Adesanya (right) and Silva (photo via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

UFC 234 lost its original headliner hours out from the card, which likely contributed to it reportedly not passing the 200,000 mark in pay-per-view buys.

The February 9th event was supposed to feature Kelvin Gastelum challenging middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in the main event. The champ was diagnosed with a hernia, however, and the fight was called off on the day of the event.

A much-discussed fight between rising star Israel Adesanya and the legendary Anderson Silva moved into the main event slot, and according to a report from MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer, early estimates indicate the card sold around 175,00 PPV buys.

Adesanya went on to win a unanimous decision victory over Silva. The card took place in Melbourne, Australia.