Report – UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier generates in excess of 500,000 pay-per-view purchases

The promotion’s final pay-per-view event of 2021, UFC 269, has reportedly generated in excess of 500,000 purchases. 

Taking place on December 12. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC 269 featured a championship doubleheader, with a lightweight title bout headlining above a bantamweight championship clash.

In the night’s co-headliner, defending bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes suffered a shocking upset second round rear-naked choke defeat against Julianna Pena, faltering for the first time in 12 fights, as well as dropping her status as a two-weight promotional champion.

Headlining the event, defending lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira successfully scored the first successful defense of his 155lbs throne – this time knocking back former interim titleholder, Dustin Poirier with a third round rear-naked choke – this time, the standing variety.

As per an initial report by Sports Business Journal reporter, Adam Stern, ESPN+ sold in excess of 500,000 pay-per-view purchases for the event.

In comparison, Poirier, who featured in two other pay-per-view headliners this year, alongside sport superstar, former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor – saw his UFC 257 victory generate a reported 1,600,000 purchases, before the pair’s July rubber match at UFC 264, is said to have generated 1,504,737 purchases.

For Oliveira, UFC 269 came as his second outing of 2021, following a May vacant lightweight championship capturing performance against Michael Chandler – which is reported to have generated 300,000. 

At the time of publication, the highest figure generated in terms of pay-per-view sales for the Ultimate Fighting Championship came back in October 2018, where the aforenoted, McGregor returned from his professional boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. – to fight the now-retired, Khabib Nurmagomedov in an undisputed lightweight title fight at UFC 229. The event generated a reported total 2,400,000 pay-per-view buys – an organizational best.

Ross Markey

Senior writer for FightBook MMA. An aspiring mixed martial arts reporter based in Ireland. Producer of news articles, interviews, opinion features, and exclusive features such as, ‘The Fallout’, ‘The Breakdown, and, ‘This Week In MMA’.