The UFC’s year-end event fell just short of a sellout, drawing a gate of $3,286,025 on attendance of 13,561, according to figures released by the body that regulates combat sports in Nevada.
The Nevada state athletic commission’s numbers showed that 10,590 tickets were sold while 2,971 were comped, leaving 347 tickets to the Dec. 29 show unsold.
The event featured the UFC heavyweight championship being contested in the night’s headliner, a bout won by Cain Velasquez via lopsided unanimous decision. With the victory, Velasquez became a two-time UFC champion, avenging his Nov. 2011 knockout loss at the hands of Junior dos Santos.
The show had the third-highest gross of six events held in Las Vegas in 2012.
UFC 148, which drew a gargantuan $6.9 million gate to the Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch and set a state gate record for MMA, was tops on the year, while UFC 146, an all-heavyweight card, drew $3,428,775.
The UFC begins its 2013 pay-per-view calendar in Sin City next month with a Feb. 2 card featuring a main event of Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar.