UFC Fight Pass looks like any UFC, MMA, and combat sports fan dream.
At least on paper.
I don't consider myself a hardcore MMA fan but I'm definitely a UFC fanboy.
The UFC is the only sports league I follow all year so at some point it makes sense to subscribe to Fight Pass to have access to all their events.
Does that mean it's worth $9 a month?
Should you get it?
Maybe. But probably not.
Let me explain.
Contents
What’s Included In Fight Pass?
First, let's start with what's included in UFC Fight Pass.
The amount of content on Fight Pass is constantly growing, especially with the insane number of events the UFC put on these days since their deal with ESPN.
But there's more than the UFC content.
On UFC Fight Pass you ge:
- Every UFC Event Live. You have every live event, including Fight Nights and the Pay Per View cards (but you need to pay extra for them, more on that below) and every prelim.
- Live Events from over 20 sports organizations. MMA, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Grappling...
- Fight Library, with over 20,000 fights from over 30 combat sports organizations.
- The Ultimate Fighter. Every season and episode, including TUF 30.
- Dana White Contender Series. Live and the replays of every episode and every season.
- Dana White Looking For a Fight. Where Dana White travels the US and the world with his friends to sign new fighters into the UFC.
- Embedded Vlogs, before each UFC numbered event.
- Unfiltered Episodes. The official UFC podcast.
- Fight Movies, including a lot of old Kung Fu movies. Fans of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris will be served.
If you love to watch fights and anything related to combat sports and the UFC, there’s enough content to keep you busy for a lifetime.
Watch The UFC On All Your Devices
The best part about Fight Pass is being able to stream UFC fights wherever you are.
Of course, the app is available on both Android and iOS and compatible with a bunch of other platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire Tv, Apple TV, Xbox One, Smart TVs, and Chromecasts.
Oh and I've seen a lot of people asking about watching Fight Pass on PS4 and PS5.
Apparently it's not possible.
To know about the full list of compatible devices check the official website here.
Personally, I have it installed on my iPad and stream it on my Chromecast when I'm at home, and it's working fine most of the time.
The only issue with the app is it’s often slow and crashes a lot.
Especially when you stream on the TV and in HD.
That can be quite frustrating.
Hopefully, they can fix that soon.
Interface
That's where things get complicated and why Fight Pass got so much hate and negative reviews.
To keep it simple, let's say their team could learn a lot from Netflix or Youtube and look at what's working out there instead of trying new things that aren't working.
Fight Pass interface is by war the worst thing about the app.
In December 2019, the UFC unveiled a major redesign for Fight Pass and it didn't make it better.
It even made it worse in some ways.
Now it's even harder to find the content that you want.
They’re slowly improving it, and it’s already better now than it was when they released it in 2019.
But there’s a lot more work needed to get as good as Netflix.
They have a lot of great content on Fight Pass, but except for the live events, the featured fights, and the fighters, the rest is pretty hard to find.
Video Player
The video player is another terrible thing about Fight Pass.
It does the job, but it's not really optimized or user-friendly.
They tried to add some features like going 30 seconds Forward or Backward, like Youtube, but it often makes the video crash.
You also used to be able to see some of the stats of the fight in real time.
But they removed that.
Even there they messed up as the oldest version did a better job and was actually way more reliable.
Again, hopefully, that gets fixed with future updates.
Every UFC Event Live
The value of Fight Pass is definitely in its content.
You can stream every UFC Event live on UFC Fight Pass.
That includes every early prelim card, prelims, and of course every UFC on ESPN and UFC Fight Night main cards.
It also includes the Pay Per View, but you still have to pay full price for them. (more on that below)
Fight Pass also streams live events from over 20 fighting organizations including Cage Warriors, Pancrase, TKO, Invicta FC, Cage Fury Fighting Championship, K1, and many more.
You can even watch live UFC Events like Dana White Contender Series or the Ultimate Fighter.
It's awesome when, like me, you don't live in the US and don't have access to ESPN.
Fight Library
There are a TON of fights available on Fight Pass, not only in MMA but in all kinds of combat sports.
Muay Thai, Grappling, Pancrase, Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing... you name it.
Of course, you will find every UFC fight, except for the Pay Per View fights that are only added to the library 1 day after the event is streamed live. (except if you purchased it of course).
Fight Pass claims to have a library of over 20,000 fights and even though that's impossible to verify, there are enough fights to keep you entertained for a lifetime.
Other Content
In the last few years, they've been adding a lot of old Fight movies to UFC Fight Pass.
That includes a lot of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, and a ton of Kung Fu and fighting movies.
Not sure what's the idea there.
To me, it looks like they're trying to increase the number of content available on the app at all costs to justify the price.
Personally, it's not something I will watch but if you're into that kind of movie, that's there.
Price
UFC Fight Pass costs $9.99/month for a monthly plan or $95,99 for a yearly subscription ($7.99 a month).
