View Full Version : UFC on FOX 2 Results: Evans vs. Davis **Spoiler**
Main Card
Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision
Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision
Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via unanimous decision
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Evan Dunham def. Nik Lentz via second-round TKO
Mike Russow def. Jon Olav Einemo via unanimous decision
Cub Swanson def. George Roop via second-round TKO
Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf-crusher)
Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decisionLavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran via first-round KO
Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine choke)
*Johnny Bedford vs. Mitch Gagnon fight canceled over Gagnon's visa issues. Bedford will get his show money.
Chael Sonnen Thinks Michael Bisping Could Beat Anderson Silva
For colorful personalities such as Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, trash-talk between the two middleweights has been uncharacteristically almost non-existent.
On Saturday at UFC on FOX 2, their hard-fought, three-round decision only reinforced their mutual respect. In fact, Sonnen thinks even more highly of Bisping now than ever.
"I can assure you -- Having fought [Bisping] and the alleged champion, he could win the title today if they gave him the opportunity," Sonnen said at the press conference.
With Sonnen, it's difficult to tell if he honestly believes that or if it's another opportunity to take a shot at Silva. Because despite winning his No. 1 contender bout by unanimous decision, Sonnen still maintains he's unsure if a championship bout with Silva will happen. According to Sonnen, it's up to Silva to sign on the dotted line.
"Do I think he'll sign to fight? No, I don't," Sonnen said. "We'll see. I've been wrong before."
Sonnen curiously made no mention of Silva in his post-fight interview with announcer Joe Rogan. Rather than aggressively call out Silva like he did in his previous win over Brian Stann, could this be Sonnen's passive-aggressive approach to making the fight happen?
"I can tell you this -- I have never backed down and I never will," he continued. "If he wants to fight and is willing to, I will do my part. But this isn't my goal to help lure him out. I talk like this not to talk about Anderson. I rather talk about real men like Mr. Bisping who steps in on 10 days notice and fights me. Those are the kind of guys I want to give media attention to. Not some bum hiding in Brazil."
If Silva-Sonnen 2 happens, it will likely take place this summer in Brazil. For all the shots that Sonnen have fired against Silva and Brazilians in general, there are some concerns of Sonnen's safety in that country. Sonnen, though, doesn't seem to be worried.
"If those blow-hards (in Brazil) with their blow darts, want to come for me, tthey can send anyone they want," Sonnen said. "But don't send anyone they want back."
Chris Weidman Beats Demian Maia
Chris Weidman is still undefeated, and he has just earned the biggest win of his MMA career on the biggest stage.
Weidman, who accepted his fight with Demian Maia on UFC on Fox 2 on just 11 days' notice, came through with a split decision victory, improving his record to 8-0. Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Weidman, while one scored it 29-28 Maia.
CORRECTION: Weidman won a unanimous decision. Bruce Buffer read scores incorrectly.
The win was big for Weidman, but it was not a particularly good fight: Both men seemed tired and tentative, and the crowd booed through long stretches of it.
Weidman briefly knocked Maia down in the early going and seemed fairly comfortable standing up, and with a minute to go in the first round he surprisingly took Maia down. Maia quickly got back to his feet, but it had to be a big confidence boost for Weidman that he could go to the ground with Maia and not find himself in any trouble.
Early in the second round Weidman took Maia down again, and again they didn't stay down long but Weidman found himself none the worse for wear once they stood back up. By the midway point of the second round the crowd started booing, as neither fighter was taking a lot of chances standing up. Maia started landing combinations late in the second and appeared close to winning the round, but at the end Weidman executed an impressive takedown and may have done enough to take the second.
There was more booing in the third, as both men looked exhausted and out of gas and it turned into a sloppy kickboxing match. The Chicago crowd that had loudly cheered throughout the preliminary fights gave thumbs-down to both Maia and Weidman as the fight ended. That wasn't the way the UFC and Fox wanted to kick off Saturday night's televised card.
Rashad Evans Beats Phil Davis in UFC on Fox 2 Main Event
Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night's UFC on Fox 2 show.
With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, and Evans said afterward that he is uninjured and will be ready for that fight in April.
The fight wasn't the kind of barn-burner that the UFC and Fox were surely hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed as the event drew to a close. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave all five rounds to Evans.
