MMA & UFC General - Featuring Bellator MMA & Rizin Fighting Federation

[Pentex]

Paramount will become the new home to all UFC events in the US under 7-year deal with TKO Group​

Spoiler

NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount will become the new home to all Ultimate Fighting Championship events in the U.S. under a seven-year agreement with TKO Group announced on Monday.

Under the deal, Paramount will exclusively distribute the UFC’s full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on its streaming platform Paramount+ — with select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS — starting in 2026.

It's a shift away from the UFC’s existing pay-per-view model, which Paramount and TKO say will allow the mixed martial arts programming reach more consumers nationwide.

“Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms," David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said in a statement. “Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win."

Mark Shapiro, president and COO of TKO, added that the deal will mean “deeper engagement for UFC’s passionate fan base” and that its athletes "will love this new stage.”

The seven-year deal has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, the companies said Monday.

Paramount, now owned by Skydance, also said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. “as they become available in the future.”

Shares of TKO — which, in addition to the UFC, also houses the WWE — rose 1.4% in premarket trading Monday.

Article|Archive

 

[East_Clintwood]

Paramount will become the new home to all UFC events in the US under 7-year deal with TKO Group

Interesting that they got their target price of $1bil, part of me thought they might struggle to just because quality for the last few years, especially on the Fight Nights and smaller cards, has been absolutely fucking dire, and PPV hasn't exactly been much better with the lack of big stars..

Going away from the PPV model, and putting some events on CBS could be good for increasing the audience. personally I'm not entirely sold on that though. One of the reasons Fight Nights and smaller cards have gone to shit is because with guaranteed money the UFC didn't need to worry about quality, they just had to pad the card out with warm bodies and they'd be paid either way. If they no longer have to worry about shifting PPVs either then it's entirely possible the same rot will set in there.

 

[Looney Troons]

The reactions to the power bomb Kazama ate are generally disappointing. Tons of talk about outlawing that kind of maneuver based upon the fact that strikes to the back of the head are otherwise illegal. MMA already has too many retarded rules. Like Pentex said, that sort of thing is also very easily remedied. If you’ve got hold of someone’s arm from a triangle hold and you suddenly no longer feel the ground on your back, you need to let go of that thing.

Re: TKO deal with CBS and Paramount+…. Are they going to further pimp out all of their events across multiple platforms like they have with the WWE?

Smackdown is on USA. RAW is on Netflix. Paid PPVs (“PLEs”) are going to be on ESPN+. The remnants of the once great WWE Network are on Peacock.

From the consumer perspective, paying for Paramount+ is way better than the near 100USD you’d have to pay for an event if you weren’t streaming it like a retard. Still, there’s no reason for me to have that subscription, and UFC alone isn’t going to sway me.

I guess this is a nice new barrier to entry for non-MMA fans to get exposed to the sport, but it doesn’t change anything for me. This year has been really lackluster in terms of overall performance across all UFC events, imo, and I’m very close to getting rid of my ESPN+ subscription.

 

[East_Clintwood]

The reactions to the power bomb Kazama ate are generally disappointing. Tons of talk about outlawing that kind of maneuver based upon the fact that strikes to the back of the head are otherwise illegal. MMA already has too many retarded rules. Like Pentex said, that sort of thing is also very easily remedied. If you’ve got hold of someone’s arm from a triangle hold and you suddenly no longer feel the ground on your back, you need to let go of that thing.

I've not been following it much so I haven't seen retards complaining, but it doesn't surprise me. Thankfully the Unified Rules of MMA explicitly call out that it's entirely on the dumbass about to get slammed to protect themselves, so hopefully they'll resist the bitching:

Spiking the opponent to the canvas onto the head or neck (pile-driving): A pile driver is considered to be any throw where you control your opponent's body placing his feet towards the sky with his head straight down and then forcibly drive your opponents head into the canvas or flooring material. It should be noted when a fighter is placed into a submission hold by their opponent, if that fighter is capable of elevating their opponent they may bring that opponent down in any fashion they desire because they are not in control of their opponent’s body. The fighter who is attempting the submission can either adjust their position or let go of their hold before being slammed to the canvas.

Re: TKO deal with CBS and Paramount+…. Are they going to further pimp out all of their events across multiple platforms like they have with the WWE?

Do they have more events to pimp out? Of course there's also DWCS and The Ultimate Fighter (but ESPN may have seperate deals for those already), but the official announcement for the paramount deal definitely makes it sound like the only evens will be on there. Of course given how turbo-jewish TKO management is I expect they'll try whoring out every single thing they can. I watched a WWE event for the first time in ages recently and they're such kikes they even had adverts on the fucking tables they were using for spots.

 

[Looney Troons]

Of course given how turbo-jewish TKO management is I expect they'll try whoring out every single thing they can. I watched a WWE event for the first time in ages recently and they're such kikes they even had adverts on the fucking tables they were using for spots

I’m a long time wrestling fan just as I am combat sports/MMA, and you’re right. It’s very, very dire. I watched some of the most recent WrestleMania and I couldn’t help but notice all of the camera cuts. Not only were they incredibly jarring, but I also noticed that the production team was willing to outright break the illusion of legitimacy of a spot to ensure that the ads were somewhere in frame. It’s fucking horrible.

