UFC
UFC NEWS: UFC Primetime to return for Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez in October, according to Dana White
Aug 25, 2010 - 5:03:30 PM UFC NEWS: UFC Primetime to return for Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez in October, according to Dana White

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC Primetime series has been used by the UFC to bring an added dimension to build up some of the stars in the organization, most notably Georges St. Pierre.

While already a huge star for the organization in his own right, St. Pierre's two stints on the three part hype series - which follows fighters through the last few weeks of their training camps heading into an event and airs on Spike TV throughout that stretch - have built him into one of the biggest draws in the UFC.

Additionally, the UFC used the Primetime show to regain the tension and spark between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans that was lost when Jackson took a role in this summer's A-Team movie. The result of that show? By far the biggest non-title main event in UFC history.

But to date, the Primetime show has not been centered around the UFC's biggest star, and one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in general, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

According to UFC President Dana White, that's about to change.

In a live chat on ESPN.com's SportsNation on Tuesday, White revealed that the next Primetime series will follow Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez as they prepare for their UFC 121 meeting at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. this October.

Lesnar is a notoriously private person, choosing to live a relatively quiet life with his family in a small town a couple hours northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He pays a select group of trainers and training partners to come to the training facility he's built on his property, and keeps himself from civilization until it's time to come out and fight.

If the UFC has truly convinced him to go along with the show, which will have cameras following his camp and preparation for the fight for roughly three and a half weeks, they could be setting up one of their biggest pay-per-view events ever.

Penick's Analysis: This will be huge for the UFC if it's legitimately going to happen. I'll remain a bit skeptical until the UFC actually announces it, but White's comment on the SportsNation chat seemed fairly definitive. If it does happen, the UFC will have an extra three weeks to really push Cain Velasquez as a serious challenger and bring him back into the consciousness of fans who perhaps have a short memory regarding his February knockout of Nogueira.

And getting an opportunity to go behind the scenes into Lesnar's training camp and to try to get a better look at just what the enigmatic Champ does up there in Alexandria is going to be great for fans. The Primetime shows have definitely boosted the events they've been used for, especially with the two done so far this year with GSP-Hardy and Rampage-Rashad, and I'd have to imagine with Lesnar involved this does even better. I hope it actually takes place.