Even as the Ultimate Fighting Championship surges in virtually every measurable popularity metric, including Pay Per View buyrates, television ratings, and merchandise sales, enormous room for growth remains in its capacity for large venue ticket sales. Even in 2010, the average fan attendance for recent UFC events remained decidedly middle-tier, with overall attendance rates for major UFC Pay Per View events hovering between 10,000 and 20,000 fans. The venues supporting UFC live events are almost exclusively "arena" (sub-40,000 person) class venues as opposed to "stadium" (40,000 person and over) class venues.

Those who doubt the ability of mixed martial arts to expand into large-scale baseball, football, and European soccer stadium venues need only look to the history of live attendance of combat sporting events to prove otherwise. As early as July 4, 1921, barely two decades into the nascent rise of professional boxing as a major American spectator sport, more than 90,000 fans attended the light heavyweight boxing "Fight of the Century" pitting Jack Dempsey against Frenchman Georges Carpentier just across the river from New York City. Dempsey-Carpentier was a landmark sporting event, the first of any sport to gross over $1,000,000 from a live gate, and the first to be broadcast on live radio. From that time on, major boxing events were routinely held in front of audiences in excess of 60,000 fans in venues such as the old Yankee Stadium. More than thirty championship boxing bouts in all were held in Yankee Stadium before its demolition in 2008. Attendance totals of roughly 50,000 were not unusual, such as the 47,000 who witnessed an aging "Sugar" Ray Robinson fall to Joey Maxim in June of 1952.

Recent UFC fans might also be surprised to learn that history's largest mixed martial arts sporting events as measured by fan attendance have taken place exclusively outside of the United States. The current record for live attendance of an MMA event is now (and surely will be for some years to come) the August 2002 inaugural Pride Shockwave event held in Tokyo National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Reportedly 71,000 fans attended the event, a truly massive crowd for any event regardless of the sport. Pride Shockwave featured Mirko Filipovic defeating national hero Kazushi Sakuraba in the main event, and the event was such a success that the promotion's annual Shockwave series continued to draw some of the largest crowds in MMA history for years to come. Indeed, as is amply demonstrated by the listing below, 19 of the 20 largest events in MMA history as measured by fan attendance were Pride FC events.

The three largest UFC events to date as measured by fan attendance, UFC 124, UFC 97 and UFC 83, were also each held outside of the United States, as well as in the same venue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada's Bell Center. Over 21,000 fans were in attendance for each of the three events.

Total Attendance

Event		Name		Date		Attendance
Pride Shockwave				2002.08.28		71,000
KSW 39		Colosseum		2017.05.27		57,766
UFC 243		Whittaker vs. Adesanya		2019.10.05		57,127
UFC 193		Rousey vs. Holm		2015.11.14		56,214
UFC 129		St. Pierre vs. Shields		2011.04.30		55,724
Pride 17		Championship Chaos		2001.11.03		53,246
