Kamaru Usman helped generate 1.3 million pay-per-views for UFC 251. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via USA TODAY Sports

UFC 251 generated 1.3 million PPV buys?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jul 13, 2020 4:05 PM ET

The debut of UFC Fight Island was a financial hit.

The Athletic's Mike Coppinger is reporting that Saturday's UFC 251 card headlined by Jorge Masvidal challenging Kamaru Usman for the welterweight championship generated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys.

Coppinger noted it's the sixth time in history the promotion hit the 1.3 million buys mark, and the first time it happened since Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov drew a record 2.4 million buys in October 2018.

Along with Usman's successful title defense, the first card held on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi amid the coronavirus pandemic also featured Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight strap versus Max Holloway, and Petr Yan defeating Jose Aldo to win the vacant bantamweight crown.

Amanda Ribas submitted Paige VanZant in the first round of the pay-per-view opener. Rose Namajunas defeated Jessica Andrade via decision.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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