UFC Event Formats
| Updated: November 10, 2025
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the biggest MMA promoter in the world, with no real competitors, at least in terms of revenue. A significant portion of the top-ranked fighters have signed contracts with the UFC, striving to stay in the spotlight and enjoy impressive remuneration. The perfect example in this regard is Conor McGregor, who topped the 2021 Highest-Paid Athletes ranking ahead of stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is based in the US and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The promotion organizes fighting events all over the world that attract millions of viewers and an increasing number of online bettors. Rules and event formats have evolved throughout the years and currently, the UFC conducts two types of fighting shows: Numbered UFC Events and UFC Fight Nights. The first features high-profile bouts only, including championship fights broadcast in a pay-per-view format. UFC Fight Nights, on the other hand, can currently be watched after paying a monthly fee through the ESPN+ network, covering bouts between lower-ranked fighters.
Now let’s take a closer look at the two UFC event formats, along with their positives and characteristic differences.
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Numbered UFC Events (PPV)
To watch the so-called numbered UFC events, you have to pay a one-time fee in addition to your usual subscription service, digital cable package, or any other platform you use. The PPV service is used to broadcast events that arouse serious spectator interest, such as professional boxing matches, UFC fights, professional wrestling, concerts, and more. The majority of UFC PPV events take place in the United States, with some exceptions, usually in the home country of the champion or the challenger.
It is traditional for numbered UFC events to be headlined by a championship fight; sometimes two title fights are included on the same card. To date, only five UFC PPV events have included three championship bouts:
| UFC 33 |
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| UFC 205 |
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| UFC 217 |
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| UFC 245 |
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| UFC 251 |
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The highest-grossing MMA event of all time is UFC 229, with total revenue above $120 million. It will surprise no one with even minimal knowledge of mixed martial arts to learn that one of the participants in the main event was Conor McGregor, a fighter who has shown the world how profitable MMA can be. His opponent in 2018 was Khabib Nurmagomedov, the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion. The much-anticipated fight was won by Khabib via submission with a neck crank.
Over the years, UFC events have been broadcast by several networks, including ABC, Fox, Fuel TV, Spike, Versus, and others. However, in 2019 the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that, as part of its major contract with ESPN, all subsequent PPV matches would be available for purchase only to registered users of the network’s streaming service, ESPN+. The deal in question covers the US media market.
UFC Fight Pass
Proof of the large scale of UFC operations is the fact that the promotion has its own subscription-based video streaming service called UFC Fight Pass. At the time of writing, subscription fees are $9.99 for a monthly pass and $95.99 for an annual pass. Those who subscribe get access to multiple UFC events, the UFC Fight Library, live martial arts events, and some exclusive fighting series and shows. It is important to note that PPV events show up on the service at least one month after their original live broadcast.
UFC Fight Pass is a very good option for die-hard MMA enthusiasts, as it is bursting at the seams with historical content for a reasonable price. The library comprises thousands of past events, not only by the UFC but also from PRIDE FC, WEC, Strikeforce, Affliction, Invicta FC, King of the Cage, and more. Users can also watch behind-the-scenes shows, documentaries, and other original programming. Regarding UFC PPV events, only the Early Prelims are available for live streaming.
UFC Fight Nights
Despite the appeal of the numbered UFC events, over time it became clear that they were not enough to satisfy the unceasing interest of MMA fans and sports bettors. Moreover, beyond the top-ranked stars, many other fighters were looking for their place in the spotlight and needed a platform to perform and be noticed. Because of this demand, and the resulting economic benefits, The Ultimate Fighting Championship began holding UFC Fight Nights in 2005. These were the first UFC events that did not fall within the PPV system.
Although UFC Fight Nights are considered the lower-tier portion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, they should not be overlooked, because they often feature exciting bouts between very talented, though not yet famous, fighters. Fight Nights have established themselves as a fundamental platform for building a fighter’s name, both among fans and within the promotion’s management team. Participating in Fight Nights gives inexperienced fighters time to build confidence. The UFC marketing team monitors how combatants’ personalities are perceived by the audience and, at the right time, promotes a fighter they believe will fit into a PPV show.
Initially, UFC Fight Nights were broadcast on Spike, then moved to FX and Fox Sports before ending up on ESPN as part of the above-mentioned major deal. In the eyes of many MMA fans, Fight Nights resemble a reality show that kicks off the career of future UFC superstars. As we all know, there is huge interest in reality shows worldwide, and UFC Fight Nights are no exception.
How UFC Fighters Get Paid
UFC’s top fighters maintain a fairly high standard of living, which inevitably arouses their fans’ curiosity. Everyone knows (or at least thinks) that fighters earn thousands of dollars for every bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, there is hardly a top athlete in the world who earns a living solely from official remuneration for sporting events. It is also apparent that UFC fighters are reluctant to share information about their contracts and exact payment terms.
A fighter’s contract is the starting point; it sets a fixed amount per bout for a certain number of matches over a specific period. In the past this was their main source of income, but things have changed dramatically over the last decade.
In modern UFC matches, fighters can benefit from several lucrative bonuses, called UFC Bonus Awards. The Fight of the Night bonus is awarded to the two fighters who have participated in the most entertaining bout on the card. There are no fixed criteria; bonus winners are selected informally and announced during the post-event press conference. On March 26, 2022, the UFC held its first full post-pandemic event, where both Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena earned a $50,000 bonus for the impressive spectacle that delighted the action-hungry audience. The Performance of the Night bonus was introduced in 2014 to replace the previously existing Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night awards. This bonus is also $50,000.
Top-tier fighters have huge follower bases across social networks, and this makes them particularly attractive to a wide variety of brands that offer enticing advertising contracts. Some fighters are so successful in this regard that their off-octagon income far surpasses the amounts coming from regular paychecks. The more popular a fighter becomes, the larger these sums are, and titles won in the past year often do not matter. You didn’t think McGregor wouldn’t show up again in our article on UFC betting, did you? His business acumen put him at the top of the earnings list in 2021, even though he lost to Dustin Poirier twice (on January 24, UFC 257, and July 11, UFC 264).
Final Words
Both Numbered UFC Events and UFC Fight Nights provide online bettors with a variety of multiform betting markets. Bets are more often placed on the lower-ranked Fight Nights simply due to their higher frequency, about once a week. Championship fights, on the other hand, are usually held at least once per month. Keep your finger on the pulse of the MMA calendar, since the upcoming seasons promise to be more thrilling than ever with new events coming from the Ultimate Fighting Championship and other promoters. If you want to make sure you know all types of MMA bets, move on to the next article in our guide.