UFC on FX 2 Earns 1.4 Million Viewers; Strikeforce ‘Tate vs. Rousey’ Nets 431,000

Headlined by a pivotal welterweight confrontation between Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves, the event took place at Allphones Arena in Sydney and marked the UFC’s third trip to Australia. Sherdog.com confirmed the viewership figure with an industry source on Tuesday.

Kampmann snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the main event, locking up a fight-ending guillotine choke in the third round after being consistently beaten to the punch by Alves for most of the contest.

The overall viewership figure represents a slight increase following January’s UFC on FX 1, which netted an average of 1.3 million viewers. The evening’s undercard attracted 113,000 observers on Fuel TV, a decrease following the UFC on FX 1 prelims broadcast, which earned 148,000 viewers.

The main card broadcast, which received a 1.0 household rating, also featured the semifinals of the UFC’s four-man flyweight tournament. Joseph Benavidez cruised to a second-round technical knockout of Yasuhiro Urushitani, while Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall battled to a three-round draw, though the result was originally announced as a majority decision victory for “Mighty Mouse.”

Additionally, Sherdog.com confirmed that Showtime’s Saturday night broadcast of Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey” earned 431,000 viewers on the premium cable channel. Showcasing a 135-pound championship main event between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey, the event attracted 25 percent greater viewership than January’s “Rockhold vs. Jardine,” which earned 344,000 average viewers during a free preview weekend.