MMA News

Tag: espn

  • Jake Paul’s MVP Lands Multi-Show ESPN Deal, Debuts April 17 at MSG

    Jake Paul’s MVP Lands Multi-Show ESPN Deal, Debuts April 17 at MSG

    Jake Paul and MVP Promotions have been on a mission to place a bigger spotlight on women’s boxing, and they have taken the next step.

    In a press conference held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 6, MVP Promotions announced the launch of a new women’s boxing promotion known as MVPW.

    As part of MVP’s focus on women’s boxing, MVPW has signed a multi-year agreement with ESPN to air women’s boxing cards on its platform in the United States.

    Furthermore, MVP has signed a three-year deal with MSG Entertainment to host several cards at the arena.

    “Since inception MVP has strategically focused on creating an umbrella brand as the global home for women’s boxing, with the best fighters in the world, that engages existing boxing fans and attracts untapped fan demographics that embrace women’s sport, and today, we proudly enter a new era,” Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, MVP Promotions’ co-founders, said in a statement.

    “Over the past five years, we have invested heavily in female athletes, delivered historic and record-breaking events, and proven that these athletes belong on the biggest stages in the sport. Partnering with ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, to launch MVPW across its platforms is a historic milestone, and aligning with the world’s most iconic venue, Madison Square Garden, as we introduce the brand in the U.S. reinforces the scale and ambition behind what we are building.”

    The full press conference from MVP Promotions can be viewed in the video player below.

    MVPW’s inaugural event will take place on April 5 in London. The headline bout will see a lightweight title unification match featuring WBC champion Caroline Dubois and WBO champion Terri Harper.

    MVPW 2 on April 17 will be the first of the aforementioned MSG cards, taking place in the venue’s InfoSys Theater. That card will be topped by WBA, WBO, IBF super featherweight champion Alycia Bumgardner defending against Bo Mi Re Shin. The fight will be held with 10 three-minute rounds.

    MVPW 3, which will be held on May 30 in El Paso, Texas, will see former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm return to the squared circle to challenge Stephanie Han for the WBA lightweight championship. Han defeated Holm via a technical decision in January after the fight was stopped due to an accidental headbutt.

  • ESPN Purges MMA Broadcast Team Following Loss of UFC Rights to Paramount

    ESPN Purges MMA Broadcast Team Following Loss of UFC Rights to Paramount

    ESPN has parted ways with the majority of its MMA on-air talent following the UFC’s landmark move to Paramount+ in a deal reportedly worth $7.7 billion over seven years.

    The New York Post first reported the sweeping changes, which see the network not renewing contracts for key UFC broadcasting figures including Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, and Chael Sonnen.

    Additional on-air personalities affected include Karyn Bryant, Laura Sanko, Megan Olivi, Ian Parker, Alan Jouban, Anthony Smith, and Paul Felder.

    Longtime UFC reporter Brett Okamoto is reportedly being retained in a traditional journalist capacity.

    The talent purge coincides with Disney’s ongoing cost-cutting measures and ESPN’s strategic pivot in combat sports coverage. With UFC departing for Paramount+ and CBS, ESPN is redirecting resources toward WWE, which brings premium live events to the network starting in 2026.

    Several affected commentators are expected to continue working with UFC under the new Paramount umbrella. The promotion’s core broadcast team, including Joe Rogan and Jon Anik, will call fights on the new platform rather than as ESPN employees.

    The first UFC event under the Paramount+ deal is just weeks away (UFC 324), officially closing the chapter on the ESPN-UFC partnership that began in 2019.

  • UFC Fans Hit Again With Price Hike Ahead Of MMA Promotion’s ESPN Broadcast Deal Coming To An End In 2025

    UFC Fans Hit Again With Price Hike Ahead Of MMA Promotion’s ESPN Broadcast Deal Coming To An End In 2025

    UFC fans in the U.S. will have to shell out more to catch the action on ESPN networks.

    Back in 2019, the UFC inked a five-year exclusive broadcasting deal with ESPN. Throughout the partnership, ESPN aired the promotion’s full lineup of events on its television network and ESPN+ streaming platform, while also holding the rights to distribute pay-per-view cards.

