Overview
- Daniel Cormier reports that multiple fighters have restructured contracts for guaranteed compensation and are already making more than they did with pay-per-view points.
- UFC COO Lawrence Epstein says deal structures for premium athletes are changing and he promises an overall increase in fighter pay under the new arrangement.
- The $7.7 billion Paramount/CBS partnership moves numbered events to Paramount+ beginning in 2026 and shifts main card start times to 9 p.m. ET.
- Cormier cites widespread illegal streaming and weaker PPV sales—where 500,000 to 600,000 buys now count as strong—as key factors behind the business model change.
- Cormier says his ESPN show with Chael Sonnen has ended with the rights move, while asserting that UFC commentary and broadcast teams will remain in place.