On this day in 2009, a statement performance earned a fighter one of the biggest matchups possible.
UFC 324 may not have gone exactly how the promotion had planned but it was still a strong start to a new era.
It was announced last year that the UFC would be moving to Paramount+, putting all of their events under a monthly subscription for US fans.
The decreased barrier to entry with regard to costs led to Justin Gaethje’s clash with Paddy Pimblett drawing impressive viewing numbers to kick 2026 off.
However, they could reach even more viewers with this deal by putting events on network television via CBS, which has been done in the past.
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Brett Rogers set up a huge showdown with Fedor Emelianenko by stopping Andrei Arlovski
On this day in 2009, Strikeforce’s heavyweight division saw a new contender rise to the top of the pack when Brett Rogers stopped Andrei Arlovski in just 22 seconds in St. Louis, Missouri.
Arlovski, who returns later today to face a long-time rival at BKFC’s Knuckle Mania, had been beaten by Fedor Emelianenko earlier that year, making the legendary Russian the next logical step for Rogers.
The non-title bout was booked to headline what would be a landmark event for Strikeforce in November of 2009.
CBS hosted the card and pulled in impressive numbers, with an estimated 4,040,000 viewers, which peaked at 5,460,000.
While Emelianenko’s iconic streak would come to an end the following year, he stopped Rogers in the second round to go unbeaten in 28 consecutive fights.
The four-fight main card also featured some of the roster’s other top names, with the likes of Jake Shields, Jason Miller, Gegard Mousasi, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva all competing.
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There have been contrasting comments about UFC events airing on CBS
Last year, Dana White said that as a result of the promotion’s new broadcast deal, their event at the White House in June would air live and free on CBS.
While all 13 of the numbered cards, such as next month’s UFC 326, will be on Paramount+, it was said that four big events per year would also be on network television.
However, in December White went back on some of these comments, saying that the White…
2026-02-07 21:30:00
