UFC
Dana White: Pay-per-view time change for UFC 129 "the most dangerous thing we've ever done"
Apr 30, 2011 - 12:45:25 PM Dana White: Pay-per-view time change for UFC 129 "the most dangerous thing we've ever done"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Tonight's UFC 129 event doesn't just mark the UFC first event in a stadium, it's also the first time they have moved up the start time of a pay-per-view event.

Now running from 9PM to midnight ET, instead of 10PM to 1AM ET, the organization is taking a bit of a gamble when fans are used to things happening at the same time all the time, and UFC President Dana White this week said the time change is the most dangerous thing the company has done.

"The whole time-move thing scares the [expletive] out of me," White said this week (transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "It's the right thing to do, and it's what the fans want, but for 10 years we've been at the same time. You become accustomed to it."

UFC 129 is the first event that will take place in the new timeslot, but it will remain a permanent change for UFC pay-per-view events moving forward. The UFC decided earlier this year to make the change after consulting with fans and realizing that east coast fans weren't all happy with events not finishing until 1AM.

With main events not starting until after midnight on the east coast, it made long nights of fights tiresome for fans in that part of the country, and they represented a large portion of the UFC's viewership. The time change will ultimately be a positive, but the UFC is aware they could take an early hit with fans and locations who are used to the routine, and are now bumped up an hour.

"It's the most dangerous thing we've ever done. It's scary as hell for me."

Penick's Analysis: The time change is a smart move, and though there may be some early dangers in fans either not realizing the change or something along those lines, ultimately it will simply become the new routine after a few events. To have events ending by midnight on the east coast, they'll allow fans to continue their late nights on Saturday's out of the house if they desire, or to not be heading up on last call if they're out watching fights at a bar. It will be a positive overall, but I can see how it would be a nerve-wracking situation for the organization, especially for the first event, to see what the reaction will be.