The UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw prelims, which aired on ESPN last Saturday, were the most-watched prelims for a “Fight Night” (non-Pay-Per-View) in the promotion’s history.
The preliminary portion of UFC Brooklyn was headlined by a lightweight bout between Donald Cerrone vs. Alexander Hernandez, which drew 1,956,000 viewers.
Though the prelims began roughly 15 minutes later than the time slot (due to the Duke vs. Virginia NCAA basketball game overrun), the UFC prelims were the second most watched slot on prime time television in the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics. The most watched slot being NBA on ABC.
Prior to Saturday night, the prelim fights for UFC Fight Night: Cruz vs. Dillashaw had held the record for the most watched prelims with 1,757,000 viewers. That card took place on January 17, 2016, holding the record for three years.
Besides the Cerrone vs. Hernandez tilt that headlined the prelims, other prelim fights included: Joanne Calderwood vs. Ariane Lipski, Alonzo Menifield vs. Vinicius Moreira and Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista.
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