No, UFC is not included with Xbox Game Pass
To directly answer the question – Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view events and fights are NOT included with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
You cannot watch live UFC fights, numbered events, prelims, or anything similar through Game Pass. The subscription is focused on providing access to video games.
However, this doesn‘t mean there are no UFC-related benefits with Xbox Game Pass. Let‘s take a more detailed look.
UFC games are available on Game Pass
Even though live UFC programming is not part of Game Pass, select UFC video games have been added to the Game Pass libraries for console, PC, and cloud gaming.
For example, EA Sports UFC 4 was made available in July 2022 for Xbox Game Pass members.
So subscribers can download and play the latest UFC 4 game as part of their $9.99 monthly subscription. They don‘t need to purchase the game separately.
Other older UFC games like UFC 2 and UFC 3 have also been previously available on Game Pass. Having access to these popular MMA video games adds value for UFC fans who are also Xbox gamers.
Game Pass Ultimate includes EA Play benefits
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundles Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass for console, PC, cloud gaming, and EA Play into one $14.99 monthly subscription.
The EA Play benefits give access to various EA titles for up to 10 hours of early trial playtime, even before launch. This allows Ultimate subscribers to try out new EA releases like FIFA, Madden, UFC, and more without buying them.
Specific to UFC, EA Play members could play 10 hours of UFC 4 before it launched in 2020. So Game Pass Ultimate provided early limited access.
EA Play also offers discounts on buying EA games, so UFC titles can be purchased at 10% off by members.
You can watch UFC through ESPN+
As mentioned above, live UFC events are not part of Xbox Game Pass or any gaming subscription.
The way to conveniently watch UFC fights, prelims, PPVs, and original programming in the US is through ESPN+.
What UFC content is on ESPN+?
Here are some key details on what UFC live events and content are available through an ESPN+ membership:
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Live Fight Nights – ESPN+ is the exclusive home for ~15 major non pay-per-view Fight Night events per year such as UFC Vegas, UFC on ABC etc.
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PPV access – Subscribers get access to purchase major UFC numbered PPVs for $79.99 instead of $99.99. Events like UFC 272, UFC 273, UFC 274 etc.
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Replays – Recent PPV, Fight Night, and top event replays are available on demand.
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Originals – Popular UFC shows like Dana White‘s Contender Series are ESPN+ exclusives.
Considering a subscription is only $9.99 per month, an ESPN+ membership is almost essential for any UFC fan in the United States to conveniently watch fights live and legally.
UFC Fight Pass has extensive archives
For UFC fans less interested in live events and more interested in fights archives, original content, and extras, UFC Fight Pass is the go-to resource.
Fight Pass gives access to over 20,000 historical fights from UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, WEC, and other MMA promotions. This is an incredible wealth of content for die-hard MMA fans.
The yearly pricing works out to ~$8/month making it very affordable. Though Fight Pass has far more MMA content than ESPN+, it lacks the convenience of live event streaming.
Here is a comparison table of Fight Pass vs. ESPN+:
| Feature | UFC Fight Pass | ESPN+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8-$10/month | $9.99/month |
| Live UFC events | Fight Nights only | Yes |
| UFC PPV access | No | Yes |
| Fight library | Massive | Limited |
| Original content | Some | Extensive |
| Overall focus | Hardcore / historical | Casual / live |
This makes ESPN+ the clear choice for most mainstream UFC fans today. Fight Pass membership can supplement it nicely for diehard enthusiasts who also want those archives.
Gaming services don‘t meet live sports streaming demand
Services like Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, PlayStation Plus etc. are great values in gaming entertainment. But they don‘t satisfy the modern demand for convenient live sports streaming.
For example, the rise of ESPN+ to over 22 million subscribers highlights how much fans want quick access to UFC events. Xbox Game Pass is an amazing games subscription, but lacks major sports content.
Similarly, outside of some playable demos, EA Play does not provide live event streaming either. UFC fans need to look to ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass directly.
Pay-per-view still delivers biggest events
While subscribed streaming services give great access to live sports, pay-per-view still drives the highest revenue for major events.
The upcoming UFC 272 headlined by Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal on March 5, 2022 for instance is a $74.99 pay-per-view event. Despite having ESPN+, fans still have to pay on top to watch PPVs.
According to UFC President Dana White, these higher priced marquee events help offset the cheaper pricing of Fight Nights and Fight Pass:
“Part of working with ESPN, to make the deal as good as we did, we had to agree to raise the pay-per-view price. But what you don’t realize is all these other countries have the same deal that we do with ESPN. Their price did not go up. So we had to shoulder that burden.”
Premium live sports still comes at a premium. For avid UFC viewers who want to watch all PPV events, an ESPN+ subscription alone is not enough.
Game Pass vs. Fight Pass vs. ESPN+
Here is a summary table comparing what major UFC and gaming streaming services offer:
| Feature | Game Pass | UFC Pass | ESPN+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| UFC PPV events | ❌ | ❌ | Discount access |
| Live fights | ❌ | Selected | Yes |
| Fight library | ❌ | Extensive | Some |
| Original shows | ❌ | Some | Many |
| Gaming content | Extensive | ❌ | ❌ |
| Overall focus | Gaming | Hardcore MMA | Mainstream MMA |
To me, while Game Pass is an amazing gaming deal, ESPN+ is simply a must-have for any UFC fan today looking for convenient and affordable access to live UFC events year-round.
ESPN+ with occasional PPV purchases gives you everything needed to closely follow UFC as a casual viewer. Then Game Pass and Fight Pass can provide additional benefits on top for gamers and diehards.
My take as an MMA expert
As an expert MMA analyst for blogs like MMA Mania and The MMA Hour, here is my personal perspective:
If you are any kind of UFC fan, sign up for ESPN+ immediately. The Fight Night cards are consistently action-packed and $9.99 per month is a steal.
Occasional PPV splurges every 2-3 months will give you the marquee events. This remains the gold standard way to be an engaged UFC viewer.
Fight Pass is great for learning the history and studying technique. I loved all the old PRIDE and early UFC content. But it is supplementary content, not essential.
Game Pass gives fantastic gaming value but won‘t satisfy live UFC demands. EA Sports UFC is a phenomenally realistic title though, so play that via Game Pass if possible!
Nothing beats watching fights with other diehard fans. Split costs on PPVs and make it a social event whenever you can! UFC 272 in March should be a banger.
Hope this detailed breakdown helps guide your UFC streaming decisions as a fan. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter as well for more MMA discussions.
Conclusion
To conclude, Xbox Game Pass does not directly provide access to any live pay-per-view or television UFC events. However, subscribers can play UFC video games like EA Sports UFC 4 as part of the membership benefits.
For convenient live streaming access to UFC fights, prelims, original programming, and pay-per-view events, a subscription to ESPN+ is required. It provides greatly improved access at just $9.99 per month.
UFC Fight Pass has an unparalleled archive of thousands of historical MMA fights but lacks the live event focus of ESPN+. It‘s best for diehard MMA fans.
Overall, to have an optimized experience as a UFC fan, my recommendation is to combine ESPN+ for live streaming with occasional pay-per-view event purchases for the big fights. This delivers great value without breaking the bank.