Kimbo can still lure viewers

There was a significant amount of anticipation coming into the tenth season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Wednesday night's premiere delivered to the tune of 4.1 million viewers; the largest draw in the history of the series.

Despite the delays in the post-series bout between coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Sugar" Rashad Evans, YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice was enough to pull in 1.3 million more total viewers than the finale of season three, which boasted the previous series high of 2.8 million total viewers.

"The intriguing cast of 'The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights' has true mass appeal, and the numbers show that this sport is not just for a niche audience anymore," said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President.

A Spike TV release noted that not only was Wednesday's TUF 10 premiere the most watched episode in series history, but also the most watched episode for a Spike TV original series. "The Joe Schmo Show" season finale in 2003 previously held the network record at 3.4 million total viewers.