"I fought at a pretty high pace but I felt like I wanted to put it away and just didn't get the chance," Evans said. "I'm kind of disappointed by that."
Evans said the fight with Jones is the fight he's focused on.
"It was hard to focus on this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight," Evans said. "Now I get an opportunity to fight Jon and I'm very excited about that."
Davis said at the post-fight press conference that he was disappointed he failed in the biggest fight of his career.
"He's a good fighter," Davis said of Evans. "I just couldn't score the points I needed to in the clutch positions."
Davis employed some powerful leg kicks in the early going and seemed to be using his reach to get the better of the stand-up exchanges. However, with a little over a minute to go in the round, Evans took Davis down and then transitioned into side control, where he battered Davis's head on the ground. That was enough to win the first round for Evans.
The second round was slow most of the way until, with only 30 seconds left, Davis threw a kick that Evans caught, and Evans once again took Davis down and got into side control. Evans didn't do as much on the ground at the end of the second as he had at the end of the first, but given how little action there was before that, it was probably enough for Evans to win the round again.
Early in the third Davis attempted a takedown, but Evans sprawled and managed to end up on top of Davis, and even briefly took his back before they stood back up. Evans then got the better of an exchange of punches, and although Davis was finally able to get Evans back down after that, he couldn't do anything on the ground, and Evans won yet another round.
Davis landed a hard body kick that made a sound like the crack of a bat early in the fourth round, but there wasn't much significant striking in the round after that. Both Evans and Davis were tiring out and not getting much done as the fourth went on.
Early in the fifth Davis threw a kick that Evans caught with one hand while hitting Davis with the other, and he knocked Davis down and got on top of him. Evans played it safe for the rest of the round, knowing he had won. And knowing he's got Jones next.
The following fighters were awarded $65,000 bounses.
Fight of the Night: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
Knockout of the Night: Lavar Johnson
Submission of the Night: Charles Oliveira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2p_b1gBtqBM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9avpya90iWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IZFMnIM94Y&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCJV02WN5Ps&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOMl4wHDt-E&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7Gx1Lk9XnM&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR9Bl7j_47s&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvaRtqZu28M&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTc8HZj_V6w&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVsneXZv30&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoGNDfjf9vc&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-VoPaRX9g4&feature=player_detailpage
Evans deed het goed. Minder lay 'n pray dan vroeger. Betere standup. Jammer dat ze het niet over Tyrone, Hardonk en de Dutch connection hadden.
blackadder
29-01-2012, 10:25
Rogan was blijkbaar voor Bisping.
http://cdn.pimpmyspace.org/media/pms/c/vs/rt/1l/machida-1.gif
Ik vond dat Bisping had gewonnen. Maar iedereen wil natuurlijk Silva vs Sonnen zien. Hij had de voordeel van de twijfel daarom. OOH wel still gonna be exciting!!!!!
Jammer voor Einemo. Heeft op deze manier helaas niet veel te zoeken in de UFC.
Ik vond dat Bisping had gewonnen. Maar iedereen wil natuurlijk Silva vs Sonnen zien. Hij had de voordeel van de twijfel daarom. OOH wel still gonna be exciting!!!!!
Zelfs Sonnen dacht dat hij had verloren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ylcE7m0SbNQ#!
ik vond dat bisping het zeker goed deed, maar Sonnen heeft toch overduidelijk gewonnen. De enige reden waarom de meeste denken dat Bisping had gewonnen was omdat Joe Rogan dat voor de een of ander reden zei
The Company
29-01-2012, 13:08
Evans deed het goed. Minder lay 'n pray dan vroeger. Betere standup. Jammer dat ze het niet over Tyrone, Hardonk en de Dutch connection hadden.
Goldberg heeft Spong zijn naam nog genoemd tijdens het gevecht. Verder was het een saaie main-card met veel vechters die gassed waren.
The_Rock
29-01-2012, 13:31
Wie zegt dat Bisping gewonnen heeft is gewoon blind. En die dombo van een Joe Rogan is steeds meer een mongool aan het worden. Blijkaar doet die marijuana hem niet veel goeds.
En Sonnen VOND niet dat Bisping had gewoonen, maar hij zei het kon beide kanten op. En de enige reden dat ie dat zei is omdat hij had verwacht dat hij Bisping helemaal zou afmaken, tot hij tegenstand kreeg. Dan denk je meteen negatiever over jouw performance.
MMAProfessor
29-01-2012, 13:34
ronde 2 had je aan bisping kunnen geven maar ronde 1 en vooral 3 waren voor sonnen
Sonnen deed in elke ronde een takedown en dat levert nu eenmaal punten op. Bisping kept it standing en dan moet je echt er nog iets verder bovenuit steken. Vond dit wel een hele goede partij. had ook verwacht dat sonnen pisding op zou rollen.
Bisping heeft als vechter in ieder geval iets van mijn respect terug gewonnen. Als mens niet (maar sonnen is ook een eikel dus schijnbaar maakt het niet uit).
Evans deed het goed. Minder lay 'n pray dan vroeger. Betere standup. Jammer dat ze het niet over Tyrone, Hardonk en de Dutch connection hadden.
Oh god.. het is dat Rashad geen leg kicks gooide, maar anders hadden we dat verhaaltje over de 'Dutch style of kickboxing' en de 'thump' bij het landen voor de miljoenste keer vast moeten aanhoren.
SpelPlan
29-01-2012, 17:37
Ik vond dat Bisping het heel erg goed deed tegen Sonnen. Ik dacht echt dat hij opgevreten zou worden.
Ik weet niet hoe ik het gevecht gescored had als ik een scoresheet voor m'n neus had gehad en inderdaad scherp op gescorede punten zou letten voor takedowns enzo, zou heel goed kunnen dat volgens de regels Sonnen de duidelijke winnaar is. Maar puur als toeschouwer vond ik dat Bisping hier als de winnaar uit is gekomen. Jammer dat er geen rondes 4 en 5 waren.
Ik vond Rashad heel erg goed vanavond. Sonnen - Silva wil ik graag zien gewoon om de hele hype die er omheen gecreeerd is en ik benieuwd ben of hij de arena in Rio levend uit (of uberhaupt in) komt. Evans - Jones wil ik supergraag zien omdat dat volgens mij een heel goed gevecht wordt. Ik ben benieuwd of Jones z'n reach beter weet te gebruiken dan Davis deed, dat lukte hem bij Rampage wel in elk geval bijzonder goed.
UFC on FOX 2 Morning After: FOX Fights Fail to Deliver
There was some great action in the Octagon at the United Center on Saturday night. Unfortunately, all of it was over before the FOX show got started.
After a seven-fight preliminary card delivered one outstanding fight after another, the three-fight main card on the network was a disappointment. Between the three fights Fox broadcast on Saturday and the Junior dos Santos-Cain Velasquez fight in November (which was 59 minutes of talking surrounding one minute of fighting), there still hasn't been a really good UFC fight on network television yet.
That's a shame. If Fox had shown the Fight of the Night from Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz, or Lavar Johnson's knockout of Joey Beltran, or Charles Oliveira's brilliant submission, millions of Americans would have seen what the UFC at its best looks like. Instead, millions of Americans saw three mediocre battles.
The less said about Chris Weidman's decision win over Demian Maia, the better. That was simply not what anyone thinks of as a good MMA fight. Any curious newcomers to the UFC who turned the show on from the beginning probably changed the channel after the first round of that one.
Chael Sonnen's fight with Michael Bisping was better, and the pro-Sonnen crowd was energetic, but that fight wasn't much to look at, either: Sonnen showed how to use superior wrestling and clinch work to win a decision, but the new fans the UFC wants to draw on Fox probably didn't find that too entertaining, either.
And in the main event, Rashad Evans dominated Phil Davis for 25 minutes without ever coming close to finishing. If you know enough about MMA to appreciate that Davis is a very talented athlete, an NCAA champion wrestler and a rising star in the sport, you were probably impressed with how thoroughly Evans controlled him. But if you're new to MMA and had never seen Evans or Davis before, you probably figured at the end that you'd rather spend half an hour watching a Seinfeld rerun than watching a fight like that.
The UFC and FOX both say they're in this for the long haul, and that they plan to grow the sport together. That's good, because this is going to take time. The UFC and Spike got lucky when the first Ultimate Fighter Finale had a sensational battle between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. So far, there's been no such luck for the UFC and FOX. Through four live, televised fights, the network television viewers haven't seen much action.
UFC on Fox 2 Notes
-- Charles Oliveira has a ton of talent, and he looked better than ever fighting at 145 pounds for the first time in the UFC. The 22-year-old Oliveira needed just 1 minute, 43 seconds to submit Eric Wisely with a calf slicer, and he could be a future featherweight title contender.
-- Mike Russow, a Chicago cop, got one of the best ovations I've ever heard before his fight with John-Olav Einemo. He also had one of the most surprising game plans I've ever seen when he repeatedly took Einemo down, even though Einemo is a world-class submission grappler. But it worked, as Russow stayed on top and out of trouble on the ground and won a decision. Russow isn't the prettiest fighter to watch, but he's 15-1 in his MMA career, including 4-0 in the Octagon. Think about this: If Alistair Overeem beats Junior dos Santos, Russow will have the longest winning streak in the UFC heavyweight division.
"I can't believe I'm 4-0 in the UFC right now," Russow said afterward. "It's unbelievable. To have this fight in my hometown of Chicago and to have the fans cheering for me like they did...I couldn't ask for anything better. "
-- Former Ultimate Fighter finalist Michael Johnson looked like he has improved both his striking and his submission defense since leaving Greg Jackson's gym and training full-time with the Blackzilians. The fans booed at times when Johnson clinched with Shane Roller and slowed down the pace of the fight, but it was good to see Johnson show some patience: In his last fight, against Paul Sass, he got a little too wild from the top and and was caught in a heel hook. This time Johnson fought safe and smart, and when Roller put him in a lot of trouble on the ground, Johnson kept his composure and got back to his feet. This was the best Johnson has looked.
UFC on Fox 2 Quotes
-- "This one sucks. You really hate to lose like this. I felt like I was doing alright and getting good back-and-forth with him. I felt like I had him, but I flat out got caught on this one."--Dustin Jacoby, following his third-round submission loss to Chris Carmozzi. Jacoby entered the UFC last year with a 6-0 record, but he's now 0-2 inside the Octagon and will probably be released.
-- "This win shows that the Strikeforce heavyweights belong here. We're all on the same level and now we're getting a chance to prove it. And the fans are the ones benefitting from it the most because they're getting to see action like this."--Lavar Johnson after his impressive first-round knockout of Joey Beltran. I'm not prepared to say the Strikeforce heavyweights are "all on the same level" as the UFC heavyweights, but I do think Johnson is a great addition from Strikeforce.
Good Call
Referee Rob Madrigal stopped the Lavar Johnson-Joey Beltran fight at exactly the right time, just as Beltran was falling to the ground after repeated uppercuts from Johnson. Referees have a tough job when a fighter is taking a lot of punishment but still standing, and Madrigal stepped in just as Beltran lost the ability to defend himself. The Chicago Tribune ran a story last week questioning whether Madrigal was qualified enough to be refereeing a major card like UFC on Fox 2, but Madrigal acquitted himself nicely.
Bad Call
Referee Herb Dean demonstrated exactly what I focused on with my last Morning After: MMA refs are too inconsistent with the way they handle punches to the back of the head. Shane Roller landed several punches to the back of Michael Johnson's head, and all Dean did was warn Roller while allowing him to maintain his dominant position -- no point deduction, no stand-up, no time out to see if Johnson had been hurt by any of Roller's strikes, and certainly no disqualification, as Mario Yamasaki gave Erick Silva two weeks ago for punches to the back of the head that weren't as flagrant. The UFC and the state athletic commissions need to work together to get every ref on the same page on this rule.
Stock Up
Chris Camozzi had lost his last two UFC fights and needed a win to save his spot on the UFC roster Saturday night. He got it in impressive fashion against Dustin Jacoby, controlling the stand-up in the first couple rounds and forcing Jacoby to tap to a standing guillotine choke in the third.
Stock Down
George Roop had an opportunity to show he's a player in the featherweight division, but he was violently knocked out by Cub Swanson. Roop was looking up at the replay on the United Center big screen as he was walking back to the locker room, and he didn't seem to know what hit him. Roop has lost three of his last four.
Fights I Want to See Next
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. Watching Evans and Sonnen on Saturday night, it's awfully tough for me to envision either one of them winning their upcoming title fights. But both men have won enough big fights in their weight classes that they've earned No. 1 contender status. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them get their title shots, even though both of them are going to be huge underdogs
Post-Fight Thoughts After UFC on FOX 2
The sky is not falling.
