Global brand power of McGregor causes sell out in UFC comeback

The global brand power of combat sports star, Connor McGregor, has immediately influenced the UFC in his comeback fight, with tickets selling out in minutes.

Tickets for the Irishman’s fight against Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 were put on sale exclusively to UFC Fight Club members last Friday and were reportedly sold out within 3 minutes.

Ticket Prices for the event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ranged from US$205 up to US$2,505 and the event has already recorded the second-largest gate in UFC history.

UFC 229 will be held on October 6 and has already surpassed UFC 200, which generated what was then a Nevada MMA gate record of US$10.7 million.

UFC’s highest gate in history was the matchup between McGregor and Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, which recorded US$17.7 million in sales.

The 30-year-old’s return after his stint with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. is likely to give the series a significant boost at a time when its TV ratings have been struggling.