MMA Paper Trail: Bold Moves

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UFC on FX: Browne vs. Silva
Oct. 5 (FX) | Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
Marquee Fight(s): Travis Brown vs. Antonio Silva

• 7,049: Attendance (est. 6,000 paid)
• $358,000: Gate
• 1,084,000: Average viewers for FX broadcast
• 44,000 viewers: Average viewers for preliminary broadcast on Fuel TV
• $40,000: Value of performance bonuses, which went to Michael Johnson (Best Knockout), Justin Edwards (Best Submission), and Diego Nunes and Bart Palaszewski (Best Fight)
• $84,000: Highest purse payout on the show, to Jake Ellenberger, who defeated Jay Hieron
• $8,000: Lowest purse payout on the show, to Phil Harris, who lost to Darren Uyenoyama

Notes: Television viewership lowest of any UFC card on FX to date, but second most-watched show that night, a Friday, on cable among Males 18-34. Live fight lead-in leads to biggest audience by far – 1.1 million viewers on average – for an episode of this season’s Ultimate Fighter. Unlike prior FX shows, the broadcast was tape-delayed so it aired in primetime on West Coast as well as East Coast. For Fuel, lowest audience to date for UFC preliminary fights. Late tickets sold at a cut-rate as UFC worked with a ticket company to move seats after slow sales. Target Center capacity about 19,400. UFC’s second event in the arena. The first, UFC 87 in 2008, drew 15,087 fans and a $2.25 million gate for a card headlined by Georges St. Pierre v. Jon Fitch and Brock Lesnar v. Heath Herring.

UFC 153 “Silva vs. Bonnar”
Oct. 13 (Pay-Per-View) | HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro
Marquee Fight(s): Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar

• 16,844: Attendance (about 100 tickets unsold)
• $2.6 million: Gate
• 410,000: Estimated pay-per-view buys
• 1 million: Average viewers for preliminary fights on FX
• $70,000: Value of performance bonuses, which went to Rony Jason (Best Knockout); Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Best Submission); and Jon Fitch and Erick Silva (Best Fight)
• 12 million: Approximate number of viewers for Nogueira-Herman and Silva-Bonnar on Globo television network in Brazil, which aired from 12:40 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Notes: PPV buys the highest to date for a UFC show emanating from Brazil. Drop from 900,000 estimated buys for Silva’s last fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 148. More buys than many of Silva’s title defenses, including Yushin Okami (335K). Globo viewership said to be higher for the Silva v. Bonnar fight than the Silva v. Sonnen fight. Bonnar retires after bout, tests positive for steroid. UFC plans to return to Brazil for five to seven events in 2013.

The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson (FX)
- Oct. 5: 1.1 million average viewers (Bristol Marunde vs. Julian Lane; preceded by live fight card headlined by Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva)
- Oct. 12: 624,000 average viewers (Igor Arujo vs. Nic Heron-Webb; lowest audience ever for an episode of TUF)
- Oct. 19: 811,000 average viewers (Colton Smith vs. Eddy Ellis)
- Oct. 26: 676,000 average viewers (Michael Hill vs. Matt Secor)

Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Seven (MTV2)
- Oct. 5: 145,000 average viewers (heavyweight quarterfinals; drop of 26 percent from prior week, season opener)
- Oct. 12: 175,000 average viewers (Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire)
- Oct. 19: 149,000 average viewers (lightweight quarterfinals)
- Oct. 26: 154,000 average viewers (welterweight semifinals)

ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Kings
Oct. 6 | Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kallang, Singapore
Marquee Fight(s): Shinya Aoki vs. Arnaud Lepont

• 8,000: Estimated attendance

Notes: OneFC’s debut on domestic pay-per-view providers (iN DEMAND, DirecTV, Dish). Buy rate estimates not available. OneFC’s third event at the stadium. Promotion goes on to cancel scheduled December event in Kuala Lumpur and promises to return in February 2013.

Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama
Oct. 6 | Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kan.
Marquee Fight(s): Jessica Penne vs. Naho Sugiyama; Shayna Baszler vs. Sarah D'Alelio

• 600: Attendance (380 paid)
• $1,500: Value of Fight of the Night bonus, to Michelle Waterson and Lacey Shuckman
• $1,000: Value of Best Knockout bonus (Joanne Calderwood) and Best Submission Bonus (split between Jassamyn Dyke and Stephanie Frausto)