Spoiled Spike TV viewers who get their preliminary fight fix courtesy of the cable television network are watching their excitement for the UFC 110 undercard go "Down Under" as it appears that on Feb. 21, what happens in Sydney stays in Sydney.
MMA Fighting delivered the bad news earlier today.
Fans were treated to one hour of uninterrupted mixed martial arts competition just over a week ago when Melvin Guillard collided with Ronnys Torres in a lightweight showdown and fellow 155-pounders Mac Danzig and Justin Buccholz got busy on the UFC 109: "Relentless" undercard on Feb. 6.
Starting with the UFC 103 pay-per-view back in September 2009 and then again at UFC 104 just a month later, the Zuffa brass wanted to test the idea along with its cable television partner and see what kind of numbers free preliminary bouts could generate.
After attracting about 1.4 million viewers for both events as well as snagging a 1.0 household rating for the 1.3 million viewers who tuned in to see featured preliminary bouts from UFC 106, the network ordered another ten bouts for 2010 starting with UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva."
The ratings have continued to impress, as select UFC 109 prelim bouts aired commercial-free and garnered 1.7 million viewers for a 1.2 household rating earlier this month -- a record since the prelims began airing late last year.
With two out of the ten broadcasts already in the bag, coupled with the geography of this current Octagon offering, Spike TV has opted to keep the remaining eight broadcasts on standby for future cards.
A disappointment now, but if the numbers continue to hold, it's conceivable that the UFC and Spike TV could make this a permanent addition to every pay-per-view event.
Get the latest gear
