UFC on FOX 26 Numbers Weren’t Nearly As Bad As Reported

The final numbers are in for last weekend’s UFC on FOX 26: Lawler vs Dos Anjos, and while initial reports indicated low viewership, new factors have put it as the second-most watched TV-aired MMA event in 2017. The night’s main event was the peak with over three million viewers. The card was aired live on […]

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The final numbers are in for last weekend’s UFC on FOX 26: Lawler vs Dos Anjos, and while initial reports indicated low viewership, new factors have put it as the second-most watched TV-aired MMA event in 2017.

The night’s main event was the peak with over three million viewers.

The card was aired live on FOX’s flagship platform, while many fight nights occur on FS1, which could factor into the availability of fans’ ability to watch it, but the event as a whole delivered and kept the momentum going from the prelims to the main card and all the way through a great main event.

Yet while it was one of the highest-watched live UFC cards during a 2017 where numbers were largely down overall, the news wasn’t all roses.

According to Dave Meltzer, the same-day ratings for Saturday night was 2,107,000 viewers, which actually makes it the fourth-lowest viewed FOX card in UFC history. However, it still ended up being the most watched event since January.

Initial reports put the event in a bad light, but the numbers including the entire main event as well as west coast viewership significantly increased the national numbers. It was number one on network TV for men ages 18-34 and 18-49.

In the grander scheme of things, Saturday night was a 34 percent drop compared to the UFC’s last FOX card in December of 2016. That card featured Michelle Waterson vs. Paige Vanzant as well as Urijiah Faber’s retirement fight.

The bar is quite high for FOX shows, so while the numbers may seem high, the card still underperformed in terms of FOX channel events throughout the promotion’s six-year business partnership of the network.

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Five Biggest Takeaways From UFC on FOX 26

The UFC’s second-ever event in Winnipeg delivered on all fronts, much more so than UFC 161, which was the first card held in the Canadian city. From stunning upset knockouts to barnburners, Saturday night was everything a fight fan could ask for. Lets take a look at what we’re left with on Sunday: 5. Josh Emmett […]

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The UFC’s second-ever event in Winnipeg delivered on all fronts, much more so than UFC 161, which was the first card held in the Canadian city.

From stunning upset knockouts to barnburners, Saturday night was everything a fight fan could ask for.

Lets take a look at what we’re left with on Sunday:

Per Haljestam for USA TODAY Sports

5. Josh Emmett Is A FW Contender – But Can He Make Weight?

Josh Emmett earned a career-defining knockout over perennial featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas in the nights co-main event but failed to make weight in doing so.

What does the UFC do with Emmett? Is it even possible for him to make the featherweight limit? He looked huge in there against Lamas, and although he took the fight on short notice, it may be too soon to crown Emmett as the next big thing at 145 pounds.

Let’s see him make weight at least once before pushing him into title contention. However, if he does make the weight, UFC featherweights have a serious problem on their hands in Emmett. His size, striking, and grappling will absolutely pose issues for the top 145 pounders.

A potential future fight against Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar will accomplish that, as long as Emmett can make the weight.

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