The UFC continues to break records as tens of thousands of fans clamor to snag tickets for their biggest events.
The UFC broke records in Australia in 2023, outdrawing the Rolling Stones to host the biggest arena show in the country’s history, but they didn’t stop there.
Over the years, Dana White has vowed to put on bigger and better shows and is targeting a crowd of 85,000 when the UFC comes to the White House next year.
With that in mind, here are five of the largest crowds in UFC history, including one of the most infamous fights of Ronda Rousey’s epic career.
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5. UFC on Fox 14: Gustafsson vs Johnson
- Attendance: 30,000
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- Date: January 24, 2015
The incredible popularity of Swedish Light Heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson helped fill the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm with 30,000 screaming UFC fans for their UFC on Fox 14 event in 2015.
The event was the first time the promotion had run an event in a European stadium, which proved to be a huge success with their $3.1 million gate for the non-numbered UFC event.
Gustafsson was the big draw in the main event, as he took on Anthony Johnson in lieu of a proposed fight against world champion Jon Jones.
The bout did not go well for Gustafsson, as local fans left disappointed when he was knocked out in the first round in front of one of the largest crowds in UFC history.
4. UFC 198: Werdum vs Miocic
- Attendance: 45,207
- Location: Curitiba, Brazil
- Date: May 14, 2016
While the UFC has a long history in Brazil, it broke records when it broadcast UFC 198 from Curitiba in front of a bumper crowd.
The event featured some huge matches in just their fourth-ever stadium show.
45,207 people crammed into the Arena de Baixada to see two massive co-main events, as Stipe Miocic won the UFC Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout over Fabricio Werdum in the headliner.
Meanwhile, the co-main saw Ronaldo Souza vs Victor Belfort, while Cris Cyborg also landed a first-round knockout victory on a stacked card that truly captured the Brazilian public’s attention.
3. UFC 129: St-Pierre vs Shields
- Attendance: 55,724
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Date: April 30, 2011
The first-ever sanctioned MMA event in Ontario was a big one, as UFC 129 pitted a Canadian fighting hero against an unbeatable American in a blockbuster main event.
Georges St-Pierre was aiming to break the record for the most consecutive UFC Welterweight title defenses, but he had to get past Jake Shields in order to make history.
Shields was riding high on a 15-fight winning streak, remaining undefeated for seven years in the build-up to this bout.
Fortunately for the 55,724 fans in Toronto, the Canadian pulled out the victory in the Rogers Centre, eking out a close victory via the judges’ decision after five rounds to cement himself as the greatest UFC Welterweight champion of all time.
2. UFC 193: Rousey vs Holm
- Attendance: 56,214
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Date: November 14, 2015
Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm shattered UFC records, while also shattering the face of the Women’s Bantamweight champion in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
By 2015, Rousey was a big deal. She was arguably the biggest star the UFC had, going mainstream with a series of quickfire knockout and submission wins, leaving her undefeated in the octagon.
She was full of confidence going into the fight with Holm in Australia, not worried by the unassuming Preacher’s Daughter and fully expecting another fast finish.
Rousey got that, but not how she expected. Early in the second round, 56,214 fans – a new record attendance for the UFC – saw her spun around by the right hand of Holm before being knocked clean out by a head kick, ending her reign as champion in incredible fashion.
While UFC Perth won’t come close to this record, it was smashed just a few years later by an all-Oceanic main event.
1. UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya
- Attendance: 57,127
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Date: October 6, 2019
While Rousey’s first defeat broke records in Australia in 2015, a new UFC attendance record was shattered when the UFC returned to Melbourne on October 6, 2019, for UFC 243.
They returned to Melbourne for the first time since 193, with a huge title unification bout featuring Australia’s biggest MMA star to help draw a record 57,127 crowd to the Marvel Stadium.
Robert Whittaker battled interim Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, as he attempted to go undisputed by putting his own mainline belt on the line in front of a hometown crowd.
Sadly, despite over 50,000 screaming fans behind him, Whittaker could not overcome the Nigerian-Kiwi, who knocked him out in the second round to end the UFC’s most attended event in history.