The 57 best-selling pay-per-view fight nights in US history

Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather.Reuters
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  • Hall of Fame boxer Floyd Mayweather has long been heralded as the sport's pay-per-view king.

  • UFC athletes and YouTubers also established themselves as US attractions in the modern era.

  • Keep scrolling for a definitive list of the best-selling combat sport shows in boxing, MMA, and WWE.

=52: Buster Douglas v Evander Holyfield — 1 million PPV buys

Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield
The Moment of Truth.Mike Powell / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Moment of Truth.

Date and venue: October 25, 1990, at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Eight months after stunning Mike Tyson with a 10th-round knockout, Buster Douglas turned up to the Evander Holyfield fight overweight. Holyfield, a former cruiserweight champion, picked up his first heavyweight championship titles after a dominant third-round KO.

Source: Orlando Sentinel.

=52: Bernard Hopkins v Oscar de la Hoya — 1 million PPV buys

Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins
History.Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: History.

Date and venue: September 18, 2004, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Bernard Hopkins knocked Oscar de la Hoya out with a perfectly placed left hook to the liver in the ninth round.

Source: NextTV / HBO.

=52: Floyd Mayweather v Robert Guerrero — 1 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero
May Day.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: May Day.

Date and venue: May 4, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mayweather attracted the wrath of the Vegas crowd, which booed the American's defensive-first strategy. Mayweather won a 12-round decision.

Source: The Ring.

=52: Canelo Álvarez v Julio César Chávez Jr — 1 million PPV buys

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Canelo Saul Alvarez
Civil War.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Civil War.

Date and venue: May 6, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: It was billed as an all-Mexican fight for the ages, but only one boxer turned up on the night. Canelo Álvarez won every round en route to a comfortable 12-round decision victory over Julio César Chávez Jr.

Source: ESPN.

51: Randy Couture v Brock Lesnar — 1.01 million PPV buys

Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar.Rey Del Rio / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 91.

Date and venue: November 15, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar was thrust into a heavyweight title shot against decorated veteran Randy Couture when he had fought just twice in MMA. Lesnar knocked Couture out with a flurry of punches in the second round and left the cage with the UFC belt.

Source: Tapology.

50: Wrestlemania XX — 1.02 million PPV buys

Wrestlemania XX
The Undertaker faced-off with his half-brother Kane.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 20.

Date and venue: March 14, 2004, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moments: The World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat match between Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and eventual winner Chris Benoit is considered one of the greatest matches of all time. The Undertaker's bone-chilling ring-walk against half-brother Kane was also must-see TV.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

49: Chris Weidman v Anderson Silva II — 1.025 million PPV buys

Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva
Chris Weidman attacks Anderson Silva.Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 168.

Date and venue: December 28, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Chris Weidman scored back-to-back victories over previous middleweight ruler Anderson Silva, but their fight was overshadowed by Ronda Rousey's 'Fight of the Night' victory over Miesha Tate.

Source: Tapology.

48: Wrestlemania X-Seven — 1.04 million PPV buys

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania X-Seven.

Date and venue: April 1, 2001, at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas.

Memorable moments: Two of the most famous professional wrestlers ever, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, duked it out in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship belt. There were ring interventions, steel chair headshots, and masks of blood. Stone Cold even shared a beer with wrestling boss Vince McMahon at the end of the event.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

47: Wrestlemania XXIV — 1.041 million PPV buys

Ric Flair
Ric Flair.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 24.

Date and venue: March 30, 2008, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Memorable moment: Ric Flair lost a 'Career Threatening' match against Shawn Michaels, meaning he had to retire. However, world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather made an appearance against Big Show and, despite giving up a 16-inch height advantage, still found a way to win.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

=45: Forrest Griffin v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys

Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans.Steve Marcus / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 92.

Date and venue: December 27, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The light heavyweight championship title changed hands as Rashad Evans beat Forrest Griffin by third-round knockout in a 'Fight of the Night' spectacle.

Source: Tapology.

=45: Brock Lesnar v Cain Velasquez — 1.05 million PPV buys

Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez.Rey Del Rio / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 121.

Date and venue: October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Memorable moment: A true passing-of-the-torch event, Cain Velasquez took the championship belt from Brock Lesnar with a first-round knockout win. The event had a WWE feel, though, as there was a bizarre post-fight confrontation between The Undertaker and Lesnar.

Source: Tapology.

