UFC®, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization and part of TKO Group Holdings, together with U-NEXT, Japan’s largest streaming and digital entertainment platform, today announced a multi-year extension of its media rights partnership, ensuring that U-NEXT will remain the home for UFC in Japan through 2031.
Since becoming the home of UFC in Japan in 2023, U-NEXT has played a pivotal role in expanding UFC’s reach and engaging a new generation of fans consuming sports on digital platforms.
The partnership between UFC and U-NEXT includes all live UFC events, featuring 13 numbered events and 30 UFC FIGHT NIGHTS®. U-NEXT will also showcase original programming such as UFC Countdown, UFC Connected, The Ultimate Fighter, and ROAD TO UFC, the breakout tournament that gives Asia-Pacific’s top MMA prospects a direct path to UFC. In addition, joining the lineup in its 2026 season will be Dana White’s Contender Series, the 10-episode live fight series featuring UFC hopefuls looking to impress UFC President Dana White and the UFC matchmakers for the chance to secure a contact with UFC.
Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President and Head of Asia said, “We are delighted to continue our partnership with U-NEXT. Over the past three years, U-NEXT has been an outstanding partner, helping grow UFC’s presence in Japan, a pioneering market for mixed martial arts, with incredible talent and passionate fans. From original programming that follows Japanese athletes competing on the global stage, to innovative digital media strategies across social platforms, U-NEXT has been an invaluable partner in elevating the UFC brand. With the addition of Dana White’s Contender Series, we’re thrilled that Japanese audiences will have even greater access to UFC’s world-class content, and we look forward to continued growth together in this market.”
Tenshin Tsutsumi, CEO, U-NEXT Co. Ltd. said, “We are truly delighted to extend our partnership with UFC. Through this long-term agreement running through 2031, we take great pride and responsibility in delivering the true essence of this incredible sport and the challenges undertaken by Japanese athletes competing on the world’s biggest stage. As a platform firmly rooted in Japan, U-NEXT will continue striving to deepen fan engagement and help foster a more mature and enduring culture of watching mixed martial arts in this country. At its core, MMA embodies a primal and universal question: ‘Who is the strongest?’ There is a primal power in this sport that speaks directly to the instincts of those who watch. UFC, standing at the apex of that pursuit, combines unmatched skill and magnetic appeal. We are honored to continue bringing the power, drama and spirit of the UFC to audiences throughout Japan, and to serve as a bridge connecting Japanese fans and fighters to the pinnacle of this extraordinary sport.”
Currently, there are eight Japanese athletes on the UFC roster: No. 5 flyweight Tatsuro Taira; former title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi; former title challenger Kai Asakura; women’s strawweight Mizuki; Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Yusaku Kinoshita; and, ROAD TO UFC contract winners Rinya Nakamura, Toshiomi Kazama, and Rei Tsuruya. The next UFC hopeful from Japan is Keiichiro Nakamura, who has advanced to the finals of ROAD TO UFC Season 4 where a UFC contract will be on the line for the winner.
