Spike to Air 10 ‘UFC Prelims’ in 2010

Spike TV announced plans on Wednesday to continue airing live preliminary bouts from UFC pay-per-view cards in 2010 on its network.

In a press release, the cable network noted excellent viewership for the first three “UFC Prelims” shows for UFC 103, 104, and 106, which averaged 1.4 million homes.

Bouts from UFC 108 and 109, set for Jan. 2 and Feb. 6, will be the first of the 10 one-hour “UFC Prelim” specials to air on Spike.

The first “UFC Prelims” aired before UFC 103, which ran opposite boxing star Floyd Mayweather’s highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez. The special was conceived as a way for the UFC to help swell UFC 103’s buy-rate in their first head-to-head face-off with a major boxing pay-per-view.