Dana White says UFC 196 takes the record for most PPV buys in UFC history

UFC 196 proved to be a record-breaking event for the UFC.

The evening’s main event featured UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor taking on Nate Diaz in a non-title welterweight bout.

The co-main event saw Holly Holm and Miesha Tate go to war for the UFC’s women’s bantamweight championship.

According to UFC President Dana White, the UFC 196 event set the record as the most-purchased UFC PPV event in the company’s existence.

White spoke with Max & Marcellus of ESPN and revealed the information:

“We broke all our records on Saturday night,” White said. “It was the biggest PPV we ever did. Social media was ridiculous. Even on FOX, FOX was for the prelims, on FOX right? We were number one on all broadcast and cable, you know, from 8-10 in every of the major demographics. You name it, we broke the record on Saturday night. It was incredible.”

The hosts questioned White’s enthusiasm for the record-breaking night as two big stars lost their image of invincibility and the potential for even bigger events in the future.

White replied that despite missing the opportunity for the potential marketability of those record-breaking matches, it is the unpredictability of the sport of MMA that makes it so great.

“Think about the zillions of dollars that were spent on Pacquiao-Mayweather and the fight, that I think you know, the fight actually damaged the sport of boxing,” White said. “Whereas Saturday night, it was awesome.”

“Let me tell you what. We had all these celebrities there right. These celebrities have done it all, seen it all, and been to everything and they were in the back room with me blown away going, ‘I can’t believe what just happened!. I can’t believe!’

“It’s awesome. It’s exciting. It’s fun. I mean, that’s what fighting is supposed to be. That’s the way you’re supposed to feel when a fight is over.”

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