scorecardThe 57 best-selling pay-per-view fight nights in US history
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The 57 best-selling pay-per-view fight nights in US history

Alan Dawson   

The 57 best-selling pay-per-view fight nights in US history
Floyd Mayweather.Reuters
  • Hall of Fame boxer Floyd Mayweather has long been heralded as the sport's pay-per-view king.
  • UFC athletes and YouTubers have also established themselves as US attractions in the modern era.

Buster Douglas v Evander Holyfield — 1 million PPV buys

Buster Douglas v Evander Holyfield — 1 million PPV buys
Buster Douglas vs. Evander Holyfield fight.      Mike Powell/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Moment of Truth

Date and venue: October 25, 1990, at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Eight months after stunning Mike Tyson with a 10th-round knockout, Buster Douglas turned up to the Evander Holyfield fight overweight. Holyfield, a former cruiserweight champion, picked up his first heavyweight championship titles after a dominant third-round KO.

Source: Orlando Sentinel

Bernard Hopkins v Oscar de la Hoya — 1 million PPV buys

Bernard Hopkins v Oscar de la Hoya — 1 million PPV buys
History.      Jed Jacobsohn/ Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: History

Date and venue: September 18, 2004, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Bernard Hopkins knocked Oscar de la Hoya out with a perfectly placed left hook to the liver in the ninth round.

Source: NextTV / HBO

Floyd Mayweather v Robert Guerrero — 1 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Robert Guerrero — 1 million PPV buys
May Day.      Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: May Day

Date and venue: May 4, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mayweather attracted the wrath of the Vegas crowd, which booed the American's defensive-first strategy. Mayweather won a 12-round decision.

Source: The Ring

Canelo Álvarez v Julio César Chávez Jr — 1 million PPV buys

Canelo Álvarez v Julio César Chávez Jr — 1 million PPV buys
Civil War.      Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Civil War

Date and venue: May 6, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: It was billed as an all-Mexican fight for the ages, but only one boxer turned up on the night. Canelo Álvarez won every round en route to a comfortable 12-round decision victory over Julio César Chávez Jr.

Source: ESPN

Randy Couture v Brock Lesnar — 1.01 million PPV buys

Randy Couture v Brock Lesnar — 1.01 million PPV buys
Brock Lesnar.      Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 91

Date and venue: November 15, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar was thrust into a heavyweight title shot against decorated veteran Randy Couture when he had fought just twice in MMA. Lesnar knocked Couture out with a flurry of punches in the second round and left the cage with the UFC belt.

Source: Tapology

Wrestlemania XX — 1.02 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania XX — 1.02 million PPV buys
The Undertaker faced-off with his half-brother Kane.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 20

Date and venue: March 14, 2004, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moments: The World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat match between Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and eventual winner Chris Benoit is considered one of the greatest matches of all time. The Undertaker's bone-chilling ring-walk against half-brother Kane was also must-see TV.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Chris Weidman v Anderson Silva II — 1.025 million PPV buys

Chris Weidman v Anderson Silva II — 1.025 million PPV buys
Chris Weidman attacks Anderson Silva.      Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 168

Date and venue: December 28, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Chris Weidman scored back-to-back victories over previous middleweight ruler Anderson Silva, but their fight was overshadowed by Ronda Rousey's
"Fight of the Night" victory over Miesha Tate.

Source: Tapology

Wrestlemania X-Seven — 1.04 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania X-Seven — 1.04 million PPV buys
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania X-Seven

Date and venue: April 1, 2001, at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas.

Memorable moments: Two of the most famous professional wrestlers ever, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, duked it out in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship belt. There were ring interventions, steel chair headshots, and masks of blood. Stone Cold even shared a beer with wrestling boss Vince McMahon at the end of the event.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Wrestlemania XXIV — 1.041 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania XXIV — 1.041 million PPV buys
Ric Flair.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 24

Date and venue: March 30, 2008, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Memorable moment: Ric Flair lost a "Career Threatening" match against Shawn Michaels, meaning he had to retire. However, world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather made an appearance against Big Show and, despite giving up a 16-inch height advantage, still found a way to win.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Forrest Griffin v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys

Forrest Griffin v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys
Rashad Evans.      Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 92

Date and venue: December 27, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The light heavyweight championship title changed hands as Rashad Evans beat Forrest Griffin by third-round knockout in a "Fight of the Night" spectacle.

Source: Tapology

Brock Lesnar v Cain Velasquez — 1.05 million PPV buys

Brock Lesnar v Cain Velasquez — 1.05 million PPV buys
Cain Velasquez.      Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 121

Date and venue: October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Memorable moment: A true passing-of-the-torch event, Cain Velasquez took the championship belt from Brock Lesnar with a first-round knockout win. The event had a WWE feel, though, as there was a bizarre post-fight confrontation between The Undertaker and Lesnar.

Source: Tapology

Rampage Jackson v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys

Rampage Jackson v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Rashad Evans.      Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 114

Date and venue: May 29, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Rashad Evans used lightning-quick combinations to trouble Rampage Jackson and ground out a good three-round decision win. Further down the card, British brawler Michael Bisping gave Dan Miller a sustained three-round beating.

Source: Tapology

Chuck Liddell v Tito Ortiz II — 1.05 million PPV buys

Chuck Liddell v Tito Ortiz II — 1.05 million PPV buys
Chuck Liddel and Tito Ortiz.      Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 66

Date and venue: December 30, 2006, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: One of the first true stars of the UFC, Chuck Liddel retained his light heavyweight championship belt with a third-round knockout win over Tito Ortiz. Later, it was discovered Liddel fought through a torn medial collateral ligament.

Source: MMA Junkie

Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manuel Márquez — 1.06 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manuel Márquez — 1.06 million PPV buys
Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez.      Eric Jamison/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Number One/Número Uno

Date and venue: September 19, 2009, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Despite a two-year layoff, Mayweather returned to the ring and did what he does best — he outclassed three-division champion Juan Manuel Márquez and banked another win.

Source: LA Times

Wrestlemania 21 — 1.090 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania 21 — 1.090 million PPV buys
Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 21

Date and venue: April 3, 2005, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Memorable moment: Tickets sold out within one minute of going on sale, making it the fastest-selling event in WWE and Staples Center history at that point.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Dan Cormier v Anderson Silva — 1.09 million PPV buys

Dan Cormier v Anderson Silva — 1.09 million PPV buys
Anderson Silva and Dan Cormier.      YouTube

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 200

Date and venue: July 9, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: There were many big names competing on the UFC 200 card, including Amanda Nunes, Brock Lesnar, Dan Cormier, Anderson Silva, and José Aldo, but most of the headlines that week focused on the sale of Zuffa-owned UFC to WME-IMG for $4 billion.

Source: Tapology

Amanda Nunes v Ronda Rousey — 1.1 million PPV buys

Amanda Nunes v Ronda Rousey — 1.1 million PPV buys
Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes.      Christian Peterson/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 207

Date and venue: December 30, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: The first openly gay champion in UFC history, Amanda Nunes, knocked out previous champion Ronda Rousey in one round. Cody Garbrandt took the bantamweight belt off Dominick Cruz's waist with a show-off performance.

Source: Tapology

Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II — 1.1 million PPV buys

Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II — 1.1 million PPV buys
Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II

Date and venue: September 15, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Álvarez defeated Golovkin on points, capturing the WBA, WBC, IBO, and the vacant The Ring Magazine middleweight world titles — it was the first time Golovkin lost a professional bout, in a back-and-forth battle for the ages.

Source: ESPN

Wrestlemania 29 — 1.104 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania 29 — 1.104 million PPV buys
John Cena and The Rock.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 29

Date and venue: April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Memorable moment: John Cena beat The Rock in the main event to win a record 11th WWE Championship. The whole show was a huge financial success for the company as it became the highest-grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $72 million.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Wrestlemania XXVII — 1.104 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania XXVII — 1.104 million PPV buys
The Undertaker and HHH.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 27

Date and venue: April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.

Memorable moment: The Undertaker extended his Wrestlemania winning "streak" to 19-0 with a No Holds Barred victory over Triple H.

Source: Wrestlenomics

Bruce Seldon v Mike Tyson — 1.15 million PPV buys

Bruce Seldon v Mike Tyson — 1.15 million PPV buys
Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Championship: Part II

Date and venue: September 7, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Though Mike Tyson scored a first-round knockout, the fight is notable because of the ringside attendance of rapper Tupac Shakur, who was murdered just hours later.

Source: Yahoo

Manny Pacquiao v Antonio Margarito —1.15 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao v Antonio Margarito —1.15 million PPV buys
Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.      Nick Laham/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The 8th Wonder of the World

Date and venue: November 13, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao brutally beat up Antonio Margarito in a savage 12-round performance. After the fight, Pacquiao said: "I did not want to damage him permanently." However, Margarito, who was hospitalized, suffered permanent damage to his right eye.

Source: Boxing Scene

Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Márquez IV —1.15 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Márquez IV —1.15 million PPV buys
Juan Manuel Márquez knocks Manny Pacquiao out cold.      Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Fight of the Decade

Date and venue: December 8, 2012, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez IV had contested a huge trilogy beforehand. All three were considered close fights, with Pacquiao winning twice and drawing the other. Here, Márquez got revenge with a violent sixth-round finish.

Source: ESPN

Brock Lesnar v Shane Carwin — 1.16 million PPV buys

Brock Lesnar v Shane Carwin — 1.16 million PPV buys
Brock Lesnar.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 116

Date and venue: July 3, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar underlined his status as an elite mixed martial artist by retaining his heavyweight title with a second-round submission victory over Shane Carwin.

Source: Tapology

WrestleMania 23 — 1.2 million PPV buys

WrestleMania 23 — 1.2 million PPV buys
Donald Trump at Wrestlemania.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 23

Date and venue: April 1, 2007, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Memorable moment: Here, we saw one of the more bizarre moments in WWE history as Donald Trump's wrestler Bobby Lashley beat WWE chairman Vince McMahon's wrestler Umaga in a "Hair versus Hair" match. Lashley won, meaning Trump got to shave McMahon's head.

Source: WrestlingInc

Evander Holyfield v Lennox Lewis — 1.2 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield v Lennox Lewis — 1.2 million PPV buys
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.      John Gichigi/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Undisputed

Date and venue: March 13, 1999, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moment: Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fought to a controversial draw, despite a superior performance from Lewis. Rudy Giuliani, who was the mayor of New York City at the time, said the result was "a travesty."

Source: Sports Business Journal

Jose Aldo v Conor McGregor — 1.2 million PPV buys

Jose Aldo v Conor McGregor — 1.2 million PPV buys
Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.      Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 194

Date and venue: December 12, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The Irishman was not expected to beat long-reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo, so it shook up the MMA world when he knocked the Brazilian out in just 13 seconds. This was the performance that elevated Conor McGregor's fame.

Source: talkSPORT

Oscar de la Hoya v Manny Pacquiao — 1.25 million PPV buys

Oscar de la Hoya v Manny Pacquiao — 1.25 million PPV buys
Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Dream Match

Date and venue: December 6, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: At the time, there was concern Manny Pacquiao was biting off more than he could chew by challenging a fighter so much bigger than he was. In the end, Pacquiao forced a ninth-round stoppage victory and announced his presence as a pay-per-view star.

Source: ESPN

Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto — 1.25 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto — 1.25 million PPV buys
Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Firepower

Date and venue: November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao scored a late stoppage victory when he was arguably at the peak of his powers.

Source: ESPN

Floyd Mayweather v Victor Ortiz — 1.25 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Victor Ortiz — 1.25 million PPV buys
Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Star Power

Date and venue: September 17, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Oh boy. This fight. Victor Ortiz was penalized for headbutting Floyd Mayweather. Ortiz then hugged Mayweather to say sorry. The referee waved the fight back on. Ortiz wanted another hug, but Mayweather knocked him out with an unforgiving two-punch combination.

Source: ESPN

KSI v Logan Paul — 1.3 million PPV buys

KSI v Logan Paul — 1.3 million PPV buys
Logan Paul and KSI pay per view.      YouTube / KSIvsLoganPaul

Sport: Unlicensed Boxing

Event: KSI vs. Logan Paul

Date and venue: August 25, 2018 at the Manchester Arena in England.

Memorable moment: The end, when it was all over, so we could pretend we never watched it.

Source: TMZ Sports

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin — 1.3 million PPV buys

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin — 1.3 million PPV buys
Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Supremacy

Date and venue: September 16, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin may have fought twice, with both results polarizing boxing fans, but you know what? These two prizefighters deserve each other as they guarantee one thing: a wild brawl.

Source: ESPN

WrestleMania XXVIII — 1.3 million PPV buys

WrestleMania XXVIII — 1.3 million PPV buys
The Rock and John Cena.      YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling/Sports entertainment

Event: Wrestlemania 28

Date and venue: April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Memorable moment: The main event match between John Cena and The Rock was advertised a year in advance, with a tag, "Once in a Lifetime." Despite this, they fought again one year after Wrestlemania XXVIII.

Source: WWE

Eddie Alvarez v Conor McGregor — 1.3 million PPV buys

Eddie Alvarez v Conor McGregor — 1.3 million PPV buys
Conor McGregor.      Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 205

Date and venue: November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor, already UFC featherweight champion, went up to lightweight to challenge Eddie Alvarez for the belt. McGregor won in dominant fashion to become the first same-time double champion in UFC history.

Source: The Sun

Manny Pacquiao v Shane Mosley — 1.34 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao v Shane Mosley — 1.34 million PPV buys
Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao.      Chris Trotman / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Undaunted

Date and venue: May 7, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao knocked Shane Mosley down in the third round, forcing Mosley to fight far more defensively for the rest of the contest. Pacquiao won a 12-round decision.

Source: ESPN

Conor McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in 2020.

Conor McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in 2020.
Conor McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in 2020.      Photo by Getty Images

Sport: MMA

Event: UFC 246

Date and venue: January 18, 2020, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor obliterated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds with shoulder strikes, a head kick, and punches to rebound following numerous losses.

Source: Tapology

Frank Bruno v Mike Tyson II — 1.37 million PPV buys

Frank Bruno v Mike Tyson II — 1.37 million PPV buys
Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Championship: Part I

Date and venue: March 16, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mike Tyson finished Frank Bruno with a 13-punch combination in the third round. Bruno never fought again.

Source: Forbes

Floyd Mayweather v Shane Mosley — 1.4 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Shane Mosley — 1.4 million PPV buys
Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.      Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Who R U Picking?

Date and venue: May 1, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Shane Mosley buckled Floyd Mayweather's knees with powerful punches in the second round — one of the few times Mayweather seemed legitimately troubled in a professional fight. Mayweather still won a convincing 12-round decision, though.

Source: LA Times

Felix Trinidad

Felix Trinidad
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Fight of the Millennium

Date and venue: September 18, 1999, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: An entertaining 12-round battle that could have gone either way was eventually won by Félix Trinidad. The normally mild-mannered Oscar de la Hoya left the ring swearing in every direction and, though there were calls for a rematch, this was the only fight between them.

Source: ESPN

Evander Holyfield v George Foreman – 1.4 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield v George Foreman – 1.4 million PPV buys
Evander Holyfield and George Foreman.      Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Battle of the Ages

Date and venue: April 19, 1991, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Memorable moment: Round seven. Just watch it. And watch it again. That round won Round of the Year honors in 1991. It was a heavyweight slug-fest for the ages, in which Holyfield triumphed on points.

Source: The Ring

Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez III – 1.4 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez III – 1.4 million PPV buys
Manny Pacquiao.      Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The 25th Round Begins.

Date and venue: November 12, 2011, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Memorable moment: Another one of those fights that could have been scored either way, with writers divided as to who should have won. Even the judges were split 2-1, but Manny Pacquiao had the edge.

Source: Boxing Scene

Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz — 1.5 million PPV buys

Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz — 1.5 million PPV buys
Nate Diaz chokes Conor McGregor.      Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 196

Date and venue: March 5, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor had already won UFC world titles at featherweight and lightweight. Here, he went up another division to take on Nate Diaz at welterweight. The weight class was one jump too many as Diaz submitted him with a rear naked choke in the second round.

Source: MMA Fighting

Floyd Mayweather v Miguel Cotto — 1.5 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Miguel Cotto — 1.5 million PPV buys
Floyd Mayweather v Miguel Cotto.      Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Ring Kings

Date and venue: May 5, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This proved to be just another routine 12-round decision win for Floyd Mayweather.

Source: The Ring

Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor III — 1.504 million PPV buys

Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor III — 1.504 million PPV buys
Conor McGregor.      Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 264

Date and venue: July 10, 2021, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier went to war for a third and final time in a trilogy that the Irishman lost, as he suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round that thus awarded Poirier the win. Even more memorable, though, was the way in which McGregor responded to the loss as he screamed obscenities from the floor, despite the nasty injury. He was eventually strapped to a stretcher and taken out of the arena.

Source: Tapology

Mike Tyson v Peter McNeeley — 1.55 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson v Peter McNeeley — 1.55 million PPV buys
Peter McNeeley and Mike Tyson.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: He's Back

Date and venue: August 19, 1995, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This was the first time Mike Tyson had fought since serving three years in prison for a rape conviction. The fight lasted 89 seconds. Peter McNeeley's manager ran into the ring to save his fighter from taking any additional punishment, meaning Tyson won by disqualification.

Source: Forbes

Mike Tyson v Evander Holyfield — 1.59 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson v Evander Holyfield — 1.59 million PPV buys
Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: Finally

Date and venue: November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Evander Holyfield became the first fighter since Muhammad Ali to win the world heavyweight championship for the third time. Holyfield, the challenger, stood up to Mike Tyson's aggressive style and claimed a stunning 11th round knockout win.

Source: Forbes

Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir II — 1.6 million PPV buys

Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir II — 1.6 million PPV buys
Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar.      Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 100

Date and venue: July 11, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: UFC 100, the 100th pay-per-view event in the company's history, was considered to be the MMA Event of the Year. Georges St-Pierre retained his welterweight title against Thiago Alves, and Dan Henderson knocked out Michael Bisping with a savage, career-changing punch. In the headlining fight, Brock Lensar badly bloodied Frank Mir en route to a second-round stoppage win.

Source: Yahoo

Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor II — 1.6 million PPV buys

Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor II — 1.6 million PPV buys
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.      Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 257

Date and venue: January 24, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Memorable moments: Conor McGregor returned to the Octagon in the middle of the pandemic, at a partially behind-closed-doors event on "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, UAE, only to get brutally knocked out in the second round because of Dustin Poirier's ferocity. American MMA fighter Poirier rose to the occasion to finish McGregor in style, in one of the best-selling MMA events in history.

Source: Tapology

Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. — 1.6 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. — 1.6 million PPV buys
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.      Photo by Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: Lockdown Knockdown

Date and venue: November 28, 2020, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Memorable moments: Two of boxing's best-ever boxers, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., returned to the ring in their 50s for an exhibition that further showcased internet celebrity Jake Paul as an attraction. Though no official result could be declared by nature of the exhibition, Tyson appeared to have had the edge after the eight-round move-around. He said in his post-fight interview that he smoked a spliff prior to the exhibition, and said he'd do it all again.

Source: USA Today

Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor II — 1.65 million PPV buys

Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor II — 1.65 million PPV buys
Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 202

Date and venue: August 20, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This is the night Conor McGregor avenged his earlier defeat. In his rematch against Nate Diaz, he knocked his opponent down and claimed a five-round decision victory. UFC 202 was the first event under the new ownership of WME-IMG, which had just spent $4 billion buying the company from Zuffa. It is the second-best-selling MMA pay-per-view of all time.

Source: MMA Fighting

Lennox Lewis v Mike Tyson — 1.97 million PPV buys

Lennox Lewis v Mike Tyson — 1.97 million PPV buys
Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: Lewis–Tyson: Is On

Date and venue: June 8, 2002, at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memorable moment: A press conference brawl involving both boxers and their respective entourages built more interest in Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson's ruckus. Lewis knocked Tyson down multiple times and claimed a big eighth-round knockout win.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Evander Holyfield v Mike Tyson II — 1.99 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield v Mike Tyson II — 1.99 million PPV buys
The bite fight.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Sound and the Fury

Date and venue: June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. Why? Who knows, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that, up until that point, Holyfield was easily defeating Tyson (again). Nobody knows the event as "The Sound and the Fury." It's now called "The Bite Fight." Tyson was obviously disqualified.

Source: LA Times

Floyd Mayweather v Canelo Álvarez — 2.2 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Canelo Álvarez — 2.2 million PPV buys
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2013.      Photo by Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The One

Date and venue: September 14, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Canelo Álvarez was one of the rising stars of boxing. Floyd Mayweather was the veteran. It could have been a passing of the torch. Instead, it was classic Mayweather, handing yet another excellent opponent a 12-round decision loss.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Oscar de la Hoya v Floyd Mayweather — 2.4 million PPV buys

Oscar de la Hoya v Floyd Mayweather — 2.4 million PPV buys
Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.      Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: The World Awaits

Date and venue: May 5, 2007, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Floyd Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya propelled him to superstar status. The most lasting feature of the fight was that it introduced the hugely popular "24/7" TV series on HBO. The program followed the fighters around as they got on with their day-to-day lives before fight night. The platform is still used today.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor — 2.5 million PPV buys

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor — 2.5 million PPV buys
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Event: UFC 229

Date and venue: October 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The UFC 229 main event between the reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor attracted a massive amount of eyes to television sets on October 6, 2018 — and with good reason.

The rivalry between the two fighters was personal. Nurmagomedov dominated McGregor in the Octagon, and even incited a riot cage-side just moments later. It will likely remain the most talked-about MMA fight for a long time.

Source: MMA Junkie

Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor — 4.3 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor — 4.3 million PPV buys
Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.      Photo by Getty Images

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History

Date and venue: August 26, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The build-up to Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor's landmark bout featured a four-city tour. The promotion was unprecedented and epic, but controversial. The fight, though, was nowhere near as exciting, as Mayweather coasted to a straight-forward 10th-round stoppage victory.

Source: MMA Fighting

Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao — 4.6 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao — 4.6 million PPV buys
Reuters

Sport: Boxing

Event: The Fight of the Century

Date and venue: May 2, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The bout was six years in the making and, judging by the fight, it was six years too late. Manny Pacquiao wasn't able to properly apply his swarming fighting style as Floyd Mayweather was expertly utilizing his defensive game. Another 12-round decision win for the American.

Source: Boxing Scene

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