Pride Final Conflict 2003				2003.11.09		53,000
Pride 23		Championship Chaos 2		2002.11.24		52,228
Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round				2000.01.30		48,316
UFC 198		Werdum vs. Miocic		2016.05.14		45,207
Pride Total Elimination 2005				2005.04.23		43,000
Pride Total Elimination Absolute				2006.05.05		43,000
Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals				2000.05.01		38,429
Pride 1				1997.10.11		37,000
Pride Shockwave 2006				2006.12.31		35,000
K-1		Dynamite 2009		2009.12.31		35,000
Pride Total Elimination 2003				2003.08.10		35,000
Pride Shockwave 2005				2005.12.31		35,000
Pride Critical Countdown 2004				2004.06.20		35,000
Pride Final Conflict 2004				2004.08.15		35,000
Pride Shockwave 2003				2003.12.31		35,000
Pride Total Elimination 2004				2004.04.25		35,000
Pride 10		Return of the Warriors		2000.08.27		35,000
Pride Shockwave 2004				2004.12.31		35,000
UFC on FOX 14		Gustafsson vs. Johnson		2015.01.24		30,000
RIZIN 20				2019.12.31		29,315
Fields Dynamite!! 2006				2006.12.31		27,500
Pride 15		Raging Rumble		2001.07.29		27,323
RIZIN 13				2018.09.30		27,208
Pride 12		Cold Fury		2000.12.09		26,882
Pride 28		High Octane		2004.10.31		24,028
UFC 124		St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2		2010.12.11		23,152
UFC Fight Night 136		Hunt vs. Oleinik		2018.09.15		22,603
Pride 29		Fists of Fire		2005.02.20		22,047
UFC 97		Redemption		2009.04.18		21,451
UFC 83		Serra vs. St. Pierre 2		2008.04.19		21,390
UFC 188		Velasquez vs. Werdum		2015.06.13		21,036
UFC 180		Werdum vs. Hunt		2014.11.15		21,000
UFC 144		Edgar vs. Henderson		2012.02.25		21,000
UFC 205		Alvarez vs. McGregor		2016.11.12		20,427
UFC 158		St. Pierre vs. Diaz		2013.03.16		20,145
UFC 244		Masvidal vs. Diaz		2019.11.02		20,143
UFC 229		Khabib vs. McGregor		2018.10.06		20,034
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2016		Final Round		2016.12.31		19,357
UFC 171		Hendricks vs. Lawler		2014.03.15		19,324
UFC 68		Uprising		2007.03.03		19,049
UFC 246		McGregor vs. Cerrone		2020.01.18		19,040
UFC 231		Holloway vs. Ortega		2018.12.08		19,039
UFC 203		Miocic vs. Overeem		2016.09.10		18,785
UFC 207		Nunes vs. Rousey		2016.12.30		18,533
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2015		Day 2		2015.12.31		18,365
UFC 239		Jones vs. Santos		2019.07.06		18,358
Dynamite!! USA				2007.06.02		18,340
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017		Final Round		2017.12.31		18,316
UFC 140		Jones vs. Machida		2011.12.10		18,303
Strikeforce		Shamrock vs. Gracie		2006.03.10		18,265
UFC 200		Tate vs. Nunes		2016.07.09		18,202
UFC 127		Penn vs Fitch		2011.02.26		18,186
UFC 225		Whittaker vs. Romero 2		2018.06.09		18,117
UFC 206		Holloway vs. Pettis		2016.12.10		18,057
KSW 37		Circus of Pain		2016.12.03		18,000
UFC 217		Bisping vs. St. Pierre		2017.11.04		18,000
RIZIN 11				2018.07.29		17,912
UFC 211		Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2		2017.05.13		17,834
UFC 227		Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2		2018.08.04		17,794
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017 1st Round				2017.07.30		17,730
UFC 184		Rousey vs. Zingano		2015.02.28		17,654
UFC 113		Machida vs Shogun 2		2010.05.08		17,647
UFC 218		Holloway vs. Aldo 2		2017.12.02		17,587
EliteXC		Destiny		2007.02.10		17,465
UFC 226		Miocic vs. Cormier		2018.07.07		17,464
