Jim Miller chokes out Melvin Guillard (Josh Hedges/UFC)
Miller submits Guillard in main event
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The gate and attendance for UFC on FX on Friday in Nashville, Tenn., were both down from the last time the promotion came to the city, but those who came out got sure seemed to get their money’s worth.
UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller drew 7,228 fans to the Bridgestone Arena for a live gate of $334,860. The UFC reported the attendance and gate figures at the post-fight press conference. In April 2009, the UFC made its first trip to Music City, drawing a then-Fight Night record 10,267 fans for a reported gate of $626,077.
But the 7,000-plus fans in attendance got a 10-fight card that was filled with exciting finishes, as well as a little history. The first three fights on the card ended with first-round stoppages, including a 22-second knockout in the opening bout. In all, eight of the 10 fights were finishes – six of them in the first round. In addition, fans got to see the last fight in the storied career of veteran Jorge Rivera, who went out with a victory thanks to a second-round comeback against Eric Schafer.
The card was the UFC’s first live main card on FX, one of its new cable homes in the seven-year network deal with Fox that started on Jan. 1. The four-fight main card aired on FX and was preceded by a six-fight preliminary card on Fuel TV, the UFC’s other cable partner. The Fuel broadcast featured a studio team of Jay Glazer, Stephan Bonnar and Ariel Helwani, who complemented the broadcast team of Jon Anik and Kenny Florian, who will call the majority of the UFC’s FX and Fuel live cards.
In the main event Friday, Jim Miller submitted Melvin Guillard in the first round. It was Miller’s eighth win in his last nine fights. In the co-main event, Josh Neer won for the second straight time after returning to the UFC last fall. He submitted Duane Ludwig in the first round, winning Submission of the Night honors in the process. And heavyweight Pat Barry scored a Fight of the Night knockout win over Christian Morecraft, also in the first round.