Fox casting wide net to snag viewers for first UFC telecast

This weekend’s schedule on Fox and its cable affiliates should be enough to convince skeptics that the network is fully onboard with Ultimate Fighting Championship programming.

As if the constant promos and commercials on Fox’s sports properties over the past two months didn’t hammer home that message.

Fox is set to air the first network broadcast of a UFC event from Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night, a telecast that UFC and Fox officials say will feature only one bout, the heavyweight title fight between Junior dos Santos and champion Cain Velasquez.

“This is going to be a different format than we’ve ever done before. Obviously this is a show featuring one fight, so we’re doing a lot of things differently. We are going to be rehearsing for this from Thursday,” UFC president Dana White said. “I know for a fact this is going to be an awesome fight. I know it is going to be great. That’s why it was these two in this position. I have no worries at all this is going to be a great fight.”

Coverage begins Friday when Fuel TV (Cable 319) airs the weigh-in live from Santa Monica Pier outside Los Angeles.

Saturday features more than seven hours of programming, starting at noon with a three-part special on Velasquez on Fox Deportes (Cable 140). The channel follows with a replay of Velasquez’s win over Brock Lesnar last year and a live segment previewing Saturday’s fight.

Fuel TV takes the baton at 2:30 p.m. with a replay of the weigh-in, followed by the UFC Primetime special on the main event and the live pre-fight show at 4.

Fox Sports Radio begins live coverage at 5, and the one-hour live event hits Fox at 6. Fuel TV will also air a post-fight show at 7.

“This is a throwback to the old days of boxing; we are putting a big fight — a huge fight — on free TV to expose this thing to a new audience,” White said. “It is an investment in the future of the UFC. Fans that have never seen the UFC before will see this show, and that’s why we decided to put Cain and Junior in this position.”

An undercard fight pitting lightweight contenders Ben Henderson and Clay Guida with major title implications will not be added to the one-hour live broadcast, even if the main event lasts less than a minute, White said.

The Henderson-Guida bout will only stream live on Facebook.

■ CONDIT TO FACE KOSCHECK — The UFC isn’t giving Carlos Condit an easy fight as he waits for his title shot.

Josh Koscheck will be Condit’s opponent on the Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas, according to several reports, and confirmed by Koscheck via Twitter.

Condit was expected to fight Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title on Oct. 29, but the champion was forced to pull out because of an injury.

After a tremendous performance in beating BJ Penn, Nick Diaz was given the next shot at St. Pierre. Condit will fight in the meantime and stay in line to fight for the title should he win.

Koscheck won’t make that easy.

The bout is expected to take place at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 at Mandalay Bay, on a card headlined by St. Pierre’s title defense against Diaz.

Sources close to the event also confirmed a lightweight contender bout between Joe Lauzon and Anthony Pettis.

■ FEDOR IN ACTION — Russian superstar Fedor Emelianenko will fight Nov. 20 in Moscow, his first bout since being released from his Strikeforce contract after a loss to Dan Henderson in July.

Emelianenko will try to snap a three-fight losing streak against Jeff Monson in the main event of an M1 card. The bout will air on pay per view at 7:30 a.m.

■ OPEN ‘TUF’ CASTING CALL — The UFC will hold an open casting call for professional fighters who want to appear on Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Interested welterweights (170 pounds) and lightweights (155) should arrive at the Dallas Ballroom at Texas Station on Dec. 5 at 9 a.m.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old, have a minimum of three pro fights on their record and show up dressed for a sparring session.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.