UFC on ESPN 8 Main Card Averages 1.198 Million Viewers; Prelims Draw 690,000

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Heavyweights always seem to draw solid ratings for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC on ESPN 8 main card attracted an average audience of 1.198 million to ESPN this past Saturday, according to ShowBuzz Daily. The card took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and was headlined by a heavyweight showdown pitting Alistair Overeem against Walt Harris. Overeem defeated Harris via second-round technical knockout.

That figure checks in as the second-highest rating for a UFC on ESPN main card since the promotion debuted on the network in February 2019. That aforementioned UFC on ESPN 1 card, topped by a heavyweight tilt between Francis Ngannou and Cain Velasquez, still holds the No. 1 spot with an average audience of 1.463 million viewers.

UFC on ESPN 8 marked conclusion of a stretch in which the promotion held three events in eight days in Florida after a two-month period of inactivity due to the coronavirus pandemic. Saturday’s card also aired on ESPN+, but figures for that portion of the broadcast are currently unknown.

Meanwhile, 690,000 viewers tuned in to watch the six-bout UFC on ESPN 8 preliminary card, which also aired on ESPN. That portion of the event featured a welterweight clash pitting Miguel Baeza against Matt Brown, which Baeza won by knockout in the second round. That figure also puts UFC on ESPN 8 behind only UFC on ESPN 1 (988,000 viewers) for preliminary ratings.