Dates: Sat, Aug 15, 2020 – Sun, Aug 16, 2020
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Venue: UFC APEX
UFC 252 Live Stream
Some time before people were once again allowed to kick (and even throw) balls around large open spaces, UFC honcho Dana White resuscitated the world's best known MMA promotion - and the Octagon action is now back in full swing. Whether you like the actual fights or simply enjoy Conor McGregor's latest retirement PR stunt, follow our guide as we explain how to watch a UFC live stream online from anywhere in the world.
UFC LIVE STREAM: CHEAT SHEET
UFC Fight Nights take place every week at venues all over the world, while the big ticket 'numbered' fights are held monthly - usually in America. For those in the US, a final thing to know is that ESPN+ has the rights to UFC action in the country - while lucky folk in the UK can watch every UFC event around, including the pricey PPVs, for just £25 a month with BT's Sport Pass deal.
Whether you're a dedicated UFC Fight Night fan or just tune in for the big cards, the often vicious and always unpredictable nature of MMA fights mean that title belts change hands regularly - making for a great spectacle for die-hard fans and new enthusiasts alike.
The biggest fights usually take place at the promotion's monthly numbered PPV events - the most recent of which was UFC 251, where Kamaru Usman successfully defended his welterweight title against fan favorite Jorge Masvidal. Next up is UFC 252 in August, which looks set to be headlined by one of thebiggest fights of the year: Miocic vs Cormier 3.
Perhaps most intriguingly, all UFC action for the foreseeable future is happening on head honcho Dana White's infamous 'Fight Island' - now confirmed to be an actual place, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
On top of that, a second-tier of events exist called UFC Fight Nights. These are held on a weekly basis and occur all over the globe, usually featuring up-and-coming local fighters. They're still a darn big deal, though, being held at huge international venues with tickets changing hands for hundreds of dollars.
Both types of UFC events are shown exclusively on ESPN and the ESPN+ streaming service in the US, usually taking place on Saturday nights. There's also a third series of Octagon bashes called 'UFC on ESPN' - these occur intermittently and air on one of ESPN's TV channels in America. For the events that matter most, follow our guide and find out the best ways to watch a UFC live stream wherever you are.
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Live stream UFC: watch Fight Night and PPVs in the US with ESPN+
Octagon fanatics in the US may already know that ESPN and ESPN+ enjoy the rights to UFC live stream action - from Fight Nights to the big pay-per-views.
To watch UFC Fight Night events, all you need is a regular ESPN+ subscription, which costs just $4.99 a month and is even better value when bought as part of combined bundle that includes ESPN+, Hulu and Disney Plus for just $12.99 a month.
Things get a bit more complicated when it comes to watching UFC PPVs, such as UFC 251, UFC 252 and so on.
Tuning in costs $64.99 a pop for existing ESPN+ subscribers, but every month the streaming service offers a UFC Bundle that costs $84.98 and includes the next PPV along with a year's subscription to ESPN+ (worth $50 on its own).
This is easily the best value way to stream UFC pay-per-views online, though note that they're time sensitive and the latest deal may not go live until a week or two before the event.
ESPN+ also offers plenty of added value content for UFC fans, like Dana White’s Contender Series, UFC Destined, and Ariel & The Bad Guy, plus the ability to watch classic fights and replays. It also offers live MLB, NHL, MLS, Serie A, and FA Cup games - when they are being played, of course.
UFC live stream UK
UFC live stream: how to watch MMA online in the UK
In the UK and Ireland, BT Sport has exclusive broadcast rights to UFC events. The good news for subscribers is that every UFC Fight Night is shown on BT Sport as standard - check your TV listings before each event for the exact channel and times, but they're almost always there complete with prelim coverage and post-fight analysis.
The even better news is that those 'numbered' events we've talked about, such as just-gone UFC 251 and the forthcoming UFC 252, are increasingly being shown on BT Sport at no extra cost - while in the rest of the world they remain pricey PPV-only offerings.
The broadcaster's coverage of UFC is also available via the BT Sport app and on its website, so you can live stream UFC on most devices these days - and don't forget that you can now get BT Sport without a massive commitment. The £25 BT Sport Monthly Pass is the best UFC deal around, providing access to all the big UFC fights, including the PPVs that can cost you around $65 for a single event in the States.
