In the top 13 pay-per-view events in UFC history with the most sales, Conor McGregor holds eight of the slots. Whether you love him or hate him, the Irish megastar draws attention to the sport each time he enters the ring.
With his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 being the all-time most popular pay-per-view, “The Notorious” sits atop the PPV mountain. 2.4 million pay-per-views were sold for the event.
Conor McGregor has frequently shattered PPV records in the top MMA organisation in the world.
Conor McGregor holds the top five positions among all-time best-selling pay-per-view events. Nonetheless, for this ranking, we’ll focus on occasions that didn’t feature Conor McGregor and had the most pay-per-view sales in the business’s history.
#5. UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey – 1,100,000 PPV buys
After taking a year off from fighting, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey made her comeback at the occasion. Holly Holm viciously knocked her out in the second round of her previous match with a head kick. There was a lot of excitement around the former bantamweight champion’s eagerly anticipated comeback. The event generated $60,000,000 in pay-per-view sales after selling 1.1 million PPVs.
Even though the event was a huge success, Ronda Rousey’s night wasn’t as successful. The current bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes destroyed “Rowdy” in the opening frame, forcing the referee to call time on the fight. Ronda Rousey fought in the bout for the final time inside the octagon.
4. UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm – 1,10,000 PPV buys
The main event of the second-highest PPV event without Conor McGregor also features Ronda Rousey. This time, too, Rousey was eliminated through KO, but Holly Holm, aka “The Preacher’s Daughter,” did it in the second round with a vicious head kick.
Around 1,10,000 PPVs were sold for the event.
#3. UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin – 1,160,000 PPV buys
In the UFC’s heaviest division, Brock Lesnar enjoyed a legendary run and some of the most thrilling fights. His first championship defence against Shane Carwin was one of these contests.
Carwin battered “The Beast Incarnate” in the opening round, potentially resulting in a referee stoppage. Nonetheless, Lesnar made it through the round and ultimately used an arm-triangle choke to bring a worn-out Carwin to the ground.
#2. UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes – 1,20,000 PPV buys
Nunes is included on yet another top-selling pay-per-view card. Jones vs. Cormier 2 was initially slated to be the main event of the fight. Jones was, however, removed from the fight after testing positive for a prohibited drug. The women’s bantamweight championship fight between Tate and Nunes was promoted to the main event.
In the first round, “The Lionness” totally destroyed “Cupcake” before submitting her with a rear-naked choke to win the women’s 135-pound championship. 1,200,000 PPV subscriptions were bought for the famous event. Brock Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt in the co-main event of the event, although he later tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
#1. UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir – 1,600,000 PPV buys
Brock Lesnar, aka “The Beast Incarnate,” wins the top rank once more because he participated in the leading MMA organization’s Centurion event. Lesnar competed on a star-studded card that also included Michael Bisping, a young Jon Jones, and the reigning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
The fight gained notoriety because Frank Mir had submitted Brock Lesnar with a kneebar in the first round of their previous encounter at UFC 81, and Lesner was out to get him. After the match, Lesnar insulted Bud Light, one of the event’s sponsors at the moment, and flipped off the spectators.
Will Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chander break PPV records once again?
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are presently in The Ultimate Fighter 31 shooting. At the end of the season, both warriors will square off against one another. This will be Conor McGregor’s first fight after his tragic freak injury defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
With 1.35 million PPVs sold, the aforementioned show is the fifth-highest-selling pay-per-view in UFC history.
The fight between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor has a strong chance of being among the top five most popular pay-per-view events ever. In anticipation of their match, which is planned to take place somewhere in the fall, viewers will have one entire season of TUF to watch. Moreover, TUF 31 might have the biggest viewership of any season to date.
