UFC Brasilia Ratings Were Garbage

Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) opted to move forward with its UFC Fight Night 170 mixed martial arts (MMA) event last weekend in Brasilia, Brazil, but was forced to make some changes to the ESPN+ fight card before taking a mandatory vacation.

Not only did the promotion reschedule the start time to earlier in the day, it also made “Lee vs. Oliveira” available on the main ESPN cable network. In addition, fans were barred from Nilson Nelson Gymnasium, so the show went forward with an empty arena.

Not surprisingly, the ratings for UFC Fight Night 170 were the lowest of the ESPN era, according to Trent Reinsmith, clocking in at just 672,000 viewers (average). It’s important to note that fans had a choice to watch “Lee vs. Oliveira” on their streaming devices, as well as ESPN Deportes, so fans who would have been forced to put on ESPN may have instead used their app on ESPN+.

For complete UFC Brasilia results and fight coverage click here.