How to Watch UFC Online in 2023
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is a popular MMA sporting event that has fans across the globe. If you too are a fan dreading the blackout restrictions or just looking for a free alternative for streaming UFC live, we’ve got some information you’ll find worthwhile.
Nothing beats watching two fighters going at it as you kick back with a beer after a long day at work. Even better is to catch the fighters on a UFC live stream and get your adrenal glands a workout. A UFC Fight Pass is an ideal way to watch two bloodthirsty individuals slam each other as the crowd goes wild.
Key Takeaways:
- You can watch UFC fights on UFCFightPass.com, FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Disney Plus, Hulu and Xfinity. However, the only option that allows users to stream UFC fights for free is kijk.nl.
- Whether you want to watch the main card with a Fight Pass, buy a PPV event card or stream the main event fight for free, a VPN could be useful. In most parts of the world, one or more of these platforms may not be available, and a VPN can help you bypass these geoblocks.
- We recommend the VPN ExpressVPN, since it offers fast connection speeds and great security. If you’re looking for something less expensive, consider NordVPN.
If you’re not too keen on spending $8 per month for a UFC Fight Pass, you do have some other options to quench your bloodlust. While the paid UFC live stream option is your best bet, you may have considered a wallet-friendly (though illegal) option and been tempted to succumb to the lure of piracy. In this guide, however, we’ll stick only to the legal alternatives.
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09/06/2021
Changed the format of the article and updated streaming information.
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09/07/2022
Updated Windscribe pricing: the paid plan increased to $5.75 per month from $4.08. The Build-a-Plan minimum purchase also increased to $3 from $2. Also updated Windscribe’s free data cap to 15GB due to it offering 5GB extra permanently when you tweet about the service.
UFC Fight Nights are events that feature fighters who aren’t as highly ranked as the ones on PPV cards. Fight Nights are available to all ESPN+ subscribers and don’t cost anything extra. PPV, or “numbered” events, need to be purchased separately.
ESPN+ is available on Xfinity by Comcast. Verizon Fios offers the Disney Plus bundle as part of two of its unlimited plans. If you’re not on one of those plans, you’ll need to purchase the Disney Plus bundle (which includes ESPN+) separately for $6 per month.
For now, kijk.nl is the only (legal) platform that offers free access to UFC fights, both live and pre recorded events. If you’re not in the Netherlands, you will need a VPN to access UFC live streams on the platform.
UFC Live Stream: Watch UFC Online for Free
We went digging through the web looking for free UFC live stream options, and we’re glad to say we didn’t return empty-handed. FuboTV offers a seven-day free trial that allows MMA sports fans to watch UFC live stream. A week is rather limiting, though.
Lucky for us, Netherlands-based website kijk.nl lets you stream UFC live for free (and legally). It also has a library of prerecorded fights that you can watch if you missed them earlier.
The catch is, if you’re not in the Netherlands, the website won’t let you watch any of its content. Only users located in the Netherlands have access because the website has geoblocks that restrict people from outside the country from accessing the content.
Fortunately, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around the website’s geoblocks and live stream UFC for free. If you need some help selecting a good VPN, give our best VPNs for streaming guide a read.
If you want to skip the 10 extra minutes of effort, we recommend ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest VPN around and unblocks most other streaming platforms as well. If you’re new to VPNs, here’s what you need to do.
- Download and Install a VPN
Sign up for a VPN service — we’ll use ExpressVPN as an example — and download and install the VPN client for your device. Log in to the VPN client once it’s installed.
- Connect to a Netherlands Server
Look through the server list and connect to a Netherlands server.
- Go to kijk.nl
At this point, you should be able to access UFC live stream on kijk.nl. Go to kijk.nl, search for UFC (it’s usually right on the homepage) and select a live event.
Stream UFC PPV Events
The UFC pay-per-view events are available on UFCFightPass.com and will set you back $69.99 apiece if you don’t already have ESPN+. If you’ve yet to subscribe to ESPN+, you may be able to save a few bucks. New subscribers get a discounted price on the UFC PPV + ESPN+ combo of $89.98.
However, if you’re outside the U.S., you may still not be able to watch all fights (even as Fight Pass holders) because of blackout restrictions. UFC doesn’t explicitly talk about these restrictions, but it’s buried in the fine print.
Of course, you can still use a VPN, connect to a U.S. server and get access to an upcoming UFC fight or a PPV event. You’ll need to use the same process illustrated in the previous section, but connect to a U.S. server instead of a Netherlands server. A good VPN should set you up for a fine Saturday night watching the likes of Derrick Lewis and Daniel Cormier fight away at the Octagon.
Watch UFC Fight Night Online
If you missed the main event that everybody at the office won’t stop talking about, like the Cannonier vs Gastelum fight where Jared Cannonier proved his middleweight chops against Kelvin Gastelum at the UFC Apex, don’t agonize. You can still catch the action on kijk.nl (for free).
