Kayo Sports and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have officially commenced a new multi-year agreement from January 1, 2024, which sees Main Event – available only on Kayo Sports and Foxtel – become the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events in Australia.
Lead Image: Dan Hooker, Melissa Leong and Tyson Pedro on the set of UFC Fight Week
The first Pay-Per-View (PPV) exclusive event will see UFC middleweight Champion Sean Strickland make his first title defence against South African Dricus Du Plessis as they headline UFC 297 direct from Toronto on January 21.
This expanded partnership cements Main Event as the undisputed home of PPV in Australia, with a rich history of showcasing the biggest UFC fights in the world – and building the next generation of fighters – since 2008.
Under the new agreement, fans looking to purchase a UFC PPV will be redirected to Foxtel and Kayo Sports’ Main Event platform for exclusive access to unmissable fights. UFC Fight Pass will continue to broadcast live UFC fights, including the Preliminary bouts to UFC PPV events and each UFC Fight Night event in its entirety, in addition to live and on-demand combat sports and unforgettable archived bouts from around the world.
In addition to all the UFC PPV events, sports fans can expect a full menu of UFC content, including UFC Fight Nights, UFC Pay-Per-View Prelims, UFC Countdown, DC & RC, plus selected titles from UFC’s Fight Library on ESPN, available on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
Ahead of the UFC’s first PPV event in 2024, Australian food critic, MasterChef Australia judge and self-confessed fanatic Melissa Leong will host UFC Fight Week on Wednesday, January 17, available on Kayo Sports and Foxtel. Melissa will be joined by panellists Tyson Pedro and Dan Hooker as they break down UFC 297 and interview Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. The show will be replayed daily leading up to the event.
UFC’s popularity has soared since it was first broadcast in Australia in 2008. There are now more than 700 million UFC fans across the globe. In Australia and New Zealand, UFC counts more than 4.3 million fans and features the youngest fan base of any professional sport in Australia with 48 per cent aged between 18-39.
“We’re excited to strengthen and expand our relationship with the UFC, the fastest growing sport in the world, and 2024 will deliver a line-up of epic battles, kicking on January 21 with UFC 297,” said Rebecca McCloy, executive director of commercial sport at Foxtel Group.
“Foxtel and Kayo Sports are the best sports broadcasters in the country and they have backed UFC in Australia since the beginning. Together, we will continue to grow UFC in Australia and they will be the destination for the biggest and baddest fights we put on year-round,” said UFC president Dana White.
It will be a full UFC schedule on Main Event in 2024. Following UFC 297, all eyes will turn to Australia’s fan-favourite UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski for his much-anticipated title defence against Georgian Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in California on February 18.
