UFC on Versus 4 Prelims on Facebook, Spike Counters Versus Show With Marquardt Marath

[WrestlingSmarks News]

It looks like we get all the fights again. The UFC announced on their Facebook page today that the entire preliminary card for UFC on Versus 4 will be streamed on the social networking site this Sunday, June 26th. Since UFC 129 the UFC has been committed to showing every fight on each card, and the theme continues here. The prelims will be begin at 4:55 p.m ET/1:55 p.m. PT, and the main card will be broadcasted on Versus starting at 8 p.m ET/5 p.m. PT. Nothing has been mentioned in regards to a possible Youtube stream. Many people had problems with the Youtube stream the last time around, but I personally found it even clearer than the Facebook stream when it was working.

Interestingly, Spike TV will be broadcasting a Nate Marquardt marathon that will actually overlap the Versus broadcast of UFC on Versus 4. This marathon will include episodes of Unleashed featuring Nate's fights, and the full main cards of UFC Fight Night 1, UFC 95, and UFC Fight Night 22. This will run from 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m PT all the way to 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Luke Thomas over at SBNation.com/MMA talks about why this is a provocative move on Spike's part:

As has been widely reported, the UFC and Spike TV partnership expires at the end of 2011. Negotiations are ongoing according to sources familiar with the situation, but the parties appear to be far apart on mutually agreeable terms. UFC President Dana White has stated his organization is talking to 'everyone' including Spike TV, but this unprecedented move by Spike appears to confirm industry suspicions the UFC and Spike may sever their partnership at the completion of their current contract arrangement. It was recently reported in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other publications that Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, was trying to purchase a controlling share of the G4 channel from NBC Universal/Comcast. Versus is owned by NBC Universal.

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Here's the full UFC on Versus 4 Card:

Main Card (Versus)
Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story
Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo
Matt Brown vs. John Howard
Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft

Preliminary Card (streamed on Facebook)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin
Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez
Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton
Rich Attonito vs. Daniel Roberts
Charlie Brenneman vs. T.J. Grant
Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas
Edward Faaloloto vs. Michael Johnson

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