UFC 196 was always expected to be an exciting event that had many eyes on it because Conor McGregor was fighting. Once Rafael dos Anjos dropped out of the event due to a broken foot, thus removing McGregor's title shot at the lightweight division, it seemed as though the event might have lost some of its luster.
That was certainly not the case, though, as Nate Diaz was chosen to replace dos Anjos, and the fight was set to be at 170 pounds, 25 pounds above what McGregor usually fights at. McGregor and Diaz talked a lot before the fight, each saying they were going to beat the other one, and that increased anticipation for the fight once again. McGregor vs. Diaz remained the main event despite the fact that it wasn't a title fight, but the co-main event was equally as intriguing as Holly Holm lost her title defense against Miesha Tate.
Despite the fact that McGregor wasn't fighting for a title and Ronda Rousey wasn't involved in the bantamweight title fight, the viewers still came out for the event. UFC president Dana White said that 1.5 million people bought the pay-per-view event, which is the most viewers any UFC event has ever drawn.
The people that tuned in certainly got their money's worth just because of the two main events. Tate choked out Holm in a big upset while Diaz choked out McGregor in an even bigger upset. McGregor is the UFC's biggest star, so it shouldn't come as too big of a surprise that UFC 196 broke viewing records, but this is proof that the UFC is growing and here to stay.
These numbers set the stage for upcoming UFC events. UFC 197 will be headlined by Daniel Cormier defending his light heavyweight championship against Jon Jones. UFC 198 will be headlined by Fabricio Werdum defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. And UFC 199 will feature a rematch between Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman. All of those events will set the stage for UFC 200, which White has said he hopes is the best fight card ever.
There is nothing set in stone for UFC 200, but the possibilities are endless. Light heavyweight champion dos Anjos said he would be open to a superfight with welterweight champ Robbie Lawler at UFC 200. McGregor is very likely to fight at UFC 200 against somebody, and it is even possible that Georges St-Pierre returns for the event.
The bottom line here is the fact that the UFC is in great shape despite the questions regarding its staying power after losing a few stars. Not only is it in great shape, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship should continue to grow as these upcoming events offer a lot to look forward to.
