As an avid UFC fan, it’s crucial to have access to all fights, exclusive content, and in-depth analysis to enjoy the sport fully. That’s why I’ve spent the last few months using UFC Fight Pass, and I’m here to share my personal experience with the service. Whether you’re deciding if it’s worth subscribing or are simply curious about how well it performs, here’s a comprehensive breakdown of why UFC Fight Pass is worth every penny, especially if you’re a hardcore fan.
The Connection Between Sports and Passion, According to Experts
Many fans are drawn to sports for the excitement, competition, and sense of connection it provides. According to Unfinished Man, sports create a bond among people, offering a way to escape everyday life and enjoy shared experiences. This is why platforms like UFC Fight Pass are so popular—they give fans a chance to stay connected with the sport they love, offering access to fights and live events that feed their passion for competition and entertainment.
Comprehensive Fight Library: Relive Every Iconic Moment
One of the greatest features of UFC Fight Pass is its extensive fight library, which doesn’t only cover UFC events but also many global MMA promotions, including Invicta FC, Cage Warriors, and Pancrase. If you’re someone who loves diving into the history of the sport, revisiting classic fights, and catching up on matches you may have missed, the fight library is invaluable.
From legendary battles like Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz to lesser-known gems, UFC Fight Pass has you covered. You can relive Anderson Silva’s prime or witness the meteoric rise of Khabib Nurmagomedov. This feature alone is a treasure trove for fight enthusiasts and was a major selling point for me.
However, one downside I noticed is that the latest UFC pay-per-views aren’t immediately available for replay. You’ll need to wait a few weeks after the event if you’re not willing to pay for them separately.
Exclusive Fight Pass Events: Get More Than Just UFC Fights
Another stellar feature is the exclusive Fight Pass events. If you’re a fan who loves more than just the UFC, UFC Fight Pass will introduce you to smaller promotions and live fights you won’t find anywhere else. You can catch events from all over the world, featuring rising stars and future champions. Promotions like LFA (Legacy Fighting Alliance) and EBI (Eddie Bravo Invitational) regularly stream on UFC Fight Pass, and this has allowed me to become familiar with fighters I would’ve never discovered otherwise.
For those who crave live MMA content beyond the UFC’s big names, this exclusive access to global promotions is invaluable. You’re not just a spectator to the mainstream; you’re witnessing the growth of MMA talent from the grassroots up, watching fighters before they break into the UFC spotlight.
Live Early Prelims and More: Don’t Miss a Second of the Action
If you’re the type of fan who never wants to miss any part of a fight card, including the early prelims, UFC Fight Pass has you covered? While ESPN and PPV handle the main card and most prelims, Fight Pass gives you access to those crucial early bouts that often introduce the next big names in MMA.
Some of the biggest stars today started in early prelims. Think about fighters like Sean O’Malley, who grew his fanbase through these earlier bouts before becoming a major UFC headliner. You can catch all of it live on UFC Fight Pass, which is perfect for a die-hard fan like me who wants to see every single fight on the card.
Watching the Stars of Tomorrow
UFC Fight Pass is not only about catching the headliners of the sport today, but it’s also an incubator for tomorrow’s stars. Watching Dana White’s Contender Series or Road to UFC offers a chance to witness young fighters battle for a UFC contract. Fighters like Sean O’Malley, Khamzat Chimaev, and Kevin Holland built their careers from UFC Fight Pass exclusive events, giving fans an early look at fighters destined for greatness.
Having followed fighters from their early Fight Pass matches to eventual pay-per-view main events has been one of the more satisfying aspects of the service for me. It’s exciting to say you watched a future star in their first UFC fight before they became a household name.
Top Fighters to Watch That Make UFC Fight Pass Essential
While UFC Fight Pass offers a lot for hardcore fans, one of the primary draws is the ability to keep up with some of the most exciting fighters in the UFC today. Fighters like Israel Adesanya, Sean O’Malley, Max Holloway, and Amanda Nunes continue to attract viewers to their every move. Watching their journey from the prelims to becoming headliners through UFC Fight Pass is part of what makes this service such a must-have.
Being able to go back and watch some of Adesanya’s early fights or Max Holloway’s career-defining moments is an incredible experience for any MMA fan. Their fights are more than just athletic contests—they’re historic moments in combat sports, and UFC Fight Pass allows you to relive them over and over again.
