Ticket prices soaring ahead of Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz at UFC 196
With a lot of hype coming in, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are pushing ticket prices at the MGM Grand Garden Arena through the roof.
By
Matthew Coca
•
1 min read
Conor McGregor may wear a UFC title belt, but he is pure gold at the box office.
When McGregor chose to move up a weight class to take on Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196, fans were prepared for an all-time classic. Toss in Holly Holm defending her title against Miesha Tate, a full card of great bouts and the card was can't miss.
But when dos Anjos went down with a foot injury, UFC president Dana White was put in a tough spot. Simply put, it was McGregor to the rescue. He agreed to take on Nate Diaz at 170 pounds and, somehow, the specter of the fight grew greater.
Is the new matchup worth the hype? The initial news conference and the stare down scuffle have set the tone that this fight has all the makings of a brawl. According to Vivid Seats, the fight has passed the level of "hyped well" and ventured into "can't miss" territory.
Want to be in the arena for UFC 196? The "get-in" price is set at $233 for an upper bowl seat and a median price of $890. Just statistical proof that McGregor can sell a fight -- if there were any doubts left about that. And now he has help as the trash-talking “Stockton Bad Boy " Diaz is a lightning rod for fans and helped ratchet up ticket sales.
By comparison, UFC 197, which marks the return of Jon Jones in late April, can't compete when it comes to ticket prices. The "get-in" price for that event right now is $159 with the median ticket going for $453. Those numbers, despite the fact that Jones looks to regain his light heavyweight title from the current champ Daniel Cormier.
McGregor has earned his status as a massive draw. Six of his seven fights in the UFC have ended in either a KO or TKO. This fight was going to get a ton of attention regardless of the opponent but the fact that the secondary market prices are as high as they are for a non-title fight is a testament to his drawing power. Throw in a game opponent like Diaz and the fans have spoken with their wallets -- they will pay to be there in person.
