Here’s what to expect for the UFC in 2021 and a list of which fighters to keep your eyes on, plus a quick guide on how you can watch UFC with ESPN+.
In the world of mixed martial arts, one league stands above all others: The Ultimate Fighting Championship. Even people who aren’t into MMA know about the UFC, and the star power of fighters like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones extends well outside the Octagon. Premium streaming services – ESPN+ in particular – have also made it easier than ever for UFC fans to enjoy all the action online, from live fights and pay-per-view events to replays, commentary, interviews, press conferences, and more. Related The UFC typically hosts fights almost every Saturday with one big pay-per-view event each month. The promotion hit the ground running in the early part of 2020 with some awesome events, but the subsequent public health crisis led to the postponement of UFC 249 as well as other scheduled fights in April. With that announcement, UFC CEO Dana White promised that he would do everything he could to get the fighters back in the Octagon as soon as possible, and even worked with the United Arab Emirates to develop a “fight island” in Abu Dhabi as a safe and private venue for future matches. White quickly made good on that promise: The first major event to take place on Fight Island was UFC 251 on July 11, and the bloody action of UFC has been going strong since then. Below, we’ve put together a rundown of what to expect for the UFC 2021 schedule as well as a list of which fighters to keep your eyes on, along with a quick guide on how you can watch UFC online with ESPN+. We’ll keep adding new information as it becomes available. Be sure to keep checking back for the latest scheduling updates. You can watch most UFC events with any service (cable, satellite, or streaming) that includes ESPN channels, but ESPN+ is by far the best way to get access to everything – and it’s the only way to watch UFC pay-per-view events. These PPVs are the ones you don’t want to miss: So far for 2021, we’re already looking forward to MMA legend Conor McGregor stepping back into the Octagon, and more great stuff is coming down the pipe as the year progresses. ESPN+ is a premium streaming service which the sports broadcaster launched in early 2018. Sports content tends to have stricter regional restrictions than other types of media, which is part of the reason why ESPN was slower than others to join the streaming revolution; now that ESPN+ is here, though, it has grown into a must-have app for fans of MMA, boxing, and all kinds of other sports like Major League Soccer. Your ESPN+ subscription gives you access to live games and matches, pre- and post-event on-demand content, exclusive shows like Dana White’s Contender Series, and more, which you can enjoy on your computer web browser, your mobile device via the ESPN app, or smart TV. It’s pretty cheap, too, at just $6 per month or $60 per year (a better deal), but if you’re looking for a bigger streaming package, the best value is easily this bundle which nets you ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu for just $13 per month. On Saturday, January 16, the first big UFC event of 2021 will take place. This UFC Fight Night is headlined by a featherweight bout between former champion Max Holloway (21-6) and Calvin Kattar (22-4), and is being hosted at the new Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It will be the first time since March 2020 that a limited audience will be allowed to attend in person. Only a few days after the January 16 event, another UFC Fight Night is happening — this one on Wednesday, January 20, with Etihad Arena again serving as the venue.
