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Biggest question marks regarding UFC’s new deal with Paramount

The UFC will enter a lucrative new era at the end of this year.
Drew Beaupre|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The UFC officially has its new TV rights and streaming deal in place with Paramount, and the news has been the talk of the MMA community since it was announced.

UFC CEO Dana White has been making the rounds on various outlets this week to discuss the new deal, which will see the UFC move on from its current partnership with ESPN that began in 2019. That deal is set to expire at the end of the year, leaving the UFC to begin a seven-year contract with Paramount worth a reported $7.7 billion.

The dust has barely settled from the industry-shaking news, and there’s still a number of questions that MMA fans have about the new partnership between the UFC and Paramount.

Availability Of Live Events On CBS

As noted by Luke Thomas, initial comments from TKO Group Holdings President and COO Mark Shapiro to CNBC indicated that all numbered (formerly pay-per-view) UFC events would be available on CBS.

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White painted a slightly different picture during an interview of his own with CBS Sports, where the UFC boss claimed that CBS will get four major events each year.

End Of UFC Pay-Per-Views & The Future Of Fighter Pay

While MMA fans have celebrated the fact that the UFC has finally decided to abandon its pay-per-view model, there’s still a question of how this lucrative new deal will affect how the promotion’s fighters are paid.

Conor McGregor set records with the PPV numbers for several of his UFC fights.
Conor McGregor set records with the PPV numbers for several of his UFC fights. | Getty Images

Fighter pay is a constant point of conversation in MMA, and surprisingly it’s something that divides both fighters and fans alike. It’s unclear how much (if any) of the money from the Paramount deal will trickle down to fighters, and now UFC champions will also miss out on the added incentive of earning points on their pay-per-view numbers.

Start Times For Events On Network TV

The UFC will occasionally alter the start times for events in select international locations, but for the most part cards largely cater to the promotion's home city of Las Vegas and fans on Pacific Standard Time.

The promise of at least a few major events on CBS each year opens the door for these cards to potentially start at an earlier time, which means fans that aren’t living in the Western United States might be treated to some UFC title fights that don’t take place after midnight on the East Coast and well into the early morning for fans in Europe and other international locations.

UFC APEX & Quality Of Fight Night Cards

The UFC heads to Chicago, IL this weekend for UFC 319, but the promotion is coming off back-to-back Fight Night events at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas.

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Neither UFC Vegas 108 or UFC Vegas 109 were particularly star-studded affairs, and fans have grown increasingly frustrated by the overall quality of many UFC Fight Night cards as of late. The UFC Apex and its lack of a full-sized crowd have also drawn the ire of many fans, although in the last year the promotion has made an effort to get back on the road for more of its UFC Fight Night events.

Anthony Hernandez demolishes Roman Dolidze in UFC Fight Night masterclass
Anthony Hernandez defeated Roman Dolidze in the main event of UFC Vegas 109. | (Zuffa LLC)

A torrid event schedule with few off weeks makes it difficult for the UFC to consistently fill out cards with major names, so it will be interesting to see the quality of the first few events once the Paramount deal starts and how that will develop during the lifespan of the new deal.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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