Benson Henderson hitting Nate Diaz at UFC on FOX 5 (photo via UFC / FOX)

By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship turned to several of its biggest names and a lightweight title fight in an effort to boost ratings for its latest FOX card, and the move appears to have paid off. According to multiple reports Tuesday, Saturday’s UFC on FOX 5 broadcast from Seattle averaged 4.4 million viewers and finished third in the 18-34 male demographic behind NFL Football and “The Simpsons”.

The broadcast peaked at 5.7 million viewers during the lightweight championship bout between Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz, which saw the former retain his belt with a unanimous decision win.

The numbers are a dramatic improvement over the 2.4 million viewers (on average) which caught UFC on FOX 4 in August, which featured “”Shogun” Rua versus Brandon Vera in the main event. They’re also the strongest ratings that the UFC has pulled on FOX since January, which averaged 4.7 million viewers overall.

The next UFC on FOX card is scheduled for January 26th and will feature flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson versus Jon Dodson in the main event.