=41: Rampage Jackson v Rashad Evans — 1.05 million PPV buys

Quinton Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Rashad Evans.Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 114.

Date and venue: May 29, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Rashad Evans used lightning-quick combinations to trouble Rampage Jackson and ground out a good three-round decision win. Further down the card, British brawler Michael Bisping gave Dan Miller a sustained three-round beating.

Source: Tapology.

=41: Chuck Liddell v Tito Ortiz II — 1.05 million PPV buys

Chuck Liddel and Tito Ortiz
Chuck Liddel and Tito OrtizReuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 66.

Date and venue: December 30, 2006, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: One of the first true stars of the UFC, Chuck Liddel retained his light heavyweight championship belt with a third-round knockout win over Tito Ortiz. Later, it was discovered Liddel fought through a torn medial collateral ligament.

Source: MMA Junkie.

38: Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manuel Márquez — 1.06 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez
Floyd Mayweather knocks Juan Manuel Márquez down.Eric Jamison / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Number One / Número Uno.

Date and venue: September 19, 2009, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Despite a two-year layoff, Mayweather returned to the ring and did what he does best — he outclassed three-division champion Juan Manuel Márquez and banked another win.

Source: LA Times.

44: Wrestlemania 21 — 1.090 million PPV buys

Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle
Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 21.

Date and venue: April 3, 2005, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Memorable moment: Tickets sold out within one minute of going on sale, making it the fastest selling event in WWE and Staples Center history at that point.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

43: Dan Cormier v Anderson Silva — 1.09 million PPV buys

Anderson Silva and Dan Cormier
Dan Cormier and Anderson Silva.YouTube

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 200.

Date and venue: July 9, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: There were many big names competing on the UFC 200 card, including Amanda Nunes, Brock Lesnar, Dan Cormier, Anderson Silva, and José Aldo, but most of the headlines that week focused on the sale of Zuffa-owned UFC to WME-IMG for $4 billion.

Source: Tapology.

=41: Amanda Nunes v Ronda Rousey — 1.1 million PPV buys

Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes
Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes.Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 207.

Date and venue: December 30, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: The first openly gay champion in UFC history, Amanda Nunes, knocked out previous champion Ronda Rousey in one round. Cody Garbrandt took the bantamweight belt off Dominick Cruz's waist with a show-off performance.

Source: Tapology.

=41: Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II — 1.1 million PPV buys

Canelo Alvarez beats Golovkin pay per view
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II.

Date and venue: September 15, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: Álvarez defeated Golovkin on points, capturing the WBA, WBC, IBO, and the vacant The Ring Magazine middleweight world titles — it was the first time Golovkin lost a professional bout, in a back-and-forth battle for the ages.

Source: ESPN.

40: Wrestlemania 29 — 1.104 million PPV buys

John Cena and The Rock
John Cena and The Rock.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 29.

Date and venue: April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Memorable moment: John Cena beat The Rock in the main event to win a record 11th WWE Championship. The whole show was a huge financial success for the company as it became the highest-grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $72 million.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

39: Wrestlemania XXVII — 1.104 million PPV buys

The Undertaker and HHH
The Undertaker and Triple H.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 27.

Date and venue: April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.

Memorable moment: The Undertaker extended his Wrestlemania winning 'streak' to 19-0 with a No Holds Barred victory over Triple H.

Source: Wrestlenomics.

=36: Bruce Seldon v Mike Tyson — 1.15 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon
Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Championship: Part II.

Date and venue: September 7, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Though Mike Tyson scored a first-round knockout, the fight is notable because of the ringside attendance of rapper Tupac Shakur, who was murdered just hours later.

Source: Yahoo.

=36: Manny Pacquiao v Antonio Margarito —1.15 million PPV buys

Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao
Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.Nick Laham / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The 8th Wonder of the World.

Date and venue: November 13, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao brutally beat up Antonio Margarito in a savage 12-round performance. After the fight, Pacquiao said: "I did not want to damage him permanently." However, Margarito, who was hospitalised, suffered permanent damage to his right eye.

Source: Boxing Scene.

=36: Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Márquez IV —1.15 million PPV buys

Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao
Juan Manuel Márquez knocks Manny Pacquiao out cold.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Fight of the Decade.

Date and venue: December 8, 2012, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez IV had contested a huge trilogy beforehand. All three were considered close fights, with Pacquiao winning twice and drawing the other. Here, Márquez got revenge with a violent sixth-round finish.

