The UFC has announced that Demetrious Johnson, Rashad Evans and others will take part in a series of events and appearances which will celebrate Black History Month.
Demetrious Johnson, Uriah Hall, Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Anthony Johnson and Tyron Woodley are all slated to participate in events the last week of February as follows:
• Monday, Feb. 24 – New York City with Demetrious Johnson & Uriah Hall
• Tuesday, Feb. 25 – Philadelphia with Demetrious Johnson & Uriah Hall
• Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Washington, D.C. with Rashad Evans & Anthony Johnson
• Thursday, Feb. 27 – Atlanta with Rashad Evans & Anthony Johnson
• Friday, Feb. 28 – Los Angeles with Phil Davis & Tyron Woodley
At this point, no other information has been provided although the UFC has setup a dedicated page on its web site for additional details.
Payout Perspective:
Like many organizations, the UFC will be honoring black history month. It’s interesting that this announcement occurs almost halfway through the month and all the events will occur the last week of it which might infer that either the UFC just solidified commitments from its fighters and/or put together at the last minute. Cynicism aside, African Americans are not a huge part of the UFC fan base at this time and these events would help with its outreach. A survey last spring indicated that African Americans were less avid followers of MMA than the two other popular combat sports (boxing, pro wrestling). Notably, Jon Jones is not currently slated to make any appearances. This may be due to training or other obligations. However, recently signed Anthony Johnson will be making two.
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