What Is The UFC’s Big Announcement?

On Thursday the UFC will make what is being called a huge annoucment which will shape the direction of the UFC for the next five years.  The announcment is so big that Dana is renting a place top tell all his employees first.  There is much speculation as to what that announcement will be so let us speculate together…

1. The Signing of some star, like Floyd Mayweather.  This rumor has been swirling since Mayweather’s retirement, but it really is just rumor.  Mayweather is too small for 155 in the UFC and the UFC couldn’t pay Mayweather what he made boxing.  I guess it could happen, but this isn’t the big announcement.

2. Anderson Silva moving to light heavyweight.  This rumor has also been swirling and it could happen as well, I hope it happens, but this isn’t the big announcement.  At least, I hope it isn’t the big announcement.  I believe we could see Anderson move up to fight Chuck Liddell in September.  That would have to intrigue him at least as much as fighting some boxer.

3. The UFC is being sold.  I highly doubt it.  Not with the growth of MMA right now. 

4. The UFC is buying some other organization.  They could be buying the IFL, but I doubt that is happening.  Why would they want the IFL?  I know their presidenty just resigned and they are having financial problems, but I doubt this is it.  What othe promotion could they have bought?  It isn’t Affliction or EliteXC.  DREAM seems to be doing okay, and buying DREAM wouldn’t be any benefit to the UFC unless they owned DREAM and operated independent of one another.

5. They are merging with the WEC.  Both the UFC and WEC are Zuffa owned.  It has been stated that the WEC will eventually focus on the lighter weight classes and the UFC will focus on the bigger weight classes.  This could mean that the WEC would have a 135, 145 and 155 and the UFC would take the WEC 170, 185, and 205 fighters and blend them into the mix in the UFC.  I don’t know if this will happen or not.  It could, but it wouldn’t be a great move.  I can’t see that really seeing as how we know WEC fighters are booked to fight in August and September events.  I think it is possible that the announcement deals with the WEC in some way, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

6. The UFC will hold some type of Grand Prix for their weight classes the way that DREAM has.  I don’t see this happening even though it would be awesome. 

7. The UFC is going to do some inter-promotional event.  I doubt this highly.  It could do a UFC vs. WEC event, but that is it!  They won’t ever work with EliteXC and never with Affliction. 

8. The UFC is going to announce plans to hold international events.  This could happen, but I doubt it is THE announcment.  We know they want to do events in the Philippines and Brazil as well as other international venues, however that is not a big secret. 

9. It could be some type of restructuring of divisons or how fights are paired.  Perhaps even some type of official UFC ranking system.  The ranking system is a good possibility and that is why they waited until Thursday so they could develop official rankings to determine the number one contender and figure in the results from UFC 85. This would be one of the things I would expect Thursday or in the future.  I just don’t know if it merits all the hype that is being made.

10. The UFC signed a television deal.  I don’t know what type of deal they could have signed.  We know they have talked with the likes of Fox, ESPN and HBO, but nothing has panned out.  I think that one of these networks seeing the sucess of EliteXC on CBS may have pulled the trigger on a deal.  My bet would be some sort of T.V. deal. 

We will find out Thursday some time and see if I came anywhere close. 

 

Rumor: Floyd Mayweather to the UFC

According to Wrestling Edge, one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has signed a deal with the UFC.  This from MMAConvert.com

I just got off the phone with a source very close to the situation and I am told that Floyd Mayweather and his representatives have been in contact with UFC’s Dana White as late as Wednesday but “possibly as late as last night” according to the source.

Okay, this is interesting because Mayweather just retired from boxing.  I don’t know how he would do in MMA. 

Apparently Dana White was quoted as saying that the UFC is “due to have an all star caliber boxer make the jump to MMA to help legitimize the sport,” to Setanta Sports while in the UK yesterday for UFC 85. Would Mayweather really turn down $20 million to beat up on De La Hoya again to make a couple million at the most in the UFC.  Plus, he is very small for the UFC, unless he is going to fight 145 in the WEC.  Several websites and blogs are discussing this possibility and this being the possible big Thursday announcement, but I couldn’t imagine Dana renting a place out to reveal Floyd Maywetaher in the UFC.  It would be big news, but not that big.  I wonder how Mayweather would do.  I think he would have a hard time in MMA if he didn’t learn some ground game.  More on this as it comes.