This past weekend's "Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final" event drew the organization's best ratings of 2012.
The main-card broadcast scored a 1.38 household rating and averaged 463,000 Showtime viewers, MMAjunkie.com (
UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with an industry source.
Strikeforce's first two shows of 2012 averaged 387,500 viewers, including 431,000 for March's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event.
"Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale" took place this past Saturday, May 19, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card followed prelims on Showtime Extreme.
In the headliner, Daniel Cormier emerged as the winner of the 15-month-long, eight-man world heavyweight grand prix with a lopsided unanimous-decision victory over Josh Barnett. Additionally, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez squeaked by ex-titleholder Josh Thomson via split decision in the co-headliner. Both fights went the full five rounds.
Strikeforce's eight 2011 "Arena Series" events drew an average audience of 521,375 viewers on Showtime.
The Showtime ratings for Strikeforce "Arena Series" shows since 2011 include:
"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" (February 2011): 741,000 viewers
"Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum" (June 2011): 624,000
"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson" (July 2011): 571,000
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" (January 2011): 561,000
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" (April 2011): 528,000
"Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final" (May 2012): 463,000
"Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" (December 2011): 460,000
"Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" (March 2012): 431,000
"Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" (March 2011): 412,000
"Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine" (January 2012): 344,000
"Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov" (September 2011): 274,000