The Price: Is UFC Fight Pass Worth the Subscription Fee?
At $9.99 a month, UFC Fight Pass is an excellent deal for the sheer amount of content it offers, especially for hardcore MMA fans. That said, it’s not for everyone. If you’re only interested in watching the major UFC events and aren’t into early prelims or smaller promotions, then this might not be the service for you.
But for someone like me, who loves to explore every aspect of the sport, from the biggest PPVs to the lesser-known fights, UFC Fight Pass is a steal. Add in the exclusive shows, live content, and thousands of past fights, and you’re getting more than your money’s worth.
User Interface and Experience: A Mixed Bag
One of the few complaints I have is the platform’s user interface. While it’s generally easy to navigate, there are times when finding specific fights or events can be a bit clunky. On occasion, streams have lagged, especially during live events. It’s not a frequent issue, but when it happens during a critical fight, it’s certainly frustrating.
That being said, when the streams work smoothly, the quality is top-notch. The replays load quickly, and the content is easy to navigate for the most part. It would just be nice to see some improvements in the app’s stability, especially during live events.
Why UFC Fight Pass is Ideal for Hardcore Fans
If you’re serious about MMA, UFC Fight Pass is more than just a streaming service; it’s a hub for every aspect of the sport. Whether you’re interested in diving into classic fights, catching early prelims, or discovering up-and-coming fighters from smaller promotions, UFC Fight Pass gives you access to it all.
There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a fighter progress from their first professional bout to becoming a world champion. UFC Fight Pass gives you that inside access, and if you’re as invested in the sport as I am, it becomes an essential part of your fight-watching experience.
What Could Make UFC Fight Pass Better?
While I’m overall thrilled with the service, there are a few areas where UFC Fight Pass could improve. For one, it would be great if they included live PPV events in the subscription. Right now, you have to pay extra for those, and they aren’t available for replay until a few weeks after the event. Including these live PPV events in the package could make the service unbeatable.
Additionally, the technical issues that arise during live streams, although infrequent, need to be addressed to ensure that the service remains as smooth and seamless as possible.
Is UFC Fight Pass Worth It?
After months of using the service, I can confidently say that UFC Fight Pass is worth it for serious MMA fans. If you’re someone who only tunes in for the biggest UFC events, then maybe the service won’t appeal to you as much. But for the rest of us who live and breathe MMA, UFC Fight Pass is a must-have.
With access to exclusive events, a vast fight library, and the ability to track the progress of up-and-coming fighters, the service offers more than just a way to watch fights. It’s a full-fledged MMA experience, and one that I highly recommend to anyone who loves the sport as much as I do.
Enhancing the Fight Library
One of the biggest strengths of UFC Fight Pass is its extensive fight library, but there’s always room for improvement. While the current catalog is massive, featuring over two decades of UFC fights and events from other organizations like PRIDE and Invicta FC, it would be even better if the platform expanded its collection to include more historical content. Imagine having access to some of the most legendary fights from the early days of MMA promotions around the globe or even obscure matches that hardcore fans have been dying to watch again. This would appeal to both newer fans trying to learn about the sport’s roots and long-time followers who want to relive iconic moments. Additionally, curated collections around certain fighters, fight styles, or rivalries could help guide viewers who aren’t sure where to start in such a vast archive.
Another area for enhancement is the inclusion of more exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, documentaries, or interviews with fighters. As a fan, part of the appeal is getting to know these athletes beyond the octagon. UFC Fight Pass could dive deeper into the lives and preparations of fighters with exclusive content that shows more than just their fight record. This kind of storytelling would add a personal touch to the service, enriching the overall experience and providing additional value for subscribers.
Adding More Original Content
While UFC Fight Pass already offers some original content, expanding this area could set the service apart even more. Consider in-depth analysis shows featuring well-known analysts breaking down not only UFC fights but other promotions as well. Detailed technical breakdowns of classic fights, where coaches or fighters themselves explain their strategies, could appeal to the more hardcore audience that’s always looking to learn more about the sport. UFC could also tap into different regions around the world to bring international fight culture to the forefront, helping fans discover new promotions, styles, and athletes.