    As the ESPN deal nears its conclusion at the end of 2025, the UFC has striked a staggering seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount Skydance. Under the new arrangement, the promotion will move away from the traditional PPV model for its biggest events, instead broadcasting these cards live to Paramount+ subscribers at no additional cost.

    ESPN still has four UFC PPV events remaining before their departure, but viewers will have to pay extra to catch three of those cards.

    UFC Octagon
    Image: UFC/Zuffa LLC

    ESPN To Hike Streaming Costs From October With UFC Exit On The Horizon

    On Tuesday, Disney, ESPN’s parent company, revealed that ESPN+ has been officially rebranded as ESPN Select. The announcement also included price hikes across several of Disney’s streaming services, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select, as well as increases to bundled packages. These changes will also impact UFC fans.

    Beginning October 21, the monthly subscription for ESPN Select will rise from $11.99 to $12.99, while the annual plan will increase from $119.99 to $129.99. Fans can also access ESPN Select content through the new ESPN Unlimited streaming service, priced at $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year.

    Meanwhile, bundle pricing is also set to rise. The ad-supported Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select package will increase from $16.99 to $19.99 per month, while the ad-free version will climb from $26.99 to $29.99 per month.

    Since launching its streaming service, ESPN has consistently raised subscription prices year after year. The recent hikes also extend to the UFC’s PPV events, which previously cost $59.99 and now run $79.99.

    By comparison, Paramount+ is priced at $7.99 per month with ads or $12.99 per month for the ad-free tier. While the company has not announced any upcoming price changes, an increase seems possible once the UFC’s new broadcast deal begins next year.

  • ESPN In Talks To Acquire UFC Fight Pass

    ESPN In Talks To Acquire UFC Fight Pass

    A little less than two weeks after it was reported they will no longer be the home for UFC live events starting in 2026, a new report has emerged that ESPN is seeking to purchase UFC Fight Pass and the UFC’s video library.

    Per Blake Avignon, who cites multiple unnamed sources, such a deal between the UFC and ESPN is not finalized but are in advanced talking stages.

    According to Avignon, “The plan is to fold the archive and select live content into ESPN’s new DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) app.”

    ESPN officially launched its new app on August 21 with an $11.99/month ESPN Select tier — which gives access to ESPN+ content — and a $29.99/month ESPN Unlimited tier — which gives access to all ESPN content.

    ESPN Eyeing Purchase Of UFC Fight Pass, Video Library

    It is unclear how much of the UFC’s video library — including the video libraries of other promotions the UFC has acquired, such as PRIDE, WEC, and Strikeforce — would be available on the ESPN app.

    It is also unclear what such an acquisition would mean for the regional and smaller promotions that air on UFC Fight Pass, including the LFA, CFFC, and Fury FC — as well as the discipline-focused programs including UFC BJJ and the UFC Fight Pass Invitational competitions.

    The archives for both Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter are also available on UFC Fight Pass. While there is no indication of such, some believe this deal would mean both programs would remain with ESPN. Neither program was part of the UFC’s new deal with Paramount. This would mean a split of UFC properties between different networks and streaming services, which most believed might happen when initially discussing the UFC’s U.S. broadcasting rights after 2025.

    The UFC and Paramount agreed to a seven-year, $7.7 billion U.S. broadcasting deal that would see all 43 live events per calendar year — 13 UFC numbered cards and 30 UFC Fight Night events — be broadcast on the Paramount+ streaming service, with a select number of UFC numbered cards airing on the linear CBS network.

    It is also unclear what such a deal could mean for the fate of the PFL, whose own U.S. broadcasting deal with ESPN expires at the end of 2026.

    While they lost the rights to UFC live events, ESPN has been busy on the sports content front throughout August. At the beginning of the month, ESPN acquired assets of the NFL — including the NFL Network channel, NFL RedZone, and NFL Fantasy — in exchange for the football league gaining a 10 percent ownership stake in ESPN.

    Just one day ago, ESPN acquired the rights to MLB.TV, incorporating out-of-market MLB broadcasts (and in-market broadcasts for five MLB teams) into its streaming service.

