Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final boasts highest ratings of the year

Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final” held the promotion’s highest ratings of 2012. Both fights on the main card drew in 463,000 Showtime viewers according to MMAjunkie.com

This represents a steady rise from this year’s earlier events: “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine” held in January 2012, drew in 344,000 viewers and “Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey” from March 2012, was taken in by 431,000.

Both Headlining Fights went the distance with lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez defeating Josh Thomson via split decision and Daniel Cormier defeating Josh Barnett, by unanimous decision. The undercard was broadcast on the Showtime Extreme channel.

Strikeforce had its highest ratings with “Fedor vs. Silva” in February 2011, with 741,000 viewers. The second highest was last June’s “Overeem vs. Werdum” which caused 624,000 to tune into Showtime. Last week, Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker, made the comment that the winner of Cormier vs. Barnett was under contract for one more fight with the San Jose-based promotion.

A title-defense for Cormier against a worthy opponent could cause that event’s viewership to surge higher.