From MMAJunkie.com:

After garnering the fourth-largest live gate in company history at "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar," the UFC has shown it can thrive in economic conditions that have forced other promoters out of the industry.

"Network deals are what's helping put these other companies out of business," White said. "Just because you get a network deal doesn't mean it's a good deal."

I think the time is now for the UFC to finally sign on with one of the major networks. Strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of all the exposure that UFC 91 has brought to the company. With two gigantic fight cards coming up within the next two months the UFC will be all over the mainstream media. UFC 92 has two title fights and a grudge match between two of its biggest stars and will gain a ton of mainstream media exposure; UFC 94 pits two of the top 5 pound-for-pound fighters in GSP and BJ Penn in a rematch that should do fantastic PPV numbers.

EliteXC showed that MMA on national television during prime time hours can work. That promotion did it with a roster of fighters that couldn't hold a candle to the one the UFC has to offer. EliteXC also didn't have the production crews that the UFC does nor the marketing geniuses that spin the web for the UFC. We will see a deal between NBC and Strikeforce for a prime time show relatively soon so that eliminates one network as a possibility. CBS has to have a sour taste in its mouth from their dealings with the Shaws and that fiasco but is it sour enough to turn away from the biggest organization in the business? I don't think so.

You also have FOX and ABC as options. I honestly don't see ABC getting in at this point and I have not heard any sort of interest on their part to begin with. FOX has always been a little bit edgier than the other networks and Rupert Murdoch is a man known to take risks. UFC teaming up with FOX is a marriage made in heaven. FOX is huge -- they have control over so many different stations and networks as well as print media. The exposure the UFC would get from working in conjunction with FOX could not be matched. They have already worked together with the UFC, bringing their fighters on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period".

Even if FOX and the UFC don't work together until 2009, it would be nice to see a deal done sooner than that. The UFC is ending 2008 and starting 2009 with huge shows and I don't know if there will ever be a time when the UFC is hotter than it is right now.