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The Most Watched UFC Fights of All Time

  • UFC 229 is the only UFC Fight with over 2 million PPV buys.
  • Eight of the most-watched UFC Fights of all time feature Connor McGregor.
Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Conor McGregor (blue gloves) before his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov (red gloves) during UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC’s global reach has been expanding for decades, but has reached a new level in recent years.

A multi-billion dollar merger with the WWE puts them in competition with the NFL for massive deals. Add to that securing their largest sponsorship deal ever and the UFC sits as the undisputed premier MMA organization.

A key ingredient to their sustained success has been promoting epic battles between top fighters, earning millions of pay-per-view buys and revenue.   

Fighters with loyal fanbases and engaging, unpredictable bouts make up the short list of the most-watched UFC fights ever.

One man stands above all others in earning the most-watched UFC fights: Conor McGregor.

McGregor was a part of eight of the most-watched UFC fights, including the top seven. His fights have earned a combined 12.27 million PPV buys. 

McGregor’s trash-talking, charismatic nature has made him must-watch TV since his UFC debut in 2013.

The most-watched UFC fight ever was at UFC 229, which earned 2.4 million PPV buys. UFC’s Fight of the Night featured bitter rivals Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

There was no love lost between the two fighters, and the tension between them leading up to the fight pulled in record viewership numbers for the UFC. With a marketing slogan of “The World is Watching”, UFC 229 delivered on the hype to millions worldwide.

It’s the only UFC fight to date with over two million PPV buys. 

Two other fights featuring McGregor earned 1.6 million PPV buys to tie for second on the list: UFC 202 and UFC 257.

Nate Diaz and McGregor met in a rematch at UFC 202 on August 20, 2016. This was after Diaz upset the previously undefeated McGregor earlier that year.

The five-round slugfest featured 330 significant strikes between the two. McGregor avenged his loss in the first fight with a decision win.

Dustin Poirer and Conor McGregor fought in the second of their three fights at UFC 257. McGregor had gotten the best of Poirier in their first matchup in 2014 with a knockout win.

Poirier took advantage of more fight experience than McGregor in between their last fight and scored a revenge knockout of him in the second round.

Ranking The Most Watched UFC Fights

Here is the list of the top 10 most-watched UFC fights based on reported pay-per-view buys in the United States. The list was compiled using historical data from Statista, Tapology, and GiveMeSport.

  • Updated: December 6, 2024
RankingDateMatchupResultReported U.S. PPV Buys
1October 6, 2018UFC 229: Nurmagomedov vs. McGregorNurmagomedov (Submission)2.4 million
T-2August 20, 2016UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor IIMcGregor (Decision)1.6 million
T-2January 23, 2021UFC 257: McGregor v Poirier 2Poirer (KO)1.6 million
4July 10, 2021UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3Poirer (TKO)1.5 million
5January 18, 2020UFC 246: McGregor vs. CerroneMcGregor (KO)1.35 million
6March 5, 2016UFC 196: McGregor vs. DiazDiaz (Submission)1.32 million
T-7November 12, 2016UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregorMcGregor (KO)1.3 million
T-7July 11, 2020UFC 251: Usman vs. MasvidalUsman (Decision)1.3 million
T-7July 11, 2009UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir IILesnar (TKO)1.3 million
10December 12, 2015UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregorMcGregor (KO)1.2 million

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