The Conor McGregor effect is officially back. UFC 329 has shattered yet another record, becoming the highest-grossing event in company history by surpassing the historic UFC Sphere card. Much of the credit goes to McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon. According to Dana White, the July 11 pay-per-view generated a record-breaking $25 million gate, eclipsing the previous all-time mark of $22 million set by UFC Noche at the Sphere.
- 1. UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 – $25,000,000
- 2. UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili (Riyadh Season Noche UFC) – $21,829,245
- 3. UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor – $17,700,000
- 4. UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor – $17,188,894
- 5- UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic – $16,673,954
- 6. UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill – $16,508,823
- 7- UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 – $15,909,243
- 8. UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 – $15,759,800
- 9. UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 – $14,142,904
- 10. UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena – $13,624,189
Speaking to ESPN, White confirmed the milestone, saying, “The Conor McGregor effect is huge. Our biggest gate ever was the Sphere, $22 million, this gate beat it at $25 million. So this is the biggest gate in UFC history for his return. The city is buzzing.” With UFC 329 now sitting atop the promotion’s all-time gate list, it’s the perfect time to take a look at the 10 highest-grossing UFC events in history since the organization was founded in 1993.
1. UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 – $25,000,000
- Date: July 11, 2026
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2
Sitting comfortably at the apex of combat sports history is UFC 329. Five years after suffering a devastating leg injury at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor steps back into the Octagon at the T-Mobile Arena against Max Holloway in a 170lbs clash, drawing an unprecedented $25 million gate.
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The energy in Las Vegas throughout International Fight Week culminated in record-shattering ticket prices on both primary and secondary markets. Paired with a high-stakes co-main event featuring Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis, UFC 329 proves that the Irishman’s drawing power is entirely immune to time, solidifying its place as the biggest gate the promotion has ever seen.
2. UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili (Riyadh Season Noche UFC) – $21,829,245
- Date: September 14, 2024
- Venue: Sphere (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Before UFC 329 claimed the crown, UFC 306 was the pinnacle of live event revenue. Held at the state-of-the-art Sphere, this event crossed the $20 million threshold for the first time in company history. Celebrating Mexican Independence Day under the “Noche UFC” banner, the event featured breathtaking 16K visual elements and immersive haptic seating. Fans paid astronomical premium prices to witness Sean O’Malley drop his bantamweight strap against Merab Dvalishvili in a dominant decision, and Alexa Grasso lose to Valentina Shevchenko in their trilogy inside the most technologically advanced arena on earth.
3. UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor – $17,700,000
- Date: November 12, 2016
- Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
- Headliner: Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor
For nearly eight years, UFC 205 stood as the gold standard for arena gates. This was the promotion’s historic debut at Madison Square Garden after New York legalized professional MMA. Moreover, Conor McGregor put on a masterclass performance against Eddie Alvarez to become the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.
The historic nature of the card, combined with the prestige of MSG, allowed the UFC to demand premium ticket pricing, cementing a gate that remained untouched until the modern era of mega-cards.
4. UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor – $17,188,894
- Date: October 6, 2018
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
The most bitter rivalry in MMA history predictably generated one of the most lucrative box office returns of all time. UFC 229 saw lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defend his crown against Conor McGregor. The immense global intrigue surrounding the bad blood between the two fighters packed T-Mobile Arena to the rafters, resulting in a live gate that fell just shy of the MSG record but set the record for the highest-selling PPV in combat sports history.
5- UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic – $16,673,954
- Date: November 16, 2024
- Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
- Headliner: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
The event was headlined by a highly anticipated legacy clash for the UFC heavyweight championship. Undisputed champion Jon Jones made his first title defense against former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
🚨 Dana White just announced that the gate for UFC 329 is $25 MILLION, making it the highest gate in UFC history 🤯
The previous highest gate was $21.8 million at the Sphere
McGregor now owns three of the top 4 gates in UFC history pic.twitter.com/QwRz3fHgEz
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 10, 2026
Jones won the bout via a definitive third-round technical knockout using a spinning back kick to the ribs, securing his status at the top of the division. Financially, UFC 309 was a massive success for the promotion. It generated a live gate of $16,673,954, drawing a completely sold-out crowd of 20,200 fans to the arena.
6. UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill – $16,508,823
- Date: April 13, 2024
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
Centenary events are always monumental occasions, and UFC 300 spared no expense. Boasting a stacked card from top to bottom, featuring 12 current or former champions, the event drew a massive crowd to Las Vegas.
Headlined by light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira taking on Jamahal Hill, and featuring the iconic BMF title clash between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje, the historic milestone card drew a live gate of over $16.5 million, breaking the arena’s previous gate records at the time.
7- UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 – $15,909,243
- Date: June 29, 2024
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2
The event was originally scheduled to feature the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler. However, after McGregor suffered a broken toe in training camp just weeks before the event, the card underwent a massive shake-up. Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and former champion Jiri Prochazka stepped up on short notice for a championship rematch.
Pereira successfully defended his title, securing a spectacular second-round knockout via a devastating head kick and follow-up punches. Despite the chaotic last-minute changes to the lineup, the event was a massive commercial triumph. UFC 303 drew a capacity crowd of 18,881 fans and generated a staggering live gate of $15,909,243.
8. UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 – $15,759,800
- Date: July 10, 2021
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Headliner: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3
The trilogy bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor back in 2021 served as one of the first major, full-capacity sporting events following the pandemic restrictions. With fans starved for high-profile live entertainment, the demand for tickets reached a fever pitch. Despite ending in disaster for McGregor with a broken tibia, the box office numbers were an undeniable success, pulling in a gate of nearly $15.8 million.
9. UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 – $14,142,904
- Date: March 9, 2024
- Venue: Kaseya Center (Miami, FL)
- Headliner: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2
Rounding out the top 10 is the UFC’s spectacular return to Magic City. Headlined by bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley seeking redemption against his rival Marlon “Chito” Vera, UFC 299 captured the attention of the sports and entertainment world. Supported by an incredibly deep undercard featuring Dustin Poirier vs. Benoît Saint Denis, the Miami crowd drove the gate to an astonishing $14.1 million, proving that major gate records are no longer exclusively tied to Las Vegas and New York.
10. UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena – $13,624,189
- Date: November 15, 2025
- Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
- Headliner: Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena
The event was headlined by a highly anticipated champ vs. champ super fight for the UFC welterweight championship. Longtime 155lbs champion Islam Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds to challenge newly crowned welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev put on a clinical performance, securing a dominant unanimous decision win (50-45 across all scorecards) to achieve double-champion status.
The co-main event featured another historic title clash, where women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her 125-pound crown by defeating former strawweight champion Zhang Weili via unanimous decision. Financially, UFC 322 was an overwhelming commercial success. The star-studded card drew a completely sold-out crowd of 20,664 fans to the arena and generated a massive live gate of $13,624,189.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