Source: ESPN.

35: Brock Lesnar v Shane Carwin — 1.16 million PPV buys

Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar.Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 116.

Date and venue: July 3, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar underlined his status as an elite mixed martial artist by retaining his heavyweight title with a second-round submission victory over Shane Carwin.

Source: Tapology.

=32: WrestleMania 23 — 1.2 million PPV buys

Donald Trump at Wrestlemania
Donald Trump.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 23.

Date and venue: April 1, 2007, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Memorable moment: Here, we saw one of the more bizarre moments in WWE history as Donald Trump's wrestler Bobby Lashley beat WWE chairman Vince McMahon's wrestler Umaga in a "Hair versus Hair" match. Lashley won, meaning Trump got to shave McMahon's head.

Source: WrestlingInc.

=32: Evander Holyfield v Lennox Lewis — 1.2 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.John Gichigi / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Undisputed.

Date and venue: March 13, 1999, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moment: Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fought to a controversial draw, despite a superior performance from Lewis. Rudy Giuliani, who was the mayor of New York City at the time, said the result was "a travesty."

Source: Sports Business Journal.

=32: Jose Aldo v Conor McGregor — 1.2 million PPV buys

Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor
Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 194.

Date and venue: December 12, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The Irishman was not expected to beat long-reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo, so it shook up the MMA world when he knocked the Brazilian out in just 13 seconds. This was the performance that elevated Conor McGregor's fame.

Source: talkSPORT.

=29: Oscar de la Hoya v Manny Pacquiao — 1.25 million PPV buys

Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao
Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Dream Match.

Date and venue: December 6, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: At the time, there was concern Manny Pacquiao was biting off more than he could chew by challenging a fighter so much bigger than he was. In the end, Pacquiao forced a ninth-round stoppage victory and announced his presence as a pay-per-view star.

Source: ESPN.

=29: Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto — 1.25 million PPV buys

Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao
Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Firepower.

Date and venue: November 14, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao scored a late stoppage victory when he was arguably at the peak of his powers.

Source: ESPN.

=29: Floyd Mayweather v Victor Ortiz — 1.25 million PPV buys

Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather
Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather.Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Star Power.

Date and venue: September 17, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Oh boy. This fight. Victor Ortiz was penalised for headbutting Floyd Mayweather. Ortiz then hugged Mayweather to say sorry. The referee waved the fight back on. Ortiz wanted another hug, but Mayweather knocked him out with an unforgiving two-punch combination.

Source: ESPN.

=24: KSI v Logan Paul — 1.3 million PPV buys

Logan Paul and KSI pay per view
YouTube / KSIvsLoganPaul

Sport: Unlicensed Boxing.

Event: KSI vs. Logan Paul.

Date and venue: August 25, 2018 at the Manchester Arena in England.

Memorable moment: The end, when it was all over, so we could pretend we never watched it.

Source: TMZ Sports.

=24: Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin — 1.3 million PPV buys

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin pay per view
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Supremacy.

Date and venue: September 16, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin may have fought twice, with both results polarizing boxing fans, but you know what? These two prizefighters deserve each other as they guarantee one thing: a wild brawl.

Source: ESPN.

=24: WrestleMania XXVIII — 1.3 million PPV buys

The Rock and John Cena
The Rock and John Cena.YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / Sports entertainment.

Event: Wrestlemania 28.

Date and venue: April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Memorable moment: The main event match between John Cena and The Rock was advertised a year in advance, with a tag, "Once in a Lifetime." Despite this, they fought again one year after Wrestlemania XXVIII.

Source: WWE.

=24: Eddie Alvarez v Conor McGregor — 1.3 million PPV buys

Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor.Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 205.

Date and venue: November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor, already UFC featherweight champion, went up to lightweight to challenge Eddie Alvarez for the belt. McGregor won in dominant fashion to become the first same-time double champion in UFC history.

Source: The Sun.

23: Manny Pacquiao v Shane Mosley — 1.34 million PPV buys

Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao
Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao.Chris Trotman / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Undaunted.

Date and venue: May 7, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Manny Pacquiao knocked Shane Mosley down in the third round, forcing Mosley to fight far more defensively for the rest of the contest. Pacquiao won a 12-round decision.

Source: ESPN.

22: Conor McGregor v Donald Cerrone — 1.353,429 PPV buys

Conor McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in 2020.
Conor McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in 2020.Photo by Getty Images

Sport: MMA.

Event: UFC 246.

Date and venue: January 18, 2020, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor obliterated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds with shoulder strikes, a head kick, and punches to rebound following numerous losses.

Source: Tapology.

21: Frank Bruno v Mike Tyson II — 1.37 million PPV buys

Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson
Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Championship: Part I.

Date and venue: March 16, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mike Tyson finished Frank Bruno with a 13-punch combination in the third round. Bruno never fought again.

Source: Forbes.

=17: Floyd Mayweather v Shane Mosley — 1.4 million PPV buys

Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather
Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Who R U Picking?

Date and venue: May 1, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Shane Mosley buckled Floyd Mayweather's knees with powerful punches in the second round — one of the few times Mayweather seemed legitimately troubled in a professional fight. Mayweather still won a convincing 12-round decision, though.

Source: LA Times.

=17: Oscar de la Hoya v Félix Trinidad — 1.4 million PPV buys

Felix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad.Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Fight of the Millennium.

Date and venue: September 18, 1999, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: An entertaining 12-round battle that could have gone either way was eventually won by Félix Trinidad. The normally mild-mannered Oscar de la Hoya left the ring swearing in every direction and, though there were calls for a rematch, this was the only fight between them.

Source: ESPN.

=17: Evander Holyfield v George Foreman – 1.4 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield and George Foreman
Evander Holyfield and George Foreman.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Battle of the Ages.

Date and venue: April 19, 1991, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Memorable moment: Round seven. Just watch it. And watch it again. That round won Round of the Year honors in 1991. It was a heavyweight slug-fest for the ages, in which Holyfield triumphed on points.

Source: The Ring.

=17: Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez III – 1.4 million PPV buys

Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao.Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The 25th Round Begins.

Date and venue: November 12, 2011, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Memorable moment: Another one of those fights that could have been scored either way, with writers divided as to who should have won. Even the judges were split 2-1, but Manny Pacquiao had the edge.

Source: Boxing Scene.

=15: Conor McGregor v Nate Diaz — 1.5 million PPV buys

Nate Diaz chokes Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz grounds and pounds Conor McGregor.Rey Del Rio / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 196.

Date and venue: March 5, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor had already won UFC world titles at featherweight and lightweight. Here, he went up another division to take on Nate Diaz at welterweight. The weight class was one jump too many as Diaz submitted him with a rear naked choke in the second round.

Source: MMA Fighting.

=15: Floyd Mayweather v Miguel Cotto — 1.5 million PPV buys

Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather
Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Ring Kings.

Date and venue: May 5, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This proved to be just another routine 12-round decision win for Floyd Mayweather.

Source: The Ring.

14: Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor III — 1.504 million PPV buys

Conor McGregor was extremely angry after his second loss of the year.
Conor McGregor.Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 264.

Date and venue: July 10, 2021, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier went to war for a third and final time in a trilogy that the Irishman lost, as he suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round that thus awarded Poirier the win. Even more memorable, though, was the way in which McGregor responded to the loss as he screamed obscenities from the floor, despite the nasty injury. He was eventually strapped to a stretcher and taken out of the arena.

Source: Tapology.

13: Mike Tyson v Peter McNeeley — 1.55 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson and Peter McNeeley
Peter McNeeley and Mike Tyson.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: He's Back.

Date and venue: August 19, 1995, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This was the first time Mike Tyson had fought since serving three years in prison for a rape conviction. The fight lasted 89 seconds. Peter McNeeley's manager ran into the ring to save his fighter from taking any additional punishment, meaning Tyson won by disqualification.

Source: Forbes.

12: Mike Tyson v Evander Holyfield — 1.59 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Finally.

Date and venue: November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Evander Holyfield became the first fighter since Muhammad Ali to win the world heavyweight championship for the third time. Holyfield, the challenger, stood up to Mike Tyson's aggressive style and claimed a stunning 11th round knockout win.

Source: Forbes.

=9: Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir II — 1.6 million PPV buys

Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar
Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar.Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 100.

Date and venue: July 11, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Memorable moments: UFC 100, the 100th pay-per-view event in the company's history, was considered to be the MMA Event of the Year. Georges St-Pierre retained his welterweight title against Thiago Alves, and Dan Henderson knocked out Michael Bisping with a savage, career-changing punch. In the headlining fight, Brock Lensar badly bloodied Frank Mir en route to a second-round stoppage win.

Source: Yahoo.

=9: Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor II — 1.6 million PPV buys

Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor faced-off ahead of UFC 257 earlier this year.
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 257.

Date and venue: January 24, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Memorable moments: Conor McGregor returned to the Octagon in the middle of the pandemic, at a partially behind-closed-doors event on "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, UAE, only to get brutally knocked out in the second round because of Dustin Poirier's ferocity. American MMA fighter Poirier rose to the occasion to finish McGregor in style, in one of the best-selling MMA events in history.

Source: Tapology.

=9: Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. — 1.6 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.Photo by Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Lockdown Knockdown.

Date and venue: November 28, 2020, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Memorable moments: Two of boxing's best-ever boxers, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., returned to the ring in their 50s for an exhibition that further showcased internet celebrity Jake Paul as an attraction. Though no official result could be declared by nature of the exhibition, Tyson appeared to have had the edge after the eight-round movearound. He said in his post-fight interview that he smoked a spliff prior to the exhibition, and said he'd do it all again.

Source: USA Today.

8: Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor II — 1.65 million PPV buys

Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor.Reuters

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 202.

Date and venue: August 20, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: This is the night Conor McGregor avenged his earlier defeat. In his rematch against Nate Diaz, he knocked his opponent down and claimed a five-round decision victory. UFC 202 was the first event under the new ownership of WME-IMG, which had just spent $4 billion buying the company from Zuffa. It is the second-best-selling MMA pay-per-view of all time.

Source: MMA Fighting.

7: Lennox Lewis v Mike Tyson — 1.97 million PPV buys

Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: Lewis–Tyson: Is On.

Date and venue: June 8, 2002, at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memorable moment: A press conference brawl involving both boxers and their respective entourages built more interest in Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson's ruckus. Lewis knocked Tyson down multiple times and claimed a big eighth-round knockout win.

Source: Yahoo Sports.

6: Evander Holyfield v Mike Tyson II — 1.99 million PPV buys

Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson
The bite fight.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Sound and the Fury.

Date and venue: June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. Why? Who knows, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that, up until that point, Holyfield was easily defeating Tyson (again). Nobody knows the event as "The Sound and the Fury." It's now called "The Bite Fight." Tyson was obviously disqualified.

Source: LA Times.

5: Floyd Mayweather v Canelo Álvarez — 2.2 million PPV buys

Saul Canelo Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather
Canelo Álvarez and Floyd Mayweather.Al Bello / Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The One.

Date and venue: September 14, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Canelo Álvarez was one of the rising stars of boxing. Floyd Mayweather was the veteran. It could have been a passing of the torch. Instead, it was classic Mayweather, handing yet another excellent opponent a 12-round decision loss.

Source: Yahoo Sports.

=3: Oscar de la Hoya v Floyd Mayweather — 2.4 million PPV buys

Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather
Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The World Awaits.

Date and venue: May 5, 2007, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: Floyd Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya propelled him to superstar status. The most lasting feature of the fight was that it introduced the hugely popular "24/7" TV series on HBO. The program followed the fighters around as they got on with their day-to-day lives before fight night. The platform is still used today.

Source: Yahoo Sports.

=3: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor — 2.5 million PPV buys

Khabib Nurmagomedov knocks Conor McGregor down
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Event: UFC 229.

Date and venue: October 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The UFC 229 main event between the reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor attracted a massive amount of eyes to television sets on October 6, 2018 — and with good reason.

The rivalry between the two fighters was personal. Nurmagomedov dominated McGregor in the Octagon, and even incited a riot cageside just moments later. It will likely remain the most talked-about MMA fight for a long time.

Source: MMA Junkie.

2: Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor — 4.3 million PPV buys

floyd mayweather conor mcgregor
Christian Petersen/Getty

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History.

Date and venue: August 26, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The build-up to Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor's landmark bout featured a four-city tour. The promotion was unprecedented and epic, but controversial. The fight, though, was nowhere near as exciting, as Mayweather coasted to a straight-forward 10th-round stoppage victory.

Source: MMA Fighting.

1: Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao — 4.6 million PPV buys

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.Reuters

Sport: Boxing.

Event: The Fight of the Century.

Date and venue: May 2, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Memorable moment: The bout was six years in the making and, judging by the fight, it was six years too late. Manny Pacquiao wasn't able to properly apply his swarming fighting style as Floyd Mayweather was expertly utilising his defensive game. Another 12-round decision win for the American.

Source: Boxing Scene.

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