UFC Brasilia took place last weekend and featured a lightweight bout between division contenders Charles Oliveira and Kevin Lee.
The event was converted to a closed-door event last minute, which meant that no fans would be allowed in attendance. Now, the TV numbers are in and things aren’t looking good for the event.
Trent Reinsmith from Bloody Elbow reported the official UFC Brasilia ESPN ratings on his Twitter:
“UFC Brasilia card ratings on ESPN – average of 672,000 viewers. Lowest number of UFC on ESPN era – also streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on ESPN Deportes.”
This is actually surprising, because UFC Brasilia card was one of the few major sporting events that still went ahead amid growing risks and restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
You could expect a lot higher viewership, considering the lack of sporting events being aired at that time, but it was obviously not the case in this situation.
The card itself was fairly solid, with a strong headliner featuring Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira. It was a high-paced fight with both fighters testing each others stand up and grappling abilities. In the end, it was Oliveira, who was able to sink in a guillotine choke in the 3rd round, forcing Lee to tap.
In the co-main event, two Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aces went at it, with Gilbert Burns taking on his “idol” in Demian Maia. Gilbert was able to land a powerful punch on Maia, sending the 42-year old veteran down the canvas before finishing him with a barrage of hammer fists.
Other notable fights on the card featured the likes of Renato Moicano, Johnny Waker, Nikita Krylov, Francisco Trinaldo and John Makdessi.
This article first appeared on CLOSEDGUARDMEDIA.com on 17th March, 2020.
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