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The Ultimate Fighting Championship wrapped up 2018 with UFC 232 on Saturday, December 29. Now, a new era is set to begin for the UFC when the new year rings in. ESPN is taking over broadcasting rights for the UFC, replacing FOX, and the promotion has promised big things.
And with the new era comes a new look, according to UFC president Dana White.
Following UFC 232, White met with the media and said that the promotion would be revamping the look of its championship belt to mark the start of the new era. The UFC previously teased a new look belt ahead of the final pay-per-view event of the year.
However, because of the last-minute chaos caused by relocating the event due to Jon Jones’ flagged drug test, the unveiling of the new belt was delayed.
Instead, we will have to wait until January 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with the debut UFC on ESPN+1 event.
Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping also previously commented on a new look for the belt on his podcast.
“A while ago, a little birdy told me this from the UFC that shall be unnamed,” Bisping said on the Believe You Me podcast. “I know they were talking about bringing out new belts, a new designed belt. And they’re going to have, for every country that has won a belt, their flag would be on the belt, represented.”
That falls in line with the teaser videos which showed off the American and Canadian flags with gold and diamond accents. The center of the belt also features the “UFC” logo with the addition of “World Champion.”
Check the teasers out below.
We will have to wait a few weeks to get an official look at the new strap.
To celebrate the launch of a new deal, the UFC is bringing out a thrilling main event to the Big Apple with UFC flyweight champion and former Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo putting his 125-pound title on the line against current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw will be attempting to become the latest two-division champion in the UFC joining the likes of Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Conor McGregor.
