The Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) Fight Nights may not have the draw of UFC pay-per-view (PPV) events, but if you’re an avid MMA fan, you should have Fight Night on your watch list. While the weekly matchups feature little-known fighters, they serve up thrilling bouts. Read on to learn how to watch UFC Fight Night from anywhere.
Key Takeaways: UFC Fight Night: How to Watch
- You can watch UFC Fight Night prelims and main events on ESPN+ or any other streaming service with ESPN+. Outside the U.S., Fight Nights are available for streaming on BT Sport (U.K.), Foxtel TV and Kayo (Australia), and Sony Sports (India).
- If you travel outside your home country, you’ll need a VPN to access the UFC streaming service back home.
- ExpressVPN is the best VPN for UFC streaming, thanks to its unmatched unblocking ability and fast speeds. NordVPN is a cheaper ExpressVPN alternative.
UFC Fight Night is more affordable than the main PPV events, and with as little as $10, you can watch up to four Fight Nights every month. We’ll explore the streaming options in various countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Australia. We’ve also scoured the web and found some viable options to watch UFC Fight Night for free.
You might need a VPN to keep up with the UFC Fight Night bouts. For example, if you have subscribed to a U.S. streaming service and are on a business trip abroad, you’ll need the best VPN to watch the fights. Keep reading to learn how to use a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, to watch UFC Fight Night.
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Yes, you can watch UFC Fight Night for free with fuboTV and YouTube TV free trials.
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Yes, you can watch UFC Fight Night without an ESPN+ subscription. You only need a streaming service with ESPN+, such as fuboTV, SlingTV or YouTube TV.
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Yes, you can watch UFC Fight Night without an ESPN+ subscription. You only need a streaming service with ESPN+, such as fuboTV, SlingTV or YouTube TV.n”}}]}]]>
How to Watch UFC Fight Night Without Cable
ESPN signed a deal with UFC in 2023 to retain exclusive rights to broadcast all UFC events until 2025. The agreement means that ESPN is the go-to channel to watch all UFC Fight Nights and PPV events.
This is great news for cord-cutters as it means you can watch the weekly events on ESPN+. The streaming service is affordable, costing $9.99 per month. In addition to UFC Fight Nights, you can watch interviews, the Dana White show, press conferences and more. Just bear in mind that besides the ESPN subscription, you’ll need to cough up a whopping $79.99 per month to watch the UFC PPV events (also known as numbered events).
While ESPN+ gives you access to UFC Fight Nights, you’ll need a UFC Fight Pass to watch on-demand MMA content. It also shows historical fights and other original series. The UFC Fight Pass costs $9.99 per month or $95.99 per year.
Other UFC Fight Night Streaming Options
If you want to catch all the UFC Fight Night events and watch movies on Hulu and Disney+, the Disney Bundle is your best bet. For $12 per month, you’ll get three streaming services: ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+.
In addition, you can stream UFC Fight Nights on streaming services that come with ESPN+, such as Sling TV, fuboTV or a YouTubeTV.
Which Streaming Services & Channels Broadcast UFC Fight Night?
Unfortunately, the streaming services mentioned earlier are available only to MMA fans in the United States. Outside the U.S., there are limited options to watch UFC Fight Night events. The following channels broadcast the events outside the U.S.:
| Country: | Streaming Services |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, Disney Bundle, Sling TV, fuboTV |
| 🇬🇧 U.K. | BT Sport |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Foxtel TV, Kayo* |
| 🇮🇳 India | Sony Sports |
| Africa | Supersport (on DSTV) |
* watch ESPN online without cable
How to Watch UFC Fight Night Online Free
Sadly for freebie lovers, ESPN+ doesn’t offer a free plan or free trial. That means you can’t livestream UFC Fight Night for free on ESPN+ — but you’re not totally out of luck.
YouTube TV and fuboTV (which both carry ESPN) offer a free trial. This is undoubtedly your best option to watch UFC Fight Night events for free.
FuboTV offers a seven-day free trial, meaning you can watch one UFC Fight Night for free. On the other hand, YouTube TV Base plan offers a 10-day free trial, which gives you enough time to watch two UFC Fight Nights free of charge.
How to Watch UFC Fight Night With a VPN
The UFC streaming services are goe-restricted, meaning if you have a subscription to a U.S. channel, you can’t access it when you move abroad. This section will show you how to watch UFC Fight Night with a VPN. We’ll use ExpressVPN — the best VPN for streaming — to unblock ESPN on Sling TV outside The U.S.
- Download and Install a VPN App
Subscribe to a VPN service with servers in the U.S. or country where UFC Fight Night streams are available. Download the VPN app on your Windows, Mac, Apple TV, Fire TV or other Smart TVs. Alternatively, install the mobile app from Google Play or Apple’s app store.
- Complete VPN Setup and Connect
Launch the VPN app on your device and sign in to complete the setup. Once the app is ready, connect to a server in the U.S. Do a DNS leak test to confirm you have the correct IP address.
- Subscribe to Sling TV
If you already have a subscription to Sling TV or any other UFC streaming service, skip this step. Alternatively, head over to Sling TV to create an account and subscribe to Sling Orange, which carries ESPN.
- Watch UFC Fight Night
Log in to Sling TV or your go-to UFC streaming service and watch Fight Nights without interruption.
We’ll show the main event and prelim cards for upcoming UFC Fight Nights in a bit. But first, let’s discuss the top three VPNs to watch Fight Night.
