UFC On Paramount Plus: 2026 Event Schedule And How To Watch Fights Explained

MMA fans rejoice! It's 2026, which means the UFC has finally moved away from the pay-per-view model. Audiences in the United States can now watch UFC numbered events (which used to be PPVs) and Fight Nights on Paramount+. 

A Paramount+ Essential subscription (with ads) is $8.99 a month or $89.99 a year. Paramount+ Premium (ad-free) is $13.99 a month or $139.99 a year. Both tiers have access to UFC content. There are no additional costs or side packages required to watch UFC content on Paramount+. However, it's important to note that live sports on the streamer feature commercials, regardless of subscription plan.

UFC's first event on Paramount+ is also its first of the new year. Unfortunately, it's had something of a rocky start. Amanda Nunes, arguably the greatest female fighter of all time, was set to make her return on the card against Bantamweight Champion Kayla Harrison. This would have been Nunes' first bout after retiring in 2023. However, a severe neck injury forced Harrison out. Luckily, fans still have an absolute banger main event waiting for them: Justin Gaethje is fighting Paddy Pimblett for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 324 on January 24. 

Under the new deal with Paramount+, UFC plans to have 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Nights a year. There are also talks of certain big-time matchups (like the White House card in June) being broadcast on CBS. 

Both UFC and Paramount+ have officially released a scheduled lineup for 2026. Here are the fights planned thus far:

• UFC 324 (Saturday, January 24): Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Early Prelims: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC 325 (Saturday, January 31): Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2
  • Early Prelims: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, February 7): Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira
  • Prelims: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, February 21): Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Prelims: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m., PT
  • Main Card: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, February 28): Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev
  • Prelims: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC 326 (Saturday, March 7): Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira 2
  • Early Prelims: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, March 14): Josh Emmett vs. Kevin Vallejos
  • Prelims: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, March 21): TBD
  • Prelims: 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • Main Card: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
• UFC Fight Night (Saturday, March 28): Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Prelims: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
  • Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

UFC's seven-year deal with Paramount+ for exclusive U.S. rights was first announced August 11th, 2025. The organization has been attached to the PPV model for literal decades, so the announcement marked a significant change in routine for MMA fans. (Who would've thought UFC would be on the same platform as "South Park" and Taylor Sheridan's "Tulsa King"?)

"The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past," TKO Group Holdings (UFC's owners) COO Mark Shapiro said in a CNBC interview. "What's on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It's an outdated, antiquated model." On "The Pat McAfee Show," UFC President Dana White echoed the sentiment. "You get to watch all the UFC programming on [Paramount+]," he said. "No pay-per-view anymore."

However, in an interview with the New York Post, White noted that there's a possibility for PPV to make a comeback. "What I love about this business is, I can lay out what we think the fights are going to be for a year, and a fight will pop up that I never saw coming," he said. "A star will pop up out of somewhere. Anything is possible. And you could do a one-off pay-per-view ... Pay-per-view is not dead."