How to Watch UFC Anywhere

Why Trust Tech Report

Tech Report is one of the oldest hardware, news, and tech review sites on the internet. We write helpful technology guides, unbiased product reviews, and report on the latest tech and crypto news. We maintain editorial independence and consider content quality and factual accuracy to be non-negotiable.

The UFC is the premier MMA organization, which means it’s quite popular among streamers. However, watching the events is not always easy, as UFC fights are broadcast by various networks that use geo-restrictions. 

If you have traveled and want to access your streaming service or simply want to stream using a service from a different region, your connection may be blocked.

Fortunately, there’s a way to bypass these restrictions and use your streaming service of choice: a VPN. A premium VPN will help you connect to a server in the country you’d like and access any streaming service from anywhere. It will also hide your online activities from all spying eyes.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to watch UFC from anywhere through a VPN. We’ll also look at the various streaming services you can use.

Where to Watch UFC Online – Live Streams

With that information, we can now get to the main agenda – how to watch UFC anywhere.

UFC has various broadcasters you can use to watch the early prelims, prelims, and the main card. Most of these channels have a streaming service that doesn’t require paying extra if you have a TV package. However, you can also get a standalone subscription or go for UFC Fight Pass if you are in a region that offers the Ultimate plan (which includes live PPVs at no extra cost).

In the US, the main market for UFC, numbered events are usually offered as Pay-per-view (PPV) on ESPN+. To purchase one, you will need an active ESPN+ subscription.

How Much Does Streaming UFC Cost?

One UFC numbered event goes for $79.99, while an ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 a month or $109.99 for the whole year. If you aren’t an existing customer, you can get the PPV you want plus a year of ESPN+ at a cost of $134.99. This is usually referred to as the ESPN+ PPV bundle.

Sounds expensive? If you want to lower the cost of watching UFC events, we have a trick for you.

The cheapest option for watching UFC events is Mola TV, a streaming service based in Indonesia. The platform streams UFC main cards and UFC Fight Nights, all at a cost of about $3 per month.

To access it, you can use PureVPN to connect to a server in Indonesia. From there, head to mola.tv to create an account, and you can start streaming right away.

Otherwise, various regional networks broadcast UFC Fight Nights and numbered events outside the US.

Below is a breakdown of how to watch UFC anywhere.

Why Do You Need a VPN to Watch UFC Online?

Before we look at the streaming services you can use to watch the UFC in various regions, let’s see why you need a VPN to stream the events.

According to the UFC website, the promotion’s events are broadcast in over 165 countries and territories via more than 60 global broadcast partners. As standard operating procedure, these broadcasters don’t share territories, so each is required to only stream events in a particular region. If you try to access it from a different country, your access is blocked.

Streaming services make this possible by checking a user’s IP address every time they connect. Since your IP address carries your location information, the service blocks you if you are outside its jurisdiction.

A VPN helps bypass these restrictions by changing your IP address. Say you are in South Africa and want to access ESPN+ (US) to watch UFC Fight Night or a numbered event. If you have a streaming account, you only need to connect to a US server using a VPN. The streaming service will think you are in the US and give you access.

Besides that, a VPN is always a good way of hiding your online activities from your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you don’t want them snooping on you, simply connect your VPN, and it will encrypt all your online activities.

Quick Guide on How to Watch UFC Anywhere

In a hurry? Here are the quick steps you need to follow.

Best VPNs to Watch UFC from Anywhere Today – Quick List

Here’s a quick look at our rankings for the best VPN for UFC. We have carefully selected the VPNs based on their streaming capabilities and overall performance. 

1. PureVPN – Overall, the best VPN for watching UFC from anywhere with 60+ dedicated streaming servers
2. ExpressVPN – A top VPN that offers excellent streaming speeds thanks to the Lightway protocol.
3. NordVPN – One of the safest VPNs for streaming, thanks to the XChaCha20 encryption
4. IvacyVPN – Budget-Friendly option with dedicated streaming servers and starts at just $1.17/month
5. Surfshark – Excellent VPN for streaming on multiple devices thanks to the unlimited simultaneous connections

Best VPNs to Watch UFC from Anywhere

Now, let’s examine the best VPNs for watching UFC in detail, starting with our top option, PureVPN. In these reviews, we’ll explore a VPN’s server count, speeds, unblocking capabilities, privacy, security, and other important aspects.

1. PureVPN – Best Overall VPN to Watch UFC

PureVPN tops our ranking as the best VPN to watch UFC, as it provides exceptional performance at a friendly price. As we found in our Pure VPN review, it can unblock all major streaming services, offers great speeds, and has many features.

