Mixed martial arts (MMA) has long been the fastest-growing sport in the world, and as a result of this continual growth, a number of world-class athletes and promoters have gravitated to the multi-billion-dollar industry.
Consequently, MMA fans can witness blistering knockouts, slick submissions, and unforgettable fights nearly every weekend. There’s always a riveting matchup on the horizon; a must-watch contest that’s expected to deliver in every sense.
MMA’s evolution into a household sport has also produced an increase in corporate competition, which means that fans have to sift through offerings, particularly digital platforms, to watch the top fights and enjoy the newest content.
Each of these digital platforms hosts different live events and comes with different supplemental programming. The following information will help fight fans to select the MMA streaming services that best align with their entertainment preferences.
Best Places To Watch UFC (Legally)
ESPN+
Price: $4.99/month or $49.99 per year
Offerings: UFC PPVs, Exclusive UFC Fights
ESPN is the official broadcaster of the UFC, the biggest and most prominent MMA promotion. The companies’ mutually beneficial broadcasting relationship kicked off in 2018, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. ESPN+ offers fans a considerable amount of exclusive UFC content.
First and foremost, UFC pay-per-view (PPV) events can only be ordered by ESPN+ subscribers. In the past, PPVs were available for purchase through a variety of outlets, including video-game consoles and cable companies. Now, those who wish to watch the UFC’s premium contests must subscribe to ESPN+ or head to a bar or restaurant.
Next, ESPN+ provides subscribers with access to UFC prelims and fight cards that cannot be watched elsewhere; many appealing UFC events (non-PPV shows) can be streamed only on ESPN+.
Lastly, ESPN+ has a rather extensive library of MMA-related content, including Ariel and the Bad Guy, a talk show featuring MMA journalist Ariel Helwani and UFC and Bellator veteran Chael Sonnen.
As a side note, ESPN+ also comes with a solid collection of other sports programming, including live baseball, football, soccer, and basketball games.
UFC Fight Pass
Cost: $9.99 monthly, $8.99/month with a six-month commitment, or $7.99/month with a one-year commitment
Offerings: Huge Fight Library (including UFC), Live MMA (including Cage Warriors, Titan FC, Invicta), GLORY Kickboxing & more
When Fight Pass launched in 2013, UFC President Dana White said that he envisioned it would eventually become the “Netflix for fight fans.” His prediction has proved accurate, as Fight Pass offers more combat-sports content than any other streaming platform.
Subscribers can watch replays of every fight in UFC history, in addition to the complete bout libraries of well-known promotions of the past, including PRIDE, World Extreme Cagefighting, Strikeforce, Affliction, and several others. UFC PPVs are added to Fight Pass 30 days after they’ve taken place.
Fight Pass’s buffet of live events is virtually unparalleled in scope. More than 10 regional MMA promotions, including Cage Warriors, Titan FC, and Invicta FC–have their shows streamed live on Fight Pass. Plus, other combat-sports promotions, including some that specialize in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and karate, see their live events featured on Fight Pass. In total, this amounts to hundreds of hours of live combat per year.
Objectively speaking, UFC Fight Pass is the most diversified digital content platform that MMA fans can subscribe to.
DAZN
Cost: $20 per month or $100 per year
Offerings: Bellator MMA, high-level boxing fights
DAZN (pronounced “da zone”) is quickly building an expansive network of subscribers, and it isn’t hard to see why.
The digital-content platform has an exclusive agreement with Bellator MMA, one of today’s premier MMA promotions. All Bellator cards air on DAZN, with some of these shows broadcasting exclusively on DAZN. (Other Bellator events air on Paramount Network, which, like Bellator itself, is owned by Viacom.)
DAZN’s subscription price would probably be worth it solely for these stellar MMA matches, but subscribers also gain access to a selection of highly anticipated boxing matches. Canelo Alvarez, GGG, Anthony Joshua, and other exceptional boxers compete exclusively on DAZN, for American viewers.
Smaller MMA and boxing promotions, including Combate Americas and World Boxing Super Series, have recently signed broadcast agreements with DAZN, and moving forward, it seems likely that other companies will follow suit.
As a bonus, snooker, polo, and other niche sports frequently broadcast live on DAZN, and MLB highlights are uploaded throughout the regular season.
Fite.tv
Cost: Variable
Offerings: Pro wrestling, Rizin, ONE Championship, KSW, M-1, BKFC and more
Fite.tv offers two monthly subscription services, both of which provide subscribers with a hefty dosage of professional-wrestling content (mainly from IMPACT Wrestling). Those who have an affinity for the WWE may well find new favorite wrestlers on Fite.tv.
Moreover, many fight fans are unaware that Fite.tv brings with it a smorgasbord of live and archived MMA bouts. To be sure, the platform allows users to purchase low-cost PPV events from leading international fight promotions. ONE Championship, the largest MMA company in Asia, airs some of its marquee cards on Fite.tv; the same is true of Japan’s Rizin, Poland’s KSW, and Russia’s M-1. Plus, bareknuckle-boxing followers can catch live events from the sport’s most prominent organizations.
Fite.tv is supported by app stores, video-game consoles, smart TVs, and media sticks (Amazon Fire Stick, etc.); users can also stream the platform’s programming via web browser. There’s much to watch and many ways to watch.
Knowledge is power, and with this information at their disposal, MMA lovers can enjoy the ideal fighting action for their unique preferences. Here’s to many, many additional years of awesome MMA bouts–and value-heavy MMA subscription services.
