Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) captured more fantastic ratings for its latest Spike TV special, delivering “more young men aged 18-34 (634,000) and 18-49 (1,244,000) than anything else on television” on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 p.m. to midnight.
In fact, UFC 95: “Sanchez vs. Stevenson” from The O2 Arena in London, England, averaged more than 2 million viewers and peaked with 3 million during the main event. It was good enough for the tape-delayed broadcast to outshine the NCAA collegiate basketball match up between Oklahoma and Texas on ESPN.
Not too shabby.
UFC 95 featured a 10-fight card that was headlined by The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) inaugural season winner Diego Sanchez against the man who took the crown the series after, Joe Stevenson. Two important middleweight weight match ups were also showcased — Nate Marquardt toppled Wilson Gouveia and Demian Maia outclassed Chael Sonnen.
All in all it was a great night of fights — a record nine of which made the three-hour broadcast. For complete results and coverage of “Sanchez vs. Stevenson” go here and here.
57 Comments »
the Numbers for events on spike keep getting better!
crowls, email me kevjack115@yahoo.com I’ll send you my cell. I fly into boston on sat morning and am staying until thurs. night. I’m staying 45 minutes outside the city, but maybe we can grab lunch, hit me up!
Attention: This is not a joke!
former undisputed heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman has officially made the move to MMA. He wants to fight Kimbo Slice!
Rahman would kill Kimbo. This guy is former world champion with over 50 fights. Both have no ground game as well.
lol. not at you john. This match would be legalized murder. I predict Rahman would beat Kimbo quicker than petrozelli did!
I dont disagree.
Rachman via Omo Plata! lmao
I actually think that Kimbo would be smart to take this fight. Yes he will get Ko’ed but with EliteXC being finished, this is one of his few chances at another big payday! He will get destroyed by Rahman, who is NO Ray Mercer, but at least he will get paid the 6 figures that he has been accustomed to making fighting in mma!
where did u find this out any chance of a link?
Mania usually doesnt let me post links but I will give it a try. Head over to Mmalinker.com
Where did you read that at do you got a link
ya and I watched it live on SportsNet in Canada
Never fails… The cards that get the most sh*t talked are usually the most entertaining. Maybe that means I should buy UFC 96, because I am really torn there. I don’t see how it can be good though.
Exactly, which if you read all my posts from the post about 96 makes my points for me. All you hates can go to hell
I just read some of them and I agree with you. It is impossible to make the negative people see the light. They get enjoyment out of complaining. You know who else likes to complain a lot, my wife when she is on the rag. Congrats haters, you sound like a bunch of bitc*es with bloody pu$$ys.
LMAO!!!
uFC is heading back to the Uk…once in late summer, and then another in the early fall!
I also just read an interesting article on BLoodyelbow about why outside of USA fight cards lack star power. The UFC’s biggest stars receive a percentage of the PPV buys. Most of the ppv’s outside the USA that are sold via tape delay, dont sell all that very much. So It really doesnt make much sense for stars like GSP, Anderson and Brock to fight outside of the USA and Canada.
Sorry to all the international fans out there… but this actually make sense. Think about it, so far ONLY 1 fighter who gets a part of the ppv revenue has fought in England, and that was bJ Penn!
i thought Chuck fought over there too? or was that the card that he got injured? ufC 85 ish?
yeah, he got injured and pulled out of that fight!
YES!!! You are correct sir!!! YES!! (in my Ed McMahon voice)
diego sanchez can be a very marketable fighter
From what I can tell,he is going to have the same problems in 155 as he had in 170.If Diego has problems taking Stevenson down,what does he think is going to happen when he fights BJ,Florian,or Sherk.Also walking around yelling YES!is not really very marketable
The proof is in the numbers my friend. PEAK was during the main event nuff said. And you have to remember that this is his first fight in lightweight cutting down 40 pounds is no joke and i think he proved he can pretty much deal with the weight cut.
It was a free event ,and it was the main event,if he was such a draw why did they make it free,second he was never a very big 170 fighter to begin with.Another thing I like Diego,I am just stating the truth.Also just to back up what I said here is a question for everybody,Would you have paid to see Diego vs Stevenson as the main event.
SCOTT, you freakin’ cracked me up with the YES comment. Good on ya.
YES!!
No matter what,you know you are going to watch it.It will turn out to be a good night of fights.I am interested to see how well Carwin does against Gonzaga,and how fast Rampage dismantles Jardine.I am still wondering if this is going to be one of those 20 sec matches for Jardine or is he going to use his leg kicks and actually give Rampage some problems,you never can tell with Jardine
That may just be the reason I will buy it, but Maynard and Hamill on the same PPV is a little upseting. Although, Miller looked great agaisnt Wiman on short notice, so maybe he will make that douche Maynard have an exciting fight.