The most impressive feature that makes PureVPN suitable for UFC is its dedicated streaming servers. These are named after specific streaming services, making it easy to select the one you’d like. The options are 60+, and they include the likes of ESPN and DAZN.

These servers are part of a larger network that consists of 6,000+ VPN servers spread across 80+ locations in 65+ countries. This impressive network ensures great speeds when connecting to any region. The speeds are further boosted by the VPN’s safe and super-fast WireGuard protocol.

As for security, PureVPN promises to keep your data privacy and your identity anonymous. The VPN doesn’t keep any logs, and it recently moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to the British Virgin Islands to enhance data protection. Once you connect to the VPN, your data is encrypted using AES-256, which is the gold standard. 

PureVPN does well in terms of compatibility. It has an app for all major devices, including Linux GUI and CLI apps. You can also install it on Firestick and various browsers. The apps have many features and details but are still easy to use.

Pricing

PureVPN offers several products bundled with the VPN, but you can still get the standalone VPN service. The 5-year plan offers the best value for money at $2.16 per month. 

However, the advantage is not much more significant than the one provided by the 2-year plan at $2.22 per month, considering you won’t have to commit for a very long period.

2. ExpressVPN – Top VPN with excellent speeds

ExpressVPN provides virtually everything you need for streaming—superb speeds, servers in every region, and the ability to unblock all major streaming services. The VPN’s speeds result from a combination of world-class servers and its own Lightway protocol, which is a variant of the revolutionary WireGuard protocol.

ExpressVPN’s server infrastructure is one of the VPN’s biggest selling points. The network consists of 3000+ servers spread across 105 locations in 94 countries. This distribution is one of the best in the market, and it means you can unblock pretty much any streaming service from anywhere. Whether it’s ESPN+, DAZN, or Mola TV, the VPN will give you access. 

However, the VPN isn’t all about streaming, as you can see in our detailed ExpressVPN review. ExpressVPN ensures you get an all-inclusive service by offering solid privacy and security. 

It does this by using AES-256 encryption alongside other secure standards to keep your data safe. It also operates under a third-party audited zero log policy, which ensures none of your streaming or browsing data is recorded when using the VPN. This is then complemented by the use of RAM-only servers, guaranteeing that no data can be written to the hard disk.

Once you create an account with the VPN, you can install it on Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire OS, and Google TV. If you want to use the VPN on devices other than regular ones, the VPN also provides a router app and a free SmartDNS service you can set up on any device. One account allows up to 8 simultaneous connections.

Pricing

The only thing that we feel goes against ExpressVPN is its pricing, as it lies on the expensive side of the market. However, the VPN’s performance makes it worth every penny, so it’s a case of paying for quality.

This price includes Keys, the company’s password manager, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not 100% satisfied, simply request a full refund – no questions asked.

3. NordVPN – Best VPN for Bypassing Geo-restrictions using any Server

NordVPN is often mentioned among the top three VPNs and is an excellent option for watching UFC. The VPN is mostly known for its wide array of security features, but it also comes with lots of streaming capabilities.

The VPN’s integration of SmartDNS in its servers, a technology it refers to as SmartPlay, tops the list. This feature allows users to unblock streaming content using any VPN server. 

For example, if you want to unblock ESPN+, you can connect to any country near you (not necessarily the US) and get access. This helps enhance your speeds as nearer servers are usually faster. The SmartDNS is also available as a standalone feature if you want to stream on a device that doesn’t support VPN installation, such as some Smart TVs.

NordVPN’s server network is also one of its best aspects. The VPN offers 6000+ servers spread across 111 countries. This makes it the largest server network on our list, and it means you’ll enjoy excellent speeds when using the VPN. This is boosted by the VPN’s use of the NordLynx protocol, a slightly altered version of WireGuard.

Besides its excellent streaming capabilities, NordVPN also offers a huge number of privacy and security features that allow for a complete online experience. These include a zero-log policy, AES-256 encryption, threat protection (blocks ads, trackers, and malware), double VPN (routes your traffic through two servers), and a dark web monitor (lets you know if any of your information is posted on the dark web). 

NordVPN is compatible with pretty much all devices, including Smart TVs, streaming sticks, tablets, and routers. All its apps are also user-friendly, catering to both beginners and experienced users, as you can see in our in-depth NordVPN review.

Pricing

Despite offering arguably the most features in the market, NordVPN is great value for money. This is true especially if you go for the VPN’s longer-term plans. The 2-year option allows you to get the VPN for just $3.99 per month. A subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and provides up to 10 simultaneous connections.

