Stats Mania: UFC Free Card History
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 1:06 AM EDT
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PrintSeveral weeks ago someone requested in this article that someone break down televised cards (prelim bouts shown if applicable) to see if we're "watching more decisions" than recent numbers have told us. Well I've obliged and taken a crack at this challenge. For today's post I will break down main card results for every non-PPV shown in the UFC's history, as well as how many bonus fights were broadcast on the original telecast. In total the UFC has offered 40 cards on cable TV and they consist of:
22 Fight Nights on Spike
11 TUF Season Finales on Spike
5 UK events on Spike (tape delayed)
2 events on Versus
The tables presented here show the event number, the broadcast hours, the rounds in which the main card fights ended (or if they went to a decision), and lastly the number of preliminary card fights that made it to the broadcast in lieu of a 15 minute string of commercials.
Ultimate Fight Night Live on Spike
| Event | Hrs | R1 | R2 | R3 | Dec. | Prelims aired |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 of 4 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 of 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 of 4 |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 of 5 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 of 5 |
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 of 5 |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 5 |
| 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 of 4 |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 of 6 |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 of 6 |
| 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 of 5 |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 of 5 |
| 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 of 6 |
| 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 of 5 |
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 6 |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 of 5 |
| 17 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 of 6 |
| 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 7 |
| 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 6 |
| 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 of 7 |
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 of 7 |
| Total | 45 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 40 | 17 of 106 (16%) |
Before the most recent UFN we had a run of 3 consecutive cards featuring 3 decisions out of 4 main card bouts.. Decisions aren't always indicative of how good an event is. Some can be totally awesome like UFN 19 and others can be kinda boring like UFN 20. Regardless, main card fights going the distance reduces the chance of a prelim fight being shown. In total, 13 out of 22 FNs have shown at least 1 prelim, including all 3 hour broadcasts.
The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale
| Event | Hrs | R1 | R2 | R3 | Dec. | Prelims aired |
| TUF 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 of 6 |
| TUF 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 3 |
| TUF 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 of 5 |
| TUF 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 of 4 |
| TUF 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 of 5 |
| TUF 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 of 4 |
| TUF 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 of 5 |
| TUF 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 of 5 |
| TUF 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 of 5 |
| TUF 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 of 5 |
| TUF 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Total | 28 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 19 | 11 of 52 (21.5%) |
Ever since TUF changed to a 3 hour broadcast we've gotten at least 1 prelim on all but 1 card, the insanely awesome but decision-filled TUF 9 Finale. TUF 5 was the final 2 hour finale and no fight (prelim or main) went the distance. Strangely enough the 11/52 prelim rate for TUF is identical to the first 11 Fight Nights in the table above.
Tape Delayed UK Cards
| Event | Hrs | R1 | R2 | R3 | Dec. | Prelims aired |
| 70 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1* of 5 |
| 75 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 4 |
| 89 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 of 6 |
| 95 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 of 5 |
| 105 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 of 6 |
| Total | 15 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 7 of 26 (27%) |
* UFC 70 was a special case in the prelim category. Lyoto Machida vs. David Heath was on the televised card for overseas viewers but apparently it wasn't exciting enough so Spike TV instead put Terry Etim vs. Matt Grice from the preliminary card on the broadcast instead of Machida/Heath.
UFC 75 featured the first, and so far only time we've ever had a title fight for free. The infamous 95 show is the most fights ever aired on a single event on free TV.
UFC on Versus
| Event | Hrs | R1 | R2 | R3 | Dec. | Prelims aired |
| Versus 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 of 7 |
| Versus 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 of 6 |
| Total | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 of 13 (15%) |
Both Versus shows have delivered the finishes, with only one main card bout going the distance (Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami). The bizarre ending to Irvin/Sakara and the all around crapfest that was Kongo/Buentello probably prevented another fight from being shown on the broadcast (ahem)Schaub vs. Gormley(ahem).
So once you accumulate all of the results your final tally is:
- 173 main card fights with 102 finishes and 71 decisions.
- 54 ending in the 1st round, 33 in the 2nd, and 15 in the final round.
- 37 of 197 (18.8%) preliminary card fights making the original televised broadcast. None of them shown went the distance.
