The UFC 228 preliminary viewership numbers have been revealed.
The FX preliminary broadcast drew an average of 560,000 viewers (via MMAFighting.com). The event peaked at 683,000 viewers for the featured strawweight clash between Tatiana Suarez and Carla Esparza. The pre-fight show took in 217,000 viewers on FX while the post-fight show did 64,000 viewers on FOX Sports 1. This card was held inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
UFC 228 Preliminary Viewership: What Went Wrong?
With the prelims airing on FX, there is of course some unfamiliarity. Prelims are usually aired on FS1 or FS2. There was also College Football competition and the general lack of interest in UFC 228 from more casual fans. UFC 228 was headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Tyron Woodley and challenger Darren Till. Woodley retained his title via second-round submission.
Also on the main card was a strawweight battle between Jessica Andrade and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Many viewed this bout as a title eliminator to determine the next 115-pound contender. Andrade won the bout in stunning fashion, ending the fight via first-round knockout.
Zabit Magomedsharipov and Brandon Davis were also featured on the main card of UFC 228. Magomedsharipov earned the submission win with a spectacular kneebar in the second round. Ranked bantamweights Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson also shared the Octagon with Rivera taking home the unanimous decision win. In the main card opener, Abdul Razak Alhassan knocked out Niko Price in 43 seconds.
Check out MMANews.com for the event’s results, highlights, interviews, and more.
Are you surprised with the UFC 228 preliminary viewership numbers?
