5 best UFC shows on Fox
This Saturday marks the end of the UFC’s 7-year relationship with the Fox network, as their 31st show on the television channel will also be their last one before the promotion makes the move onto ESPN at the beginning of 2019.
Since the Fox deal began in 2011, we’ve seen numerous title fights – including a Heavyweight title change on the inaugural show – some classic bouts, insane finishes and both good and bad shows overall. The quality of the cards has ebbed and flowed over the years too, as have the ratings.
Here’s hoping that UFC on Fox 31 proves to be a classic show – but it’ll have to be good to match the following cards. Here are the 5 best ‘UFC on Fox’ shows since the first broadcast in 2011.
#5 UFC on Fox 23: Shevchenko vs. Pena – 01/28/2017
The first UFC show on Fox in 2017 wasn’t the strongest card on paper, as it lacked a title fight and its main event was a title eliminator in the post-Ronda Rousey Women’s Bantamweight division. But what it lacked in big names, it made up for in action. The four fights televised on the Fox main card saw some violent finishes, and none reached the final buzzer.
The night started off with an eye-opening performance from Featherweight prospect Jason Knight, who shellacked the veteran Alex Caceres and finished him with a second-round rear naked choke. Next came the first big challenge for future Heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou, not that he made the fight seem challenging – he viciously knocked out former champion Andrei Arlovski in less than two minutes.
The co-main event saw a surprising result, as Donald Cerrone – on a four-fight win streak at 170lbs – was stunningly knocked out by Jorge Masvidal early in the second round, and then the main event was equally surprising. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Julianna Pena was supposed to be a classic striker vs. grappler match, with Shevchenko preferring the action on the feet. But instead, she caught Pena with an armbar in the second round from the bottom, and handed ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ her first loss in the UFC.
With 4 fights, 4 finishes and 4 star-making performances, this was definitely one of the UFC’s best efforts on Fox.