"Seeing Volk and Charles get KO'd," "Downgrade. That app sucks" - Fans react as first teaser for UFC on Paramount+ drops

UFC will debut on Paramount+ in January. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
UFC will debut on Paramount+ in January. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

It's the end of an era, as the UFC will have a new home on Paramount+ starting in January. However, judging from the response the teaser for the promotions switch to the new platform received, the MMA fan base seems to be divided about the move from ESPN.

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For context, earlier in August, the UFC signed a seven-year deal with Paramount, which will net the promotion $7.7 billion over the term. Starting next year, all fight events will be streamed on Paramount+ and broadcast on CBS.

Notably, the new deal will eliminate the pay-per-view model for promotion's events in the United States.

The teaser features iconic UFC moments, including Ilia Topuria's KO over Charles Oliveira, Islam Makhachev's fight-ending head kick of Alexander Volkanovski, Alex Pereira's flying knee debut, and Kayla Harrison's UFC 300 celebration, all accompanied by a familiar tune, The Who’s 'Baba O'Riley’.

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Check out the teaser for UFC on Paramount+ below:

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Excited fans soon flooded social media, sharing their thoughts and opinions.

@AlexCaceresfan wrote:

"Seeing Volk and Charles get KOd."

@boxing_eric opined:

"Downgrade. That app s**ks."

@FilthyCasual_YT commented:

"And just like that, Paramount just made more promotion than the UFC for 300 and onward."

@nobody_goat_mma chimed in:

"Already bought Paramount + for 1 year. Excited !!"

Check out a few more reactions below:

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Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X
Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X

Other than a new broadcaster, the company has a lot more to look forward to in 2026, including the historic UFC White House event and potential return of promotional mega stars like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.

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UFC vet claims Paramount deal will do little to improve fighter pay

UFC has hit big with the Paramount deal, set to earn $7.7 billion over seven years, a significant increase from its time on ESPN, which netted the company $1.5 billion over five years.

Former heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub, however, maintains that the new deal will do little to improve fighter pay. 'Big Brown' argues the MMA giant will likely make only a superficial bump in the salaries, just enough to sway public perception:

"Do you think the UFC is going to double the pay of the fighters? Do you think they're going to double the pay of the UFC champions?... I'll tell you what they're probably going to do... they're going to announce there's going to be a pay increase of five or 10% maybe. And that's going to check the box for most of the sheep out there. They go, 'See, they're paying them more,' But I want you to remember... I just want you to know how f**ked up the fight business is. They've doubled their profit, and the fighters are staying exactly the same.[23:27 minutes of th clip]"

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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