The Best VPNs for Watching UFC Fight Night
We’ve already mentioned how a VPN helps you unblock geo-restricted UFC streaming services. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for UFC streaming (we’ll tell you why it outranks other services), but it’s not the only reliable live sport streaming service. Read on to find other VPNs for UFC streaming.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN enables you to watch UFC stars as they clash in the octagon without interruption.
Pros:
- Great unblocking ability
- Blazing-fast speeds
- 30-day money-back return
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for UFC Fight Night, thanks to its unmatched unblocking ability and fast speeds. It has servers in 94 countries, including countries where UFC Fight Night streams are available, such as the U.S. and U.K. Whether you access ESPN+ in the U.K. or Australia, ExpressVPN gets you into the streaming service on the first attempt.
Even better, ExpressVPN delivers blazing-fast speed and negligible latency. As a result, videos load like local sessions, and the streaming is lag- and buffering-free. In addition, the VPN offers unlimited bandwidth and data, so you don’t have to worry about getting cut off right before your favorite MMA fighter lands a knock kick on the opponent.
Compared to other VPN services, ExpressVPN is pricey. However, considering its features and benefits, it offers the best value for your money. Read our full ExpressVPN review to learn more.
ExpressVPN Plans
2. NordVPN
NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol lets you stream UFC events without lags or buffering.
Pros:
- Fast download speeds
- Cheaper than ExpressVPN
- 30-day money-back return
Cons:
- Had a server breach in 2018
NordVPN gives our top pick a run for its money. It’s the fastest VPN (slightly faster than ExpressVPN), meaning it can deliver lag- and buffering-free UFC Fight Night streaming. In addition, you get unlimited data and bandwidth to witness every upset and knockout without worrying about getting cut off in the middle.
While it doesn’t rival ExpressVPN in unblocking ability, it accesses UFC Fight Night streaming services. During our testing, NordVPN unblocked ESPN+ without a hitch. However, we’ve had instances where it took several attempts to access a streaming service. Don’t be surprised if the service forces you to switch servers to watch UFC Fight Night.
Regarding pricing, NordVPN has a leg up on our top pick. Its monthly plan is on the higher side of the pricing spectrum, but extended plans come with significant discounts. It’s not surprising that NordVPN is the best cheap VPN. Learn more in our full NordVPN review.
3. Proton VPN
Proton VPN lets you watch UFC Fight Night free of charge to witness the upsets or knockouts.
Pros:
- Unlimited data on free plan
- Free servers in the U.S.
- Solid security & privacy
Proton VPN is the best free VPN, and we added it to our list for users on a tight budget. Its free servers in the U.S. makes it a safe bet to watch UFC Fight Nights on ESPN+ outside the U.S. While it doesn’t rival ExpressVPN or NordVPN on the unblocking front, it gets you into UFC streaming services.
What’s more, Proton VPN offers unlimited data, which is a rarity for free VPN services. However, it does impose some usage limits. For example, the free servers can be slow during peak hours. As a result, you might experience video lags and buffering when the servers are overloaded. Learn more in our Proton VPN review.
UFC Fight Night Fight Card: May 20
UFC Fight Nights take place every Saturday, meaning each month has four events. In addition to Fight Nights, UFC holds one pay-per-view event each month.
This year has already seen high-stake bouts in Fight Nights, such as the Rozenstruik vs Almeida. There’s a lot in store for MMA fans in the coming months, starting with the Saturday, May 20, 2023, Fight Night.
The UFC Fight Night will take place at the UFC Apex octagon in Las Vegas. There will be five main events and seven prelims.
Main Card (starts at 2:00 a.m.)
| Category: | Fight |
|---|---|
| 🤼️ Men’s Middleweight | E. Shahbazyan vs A. Hernandez |
| 🤼️ Men’s Welterweight | A. Fialho vs J. Buckley |
| 🤼️ Men’s Lightweight | D. Ferreira vs M. Johnson |
| 🤼️ Men’s Lightweight | Maheshate vs V. Borshchev |
| 🤼️ Women’s Strawweight | M. Dern vs A. Hill |
| 🤼️ Women’s Catch Weight | E. Ducote vs L. Godinez |
Prelims (Starts at 11:00 PM)
| Category: | Fight |
|---|---|
| 🤼️ Men’s Welterweight | O. Cosce vs G. Urbina |
| 🤼️ Men’s Heavyweight | I. Latifi vs R. Nascimento |
| 🤼️ Women’s Strawweight | K. Kowalkiewicz vs V. Demopoulos |
| 🤼️ Men’s Lightweight | C. Hooper vs N. Fiore |
| 🤼️ Women’s Flyweight | N. Silva vs V. Leonardo |
| 🤼️ Men’s Welterweight | T. Sato vs T. Gorimbo |
Final Thoughts
Fight Nights allow MMA fans to watch future UFC champions. The fighters may be honing their skills, but the level of competition and grit they showcase makes these fights a must-watch. If you’re in the U.S., you can watch all UFC Fight Nights on ESPN+ or other streaming services that carry ESPN+.
If you’re traveling, you can’t access the U.S. streaming services. You’ll need a VPN to cheer on your favorite ultimate fighter. To that end, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for UFC streaming, thanks to its great unblocking ability and fast speeds. NordVPN is a cheaper alternative, whereas Proton VPN is the best free VPN for UFC.
Have you watched UFC Fight Nights outside the U.S.? Which streaming service did you use? Did you use a VPN service to access the channel? Which VPN did you use? We’d like to hear about it in the comment section. As always, thanks for reading.
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Originally posted on May 19, 2023 @ 3:07 pm
