Early PPV buyrate projections for UFC 91 suggest that the show has broke the one million buys mark, according to reports.

Prior to the show, which of course featured Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture to become the new UFC Heavyweight champion, the UFC had been projecting that the show could top 1.2 million buys.

But that was unlikely, and a figure of 800,000 was seen as more realisitc.

However according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Lesnar vs. Couture has passed the one million mark and that the show did an early projection of 1.01million buys.

And with UFC pay-per-view prices now at $44.95, UFC 91 will become the most lucrative money drawing show in the UFC’s history, surpassing UFC 66.

Meltzer stated that with live gate and PPV revenues, UFC 66 would have brought in $47.33million (Its worth noting that PPV prices for UFC 66 were $39.95 at the time). But UFC 91 will bring in around $50.21m.

In Lesnar’s three UFC appearances in 2008 he has been a part of a total of 2.2million PPV buys. The only person to top that in the UFC was Tito Ortiz in 2006 with 2.25million buys.

Whether the MMA purists like it or not, the former WWE star has been a huge part of the UFC’s success in 2008.

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com