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UFC on FOX Peaks With 8.8 Million Viewers, but There’s a Lesson to Be Learned

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXShort but sweet. That’s one way to describe the 64-second Junior dos Santos-Cain Velasquez fight on FOX this past Saturday. At least, that’s how it must look to the UFC and the network now that the revised ratings info is ou…

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOX

Short but sweet. That’s one way to describe the 64-second Junior dos Santos–Cain Velasquez fight on FOX this past Saturday. At least, that’s how it must look to the UFC and the network now that the revised ratings info is out.

According to SI.com, the hour-long broadcast began with 5.2 million viewers, then peaked with 8.802 million viewers during the brief but violent contest for the UFC heavyweight strap.

If you’re struggling to put those figures in perspective, this means that dos Santos-Velasquez is the most watched MMA fight in American TV history, knocking off the Kimbo Slice–James Thompson brawl on CBS, which lasted about ten times as long and peaked with two million fewer viewers. But while the numbers give the UFC and FOX reason to smile about the newfound partnership, there’s a lesson in these stats as well.

For starters, look at the ratings arc. The show began with around 5.2 million viewers, according to SI.com, and then proceeded to lose eyeballs during the 30-plus minutes of pre-fight promo pieces and analysis. That number jumped way up when the fight finally started, then immediately started to decline once it was over.

By the time Velasquez was face down on the canvas, viewers were on their way out. Four minutes after the end of the fight, the show was down to six million viewers and falling.

In other words, even network TV viewers are far more interested in action than in talk, and breathless post-fight analysis is the surest way to send them scrambling for the remote.

If you’re Dana White or Fox Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill, here’s where you’ve got to be wondering how big a number you could have had if the fight had only lasted a round or two. You’ve also got to be wondering about the wisdom of broadcasting just the one fight.

Hindsight being what it is, it’s easy to say that the Ben Henderson–Clay Guida fight would have been a ratings magnet as a lead-in for JDS-Velasquez, but that doesn’t make it any less true. A jump in numbers like the one FOX saw means that people were likely on the phone or the internet, telling their friends that the fighters were finally on their way to the cage and it was time to tune in. Imagine if those same people had been reaching out to one another during the seesaw bout between the two lightweights, encouraging their friends to get in on this appetizer before the main event.

Could it have broken 10 million viewers? Maybe. Probably. Would it have made the 64-second ending to the heavyweight scrap seem more like an exciting change of pace and less like a long climb for a short slide? Definitely.

Again, it’s easy to say that now that we know how the fights turned out, but at the same time, is anyone surprised to learn that so many viewers wanted more fighting and less talking?

If the UFC and FOX are smart, they’ll use this as a learning experience. Granted, they won’t always feel the need to do so much viewer education once this is no longer a network TV novelty, but clearly it’s the action that brings the viewers. Once the fists start flying, that’s when people start watching. As much as people might love his product, viewers are far more interested in seeing it for themselves than in hearing Dana White shout about it after the fact.

Still, if the UFC can pull 8.8 million viewers on network TV for a fight that barely lasted long enough for fans to compose a decent text message to their friends, imagine what it will pull once the deal begins in earnest and it can put together a show that’s more than just a teaser. If your biggest problem is that you leave your audience wanting more after your network debut, maybe you don’t have that many problems.

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Lauzon/Pettis Booked for UFC 144, Poirier/Koch for 143

(A classic battle of style vs. SUBstance.)

Fresh off his upset Submission of the Night victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Joe Lauzon was quick to call out former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who scored a decision victory over Jeremy Stephens at the same event. Well it looks like he’ll be getting his wish, as the two have been booked to lock horns at UFC 144, in what could easily be a Fight of the Night match-up. Prior to their 136 victories, Lauzon scored a quick and nasty kimura victory over Kurt Warburton at UFC Live 4 whereas Pettis was wrestlefucked into oblivion by Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June. This is the point where I’d normally say that a victory here would rocket either man near the top of the lightweight ladder, but considering that the division is currently more crowded than a So-Cal Quinceanera, let’s just say that a victory here will keep either man…from losing.

