UFC Liverpool Scores Highest Cable Ratings In Time Slot

UFC Liverpool was a ratings success.

Sunday’s event (Sun., May 27, 2018) from the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, averaged 552,000 viewers from 1 p.m. to 4:06 p.m thanks, making it the highest-rated show in the 18-49 demo on cable during its time slot according to a report from MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer.

Buoyed greatly by hometown rising star Darren Till‘s questionable unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson in the card’s headlining bout, the event was a rarely-witnessed UFC show aired on a Sunday afternoon. Ratings peaked during the headliner with 811,000 for Till vs. Thompson, a very strong afternoon number and the highest-watched event on cable at the time.

A comparable show featuring Alexander Gustafsson knocking out Glover Teixeira in Stockholm, Sweden, last year did lower numbers, averaging 496,000 viewers on Sunday, May 28, of last year.

UFC Liverpool wasn’t the only mixed martial arts (MMA) event from across the pond, however, as Friday’s Bellator 200 also went down from the SSE Wembley. Headlined by Gegard Mousasi’s title-sealing win over Rafael Carvalho in the main event and aired on tape delay in the United States, the show averaged 421,000 viewers on the Paramount Network.