How to watch UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3 online for less
Stream the UFC Welterweight Title fight in the UK, US, Australia, and more
How to watch UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3
Great things come in threes. The Lords of the Rings. The Godfather. The Dark Knight. And now we have Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman as the former makes his first defense of his UFC Welterweight World Title. Set to take place at the O2 Arena in London, this is set to be quite the night for MMA fans.
Over five rounds, these two will go toe-to-toe for the third time to see who will be crowned champion. The two previous fights have left each with one win under their belt, so this is the decider. We're also expecting a big night in general with major Main Card, Prelims and Early Prelim matches taking place in the run-up to the championship bout. This is only the second time the UK has held a numbered UFC card, although 2022's UK fight nights were glowing successes. Expectations are sky-high for this one.
Date: March 18th, 2023
Fight time: 22:00 ET in the US, 03:00 GMT in the UK, and 14:00 AEDT in Australia
Stadium: O2 Arena, London, England
Watch in the US: ESPN Plus PPV
Watch in the UK: BT Sport
Watch in Australia: UFC Fight Pass
"Everyone knows how much I love our fans in the UK. We had two incredible shows in London in 2022, and this time we’re bringing a world title fight with the biggest and baddest card we could put together," said UFC President Dana White at the time of the announcement. "The UK MMA scene is exploding with talent right now and I can’t wait to show you guys what we have in store for you..."
Wherever you are based in the world, there are lots of options available for watching UFC 286. Better yet, there are tons of cheap 4K TV deals, too, which will be perfect for sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying one of the biggest UFC cards of the year in style.
So with all that in mind, naturally the question everyone want's to know is how to watch UFC 286 and more importantly, how to watch UFC 286 for less. We're all aware of how expensive PPV and box office events can be, so to help, we've rounded up all the best options for the UK, US, and Australia in one place.
What date and time will UFC 286 take place?
UFC 286 will take place on March 18th, 2023, at the O2 Arena in London, England. Those in the US will be able to watch the Main Card event from 17:00 ET with Prelims kicking off two hours prior at 15:00 ET. If you're just in it for the main fight of Edward vs Usman, you will need to tune in a few hours after the main card kicks off.
Since it's taking place in London, UK fans have no need to wait up until the wee small hours, as the Main Card will commence at 18:00 GMT on March 18th. Edwards vs Usman is not expected to start until around 22:30 GMT.
Australian folks can tune in at 08:00 AEDT on March 19th to watch the main card live.
How to watch UFC 286 in the US
ESPN Plus + ESPN PPV | $89.98 per month
The cheapest way to watch UFC 286 in the US is by signing up to ESPN Plus for one month at $9.99 and then purchasing PPV for $79.99 via the streaming service. This will give you access to the full UFC 286 event as well as all the live sports and original content from ESPN Plus for one month. After this, you can then choose if you want to continue or cancel when it reverts to $9.99 per month afterward.
ESPN Plus + Disney Plus (ads) + Hulu (ads) + ESPN PPV | $92.98 per month
Another option to watch UFC 286 is to subscribe to a Disney Plus Trio Basic bundle. This gives you access to Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus for $12.99 per month. a $155.76 yearly saving when compared to signing up to each platform separately. You can then take out ESPN PPV for $79.99 on top.
ESPN Plus + ESPN PPV | $179.95 $124.98 a year
Save $54.97 - A better value offer is to take out an annual subscription to ESPN Plus (worth $99.99) and a PPV (worth $79.99) for $124.98 as part of a limited-time deal to celebrate UFC 286. This is a saving of more than $50 and gets you ESPN Plus for an entire year. This is the clear winner.
How to watch UFC 286 in the UK
BT Sport Monthly Pass| £29.99 a month
BT Sport will have the rights in the UK to broadcast UFC 286 Main Card event live, so the cheapest way is to sign up for a BT Sport Monthly pass. This then gives you access to the BT Sport app, so you can watch the fight live. BT customers can also go straight to channel 494/495 to make the purchase.
UFC Fight Pass | £6.99 per month
While a cheaper way, this is a little more complicated, to say the least. Anyone wanting to watch everything that UFC 286 has to offer needs to sign up for the streaming service, UFC Fight Pass. This will broadcast the complete Early Prelims and Prelims live, however, will not have the Main Card fights until 48 hours after it has taken place. The $6.99 monthly option is the cheapest option here, though.
UFC Fight Pass | £71.99 per year
If you want to watch more UFC fights throughout 2023, you can also take out an annual subscription for £83.88. This represents a saving of £11.89 or 20%, giving you access to over 1,000 hours of live combat sports action. It's worth noting that you will not be able to watch Main Card events until 48 hours after they air.
How to watch UFC 286 in Australia
UFC Fight Pass | $10.99 per month
Just like in the UK, the Early Prelims and Prelims will be available to stream on UFC Fight Pass. The Main Card fights, however, are not included and are not added until a later date - presumably 48 hours afterward (the website doesn't state). The $10.99 offer is the cheapest way to watch if you're not bothered about catching it live.
UFC Fight Pass (UFC 286)| $59.95 PPV
The other alternative is to just pay strictly for UFC 286, which gives you access to the full event live. The purchase includes viewing 24 hours before the event start.
Kayo Sports PPV | $59.95 PPV
Kayo Sports is also offering UFC 286 via its streaming service. It also included access to Kayo One until March 23rd, 2023.
What other fights are taking place at UFC 286?
UFC 286 will be headlined by Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, who will go up against one another for the UFC Welterweight Championship, however, in the co-main event fan-favorite Justin "the highlight" Geathje squares up against Rafael Fiziev. Homegrown favorites like Scotland's Joanne Wood will also be in action. Several other fights will also take place through the night during both the Prelims and Early Prelims.
See below for the full Main Card line-up:
- Welterweight Title Bout: Leon Edwards (UK) vs Kamaru Usman (Nigeria)
- Lightweight Bout: Justin Gaethje (US) vs Rafael Fiziev (Azerbaijan)
- Women's Flyweight Boy: Joanne Wood (UK) vs Luana Carolina (Brazil)
- Welterweight Bout: Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) vs Bryan Barberena (US, replacing Daniel Rodriguez)
- Middleweight Bout: Marvin Vettori (Italy) vs Roman Dolidze (Georgia)
Head to the official UFC website for further details, including the full Prelims and Early Prelims line-up.
Thinking about upgrading your setup in time for UFC 286? Here's where to find the best OLED TVs of 2023 alongside the best sound systems on the market today. Not to mention, also got all of the latest ESPN Plus costs if you're looking for more great sports.
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Matthew is the Deals Editor for GamesRadar, keeping up with everything in games and constantly searching the web for the best deals on offer. Prior to this, Matthew headed up the games and entertainment section at T3 with his work also found across TechRadar, IGN, Tom's Guide, Fandom, NME, and more. In his spare time, Matthew is an avid cinema-goer, keen runner and average golfer (at best). You can follow him @MattPoskitt64.