Timings vary, especially for UFC Fight Night events as they're held all over the world, but big cards generally see coverage start at around 1am BST on the relevant Saturday night/Sunday morning, with the main fights getting underway at around 3am.
live stream UFC Australia
How to watch UFC online in Australia
Streaming service Kayo Sports is ESPN's partner in Australia and this means there's heaps of UFC content available on its fantastic value packages. Basic costs just $25 a month and lets you stream on two screens, while Premium is a mere $35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
Of the two, Kayo Sports Premium represents the best value as it offers multi-screen support - which means you can effectively split the price of a monthly subscription between friends or family and pay less.
Kayo also lets you watch a load of other great sports, not least offering an NRL live stream for every match of the 2020 season. There's even a free 14-day Kayo Sports trial on offer, so you can check it out for yourself without committing a penny, and its app works across PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets, select smart TVs and more - console support is the only obvious outlier but it's said to be "coming soon".
On TV, Foxtel Sports is where Aussie UFC fans should look for Fight Night action - you'll need the network's Sports Package, but Foxtel subscribers benefit from access to the Foxtel Now streaming app.
Watching UFC pay-per-view events is another matter. Kayo shows some undercard fights but to watch a full main event (August's UFC 252, for example), you'll have to cough up a few bob.
On TV, you can buy these fights via Foxtel Main Event - or live stream them with UFC Fight Pass. Expect these fights to cost around $54.95 whatever option you choose, with coverage of the numbered events generally starting around 12pm AEST on the Sunday.
Live stream UFC Fight Night and PPVs in Canada
Canadian fight fans also have a few options for watching UFC on TV and online. In the main, big cards like UFC 251 and UFC 252 will be pay-per-view events on TV and should be offered by most major cable providers, including the likes of Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Telus, Eastlink - expect to pay around $64.99 for the privilege.
To live stream UFC's biggest events, your safest bet is therefore likely to be UFC Fight Pass, as it is in other countries. Expect similar pricing to TV pay-per-view costs. Beyond that, UFC Fight Nights are a lot cheaper and easier to find. Generally, they're shown on TSN (The Sports Network), which offers streaming-only access from $4.99 a day or $19.99 a month.
UFC live stream in New Zealand: how to watch every event online
Fans based in New Zealand can catch the major UFC events on Sky Arena. Similar to most other streaming platforms, you will have to cough up for PPVs - usually to the tune of $39.95.
Big UFC fans wanting to watch Fight Night events as well will find that a UFC Fight Pass is the best option to tune in to MMA action weekly.
UFC in 2020: what's happened so far and what's next?
UFC restarted in mid-May with Fight Night: Smith vs Teixeria - held behind closed doors in Jacksonville, Florida. It steadily regained momentum from there and the early highlight of the resumed calendar is without a doubt Justin Gaethje's spectacular, career defining victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249.
After that, UFC 250 saw Amanda Nunes dispatch Felicia Spencer by unanimous decision to retain her featherweight title - and historic position as the first ever women's two-division champion.
In between the actual fights, UFC poster boy Conor McGregor decided to 'retire' from the sport once again, while all-time great and reigning light heavyweight champion Jon 'Bones' Jones finds himself engulfed in a pay dispute with Ultimate Fighting Championship supremo Dana White. At the heart of the conflict is Jones' proposed move up to the heavyweight class with a view to fighting Francis Ngannou.
Jones says he has nothing left to prove at light heavyweight - though top title contender Dominick Reyes no doubt takes a different view. Jones defeated Reyes by unanimous decision back at UFC 247 - though many pundits scored the fight definitively in Reyes' favour.
Later in the year? Who knows. It wouldn't be a surprise to see McGregor return from his latest strop in time for a big ticket fight over the Christmas/New Year period, while Jon Jones almost certainly will be back in the Octagon sooner rather than later. Who he faces and under what banner is another matter entirely - the most enticing prospect for most fight fans would be a cross-promotion rematch against Bellator's Ryan Bader.
Where to buy UFC merch, gear and clothing
Now that UFC has resumed, MMA fans may be considering adding to or upgrading their merch collection - and we're pleased to say that the official UFC store is loaded with tempting swag.
To absolutely nobody's surprise, Fight Island is the theme of the promotion's latest collection - yet much to our amazement, some of the new apparel that's on sale is actually fit to be worn in public.
Recent additions include UFC-branded face masks, and best of all, you can save 10% on your first purchase just by signing up to the UFC email list - you've got a dummy address for this kind of thing, right?
Free shipping is available on orders over $75 and standard items should arrive within two weeks (international shipping times and taxes vary), so check out the UFC Store today.
