for its second trip to Germany, but Filipovic was called on to fill in for an injured Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 119. UFC 122 will air on Spike TV in the United States. It will come a few days after WEC 52, which MMAWeekly.com reported as scheduled for Nov. 11 in Las Vegas and to be headlined by Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki.

For UFC 123 on Nov. 20, White told MMAFighting.com the event will mark the UFC’s first in Michigan since UFC 9 in 1996. The pay-per-view will emanate from the venerable Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit, home of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. The card is expected to be headlined by Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida.

For UFC 124 on Dec. 11, several reports pegged the event as emanating from the Bell Centre in Montreal, with top billing going to the Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck welterweight title fight. The UFC has done its largest attendance figures in the Canadian arena, including a record 21,451 for UFC 97 in April 2009. The bout will come after 13 weeks of hype, as both fighters star as opposing coaches on Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which premieres Sept. 15 on Spike TV.

Finally, the promotion has locked down its first New Year’s Day show for Jan. 1, MMAJunkie.com reported. The card will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Reports indicated that the UFC is eying Silva vs. Sonnen 2 and Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 as potential top fights for the event.