The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first live bout on network television lasted only 64 seconds, but nonetheless managed to become one of the most-watched fights of the new millennium.
The UFC on Fox rating also eclipsed the 4.9 million viewers which EliteXC drew to CBS in May 2008 with a heavyweight bout between Kimbo Slice and James Thompson.
In an official release, Fox projected the UFC event to win its 9:00-10:00 p.m. time slot for Saturday, despite heavy competition from a trio of college football games on ABC, NBC and ESPN. UFC on Fox pulled strong numbers in key demographics, including 4.3 and 4.0 in Men 18-34 and Men 18-49, respectively. According to Fox officials, the Men 18-34 rating was higher than all but one college football game thus far this season, bested only by the Nov. 5 showdown between top-ranked Louisiana State and No. 2 Alabama.
The show, which took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., was highest-rated in the UFC’s hometown of Las Vegas, where it earned a 5.3/9. Other successful local markets included Dallas (5.1/10), Phoenix (5.1/9) and San Antonio (5.1/8).