(A classic battle of style vs. SUBstance.)

In other fight booking news, a battle between top featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Eric Koch has been set for UFC 143 in February, which also features the probable welterweight number 1 contender match between Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit. Poirier most recently scored a brilliant submission via D’arce over Pablo Garza at the inaugural UFC on FOX card. Koch, on the other hand, is coming off a gritty decision victory over TUF 13 winner/existential caveman Jonathan Brookins in Brookins’ featherweight debut at UFC Fight Night 25. Depending on the outcome of the upcoming Aldo/Mendes clash at UFC 142, we could easily be looking at the next challenger to the title right here.

You know the deal, who takes these babies?

-Danga

The Forward Roll: UFC on FOX Edition

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXTwo years ago, in the hours after UFC 103 in Dallas, I spoke to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira about one of the night’s big stars. Deep in the bowels of the American Airlines Center, the longtime MMA veteran had the look of a prou…

Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOX

Two years ago, in the hours after UFC 103 in Dallas, I spoke to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira about one of the night’s big stars. Deep in the bowels of the American Airlines Center, the longtime MMA veteran had the look of a proud father of his face. That was the night when his student Junior dos Santos officially joined the “in the mix” category that signifies contention status.

That was also the night that Nogueira made a prediction that would come true.

“He’s going to be a future champ for sure,” he told me at the time. “Without a doubt. He’s strong, fast, athletic. He has good wrestling, good ground game. He’s a complete fighter.”

dos Santos’ march through the UFC has been incredibly impressive to watch. In eight UFC fights, he’s unbeaten and has yet to lose even a single round among the 14 rounds he’s fought. That’s far short of the record (33) held by Georges St-Pierre, but with his well-rounded game, the 27-year-old Brazilian’s performances have shown no signs of slowing.

Since this column is designed as a look forward for the recent event’s participants, and we already know that dos Santos will take on the winner of December’s Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem fight, it’s fair game to project how he’d do against either.

Given dos Santos’ proven success in stopping takedowns, the Lesnar fight would likely be a more favorable matchup for him. He’s stopped 85 percent of takedowns, according to FightMetric, and Lesnar does not have the comfort level or arsenal to match him in a striking contest.

Overeem would be a more intriguing style matchup. As one of the most decorated strikers in MMA, he might be the only heavyweight with the firepower to bang with dos Santos.

Prediction: Overeem handles Lesnar’s wrestling and keeps things upright long enough to win, setting up a strikers’ delight against dos Santos

Cain Velasquez
It was a rough night for Velasquez, who never got his motor started before the ref was calling a halt to the action. He also faced post-fight criticism from UFC president Dana White regarding his game plan, but it’s never wise for a fighter to move in for a takedown without a setup. Velasquez likely felt he had five rounds to implement what he wanted, so there was no reason to rush. But apparently there was. It seems that he brought injuries into the fight that deserve some time to heal. Velasquez deserves the time to address his injuries and come back strong, maybe in the summer of 2012.

Prediction: Velasquez faces Shane Carwin in the summertime.

Ben Henderson
dos Santos vs. the Overeem-Lesnar winner wasn’t the only guaranteed fight we got out of UFC on FOX. We also learned that Ben Henderson would get a chance to face Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title in February.

Henderson’s improvement has been rapid since joining the UFC, as he’s learned how to seamlessly combine striking/wrestling transitions. That will be a great skill to bring in against Edgar, who has spent his last four fights competing against fighters who became quite reliant on throwing their hands. Henderson mixes up his game in a way that will make him a tougher matchup for Edgar than either BJ Penn or Gray Maynard, and that’s saying a lot.

Clay Guida
UFC’s Energizer bunny fought a spirited bout, responding from some early trouble to give Henderson a real fight, but saw his wildness exploited by Henderson’s technique. Guida remains a very popular fighter so there’s definitely still space for him on an upcoming main card against a relevant opponent.

