FOX Wants UFC Star On SmackDown Live

It was announced earlier this year that the rights to air SmackDown Live had been bought by FOX, who will be paying over $1billion over five years to host the show.

We reported last week that the broadcaster was keen on making SmackDown a far more sports-based show when it takes over in October next year.

This would presumably involve fewer New Day pancake segments and fewer toilet jokes. Sorry Vince.

A more sports centred show would help diversify WWE’s current selection of shows, hopefully making them feel a little less stagnant.

And FOX is apparently putting pressure on WWE to sign a huge star to make the brand as sporty as possible.

UFC star and future Brock Lesnar opponent Daniel Cormier will have a WWE commentary tryout after his next UFC match, with the end goal for him to commentate on SmackDown Live when FOS takes over.

“If I didn’t have this fight, I have been talking to the WWE, because they wanted me to go in and do an audition as a member of the commentary team,” Cormier told reporters during UFC 230’s media day last week. “That was my private little thing. But because of the fight, I had to push it back. So there might be some DC in WWE s**t coming.”

Cormier is an avid WWE fan, and so you would hope that he would know his DDTs from his Suplexes. What this shows more than anything is that FOX has a clear view of how it wants things to be done when it takes over.

• fox
• SmackDown Live
• ufc
• wwe

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