    ESPN also gained U.S. broadcasting rights for the PLEs (Premium Live Events) of WWE — UFC’s sibling company under the TKO umbrella. While that deal was initially scheduled to start following the expiration of WWE’s deal with Peacock in March 2026, a new agreement amongst the companies will now see that deal begin with WWE WrestlePalooza on September 20.

  • Dana White: Zuffa Boxing TV Deal Done, Announcement Coming – ESPN in the Mix?

    Dana White: Zuffa Boxing TV Deal Done, Announcement Coming – ESPN in the Mix?

    Just as one broadcasting deal for Dana White’s combat sports empire got done, another one might be on its way.

    It’s been noted that the UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount only includes the numbered UFC events and Fight Night cards — nothing for Dana White’s Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, Road to UFC, or Zuffa Boxing.

    However, in a new interview with Sports Business Journal, White says that a broadcasting for Zuffa Boxing has been completed, just not announced yet.

    “We’ll see how this plays out,” White simply stated.

    Zuffa Boxing Broadcasting Deal To Be Announced, Could ESPN Be In Plans?

    Sports Business Journal also made reference to a report from World Boxing News last week that ESPN, whose deal with the UFC ends in December, may be involved in broadcasting Zuffa Boxing.

    ESPN’s broadcasting deal with Top Rank Boxing concluded at the end of July, and World Boxing News suggested ESPN looked at a potential deal with Zuffa Boxing as a “trade” of sorts.

    Top Rank Boxing’s end on ESPN means there is no boxing on any American television broadcast or cable channel for the first time in 80+ years.

    Zuffa Boxing and its parent company, TKO, also parent company of the UFC and WWE, have also been a key supporter of the much-debated Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The act would allow for fighters to pursue opportunities with UBOs — which Zuffa Boxing would be, where the promoters can award their own championships, host their own events, and rank their own fighters — as opposed to the major sanctioning alphabet organizations.

    White’s UFC signed a new U.S. broadcasting deal with Paramount on August 11, bringing 43 UFC events — 13 numbered cards and 30 UFC Fight Night cards — to Paramount+, with certain numbered cards airing on the linear CBS channel.

  • Dana White’s Contender Series Not Part Of UFC-Paramount Deal, Broadcast Rights TBD

    Dana White’s Contender Series Not Part Of UFC-Paramount Deal, Broadcast Rights TBD

    UPDATE: The New York Post’s Erich Richter has confirmed that Dana White’s Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, and Road to UFC are all not part of the UFC-Paramount package, and that the UFC is still shopping homes for these platforms.

    The major seven-year, $7.7 billion U.S. broadcasting deal between the UFC and Paramount may not include Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), the UFC CEO and President confirmed to Sports Business Journal.

    One of the notable things to come out of the new UFC deal was what the press release to announce it did not make mention of UFC properties outside of the events that include the likes of DWCS, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Road to UFC, etc.

    White confirmed an interview that while the UFC and all of its numbered and Fight Night events are part of the Paramount package, which begins in January, the U.S. rights to air DWCS are still to be determined.

    “Yeah. That could be split up,” White said. “We’ll see how that plays out.”

    UFC Properties May Be Split Up After All, As DWCS Not Part Of UFC-Paramount Deal

    While the interview did not mention TUF or Road to UFC, it may be assumed that those rights are also still up in the air.

    TUF was created by the UFC when it first partnered up with Paramount Network (then known as Spike) in 2005, the same year it started airing Fight Night events on the cable channel. TUF has since followed the UFC throughout its times with FOX and ESPN as well.

    Road to UFC has aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass since its inception and may likely remain there.

    DWCS first premiered on UFC Fight Pass in 2017 before moving over to ESPN+ as part of the UFC’s deal with ESPN that began in 2019. The UFC’s U.S. broadcasting rights with ESPN ends at the end of the year. DWCS not being part of the Paramount deal keeps the possibility that ESPN could have some piece of the UFC umbrella.

    White added that he doesn’t see ESPN shying away from UFC coverage after the deal.

    “When we first started out over there, you’re going to have some rockiness when you’re figuring how you’re going to work with each other and who’s who, what’s what, and, ‘How are we going to do this?’ and we had some of that with ESPN,” White said. “Let me tell you what, over the last seven years, we have created an unbelievable relationship with that company and the people that work there.

    “I don’t see [ESPN promoting UFC less after 2025] happening. I see the exact opposite of that happening. We wouldn’t be where we are today without ESPN and I plan on continuing that relationship for the rest of my career.”

    This deal between the UFC and Paramount calls for 43 UFC cards, featuring 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Night cards, to be broadcasted on Paramount+. A select number of the numbered events (White has said four, while TKO executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro claim all) will air on the lineal CBS network in the U.S.

    When current international broadcasting deals for the UFC expire, Paramount will also have a 30-day exclusive negotiating window to lock up rights in those countries as well.

  • Report: UFC ‘Almost Definitely’ Heading To Netflix After End Of ESPN Deal

    Report: UFC ‘Almost Definitely’ Heading To Netflix After End Of ESPN Deal

    One week after a UFC 313 broadcast that left plenty of complaints and rants against ESPN and their ESPN+ platform, it appears the UFC’s relationship with the American broadcast sports network will be coming to an end.

    According to a recent report from the New York Post, officials at TKO, created by the parent company of the UFC, Endeavor, are furious with the difficulties for UFC 313. They included everything from being unable to purchase the pay-per-view, to customers being double charged for the event, to streaming quality of the card.

    Now, in a new video from the news publication, Jake Aryeh and Erich Richter on Against the Cage noted that while the UFC is still in the middle of an exclusive negotiating window with ESPN, the MMA promotion may be looking to get a deal with Netflix as soon as possible to ensure it begins following the expiration of the deal with ESPN at the end of the year.

    The exclusive negotiating window ends on April 15, according to the Post.

    Richter, in fact, says that he has heard from a “well-connected” source that Netflix will “definitely” be the new home for the UFC.

    UFC Doing ‘Everything In Their Power’ For Netflix Deal After ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window Expires

    During the 40-minute video, Aryeh and Richter break down multiple issues between the UFC and ESPN. The UFC, who a week later is still very upset by the UFC 313 issues, has an issue with the quality of the technology used by ESPN for broadcasts. ESPN, meanwhile, is reportedly upset with the number of pay-per-view buys for what they pay to broadcast UFC.

    The Post video added that PPV numbers are “way down” to the point where fighters are upset because PPV points in fighters’ contracts mean virtually nothing. The low number of buys can be attributed to various potential reasons from quality of cards to easier methods of pirating in the modern, digital age.

    Aryeh and Richter also note a lack of recent cards that are not behind the ESPN+ subscription paywall, though that could be due to current other commitments of ESPN the last several months that included college football and basketball programming.

    A deal with Netflix may be the easiest and most logical fit given the streaming platform’s recent attempts to get into live sports programming. The UFC’s partners in TKO, the WWE, have found quite the success with their deals with Netflix, which started at the beginning of this year. In fact, the Post notes that the UFC will do “everything in their power” to get a deal with Netflix.

    The Post notes that one roadblock in a deal with Netflix is that Netflix is opposed to the pay-per-view model, which the UFC were able to retain in their deal with ESPN. Customers currently have to pay for an ESPN+ subscription before being able to purchase a UFC pay-per-view. Netflix, however, is reportedly flexible in this regard.

  • Report: UFC Seeking $1 Billion Yearly In New TV Deal, 5 Interested Broadcasters Revealed

    Whoever is interested in obtaining the US television rights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be paying more than a pretty penny.

    Per a new report from Bloomberg, the UFC is looking to obtain a TV rights deal in the United States that will give them more than $1 billion per year.

    The UFC’s current deal with ESPN expires at the end of the year. The two parties originally agreed to a five-year deal worth approximately $1 billion total back in 2018 before a contract extension that made the deal worth about $450 million a year.

    According to reports, ESPN is interested in re-upping its rights with the leading MMA promotion in the world but will face stiff competition from Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as YouTube and the Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming services. ESPN and TKO, the UFC’s parent company, are currently in the midst of an exclusive negotiating period that lasts until mid-April.

