On Friday night, Bellator MMA put on fight card with what some considered a freak show main event of Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock. While the fight itself was a spectacle that had many (who apparently didn’t realize Shamrock has been toast for years) screaming about a fix, it scored for Bellator and Spike, drawing 1.6 million viewers for the show as a whole and peaking at 2.1 million viewers for the main event.
The card itself, past the main event, was actually loaded with big names. Former Bellator champions Michael Chandler and Daniel Straus cruised to victory, as did former WWE star Bobby Lashley. In the co-main event, featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull viciously knocked out challenger Daniel Weichel.
Bellator’s previously most-watched card and fight came in November for a show main evented by former UFC stars Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar. Ortiz won a split decision in the bout, and the fight was watched by 1.8 million people. The card itself saw 1.2 million people tune in, 25% less than last Friday’s card.
In September, Bellator is once again going for broke with an interesting card on Spike. Light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary will defend his title against Ortiz, and the future number one contender for that belt will be decided in a one night, four man tournament. There will also be several kickboxing bouts featuring Bellator fighters on the card from Glory, a promotion that also has a TV deal with Spike.
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About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.