A new report suggests UFC 315 could end up being the lowest watched pay-per-view in company history.
On Saturday night, the UFC is back on ESPN+ PPV with a huge card in Montreal. In the co-main event, women’s MMA legend Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight gold against fast-rising French star Manon Fiorot. In the headliner, welterweight king Belal Muhammad puts his belt on the line for the first time against top contender Jack Della Maddalena.
Despite UFC 315 having a good card, there is concern that the talent at the event lacks sizzle. Especially at the top with Muhammad. A fighter who is respected, but not a favorite among many fans due to his less-than-exciting fight style. Well, it seems that the American could soon be the face of the worst-performing UFC PPV in history.
Related: How to watch UFC 315, card details, and start time
Betting site BetIdeas.com revealed this week that 57% of their users believe there is a real chance UFC 315 does less than 60,000 pay-per-view buys. There is even a separate bet that shows 67% of users believe the defending 170-pound champion will be boo’d at least once during his fight this weekend.
The UFC doesn’t officially release the buy numbers for its PPV events. However, the belief in fight game circles is that UFC 149 in July 2012 — which was also in Canada — earned between 100,000 and 85,000 buys. That event was headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Renan Barao and Urijah Faber.
Muhammad needed to go unbeaten in 10 straight to finally earn a UFC title fight last year. The belief was that the company had concerns about the Chicago native’s marketability. This report may be an early indication that their fears were right.
