UFC Moscow Draws Biggest Crowd in Russian MMA History
While it might not have felt like a monster event to the rest of the world, Russia welcomed UFC Fight Night 136 with open arms and open pocketbooks.
UFC Fight Night 136 took place on Saturday in Moscow, drawing what is reportedly the biggest crowd in history for a Russia-based mixed martial arts event.
"Very successful event tonight, we’re thrilled. The attendance tonight was 22,603 making it the largest event in Russian MMA history and also the UFC’s fifth largest event of all time," said David Shaw, Senior Vice President of UFC International Content.
The crowd of 22,603 also totaled gate receipts of $1.84 million, which would be big numbers for a UFC pay-per-view, let along a Fight Night that was streamed exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
The UFC Fight Night 136 main event featured heavyweights Mark Hunt and Aleksei Oleinik.
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Hunt was picking Oleinik apart with thunderous leg kicks as the fight got underway, but Oleinik isn't called the "Boa Constrictor" for nothing. He has finished 45 fights by way of submission, and he pulled another one out on Saturday by rocking hunt with a punch, getting him on the canvas, and sinking a rear-naked choke to finish the fight.
It marked the Ukranian-born Russian fighter's fifty-seventh victory.
