UFC 285 is shaping up to be one of the most stacked cards of the year. Filled with exciting matchups and two titles on the line, the card could possibly be the best one this year. With Jon Jones in the mix, it is expected to bring in a lot of PPV buys.
Live out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, the event will feature Jones making his highly anticipated return to the Octagon. Coming off a 3-year layoff, Jones will be moving up to heavyweight and taking on Ciryl Gane for the title. As such, the former light heavyweight champ is at the precipice of creating history and becoming a two-division champ.
IT'S OFFICIALLY #UFC285 FIGHT WEEK@JonnyBones vs @Ciryl_Gane @BulletValentina vs @AlexaGrasso
SATURDAY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qhRGRWfn0y
— UFC (@ufc) February 27, 2023
With a name like Jones making his return, the event is set to be one for the ages. Moreover, fans will be treated to Valentina Shevchenko taking Alexa Grasso in the co-main and second title fight of the evening. Thus, it is no surprise that Dana White has predicted an MSG-type gate for the event as well.
Notably, Jonny Bones has always been a reliable PPV star, and with his return, could well beat his own record. Previously, Jones brought in a career-high 860k PPV buys, when he took on Daniel Cormier at UFC 214. Although a number like that will be difficult to achieve now, expect UFC 285 to be one of Jones’ biggest-ever PPVs.
Jon Jones’ PPV buys
Without a doubt, Jones is one of the biggest names in the sport. His career, his record, and his work inside the Octagon all show why he is considered the GOAT by so many. As such, it is evident with the number of PPV buys he brings in. According to various sources, Jones’ PPV events throughout his career have brought in more than 7,000,000 buys, averaging close to 550,000 PPV buys per event.
Even though the numbers for UFC 239 and 247 were never released, we can safely assume that they were also near the 500k mark. Moreover, with UFC 285, the event will be a lot more grandiose, especially considering the circumstances. Although Jones vs Ngannou would have easily been the bigger hit, Ciryl Gane is no small name either.
PPV Sales for cards headlined by Johnny ‘Bones’ Jones:
Part 1:
UFC 247 – numbers never released. Prelim numbers and Google searches indicated promising activity. But it’s unlikely sources would hide numbers if the event had sold well.
UFC 239 – Unknown numbers. This was the
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Part 2:
third UFC PPV under the new ESPN+ PPV purchasing model. The new purchasing protocol likely dimisnished buy activity, as was common around that time. Though it should be noted that the prelims had promising viewership numbers.
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Part 3:
PPV### – sales – cost
UFC 235 – 585K ($65)
UFC 232 -700K ($65)
UFC 214 – 860K($60)
UFC 197 – 450K ($60)
UFC 182 – 800K($60)
UFC 172 – 350K ($60)
UFC 165 – 310K ($50)
UFC 159 – 530K ($50)
UFC 152 – 450K ($50)
UFC 145 – 700K ($50)
UFC 140 – 480K($50)
UFC 135 -520K ($50)— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Part 4:
UFC 128 – 490K ($50)
In total, there have been over 7 and a quarter million PPV buys for events headlined by Jon Jones.
Not including his last two unknown PPV numbers, his events garnered over $400 million in PPV revenue.
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Part 5:
That doesn’t include sponsors and live gate money. Jones hasn’t hit any record-breaking single event milestones, but he’s been able to bring in consistently reliable numbers for ten years. Reliable longevity is worth more than short-lived financial surges @JonnyBones— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Part 6:
Throughout 13 headliners, Jon Jones has averaged 555,000 PPV sales per event. Say what you will about the extra baggage he has carried along the way, but Jon Jones raised the competitive bar for LHW athletes and has proven to be a financial commodity in every matchup.
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) April 30, 2021
Additionally, we will see some pretty decent fighters like Mateusz Gamrot, Jalin Turner, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Cody Garbrandt, and highly touted prospect, Bo Nickal. Thus, the event is more likely to draw the attention that Dana White thought UFC 284 would.
Thus, we can safely assume that UFC 285 will bring in well over 500,000 PPV buys. Since it is now fight week, expect the excitement levels to hit new heights. Ahead of the event, fans will be pumped and anxiously await Saturday night. Who are you picking to win in the main event? Will the PPV buys easily cross 500k? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.