Bellator 231, headlined by former top UFC heavyweights Frank Mir (19-13) and Roy Nelson (23-18), drew 265,000 viewers on Paramount on Friday.
The number was the third-lowest of the year for Bellator, which on the surface would be disappointing. The show had more fighters with familiar names than most Bellator shows.
The card featured Phil Davis, a former top UFC light heavyweight and former Bellator champion; Ed Ruth, a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion; Jake Hager, a pro wrestling star known a Jack Swagger; and Bec Rawlings, coming off a run as the star of women’s Bare Knuckle boxing.