White: UFC 202 trending to be the biggest PPV of all time

One of the many pleasures of the UFC over PPV-level boxing shows is the depth of the card. The UFC puts generally puts on 12 or 13 fights, and one or even two of the two or three UFC Fight Pass prelims could and do win a performance bonus. Saturday’s UFC 202 is a little bit of an anomaly.

The two opening fights on the main card have an opponent making their UFC debut. The vets the debuting fighters are facing are 2-1 and 1-2 the last three. The UFC can do that because they have Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz in the main event. You can put the return of ‘Ranger’ Stott vs. 68-year-old Ann Perez de Tejada on the main card, and it will still sell.

UFC president Dana White appeared recently on The Herd, and explained just how well it sells. Host Colin Cowherd asked White if UFC 202 will break the all-time PPV record.

“I do,” replied White, as transcribed by Thomas Myers for MMA Mania. “These guys broke the record last time — and it looked like UFC 200 was going to break their record — then Jon Jones fell out. It looks like these guys will break the record again.”

Although the UFC does not make it’s PPV figures public, there are intelligent estimates, most intelligently of all from Dave Meltzer. UFC 100 was long the champ, with 1,600,000 buys. Now White indicates that that was broken (and that a McGregor-free, Jones-free UFC 200 did not).

1. UFC 196: Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz (1,900,000 PPV buys)
2. UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir (1,600,000 PPV buys)
3. UFC 194: Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor (1,200,00 PPV buys)
4. UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (1,160,000 PPV buys)
5. UFC 193: Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm (1,100,000 PPV buys)

If UFC 202 indeed breaks the record, McGregor will hold down the two top spots, and three of the top 5. He will indisputably be the PPV king of MMA. Ronda Rousey by contrast won’t make the top 5 at all.

White also made bolder predictions still.

“To make this the biggest sport in the world, we’re not even close,” said White, as transcribed by Adam Guillen Jr. for MMA Mania. “Not even close. Just the announcements we’re going to make in the next three months are so awesome they are going to blow peoples minds, man. This is what I love. I love building, I love winning, I love the grind and getting in any everyday and making this thing bigger and bigger and better and making all of these athletes more money. In the next three months we are going to be popping out announcements left and right.”

PS Remember the cop who ogled Miesha and she ogled him back?

He was back for McGregor vs. Diaz 😉