Top 10 most viewed UFC PPV events of all time - Which match of McGregor was the highest grossing?

Throughout the years of UFC, there have been numerous gigantic events. The numbers of PPV buys in the UFC are similar to the PPV events in boxing. 

After the arrival of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor, UFC took off significantly. McGregor is to UFC what Mayweather Jr. was to boxing, both of them have more than a few events with 7 digit PPV buyouts. 

As Conor McGregor the UFC to rise into new heights, let us take a look at the top 10 highest UFC Pay-Per-View buyouts in history.

10. UFC 139: Rousey Vs. Holm - 1.1 million

Right before Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey was one of the biggest superstars in the UFC. She brought the UFC Women’s division the attention it needed from the fight fans, going on an undefeated run submitting almost every opponent she faced in the first round. 

Of course, it was only until she faced Holly Holm in 2015, who knocked her out in the 2nd round of the main event. The other fights in the card included great fighters such as Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Mark Hunt, Robert Whittaker, Uriah Hall and others.

9. UFC 116: Lesnar Vs. Carwin - 1.16 million

After taking a break from WWE, Brock Lesnar decided to make headlines in the UFC with his Mixed-Martial Arts skills. He had won the UFC Heavyweight World Championship against Frank Mir and was scheduled to face the interim Heavyweight Champion of the world, Shane Carwin in the year 2010. 

It ended with Lesnar taking the victory in the 2nd round through submission. The rest of the card was filled with old stars of the UFC.

8. UFC 194: Aldo Vs. McGregor - 1.2 million

Finally, Conor McGregor makes it to the list of the highest-grossing PPV in UFC, but this won’t be the only time he does. McGregor’s quick rise to fame in the UFC, with his impressive first-round knockouts, led him to fight Chad Mendes for the UFC Featherweight Interim Championship. 

After knocking out Chad Mendes, the UFC star finally got his chance at the UFC Gold as he was scheduled to fight against Jose Aldo in the year 2015, who was the UFC Featherweight Champion at that time. 

The fight only lasted 13 seconds as McGregor KO’d Aldo with one of the most vicious left hooks the fight game has ever seen. The rest of the card included Max Holloway, Yoel Romero, Damian Maia, Luke Rockhold and other stars contributing to the excitement of the event.

7. UFC 205: Alvarez Vs. McGregor - 1.3 million

It did not take long before Conor McGregor made a reappearance in a PPV title fight, only in a different weight division. 

The Notorious was gunning to become the first-ever UFC fighter to hold 2 World Championships in 2 different weight divisions simultaneously, he got a chance to accomplish his goal when he signed the contract to fight against Eddie Alvarez in 2016. 

He succeeded to become the UFC Lightweight Champion of the World after he put on one of the most dominant performances in a title fight.

6. UFC 251: Usman Vs. Masvidal - 1.3 million 

After Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19, Street Jesus took the fight against Kamaru Usman on a six day notice, the PPV was scheduled on 12th July, 2020. 

With the hype Jorge Masvidal had since his return, this card was built to break records as it had superstars like Alex Volkanovski, Max Holloway, Peter Yan, Jose Aldo, Thug Rose and Amanda Ribas in the undercards. The two from the PPV main event are scheduled to have a rematch in April 2021.

5. UFC 196: McGregor Vs. Diaz - 1.3 million

The name of McGregor alone is enough for any UFC PPV card to sell more than a million PPVs. Rafael dos Anjos had pulled out of the bout against McGregor, so Nate Diaz had to step in as the replacement. 

This was the first time Conor McGregor was going to fight in the welterweight division. It was a surprising upset as Nate Diaz submitted Conor McGregor in the 2nd round. This was great for a potential build-up in a rematch. 

4. UFC 246: McGregor Vs. Cerrone - 1.35 million

After retiring from the UFC, the Notorious decided it was time to come back. In January of 2020, McGregor was scheduled to fight Donald Cerrone in a welterweight PPV bout. 

The card was nothing great but it was the much-awaited return of the Mystic Mac. It didn’t take him long to put his name back on top again as he knocked out Cowboy in under a minute.

3. UFC 202: Diaz Vs. McGregor II - 1.6 million

It was time for McGregor to make a comeback for the decades, as he signed to fight Nate Diaz in a welterweight rematch. 

The bout was booked for August 2016. This bout also had great fighters in the undercards including Anthony Johnson, Donald Cerrone and a few other UFC stars. 

The PPV main event was one for the history books as Conor McGregor avenged himself via decision in a 5 round bloody bout.

2. UFC 257: Poirier Vs. McGregor II - 1.6 million

Poirier was knocked out viciously in the first round in his first fight against McGregor, back in 2014. It was time for his long-awaited revenge against the Notorious one, he was scheduled to fight him in a 5 round PPV bout back in January 2021. 

The undercards had Dan Hooker against Michael Chandler, along with other interesting bouts. The PPV fight ended in an upset as Poirier managed to knockout McGregor in the 2nd round after being a massive underdog. The third bout is being talked about in summer of 2021.

1. UFC 229: Khabib Vs. McGregor - 2.4 million

It shouldn’t be a surprise for any fight fan to find this card at the top. This is one of the biggest UFC events in not only MMA but also in combat sports history. 

The bad blood between the Russian, Khabib and the Irishman, McGregor is, without a doubt, the biggest rivalry in UFC PPV history. They were scheduled to finally face-off against each other in October of 2018. 

The undercards were stacked with superstars like Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis and others, but they played a little factor in terms of the success of this Pay-Per-View.