I would not be surprised if the UFC/WWE start aping what the Russian/European companies do, and that’s plaster semi-permanent ads and logos on the bodies of their athletes. You’re staring at the torso and the backs of MMA fighters, you pay them poorly, so you might as well get a few more shekels and treat them like billboards too.

 

[dick brain]

Paramount will become the new home to all UFC events in the US under 7-year deal with TKO Group​

Spoiler

NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount will become the new home to all Ultimate Fighting Championship events in the U.S. under a seven-year agreement with TKO Group announced on Monday.

Under the deal, Paramount will exclusively distribute the UFC’s full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on its streaming platform Paramount+ — with select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS — starting in 2026.

It's a shift away from the UFC’s existing pay-per-view model, which Paramount and TKO say will allow the mixed martial arts programming reach more consumers nationwide.

“Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms," David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said in a statement. “Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win."

Mark Shapiro, president and COO of TKO, added that the deal will mean “deeper engagement for UFC’s passionate fan base” and that its athletes "will love this new stage.”

The seven-year deal has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, the companies said Monday.

Paramount, now owned by Skydance, also said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. “as they become available in the future.”

Shares of TKO — which, in addition to the UFC, also houses the WWE — rose 1.4% in premarket trading Monday.

Article|Archive

If I can't watch at the sports bar I'm not watching.

 

[Pampered Degenerate]

I've not been following it much so I haven't seen retards complaining, but it doesn't surprise me. Thankfully the Unified Rules of MMA explicitly call out that it's entirely on the dumbass about to get slammed to protect themselves, so hopefully they'll resist the bitching:

Yes, it's the retard's fault for not letting go of the sub attempt, but brain stem injuries can kill, and to some extent, the fighters need to be protected from their own retardation. Also, often the slammer uses his arm or hand to hold the opponent's head in place (Elijah Smith did just that, in fact) to maximise the impact, which personally I wouldn't mind being made illegal. The rule against strikes to the head of a kneeling opponent is much more retarded IMO.

 

[Cat Funt]

How come there's no super fatweight or w/e women's division? It would own to see massive bitches pound each other between gasps for breath. There must be a reason but i can't see what it is, I only watch the girly fights for the asses.

 

[likeacrackado]

If I can't watch at the sports bar I'm not watching.

The UFC's chosen claim PPVs will go live on CBS along with Paramount+. Dana said CBS will broadcast four major events per year. Not clear if all PPVs or only major PPVs will be live on CBS. My guess is they'll be on CBS during the NFL/CFB offseason and streaming only during the fall-winter.

 

[dick brain]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OX6YFWFOEJUThe UFC's chosen claim PPVs will go live on CBS along with Paramount+. Dana said CBS will broadcast four major events per year. Not clear if all PPVs or only major PPVs will be live on CBS. My guess is they'll be on CBS during the NFL/CFB offseason and streaming only during the fall-winter.

RIP, it's been fun y'all.

 

[King Vidiot]

Askren's situation is one of the strangest things I've ever seen happen in sport, reckon if what happened to him was because of PED abuse? Anyway, just gotta hope and pray he doesn't get popcorn lung.

It isn't as unusual as you think it is. Staph infections are fairly common in wrestling & grappling, and always potentially deadly. Personal hygiene and keeping the mats clean are really important.

Long time MMA fans might remember when Kevin Randleman got a staph infection in 2007 that almost killed him & put holes in his body:

Spoiler: NSFW staph photo & video

He eventually recovered and continued to fight after this, but it took years off his life. Kevin Randleman died of pneumonia at 44 years old.

I would not be surprised if the UFC/WWE start aping what the Russian/European companies do, and that’s plaster semi-permanent ads and logos on the bodies of their athletes. You’re staring at the torso and the backs of MMA fighters, you pay them poorly, so you might as well get a few more shekels and treat them like billboards too.

This reminds me of when a lot of fighters had goldenpalace.com written on their chest or back during fights in the late 90s and early 2000s. I figured doing this isn't allowed by the UFC so I searched around and found this article explaining why. In 2002 the UFC had an event in a casino where a main event fighter had rival casino names written on his back. This pissed off the host casino and almost got the event pulled, so the rule was created after this happened. I guess the UFC could change the rules to allow it again if they control which sponsors can be on body advertisements.

 

[Nate Dingus]

How come there's no super fatweight or w/e women's division? It would own to see massive bitches pound each other between gasps for breath. There must be a reason but i can't see what it is, I only watch the girly fights for the asses.

The UFC couldn't even find enough cannon fodder for women's featherweight.

A division above that would be one Brazilian freakshow murdering Street Beefs tier amateurs.

Male heavyweights can get away with being fat because they still have enormous power. And usually have an athletic background in football or wrestling.