Prediction: He faces Jim Miller early in 2012

Dustin Poirier
Since losing his Zuffa debut while in the WEC in August 2010, Poirier has turned heads with four straight wins. The featherweight captured his third straight bout since moving over to the UFC, defeating the tough Pablo Garza with a D’arce choke submission. At 22 years old, Poirier is one of those talents you hope the UFC moves up in a careful manner, matching him up with fighters of similar experience level. That leads me to this …

Ricardo Lamas
Since moving to featherweight, Lamas has won both of his fights, and finished his opponents in both fights. Lamas is 11-2 and Poirier is 11-1. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Prediction: Poirier faces Lamas

Kid Yamamoto
Yamamoto was soundly out-grappled by Darren Uyenoyama in a three-round decision loss that marked a fourth loss in his last five fights. While Yamamoto was once one of the top lower-weight fighters in MMA, it appears that time has passed. In the past, his wrestling would have been enough to keep the fight upright where he enjoyed a sizable striking advantage, but he never came close to implementing that type of game plan against Uyenoyama. The only question now is whether Yamamoto gets cut, or gets one more chance.

Prediction: Yamamoto gets kept around, and faces an organizational newcomer at UFC 144 in Japan

Alex Caceres
In his first two UFC fights, Caceres looked out of his depth in the organization, getting outclassed in a pair of submission losses. After dropping to bantamweight, he looked recharged and refreshed, outworking Cole Escovedo in a strong decision win. The victory gives Caceres new life on a career that seemed like it could be destined to head back to the indies.

Prediction: Caceres faces Ivan Menjivar

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UFC on Fox ‘Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Fight-Picking Contest: The Winner

Well, we didn’t have a correct answer for the UFC on Fox Fight-Picking Contest, but we had several close ones.

Unfortunately we only have one prize, so the closest answer gets “Heart,” the cool MMA-themed comic-book mini-series by writer Blair Butler and artist Kevin Mellon.

Well, we didn’t have a correct answer for the UFC on Fox Fight-Picking Contest, but we had several close ones.

Unfortunately we only have one prize, so the closest answer gets “Heart,” the cool MMA-themed comic-book mini-series by writer Blair Butler and artist Kevin Mellon.

smackemyakem had the “most correct” answer with, “Junior Dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez via TKO, 2:53 of round 2 and Ben Henderson def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).” He had the co-main event correct right up to the judges’ scores and was only off by a round, or 3:49 for the Velasquez-Dos Santos result depending on how you look at it.

Thanks to everyone who entered and better luck next time. Don’t worry, we suck at predictions, too.

smackemyakem, if that’s even your real name, send your mailing address to [email protected] and we’ll get your first comic out to you ASAP.

MMA Stock Market™ — ‘UFC on FOX’ Edition

By Jason Moles

As ESPN’s Bill Simmons tweeted, the UFC lost its network virginity to FOX and it was over in a matter of seconds – just like real life. Similarly, for most of you, there seemed to be that same awkward feeling afterwards where you’re not sure if should zip up and head home to catch Sports Center or if she expects you to spoon with her until the early morning light reveals what she looks like when you’re sober. Regardless of what decision is made you can be certain that from this moment forth, life will never be the same. Ever.

It’s done – over. You can’t change anything even if you wanted to, like what you screamed as the finish came about. This is probably in your best interest seeing as how you’ll need money if you want her to stay around, at least more money than you currently have. Women love when you shower them with tokens of your affection so you should really pay attention to this next part. So crack open that portfolio and let’s play another round of ‘Buy, Sell, Hold’ in the MMA Stock Market.

Junior dos Santos – Buy it like they’re giving it away for free.

“Cigano” defeated the previously unbeaten UFC heavyweight in one minute and four seconds to capture the belt – with a torn meniscus. With only sixty-four seconds to analyze, it is hard to point out anything we didn’t already know like getting hit by JDS may be hazardous to your health. Any way you want to slice it, it all turns out the same; dos Santos is here to stay.

By Jason Moles

Junior dos Santos – Buy it like they’re giving it away for free.