You can also watch UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ if you have a subscription to FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Disney Plus, Hulu or Xfinity. If you’re in the UK, you can watch UFC Night on BT Sport. If you’re not in the U.S. (or the Netherlands or the UK), you’ll need a VPN to bypass geoblocks on each of these websites.
Best VPNs to Stream UFC Fights
You have several VPN options you can choose from to watch UFC live streams, but not all VPNs work equally well. We tried a few to see which ones fit the bill. These VPNs can bypass geoblocks, they have servers in the Netherlands, U.S. and UK and deliver a good streaming experience.
1. ExpressVPN
More Details About Provider:
- Pricing: $6.67 per month for the one-year plan (plus three months free)
- Website: expressvpn.com
Pros:
- Fast connection speeds
- MediaStreamer feature
- Unlimited bandwidth
Cons:
- Expensive
ExpressVPN is our top pick because it offers fast connection speeds, unlimited bandwidth and the ability to bypass geoblocks on almost any streaming platform. Slow connection speeds can be a mood kill with all the buffering that comes with it, especially if you’re streaming in HD. Fortunately, ExpressVPN isn’t just fast, it’s the fastest VPN out there.
It also comes with MediaStreamer, a DNS service that allows you to stream on devices that lack native VPN support such as a smart TV.
Plus, it has 160 server locations in over 90 countries, including the U.S., Netherlands and UK, so you can live stream UFC fights on any platform accessible with ExpressVPN. If you want a thorough breakdown of ExpressVPN’s features, give our ExpressVPN review a read.
Quality VPNs aren’t cheap, and ExpressVPN is heavy on the wallet. If you don’t mind spending a little extra for a premium VPN, you could try ExpressVPN and experience the service first-hand. While there’s no free trial, ExpressVPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not fully satisfied, you can claim a full refund.
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Yes
2. NordVPN
More Details About Provider:
- Pricing: $3.67 per month for the two-year plan (plus three months free)
- Website: nordvpn.com
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Large server network
- Pocket-friendly
Cons:
- Inconsistent speeds over distant servers
NordVPN closely follows ExpressVPN on our best VPN providers list, since it offers a lot of the same features. The reason it falls slightly behind ExpressVPN is that the speeds drop when connected to distant servers.
That said, the speeds are still enough for streaming in decent quality. We could stream UFC matches quite comfortably using NordVPN, and many distant servers worked just fine.
It has a client for all devices you could possibly want to watch UFC on. However, you can also use NordVPN on devices that don’t support a VPN natively by installing it on your router (it’s one of our best VPNs for routers). If you want more insight into NordVPN’s offerings, we have a comprehensive NordVPN review.
NordVPN comes at almost half the price of ExpressVPN if you choose the two-year plan, its best value. If you don’t mind the occasional inconsistency in speeds over distant servers, NordVPN is certainly a more pocket-friendly choice.
What’s more, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee just like ExpressVPN. If you’re not 100 percent satisfied, you’re entitled to a full refund.
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
3. Windscribe
More Details About Provider:
- Pricing: Free; $5.75 per month for one-year plan
- Website: windscribe.com
Pros:
- Free option
- Servers in the Netherlands, U.S. & UK
- Option to build a custom plan
Cons:
- Slow connection speeds
If you’re looking for a free VPN to live stream UFC events, Windscribe is a great choice. Free VPNs are seldom good; most are slow, unsecured and not great at bypassing geoblocks. Windscribe, our best free VPN, offers good speeds (not the best though), has a strict no-logs policy and accesses all platforms where you can live stream UFC events.
Windscribe adds 15GB of free data to your account each month. While 15GB isn’t enough to stream your way into oblivion, it works fine if you want to watch a boxing fight or two.
Windscribe has servers in the Netherlands, U.S. and UK (accessible to free users) so regardless of which platform you want to use (kijk.nl, UFC.tv or BT Sport), Windscribe will do the trick. If Windscribe piqued your interest, we have a detailed Windscribe review you may want to look at.
Speeds aren’t terrible, but they’re not impressive either. You may have to sit through an occasional buffer, but you probably won’t dread the overall experience, especially since it’s free.
You can opt for the yearly plan — its best value — if you decide to go premium, or build your own plan by adding individual server locations for $1 each per month, with a minimum spend of $3.
- Up to 15 GB free with email confirmation and Tweet
- 15GB
- Unlimited
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
Final Thoughts
Switching through the channels is no way to spend a Saturday for MMA fans when they can watch their favorite UFC contender fight an opponent at the Toyota Center or snack on some popcorn watching Dana White’s Contender Series. The best way to enjoy UFC is a UFC Fight Pass or UFC pay-per-view, but more thrifty UFC fans will find that kijk.nl is a go-to.
Do you know of other methods that can be used to watch UFC live streams? Did you have to use a VPN to bypass the platform’s geoblocks? Let us know in the comments section, and as always, thanks for reading.
