steph05050
04-02-2009, 12:30 AM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The UFC's first-ever trip to Tennessee netted a UFC Fight Night record attendance with 10,267 attendees.
UFC Fight Night 18, which took place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, was announced as an official sellout, though the 20,000-seat arena used a modified seating configuration.
UFC officials announced the attendance and a $626,077 live gate in the night's post-event press conference.
UFC Fight Night 18, which featured Martin Kampmann's split-decision victory over Carlos Condit in the headline bout, aired on Spike TV.
Although the UFC traditionally held UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter Finale events in Las Vegas, the organization began branching out last year. Stops in Nebraska, North Carolina and Florida have all drawn more than 7,500 fans, which is approximately 5,000 to 6,000 more than the smaller Las Vegas venues would accommodate.
The 10,267 attendance figure tops the previous UFC Fight Night record held by Omaha, Neb. That event, UFC Fight Night 15 event, drew 9,103 fans in 2008.
Despite the hefty attendance, UFC Fight Night 18, which offered tickets starting at just $20, fell short of the record live-gate figure for UFC Fight Night events. That mark was set by Broomfield, Colo., for UFC Fight Night 13, which scored a $753,429 gate.
HIGHEST-ATTENDED UFC FIGHT NIGHT EVENTS:
UFC Fight Night 18 (Nashville, Tenn.): 10,267
UFC Fight Night 15 (Omaha, Neb.): 9,103
UFC Fight Night 16 (Fayetteville, N.C.): 8,500*
UFC Fight Night 17 (Tampa, Fla.): 7,596
UFC Fight Night 13 (Broomfield, Colo.): 6,742
Source (http://mmajunkie.com/news/14438/ufcs-tennessee-debut-sets-ufc-fight-night-attendance-record.mma)
UFC Fight Night 18, which took place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, was announced as an official sellout, though the 20,000-seat arena used a modified seating configuration.
UFC officials announced the attendance and a $626,077 live gate in the night's post-event press conference.
UFC Fight Night 18, which featured Martin Kampmann's split-decision victory over Carlos Condit in the headline bout, aired on Spike TV.
Although the UFC traditionally held UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter Finale events in Las Vegas, the organization began branching out last year. Stops in Nebraska, North Carolina and Florida have all drawn more than 7,500 fans, which is approximately 5,000 to 6,000 more than the smaller Las Vegas venues would accommodate.
The 10,267 attendance figure tops the previous UFC Fight Night record held by Omaha, Neb. That event, UFC Fight Night 15 event, drew 9,103 fans in 2008.
Despite the hefty attendance, UFC Fight Night 18, which offered tickets starting at just $20, fell short of the record live-gate figure for UFC Fight Night events. That mark was set by Broomfield, Colo., for UFC Fight Night 13, which scored a $753,429 gate.
HIGHEST-ATTENDED UFC FIGHT NIGHT EVENTS:
UFC Fight Night 18 (Nashville, Tenn.): 10,267
UFC Fight Night 15 (Omaha, Neb.): 9,103
UFC Fight Night 16 (Fayetteville, N.C.): 8,500*
UFC Fight Night 17 (Tampa, Fla.): 7,596
UFC Fight Night 13 (Broomfield, Colo.): 6,742
Source (http://mmajunkie.com/news/14438/ufcs-tennessee-debut-sets-ufc-fight-night-attendance-record.mma)