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UFC have declared war on WWE by scheduling a pay per view event just one day before WrestleMania 26.
Dana White's promotion have booked their UFC 111 show for Saturday, March 27, with Mania long-set to take place the following night.
Vince McMahon's company have publicly claimed that there is only a four per cent crossover between fans who purchase both WWE and UFC PPVs.
However, internally there is concern that the WrestleMania buy rate — traditionally their highest of the year — could take a big hit from the 500,000 people who purchase UFC shows.
The cost to American fans of watching both would be at least $100 (£60). In the UK, the situation is brighter with UFC airing on subscription channel ESPN and WrestleMania costing £15.
This is the second direct challenge from UFC to WWE, as they have booked a live TV show to go head-to-head with Raw on January 11.
The main event of UFC 111 will be a welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Britain's Dan Hardy.
It is thought part of the reason for moving the event to later in the month was because White wanted to avoid Manny Pacquiao's boxing clash against Floyd Mayweather Jnr stealing the spotlight from his show.
That dream showdown — set for March 13 — is expected to trounce the number of buys of both WWE and UFC events.
No line-up has been announced for WrestleMania, but it could be headlined by a rematch between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
The pair won the WWE's 2009 Match Of The Year Slammy Award for their contest at this year's Mania — one of the best bouts in the history of the event.
And picking up the prize on Raw, Shawn challenged to Taker to rematch, telling him: "I know I can beat you, and you know it too."
Other stars set to feature on the show — nicknamed the Granddaddy Of Them All — include John Cena, Triple H, Sheamus and Matt Hardy.
Pro Wrestling Torch Editor Wade Keller said: "This is an apparent attempt by UFC to take away a portion of WWE's audience for the wrestling promotion's biggest event of the year.
"With UFC booking Georges St Pierre — one of their top stars — in a marquee PPV fight one night before WrestleMania to go along with the Monday night fight card on cable TV, it will give WWE more incentive to deliver a strong line-up of shows in the first three months of 2010."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0ZmaHUGMR
Dana White's promotion have booked their UFC 111 show for Saturday, March 27, with Mania long-set to take place the following night.
Vince McMahon's company have publicly claimed that there is only a four per cent crossover between fans who purchase both WWE and UFC PPVs.
However, internally there is concern that the WrestleMania buy rate — traditionally their highest of the year — could take a big hit from the 500,000 people who purchase UFC shows.
The cost to American fans of watching both would be at least $100 (£60). In the UK, the situation is brighter with UFC airing on subscription channel ESPN and WrestleMania costing £15.
This is the second direct challenge from UFC to WWE, as they have booked a live TV show to go head-to-head with Raw on January 11.
The main event of UFC 111 will be a welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Britain's Dan Hardy.
It is thought part of the reason for moving the event to later in the month was because White wanted to avoid Manny Pacquiao's boxing clash against Floyd Mayweather Jnr stealing the spotlight from his show.
That dream showdown — set for March 13 — is expected to trounce the number of buys of both WWE and UFC events.
No line-up has been announced for WrestleMania, but it could be headlined by a rematch between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
The pair won the WWE's 2009 Match Of The Year Slammy Award for their contest at this year's Mania — one of the best bouts in the history of the event.
And picking up the prize on Raw, Shawn challenged to Taker to rematch, telling him: "I know I can beat you, and you know it too."
Other stars set to feature on the show — nicknamed the Granddaddy Of Them All — include John Cena, Triple H, Sheamus and Matt Hardy.
Pro Wrestling Torch Editor Wade Keller said: "This is an apparent attempt by UFC to take away a portion of WWE's audience for the wrestling promotion's biggest event of the year.
"With UFC booking Georges St Pierre — one of their top stars — in a marquee PPV fight one night before WrestleMania to go along with the Monday night fight card on cable TV, it will give WWE more incentive to deliver a strong line-up of shows in the first three months of 2010."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0ZmaHUGMR
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