The Weekly Wrap: Sept. 26 – Oct. 2

Boxing kills UFC 103

Preliminary estimates indicate that UFC 103, headlined by Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort, attracted 400,000 buys on pay-per-view, according to The Wrestling Observer. The number was closely watched because it came the same night of Floyd Mayweather’s return to boxing pay-per-view against Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19. That fight, according to HBO, drew about 1 million buys.

UFC President Dana White and boxing figureheads had gone back-and-forth in the media about whose offering would get more attention. The UFC card lacked any of the sport’s top draws, while Mayweather is just about the biggest attraction in boxing at the moment. The numbers do, however, counter the over-stated notion that MMA is eroding boxing’s market share.

White said the UFC’s combined buys in 2009 would top boxing and pro wrestling’s combined, which appears likely. Richard Schafer, CEO of the Golden Boy Promotions boxing company, questioned the veracity of some of the UFC pay-per-view buy totals that have been reported, and offered to pay for an audit of the UFC’s numbers, which are held close to the vest. He said despite claims that UFC 100 in July did 1.6 to 1.7 million buys, it actually did less than one million.