ufc.tv
The popularity of combat sports has taken the world by storm over the last decade or so, with mixed martial arts (MMA) being the most notable example. This popularity is largely due to the way that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has successfully popularized it for mainstream Western audiences.
For fans of boxing and professional wrestling, the UFC was a natural next step. It is similar to boxing, but more extreme. It is not entirely unlike wrestling, but 100% real. MMA has captivated audiences around the world, many of whom cite it as the most athletically impressive professional sport being broadcast today.
As a mild-mannered and scrawny geek who reviews websites for a living, I don't really have much room to comment on whether UFC is, in fact, requires the most athletic prowess of any professional sport in modern times. That said, I can say with certainty that UFC fights are extremely impressive. The mere fact that they require the mastery of not one, but multiple martial arts is enough to get me on board. Then, to have the courage and the confidence to take those skills that they spent years perfecting and put them into a literal cage and try to physically best a man whose arms may or may not be considered lethal weapons - impressive? is an understatement.
Even though I would almost certainly be sent to the hospital if I ever got into a fight, one thing that I can do is recommend the UFC's official streaming service, UFC TV, as a great source of MMA content. UFC TV is an important part of any MMA fan's arsenal - it's also known as UFC Fight Pass. So if you're interested in watching the best fights available online, I highly recommend checking out UFC TV.
History
The American subscription-based streaming service, UFC Fight Pass, features live UFC fights, as well as other MMA, submission grappling, kickboxing, boxing, and Thai boxing events. It is a 24-hour streaming service with content in a linear fashion. In other words, it is more like an all-access all MMA cable channel that you subscribe to than like Netflix or Hulu which enables you to watch anything whenever you want. However, UFC Fight Pass also offers on-demand streaming from a robust archive of past matches - over 20,000 of them to be exact.
UFC Fight Pass was launched in December of 2012. At its launch, UFC president Dana White claimed that it would become "Netflix for fight fans." Although it started out with primarily UFC content only, it quickly grew and acquired additional content. In March of 2014, for instance, Fight Pass added the libraries of WEC, PRIDE FC, Affliction, Strike Force, and Elite XC to its catalog. In September of the same year, Invicta FC also began live-streaming events on Fight Pass. This has helped to widen the streaming services breadth.
Design
The comparison that the UFC president made of Fight Pass being like "Netflix for fight fans" turns out to be a rather apt one, especially from a design standpoint. The site (and the various apps) are very reminiscent of Netflix. From the black and red theme to the layout of how you browse the streaming service's archives of footage, if you saw Fight Pass out of the corner of your eye, it would be easy to mistake it for the famous movie and TV show streaming site.
So it is probably without question that the UFC Fight Club's design is stylish, modern, minimalistic, and intuitive. I love the way that browsing for other content while watching something transparently overlays on top of the content you are currently viewing. Your enjoyment of the content, in other words, is seldom interrupted and you don't have to pause or stop a stream in order to access a different one. This is especially useful when it comes to the service's live streams - view stats, additional content, and schedules without missing a beat in whatever match happens to be airing at the time.
UFC Fight Pass may just be one of the most aesthetically pleasing streaming services that I have ever seen. It is sleek, immersive, intuitive, and experiential - what you want out of an app and a site that you pay monthly or yearly to access. UFC Fight Pass will not disappoint even the pickiest of fans.
Content
As I have already mentioned earlier, UFC Fight Pass offers a variety of content, including live UFC and MMA matches, pre-recorded UFC and MMA fights, and original commentary. I am a big fan of how Fight Pass blends live airing and on-demand streaming, providing a unique scenario in which you can watch Fight Pass as if it is its own premium cable channel or view it like the Netflix of fighting. Regardless of how you prefer to watch your fights, UFC Fight Pass has you covered.
The big missing piece of the puzzle, though, is content. UFC events are not available with your UFC Fight Pass subscription. You will still have to purchase each event individually, and they will not become available in the library until 30 days after they air. That being said, you do have access to every PPV prelim matchup, keeping you up to date every punch of the way.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
I believe that UFC Fight Pass is the best way to enjoy MMA. The optics are much better on a computer or smart TV, and the UFC app has had many problems fixed over time. For example, the UFC app has one of the lowest ratings on the Apple App Store, with only 2.0 stars out of 5. However, I have seen reports from a long time ago that state that many of these issues have been fixed. Personally, I think you're better off with the excellent design and flow of UFC Fight Pass on a computer or smart TV than using it on your iPhone or Android device.
Pricing and Plans
When compared with other professional sports streaming apps, UFC Fight Pass is reasonably priced. Especially considering the amount of content that it gives you access to. You have two options for subscriptions with Fight Pass. Either pay monthly or annually. You can sign up for a noncommittal monthly subscription and pay $9.99 each month, or you can sign up for a whole year upfront for $95.99, saving you 20% in the long run.
When you consider the fact that UFC Fight Pass has hosted live fights and hours of archived footage for over a decade, the yearly price starts to look like a good value. However, if you're not sure yet whether it's right for you, you can always just pay the ten bucks and try it out for a month. Unfortunately, at this time there is not a free trial option.
Suggestions that I have for UFC TV
According to the rating of the UFC app, I believe it would be a good idea for the organization to address the concerns that its users have raised. I would suggest that they create a new app specifically for Fight Pass, rather than try to include all of their Fight Pass features within the more generalized UFC app.
I believe it would be a wise decision to offer a trial to potential users of UFC Fight Pass. This way, those who are interested in the service can get a feel for what it has to offer without having to pay full price. Additionally, I think it would be beneficial to add another subscription tier that offers access to PPV matches.
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