For years, the UFC Apex has been a polarizing venue. At the same time, the UFC’s usage of the Apex in a post-quarantine world has faced relentless criticism as a downgrade from packed arenas. Fighters note its lack of crowd energy,

Set to last seven years, with an average annual value of $1.1bn, the contract marks the impending end of the UFC’s partnership with ESPN, a relationship that began in 2019. More importantly, however, the deal also means the end of the UFC’s pay-per-view (PPV) model.

In a major deal, Paramount scores exclusive rights to UFC events, signaling the end of the pay-per-view model currently used by ESPN.