UFC 217 drew 18,201 for a $6.1 million gate at Madison Square Garden. Although no Fight of the Night Bonuses, the UFC handed out Performance Bonuses to Georges St Pierre, Rose Namajunas, T.J. Dillashaw, Ovince Saint-Preux and Ricardo Ramos.
OSP and Ramos received $25,000 bonuses while GSP, Rose and TJ drew the $50,000 bonuses.
The event ranks second to last November’s debut at MSG in terms of attendance and gate. UFC 205 drew 20,427 for a gate of $17.7 million.
Payout Perspective:
The extra bonuses to OSP and Ramos seemed to compensate for a Fight of the Night. It was a big night for the UFC and while last year’s debut in the state may have overshadowed it in term of gate and attendance, this is the best of the year. This summer’s showdown between Jones and Cormier drew a $2M plus gate and Saturday’s event tripled it. The return of GSP and the stacked card helped.
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