The UFC’s most recent pay-per-view outing, UFC 262 has reportedly scored upwards of 300,000 pay-per-view buys domestically — leveling that event with the lowest figures in regards to sales for the North American-based organization this year so far.
The event, which seen the return of a live gate for the second pay-per-view event running for the promotion, took place at the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas — scoring a reported attendance of 16,005 — resulting in an estimated gate of $4,110,000.
Headlined by a vacant UFC lightweight clash between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler — Oliveira rallied early in the second round to score a title-clinching knockout win at the fence. The victory came as the Sao Paulo’s ninth consecutively, while former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, Chandler slumped to 1-1 under the UFC’s banner following his promotional bow in January.
Per Sports Business Journal reporter, John Ourand, the pay-per-view showcase took home in excess of 300,000 purchases in the domestic United States market — which would come as the lowest-grossing pay-per-view event of this year. (H/T Aaron Bronsteter)
Compared to the last pay-per-view event fielded by the promotion; UFC 261, that card scored a buyrate in the region of 800,000 — featuring three title fights on a card including Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal, Zhang Weili, Rose Namajunas, Valentina Shevchenko, and Jessica Andrade.
The event was also open to a live gate — with the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida housing an attendance of 15,269 — resulting in a gate worth $3,300,000. That event marked the first time the promotion had hosted an event to a completely open gate for the first time domestically since UFC 248 back in March of last year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As of writing, the most lucrative event for the promotion this year in terms of buyrates came in the form of UFC 257 in January on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi, UAE — which featured a lightweight rematch between former interim champion, Dustin Poirier and former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor — which drew a whopping 1,600,000 pay-per-view buys. The event is currently the second-highest-grossing event in promotional history behind UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor which scored a buyrate of 2,400,000.
The promotion’s next pay-per-view outing will come on June 12. in Glendale, Arizona as UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori II lands — on a card that also features two title fights, as well as the return of veteran fan favourite, Nate Diaz opposite the #3 ranked welterweight contender, Leon Edwards.
The following month in July, the Octagon touches down in Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena for the first time since March of 2020 — with a UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor III event slated to take place in front of a sold out audience.