According to MMAFighting.com, UFC 202, which was headlined by the second bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, is set to be the most successful non-boxing pay-per-view event of all time.
MMA Fighting reports that the DirecTV numbers were the highest in the promotion’s history, and that UFC’s PPV orders through the internet also broke the record that was previously set at UFC 196.
The latest
Current estimates have the show doing 1.65 million buys on pay-per-view, putting it slightly ahead ofUFC 196, the first McGregor vs. Diaz fight, which was estimated at 1.6 million. Both would be ahead of the prior record set at UFC 100 for the second Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir fight.
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The 1.65 million projected number would not include orders directly through the UFC for streaming rather than traditional television. However, the streaming numbers give the UFC immediate figures where they can project how well a show is going to do.
This probably wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to many. The first fight between McGregor and Diaz was one that was talked about for weeks afterward because it was McGregor’s first defeat in the UFC.
Leading up to UFC 202, things got very interesting at the press conference a few days before the event. McGregor arrived late, and after arriving, Diaz walked off. This led to McGregor cursing at Diaz, and members of the Diaz camp throwing water bottles at McGregor. At this point the “press conference confrontation” has become cliche, but these two guys have found ways to push that particular genre of entertainment to new heights.
If that’s the type of press conferences it takes to get those types of viewing numbers, surely Dana White won’t be too mad about that if it happens again.
This all but ensures a final bout in their seemingly inevitable trilogy. Whether we get that right away or not, though, remains to be seen.
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About Harry Lyles Jr.
Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.