WATCH: UFC 288 pales in comparison to Canelo Alvarez’s spectacular homecoming
UFC 288 went down on the same night as Canelo Alvarez's homecoming fight against John Ryder in Mexico.
Former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo returned to action after a long hiatus, taking on reigning bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling in the main event of the night. The event which went down at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, recorded a sellout crowd of 17,559 for a live gate of $5,182,210.36. As per UFC president Dana White, it was sporting event gate record for the venue.
Meanwhile, the Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico recorded a footfall of 60,257 for Canelo Alvarez's return to his home country for the first time since 2011. This highlights the stark difference between the popularity of a UFC pay-per-view card and boxing event featuring arguably the biggest draw in the sport.
While UFC 288 fighter walkouts were not mediocre by any means, the sheer grandeur of Alvarez's walkout on Saturday night further emphasizes the aforementioned difference.
Watch the clip below:
UFC 288 vs. Canelo Alvarez fight: Difference in estimated fighter payouts
The UFC has often been called out for almost meagre fighter payouts especially when compared to their boxing counterparts. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou eventually exited the promotion after year-long negotiations which had started with 'The Predator' demanding freedom to compete in crossover boxing events.
Hence, the stark difference in the fighter payouts of UFC 288 and the Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder event shouldn't come as much of a surprise to fans.
According to reports, Aljamain Sterling, who successfully defended his title with a split decision, walked away with the biggest payout of the card, $1.39 million. Henry Cejudo and Gilbert Burns trailed closely behind with earnings of $1.03 million and $920k respectively. This included their show and win money, sponsorship deals, and pay-per-view bonuses.
Meanwhile, Canelo Alvarez was guaranteed a fight purse of $10 million for his fight against the relatively unknown John Ryder, who was guaranteed a purse of $1 million. With 65% of PPV sales going to him, Alvarez stands to earn up to $33 million if sales reached 500k.
#CaneloRyder
Another successful undisputed title defense by @Canelo 👑 #CaneloRyder https://t.co/RDA0TlxSg5