A rare Sunday afternoon UFC show headlined by Anthony Smith’s first-round knockout of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua averaged 492,000 viewers from 2-5 p.m. ET.
The number compares well with last year’s similar show, which aired an hour later, a slightly better time slot, and did 402,000 viewers for a show headlined by Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Gunnar Nelson. Two years ago, a Sunday afternoon July show headlined by Alexander Gustafsson’s win over Glover Teixeira, did 496,000 viewers. But Gustafsson vs. Teixeira was a far more high-profile fight, that also went five rounds, while Smith vs Rua ended in 89 seconds.