A look at the calendar will reveal that UFC fans are going to enjoy two events in quick succession. It says that the UFC Vegas 87 (UFC Fight Night 238) featuring a heavyweight main event is just a few more hours away. But most fans may be even more eager to witness the coveted third UFC PPV of this year, the UFC 299, which is scheduled for March 9. Despite the UFC administering both events, it’s quite apparent that there will be a few differences between them. But these differences aren’t exclusive to UFC 299 and UFC Vegas 87. Every UFC Pay-Per-View (UFC PPV) differs from the UFC Fight Night events in a few ways.
The initial difference between UFC PPVs and UFC Fight Night events is pretty recognizable for every fan. UFC PPVs currently end with a number, making them easy to identify (UFC 297, UFC 298 …). The UFC Fight Night events can also be identified by their names as they often contain the term ‘Fight Night’. However, the UFC community often calls these events by other names, which might cause some confusion.
UFC PPVs may be hosted all around the world. But most UFC Fight Night events are organized in their very own facility, UFC Apex, located inside their headquarters in Las Vegas. Hence, a large chunk of fans often address the UFC Fight Night events as ‘UFC Vegas’, followed by a number (UFC Vegas 87). But the authorities have hosted Fight Night events in other arenas as well. In such cases, the city of the event is associated with ‘UFC’ to name it (UFC Mexico City, UFC Austin).
Apart from the names, there are a few other differences as well between these two types of events. Here’s a summary of the same:
| UFC PPVs | UFC Fight Nights |
| The entire card is divided into 3 parts (Main Card, Prelims, and Early Prelims) | The entire card is divided into 2 parts (Main Card and Prelims) |
| Most of them contain one or multiple title fights. | Very few of them contain title fights. |
| Showcases the well-known stars, top-ranked contenders, and champions of a weight class. | May contain noted stars. But generally, they showcase the comparatively lesser-known contenders. |
Well, the fans may have learned about some of the major differences between UFC PPVs and Fight Night events. But the biggest difference is probably yet to be discussed.
Watching a UFC PPV comes with an additional cost, unlike UFC Fight Night events
Most fans may already know that there are two methods by which they can view UFC events. They can either buy a subscription to ‘UFC Fight Pass’ or subscribe to ‘ESPN+’ (for US fans) by paying $10.99/month or 109.99/year.
A basic subscription to ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass will allow the fans to watch entire UFC Fight Night events. But, they won’t be able to do so for UFC PPV events. A basic ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass subscription will provide fans with the live action from the Early Prelims and Prelims card of a UFC PPV. But they’ll have to pay an extra amount on both platforms to witness the action of a UFC PPV’s main card.
A look at ‘ESPN+’s’ official website reveals that the UFC 299 featuring a bantamweight title fight between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera will cost fans an extra $79.99, apart from the regular subscription charges. But they’ll be able to view the UFC Vegas 87 on ESPN+ by paying $10.99/month or 109.99/year.
