D. White (photo) annually schedules an edition of the UFC for Super Bowl weekend. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
Dana White's response may have been light-hearted, but the concern is real. The NFL's choice to host the Super Bowl (American football final) in New York, where the stadium is open, could end up reflecting on the UFC. Due to weather conditions, the league is studying the possibility of changing the date of the biggest North American sporting event and, if it chooses to move it forward by one day, it could coincide with UFC 169, on February 1st. The situation was commented by the director during a press conference in Chicago.
"Wow! Wouldn't that be devastating? Yes, that would hurt. If 120 million people are watching the Super Bowl on Saturday, that would be… Yeah, let's just hope that doesn't happen,” said the president. Asked about his attitude if the Super Bowl is moved forward by a day, Dana didn't hesitate. “I change my fights to the second,” he said. But it is clear that the leader's proposal is just a joke. For the organization, it would be impossible to postpone an event so close, due to the logistics work and the losses that such an action would cause.
Regardless of changes to the NFL calendar, UFC 169 takes place on February 1st, in Newark, just 16 km from the Super Bowl site. The event is the first pay-per-view of Ultimate in 2014 and was scheduled for the date precisely to take place on the weekend of the American football decision, a practice that has been repeated year after year in the organization. The card features two title fights as its main fights: the first defense of the bantamweight belt by Renan Barao, which faces Urijah faber, and the duel between the featherweight champion José Aldo and challenger Ricardo Lamas. The Super Bowl, until further notice, takes place on February 2nd, at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford. At the stadium, which belongs to the New York Giants and the New York Jets, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks teams face each other.
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