UFC 168 looks to be a smashing business success according to a report from Dave Meltzer. Meltzer, when speaking on his Wrestling Observer podcast, said that the show will end up doing between 1,000,000 and 1,100,000 PPV buys, with the final tally resting primarily on late buys as well as replay purchases.
This is great news for the UFC, which had been pushing this show as their biggest event of the year and had very high hopes from a business perspective. While the main event may not have provided the kind of conclusion you’d dream of as a promoter — you’d obviously rather either see Weidman get a conclusive win that some wouldn’t sell as a fluke or Silva to win back his title — the performance of Ronda Rousey was more important. Rousey looked outstanding in dominating Miesha Tate, and she is the more immediate “superstar” for the promotion than Weidman.
1.1 million buys would put 168 in a tie with UFC 158 from earlier in 2013 for the most buys in the year and third most in company history. However, the one-event price hike for 168 means it brought in more money than every show except for UFC 100.
The only possible way to spin this as anything other than a success would be to focus on Dana White’s predictions that the show would eclipse UFC 100 in terms of PPV business. However, White’s prediction that this would top the St. Pierre vs. Hendricks PPV was certainly spot on.
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