Interactive content could also be a game-changer for the platform. Fans love to be part of the action, and incorporating live Q&A sessions, fighter chats, or interactive polls during fights would increase engagement. Special content drops during fights, such as giving fans access to real-time fight stats or the opportunity to select different camera angles, could create a more immersive viewing experience that’s tailored to the individual user.
Price Point Flexibility
For many fans, one of the biggest drawbacks of UFC Fight Pass is the price, especially since it doesn’t include live PPV events. To make the service more accessible, UFC could introduce tiered subscription plans that allow users to pay for different levels of access. For example, a basic plan could offer access to the fight library and live events from smaller promotions, while a premium plan could include earlier access to PPV replays, more original content, or even discounts on live PPV events. This tiered approach could appeal to a broader range of fans—those who want all-access and those who just want to occasionally dip into the library without breaking the bank.
Another possibility is offering a bundle that combines UFC Fight Pass with other sports streaming services. Fans often follow more than one sport, and bundling services could give UFC Fight Pass an edge in the competitive sports streaming market. Whether it’s partnering with ESPN+ or other MMA organizations, fans would appreciate the convenience of having multiple sports and fight leagues in one place, possibly at a discounted rate.
Better User Experience and App Updates
While the content itself is top-notch, UFC Fight Pass could benefit from more frequent updates and improvements to its user interface. The app’s layout is relatively straightforward, but there’s a lot that could be done to make it more user-friendly. For instance, users could benefit from a better search function. With such a vast library, finding specific fights or events can sometimes be cumbersome. Adding filters, like being able to search by fighter, fight result, or even the round in which a fight was won, could make the experience more streamlined.
Additionally, the mobile app and the TV apps sometimes have issues with lagging or crashing, particularly during high-traffic events. To stay competitive with other streaming platforms, UFC Fight Pass needs to iron out these bugs and ensure that their service is as smooth as possible, no matter what device the fan is using. Incorporating features like offline viewing for downloaded fights could also appeal to those who want to watch on the go without worrying about data usage.
Expanding International Content
MMA is a global sport, and while UFC Fight Pass includes a good amount of content from international promotions, there’s room for expansion. The rise of MMA in Asia, particularly with promotions like ONE Championship, has attracted a whole new audience. Including more content from international leagues could not only draw in fans from those regions but also introduce North American audiences to a new style of fighting and different fighter personalities. This cross-pollination of fight cultures would not only broaden the appeal of UFC Fight Pass but also solidify its position as the ultimate destination for all things MMA.
Furthermore, providing content in multiple languages and offering localized commentary could make the platform more appealing to fans from different parts of the world. As UFC continues to host more events in regions like the Middle East, South America, and Europe, the ability to connect with fans in their native language becomes even more critical. This would make UFC Fight Pass a more inclusive platform, helping it grow its user base across different continents.
Highlighting Female Fighters
Another area where UFC Fight Pass could further distinguish itself is by focusing on the growing popularity of female fighters in MMA. While top names like Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, and Rose Namajunas draw attention, the platform could do more to promote up-and-coming female fighters and their journeys. By creating content specifically geared toward showcasing these athletes, UFC could tap into a growing audience that’s hungry for stories about empowerment, resilience, and skill.
Many fans have expressed a desire to see more female-centered events, fight analysis, and documentary-style content that highlights the unique challenges and successes female fighters face. UFC Fight Pass has an opportunity here to champion female athletes and increase engagement among fans who are particularly interested in the women’s divisions.
Expanding Access to Grassroots and Amateur Events
Lastly, UFC Fight Pass could extend its reach by partnering with more grassroots and amateur MMA organizations. Right now, the service focuses heavily on professional fights, but there’s a growing interest in following fighters’ journeys from the very beginning. By offering content from amateur leagues, fans could get a closer look at the development of fighters before they make it to the big leagues. This could give fans a more comprehensive view of the sport and foster a deeper connection with athletes as they rise through the ranks.
Many of today’s top fighters, like Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev, started in smaller promotions before making a name for themselves in the UFC. Offering content that traces these fighters’ roots could give fans a chance to see where future champions come from, adding yet another layer to the immersive MMA experience that UFC Fight Pass offers.