Cain Velasquez – Buy

There will be more than a few rookie day traders dumping loads of “Brown Pride” after Cain’s performance Saturday night. Don’t get caught up in the heat of the moment, kid. Use rook’s weakness against him and buy all the ‘Shrexican‘ stock you can afford. Look, Velasquez didn’t go out and get man handled, out wrestled, or even out struck – he got caught. He will get another title shot, and judging from the competition, he’ll more than likely fight JDS again.

Clay Guida – Hold

One of the first rules they’ll teach you about investing is to keep emotions out of it. In other words, don’t buy Microsoft stock just because you have an Xbox 360 when you should be buying Lowe’s even if you couldn’t find a reciprocating saw to save your life. Pretty easy, right? As a fan of exciting fights, I can’t advise you to sell Guida’s stock even if he wears a crown that reads ‘Gatekeeper’. Although you shouldn’t sell, you shouldn’t spend any more money on him either. If you do, you run the risk of diminishing your ROI, which is the exact opposite you want. (Remember, your girlfriend expects a nice gift for Christmas) Hold the stock and let’s see if Clay Guide follows suit and cuts to the 145 lb. division like all the other fighters who couldn’t hack it at lightweight.

Benson Henderson – Buy

After his fight-of-the-night win over Clay Guida, Ben Henderson called out UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Well, sort of. While derailing Guida’s four-fight win streak, Bendo displayed the prowess and aggression that has me convinced he’s a destined to be crowned champion in Japan, should Edgar start out slow as he did in his ~~memorable~~ fights against Gray Maynard. A little money spent now will ensure you pay off the Christmas debt you incurred after visiting her parents. Wait, you didn’t honestly think you’d get out of that one, did you?

Two Sheds Review: Velasquez & Dos Santos Go Crazy Like a Fox for the UFC

It was an historic night for the Ultimate Fighting Championship as they presented their first ever show on the Fox network in the States as Junior Dos Santos challenged Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight title, a fight that was shown live in the early …

The broadcast began with lightweight action as Clay Guida faced Benson Henderson.

This proved to be a great way to start the show, a tremendous back-and-forth encounter fought at a frantic place for the entire 15 minutes.

Henderson had some success early when he rocked Guida, but a takedown attempt gave Guida time to recover.

From there, the fight seemed to go into overdrive, with both fighters going for submissions and Henderson putting in a great performance, especially with his takedown defence.

Towards the end of the fight, Guida took Henderson down and immediately went for a guillotine. Once again Henderson put on some great defensive work, eventually escaping and delivering a few shots as the fight came to an end.

Then it was down to the judges to decide, and the unanimous decision went in favour of Henderson, who surely secured a title shot against Frankie Edgar with this performance.

The main event saw Junior Dos Santos challenging Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight title.

Both men began by testing the waters with kicks and strikes, but as the fight neared the one minute mark Dos Santos connected with a big overhand right.

Velasquez went down like the proverbial sack of spuds, with JDS following him down for some ground and pound. Seconds later it was all over, with the referee stepping in to give Dos Santos the TKO win, crowning a new champion.

The show rounded out with welterweight action as Damarques Johnson took on Clay Harvison.

Another brief encounter saw more testing of the waters, with a Harvison kick straying into unwanted territory.

As both men looked to gain the upper hand, Johnson connected with a big left that sent Harvison crashing. He then celebrated his punch before delivering some ground and pound, the referee stepping in to give Johnson the TKO win.

In conclusion, I think you can say that the UFC’s debut on American network television was a success.

It needed a great fight to begin the show, to draw in those who had either never seen or had only a passing interest in MMA. Guida and Henderson certainly gave us that, while the Dos Santos and Johnson TKO wins were also great examples of an MMA fighter’s punching power.

But I find myself asking the following question: Why were they only given an hour? Hopefully next time Fox will give the UFC a little more time to show what they can do.

Apart from that somewhat minor gripe, this show gets the big thumbs up, as does Premier Sports for once again stepping in to give British fans their slice of regular UFC action when ESPN are reluctant to do so.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com, as well as my Facebook group at www.facebook.com/twoshedsreview.

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