Early numbers for UFC 113.

Early estimates for UFC 113 look to be around 500-540k buys.

Dave Meltzer, in the last Observer (Subscription required and recommended), stated it appears to have done 520,000 and that the first had done 450,000.

Early reports on UFC 113 on 5/8 in Montreal have the show doing 520,000 buys, slightly above the 450,000 that the first Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fight did. We should note that there were cable reports as high as 687,000 for the show, and trending patterns were only slightly behind GSP vs. Dan Hardy and the highest besides that show since August, which would also indicate something closer to the latter than the former. There are a lot of other measures that also indicate the higher number, but as far as the number of buys from people who would have the numbers and that can be confirmed, the lower number is the best number we've got.

I had heard a broader range of 500-540k, but Meltzer is almost always solid. It should be noted that these early reports can be off by 10-15% and that more reliable numbers should start floating out in another week to week and a half. That said, I will be shocked beyond words if they ends up anywhere NEAR 687k.

My own prediction was 575-600k. Anything over 500k is solid. 520k is not a great number, but it is good for a show that got little real promotion. Zuffa appears to have opted to focus their marketing power on the upcoming Evans/Jackson fight (UFC 114), a card that will do one of the bigger, if not the biggest, buyrate of the year. One thing that is noteworthy: Kimbo Slice's presence on the card does not appear to have had any real impact on the buyrates.

That is not to say he can't still pop some ratings on television, but it does not appear to go beyond free TV.