UFC on Paramount Plus: Prices Rise and Title Fight Postponed

When the UFC and Paramount struck a $7.7 billion, seven-year deal for the rights to broadcasting the fights, fans were thrilled. The idea of getting rid of pay-per-view fees and having a more affordable way to watch their favorite sport really got them pumped. But, hold on to your seats, because things have taken a bit of a turn.

So, here’s the scoop: Prices for Paramount+ shot up on Thursday. The annual essential plan went from $60 to $90, and the premium plan without ads jumped from $120 to $140. Even the monthly plans got a $1 increase. And guess what? These price changes happen right in time for UFC 324 on Jan. 24, which will be the first event on the platform.

Unfortunately, the anticipated women’s bantamweight championship fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes had to be postponed. Harrison’s neck surgery led to the change. But don’t worry, exciting fighters like Justin Gaethje, Sean O’Malley, and Derrick Lewis are still on the card, although only one interim title fight is on offer for the inaugural Paramount+ event.

Now, when we peek into the future of the UFC’s numbered events, it’s looking like there will be few title fights coming up. UFC 325 has only one undisputed championship fight scheduled between Alex Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, and the quirky “BMF” title battle is on deck for UFC 326 in March. That means we won’t see multiple title fights until at least April.

Curious why these cards seem a bit lackluster? Word has it that the UFC might be holding back big names for the White House event set for June 14. UFC stars like Conor McGregor, Islam Makhachev, and Alex Pereira have shown interest in taking the stage. Dana White revealed on a podcast that this event will be the best they’ve ever put together. President Donald Trump mentioned that White is keeping some fights under wraps for the next six months until the big event.

Even with the slight hiccup in the fight card excitement, the Paramount collaboration is a big step up for fans compared to the ESPN deal. Remember having to pay $79.99 for each numbered event and getting an ESPN+ subscription on top of that? Yikes. So, while the subscription prices go up and the cards seem a bit underwhelming, this partnership remains a win for UFC fans.