UFC 110		Nogueira vs. Velasquez		2010.02.20		17,431
UFC 103		Franklin vs. Belfort		2009.09.19		17,428
UFC 101		Declaration		2009.08.08		17,411
UFC 247		Jones vs. Reyes		2020.02.08		17,401
UFC 241		Cormier vs. Miocic 2		2019.08.17		17,304
UFC 154		St. Pierre vs. Condit		2012.11.17		17,249
UFC 166		Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3		2013.10.19		17,238
UFC 185		Pettis vs. Dos Anjos		2015.03.14		17,160
UFC 120		Bisping vs. Akiyama		2010.10.16		17,133
UFC 210		Cormier vs. Johnson 2		2017.04.08		17,110
UFC 96		Jackson vs. Jardine		2009.03.07		17,033
UFC 223		Khabib vs. Iaquinta		2018.04.07		17,026
UFC 230		Cormier vs. Lewis		2018.11.03		17,011
UFC 111		St-Pierre vs Hardy		2010.03.27		17,000
Fields Dynamite!! 2010				2010.12.31		17,000
UFC on FOX 11		Werdum vs. Browne		2014.04.19		17,000
UFC on FOX 2		Evans vs. Davis		2012.01.28		16,963
UFC 115		Liddell vs Franklin		2010.06.12		16,915
UFC 153		Silva vs. Bonnar		2012.10.13		16,844
UFC 245		Usman vs. Covington		2019.12.14		16,811
UFC 152		Jones vs. Belfort		2012.09.22		16,800
UFC Fight Night 84		Silva vs. Bisping		2016.02.27		16,734
UFC 105		Couture vs Vera		2009.11.14		16,693
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2016		2nd Round		2016.12.29		16,642
UFC 214		Cormier vs. Jones 2		2017.07.29		16,610
UFC on ESPN+ 5		Till vs. Masvidal		2019.03.16		16,602
UFC on ESPN+ 3		Błachowicz vs. Santos		2019.02.23		16,583
UFC 194		Aldo vs. McGregor		2015.12.12		16,516
UFC 82		Pride of a Champion		2008.03.01		16,431
UFC 123		Rampage vs. Machida		2010.11.20		16,404
UFC 135		Jones vs. Rampage		2011.09.24		16,344
Strikeforce		Shamrock vs. Le		2008.03.29		16,326
UFC Fight Night 127		Werdum vs. Volkov		2018.03.17		16,274
UFC 75		Champion vs Champion		2007.09.08		16,235
UFC 215		Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2		2017.09.09		16,232
UFC 136		Edgar vs Maynard 3		2011.10.08		16,164
UFC on FOX 6		Johnson vs. Dodson		2013.01.26		16,091
UFC 149		Faber vs. Barao		2012.07.21		16,089
UFC 102		Couture vs. Nogueira		2009.08.29		16,088
UFC 238		Cejudo vs. Moraes		2019.06.08		16,083
UFC on FOX 4		Shogun vs. Vera		2012.08.04		16,080
UFC 77		Hostile Territory		2007.10.20		16,054
UFC 189		Mendes vs. McGregor		2015.07.11		16,019
UFC 220		Miocic vs. N'Gannou		2018.01.20		16,015
UFC 204		Bisping vs. Henderson 2		2016.10.08		16,000
K-1 World GP 2019 Japan		K’FESTA.2		2019.03.09		16,000
UFC 232		Jones vs. Gustafsson 2		2018.12.29		15,862
Wilder vs. Fury 2				2020.02.22		15,816
UFC 119		Mir vs Cro Cop		2010.09.25		15,811
UFC Fight Night 107		Manuwa vs. Anderson		2017.03.18		15,761
UFC Fight Night 91		McDonald vs. Lineker		2016.07.13		15,671
UFC 168		Weidman vs. Silva 2		2013.12.28		15,650
UFC 208		Holm vs. de Randamie		2017.02.11		15,628
UFC 199		Rockhold vs. Bisping 2		2016.06.04		15,587
UFC 202		Diaz vs. McGregor 2		2016.08.20		15,539
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2017		2nd Round		2017.12.29		15,539
UFC 165		Jones vs. Gustafsson		2013.09.21		15,504
UFC 212		Aldo vs. Holloway		2017.06.03		15,412
UFC 90		Silva vs Cote		2008.10.25		15,359
UFC 85		Bedlam		2008.06.07		15,327
UFC on FOX 13		Dos Santos vs. Miocic		2014.12.13		15,300
UFC 69		Shootout		2007.04.07		15,269
UFC 234		Silva vs. Adesanya		2019.02.09		15,238
UFC 159		Jones vs. Sonnen		2013.04.27		15,227
Strikeforce		Shamrock vs. Diaz		2009.04.11		15,211
UFC 237		Namajunas vs. Andrade		2019.05.11		15,193
UFC Fight Night 122		Bisping vs. Gastelum		2017.11.25		15,128
UFC on ESPN+ 16		Cowboy vs. Gaethje		2019.09.14		15,114
UFC 148		Silva vs. Sonnen 2		2012.07.07		15,104
UFC 87		Seek and Destroy		2008.08.09		15,087
UFC 248		Adesanya vs. Romero		2020.03.07		15,077
RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix 2016		1st Round		2016.09.25		15,011
UFC 196		McGregor vs. Diaz		2016.03.05		14,898
UFC 104		Machida vs Shogun		2009.10.24		14,892
UFC 94		St-Pierre vs. Penn 2		2009.01.31		14,885
UFC 167		St. Pierre vs. Hendricks		2013.11.16		14,856
UFC 121		Lesnar vs. Velasquez		2010.10.23		14,856
Affliction 1		Banned		2008.07.19		14,832
UFC 235		Jones vs. Smith		2019.03.02		14,790
UFC 84		Ill Will		2008.05.24		14,773
UFC 60		Hughes vs Gracie		2006.05.27		14,765
UFC 161		Evans vs. Henderson		2013.06.15		14,754
Strikeforce		Evolution		2009.12.19		14,749
UFC 88		Breakthrough		2008.09.06		14,736
UFC 71		Liddell vs Jackson		2007.05.26		14,728
UFC 190		Rousey vs. Correia		2015.08.01		14,723
UFC 131		Carwin vs. Dos Santos		2011.06.11		14,685
UFC on FUEL TV 8		Silva vs. Stann		2013.03.02		14,682
UFC 146		Dos Santos vs. Mir		2012.05.26		14,674
UFC 65		Bad Intentions		2006.11.18		14,666
UFC 192		Cormier vs. Gustafsson		2015.10.03		14,622
UFC Fight Night 37		Gustafsson vs. Manuwa		2014.03.08		14,604
UFC 52		Couture vs. Liddell 2		2005.04.16		14,562
UFC on FX 2		Alves vs. Kampmann		2012.03.02		14,537
UFC on ESPN+ 24		Blaydes vs. Dos Santos		2020.01.25		14,533
UFC on FUEL TV 9		Mousasi vs. Latifi		2013.04.06		14,506
UFC on FOX 17		Dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2		2015.12.19		14,459
UFC on FOX 5		Henderson vs. Diaz		2012.12.08		14,387
UFC 169		Barao vs. Faber 2		2014.02.01		14,308
UFC 236		Holloway vs. Poirier 2		2019.04.13		14,297
UFC 91		Couture vs Lesnar		2008.11.15		14,272
UFC on ESPN 1		N'Gannou vs. Velasquez		2019.02.17		14,269
UFC 114		Jackson vs Evans		2010.05.29		14,246
UFC Fight Night 26		Shogun vs. Sonnen		2013.08.17		14,181
UFC 118		Edgar vs. Penn 2		2010.08.28		14,168
UFC 92		The Ultimate 2008		2008.12.27		14,103
UFC 228		Woodley vs. Till		2018.09.08		14,073
UFC 78		Validation		2007.11.17		14,071
UFC Fight Night 106		Belfort vs. Gastelum		2017.03.11		14,069
Strikeforce		Carano vs. Cyborg		2009.08.15		13,976
UFC 107		Penn vs. Sanchez		2009.12.12		13,896
UFC 163		Aldo vs. Korean Zombie		2013.08.03		13,873
UFC 139		Shogun vs. Henderson		2011.11.19		13,832
UFC Fight Night 59		McGregor vs. Siver		2015.01.18		13,828
UFC 59		Reality Check		2006.04.15		13,814
UFC 141		Lesnar vs. Overeem		2011.12.30		13,793
UFC 76		Knockout		2007.09.22		13,770
UFC 66		Liddell vs. Ortiz 2		2006.12.30		13,761
UFC Fight Night 24		Nogueira vs. Davis		2011.03.26		13,741
UFC Fight Night 101		Whittaker vs. Brunson		2016.11.26		13,721
UFC 219		Cyborg vs. Holm		2017.12.30		13,561
UFC 155		Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2		2012.12.29		13,561
UFC 108		Evans vs Silva		2010.01.02		13,529
UFC 54		Boiling Point		2005.08.20		13,520
UFC 174		Johnson vs. Bagautinov		2014.06.14		13,506
UFC on FOX 7		Henderson vs. Melendez		2013.04.20		13,506
Pride 11		Battle of the Rising Sun		2000.10.31		13,500
UFC 172		Jones vs. Teixeira		2014.04.26		13,485
UFC Fight Night 66		Edgar vs. Faber		2015.05.16		13,446