UFC JUMPS THE SHARK-- OR SINKS UNDER THE SHARK, DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE

UFC on Fox ratings show big drop

According to a Yahoo! Sports article, UFC's ratings for its Fox network shows have declined drastically- from 5.6 million viewers for the Junior dos Santos-Cain Velazquez fiasco in November to just 2.4 million last Saturday. Although losing more than half its audience is bad enough, the UFC on Fox finished below a show called Shark Tank in the ratings. By comparision, a CBS MMA show in 2008, promoted by now-defunct Elite XC, drew 2.6 million viewers. Last Saturday's event was obviously hurt by the decision to go head-to-head with the Floyd Mayweather pay-per-view show, which had a hefty $65-$70 price tag, but showed that the audiences for boxing and mixed martial arts are not as distinct as some people think. --Scott Shaffer