5 biggest live gates in UFC history
Over the years, the UFC has grown into an enormous money-making machine. Whether it be pay-per-view sales, merchandise, sponsorships or other avenues, the UFC is constantly finding new ways to make money.
One way the UFC has always been able to make money is through their ticket sales. Given the big venues the UFC are now able to fill, ticket sales alone can generate significant income for the company.
The bigger the fight the UFC is able to put on, the higher the ticket prices and the bigger the venues they can fill. If a fight is able to break into mainstream media attention, this can lead to millions of dollars worth of ticket sales on fight night.
With that in mind, it may be somewhat unsurprising to learn that one Conor McGregor features a number of times on this list. McGregor is the biggest draw in the sport and the ticket sales he generates reflect this.
McGregor, Diaz & Masvidal are the biggest stars in the game (like it or not). They have taught us that winning isn't everything. It helps, but it is not what keeps the money flowing in. They cracked the system.
Here are the top 5 biggest live gates in UFC history:
#5. UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy
UFC 246 saw Conor McGregor square off against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas. The event took place on January 18 2020 and the total gate came to $11,100,000.
The fight was McGregor's return to the octagon following his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 and year-long absence from the sport. It also showcased a friendlier side to 'The Notorious' as both men clearly had a great deal of mutual respect for one another.
The bout itself was rather one-sided as McGregor picked up the TKO win in just 40 seconds.
2020 - The Fastest Main Event K.O. #40seconds #StillTheBread #PPVMonster #KOMerchant https://t.co/VvbpNOhcBe
He found success with rarely utilized shoulder strikes, before landing a big head kick and finishing the fight with a barrage of punches.