UFC 324 marks the ceremonial ushering in of a new era for mixed martial arts’ flagship promotion. Saturday’s event is the first numbered card since the UFC’s new $7.7bn broadcasting deal with Paramount+ came into effect. Pay-per-view is dead, long live the subscription model.
The announcement of the UFC’s switch from ESPN was one of the biggest stories in combat sports last year. Following TKO sister company WWE in recoginsing that PPV is dying in a streaming-centric world, the new deal means guaranteed money for the UFC without having to worry about whether a particular event is selling - something that is pertinent for reasons we will get into.