They usually have some free trial once in a while and probably some deals for Black Friday and other special events.
I know I got a 7 days free trial before a PPV Event.
If they don't have a free trial when you want it, just go to the Fight Pass website before a big event.
Don't subscribe and wait to see their ads on Facebook, Instagram, and other websites.
At some point, you're gonna see an offer for a 7-day free trial.
That's how I get mine.
Honestly, the price isn't bad when you consider the number and the quality of the fights you get, from the UFC and all the other organizations.
The only thing that makes you think twice about subscribing or not is the quality of the app and the quality of the stream you get.
If they could fix that it would be a no-brainer.
But as long as it stays like that, you better get ESPN+ if you can.
Pros And Cons
👍 Pros:
- Every UFC event live and in replay
- Live events from different disciplines
- Every UFC fight in history
- Huge fight library
- Pay Per View events are available for free 2 days after the event
👎 Cons:
- Terrible navigation
- Slow with HD Streaming
- No discount on PPV Events
FAQ
UFC Fight Pass gets you access to every UFC Event (Early Prelims, Prelims, UFC Fight Night, UFC on ESPN...), and PPV if you pay extra (or for free but only after 2 days), a fight library of over 20,000 fights, Live Events from over 20 Combat Sports organizations in the world, action movies, and documentaries.
Yes if you're a UFC fanboy or a combat sports fan. Not if you're a casual fan and already have ESPN+ or access to free live UFC events on TV in your country.
UFC Fight Pass is 9.99$ a month with no commitment or 95.99$ for a year. More details.
You can watch Pay Per View events on UFC Fight Pass but you will have to pay the normal price for them. There's no discount for UFC Fight Pass subscribers.
Or you can watch the replay of the Pay Per View events for free on Fight Pass 48 hours after the event.
UFC Fight Pass is the best way to watch all the UFC events live from anywhere. It gives you access to UFC live events as well as every fight in the history of the UFC.
Yes, you can watch the Ultimate Fighter on UFC Fight Pass and from anywhere in the world.
That includes every season and the latest TUF 30: Nunes vs Pena.
Should You Get UFC Fight Pass?
Honestly, probably not.
Yes, if like me you're a UFC fanboy, you watch every single event and you live outside the US.
Or if you're a fighter, a die-hard MMA, if you bet on fights or if you're a hardcore fight fan.
In that case, the Fight Library itself makes it worth it.
No, for everyone else.
If you live in the US, get ESPN+.
For others, watch the fight online any other way, I don't see why you would pay $9 a month if you don't watch every fight.
UFC Fight Pass Review - Takeaways
UFC Fight Pass is a great idea, but poorly executed.
Every UFC and MMA fan can see the potential for the app with all the content the UFC and combat sports organizations are producing.
It's really a shame it's so hard to find what you want and stream it in HD.
It's great to be able to watch every fight, anywhere, anytime.
But the bad design and the poor navigation make it hard to find the fights you want or to discover new content.
All we can do is hope they can make it better in the future.
About Fight Pass
Fight Pass is the UFC official streaming service where you can stream live UFC Events as well as Combat Sports organizations from all around the world.
The app also includes a Fight Library of over 20,000 Fights, Action movies, Documentaries, and more.
Thanks for reading my review of UFC Fight Pass.
If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask me anything below.
And also feel free to share your experience in the comments.
And whenever you're in Bangkok for a PPV Event, here's a list of places to watch the fights.
Some events or videos I click on to watch the site do not load and return to the home screen, any tips?
Hey Samuel, never had this problem and can’t find a forum that talk about it. As always, I would say try to clear the cache, and if that doesn’t fix it, reinstall the app. If the problem persist, contact the support.
“You can stream every UFC Events live on UFC Fight Pass, including the Pay Per View that you still have to pay full price.” ??? ~ Huh ?? Is that a sentence .. in English ?? 1st .. you said that to view a ‘PPV Main Event’ .. you have to “still pay a fee” .. but, I guess I just ‘assumed’ that the ‘fee’ wasn’t the full PPV price that just anybody can & must pay to watch the main event ( as well as all the prelims ) .. because we’re already a ‘subscriber’ who is already paying the $9.99 monthly fee. Now .. it sounds like you’re saying that you/we “still have to pay full price.” ?? So WTH is the good/advantage in becoming a subscriber ?? So we can get to see the prelims and some old fights that are probably already on You Tube .. ( or soon will be in about a month or two ) ??
Nah … I done theeen so Quicksdraw !!! This fact .. combined with the terrible ‘App’ that you described .. (imo,) ~ there’s nothing worse than constant buffering and dis-connects … make this deal a ‘NO DEAL’ for me. I guess that I’m just a little confused as to why you would you say .. { “Honestly, the price isn’t bad when you consider the number and the quality of the fights you get, from the UFC and all the other organizations.” ?} Well bro .. whatever ‘floats yer’ boat’ .. I guess. ~
Still unanswered .. How much ( exactly ) do you/we/us ‘monthly or yearly subscribers’ have to pay to view the ‘MAIN EVENT’ ??? And please don’t reply with .. “It’s WHATEVER they say that you have to pay” … B-Cuz that doesn’t answer my question. ~~~
Short answer, you pay full price for PPV Events, even if you’re already paying 10$ a month for Fight Pass.
Hello mojomatt,
I do not have a cable service or Hulu live tv or anything like that as I don’t watch tv. If I want to watch something I either go to YouTube or a TV channel app to see what they offer for free. I only have internet.
Can I still watch the UFC Fight Pass with just internet?
Hey Bernard, you sure can. I don’t have a TV or cable either, only my smartphone, laptop and a table and I can watch Fight Pass on all of them, regardless of where I am in the world.
Nope. If you buy the Ultimate monthly option for 27.99 you get the Main cards of all PPV included as well.
Hey Mike, do you have a link to it? I only see 2 options on the UFC Fight Pass website, and none of them include an Ultimate option with PPV cards.
Quick question, are you still crying?
Crying about what? The price of UFC Fight Pass? No, I actually find it really fair for the number and quality of fights 😉
I just wanted to chime in real fast and come to mojomatts defense. Dude complaining about the ppv price and you not making sense really just highlighted his own ignorance, it’s a very well done review I understood every bit of it you assume the reader has a little knowledge on how the ufc operates which is a good assumption who else would seek out a review for fightpass rt. Well apparently some cat named Kenneth would and then Kenneth bitches how you found good value in the app if it actually functioned correctly. A very true and fair statement if ufc actually could deliver a stable service where you could reliably trust that when you access the app the content you want would be easy to find and easy to stream than the value is unquestionably there but they’ve so far been unable to do that. Which is super frustrating when we know it’s very possible and they could easily hire the right team to fix the issues. Hard to imagine why there dragging there feet on doing so being they are heavily promoting it during every ufc event touting new original programming and fights from other promotions that are enticing enough for many to try but than you get issue after issue I don’t know anyone who’s continued there membership. I guess Dana has never actually watched anything on fightoass because if he did it’s hard to imagine he’d tolerate the product that’s being offered. In the meantime I wait and hope they get there shit together sooner or later because I would gladly pay the $10 if it had Netflix like reliability. Thanks for the great review mojomatt.
Hey Jeff, thanks for the comment and taking my defense ahah. Glad you liked the review.
Not sure what the issue is behind the lack of reliability. I agree for the price they should do better. I guess it’s just harder to create a Netflix-like product than it seems. And maybe the fact they had a lot of new subscribers last year because it was for a moment the only sport to watch.
Unfortunately, the app has not got any better since I wrote the review. We’re in May 2021, and the app (especially on iPad) is bad. The android app I use is ok, but not great.
But I feel the same today about Fight Pass, unless you’re a hardcore fan or a fighter who wants to study the fights, it’s probably not worth $10 a month.
It all might make sense until I reach this con.:
“Have to wait 1 month to get PPV events for free”
so you don’t have to pay for PPV fights after you subscribe for more than a month?
Let me clarify, you get the PPV for free one month after the event. So UFC266 from yesterday will be available for free on Fight Pass on October 25.
It’s a shame a subscriber needs to wait a month to view PPV events when you can view the PPV fights on the internet the following day. Yet, as Mojomatt stated you have pros and cons. Might not be for everyone. Mojomatt, question would you know how many devices can you connect to at one time?
Hey George, definitely a lot of cons, especially for that price I would say. And to answer your question, you can only play on 1 device at the same. It will disconnect you from the other devices when you play the video somewhere.
It really sucks bad. How can I subscribe for a Monthly plan only to be asked to pay more for the main event ? That’s a scam. I was watching live prelims and when it was time for the main event they asked that I should pay more $24 to watch ? When I already have a monthly subscription ? So misleading . I advice you not to subscribe. Thank you
I would honestly pay more for a package that just includes all major PPVs. I feel like the odds of someone buying every single PPV is low so they could essentially create a discount for a year long package. I’m not sure what the figure would be for it to make sense but it seems the whole buy the fight pass along w the PPV seems a little dated.
You don’t have to pay for the PPVs though, you just have to wait a couple of days and all the fights are free.
I just wanted to leave a recent comment as I stumbled on this and signed up for a month but wouldn’t had I known what’s changed.
It might be since they moved to ESPN, or it might be that the navigation is sooo bad that I can’t find it, but there are no fight nights on Fight Pass. There are also limited PPV fights. The contender series and The Ultimate fighter show are both a full season behind, might get worse as time goes by but that’s where it stands. Definitely not all the UFC events. Seems like UFC decided to scuttle their own service in favor of ESPN+. A shame, I definitely would not sign up for this service unless you are a die hard fan and watch things like press conferences and such.