It looks like Conor McGregor’s return did the blockbuster business many predicted.

According to a Monday report in the Sports Business Journal (subscription required), ESPN+ recorded 1.2 million pay-per-view buys for UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi, which was headlined by Dustin Poirier’s second-round TKO victory over McGregor in a lightweight rematch. Another 400,000 international buys put the mark at 1.6 million.

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn reported one day earlier that 1.6 million was the floor for buys.

Per sources, early #UFC257 numbers are trending at a minimum of 1.6 million buys on ESPN+ pay-per-view. 📈

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) January 24, 2021

The UFC is not a publicly traded company and does not disclose financials. The early reporting on pay-per-view buys does not mention whether the company had to issue a significant number of refunds after reports of widespread problems accessing the live stream by viewers who had purchased the event.

Either way, if the 1.6 million buys figure stands, this would make UFC 257 one of the most top events in company history. UFC 229, featuring Khabib Numagomedov’s win over Conor McGregor, did a reported 2.4 million buys, while UFC 202, with McGregor’s majority decision win over Nate Diaz, was good for a reported 1.65 million purchases.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-conor-mcgregor-dustin-poirier-blockbuster-numbers-per-reports

Conor McGregor is facing hefty time off following his UFC 257 loss to Dustin Poirier on Saturday.

Former UFC double champion McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered a technical knockout loss – the first of his career – in a rematch against Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Prior to the finish, Poirier damaged McGregor’s legs with an onslaught of leg kicks.

McGregor, 32, was handed a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a potential right tibia/fibula injury sustained in the fight. Like all medical suspensions, he will be eligible to return sooner, if his injuries are cleared by a doctor.

Poirier, meanwhile, received a seven-day suspension for mandatory rest.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC 256, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After the fight, McGregor was on crutches. He hobbled his way backstage and to the post-fight news conference, where he expressed the pain he felt.

“My leg is completely dead,” McGregor said. “Even though I felt like I was checking them, it was just sinking into the muscle in the front of the leg, and it was badly compromised. It was like an American football in my suit at the moment, so it is what it is.”

UFC 257 competitors Andrew Sanchez and Matt Frevola were also each handed 180-day suspensions. Sanchez, who lost via TKO to Makhmud Muradov on the main card, suffered potential nasal and tibia/fibula injuries. In the featured preliminary card bout, Frevola suffered a potential right hand injury in a unanimous decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan.

The full UFC 257 medical suspensions include:

• Dustin Poirier: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Conor McGregor: Suspended 180 days or until right tibia/fibula x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
• Michael Chandler: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Dan Hooker: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
• Joanne Calderwood: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Jessica Eye: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left brow laceration
• Makhmud Muradov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
• Andrew Sanchez: Suspended 180 days or until nasal and right tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
• Marina Rodriguez: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Amanda Ribas: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
• Arman Tsarukyan: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left brow and scalp laceration.
• Matt Frevola: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
• Brad Tavares: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Antonio Carlos Junior: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
• Julianna Pena: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Sara McMann: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
• Marcin Prachnio: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
• Khalil Rountree: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left ankle pain.
• Movsar Evloev: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
• Nik Lentz: Suspended 45 days with 21 days no contact for right brow laceration.
• Amir Albazi: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
• Zhalgas Zhumagulov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”

UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-medical-suspensions-conor-mcgregor-out-six-months-leg-injury

ABU DHABI – All the moves were being made behind the scenes to make a Conor McGregor vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match a reality but, following his defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, “The Notorious” admitted he was unsure whether those plans would still come to fruition.

McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered his third defeat in his last six UFC outings when he was finished by Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) in the second round of their main event bout on “UFC Fight Island.”

After the bout, McGregor admitted that his rumored matchup with Pacquiao was close to being confirmed, but said he wasn’t sure what would happen following his most recent loss.

“I always did want to focus on my MMA career, but I’m also open,” he told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage after the fight. “I’ll see what happens. I don’t know what will happen. That Manny fight was happening. That was as good as done, so I don’t know.”