    “We started on ESPN seven years ago and had a rocky relationship in the beginning,” UFC CEO Dana White told Bloomberg TV in November. “But now I couldn’t be happier at ESPN, it’s a great relationship and I wouldn’t mind staying with them.”

    UFC Seeks More Than $1 Billion In New TV Rights

    What makes the UFC’s broadcasting services in the country so valuable is that the UFC is the only major sports broadcasting rights that are available for the foreseeable future. The NBA locked up new television contracts last year, while leagues like the NFL and MLB are already early into new broadcasting contracts.

    The UFC’s partner in TKO, the WWE, just started its new broadcasting rights, with its Monday Night Raw program having its Netflix premiere just this past Monday. The partnership, as well as Netflix’s previous ventures into live programming last year with NFL games and the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, giving speculation that the UFC could be interested in partnering with Netflix.

    Amazon Prime has recently been the broadcasting home to ONE Championship Fight Night cards in the U.S.

    There is also the chance that the UFC may split its broadcasting rights like the other U.S. major sports leagues do. This could see, for example, UFC pay-per-views heading to one platform, while UFC Fight Night cards and other programs such as Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter, heading elsewhere.

  • Tatsuro Taira Tops ESPN’s ’25 Under 25′ MMA list, Muhammad Mokaev Takes Tenth

    Tatsuro Taira Tops ESPN’s ’25 Under 25′ MMA list, Muhammad Mokaev Takes Tenth

    ESPN has published it’s MMA 25 under 25 list for 2024 which highlights the top young and rising talent in the sport today. As the list itself states, it isn’t always a perfect predictor of who will go on to achieve success at the highest level but it does group together the young competitors that are showing the most promise right now.

    For example, in 2019, the top two picks in A.J. McKee and Sean O’Malley have certainly gone on to deliver on their potential whilst the following three names in Edmen Shahbazyan, Nasrat Haqparast and Aspen Ladd have all had varying degrees of success.

    Topping the list this time around is Japan’s Tatsuro Taira who is the #5-ranked contender in the UFC’s flyweight division. Even in his last fight where he suffered the first loss of his 17-fight pro career against Brandon Royval, it was clear that Taira belongs at the top of the 125-pound division following six wins inside the Octagon.

    His fellow countryman Rei Tsuruya has also scored high (#4) and at 22-years old, he will look to earn his second consecutive win in the UFC when he returns against Stewart Nicoll at UFC 312 in February. The second spot belongs to Raul Rosas Jr. who is likely to be a fixture of these lists for a few more years given that he’s still only 20-years old despite having five UFC appearances already under his belt.

    Coming in at number three is the highest ranked woman on the list with Iasmin Lucindo currently occupying the #7-ranking in the UFC’s strawweight division. One of this year’s winners of The Ultimate Fighter, Mairon Santos, rounds out the top five.

    Across the top 10, there are two names that don’t currently compete in the UFC and they land at #9 and #10. The younger brother of Zabit Magomedsharipov, Khasan Magomedsharipov, is undefeated at 10-0 with his latest Bellator win coming in June.

    Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev is set to make his BRAVE CF return on December 13 after he parted ways with the UFC following his seventh consecutive win in the promotion over Manel Kape. The #10-pick was placed at #2 in 2023’s list and though he might not be in the UFC right now, he’s clearly still one of the best flyweights in the world at 24-years old. Interestingly, five of the top 10 are men’s flyweights.

    Check out the full list below:

    1. Tatsuro Taira
    2. Raul Rosas Jr.
    3. Iasmin Lucindo
    4. Rei Tsuruya
    5. Mairon Santos
    6. Denise Gomes
    7. Felipe dos Santos
    8. Joshua Van
    9. Khasan Magomedsharipov
    10. Muhammad Mokaev
    11. Stephanie Luciano
    12. Tom Nolan
    13. Luana Santos
    14. Cameron Saaiman
    15. Austin Bashi
    16. Lucas Brennan
    17. Kevin Vallejos
    18. Francisco Prado
    19. Fatima Kline
    20. Shanelle Dyer
    21. Nurullo Aliev
    22. Rongzhu
    23. Tereza Bleda
    24. Makoto Takahashi
    25. Kade Ruotolo