Additional non-Fight Night UFC events, like Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter, aren’t part of the recently announced deal with Paramount, the company’s CEO said Monday.
Dana White told the New York Post that UFC’s new deal to broadcast 43 events a year for Paramount for the next seven years, beginning in 2026, won’t include some of the brand’s more recognizable non-Fight Night content.
Instead, a new home for the programming next year has yet to be finalized.
“We have to figure that out,” White told the Post when asked about where the shows will go. “Listen, I think that Contender Series is the best product on television. I fly tomorrow to do Episode 1 of Contender Series. There are still a lot of things in this deal that haven’t been announced and aren’t done yet. But yeah, that’s one of them. I look forward to getting that wrapped up, too.”
The Contender Series, a live show where MMA prospects compete in hopes of earning a UFC contract, started airing on ESPN+ in 2019 as part of the promotion’s multi-year deal with the company. Including the upcoming season, which premieres this evening, the promotion has aired seven seasons on ESPN, a total of 70 episodes.
ESPN also revived The Ultimate Fighter in 2021, bringing back a brand which has helped boost UFC’s presence since 2005. The show has aired five seasons on ESPN platforms since its return.
In recent years, a new series, Road To UFC, has also started to air on the promotion’s Fight Pass service, showcasing prospects from Asia as they fight their way toward a contract with the promotion. While never sold to ESPN, the events could definitely be bundled along with TUF and DWCS for a media rights package.
During his interview with the Post, White was asked about where he stands with the concept of pay-per-view. The new deal with CBS, as it stands currently, will feature numbered cards without a PPV charge associated with it.
White remained open to utilizing PPV in his business moves, whether it be UFC, boxing, jiu-jitsu, or “slapping.” His comments were less strict than those of TKO’s Mark Shapiro, who called PPV “antiquated” on Monday.
“Anything is possible. And you could do a one-off pay-per-view. I am going to be on pay-per-view this Saturday. Pay-per-view is not dead.”
White’s full interview with the New York Post can be read here.
