The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced an expansion of their lucrative seven-year partnership Paramount this week.
The move will give Paramount+ subscribers in Australia and Latin America access to all UFC Fight Nights and preliminary fights for marquee events from January 2026.
Selected UFC events will also be available to watch free-to-air on Network 10 in Australia, providing fans even more ways to engage with the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world.
The online betting industry will undoubtedly be delighted with the news given the popularity of sports wagering in Australia.
Top sportsbooks such as Betway already offer extensive coverage of UFC events and will likely increase their offering to cater to increased demand from MMA enthusiasts.
UFC president and chief executive officer Dana White has understandably waxed lyrical about the extension of the new link-up with Paramount.
“The partnership with Paramount has already been incredible, and it just keeps getting bigger and better,” White said.
“They are now taking on new territories like Australia, and this thing is just going to continue to grow. It just shows you how aggressive they are with this business, and I love it. I can’t wait to continue working together and building the next generation of talent all over the world.”
While the UFC boss is delighted with this latest development, expanding the deal into the Australian market is unlikely to be welcomed by everyone.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) criticised the UFC in June, accusing the company of fostering a ‘culture of exploitation, secrecy and lasting damage’ towards its fighters.
ABC suggested that the UFC ‘has kept wages low, limited competition’ and left fighters with few options’ in an episode of their ‘Four Corners’ programme.
The promotion hit back at ABC, claiming it had invested billions of dollars building the sport of MMA and fuelling a global industry that has benefited thousands of athletes.
The UFC insisted that it pays its fighters more than any other MMA promotion and has created numerous opportunities for athletes to achieve their goals.
“The market for mixed martial arts has never been healthier or more competitive as evidenced by the rise of well-financed competitors and the success of former UFC athletes in other organisations,” the UFC said.
“Furthermore, by working tirelessly for more than two decades to legitimise MMA and embracing regulation, UFC has become the gold standard for athlete health and safety in all of combat sports.
“From partnering with the Cleveland Clinic on brain health research; to creating the most effective and progressive anti-doping program in professional sports; to establishing the UFC Performance Institute to provide nutrition, physical therapy, and safe training strategies for athletes; UFC has continually reviewed and strengthened our health and safety protocols to protect the athletes who compete in the Octagon. Any assertion to the contrary is not supported by the facts.”
And while ticket prices at UFC events have priced out the usual fanbase who have now resorted to sports streams and video highlights, the popularity of the sport means they still sell out arenas and venues wherever they go, meaning cities and states that can afford to pay the UFC’s sponsorship money to attract this big spending audience will continue to support the company.
The UFC’s decision to expand the Paramount deal into the Australian market is unlikely to be met positively by ABC management. However, several state governments in Australia have welcomed the UFC with open arms including in New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA).
The NSW government has spent $16 million to sponsor three events in Sydney, while WA authorities expanded their partnership with TKO. The UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) both held events in Perth this year, but the amount of taxpayer money put towards the deal was not disclosed.
