The Biggest UFC Fights of All Time

1: UFC 229: Khabib Nurmagomedov v Conor McGregor

• 2,400,000 PPV buys

• $180 million

Dubbed “the biggest fight in UFC history” by Dana White, the headline clash between McGregor and Khabib at UFC 229 pulled in $180 million for the promotion.

Hosted at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Las Vegas, Khabib went into the bout with a perfect 26-0 record. At the same time, McGregor was the first man in history to hold two titles in two divisions simultaneously.

Khabib beat McGregor with a neck crank submission in the fourth round. A huge bust-up followed the end of the bout, with Khabib trying to take on practically everyone in McGregor’s corner.

It was a showpiece event for the UFC, illustrating the best (and the worst) of the promotion’s two most iconic fighters.

2: UFC 264: Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor 3

• 1,800,000 PPV buys

• $120 million

The rematch to end all rematches was at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in July 2021. With a win apiece, this fight was supposed to settle matters once and for all between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, but the Irishman rolled his ankle at the end of the first, ultimately breaking his tibia and resulting in a doctor’s stoppage.

It turned out to be McGregor’s last major appearance in the UFC promotion, and it wasn’t the swansong his millions of fans had hoped for. Still, their fight at UFC 264 is the second-biggest UFC fight in history.

3: UFC 202: Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor 2

• 1,650,000 PPV buys

• $90 million

While McGregor is no stranger to making enemies in the sporting world, the animosity between the Irishman and Nate Diaz will probably never be matched.

Not only was this rematch the third-biggest fight in UFC history by PPV buys, but it also saw the biggest purse in history, with McGregor taking home $3,000,000 and Diaz securing $2,000,000.

Diaz shocked the MMA world when he beat Conor McGregor at UFC 196. Though his submission win in the second round was well deserved, there would always be a rematch.

McGregor prevailed in the Octagon when the fighters met for a second time at UFC 202, securing a majority victory and justifying much of the trash talk he had flung Diaz’s way in the weeks leading up to the fight.

4: UFC 257: Conor McGregor v Dustin Poirier 2

• 1,600,000 PPV buys

• $100 million

Conor McGregor was supremely confident going into his rematch with American fighter Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. They first met at UFC 178 at MGM in 2014, with McGregor winning by TKO in the first round.

But the American was ready for McGregor in the rematch seven years later in Abu Dhabi, beating the Irishman by TKO in the second, earning Poirier a Performance of the Night Award.

5: UFC 100: Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir 2

• 1,600,000 PPV buys

• $82 million

The only bout in the top five UFC fights in history not to involve Conor McGregor was the heavyweight clash between former wrestling superstar Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir at UFC 100.

This championship unification bout was scheduled after Randy Couture resigned from the promotion.

The fight was a classic in the Octagon. Lesnar was his usual aggressive self, smashing into Mir and winning the fight in the second round after a barrage of punches to secure a TKO victory.

It maintained its record as the most-watched fight in the promotion until the arrival of Conor McGregor, who pushed UFC viewership figures to new heights.

6: UFC 196: Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz

• 1,500,000 PPV buys

• $80 million

McGregor was on the top of his game when he arrived in Las Vegas to take on Nate Diaz in the welterweight division at UFC 196. Undefeated, The Notorious was expected to see off Diaz pretty easily, but a bloodbath ensued in which Diaz gained the upper hand.

Diaz won the fight with a rear-naked choke submission in the second, earning a Performance of the Night Award and walking away with $500,000.

While Rafael dos Anjos was initially due to face McGregor at UFC 196, the MMA world is thankful that Nate Diaz stepped up to the plate, fuelling one of the greatest rivalries in the sport’s history as a result.

7: UFC 246: Conor McGregor v Donald Cerrone

• 1,350,000 PPV buys

• $90 million

After losing to Khabib, McGregor returned to the Octagon to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 after more than a year away. He had also just faced Floyd Mayweather in a boxing exhibition, and many fans were unsure whether the Irishman had enough in the tank to defeat the experienced Cerrone.

As it turned out, McGregor was at his imposing best. He won by TKO after just 40 seconds, earning a Performance of the Night Award.

As an aside, McGregor’s win against Cerrone made him the first fighter in UFC history to win via KO in the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions.

The Bottom Line

If anyone tries to question Conor McGregor’s greatness, refer them to this article. Six of the seven biggest fights in the history of the UFC have involved the Irishman.

So, while he might not be regarded as the best UFC fighter of all time, he’s undoubtedly the most popular or at least the most notorious.

Suffice it to say that the UFC would love to see McGregor return to the ring one last time, given the incredible PPV figures he has drawn in throughout his career.