Saturday night's UFC show was a major marketing test, in the sense that from a fighting skill and proven top tier-level ability, it was the weakest top two bouts the company has ever put on a FOX special.
Instead of championship matches, and top contender fights, the show was built around good-looking people, Paige VanZant vs. Michelle Waterson in a women's strawweight fight, and Sage Northcutt vs. Mickey Gall in a welterweight fight. VanZant was considered marketable but inexperienced and far from a strawweight title-level contender. Waterson is a former Invicta champion at atomweight and her winning a main event in the first round that drew so well definitely helped her standing going forward,
Northcutt is the UFC's youngest fighter, and while promoted heavily, has gone 3-2 against mostly preliminary level talent.