Source: UFC on FX 8 Draws 1.3 Million Viewers on Saturday Night

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The UFC on FX 8 main-card broadcast drew 1.3 million observers Saturday night on the Fox-owned cable network.

Sherdog.com verified the viewership figure Tuesday with an industry source, who also confirmed that the evening’s Fuel TV-broadcast preliminary offering drew 156,000 observers. The reported FX viewership marks a downturn for the promotion following the record-setting UFC on FX 7, which netted 1.9 million viewers on Jan. 19.

UFC on FX 8 took place at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, and was headlined by a pivotal middleweight showdown between ex-UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort and former Strikeforce 185-pound titlist Luke Rockhold. Belfort handed Rockhold just the second defeat of his professional career, catching the American Kickboxing Academy product with a spinning heel kick that dropped him to the canvas, where Belfort quickly finished Rockhold with a vicious flurry of ground-and-pound midway through round one.

The evening’s main card also saw former Strikeforce king Ronaldo Souza cruise to a quick victory in his UFC debut, as “Jacare” put Chris Camozzi to sleep with a slick arm-triangle choke in just 3:37. Also of note, Rafael dos Anjos edged Evan Dunham in a contentious unanimous verdict, while Rafael Natal outlasted countryman Joao Zeferino to open the FX broadcast.