Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

UFC live stream: How to watch UFC from anywhere, legally

High-speed internet has made it easy and economical for millions of people to “cut the cord” and ditch traditional cable or satellite TV in favor of online streaming services. But due to regional broadcasting restrictions, sports fans had to wait a while longer to enjoy live and on-demand content. Movies and TV shows have been available on services like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video for about a decade now, and today’s 4K smart TVs even come with built-in internet connectivity and pre-loaded streaming apps — but only recently have broadcasters like ESPN done the same thing for live-action sports, including UFC live streams like the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili and UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3.

The world’s biggest mixed martial arts fighting league has joined with ESPN to bring you all of your favorite UFC content in 2023, both online and on TV. Fox previously held exclusive broadcasting rights to UFC through 2018, but starting in 2019, the contract went to ESPN. ESPN rolled out its own premium streaming service called ESPN+ in the spring of 2018. This is great news for MMA fans, as the UFC’s tight relationship with ESPN now makes it easy to stream UFC fights online. Although some fight cards are broadcast on ESPN’s TV channel and UFC Fight Pass, ESPN+ is the only venue for watching UFC PPVs online, including the UFC 286 live stream. This means that for the foreseeable future, all Ultimate Fighting Championship content is airing only on this network, and if you’re looking for the best way to watch every UFC live stream online, ESPN+ is what you need.

Related Videos

Watch the UFC live stream on ESPN Plus

The ESPN+ logo on a black background.

You don’t need to sign up for an expensive live TV streaming package to watch UFC live streams; all you need is ESPN+ for streaming UFC fights and pay-per-view events such as UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3. It also offers a mountain of other sports content beyond MMA, such as college basketball, La Liga soccer, and PGA Golf. You can simply sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription and you’re good to go. Despite the price creeping up over the years, it’s still a solid value at just $10 per month or $100 per year. Ahead of pay-per-view showings, new subscribers can take advantage of a bundle deal that offers a year’s worth of ESPN+ along with the upcoming UFC 286 PPV package for $125– a nice $55 discount off the price of purchasing them separately. You can use ESPN+ with virtually all modern smart TVs, streaming devices (including smartphones and tablets), computer web browsers, and PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles.

Watch the UFC live stream on Hulu with Live TV

Hulu app icon on Roku.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

Hulu offers ESPN+ as part of its $70-per-month Live TV plan, which now includes Disney+ as well. Along with Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+, Hulu with Live TV also gets you more than 85 live TV channels, so it’s a great all-in-one streaming bundle for cord-cutters. You can also add premium channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz, for an extra fee. If all you want are the streaming apps and don’t care about live TV channels, then a more economical choice might be which comes with basic ad-supported Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ for $13 per month. Since both of these options include ESPN+, you can watch all UFC fights with either one, including pay-per-view events like UFC 286.

Watch the UFC live stream from abroad with a VPN

NordVPN running on a MacBook Pro.

For MMA fans living abroad, watching UFC live streams can be a challenge due to the limitations created by regional broadcasting rights. However, with the help of a virtual private network, it’s not only possible but very easy to bypass these restrictions and access ESPN+ from anywhere in the world. By connecting to a VPN server located in the United States, you can mask your IP address and appear as though you’re accessing the content from within the U.S. NordVPN is our favorite of the best VPN services for streaming, as it offers high-speed connections and a large network of servers in the U.S. and around the world. With NordVPN, you can enjoy seamless streaming of UFC live events on ESPN+ without having to worry about geographical restrictions. It’s cheap too: You can get NordVPN for as little as $4.20 per month if you sign up for the two-year plan.

Editors' Recommendations

Philo free trial: Stream live TV for free for a week
Philo.

Philo is a live TV streaming service that gives you access to over 70 channels for the low price of $25. It's a simple cable-replacement service with a lot of your favorite channels on it, including AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV, Nickelodeon and many more. Like all the best live TV streaming services, you can get Philo on your TV by using the Smart TV app or a streaming stick like the Amazon Fire 4K. You can also use it on your laptop or phone. Philo includes unlimited free cloud-based DVR, so you can record and rewatch shows even if they haven't yet appeared on a streaming service like Netflix. You get all of this without being tethered to a cable box, and there is no contract, so you can cancel whenever you want. The service is cheap, but if you want to test it out before you buy, you can always check out the Philo free trial.

Is there a Philo free trial?
Yes, there is a Philo free trial. You can get a full week of the service completely free. You will have to enter your payment information though, so  don't forget to cancel your subscription once your trial is up if you don't intend on continuing with the service. The signup process is simple. You just have to enter your basic info (including a credit card) and confirm your account via an email. You'll be streaming live TV within five minutes. You can even use the unlimited Cloud DVR for that week, but you'll lose access to the things you recorded after your week is up.
Can you get Philo for free?
There isn't a way to get Philo for free. The service costs $25 per month, unless you use a coupon code or find a deal (more on that below). There currently aren't any sign-on bonuses or package deals that give you the service completely free, although some give you a discount. Your best bet for getting the service for free is to leverage the Philo free trial.
Are there any Philo deals?
After your Philo free trial is over, you'll be looking for a way to save some cash on the subscription. Even though $25 per month is one of the cheapest live TV streaming services out there, there are ways to make it cheaper. If you're a T-Mobile user, you can get the service for only $15. All you need is a T-Mobile or Sprint phone number. Signing up through your T-Mobile account will get you a 40% discount on the service for one full year. It will go back to $25 after that.

Read more
Creighton vs Princeton live stream: How to watch for free
A wide shot of the inside of the Alamodome arena.

We’re now into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and if you’ve got the bug for March Madness, you won’t want to miss today’s Creighton vs Princeton game. This is a matchup of surprise Cinderella teams, and there are quite a few good places to watch March Madness online. With the Creighton vs Princeton game being broadcast by TBS, several of the best live TV streaming services will have access to the live stream. We’ve narrowed down the best ways to watch the game online, and we’ve even found a way for you to watch Creighton vs Princeton for free, legally, from anywhere in the world.
Watch the Creighton vs Princeton live stream on Sling TV

Sling TV is an all-in-one streaming TV service that includes TBS in its channel offerings, and it makes for a great place to watch NCAA basketball this time of year. It has two base plans to choose from, with TBS and the Creighton vs Princeton game available on each of them. Sling is a good platform to consider a subscription to if you enjoy sports in general, as it also includes networks like ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNT in its base plans. Dozens of other channels are also available, and while there isn’t a Sling TV free trial available, subscriptions start at just $40 per month and discounts are almost always going for first-time subscribers.

Read more
LA Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls live stream: Watch the NBA for free
watch alabama vs san diego state live stream online bulls lakers promo image nba

The LA Lakers face off against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Streaming live basketball can get tricky because of local blackout rules. Basically, if you live in the area of Chicago or LA, you can get the game on most of the best live TV streaming services without any extra hoops. If you live outside of those areas, you'll have to get a regular subscription and an NBA League Pass. Check out your options below.
Watch the LA Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls live stream on FuboTV

FuboTV has access to NBC Sports Chicago with the Pro and Elite plans, but you have to be in the local Chicago area. If you aren't, you'll need to add the NBA League Pass. Thankfully, there is a weeklong FuboTV free trial, so you won't have to pay the usual fee of $70 per month for this particular game. You will have to pay the $15 to add NBA League Pass though. FuboTV offers 145 channels in the base plane, so you'll find something to love after the game is over.

Read more