UFC conference call recap

Dana White's media conference call has concluded. White announced the re-signing of Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin at 205 pounds as the new main event for UFC 103 in September and that the UFC will air on ESPN in the United Kingdom starting with UFC 101. He also commented extensively on his negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko. You can read MMAForReal.com live running coverage after the jump.

1:58 ET - The conference is set to begin shortly.

2:02 ET - We are live.

2:03 ET - White said he wanted to make Fedor deal happen badly. "We tried everything we could possibly do to get Fedor in the UFC. We went above and beyond."

2:04 ET - White said they were willing to do everything but the co-promotion. He'll never see a deal like this from anybody else.

2:05 ET - White says he does not want any Fedor questions.

2:05 - Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin will main event UFC 103 in Dallas. Dan Henderson "is probably" next in line to fight Anderson Silva.

2:06 - The UFC has signed with ESPN in the UK. 

2:07 - Tito Ortiz is on the call.

2:07 - "Tito Ortiz will retire in the UFC."

2:08 - Signed by the UFC/WEC from Affliction: Vitor Belfort, Paul Daley, Ben Rothwell, Chase Gormley, Dan Lauzon, Javier Vazquez, L.C. Davis, Mark Hominick

In talks with everyone else.

2:10: Tito Ortiz says time heals everything and White apologized to him for what was said.

2:11 - Ortiz says he is 100 percent and wants to get the world title again.

No more time stamps...

Ortiz says he expects to fight again in November-December area. Wants to fight before the year is over. "Everything is in Dana's hands now to finish my career off. I trust him 100 percent."

Franklin-Belfort will be at 205 pounds.

White says ring rust is a real thing, citing Shogun. Says Tito will have it, but he will not get an easy road. Talking about Ortiz vs. Mark Coleman for his first fight. Ortiz says it works for him.

On ESPN deal for the U.S. - "We're always talking to networks. I'm confident that we're going to get a network deal. Once we get the right offer, we'll be on network television."

Ortiz: "I'm happy, I'm satisfied. You'll never hear anything about money out of my mouth ever again."

White: "The fans are as over the Tito/Dana bullshit as we are."

White: "I'm making up with everybody. It's just the way that it happened."

White says he and Ortiz got together around UFC 100. Says he and Lorenzo flew to Tito's house to work it out.

Dan Henderson is "definitely" in line for the next middleweight title shot. Marquardt/Maia winner is in the mix.

White on co-promoting: "How the hell are they going to co-promote anything? We built this entire industry. How are they going to co-promote?"

Oritz: "Boxing is checkers. MMA is chess."

White: "Canada is the mecca of mixed martial arts right now."

White: "We've never had more interest (from network TV) than right now. ... I'm confident we'll have a deal very, very soon."

Timing of Silva/Henderson fight will depend on what happens with his fight next week. Could be soon if Silva is OK.

White says he has no interest in Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.

Ortiz says the last time he went into a fight at 100 percent was the first Ken Shamrock fight in Nov. 2002.

White says he "doesn't know" if he would book another Ortiz/Liddell fight. "Everybody knows my feelings on the Chuck thing." White says Liddell has not asked for that fight.

White on Fedor: "I wanna make a deal. If they want to make a deal, they can call me right now. ... I wanted this thing so bad. I was so confident we were going to get it done. ... I went into it with the attitude that we were going to make it happen."

White says they'd be announcing a Fedor fight right now if co-promotion wasn't an issue.

Ortiz says if dominates 205 pounds, he'd consider moving to heavyweight.

Ortiz: "I'm back home."

White on Affliction deal: "We've buried the hatchet with those guys. ... We got together and we've all gotten over it."

White says he apologized to Bud Light for the UFC 100 issues. Tito chimes in that he loves Bud Light.

Ortiz says he'd love to headline a show in Mexico City.

White on Fedor deal: "Trust me when I tell you we did everything to make this deal happen. ... Why the hell would I let anyone come in and co-promote with us?"

White indicating they bent over backwards to get the Fedor deal done but couldn't budge on the co-promotion. Says full background checks, etc., would need to be done for any co-promoters because of the gaming license held by the Fertittas.

White said everything that was a sticking point in the past with Fedor they fixed outside of the co-promotion.

White: "I wasn't a dick at all in these negotiations. I was the nicest Dana ever."

White: "We gave on everything to make this fight happen."

White is getting fired up now about the Fedor negotiations.

White says the offer to Fedor is still on the table.

White: "We've done deals with the best fighters in the world over the past 10 years."

White is getting very, very upset right now. "He can go fight in fu----- sambo every Thursday night if he wants to." Says he offered Fedor an "assload" of money.

White: "Tito belongs here. He should be here."

Ortiz says he was very close to a deal with Strikeforce, but the level of competition was not up to par.

Ortiz says his fight contract with the UFC will be until his career is over.

3:03 ET - The call is over.