4. IvacyVPN – Simple, affordable VPN that Specializes in Streaming

Ivacy VPN may not enjoy the brand recognition of ExpressVPN and NordVN, but it’s one of the best VPNs for watching UFC and other live content. The VPN offers superb streaming capabilities and gets an edge in its pricing, making it suitable for lots of streaming fans. 

One of the major highlights of Ivacy VPN is its specialized streaming servers, which you can use to watch the UFC from anywhere. The VPN comes with a dedicated streaming section where you can select the service you’d like. 

The options here include ESPN+, Netflix (multiple locations), Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, ITV, Amazon Prime, and HBO. Once you select a service like ESPN+, the VPN will automatically connect you to an appropriate server and even ask whether it should redirect you to the website/app.

You’ll enjoy great speeds when streaming. This is thanks to WireGuard and Ivacy VPN’s network of 5,700+ servers spread over 100+ locations in 54 countries. 

Although the number of countries is relatively small, the server count is high, and you can even enjoy unusual server locations such as China, Russia, and Afghanistan (because why not?).

Ivacy VPN is also solid when it comes to privacy and security, although there’s nothing much to write home about here. It does the basics well by offering a zero-log policy accompanied by AES-256 encryption.

However, it performs much better when it comes to compatibility and apps. The VPN’s apps are geared towards simplicity, making them suitable for beginners. You can install the VPN on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, FireOS, Android TV, and various browsers.

Pricing

Ivacy VPN’s pricing is probably its main attraction point. You can get the VPN for $1.17/month, although this price is attached to a 5-year plan. If you feel that’s too long, you can also get the 2-year plan for just $1.99 per month. 

5. Surfshark – Best for Streaming without simultaneous restrictions

Surfshark VPN has quickly grown to become a household name since its launch in 2018. Unlike most VPNs that grow over time, it came fully featured and offered some of the best speeds in the market for a low price.

One of Surfshark’s most attractive aspects is that it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. This makes it an excellent option for families, and it’s the only VPN with the feature in this list.

Besides that, a major highlight of the VPN is that it can unblock most streaming services. You can use it to watch ESPN+, Mola TV, Discovery Plus, Sportsnet+, DAZN, and many others. While the VPN doesn’t have dedicated streaming servers, most can, so you only need to select the right country.

Surfshark VPN boasts a network of 3,200+ servers spread across 100 countries. Although the server count is not the highest, the distribution is excellent, and we found that SurfShark is one of the fastest VPNs in the market during our Surfshark VPN review. 

Besides streaming, Surfshark also ensures that you remain private and secure. First, the VPN operates on a publicly-audited zero-log policy. It then encrypts all data using AES-256 and provides extra privacy and security features such as camouflage mode (hides the fact that you are using a VPN), double VPN, private DNS, leak protection, and a kill switch.

The VPN offers easy-to-use apps that can be installed on most devices that support VPN installation, including Smart TVs and streaming sticks.

Pricing

For all its features and excellent performance, Surfshark’s Starter plan costs a mere $2.19/month, making it one of the best cheap VPNs. For more features, like email breach alerts, you could opt for Surfshark One or One+.

Can You Use a Free VPN to Watch UFC?

Free VPNs often provide a good way of enjoying a few VPN services without having to reach for your wallet. However, when it comes to watching the UFC and other live events, you might want to think twice. Free VPNs usually come with various drawbacks that make them unsuitable for streaming.

Given the trade-offs, a premium VPN is a much better option. Paid VPNs offer excellent speeds, better unblocking capabilities, multi-device support, and enhanced privacy and security.

What to do if Your VPN Doesn’t Work for UFC

Using a VPN is a way of circumventing restrictions, and it may not work occasionally. However, there’s no need to panic, as you can often resolve the issue within a few minutes. Below are a few common issues and how to solve them.

Watching UFC on Free Websites – The Dangers

If you’ve ever been tempted to find free streams to watch UFC, you are not alone. However, it’s important to understand that accessing such streams comes with significant risk. 

Considering all these, you’d be better off with a legal streaming service. If you feel like the regional one is too expensive, you can always switch your location with a VPN and access a different one.

Final Thoughts

Learned how to watch UFC from anywhere? 

Well, all you need is a streaming service, and there are plenty of options available. These services offer streams at different prices, but you can access whichever you are interested in through a VPN. 

When you connect to a server, the VPN will change your location, allowing you to access any streaming service you’d like. However, you should also ensure your VPN offers good speeds and can bypass the VPN blocks used by streaming services.

FAQs: