The early estimate for last month’s big pay-per-view event UFC 159: Jones Vs Sonnen suggests that it was purchased by between 520,000 – 550,000 fans.
That would make it the second biggest selling PPV event of the year so far, though well short of the estimated 1.1 million buys that UFC 158: GSP Vs Diaz is reported to have done.
Despite Chael Sonnen’s best attempts to talk up the fight the event was also some way short of Jon Jones most watched fight to date against Rashad Evans at UFC 145 last year which pulled in around 700,000 buys.
It does look as if it will end up being the champion’s second best PPV performance though, perhaps edging out the 520,000 who watched him fight Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson at UFC 135 in 2011.
Overall it’s a decent showing given that nobody really gave Sonnen much of a chance of doing anything against Jones, though I do think that between this and the TUF 18 ratings the UFC may have secretly been hoping for a little bit more from this pairing.
