M-1 Challenge 30 Earns 148,000 Viewers on Showtime

Yasubey Enomoto (right) won the M-1 crown, but just an average of 148,000 viewers. | Photo: Taro Irei

The event marked the promotion's fourth and final appearance on the premium cable network in 2011. Of the four live events to air on Showtime this year, M-1 Challenge 30 posted the lowest average viewership, trailing M-1 Challenge 24, 26 and 27, which earned averages of 189,000, 161,000 and 185,000 viewers respectively.

The event took place Dec. 9 at The Hanger in Costa Mesa, Calif., headlined by an M-1 welterweight title rematch between Shamil Zavurov and Yasubey Enomoto, Zavurov was initially supposed to square off with fellow Russian Rashid Magomedov, but his countryman was forced to withdraw from their planned rematch due to injury.

Enomoto avenged his failed April title bid, as the Swiss welterweight submitted the champion to win the belt with only 50 seconds remaining in the fifth round. The loss marked only the second defeat of Zavurov's career and the first since he was outpointed by Magomedov over two years ago.