UFC Best Ever Series: 10 Biggest Draws in UFC History
- Zak Drapeau
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 3/4/2026
Honorable Mention -
Jon Jones
Jones is unquestionably the greatest combat athlete of all time in my opinion but with greatness does not always come popularity. In Jon Jones record-17 PPV Main Events he has never sold over 1,000,000 buys.
10. Jorge Masvidal
The owner of what may be the most viral moment in UFC history Jorge Masvidal, had a 3-year stretch between 2019 and 2022 that included the knee to Askren, 4 PPV Main Events and 1 UFC video game cover.
Masvidal may have fell out of the company as quick as he emerged in it but for three years he may have been the biggest name in the sport and certainly made the most out of it in PPVs and money.
9. Israel Adesanya
Izzy was the best thing going for the UFC throughout the COVID times and has not competed on a card he was not the Main Event in over 6 years and through 12 fights. While he may have fallen from graces a bit over the last 3 years it can't be understated just how big he was around 2020.
Coming into the UFC with an exciting, kickboxing background and a unique and charismatic personality outside of the Octagon, few people rivaled Izzy's ascent from the LFA to UFC gold and beyond.
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib is BY FAR the biggest name in Combat Sports in parts of the world like Russia which keeps him on the list along with the biggest event in UFC history which he shared with Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Truth be told if he had more fights in the UFC he'd probably be much higher on the list but with only 4 main events and Championship fights, he is one of the biggest names but didn't do enough as a true draw of the sport.
7. Anderson Silva
For his time, Anderson Silva was setting record after record while being arguably the greatest Martial Artist ever. From his viral knockout of Vitor Belfort to his wild rivalry with Chael Sonnen and his shocking demise at the hands of Chris Weidman twice, (in 2 VERY different ways) it was clear that you'd always get something new from buying an Anderson Silva fight.
6. Georges St. Pierre
GSP is a weird person to rank and most fans either want him higher on the list or don't think he belongs at all. GSP is probably the most true mixed-martial artist we've ever seen in the UFC and carried the UFC through some of it's darkest times between 2004 and 2008 and then on through 2017 when he became only the 3rd person to hold championships in 2 separate divisions.
5. Alex Pereira
Easily the biggest name in the sport in Today's UFC, Alex Pereira not only commands popularity from several outside-the-Octagon antics over the past few years and his storied rivalry with Israel Adesanya. Pereira may have taken over as the sport's most popular knockout artist over the last few years and that alone garner's attention on this kind of list when it comes to combat sports.
Pereira has also been making leaps and bounds and will soon be in uncharted grounds as he looks to become the UFC's first ever 3-division champion in 2026.
4. Ronda Rousey
Right around the time Conor McGregor was breaking barriers in the sport, Ronda Rousey was also leading Woman into new stages of Mixed Martial Arts we'd never seen before and breaking barriers herself.
Not only an enigma as the first big Female star of the sport, but also by her fight style which involved 6 straight finishes to start her UFC career and 5 in the first round.
3. Chuck Liddell
and Tito Ortiz
It might be a bit of a cop out to put both fighters as the same ranking but if you know, you know. From 2004 to 2007 nobody in the UFC drew as much of a crowd as Chuck and Tito and when their soap opera-like rivalry finally came to a head at UFC 47 and again at UFC 66, the events sold more than any others of it's time both at the gate and on PPV.
2. Brock Lesnar
If Liddell and Tito brought the sport to main stream media, Brock Lesanar brought the sport into everyone's living rooms. The phenomenon of a WWE Champion turning to UFC was as intriguing as it was ridiculous for the time.
The Lesnar became UFC Champion and WWE Heel at the same time. Lesnar would egg on the crowds, disrespect other champions and even speak against the company's sponsors. Lesnar may have only had 6 UFC Main Events but they were all massive especially UFC 100 which was headlined by his rematch with Frank Mir.
1. Conor McGregor
There is little doubt as to who would top this list as one of the most popular combat sports athletes ever, Conor McGregor has become synonymous with the UFC itself. The best example of a cross sport athlete we've seen since Brock with his endeavors in Boxing, McGregor has Main Evented the Top-6 highest selling UFC events of all time.
McGregor rose to fame like nothing we've ever seen before and likely will never see again, and that's not for a lack of trying. Since his ascension in 2014 and 2015, we've seen countless fighters try to copy his template of success. Either by slanderous words or disrespecting their opponents and none of them coming anywhere close to the original.
The One. The Only. Conor McGregor
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-Z.D. (@DrapeauZak)