FOX touted the performance of its inaugural UFC on FOX special, noting that the show was the best-performing live fight broadcast since the Lewis-Klitschko HBO fight in 2003.
Compared to the 7 million who tuned into that bout, 5.7 million watched the live UFC on FOX special, which saw Junior dos Santos defeat Cain Velasquez to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Though an impressive finish, Dos’ 1:04 knockout win over Velasquez was not the best case scenario for ratings, giving the network only a small window to hook viewers.
The show scored a 3.0 in adults 18-49, a 3.2 in adults 18-34, a 4.3 with men 18-34 and a 4.0 with men 18-49. It outperformed the debut of Elite XC on CBS in total viewers and in a number of key demos.
The most popular markets, based on household estimate, were as follows: Las Vegas (5.3/9), followed by Dallas (5.1/10), Phoenix (5.1/9), San Antonio (5.1/8), Tulsa (4.9/8), San Diego (4.8/9), Greensboro (4.6/6), New Orleans (4.5/6) and Los Angeles (4.3/8).