Prominent UFC names continue to assess the ramifications of the promotion’s new broadcast contract.
The UFC has found a new home on television in 2026, with mixed martial arts’ leading promotion set for new pastures following the expiration of its current deal with ESPN.
Following heavy talk of a potential arrangement with Netflix following the streamer’s deal with WWE, the UFC instead chose a surprise move to Paramount. Dana White’s announcement effectively ended pay-per-view in the promotion, with every event instead being streamed on Paramount+ and a select few simulcast on CBS.
With that, from the start of 2026, UFC fans in the United States will be able to catch every fight for a current subscription fee of $8-$13. While talk of Paramount pursuing international rights remains strictly speculation as it stands, one legend already thinks the deal will have an impact well beyond the US.
- LATEST UFC NEWS: UFC 319 loses third fight in just two days after shocking weight miss leads to latest cancellation
Henry Cejudo backs UFC-Paramount deal to propel MMA into the world’s ‘greatest sport’
Among those reacting to the major news in recent days was former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo.
During an episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Kamaru Usman, ‘Triple C’ predicted the UFC-Paramount agreement to catapult the sport of MMA in a massive way.
“Think about it, Kamaru, $7.7 billion, bro,” Cejudo said.
“Paramount is worth $6.9 (billion). You wonder what — there’s something behind that they’re willing to invest into UFC.
“I do believe (MMA) will become the greatest sport in the world,” Cejudo continued. “I didn’t believe it at first. Dana always thought it.
“The trajectory that the sport is going and the amount of countries that — think about it, Kamaru, there is no male American champion (in the UFC). When has there not been a champion coming out of the US?
“What does that tell you, Kamaru? (The sport) is just worldwide…the world is getting better.”
Doubts raised over if fighters will benefit from UFC’s lucrative new broadcast partnership
While there is little doubt about how the UFC and the big-suit owners will benefit from the new multi-billion broadcast deal, the question remains — will the fighters?
Among other prominent skeptics, UFC GOAT contender Georges St-Pierre is not so sure. In fact, during an interview with Covers soon after the Paramount partnership was announced, St-Pierre said it could be “terrible” for the athletes.
“It could be good for the UFC as a promoter, but terrible for the fighters because when I was competing, I was able to have a great argument to negotiate on my contract,” St-Pierre said.
“I could tell the UFC, ‘Hey, if you want me to do all of the promotion, I want to become a business partner. I want a piece of the pie to negotiate a part of the pay-per-view revenue. Because if I’m doing all the promotion, I’m helping you but you need to help me. You need to make me a partner.’
“So it might be a bad thing for the fighters in a way that they have less leverage,” St-Pierre added.
White revealing post-fight bonuses will go up — something branded long overdue by many in recent years — has done little to quell fears that revenue sharing with the roster will remain below 20 percent.