The UFC's 5 best-selling pay-per-views of the decade (2010-2019)

#1 UFC 229: Khabib vs McGregor – 6th October, 2018 – 2,400,000 buys

Khabib Nurmagomedov's fight with Conor McGregor drew more than 2 million buys on pay-per-view

The UFC finally broke the 2 million buyrate mark in 2018 with what was undoubtedly the biggest show in promotional history. Conor McGregor – the biggest drawing card in MMA history by far – returned from an absence of nearly two years to face off with the man who’d claimed the title he never actually lost – Khabib Nurmagomedov – and the entire MMA fanbase was salivating over what could happen.

In the end, UFC 229 lived up to the hype and then some, even with its highly controversial ending. The fans who watched were treated to a classic undercard, with Derrick Lewis pulling out an all-time great comeback to knock out Alexander Volkov with less than a minute to go, and Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis clashed in an incredible brawl.

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The fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor was just as crazy as fans had hoped, too; ‘The Eagle’ largely dominated the Irishman with his wrestling and ground-and-pound, destroying him with punches and elbows en route to a fourth round submission via neck crank to prove he was the better fighter all along.

Sure, things descended into chaos post-fight when Nurmagomedov and his corner brawled with McGregor and his teammates, but in the end, it only made the show more memorable. Will the UFC break this record again in the next decade? Only time will tell.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee