Are you wondering about the different types of UFC content and which are best to watch?
In this article, we’ll go through the 10 best types of UFC content and the reasons for watching each.
Best Types of UFC Shows/Content
Ranked starting with the best, here are the different types of UFC content fans should know and watch.
- PPV Event
- Fight Night Event
- Dana White’s Contender Series
- The Ultimate Fighter
- UFC Countdown (Youtube)
- UFC Embedded: Vlog Series (Youtube)
- Pre-fight Press Conferences
- Post-fight Press Conferences
- Live UFC Ceremonial Weigh-ins
- UFC On The Line (UFC Fight Pass)
Let’s take a closer look at each type of UFC content and explain what they are and why you should watch them.
1. PPV Event
The UFC’s main product is its live pay-per-view events (PPV) on Saturday nights. It’s where they put most of their focus in terms of marketing and production.
UFC PPV events are held roughly once a month (12 times a year) and feature the UFC’s most elite fighters ranked in the top 15 of each weight class division.
PPV events have early prelims, prelims, and main card action which features between 10 to 15 fights with an average of 12.
Each UFC PPV features between 1 and 3 title fights, which are 5 five-minute rounds as opposed to the standard 3 five-minute rounds, as well as top-5 fights to determine the number 1 contender to challenge for the title next.
Alongside the title fights and highest-ranked fighters, UFC PPV events also include the most highly anticipated fights the fans have been asking for. An example would be Conor McGregor’s comeback fights against Dustin Poirier.
How to watch UFC PPV events:
As the name suggests, UFC PPV events require a one-time payment in order to watch, priced between $25 to $80 depending on the matchups and country of purchase.
UFC PPV events can be watched via the main UFC broadcaster in your country or through UFC Fight Pass. For the USA it’s ESPN+, for the UK it’s TNT Sports (BT Sports). The easiest access is via UFC Fight Pass if you’re unsure.
UFC PPV events can be watched roughly 1 week after the event has finished on UFC Fight Pass.
2. Fight Night Event
UFC Fight Nights are also held on Saturday nights and follow the same format of early prelims, prelims, and main card action as the PPV events.
UFC Fight Nights feature fast-paced action as there are much fewer advertisements and breaks between fights compared to PPV events. Fighters come out almost instantly after the previous fight has ended.
They feature the best matchups which didn’t quite make the PPV event due to limited space. This is usually between 1 and 3 top-5 contender fights, with the winners earning their place on the next PPV card.
Also, UFC Fight Night events feature a great mix of ranked UFC fighters (top 15) across many weight class divisions, as well as up-and-coming talents who’ve entered the UFC via TUF, DWCS, and experience in other top MMA promotions.
And while the fights are nowhere near as hyped as the PPV fights, the hunger and intensity to win shown by fighters make the UFC Fight Night fights brilliant to watch.
There are around 30 UFC Fight Nights per year and each event has an average of 12 fights.
How to watch UFC Fight Nights:
UFC Fight Nights can be watched live via a monthly subscription service to the main UFC broadcaster in your country.
For US customers it’s ESPN+, for UK customers it’s TNT Sports, for Canadian customers it’s TSN.
UFC Fight Nights can also be watched on UFC Fight Pass roughly 2 to 4 hours after the event has finished.
3. Dana White’s Contender Series
First produced in 2017, Dana White’s Contender Series is an amazing UFC show because it features up-and-coming fighters who are given one fight to prove they’re worthy of a UFC contract.
Fighters are only given a UFC contract if they impress Dana White. They need spectacular knockouts or submissions, or high energy and constant attempts to finish the fight.
Fighters can’t coast to a victory via wrestling dominance and little damage. Plenty of fighters on DWCS have won their fight but haven’t earned a UFC contract due to the unimpressive nature of their victory.
This unique aspect of DWCS leads to unbelievable fights which are often worthy of a place on the prelims of a UFC event, and sometimes even the main card.
The fights also take place at the UFC Apex, which features the smaller-sized 25-foot UFC octagon. The smaller-sized octagon has been shown to increase finish rates and strikes thrown in UFC fights.
Many of the fighters who earn a contract on DWCS become very successful. This includes Kevin Holland, Brendan Allen, Dan Ige, Sean O’Malley, Ricky Simon, and former UFC champion Jamahal Hill.
DWCS is also great at the end when Dana White reads out which fighters have earned a UFC contract. He explains his decision for each fighter, and Laura Sanko interviews the new UFC fighters to get their thoughts and feelings.
How to watch DWCS:
DWCS can be watched live every Tuesday at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. All previous seasons can be watched on UFC Fight Pass.
Filming starts every year in either July or August and each season has 8 to 10 episodes broadcast weekly.
4. The Ultimate Fighter
The first season of TUF was filmed in 2005, and it’s now on its 31st season in 2023. The first TUF season is responsible for saving the UFC, at a time when the promotion was losing millions of dollars per year.
The Ultimate Fighter is an MMA reality TV series following the lives of fighters who have to live and train together and fight their way through the other contestants to earn a six-figure UFC contract.
Each headed by a UFC fighter, athletes are split into two teams and must fight through single-elimination bouts against fighters on the opposing team.
Each TUF season either has one or two weight class divisions, for example, lightweight and middleweight.
The finals are placed on either a PPV or Fight Night event, and the coach of each team fights on the same card in the main event. This often causes tension between the two coaches throughout the season.
The Ultimate Fighter offers fans a chance to see stars before they make it. Some of those stars have been Nate Diaz, Kamaru Usman, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Tony Ferguson, Michael Bisping, Robert Whittaker, and the list goes on.
TUF also has great training, fighting, house shenanigans, and team challenges which combine to create one of the most popular types of UFC content in the promotion’s history.
Overall, TUF provides a chance to see up-and-coming fighters live and breathe MMA for a chance to change their life by earning a coveted spot on the UFC roster. It’s must-see viewing for all MMA fans.
How to watch TUF:
TUF can be watched live on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass with a monthly subscription. It airs every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST.
All previous seasons of TUF can be watched on UFC Fight Pass.
5. UFC Countdown
UFC Countdowns are 45-minute to 1-hour-long promotional episodes that hype up an upcoming PPV event.
They provide in-depth and behind-the-scene looks into the main card fighters’ training camps, personal lives, backgrounds, weight-cutting, and thoughts/mindset on their upcoming fight.
UFC Countdowns provide valuable context and make the upcoming PPV events more engaging and exciting. Its episodes are known for their exceptional editing and storytelling.
They’re also great because they show different locations around the world, which really brings to life how global the UFC and MMA are.
How to watch UFC Countdown:
They’re produced and uploaded to Youtube roughly 1 to 2 weeks prior to a PPV event and have become essential viewing to many UFC fans.
6. UFC Embedded: Vlog Series
Alongside UFC Countdown, UFC Embedded: Vlog Series are 10-minute videos released each day during a PPV fight week for a total of 6 episodes.
UFC Embedded vlogs follow the fighters around and provide fans with more footage focused on what fighters are doing during fight week to prepare for their upcoming fight.
They attempt to feature the majority of fighters competing at the PPV event and they also include input from coaches and teammates.
UFC Embedded often showcases press conferences, weigh-ins, and other pre-fight events, adding to the overall hype of the event.
It also provides a platform for UFC fighters to share their stories, making it easier for fans to connect with them on a personal level.
Overall, UFC Embedded is great UFC content because it captures the tension, excitement, and anticipation leading up to a PPV event, as well as providing fans with a closer look at the inner workings of the UFC.
How to watch UFC Embedded: Vlog Series:
Free on Youtube every day during a PPV fight week.
7. Pre-Fight Press Conferences
Before PPV events, the UFC holds pre-fight press conferences with every fighter on the main card featured.
Fans attend in the thousands, and journalists have the chance to ask Dana White and the fighters questions about the upcoming fights and how they’ve prepared.
Each pre-fight press conference lasts between 25 to 45 minutes, and over the years they’ve provided plenty of entertainment as fighters see it as an opportunity to start trash-talking.
This adds to the excitement and ups the ante as every fighter voices how they believe they’re going to win and what they see as their opponent’s weaknesses.
UFC Pre-fight press conferences are where fighters get the chance to come alive, show their personality, and engage with the fans.
Fighters such as Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor notoriously use their charisma to excite the crowd and use pre-fight conferences as mental warfare to get under their opponent’s skin.
How to watch UFC pre-fight press conferences:
UFC pre-fight press conferences are broadcast on Thursdays at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT and can be watched live on Youtube.
They’re also uploaded to Youtube after the conference has finished.
8. Post-Fight Press Conferences
UFC post-fight press conferences are held after UFC events and feature Dana White and the fighters answering media questions about their performances, strategies, and future plans.
Most fans tune in to hear what Dana White has to say after a PPV event, but also interesting is listening to direct insights from fighters.
Dana White is straight talking and often has to answer hard questions from the media. He also sometimes makes official announcements regarding future events, title shots, or other significant news during these press conferences.
There are plenty of funny moments when Dana White is answering questions, especially when he constantly needs an interpreter for English-speaking media because he doesn’t understand non-American accents.
Fighters discuss their game plan, what went right or wrong during the fight, and their emotions and thoughts during crucial moments. They then talk about their future plans and who they expect to fight next.
Fans also learn about injuries fighters might have been dealing with or picked up during the fight, or personal challenges they faced leading up to the fight.
How to watch UFC post-fight press conferences:
Fans can tune into the UFC’s Youtube channel after an event has finished to watch the UFC post-fight press conferences for free.
They’re also uploaded to Youtube after the conference has finished.
9. UFC Ceremonial Weigh-ins
Live UFC Ceremonial Weigh-Ins are where the fighters step on the scale for the fans and face off with their opponents a day before the fight.
These weigh-ins are different from the official weigh-ins, which are conducted earlier to make sure fighters meet the required weight limits for their respective weight classes.
So, while the fighter’s weight is read aloud during the ceremonial weigh-ins, it’s simply the weight they recorded earlier in the day.
The ceremonial weigh-ins are more about the spectacle, allowing fans to see the fighters in a more relaxed setting and building anticipation for the upcoming bouts.
The main attraction is the face-offs, which sometimes see fighters pushing and feinting to strike – again upping the ante for the upcoming event.
Sometimes fighters briefly speak to the fans and provide insights into their preparation, strategy, or mindset going into the fight, and why they believe fans should tune in to the event.
How to watch UFC Ceremonial Weigh-ins:
UFC ceremonial weigh-ins are free to attend for fans and they can be watched live on the UFC’s Youtube channel.
They’re also uploaded to Youtube after the weigh-ins have finished.
They take place at 4 pm local time on Friday, making them location dependent. Fans should use Google to find the correct timing for each event.
10. UFC On The Line (Fight Prediction Show)
UFC On The Line is a PPV fight prediction show hosted by Brendan Fitzgerald and featuring professional bettors, Gianna Karalis and Nick Kalikas.
It’s brilliant for gamblers or those wanting to bet small amounts to increase the fun of an upcoming PPV event.
The panel starts by briefly talking about whether they were positive or negative with the last PPV bets, and then proceeds with the main event and works their way through every single fight.
Not only do they go over who they think will win, but they identify where the odds are favorable for specific bets. Gianna and Nick often disagree with each other, which is good because it provides different thought processes.
The show looks at fight stats, head to heads, fight highlights, and it makes it very easy to identify the favorites, underdogs, and where the value bets are.
Each UFC On The Line episode is 30 to 40 minutes long, and overall it’s a great piece of UFC content for those wanting to bet on an upcoming PPV event.
How to watch UFC On The Line:
UFC On The Line can be watched on UFC Fight Pass, as can all previous episodes.
The Bottom Line
While there are many different types of UFC shows/content, these are the 10 best types of UFC content fans should watch.
With the exception of the PPV and Fight Night events, everything can be watched on Youtube for free and on UFC Fight Pass for a small subscription fee.
With that being said, Fight Night events can be watched on UFC Fight Pass roughly 2 to 4 hours after the event has finished, and PPV events roughly 1 week after the event has finished.
As great and different types of UFC content are introduced, this list will be updated.
If you feel one of the best types of UFC content is missing from this list, feel free to comment below so it can be added.
