LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Justin Fowles was one of 19,578 people who came from near and far on Saturday to pack the KFC Yum! Center for UFC Fight Night.

"The experience was electric," he said Monday. "I hope they come back. I hope they come back a lot. It did really well for Louisville."

The arena at Second and Main streets in downtown Louisville was about 80% full for the card, and officials said that large crowd made for the highest-grossing U.S. UFC Fight Night of all time, bringing in more than $2.5 million. The event was also the highest-grossing single-day sporting event in the history of the Yum! Center.

"The downtown was full of people, and it was really awesome to be down here for that," Fowles said. 

In the main event Saturday night, UFC middleweight No. 8 Nassourdine Imavov defeated Jared Cannonier.

More than half the fans came from out of town, according to Sandra Moran, regional director of marketing for the Yum! Center. And that meant a boost for hotel stays, downtown restaurants and businesses.

"It was a huge day for the city of Louisville and a huge day for the KFC Yum! Center and something that we're very proud of," Moran said.

Even the fighters in the events themselves made some stops around town. Moran said that included the Muhammad Ali Center and Churchill Downs. George Timmering, president of Bearno's Pizza, said a few came across the street for something to eat.

"That was kinda cool to see those guys," Timmering said Monday. "So we were carbing them up, getting them ready to battle as they did on Saturday night."

Friday night, Cody Rhodes, "The American Nightmare," headlined WWE Smackdown at the Yum! Center.

"We had a huge weekend at the KFC Yum! Center," said Moran. 

The events don't stop here. People are already making their way to the Derby City for a concert featuring Lionel Ritchie and Earth, Wind & Fire Wednesday night. Some tourists are adding other stops to the trip, like bourbon tours.

"I have a partner, and for him to come to a concert, I had to have something else for him to do," said Marla Svoboda, who came to Louisville from Georgia for Wednesday's show. "And bourbon-drinking was it."

Svoboda was walking around downtown with her daughter Monday. She said they got to town Sunday afternoon and were planning to spend several days enjoying Louisville for their first visit here.

"It's very, very clean. It looks like it's very safe. Everybody is very welcoming. It's really nice," she said. "I worked in hospitality in Augusta and this is what you strive for."

Saturday was the second time the KFC Yum! Center has hosted a UFC event, and those who went said they'd absolutely welcome it back to the city.

"I 100% would go," Fowles said. "It was a great time."

Moran said there are no concrete plans to bring Fight Night back again soon, but said it's something the team at the Yum! Center will be trying to make happen.

The first UFC event in the city in more than a decade also provided a big win for the local combat sports community. The hope is that the high-interest in the event trickles down to the promotions based in Louisville who regularly host events. That includes Future of Fighting, which will host its third show on June 22 at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. Next month, Made Men Promotions will set up the octagon for an MMA event on the Belvedere in downtown Louisville on July 27.

For more information about Future of Fighting, and their upcoming event, click here.

For more information about Made Men Promotions and its upcoming MMA event, click here.

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