UFC 159 draws a reported 15,227 attendees for $2.7 million live gate

NEWARK, N.J. – Saturday’s “UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen” event drew a reported 15,227 attendees and generated a live gate of $2.7 million.

UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening’s post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) attended.

Featuring a light-heavyweight championship fight between UFC champ Jon Jones and fellow “The Ultimate Fighter 17? coach Chael Sonnen, UFC 159 took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and aired on pay-per-view.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board typically does not verify the figures.

The number of complimentary tickets issued for the show was not revealed, but the reported figures indicate the UFC generated an average revenue of $177.32 per ticket issued.

UFC 159's main card aired on pay-per-view while FX aired four preliminary-card bouts. An additional two preliminary-card fights also streamed live on Facebook.

UFC 159 marks the second-largest live gate ever reported by the UFC in the state of New Jersey.

The state’s all-time top UFC gates as compiled by MMAjunkie.com include:

1. UFC 111 (St-Pierre vs. Hardy): $4,000,000 gate (17,000 attendance)*
2. UFC 159 (Jones vs. Sonnen): $2,700,000 gate (15,227 attendance)*
3. UFC 128 (Jones vs. Rua): $2,140,000 (12,619)*
4. UFC 78 (Bisping vs. Evans): $2,100,000 (14,071)*
5. UFC 53 (Arlovski vs. Eilers): $1,100,000 (12,000)*

* – Figures not verified by New Jersey State Athletic Control Board

For complete coverage of UFC 159, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Dana White)