 

[Pampered Degenerate]

He eventually recovered and continued to fight after this, but it took years off his life. Kevin Randleman died of pneumonia at 44 years old.

I'm pretty sure the insane amount of roids he took over the course of his career also had something to do with it.

 

[East_Clintwood]

Also, often the slammer uses his arm or hand to hold the opponent's head in place (Elijah Smith did just that, in fact) to maximise the impact, which personally I wouldn't mind being made illegal.

Personally I'd argue that's already illegal under the rule since using your arm to hold their head in place is clearly "controlling the body" but yeah i wouldn't hate if they clarified it a bit more.

The rule against strikes to the head of a kneeling opponent is much more retarded IMO.

I'm honestly not sure how you solve the downed fighter shit without going full Pride "fuck it whatever"

How come there's no super fatweight or w/e women's division? It would own to see massive bitches pound each other between gasps for breath. There must be a reason but i can't see what it is, I only watch the girly fights for the asses.

UFC aren't gonna do it because they'd look like retards. Some smaller promotions have tried it but there's just not enough women out there, at that size, to make it viable. Probably the most famous example was Gabi Garcia's freakshow fights in Japan where at one point they scheduled her to fight a 53yo politician/former pro wrestler who hadn't fought in MMA in almost 20 years. Hilariously even with a 209lb OpenWeight limit Gabi went on to miss weight by 28lbs while her opponent weighed in like 45+lbs under the limit.

 

[niggercattle]

If I can't watch at the sports bar I'm not watching.

Can always pull a Tomlinson and bring a laptop with you and watch it on methstreams.

 

[YouGuysAren'tThatSmart]

I'm pretty sure the insane amount of roids he took over the course of his career also had something to do with it.

Randleman was all natty, h8r. I always cringe looking at that staph infection photo. How the fuck do you lett something get that bad?

 

[Looney Troons]

Man, I didn’t need to be reminded of Randleman. Prime example of when you let MRSA go unchecked, and then mistreat it. When you’re training regularly, you can easily mistake staph infections for bruising until it gets super bad.

The sad reality is that most people are embarrassed to admit that they’ve contracted a staph infection because of all of the negative connotations behind it regarding cleanliness and all that. The gym I used to train at was very clean and I managed to get staph a handful of times. It happens, but you need to identify it and get it treated ASAP. Easier said than done if you’re actively in a fight camp - that’s how you get paid. When it gets bad, it can take weeks or months to treat. In the case of MRSA, the drugs they put you on are hardcore and fuck your stomach up to bits. So it’s like… you’ve got to pick your battle.

Almost been ten years since Randleman passed. Damn.

 

[Pampered Degenerate]

Personally I'd argue that's already illegal under the rule since using your arm to hold their head in place is clearly "controlling the body" but yeah i wouldn't hate if they clarified it a bit more.

I agree on both points.

I'm honestly not sure how you solve the downed fighter shit without going full Pride "fuck it whatever"

They could start by changing the definition of 'downed' to mean only the torso being in touch with the ground. Removing hands on the ground from the definition was a good start, but they should also remove any other part of the limbs from the definition as well.

 

[I.B. Niggin]

How come there's no super fatweight or w/e women's division? It would own to see massive bitches pound each other between gasps for breath. There must be a reason but i can't see what it is, I only watch the girly fights for the asses.

You must have never seen a Svetlana Goundarenko fight from 25+ years ago. She's the reason alone why I'll fine never seeing a large woman fight ever again. At least the Gabi Garcia fights in RIZIN brought the lols.

In regards to others things mentioned in the last page or two:

I think the last two Apex cards and the foreign cards were pretty good for the most part. Especially the Apex card from two weeks ago. The WEC sized octagon always produces better fights. The first half of the year was fucking dire though. There's only so much feinting, circling, and clinching against the fence I can tolerate. Give me 155 and below fights any day of the week.

The Slam KO last week was fine, really the follow up punches were what I found egregious. Kazama was clearly out and you could have just did the Hunt walkoff at that point.

New Paramount deal seems too good to be true. Doubt fighter pay will increase, sur

 

[East_Clintwood]

Doubt fighter pay will increase

They might get a token increase and go from 10k/10k to 12k/12k or some other bollocks. The real question is what happens to the guys who had PPV points, especially since that was usually a big part of their deal. Of course when asked about it Dana deflected like a mo-fo:

“Listen, I’m not going to have any comments on that because we’ve still got to get together and figure this stuff out,” White told reporters at the Contender Series scrum on Tuesday. “It’s August, we have until January to figure that stuff out. But the low-hanging fruit that’s easy to answer? Bonuses are obviously going up. So that will be big. Forget about the tide rising with all the other fighters, just the number that the bonuses bring to a fighter is millions of dollars.”

The bonuses going up is a pathetic deflection. There's (aside from some very rare cases) only 4 per card, and of course it's entirely at the whim of Dana. It's also basically meaningless to TKO. They could literally double the bonuses to 100k each and you know how much that would cost them? $17mil a year, or approx 1.5% of their new deal.