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Those in the USA can watch a live stream of UFC on ESPN: Covington vs Lawler without cable via a free trial of PlayStation Vue right here. More information about PS Vue and other live stream options can be found below
A battle between welterweight title contender Colby Covington and former titleholder Robbie Lawler headlines a strong UFC on ESPN 5 card from Newark on Saturday afternoon. In the co-main event, veterans Jim Miller and Clay Guida will square off in a lightweight bout.
Both the preliminary card (Noon ET) and main card (3 p.m. ET) will be televised on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of all the fights on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services, all of which include ESPN:
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages: All four include ESPN and ESPN2.
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PlayStation Vue comes with cloud DVR.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including ESPN and ESPN2.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the “Sling Orange” channel package.
You can start a free seven-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch the fights live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
UFC Newark Preview
Covington (14-1 in his pro MMA career, 9-1 in the UFC) hasn’t fought since June 2018, when he bested Rafael dos Anjos to take the interim UFC welterweight title at UFC 225. Nasal surgery kept him out of a UFC 228 unification bout with Tyron Woodley and he was stripped of the distinction.
Lawler (28-13, 13-7) held the welterweight belt from December 2014 to July 2016, when he fell to Woodley via first-round knockout at UFC 201.
Since the former American Top Team teammates have been matched up, the 31-year-old Covington has accused Lawler of leaving ATT over a picture posted in the gym following Lawler’s loss to Woodley, another ATT fighter.
Covington has also questioned how his 37-year-old opponent’s managed to compete at such a high level for nearly two decades.
“I mean, I trained with the guy in his prime, in his early 30s, and you’re gonna tell me in his late 30s he looks better than he’s ever looked his whole entire career? And this is after he’s taken the most significant strikes in UFC history,” Covington told Submission Radio last week. “This is after all the wars he’s put his body through. And then just all of a sudden he’s just on some super potion and he just looks better than ever? You know, let’s be honest guys, it doesn’t make sense.
“I don’t want to say what you guys know you want me to say. I’m not gonna say it, I’m gonna let the people speak for it. I’m gonna let the people be the judge of that. But I mean, let’s be honest guys, you don’t just in your late 30s all of a sudden just have a fountain of youth and you’re just stronger and better than you’ve ever been in your whole entire career.”
Lawler made his professional debut in April 2001, when he knocked out John Reed at Extreme Challenge 39.
He bounced back from the Woodley defeat by earning a unanimous decision over Donald Cerrone at UFC 214. But he’s lost two straight since, to dos Anjos and Ben Askren.
“I left [American Top Team] and it is what it is. He wanted a storyline,” Lawler told MMA Fighting of Covington’s pre-fight comments. “People ask a lot of questions, especially with this fight going on. Whatever. It is what it is. I’m good to go.”
He added: “I just ignore it. I don’t really follow what people are saying, what people are doing. I don’t pay attention to that stuff. I focus on how I can get better, focus on my family, eating right, making sure I get the right amount of sleep. Those are the things I focus on.”