Report | UFC 252 draws fourth largest pay-per-view buy rate of any 2020 event

The numbers are in and last weekend’s UFC 252 event drew the fourth-largest pay-per-view buy rate of any UFC event in 2020.

According to Sports Business Journal reporter John Ourand (via TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter), UFC 252 ranked just behind UFC 251, UFC 249, and UFC 246 when it comes to the most-bought UFC pay-per-views in 2020. The report says that UFC 252 sold 500,000 pay-per-views worldwide and also had 400,000 viewers watch the event on ESPN+ in the United States. Overall, these are solid numbers for the UFC.

Per @Ourand_SBJ, UFC 252 drew the fourth-most buys of any UFC event in 2020.

UFC 252 sold more than 500,000 buys worldwide and roughly 400,000 in the US on ESPN+ per Ourand.

The report states that the three events with bigger numbers were UFC 246, UFC 251 and UFC 249.

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 20, 2020

Per @Ourand_SBJ , UFC 252 drew the fourth-most buys of any UFC event in 2020. UFC 252 sold more than 500,000 buys worldwide and roughly 400,000 in the US on ESPN+ per Ourand. The report states that the three events with bigger numbers were UFC 246, UFC 251 and UFC 249.

UFC 252 featured a massive main event trilogy fight for the UFC heavyweight title between champion Stipe Miocic and former champ Daniel Cormier. As well, Sean O’Malley fought Marlon Vera. The UFC did a good job promoting its heavyweight title trilogy fight between Miocic and Cormier and the promotion was rewarded with a solid buy rate overall. When you compare UFC 252 to some of the other events this year, the UFC has to be happy with the numbers.

On the year-to-date list, UFC 252 ranks just behind UFC 251, UFC 249, and UFC 246. UFC 251 featured the promotion’s debut on Fight Island with three title fights including Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal for the UFC welterweight title. UFC 249, meanwhile, featured Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight strap, and it was the first event back since the coronavirus pandemic started. As for UFC 246, that featured superstar Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon against Donald Cerrone.

It’s worth noting that UFC 252 reportedly did better than UFC 247, which featured a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Dominick Reyes. It also did better than UFC 248, which featured Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero for the UFC middleweight title. Not to mention UFC 250, which featured Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer for the UFC women’s featherweight title. Overall, Cormier and Miocic have to be happy that they outsold some of the sport’s biggest stars in Jones, Adesanya, and Nunes.