UFC 272 had apparently caught the attention of a lot of people.
Although the card was not headlined by a title fight, UFC 272 did see a welterweight grudge match between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. The fight was hyped up as the two were former roommates and close friends who became bitter rivals.
Ultimately, the UFC did a good job of promoting the event as the prelims on ESPN were the highest since UFC 264 in July, which saw Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3 in the main event.
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"Saturday's #UFC272 prelims averaged 1.53 million total viewers on ESPN, per UFC officials. Also aired on ESPN+ and ESPNews, but those numbers are not reported. ESPN numbers are the highest since July 2021 and the prelims for Poirier-McGregor 3, which averaged 1.61 million," MMA reporter John Morgan reported.
The ESPN prelims did have some solid fights, as the final fight saw Jalin Turner TKO Jamie Mullarkey in the second round. Although neither were big names, it was hyped up that the winner could very well get a ranked opponent next. The prelims also saw a potential #1 contender fight in Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xioanan which Rodriguez won by split decision.
The other two ESPN prelims saw Maryna Moroz submit her former training partner and rival, Mariya Agapova in the second round. Nicolae Negumereanu beat Kennedy Nzechukwu by split decision as well.
After the event, UFC President Dana White said this was a massive success and all the trends showed this to be a big night. If the ESPN prelims show anything, it is that UFC 272 will be one of the biggest cards of the year.
In the main event of the card, Colby Covington dominated Jorge Masvidal over five rounds to win a clear-cut decision.
Are you surprised with the UFC 272 viewership?