How many UFC pay-per-view buys did Jon Jones sell as a headliner?

Jon Jones is one of the few UFC competitors who enjoys and commands the level of adulation and recognition that he does. The youngest champion in UFC history, Jones' unprecedented legacy makes him one of the greatest fighters of all time. He will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 come Saturday night. It will be the next chapter in his remarkable mixed martial arts career.

Fans worldwide tune in to watch Jones fight and the numbers he pulls are reflective of that. The first episode of the UFC Embedded and Countdown series has already garnered over a million views. It is important to note that Jon Jones generates strong pay-per-view numbers whenever he headlines an event, and we analyze some of the numbers he has garnered in recent years.

According to reports from Tapology, Jon Jones pulled in 650,000 pay-per-views for his light heavyweight clash against Anthony Smith at UFC 235. Jones was awarded a unanimous decision victory despite two points being deducted in the fourth round after he landed an illegal knee.

His second bout with Alexander Gustafsson for the vacant light heavyweight championship at UFC 232 attracted 700,000 pay-per-view orders, compared to 310,000 for their previous bout at UFC 165. While the first fight was a back-and-forth contest that went on to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame (Fight Wing), the second fight was a rather decisive victory.

In any discussion about Jon Jones's legacy, one name is sure to come up: Daniel Cormier. The pair fought twice in the octagon, sparking one of the most fierce rivalries in UFC history. The second fight at UFC 214 garnered 860,000 purchases, while the first fight at UFC 182 generated 800,000 buys.

Check out the stats below (numbers via thesun.co.uk)

Michael Bisping believes that Jon Jones should be regarded as the UFC's "GOAT"

There is a general consensus among combat sports lovers that Jones is the best MMA fighter of all time. He has an impressive 26-1 record with a single no-contest. His only loss was a disqualification from a fight against Matt Hamill back in 2009, a fight in which he was clearly dominating.

He is the youngest fighter to capture UFC gold, accomplishing the milestone at UFC 128 at the age of 23. What followed was an unprecedented run that included victories over several past and future UFC champions as well as top contenders across different times.

Jon Jones returns to the octagon after a three-year-long hiatus to challenge Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 for the vacant heavyweight throne.

According to former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, Jones' achievements and stellar resume make him the greatest mixed martial artist to ever enter the octagon. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bisping stated:

“Jon Jones, when you look at what he’s done, when you look at the people he’s beaten, when you look at the way that he’s beat them in their own game a lot of the time, you can’t deny the man.When you look at the body of work, the people that he’s beaten, legend after legend, champion after champion, the No. 1 guy pound-for-pound has got to be Jonny ‘Bones’ Jones.”

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