With the UFC 300 PPV on the horizon, it’s worth remembering the historic UFC 200 PPV from mid-2016, which saw a lot of controversy surrounding the lead-up to that same PPV. Even though UFC 200 did great business for the UFC, achieving one million pay-per-view buys and breaking the record of $10.7 million in total tickets, UFC 200 could have been a critically acclaimed event if the initial plans for the main card would have been carried out.
Although the initial plan for the main event of UFC 200 was a rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, the bout was canceled and the UFC soon pushed for the highly anticipated rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. It’s also worth mentioning that because the rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was one of the most heated in sports in the mid-2010s, a rematch between the two at a landmark event like UFC 200 would surely generate massive business. , possibly even more. than 10.7 million dollars.
And with former boxer Brock Lesnar returning for a fight against Mark Hunt on the same card between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, UFC 200 could have been an event that people considered one of the best cards in MMA history. However, that all changed when Jon Jones was eliminated from the event after failing a drug test, with Amanda Nunes vs. Meisha Tate taking her and Daniel Cormier’s place in the main event. Instead, Daniel Cormier was scheduled to face UFC legend Anderson Silva at the pay-per-view, although the bout was somewhat one-sided considering Anderson Silva was out of his prime in mid-2016.
On a card that could have been so much more, UFC 200 featured a one-sided fight between Daniel Cormier and Anderson Silva and a tainted victory for Brock Lesnar over Mark Hunt when Brock Lesnar’s failed drug test reversed his fight decision in a No Contest. . But despite all the controversy, the positives are worth looking at, as UFC 200 helped launch Amanda Nunes to legendary stardom when she defeated Meisha Tate for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.
