"We've had some awesome, incredible milestones," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If you added them all up, laid them on top of each other, this one blows it away."
But White said he and his company aren't ready to rest on their laurels just yet. A network television deal is just the tip of the iceberg, and there is much work still to be done.
"Now it's time to go to work," White said. "The way I'm looking at this is that we don't start sitting around and patting each other on the back just yet. We've got some work to do. Now we've been given the opportunity.
"The No. 1 network in the country believes that we're on par with all the other sports organizations. Now we've got to go out and [expletive] prove it. Now the work begins."
White and his promotion will get that chance beginning on Nov. 12, when – 18 years to the day after UFC 1 – the company will host a pair of live fights on FOX. The event marks the beginning of a new partnership that will also provide programming to FX and FUEL TV and ends months of speculation regarding the future of the sport on TV.
Ironically, White said it was a few incorrect reports – including the potential for the UFC to buy a network such as G4 and re-brand it the UFC Channel – that helped speed along negotiations with FOX.
"Reporters [expletive] up more deals than anybody in history – other than lawyers," White said. "But this one was actually the flip. When that deal came out in 'The Wall Street Journal,' it's really what got everything fired up and moving for this deal. That was the one case where reporters didn't [expletive] the deal. They did the exact opposite."
Now, instead of worrying about the headaches of operating a TV channel, White said he and his company can focus on what they do best: promote big fights. And the seven-year FOX deal, well the UFC boss can't imagine a better fit.
"This is the deal I always wanted," White said. "I always wanted to be on FOX. I thought this was the best fit for us. First of all, the obvious: They're the No. 1 network in the country. They have all the major sports. They're the best at televising sports, and the list goes on and on. You look at entertainment and the programming they have besides sports, from 'Family Guy' to 'The Simpsons' to all the stuff on FX.
"John Landgraf, the president of FX, is one of the smartest guys I've ever met. He's a genius when it comes to this stuff. And let's get right down to something that's even more important than all the other stuff: the relationship. The guys at FOX are good guys. They're guy's guys – guys you like to hang around with – guys that are passionate and love the UFC. It literally could not be a better deal."
The UFC's contract with Spike TV, which expires at the end of the year, had a few loopholes that allowed the promotion to seek alternative deals with both major networks and premium cable outlets. However, the new deal will keep the UFC solely on the FOX family's airwaves, and White said that's just fine.
"We're with these guys for seven years," White said. "All of our interests are aligned. They're fired up about the product. We're fired up about the network. It's perfect. It couldn't be any better."
In addition to a new broadcast home, White has also promised changes to the look and feel of the product – both on FOX and pay-per-view. White said the changes have long been in the works, but he was waiting on this new deal in order to, "wipe the slate clean and start new."
But more significant than new music or graphics packages is the complete overhauling of "The Ultimate Fighter."
"The whole dynamic of the show is going to change," White said. "It's going to be so bad-ass and relevant and destination television. It's just so cool."
As MMAjunkie.com previously outlined, beginning with "TUF 15," the show will feature live elimination fights each Friday night, and the matchups will be determined by fan voting. It's an entirely new direction – one that White believes will keep the series fresh.
Two seasons per year for the entirety of the seven-year deal would carry the reality competition series into its 28th edition. White said he expects "TUF" to make it there and well beyond.
"I think 'TUF' is going to go forever," White said. "It's just such a relevant show. You have all these other reality shows where these goofballs come on for so many weeks, and then they just disappear, and you never see them again. This is like 'American Idol.'
"When you invest the time and energy into the show and you learn about these characters, it's not just the one guy that wins. We usually take about four or five guys from the show. Then they move on to 'Ultimate Fight Night.' You can follow them the rest of their career. It makes sense."
Before the year is out, "THe Ultimate Fighter 14" will air on Spike TV, and UFC on Versus 6 will see UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defend his belt on Versus. But with November comes FOX – the long-awaited network television debut of the sport's leading promotion. It's a milestone, to be certain, but White said it is definitely not the end game. Instead, it's only the beginning.
"Now we have to get in there and scratch and claw our way to the top. I look at this as an opportunity. We've been given this opportunity, and now we have to go in and take it.
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