The numbers for the UFC 239 prelims are in, with the Saturday night average coming in at 1,145,000 viewers, making it one of the most successful network programs of the year for the promotion thus far. The prelims ranked #1 in the 18-49 male demographic for all of Saturday night and was #1 on cable for males 12-34 and 18-34.
In sports, the UFC 239 prelims ranked #2, trailing only Major League Baseball on FOX. The viewership peaked during the featured preliminary bout between Arnold Allen and Gilbert Melendez, with 1.4 million people tuning in. Arnold Allen was victorious, picking up the unanimous decision nod from the judges.
The prelims kicked off with Yadong Song knocking out Alejandro Perez in the very first round, extending his record to 14-3, 4-0 in the UFC. This victory earned Yadong Performance of the Night honors, joining main card participants Jorge Masvidal, Amanda Nunes, and Jan Blachowicz for the same recognition. In the following bout, Claudia Gadehla defeated Randa Markos via unanimous decision. The penultimate preliminary bout had Marlon Vera take on short-notice opponent Nohelin Hernandez, with Vera putting a close to what was a competitive bout with a second-round rear-naked choke victory.
The 1,145,000 average is a bump up from last month’s UFC 238 prelims, which came in with an average of 964,000. At the time, that number was the highest for a UFC broadcast in three months. It appears the UFC on ESPN partnership continues to build momentum as time progresses.
You can view the full UFC 239 results here!
