Mousasi attacking Shlemenko (right) (photo via Bellator)

By FCF Staff

Although last weekend’s Bellator 185 card featured a compelling bout between UFC vet Gegard Mousasi and former middleweight champ, Alexander Shlemenko, it’s being reported that the card struggled mightily in the ratings.

Mousasi made his promotional debut against Shlemenko in the card’s main event, and won a tightly contested decision. According to a report from Sherdog.com, Bellator 185 averaged only 476,000 viewers for the promotion’s broadcaster, Spike. Those numbers made the card the third lowest, watched Bellator event this year.

It should be noted that the event did have to compete with game six of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros.

The aforementioned report also notes that the average audience for Bellator broadcasts in 2017 has been 669,000, which is down from the 2016 average of 712,000.