While The Ultimate Fighter brand is more or less a dying brand in the United States, the long-running UFC reality competition has hit it off big in Mexico. The recent debut of TUF Latin America averaged 7.2 million viewers on Televisa (Channel 5), making it the highest-rated program in that Wednesday, 10 PM ET timeslot. It’s encouraging news for the UFC, who are looking to make a push into the Latin American market as part of their self-described quest for world domination.
TUF Latin America is coached by Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum, who will fight on November 15th in Mexico City at UFC 180. With the full main card announced earlier this week, it did not take long for the Arena Cuidad de Mexico to sell out. According to the UFC, the 20,000+ seat arena sold out in just 8 hours, so barring a slew of injuries — blame me if this actually happens — the atmosphere in Mexico City should be electrifying. It’s a card that also includes Ricardo Lamas, Dennis Bermudez, Diego Sanchez, Kelvin Gastelum, Jake Ellenberger, plus the TUF Latin America finales that will be broadcast on the night’s prelims.
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