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UFC superstar Conor McGregor claims to have beaten Jorge Masvidal in the race to be the fighter that anchored the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view event of 2020.
Previously, UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone was reported to have sold 1.0 million PPV buys, while UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal was reported to have hit 1.3 million.
But McGregor posted via social media on Monday that his only PPV event of 2020 actually ended up surpassing the mark set by UFC 256: Usman vs. Masvidal.
McGregor posted, “…I am honoured to secure their highest PPV of the year with McGregor Vs Cerrone…”.
The total number of buys listed in the report posted by McGregor for UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone is 1,353,429 buys.
You can see his entire post below.
Additionally, McGregor celebrated his 40-second victory over Cerrone, along with the statistical domination that comes with scoring such a one-sided win.
100% offence. 100% defence.
Highest PPV. Highest gate.
Fastest Main Event KO of the year.
2020. 40 seconds.
Roll on 2021! #McGregorSportsAndEntertainment
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Team Masvidal’s Response
Masvidal’s manager, Abraham Kawa, disputed McGregor’s claim. Kawa claimed UFC 256 totaled more than the reported 1.3 million PPV buys.
@mma_hot_takes @Abraham_kawa Jorge had 1.3 million ppv in his fight.
Moreover, Kawa declined to provide further evidence on the matter.
@crapname1234 @DiceMma12 @mma_hot_takes I don’t think Jorge would like that. We don’t dim another man’s light to make ourselves shine brighter. He knows as we do
Meanwhile, Masvidal also tweeted, though his post was much more cryptic.
I’m not even trying #supernecessary
McGregor: Best-Selling UFC Fighter Ever
McGregor is the best-selling UFC fighter in history, and he doesn’t even seem to have a rival in that category.
While McGregor was obviously the anchor of UFC 246, most pundits have claimed in the aftermath of UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal that the UFC’s “BMF” champ was the primary driver for the high number of buys of that card.
Regardless, it should be noted somewhere that UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was also featured in the main event of that card and that the world’s top 170-pounder also won that fight against Masvidal.
According to Tapology, the previous list of top-selling UFC pay-per-view events was as follows:
| Rank | Card | Main Event | Year | Buys |
| 1. | UFC 229 | Khabib vs. McGregor | 2018 | 2.4 million |
| 2. | UFC 202 | McGregor vs. Diaz 2 | 2016 | 1.6 million |
| 3. | UFC 196 | McGregor vs. Diaz | 2016 | 1.317 million |
| 4. | UFC 100 | Lesnar vs. Mir 2 | 2009 | 1.3 million |
| 4. | UFC 205 | Alvarez vs. McGregor | 2016 | 1.3 million |
| 4. | UFC 251 | Usman vs. Masvidal | 2020 | 1.3 million |
| 7. | UFC 194 | Aldo vs. McGregor | 2015 | 1.2 million |
So McGregor’s bold claim on Monday is that he now holds all four of the top spots as well as six out of the top eight.
Assuming McGregor’s numbers are correct for UFC 246, the new list would move that card into third-place and the rest of the cards down one spot:
| Rank | Card | Main Event | Year | Buys |
| 1. | UFC 229 | Khabib vs. McGregor | 2018 | 2.4 million |
| 2. | UFC 202 | McGregor vs. Diaz 2 | 2016 | 1.6 million |
| 3. | UFC 246 | McGregor vs. Cerrone | 2020 | 1.353 million |
| 4. | UFC 196 | McGregor vs. Diaz | 2016 | 1.317 million |
| 5. | UFC 100 | Lesnar vs. Mir 2 | 2009 | 1.3 million |
| 5. | UFC 205 | Alvarez vs. McGregor | 2016 | 1.3 million |
| 5. | UFC 251 | Usman vs. Masvidal | 2020 | 1.3 million |
| 8. | UFC 194 | Aldo vs. McGregor | 2015 | 1.2 million |
McGregor’s next fight takes place in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23.
The Return
01.23.21
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 is also likely to be listed among the best-selling UFC PPV events in history.
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McGregor vs. Masvidal?
While their popularity has led to many fans and media wondering how a fight between McGregor and Masvidal would play out inside the UFC’s Octagon, it’s not something likely to happen anytime soon.
McGregor has only fought three times in the UFC’s welterweight division in his career, and the Irish superstar is currently campaigning to recapture UFC gold in the lightweight division.
So McGregor vs. Masvidal is mostly just a pipe dream for make-believe superfight cards right now.
Still, if the two popular stars do ever meet each other inside the cage, the fight would likely generate huge numbers on PPV.
For that reason alone, it can never be discounted as a possibility.
READ NEXT: List of UFC Fighters With Titles in Multiple Weight Classes
Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
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