The rough-and-tumble world of UFC offers some of live television’s biggest thrills. But will you have to miss out on UFC action if you don’t have a cable or satellite package? Thankfully, the answer is no. We’re here to guide you through the steps you’ll need to take to enjoy a UFC livestream in time for the next big matchup.
How to Watch UFC Online Without Cable
Let’s talk about your options for watching UFC pay-per-view and network broadcasts online, with no cable required.
For the ESPN networks, we’ll turn to our old friends: live TV streaming services, or “skinny bundles,” which offer cable-like bundles of live channels packaged into a streaming subscription you can watch virtually anywhere. For pay-per-view, you’ll need ESPN Plus — the single most important service for UFC fans.
We’ll also talk about UFC’s own streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.
Some UFC fights are available on ESPN’s flagship network and not on ESPN Plus. For those bouts (which are not pay-per-view events), you’ll need access to an ESPN livestream — and to get an ESPN livestream, you can turn to Hulu. Hulu’s live TV arm, the aptly named Hulu + Live TV, is a strong skinny-bundle option that offers a free trial.
If there’s one live TV streaming service that really focuses on sports, it’s fuboTV. This live TV streaming service is chock-full of sports networks, including both ESPN and ESPN2. That should have you covered for the UFC bouts appearing on those channels.
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service with a lot to offer, including livestreams of ESPN, ESPN2, and other ESPN networks. That makes Sling TV a solid choice for people who want to catch the occasional UFC fight that pops up on ESPN or ESPN2 instead of ESPN Plus’ pay-per-view events.
When it comes to watching UFC without cable, all roads lead to ESPN Plus. It’s actually harder to watch UFC with cable than it is to watch it without cable, because UFC cut a huge streaming deal with ESPN Plus. As of this writing, the only way to get a UFC pay-per-view event at home is to be an ESPN Plus subscriber and buy it through that service. Note, however, that ESPN Plus does not offer a livestream of the ESPN network; it is a different service from the long-tenured Worldwide Leader in Sports.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV, Google’s live TV streaming service, is a great way to get a livestream of ESPN. It’s a strong choice for sports fans, including UFC fans who want to catch the matches that aren’t ESPN Plus pay-per-view events.
UFC Fight Pass
Like many other sports leagues, UFC has its own direct-to-consumer live sports streaming solution. As with other league services, there is a lot to love about UFC Fight Pass — and a few caveats to note. UFC Fight Pass comes with access to a ton of UFC content, including some live fights. It generally won’t help you avoid paying for pay-per-view events, though, and some other events may be blacked out on UFC Fight Pass if they’re airing on another channel (such as ESPN) in your region. UFC Fight Pass has limitations, but it’s worth the price for UFC super-fans.
Can I Watch UFC on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
UFC’s big-time events deserve to be viewed on your biggest screen, which begs the question: Can you watch UFC on your smart TV or TV-connected streaming platform of choice?
The answer is almost certainly yes. Let's break it down by device and service.
| Roku | Fire TV | Apple TV | Android TV | Chromecast | iOS | Android | Web/ browser |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| fuboTV | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sling TV | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Youtube TV | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
You can also access UFC content via ESPN Plus and UFC Fight Pass. ESPN Plus works on Roku, Apple TV, Google’s Android TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, web browsers, and Xbox One. UFC Fight Pass can be viewed on the same devices: Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, web browsers, and Xbox One.
Upcoming UFC Bouts
UFC fights never stop, and each year, they come out with a schedule that's bigger and better than the last. Check back here often for all of the upcoming UFC fights you can expect. Here are the UFC Fights that are coming up soon:
- February 26th: UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green
- March 5th: UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal
- March 12th: UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev
- March 19th: UFC Fight Night: Bolkov vs. Aspinall
- March 26th: UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus
- April 9th: UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie
- April 16th: UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad
- April 23rd: UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade
UFC Without Cable Can Get a Bit Tricky
It’s tough to get all your UFC content in one place. Because of the deal UFC has with ESPN, you’d need to subscribe to ESPN Plus along with another skinny bundle that features both ESPN and ESPN2 to cover all your bases. If you have to choose, ESPN Plus is the better bet — it’s your home for the pay-per-view events that matter most in UFC.