I know it always seems when I have to work ,and miss an event,I regret it all the way until the next event,and it always turns out to be a good card.So I do not even question it anymore ,I just suck it up and purchase it,and I make sure I ask off way in advanced
“a little upsetting???” Its brutal
I don’t understand why anyone buys ppvs when there sites that have free feeds and every bar has it on.
I personally enjoy it a lot more ,I would rather watch it on my big screen without any buffering,with the bar thing,I like watching it with people that know about as much as me if not more than me,and bars are filled with people that really do not have a clue
Keith the “Glass Jaw” Dine
diego’s entrance was classic, YES . . . YES . . . YES as spit drooled out of his mouth. that pyscho is hungry to fight!
i think diego had a bad night and was still able to win. he looked a little gassed at the end of round one. he will get even better at cutting the weight.
was anyone else surprised at how many times he got hit in the face. he better have better head movement if he wants to fight penn or the new florian.
Was anyone else laughing at Diego’s entrance on Saturday? I was LMAO!! That dude is CRAZY!!!
YES!!!!! I was laughing. YES!!! Couldn’t stop laughing. YES!!!! He had spittle all over his mouth. YES!!! Wasn’t impressed by Diego at 155 as I thought I would be. YES!!!
LMFAO!!! YES!!!
YES! YES! YES! He was spitting out everytime he was yelling out “YES!” I felt bad for the security guards who had Diego’s spit fly on their face.
YES!
YES!
YES!(foaming out the mouth like a rabid dog)
Keith the “Glass Jaw” Dine is going to get dismantled by Rampage.
I agree with you ,but we all know that Rampage hates leg kicks,and that is all Keith is going to throw at him
since we all know that, dont you think Rampage’s trainers know that?
Do you really think Rampage is ever going to not check a leg kick again after the Forrest fight? Come on man, its an easy thing to correct. YOu lift your leg up and out to the side and take the impact on your shin instead of on the Knee. Correcting his leg kick defense is not rocket science, and shouldnt be an issue ever again!
We all know how to defend it,but we also know that Jardine is very good at leg kicks,and I am sure he will mix it up,I am not saying that Jardine is going to win ,I think Rampage is going to destroy him,but Jardine does pull crap out of his a##
I don’t think leg kicks would surprise Rampage
i didnt think they were going to surprise him in his last wandy fight, but he didnt check those either.
jardine is going to be a tough test for rampage.
I am more worried about Jardine’s body kicks then I am of his leg kicks. Leg kicks will never factor into a Rampage fight again!
the ufc signed Yoshihiro Akiyama
please tell me that you aren’t joking? Where did you read this?
Akiyama instantly jumps at the top of the list of contenders for Anderson’s title….That is one bad Dude!
Well It has just been confirmed. YOu are correct! Akiyama is officially signed to an exclusive UFC contract and will be fighting in the Octagon this summer!
Wonderful addition. Wow, the middleweight division has actually become legit!
If the UFC penetrates the Japanese market, it would give thm a very good chance of signing Fedor. The reason Fedor doesnt sign an exclusive contract with the UFC is because he likes and feels obligated to fight in front of the zillions of fans that he has cultivated in Japan throughout the years. If the UFC can promise fedor that they will throw him on a Japanese card, it would make signing him that much easier!
Its true John. It is on the UFC.com site
yeah, I just read it! He instantly shoots to the top of the list of fighters with one of the best chances at beating Anderson!
THe UFC just got a little Sexier! Sexyama has signed! Cant wait to see him fight!
That guy is sick. The asian fighters haven’t had too much success in the ufc but I think he will be the exception.
I think he is an Instant contender to Silva’s title!
I say let him beat up on Belcher for starters. Then have him face Marquardt…once he beats Nate he will be ready for Anderson!
Or they can just Let Akiyama throw Cote around like a rag doll!
The Sexyama train has rolled into town? Nice, too bad he kinda ducked Mousasi at DREAM’s NYE show. Akiyama is a really good fighter though, and his only loss came at the hands (actually knees) of Jerome Le Banner, who is a monster heavyweight K-1 fighter. I hope he rematches with Kang and KO’s him again.
Hey if u guys cant buy some cards just find a website that streams them for free onlyne I do that for the cards i might want to watch less and buy the ones im really interested in
Specially with the economy now a days
Any idea where in the uk?? i heard an interview where dana promised that a title fight would be coming to the uk some time soon, never said who or what division??
I better get me a photo this time!!