During fight week, McGregor appeared to be laying the groundwork for the matchup, telling The Mac Life that “talks are intensifying for this year,” and revealing that “it’s looking like it will take place this year.”

McGregor said he planned to discuss his future with UFC president Dana White after the fight, but, as a result of his loss to Poirier, those discussions may now take a slightly different direction.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-conor-mcgregor-unsure-about-manny-pacquiao-bout

UFC president Dana White wasn’t just concerned about Calvin Kattar’s well being during during his fight with Max Holloway. He feared for Kattar’s life.

This is not an exaggeration.

Kattar took a beating his during UFC on ABC 1 headliner against Holloway on Jan. 16, absorbing a single-fight record 445 significant strikes, which shattered the previous mark of 290. But Kattar made it to the final horn and lost a unanimous decision after five rounds.

In Round 4, a bloodied Kattar found himself in an especially dangerous spot as Holloway poured it on and went for the finish. This is where things took a serious turn for White, from praising Holloway’s performance to grave concern for Kattar.

As shown during the UFC-produced “UFC’s Grand New Stage” video on YouTube, White – who was cageside with Matt Serra and Din Thomas – wanted the fight stopped in the fourth round. When referee Herb Dean let it continue, White walked over to UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and said he was worried about Kattar dying.

“He took so much (expletive) punishment in this fight, I’m freaking out a little bit, man. I don’t like it,” White said. “This reminds me of the kind of fight where the fight’s over, and he walks on back and (expletive) dies. I think that (expletive) Herb Dean should’ve stopped it in the fourth round. He was wobbling all over the (expletive) place.”

White continued on with Campbell, “When this fight’s over, no stopping, no talking. Get this kid in an ambulance and get him the (expletive) out of here immediately.”

As he watched the fifth, White said “this (expletive) round can’t end fast enough for me.”

After the fight ended, White approached Kattar’s cornermen to reiterate what he told Campbell – that he wanted Kattar rushed to the hospital.

Kattar’s manager and head coach, Tyson Chartier of the New England Cartel, told MMA Junkie that his fighter sustained a broken nose and also required eight staples in his scalp. Kattar received a six-month medical suspension as a result of the fight.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-dana-white-thought-calvin-kattar-could-die-max-holloway-fight

City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman isn’t putting too much stock in his pupil, Dan Hooker’s, loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257.

Hooker was stopped in the first round of his lightweight bout against former Bellator champion Chandler in the co-main event this past Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The defeat put Hooker on a two-fight skid, which includes a loss to Dustin Poirier last year.

Although this is the first time Hooker has back-to-back defeats in his six-year UFC career, Bareman thinks that’s just the nature of the game when you’re part of the elite.

“Top 15 guys, nothing separates them,” Bareman said on Combat TV. “Like I said, it’s equivalent to a 100-meter sprint. Between No. 1 and No. 10, there’s less than a second difference.

“So it’s not any different in the top 10, top five of the UFC. You’re separated by nothing. On any particular day, anyone can win, anyone can be champion. It’s just how close it is. That’s just how it is at the top end.”

That same night at UFC 257, former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor was also stopped, falling short against Poirier in the main event.

Bareman like that matchup as both fighters are coming off defeats and reiterates that defeats mean very little in MMA.

“A lot has to come together for these fights to get made, but that’s definitely a possibility, so I’ll definitely put that out there,” Bareman said regarding the McGregor matchup. “Like I said, anything can happen. We obviously didn’t expect to lose, Conor didn’t expect to lose. This game is ruthless, but the flip side of it is that this isn’t boxing.

“This is the UFC, and in the UFC the best fight the best straight away. There’s no maneuvering and you have to wait five years for Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury. It’s none of that stuff. You get in the UFC, and you fight the best straight away. And for that reason, one loss doesn’t mean anything. In boxing, they put a lot more on that, but this is MMA. You’re forced to fight the best straight away. One loss for Conor, one loss for Dan, it doesn’t mean anything. Just like Conor lost before, just like Dustin lost before, just like Michael Chandler has lost before.”

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-eugene-bareman-downplays-dan-hooke-loss-to-michael-chandler