This Saturday, MMA legend Conor “The Notorious” McGregor is walking back to the Octagon after announcing his retirement last June. He will face Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier in a rematch at the Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island — their first encounter since their last fight more than six years ago at UFC 178 — with this pay-per-view marking the first big UFC event of 2021. If you’re looking for a way to watch UFC 257 online, then you’ve come to the right place — ESPN+ is the exclusive gatekeeper for the UFC 257 live stream and you can save $40 on the PPV if you sign up today.
UFC 257 Date: Saturday, January 23, 2020UFC 257 Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT (Main Card)UFC 257 Location: Fight Island, United Arab EmiratesUFC 257 Arena: Etihad Arena, Fight Island
How to watch UFC 257 online in the U.S.
ESPN currently holds exclusive broadcasting rights to UFC pay-per-view events. That means that the only way to watch UFC 257 online is to sign up for ESPN+, the sports broadcaster’s premium streaming service that is the only place where UFC PPV fights can be viewed live. After signing up, you can access the entire ESPN+ buffet of live and on-demand sports content (which includes much more than just MMA) on your computer’s web browser, mobile devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, and PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles.
Related content
- UFC 257 Press Conference
- UFC 2021 Schedule
- Watch UFC Online
UFC 257 is a big event for MMA fans. Not only is it the league’s first pay-per-view show of the new year, but it also heralds the return of star fighter Conor McGregor to the Octagon. This is happening almost exactly one year after his last return at UFC 246, which followed a 15-month hiatus from the UFC after his defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. The main event is a rematch between McGregor and Dustin Poirier. Poirier is another top-ranked fighter (sitting at number two on the UFC lightweight roster), and the two faced-off before in 2014 at UFC 178. Poirier lost that fight in the first round but performed admirably before his stoppage, and with a future shot at the lightweight title on the line, fans are eager to see if The Diamond has what it takes to avenge his previous defeat.
As a pay-per-view event, the UFC 257 main card will air only on ESPN+, so now’s the time to sign up if you haven’t already. New subscribers can take advantage of a bundle deal that includes a year’s worth of ESPN+ along with the UFC 257 PPV for $90 (a $40 discount), but if you’re after a more complete streaming package, The Disney Bundle gets you ESPN+, Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu for $13/month, saving you 25%.
What you need to know before UFC 257
Conor McGregor hardly needs an introduction to UFC fans and his star power now extends well beyond the world of MMA. The Irish fighter boasts a record of 22 wins (19 by knockout) and four losses, and he has held the UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Championships. McGregor’s opponent, American fighter Dustin Poirier, is regarded by many as the underdog, but he’s no jobber: Ranked second on the UFC lightweight roster, The Diamond has an impressive record of 26 wins and six losses and is a former interim UFC lightweight champion.
Last January at UFC 246, fans saw the return of Conor McGregor to the Octagon after a 15-month hiatus following his 2018 defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 228. Upon his 2020 return, The Notorious — who had just moved up to welterweight — handily defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a first-round knockout. Many were excited and curious to see how McGregor would fare at this heavier class against top talent like Kamaru Usman, but several months later in June, the Irish fighter announced his retirement on social media.
Given that this was the second time McGregor had declared he was retiring from MMA, many commentators, including UFC CEO Dana White, expressed doubts that the fighter would be able to resist the siren song of the Octagon. That skepticism proved to be well-founded when it was announced that The Notorious would be stepping back into the ring and returning to lightweight in a rematch against Dustin Poirier, whom McGregor had previously defeated via a first-round knockout at UFC 178 in 2014.
Dana White has said that whoever clinches the victory at UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 will be in a position to take a shot at the lightweight title, which will soon be up for grabs in the wake of champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent retirement. There’s a lot at stake here.