Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler predicted to reach £130 MILLION in PPV buys… but where does it rank?

MICHAEL CHANDLER predicts his fight with Conor McGregor can sell 2MILLION pay-per-view buys.

The American is set to welcome McGregor back to the UFC in September, after coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter series.

Chandler, 36, is confident it will be a blockbuster bout with the ex-UFC champion back after two years out.

He told The MMA Hour: “If you look at the numbers, I think 2 million [buys], it’s not just a possibility, I think it’s very achievable and very attainable.”

If Chandler’s estimations are correct – with ESPN’s PPV price now set at $79.99 – it would rake in $180m (£130m) at 2m buys.

Only McGregor’s 2018 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov would top that.

Nurmagomdov, 34, won in a record-breaking bout that sold 2.4m PPV buys, bringing in £160m.

McGregor, 34, dominates the rest of the PPV records list, with his last fight the second-highest grossing.

It was the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, 34, last July which sold 1.8m buys, totalling around £104m.

McGregor broke his leg in the opening round, not returning since, having lost the rematch by knockout seven months earlier.

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That sold 1.6m PPVs, bringing in about £92m, and makes the top three.

McGregor and Nate Diaz, 37, also sold 1.6m for their 2016 rematch, but the PPV price at the time was $59.99.

It was won by McGregor on points in a five-round thriller which made £80m.

Inside the top five highest-grossing PPV was McGregor’s 2020 win over Donald Cerrone, 39, which he won in round one.

It cost fans $64.99 and after 1.3m PPVs were sold, it raked in £70m.

McGregor’s 2016 loss to Diaz and win over Eddie Alvarez the same year also sold 1.3m PPVs, but at a lower price of  $59.99.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s win over Conor McGregor sold a UFC record 2.4m PPVsSportsfile – Subscription

Michael Chandler welcomes Conor McGregor back to the UFCGetty