"UFC Prelims" return to Spike TV for UFC 126 with Cerrone-Kelly, Mendes-Omigawa

While recent UFC preliminary-card specials have been slotted for ION Television, Facebook and UFC.com, Spike TV is still in the mix.

Sources close to the organizations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Spike TV's popular "UFC Prelims" specials will return in 2011, and the first will air next month as part of UFC 126.

The Feb. 5 broadcast is expected to feature lightweights Donald Cerrone (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and featherweights Chad Mendes (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

UFC 126 takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Super Bowl weekend. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.

Despite the planned broadcast, a source told MMAjunkie.com the UFC and Spike TV haven't finalized a contract renewal, which is needed for 2012 and beyond. However, the "UFC Prelims" specials are expected to go on as planned for 2011.

UFC 126 marks the UFC debuts of former WEC fighters Cerrone and Mendes. Omigawa, who recently competed for the WEC, returns to the UFC for the first time since a two-fight stint concluded in 2008.

The UFC first offered a PPV teaser broadcast for UFC 103 in 2009, when the UFC went head-to-head with a boxing PPV broadcast featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. The specials proved effective enough at generating last-minute PPV buys that officials from the UFC and the organization's longtime cable partner decided to make them a regular offering.

The specials consistently draw between 1.1 million and 1.7 million viewers per event on Spike TV. (By comparison, ION scored 829,000 viewers for UFC 125.)

The latest UFC 126 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

• Champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort (for middleweight title)
• Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
• Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
• Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones
• Antonio Banuelos vs. Miguel Torres

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

• Paul Kelly vs. Donald Cerrone
• Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa

PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised)

• Gabe Ruediger vs. Paul Taylor
• Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
• Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero
• Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson