Who Is The Biggest Draw In Ufc

For a while, I've wanted to reply the question of who the biggest pay-per-view draws in UFC history have been. The problem is that there are many different ways to look at tackling the answer. An example: 500,000 buys in 2016 may not be quite the same thing as 500,000 buys in 2008...or mayhap it is.

Then, here's what I did:

- I decided on a "rolling average". Rather than simply looking at the average for a agenda year, I looked at the total PPV purchases for the previous twelvemonth, the total for the current twelvemonth, and the total for the next year so the "rolling average" is the average of those three years. As you might look, each year has a different rolling boilerplate.

The reason I chose this method is that using a single twelvemonth to determine a base of operations leaves things open to fluctuations based on key talent not being available. Information technology makes the product seem colder than information technology really is when, in fact, it'south just a example of none of the key top draws fighting during that time period. 2014 is a perfect example of this as at a quick glance, you might remember UFC was dying a fast death on PPV given that the boilerplate number of buys was 200-300K less than in any year since 2005.

Using the rolling average, the number is relatively the same every bit information technology was in every other year between 2011 and 2015, although information technology was on a slight decline. That slight decline does seem to exist turning around. A large part of that is the emergence of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, but what the rolling averages show is that the base of operations is upwards besides from recent year. Equally the proverb goes, "a ascension tide raises all boats".

- The next step was to compare each PPV buys full to the rolling average for that item year. Key fighters on each show included whomever was fighting in the main effect, also as other big names on the show that would have been central to a buyer'southward decision to either buy or to not purchase a show. It should come as no surprise that certain individuals seemed to always be on shows that performed considerably higher than that year's rolling average and others were on shows that performed considerably lower.

It may surprise some to see that McGregor is already at the top of this list despite the fact that the results for UFC 178 (when he fought Dustin Poirier in a non-title fight) were included in here. The totals of his 3 subsequent PPVs pushed him to the top of the list, although with a small sample size. Here is the list of each twelvemonth's PPV totals including the yearly boilerplate, number of shows, total PPV buys for the yr and the rolling average:

Chris Weidman

Using those figures, here are the acme xx scores in UFC history as a % over the rolling average for shows those fighters appeared on:

Based on the math, McGregor tops the listing followed by Brock Lesnar and, interestingly enough, Chris Weidman.

Hither'southward a bit more on the names on this listing:

Chris Weidman:That he's got the tertiary highest score in history seems ridiculous at outset glance, and piece of cake to dismiss as a statistical fluke. However, Weidman has been in a key position on five shows, four of which drew over 500,000 buys and two which did over 1 million. In each of those shows, he was in a title fight. Is he this generation's Tim Silvia? Perhaps, or maybe he is a key draw in a secondary position. So while he can't exist expected to headline a show that is going to practice big business, he is someone you want as a secondary star to help bolster an already big show.
Paul Verelans:This name from the UFC past surprised me which I think was a statistical bibelot. He was on three shows that averaged 224,000 buys during a time period in which the rolling boilerplate for shows he was on was just 151,000 buys. Ken Shamrock was on all 3 shows he was on and he's also very high on this list while Tank Abbott and Dan Severn were as well on 2 of those shows each.
Tito Ortiz: It'southward notable that Chuck Liddell is non on this list while his rival is. At that place are a couple of reasons for this, I think. For Tito, he was a big draw in the years when UFC exploded, and so shows he was on seemed really high at the time but they weren't all that much higher than the shows he wasn't on. With the correct opponent, he did large numbers but he didn't seem to exist that much of a draw on his own. For Liddell, much of his career was in the pre-Television set era and also when UFC didn't have full PPV clearance. As it is, his score is 14.0 and he just misses making this listing. If yous eliminate the pre-2005 years from his totals, his score jumps to 16.0. He makes the list, only only barely. A lot of the numbers on shows he did seemed huge at the fourth dimension simply many shows did numbers that were shut. I believe that the large numbers that Tito and Chuck did for "normal" shows were more due to the fact that UFC itself was actually hot.

Demetrious Johnson
Photo: Sherdog

Some other reason why I wanted to tackle this project was to look at who the people were at the bottom of this list.

To qualify for this list, a fighter had to exist in a key position on at least 3 PPVs. The names at the bottom are for the most part who you'd await them to exist. And when you look at the disaster that was 2014, you see a lot of these names every bit key fighters on those shows which is no coincidence. Hither are the bottom 25 fighters in terms of percentage beneath the rolling boilerplate on shows in which they were fighting in central positions:

No surprise that the reigning flyweight champion resides at the "pinnacle" of this list. Bader being correct behind is probably no surprise either. Really, nearly of the names on here are popular to fight fans but for whatever reason, they've just never connected equally those in which people are willing to plunk down money for. Rumble Johnson being at #6 probably helps explicate why his challenge of Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title did a disappointing number for that testify. And it gives intermission to the idea that he may be the biggest challenger to Jon Jones, should he defeat Cormier.

Y'all'll find at that place are several light heavyweights on this list which may help explain why Jones hasn't been as large a draw as people thought he should exist. It's the challengers for the belt that have been poor draws for the well-nigh part. When put with someone whom he had a big grudge with (Evans, Cormier), he did large numbers. Otherwise, he did what he should be expected to exercise.

Silva vs. Weidman

There are some names missing. Where are they?

Anderson Silva (10.iv):For many years, shows that he was on didn't do anything special. It was really merely after the feud with Chael Sonnen that he became a really big depict, simply even that wasn't plenty to overcome years of PPV mediocrity. That said, he was nevertheless 10% over average and with that rolling boilerplate being in the 450-500K range most years, information technology's still really solid.
Nick Diaz (9.7):Diaz has been on shows nigh from day i that take consistently performed above the rolling average, and it isn't just a contempo phenomenon. Even in 2006, the three shows that he was on were at or higher up the rolling boilerplate.
Jon Jones (vi.ii):He's been very slightly above boilerplate, just beneath Silva but above everyone else except for the really big draws. In many means, he's the modern Anderson Silva. Fourth dimension will tell if he takes it to another level with his time abroad from the sport having seemingly increased his popularity.
Urijah Faber (-27.4):There are a lot of lighter weight fighters in the negative numbers including Donald Cerrone, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo and more. Benson Henderson and Renan Barao even crevice the lesser 20. For whatever reason, lighter weight fighters take merely never really been a depict which makes the ascent of McGregor even more than amazing. Brock Lesnar emerged from a time in which heavyweights were already drawing big. Conor and Ronda took divisions that were nothing and became the biggest draws in the sport in spite of that. In some ways, that's even more impressive than what Lesnar did and this list shows that.

Names for the time to come that are not anywhere on either the elevation or bottom list are Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, and Nate Diaz. Tate and Holm have been on ii shows each and Diaz just i, but all 3 names would be at the acme of this list if their numbers were included. Again, that'due south a small-scale sample size but the potential is at that place for ane, two or all three of these names to become a actually special describe that could take the place of a potentially departing Rousey.

And, of course, yous have Weidman, who is nigh the height of this listing only is probably best used in a supporting role. Names at the bottom of the height twenty such as Diego Sanchez and Andrei Arlovski could potentially also be used fifty-fifty lower on the card for a big show in an endeavor to boost those shows a bit. Michael Bisping is at a 6.7 and he'south headlining June's UFC 199 which could bode well for that show's buyrate.

For the consummate list of all fighters who were on at least 3 shows in key positions and their scores, available check information technology out here.