As was expected with the buildup,
UFC 182 was the most successful event for the company since
UFC 168, with early cable estimates of the show headlined by
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight title coming in at between 740,000 and 820,000 pay-per-view buys.
The number was more impressive given it went head-to-head with the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL playoff game that drew 28 million viewers, and both the NFL and UFC strongly hit the adult male demographic. Another key is that when UFC draws out of its usual range for a big fight, it is usually hitting the sports fan audience, so going against the NFL playoffs impacts the bigger shows more than the shows that draw the usual UFC pay-per-view base audience.