Largest Pay-Per-View Bouts Ever Recorded in Combat Sports History
The world of combat sports has seen some truly historic pay-per-view (PPV) events over the years, with boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) dominating the top 10 highest-grossing events. Here's a look at some of the most memorable and financially successful PPV events in the history of these sports.
Boxing
The 'Fight of the Century' between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, which took place in 2015, holds the record for the highest-grossing PPV event in history. It generated an impressive 4.6 million buys and $410 million in revenue [3]. Another notable boxing event was the match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, known as 'The Rumble in the Jungle', which was a historic PPV broadcast on closed-circuit TV in the 1970s.
Another iconic boxing match was the heavyweight showdown between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, which took place on November 9, 1996. This event, known as 'The Sound and the Fury', generated 1.99 million PPV buys and $100.2 million in revenue. Notably, Holyfield became the first fighter since Muhammad Ali to win the world heavyweight title for a third time by withstanding Tyson's trademark aggression to earn a sublime 11th-round knockout.
MMA
The UFC is a significant player in the PPV market, alongside major boxing match-ups. One of the most successful UFC events of all time was the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, held at UFC 229 in 2018. This event generated 2.5 million PPV buys and $86.4 million in revenue [1].
Another important MMA event was the rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, which took place on August 20, 2016. This event, known as 'Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor II', was a bloody battle that McGregor won via five-round decision, avenging his first UFC defeat.
The event between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, known as 'The Money Fight', generated 4.3 million PPV buys and $600 million in revenue in 2017 [4]. This crossover boxing match between the two athletes was the second highest-selling pay-per-view event ever.
The UFC fight between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir II, which took place on July 11, 2009, at the MandalayBay Events Center in Las Vegas, is another significant MMA event.
The first pay-per-view (PPV) boxing bout was televised in homes in the 1960s, featuring Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson. Since then, the PPV market has grown significantly, with events like the ones mentioned above standing as the top instances in combat sports PPV history.
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In the realm of MMA, the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018, also known as 'The Money Fight', was the second highest-selling pay-per-view event ever, generating 2.5 million PPV buys and $86.4 million in revenue. Meanwhile, in the world of blogging, readers might find engaging content about this historic PPV event on reputable casino sites, providing an unexpected fusion of sports, entertainment, and technology for enthusiasts.
