UFC is back in its hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend with a stacked card that in addition to featuring two title fights, will also see the long-awaited return of Nick Diaz and we have all the details on how you can watch UFC 266 on TV or online.
At the top of the card, Australia's 32-year-old former Rugby League star Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski will take on the American 30-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Brian "T-City" Ortega in a featherweight title fight. Volkanovski and Ortega were originally scheduled to fight back in March but Volkanovski had to pull out of the match after contracting Covid-19.
Going into tonight's fight, defending champion Volkanovski has a 19 fight win streak with 11 wins by knockout and three wins by submission. Ortega on the other hand won his last fight by decision during the fifth round against Chan Sung Jung back in October of last year. Before that though, he suffered a loss by TKO in the fourth round against Max Holloway all the way back in December of 2018.
In UFC 266's second title fight of the evening, Valentina "Bullet" Shevchenko will defend her title against a challenge from Lauren "Lucky" Murphy in a flyweight bout. While Shevchenko currently has an eight fight win streak under her belt, Murphy isn't too far off with a six fight win streak.
If two title fights isn't enough for you, you're in luck as Nick Diaz is finally returning to the Octagon after six years to go up against Robbie "Ruthless" Lawler in a rematch 17 years in the making. During the time Nick was away from the sport, his brother Nate Diaz became a legend himself when he defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in March of 2016. Now the 38-year-old Diaz has returned to the UFC to face off against 39-year-old Lawler in a welterweight bout.
Elsewhere on the card, Curtis Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik will meet in the Octagon for a heavyweight bout and Jessica Andrade will go toe to toe with Cynthia Calvillo in a women's flyweight bout.
Whether you're rooting for Volkanovski, Ortega or just want to witness the return of Nick Diaz to the UFC, we'll show you how to watch UFC 266 from anywhere in the world.
UFC 266 - When and where?
UFC 266 will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, September 25. The Early Prelims will kick off at 6pm ET / 3pm PT, followed by the Prelims at 8pm ET / 5pm PT and the Main Card will start at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
How to watch UFC 266 in the U.S.
As the UFC has an exclusive agreement with ESPN until 2025, the network's streaming service ESPN+ is the only place where you'll be able to watch UFC 266 in the U.S. If you already have an ESPN+ subscription, you can purchase access to the PPV for $65 regardless of whether you're a monthly or annual subscriber. However, if you haven't signed up for ESPN+ yet, the network is running a promotion where you can get access to the UFC 266 PPV and an annual subscription to the streaming service for just $89.98. While this may seem expensive at first, an annual ESPN+ subscription normally costs $50 on its own so you're saving around $25.
UFC fans with a cable subscription will be able to watch the Prelims on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. However, in order to watch the Early Prelims at 6pm ET / 3pm PT, you'll need to be a UFC Fight Pass or ESPN+ subscriber. To watch the Main Card at 10pm ET / 7pm PT though, you'll need to purchase access to the PPV and have an active ESPN+ subscription.
Not interested in signing up for cable just to watch UFC 266's Prelims on ESPN? Don't worry as there are now a number of streaming services, all at different price points, that will give you access to the network so you can watch the Prelims online. We've listed a few of our favorites below to make things easier for you.
- Hulu with Live TV - $64.99 per month - As well as giving you access to ESPN, the service also includes its own Hulu Originals and supports a wide variety of streaming devices.
- Sling TV - $35 per month - In order to get access to ESPN, you'll have to sign up for Sling TV's Sling Orange package. The service also lets you watch on three screens simultaneously and record 50 hours of live TV with its Cloud DVR.
- YouTube TV - $65 per month - YouTube TV gives you access to ESPN as well as over 70 other TV channels and a free 14-day trial available.
- AT&T TV Now - $55 per month - AT&T TV Now's plus plan gives you access to ESPN as well as over 45 other live TV channels and you can also record up to 20 hours of content using its cloud DVR.
Live stream UFC 266 in Canada
Unlike in the U.S., Canadian MMA fans have plenty of options to watch the UFC 266 PPV as Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus , Eastlink and UFC Fight Pass will all show the Main Card at 10pm ET / 7pm PT for $64.99.
The Prelims will begin two hours earlier at 8pm ET / 5pm PT and you can watch them on either TSN or RDS. You can also watch the Early Prelims in Canada at 6pm ET / 3pm PT on UFC Fight Pass.
If you have an active cable subscription, then ordering the PPV from your cable provider might be the easiest way to watch it. However, if you've already cut the cord, then UFC Fight Pass is a better choice as it will give you access to both the Early Prelims and the Main Card.
How to watch UFC 266 in the UK
Just like with previous UFC events, UFC 266 will be available exclusively through BT Sport Box Office in the UK. If you're already a BT Sport subscriber, you'll be able to watch the Main Card beginning at 3am BST early Sunday morning. If that's a bit late for you don't worry as the network has a spoiler-free replay page so you can watch UFC 266's Main Card at your convenience. You can also stream UFC 266 on your smartphone using the BT Sport app and on your computer via the network's website. If you're not interested in signing up for a lengthy contract with BT, you can always purchase a BT Sport Monthly Pass for just £25 in case there are other sports you want to watch as well.
The Early Prelims will begin at 11pm BST and you can watch them on UFC Fight Pass while the Prelims will be shown on both BT Sport 1 and UFC Fight Pass at 1am BST.
Watch UFC 266 in Australia
Australian viewers also have several options when it comes to how they want to watch UFC 266's Main Card as the PPV will be available from Main Event, Fetch TV, Kayo and UFC Fight Pass for $54.95.
The Early Prelims will kick off at 8am AEST / 6am AWST but you'll need a subscription to UFC Fight Pass to watch them while you'll be able to watch the Prelims at 10am AEST / 8am AWST on UFC Fight Pass, ESPN and ESPN on Kayo. UFC 266's Main Card will start at 12pm AEST / 10am AWST in Australia on Sunday, September 26.
UFC 266 - The Main Card in Full
Featherweight Championship
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega
Women's Flyweight Championship
- Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy
Welterweight Bout
- Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
Heavyweight Bout
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Women's Flyweight Bout
- Jessica Andrade vs. Cynthia Calvillo
Source: androidcentral