The doomsdayers always seem to panic whenever a UFC show does not produce a series of heart-racing moments, and UFC on FOX 2 certainly fell a little flat, leading to heavy criticism and downright concern about the future of the FOX deal.
Relax. FOX is well aware that some fights are going to blow you away, and others will make you want to walk away. That's sports. They didn't lock in a seven-year deal with the thought of divorcing after their first official show under the terms of the deal. This is still a new sports property for them, and there is plenty of room to grow for both sides.
Adjustments will be made, and fights will deliver.
Remember, we have Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller on tap for UFC on FOX 3 in May. There's no way that fight doesn't deliver.
Until then, here are my thoughts on storylines stemming from the UFC's second outing on network TV...
Historic Run
Jon Jones had a banner 2011, capturing the title and finishing all four of his fights. The virtuoso performance led many to wonder what he could possibly do for an encore, and now we have our answer. Jones has Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson waiting to fight him.
Think about this: Jones has the possibility of going through Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Evans and Henderson consecutively. If he accomplishes it, it would no doubt be the most impressive five-fight run in MMA history.
And let it be said, giving Evans the first shot at Jones before Henderson is the right call. Evans has been the No. 1 contender in waiting for about 18 months, since beating Jackson back in May 2010. He's waited long enough. Even though Henderson is 41 years old and has less time remaining in his career than Evans, he wasn't even in the UFC when Evans became the top contender. He was still in Strikeforce at the time.
Henderson should certainly get the chance to fight the Evans-Jones winner, but given the UFC schedule, he'll likely be offered another fight before it.
Stepping Back
It's safe to say that Phil Davis wasn't quite ready for the jump up to elite opponent level, struggling in a decision loss to Evans. Davis remains a wildly gifted talent, but seems to lack conviction in some of his own abilities. He didn't fully commit to his punches, often moving backward as he threw, and that allowed Evans to fire off his own strikes with little to fear.
Davis does throw strong kicks, but until he learns to let his hands go -- a skill that will complement his wrestling -- he won't reach his optimum potential.
Sonnen-Silva II
Chael Sonnen had some trouble with Michael Bisping on the way to a unanimous decision that will set up a rematch with Anderson Silva, likely this summer in Brazil. The less-than-stellar performance sent his stock downward in the eyes of many, who suggest that it will somehow carry over into his fight with Silva.
There's no correlation between the two fights. Bisping has always boasted very good takedown defense and even when he's gotten taken down, he tends to pop back up to his feet quickly. Silva's takedown defense is average, and when he gets taken down, he looks for submissions instead of trying to get to his feet. Sonnen is much more likely to take him down and keep him down for long stretches, just like the first fight, mainly because Silva is often content to work from his back, where he's dangerous.
That said, the rematch -- like the original -- is likely to come down to whether Sonnen can stay away from a fight-ending submission.
MiddleMan
For a long time, I have asked, where is the next great middleweight? In a story from last year, I suggested Chris Weidman could be that man.
On Saturday, Weidman defeated Maia in a workmanlike decision. While he didn't steal the headlines away from Evans or Sonnen, Weidman's win on 11 days' notice sends the message that he's a force to be reckoned with. He had to cut from 217 to 185. He was faced with fighting a southpaw. His opponent was one of MMA's submission masters. Weidman conquered all these obstacles in his path, and that says plenty about his mental and physical makeup.
Weidman has shown advancing striking skills to go with his excellent wrestling and ground game. Barring an injury, there's no question that he'll be knocking on the door of top contenders in the division ASAP.
Another first
Charles Oliveira made his featherweight debut memorable, becoming the first UFC fighter in history to score a calf slicer submission. Oliveira is an aggressive, attacking offensive fighter, so it's no surprise that he'd pull off something so bold and rare. Now it's worth watching to see if he becomes a real factor in the division.
Damned if you do...
Nik Lentz used to receive a ton of criticism for fighting conservatively, but the approach led to a 15-fight unbeaten stretch from 2007-2011. The constant slams from fans and media caused Lentz to reconsider his approach, and his more wide open style has led to two losses in a row. The upside: he earned a $65,000 bonus for Fight of the Night. The downside: he's now officially on the cut watch list.
