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[jesusatemyhotdog]

Report: UFC 81 Registers 650,000 PPV “Buys” -- MMAjunkie.com

A UFC 81 event that took place earlier this month and featured Brock Lesnar’s highly marketed UFC debut has registered approximately 650,000 pay-per-view “buys,” according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

UFC 81 took place Feb. 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Although the main event featured Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s victory over Tim Sylvia for the UFC’s interim heavyweight title, Lesnar, a former World Wrestling Entertainment performer who took on Frank Mir, was expected to be the event’s biggest draw.

Lesnar dominated all but the last few seconds of his fight with former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir and ultimately suffered a submission loss (via kneebar) at 1:30 of the first round.

Just prior to UFC 81, the UFC increased the price of its stand-definition pay-per-view broadcasts from $39.95 to $44.95. Although a small number of additional buys will trickle in (cable systems have a taped version of the broadcast available for purchase), Meltzer reports that the event will be third-highest-grossing event in UFC history — behind only December 2006’s UFC 66 event (Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz II) and July 2006’s UFC 61 event (Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock II).

As MMAjunkie.com (UFC News & Rumors - MMA News - UFC Fighters - UFC Event Recaps and Previews - MMAjunkie.com) mentioned in a UFC 81 salaries report, despite just one professional MMA fight, Lesnar earned a base salary of $250,000 for the fight. He would have earned an additional $200,000 “win bonus” with a victory. The UFC doesn’t comment on fighters’ salaries, but Lesnar’s deal in undoubtedly one of the most lucrative in the organization’s history. In addition to his base pay, Lesnar also likely earned a portion of the pay-per-view revenue.

For complete coverage of this UFC 81, including fighters salaries and the list of winners for fight-night bonuses, be sure to check out MMAjunkie.com’s UFC 81 archives.

And that is why Lesnar gets 250 grand.

[valheruking]

Originally Posted by jesusatemyhotdog

And that is why Lesnar gets 250 grand.

Haha yep can't argue with the facts, third highest ever, damn.

[Ramma]

Good Find...

Lesnar won't bring in that much money for fight #2... but at least they got what they wanted.

[Dr. MMA]

i think his pay is justified in terms of marketability. It's too bad that marketability of a fighter trumps skill a lot of the times but as business men (i.e. zuffa), your main objective is to maximize profits!


lesnar's 2nd fight will be co-main eventing the liddell/shogun fight. Having this fight in london will fuck things up in terms of ppv buyrates because if this was in north america, I can see it breaking the 600,000 buys.

[POINDEXTER]

Not a bad draw. I still think Lesnar will bring a lot of people the next time he fights if they market it well.

[Diegonightmare]

I agree, if Lesnar lives up to the talent that we all saw, I think he'll continue to put asses in the seats and generate PPV buys.

[maxp84z]

the price increase is another reason why it's the 3rd top grossing...

[Dork8503]

I don't see them putting Lesnar on a ppv outside the states for atleast 2 fights.

IMO Lesnar will fight 2 times pretty fast, no counting the Mir fight. As long as Lesnar wins those fights against average oh whatever fighters fast, i see then pushing him hard and fast to get him experience.

[superjld]

They're giving this money to Lesnar to generate interest and raise ppv buys, but can't come to terms with Tito? I'm not a huge Ortiz fan, but the guy was on both of the highest grossing ppv ever so if marketability is what they are after, he's got plenty to offer in that department. It's just a shame his skill level doesn't match his drawing power anymore.

[kc56]

Originally Posted by maxp84z

the price increase is another reason why it's the 3rd top grossing...

rrright, but 650,000 people still had to buy it at that price

Also, I only really see the slight dollar difference coming into play vs the Liddell vs Rampage fight.


* UFC 67 - Silva v. Lutter - 400,000
* UFC 57 - Liddell v. Couture III - 400,000
* UFC 68 - Slyvia v. Couture - 540,000
* UFC 58 - Franklin v. Loiseau - 300,000
* UFC 69 - St. Pierre v. Serra - 400,000
* UFC 59 - Ortiz v. Griffin - 425,000
* UFC 71 - Liddell v. Jackson II - 675,000
* UFC 60 - Hughes v. Gracie - 620,000
* UFC 72 - Franklin v. Okami - 200,000
* No June pay-per-view event in 2006
* UFC 73 - Ortiz v. Evans - 425,000
* UFC 61 - Ortiz v. Shamrock II - 775,000
* UFC 74 - Couture v. Gonzaga - 520,000
* UFC 62 - Liddell v. Sobral II - 500,000
* UFC 76 - Liddell v. Jardine - 475,000
* UFC 63 - Hughes v. Penn - 400,000
* UFC 77 - Franklin v. Silva II - 325,000
* UFC 64 - Franklin v. Silva - 300,000
* UFC 78 - Evans v. Bisbing - 325,000^
* UFC 65 - Hughes v. St. Pierre - 500,000
* UFC 79 - Liddell v. Silva - 600,000*
* UFC 66 - Liddell v. Ortiz - 1,050,000

source:http://www.mmapayout.com/2008/12/ufc...s-in-2007.html

So maybe paying Brock $250k for that fight wasn't the worst thing in the world....