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UFC Fight Night 76 sells out in record time without Conor McGregor
By Kevin Iole
October 13, 2015
Cagewriter
There is little question that UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor is one of the biggest draws in all of combat sports.
But Dublin, Ireland, has become such a hot market for the UFC that the promotion doesn't even need McGregor to set ticket records.
UFC Fight Night 76, which will be headlined at Dublin's 3Arena on Oct. 24, sold out in a minute, according to UFC president Dana White. That is in contrast to the 24-hour sellout for last year's McGregor-Diego Brandao card in the same venue.
The Oct. 24 show, which will be headlined by a lightweight battle between one-time McGregor conqueror Joe Duffy and Dustin Poirier, did a gate of 1.15 million Euros, or roughly $1.31 million U.S. dollars, White said, setting a Dublin record. The McGregor-Brandao fight did a 1 million Euro gate, White said.
White credits McGregor with much, including developing Ireland as an MMA market, but he said he believes it goes beyond McGregor himself.
"The first time we ever went to Ireland [in 2009 for UFC 93] when [McGregor] was there in the stands as a fan, it was huge," White said. "But now having good fighters from there is taking it to another level."
The show was hurt by the loss of a fascinating heavyweight fight scheduled between No. 3 Stipe Miocic and No. 7 Ben Rothwell when Miocic pulled out with an injury. The UFC is searching for a replacement in order to keep Rothwell on the card.
But the quick sellout and record gate show the passion Irish fans have for MMA, particularly when a number of hometown heroes are on the card. Also on the card are Paddy Holohan, Aisling Daly, Neil Seery and Cathal Pendred of Ireland and Norman Parke of Northern Ireland.
The record, though, may not stand for long. Earlier, White said that if McGregor defeats featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in Las Vegas in December, he'd grant McGregor's long-time wish to fight in Dublin's 80,000-seat Croke Park. That would set a record that might never be broken.
By Kevin Iole
October 13, 2015
Cagewriter
There is little question that UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor is one of the biggest draws in all of combat sports.
But Dublin, Ireland, has become such a hot market for the UFC that the promotion doesn't even need McGregor to set ticket records.
UFC Fight Night 76, which will be headlined at Dublin's 3Arena on Oct. 24, sold out in a minute, according to UFC president Dana White. That is in contrast to the 24-hour sellout for last year's McGregor-Diego Brandao card in the same venue.
The Oct. 24 show, which will be headlined by a lightweight battle between one-time McGregor conqueror Joe Duffy and Dustin Poirier, did a gate of 1.15 million Euros, or roughly $1.31 million U.S. dollars, White said, setting a Dublin record. The McGregor-Brandao fight did a 1 million Euro gate, White said.
White credits McGregor with much, including developing Ireland as an MMA market, but he said he believes it goes beyond McGregor himself.
"The first time we ever went to Ireland [in 2009 for UFC 93] when [McGregor] was there in the stands as a fan, it was huge," White said. "But now having good fighters from there is taking it to another level."
The show was hurt by the loss of a fascinating heavyweight fight scheduled between No. 3 Stipe Miocic and No. 7 Ben Rothwell when Miocic pulled out with an injury. The UFC is searching for a replacement in order to keep Rothwell on the card.
But the quick sellout and record gate show the passion Irish fans have for MMA, particularly when a number of hometown heroes are on the card. Also on the card are Paddy Holohan, Aisling Daly, Neil Seery and Cathal Pendred of Ireland and Norman Parke of Northern Ireland.
The record, though, may not stand for long. Earlier, White said that if McGregor defeats featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in Las Vegas in December, he'd grant McGregor's long-time wish to fight in Dublin's 80,000-seat Croke Park. That would set a record that might never be broken.