UFC on ESPN 9 falls short of SpaceX launch in viewership ratings

Last Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 card, which was headlined by a welterweight clash between Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns, was a viewership success.

According to Nielsen, UFC on ESPN 9 averaged 1.021 million viewers on the network (h/t MMA Fighting)—that makes it the fifth most viewed UFC card on ESPN. The event was also broadcasted on ESPN+, ESPN’s official streaming service. The viewership numbers for that platform are not released, but when they’re included, the number is of course much higher.

While the UFC on ESPN 9 card performed well, it was outperformed by the SpaceX launch, which garnered 4.633 million average viewers. The SpaceX launch post-show also surpassed the UFC’s offering with 3.754 million viewers. Nonetheless, the UFC card can be labeled as a viewership success.

In the UFC on ESPN 9 main event, Burns defeated Woodley by unanimous decision, earning himself the No. 1 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Here are the full results from the Saturday night card:

UFC on ESPN 9 Main Card 

• Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns – Burns def. Woodley by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44 x2)
• Augusto Sakai vs. Blagoy Ivanov – Sakai def. Ivanov by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
• Billy Quarantillo vs. Spike Carlyle – Quarantillo def. Carlyle by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Brok Weaver vs. Roosevelt Roberts – Roberts def. Weaver via submission (RNC) at 3:26 of Round 2
• Mackenzie Dern vs. Hannah Cifers – Dern def. Cifers via submission (kneebar) at 2:36 of Round 1

UFC on ESPN 9 Prelims (6 pm EST, ESPN+)

• Katlyn Chookagian vs. Antonina Shevchenko – Chookagian def. Shevchenko by unanimous decision (30-25 x3)
• Daniel Rodriguez vs. Gabriel Green – Rodriguez def. Green by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Klidson Abreu vs. Jamahal Hill – Hill def. Abreu via TKO at 1:50 of Round 1
• Tim Elliott vs. Brandon Royval – Royval def. Elliott via submission (arm triangle) at 3:18 of Round 2
• Casey Kenney vs. Louis Smolka – Kenney def. Smolka via submission (guillotine) at 3:02 of Round 1
• Chris Gutierrez vs. Vince Morales – Gutierrez def. Morales by TKO at 4:27 of Round 2