Yahoo Sports UFC 173 Gate and Attendance: 11,036 Spectators Witness One of the Biggest Upsets in UFC History
The Ultimate Fighting Championship released the gate and attendance figures from UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw on Saturday. The pay-per-view event took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in front of 11,036 spectators and garnered $1.7 million in gate receipts.
The fight card was capped off with T.J. Dillashaw capturing the bantamweight championship by finishing former titleholder Renan Barao in the final round of the main event by technical knockout. To say it was an upset would be an understatement; Barao was riding a 32-fight unbeaten streak heading into the match-up. It was his first loss since April 2005, the first fight of his career.
Undefeated light heavyweight Daniel Cormier dominated former two-division Pride champion Dan Henderson in the co-main event of the fight card. It was a battle between Olympians, but the younger and bigger Cormier’s wrestling ability proved too much for the 43-year-old Henderson. Cormier continually took Henderson down and control him throughout the fight. In the final round, Cormier took Henderson’s back and secured a rear naked choke that rendered him unconscious.
Former title challenger Robbie Lawler defeated Jake Ellenberger by technical knockout in welterweight action. Lawler came up short in his previous fight against champion Johny Hendricks, losing by unanimous decision at UFC 171 in March. The win over Ellenberger puts him right back in the mix for another title shot.