Lavar Johnson Admits He Threw Up Before UFC Debut
Watch below as Lavar Johnson breaks down his knockout win over Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2. Johnson talked about the nerves he had before his UFC debut, if he expected to dominate Beltran and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=tNH2JI_6gxc
Michael Johnson Was Confident He Did Enough to Beat Shane Roller
Watch below as Michael Johnson breaks down his unanimous decision win over Shane Roller at UFC on FOX 2. Johnson discusses if he was worried before the judges' scorecards were announced, the trouble he faced in the third round, how much his camp helped with his wrestling and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaOfKcyzE-w&feature=player_detailpage
Mike Russow: There Was No Way I Was Going to Lose at Home
Watch below Mike Russow breaks down his win over Jon Olav Einemo at UFC on FOX 2. Russow discusses how a full training camp helped him, the challenges Einemo presented, if he felt any more pressure fighting in front of his hometown crowd, what he could have done differently and when will he return to the police force.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXWCOiPuL00&feature=player_detailpage
Evan Dunham Was Surprised by Doctor's Stoppage
Watch below as Evan Dunham talks about his win at UFC on FOX 2 against Nik Lentz. Dunham discusses what he thought about the doctor's decision to stop the fight, what rounds he think he won, why he got his warm-up wrong and who he would like to face next.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hM39I3aklL8
Michael Bisping Believes He Won First Two Rounds Against Chael Sonnen
Watch below as Michael Bisping talks about his unanimous decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2. "The Count" discusses why he thought he won against Sonnen, his wrestling, what he felt he could have done differently in the third round and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2olax-xkRs&feature=player_detailpage
Chael Sonnen Agrees to Fight Anderson Silva in Brazil, Still Not Convinced It Will Happen
Watch below as Chael Sonnen talks about his win over Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2, whether he thought the fight would play out that way, fighting on FOX and why doesn't think the Anderson Silva rematch will happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f8C5n5sbko&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i4fZ-2fp6s&feature=player_detailpage
UFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.37 Million Viewers in Preliminary Ratings
Early ratings are in for Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 event, and the two-hour broadcast drew an estimated 4.37 million viewers, according to a report by TVBytheNumbers.com.
The final number, however, is likely to increase substantially by the time final ratings are released, as information continues to trickle in on the live broadcast.
Saturday night's two-hour show, which was broadcast from the United Center in Chicago, featured a tripleheader that was void of any finishes. In the main event, Rashad Evans out-pointed Phil Davis, setting up a light-heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones. The co-main event saw Chael Sonnen earn a decision over Michael Bisping, setting up a rematch with middleweight champ Anderson Silva. And the night's opener saw rising star Chris Weidman top Demian Maia on points.
Despite the lack of big finishes or action-packed rounds, ratings indicated that the event helped FOX carry the all important 18-49 year old demographic, as that segment of the population averaged a 2.2 rating to lead all broadcast networks.
Final ratings should be released on Monday.
The next UFC on FOX event will take place in the spring, with a May 5 date penciled in. To date, only one TV matchup has been confirmed, with lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller squaring off in a bout likely to serve as the co-main event.
By comparison, the initial UFC on FOX show last November featuring a heavyweight title bout with Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos drew an overnight rating of 4.64 million, but when final information was released, it ended up averaging a more robust 5.7 million viewers for the one-hour special.
UFC on FOX 2 Averages 4.7 Million Viewers, Peaks With Over 6 Million
Last Saturday night's UFC on FOX 2 posted a 2.6/5 national rating/share, according to data released by Nielsen Media Research on Tuesday. The event, which lasted two hours and 19 minutes, averaged 4.7 million viewers, and easily won the night's coveted 18-49 demographic.
Ratings for the show grew as it went on, with more than 6 million viewers tuning in to watch Rashad Evans defeat Phil Davis by unanimous decision in the main event.
Original overnight ratings pegged the audience at 4.37 million viewers, a number that was later adjusted to account for fluctuations in the live broadcast. Of note, the 18-49 year-old demographic dominated the evening, as the event's 2.4 rating nearly equaled that of the 2.5 that CBS, ABC and NBC combined for on that night.
The rating though, was down a bit from the first UFC on FOX show. The inaugural outing last November featuring then-heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos drew an average of 5.7 million viewers and peaked with 8.8 million viewers, though that event lasted just one hour.
The next UFC on FOX event will take place on May 5 from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Only one TV fight has so far been announced, a lightweight bout pitting contenders Nate Diaz and Mim Miller.
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