Boxing match shatters UFC's highest gate record

[avenue94]

My work is almost exclusively filled with 20 year olds, I'm only 29 myself.
I also coach wrestling for Youth & Adults, as well as compete in Jiu Jitsu.
I was an Uber driver for 2 years, a medical transport driver for 3 years, and worked with 16-24 year olds for 3 years at a trade school.

Between all of those gigs, I have barely ever known any hardcore boxing fans. Lots of people tune in for the big May vs Pac or Canelo vs GGG, but don't follow it. Conversely, I've met tons of people who follow the UFC in those gigs.

I think the UFC has been bigger than boxing in America for a very long time now. The biggest boxing event will draw in more people than the big UFC event, but there are way more people in America that follow the UFC than people that follow boxing.

It's hard to say which sport gets more eyeballs in the US and not that useful overall. Like I mentioned earlier, where boxing excels and the UFC tends to struggle is once you break out of more affluent, white American demographics. There's a reason the UFC has constantly searched, and never really found, it's crossover Latino star in America, or even a black star in America. Hence this event surprised a lot of fans and observers with its performance.

The UFC would absolutely kill to have a Ryan Garcia, who is a unicorn even in boxing with his appeal to young fans (as in kids and teens).

 

[avenue94]

UFC isn't too popular either among 20 year olds, but definetely above boxing. I do know people who watch cards but mostly have it playing in the background while they do other stuff.

Statistically speaking, it isn't. Granted, those stats are iffy, but better than nothing. I don't think mma fans really understand what the UFC's key demographics are. The sponsors are a dead giveaway. Young sports fans is one of the areas where WME has made progress, but still has a long way to go.

MMA’s biggest stars are all over 30 and lack the pedigree (when Dana is trying to force feed talent like Paddy and O’Malley you know there’s a problem).

Everyone knows Dude Wipes is for the kiddos, not old men.

 

[Vayn Sword]

LOL at "Gervonta".

 

[Jonny Ninja]

The problem with boxing is that people only care about the main event. According to people who were there, there was only about 1000 people in the arena until the main event was about to start.

In 16 or 17,000 seater that's awful. Doesn't affect the gate because people still sold the place out and turned up for the last fight, but boxing has an awful track record of promoting the undercard.

That can’t be denied. It’s mostly squash matches for prospects with a couple of competitive fights towards the top of the bill.

mma matchmaking is much much better than boxing, and I say that as a boxing fan first and foremost.

 

[Strychnine]

That's why it's smart for Francis Ngannou to jump to boxing, nothing left for him in the UFC.

Simple as that.

 

[BigOlJeet]

Let's be honest.

The gate hardly means anything

"Hardly means anything" lol yet when it's Conor it's a huge deal to his nuthuggers like yourself, claiming he sells out stadiums and makes a trillion dollars a fight.

 

[ejazahmednit]

The number of attendees is a better number to quantify success and popularity as the price of tickets can sway the total amount
Besides, Wrestlemania outdraws everything else in this space
So drawing power itself doesn't extol quality

 

[JudoJabs]

The number of attendees is a better number to quantify success and popularity as the price of tickets can sway the total amount
Besides, Wrestlemania outdraws everything else in this space
So drawing power itself doesn't extol quality

The WWE has never had a gate that surpassed 17.3M.

after the OPs thread, there were actually 2 more boxing gates in 2023 that also surpassed Conor vs Khabib. Those being Spence vs Crawford in July, and Canelo vs Charlo in September.

2023 was a ridiculous year

 

[cmw43]

The WWE has never had a gate that surpassed 17.3M.

after the OPs thread, there were actually 2 more boxing gates in 2023 that also surpassed Conor vs Khabib. Those being Spence vs Crawford in July, and Canelo vs Charlo in September.

2023 was a ridiculous year

It takes all three of those boxing events combined to beat the PPV numbers of Connor Vs Khabib.

You don't think they could've raised the price on the tickets for that match and beaten those boxing gates?

Connor was coming hot off the Mayweather fight where they'd done a $55m gate.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Inflation

 

[JudoJabs]

It takes all three of those boxing events combined to beat the PPV numbers of Connor Vs Khabib.

You don't think they could've raised the price on the tickets for that match and beaten those boxing gates?

Connor was coming hot off the Mayweather fight where they'd done a $55m gate.

Streaming has drastically improved and has never been easier with people having IPTV boxes and stuff like that, even within the last 3-4 years it is leaps and bounds more accessible.

1.2M buys in 2023 at $90 is extremely impressive, especially considering the young fanbase of Tank/Ryan Garica knows how to stream more than any other fanbase in combat sports.

Floyd has that effect with gates though. The Pac Man gate was 74M, ridiculous.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Wrestlemania 40 will crush these pseudosports with ease

 

[checktheknuckles]

Have you looked at other boxing events? Or what the undercard fighters earn on huge boxing cards? Ngannou is lightyears away from getting remotely close to these numbers. He can be very very happy getting what UFC offered him but even that I highly doubt. Ngannou is a nobody in boxing.