Okay I'm exhausted, absorb the information and then bitch about the number of commercials shown on Spike and Versus.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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Damn man
How long did compiling all this take you?
"If I woke up looking like that, I would run towards the nearest living thing and kill it." -Master Shake
We have to take the amulet to the banana king!
About 3 hours.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 18, 2010 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
cool post
hope it didnt interfere with matchday for you. Giggs and Scholes looked great, hopefully their legs dont give out before springtime. Berbatov seems to have a bit of an early spark, but he still isnt getting shots on target like he should. Im wondering if Rooney doesnt pull out of his funk will Sir Alex use Chicharito a bit more freely…
I throw raps that attack like the Japs on Pearl Harbor/MC's be out like bank robbers/Fleeing the scene, to be a sole survivor/DJ the getaway driver/Tried to dip but he dive, I socialize on vocal vibes/On tracks stabbed up with razor sharp knives
by Anthony Pace on Aug 17, 2010 3:19 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I did this during the afternoon/evening
Nani looks like….Nani. All flash and no ability to cross at all.
We didn’t perform as well as I expected (lots of poor passes, turnovers in our own half, etc.) but that’s gotta be opening day jitters against a team much better than friggin West Brom.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
You forgot
to answer your own question
“…to see if we’re “watching more decisions” than recent numbers have told us."
Is this the case?
I appreciate the effort of compiling the stats!
It's not really the case from a free card standpoint. In fact it's right on par
Decision rates have hovered around the 40-43% range so far in 2010 and 2009 for all fights so using this sample from 2005-2010 shows we’re getting what we should expect.
The rash of decisions in recent UFNs can probably be attributed to a double dose of Gray Maynard, a sprinkling of Tyson Griffin, and a touch of Amir Sadollah.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Definitely not Tyson Griffin from UFC on Versus 2!
Gomi made right sure of that.
by WarToney on Aug 17, 2010 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Thankfully Okami came in and rescued the day.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
Question
The infamous 95 show is the most fights ever aired on a single event.
Do you mean for free cards? I thought they showed every fight at UFC 91.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Aug 17, 2010 4:02 AM EDT reply actions
Both
Both UFC 91 and 95 showed all fights (according to Wikipedia).
Yeah the Spike broadcast cut out the Kelly/Mandaloniz fight which aired elsewhere.
103 holds the record for most fights shown on a single broadcast free or PPV with 11 (5 main card, 6 prelims).
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I meant free card.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
would be interesting to see if the % of decisions / total fights increases over time
The idea being that as the field becomes stronger, the fighters will be more evenly matched and more decisions should occur
I don't understand all of this but I am rec'ing it because it looks like you worked your ass off putting this together and for that, we thank you.
"Jesus, did somebody dip a baby in jalepenos?" - My Girlfriend
by Earl Montclair on Aug 17, 2010 8:11 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Yeah, that’s a win.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Aug 17, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
2 of 13 (1.5%) = Bad math.
Not to be a dick, loved the stats, gave a rec, just got a math typo going on there for the UFC on Versus’ table. Should be 15%.
Great job!
Go Orange(men)!
Bah....thanks I'll fix that.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
by SSreporters on Aug 17, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Just a thought
Does anyone think the UFC should start producing Fight Nights that are 2.5 hours? Right now WEC does their Versus broadcasts in 2.5 hours and it makes the pacing of the event a lot smoother.
I just don’t think 2 hours for 4 fights + commercials is going to add up to good show pacing especially with the UFC’s (Spike’s?) tendency to interview people and whore out new TV shows and movies.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
I absolutely can’t watch a fight night live. It’s approsximately 20% actual fighting 80% commercials, intros, interviews, plugging tv shows, etc. Thank god for Tivo.
Goldberg on Leben: One thing's for sure--he really did break that door on the Ultimate Fighter.
Rogan: uh...yeah.
The interviews piss me off more than anything
But it’s obvious Fight Night has officially become a tool to lead-in to TUF or some crap show Spike has produced.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
Well I fixed one more thing
I kept thinking Diaz subbed Guillard in the 1st but it was the 2nd. Corrected.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
This is really, really awesome. Thanks for putting in the time on this, I enjoyed checking out all of the stats.
by GetYourHeadStomps on Aug 31, 2010 1:31 AM EDT reply actions
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