Fans in the UK will soon have access to all the UFC they can handle thanks to a new deal inked between the American promotion and sports broadcaster Setanta. As of Saturday, July 5, Setanta will have the rights to broadcast every live UFC event, both in America and internationally. The news was confirmed by UFC UK president Marshall Zelaznik this week.

"[UK fans] can see every single live UFC event," Zelaznik said, "whether it is the supercards, like UFC 86, 87 or 88, a special event like Anderson Silva versus James Irvin, a UFC Fight Night card or the finale of the latest series of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.'"

The new agreement makes Setanta the UFC's exclusive live broadcasting partner within the UK. Zelaznik indicated the Las Vegas-based promotion was offered numerous live broadcast deals from various television networks but said Setanta's ambitions and versatility made it the perfect partner.

"In many ways, Setanta is a lot like the UFC," Zelaznik said. "They're young, hungry and expanding at a rapid pace."

Setanta Sports was established in 1990 and has experienced impressive growth in recent years, making it a worthy competitor to News Corp-owned giant SKY Sports -- the former broadcast partner of the Cage Rage promotion.

European Correspondent Stash Capar can be reached via e-mail at stash@thefightnetwork.com.