UFC on FOX 3 ratings tank with 2.4 million viewers

While the sky isn't falling, I'm pretty sure a few umbrellas went up in the parking lot of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) headquarters in Las Vegas.

The official ratings are in for the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event, which aired live via the network television powerhouse this past Saturday night (May 5, 2012) from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.

There's really no other way to say it. They flat-out stunk.

The final tally was 2.4 million viewers, which according to longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) reporter Loretta Hunt, was good enough for a 1.5 household rating, which equates to a 50 percent drop-off in key demographics from the UFC on FOX 2: "Evans vs. Davis" event earlier this year in Chicago, placing it sixth out of the eight programs that ran in the same time slot.

Yikes.

What the "Diaz vs. Miller" card lacked in star power, it made up for in talent. The fights delivered, but unfortunately there wasn't a marquee name to draw the casual fans in. In addition, the UFC faced stiff competition from the NBA playoffs and the "Mayweather vs. Cotto" boxing event in "Sin City."

Expect those factors to be taken into consideration as the promotion gears up for its UFC on FOX 4 event this August, currently expected to be headlined by a middleweight contender's fight between Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard.

Stay tuned (literally).

For complete UFC on FOX 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.