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You can buy the UFC 243 main PPV card right here. More information about how to watch a live stream of the prelims can be found below
A welterweight bout between Jake Matthews and Rostem Akman will serve as the finale of the preliminary fights at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia.
The early prelims (6:15 p.m. ET) will be exclusively on ESPN+, while the second preliminary card (8 p.m. ET) will be on ESPN2. Here’s how to watch a live stream of all the preliminary fights online:
How to Watch UFC 243 Early Prelims Online
The early prelims won’t be on regular cable TV anywhere in the US, but you can watch a live stream of those fights on ESPN+, the digital streaming service from ESPN that includes live UFC, a massive UFC on-demand library, many other live sports, all the 30-for-30 documentaries and other exclusive content for just $4.99 per month.
Additionally, Whittaker vs. Adesanya and the UFC 243 main PPV card can only be ordered through ESPN+. So, if you plan on watching the early prelims and the main card, you can purchase a one-year subscription to ESPN+ and the UFC 243 PPV for a special bundle price of $79.98. That’s normally a $109.99 value when purchased separately.
If you only want to watch the early prelims, You can sign up for just ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the early prelims on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
How to Watch UFC 243 Second Preliminary Card Online
The second preliminary card will be televised on ESPN2, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of ESPN on your computer, phone, or streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV comes with Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies and 60-plus live TV channels, including 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.
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle comes with 25-plus live TV channels, including ESPN2.
You can start a free seven-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights 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. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling TV credentials.
If you can’t watch live, cloud DVR is available as an add-on.
YouTube TV comes with 70-plus live TV channels, including ESPN2.
You can sign up for YouTube TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the fights on your computer via the YouTube website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other compatible streaming device via the YouTube app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your YouTube TV credentials.
If you can’t watch live, YouTube TV comes with included DVR.
UFC 243 Prelims Preview
This will be Akman’s second fight with the promotion, and first with a full camp to prepare. In his UFC debut, he stepped in a week ahead of UFC Fight Night 153 to replace Bartosz Fabinski against Sergey Khandozhko, who won via a unanimous decision following three rounds.
Before joining the UFC, the 27-year-old Swede went 6-0 as a pro, with five knockouts and a submission.
“I want to finish my fights, especially as a pro because it is important to have an exciting fighting style to make a living from MMA,” Akman said ahead of his first pro fight in April 2017, according to IMMAF.com. “I will start knocking people down now.”
Matthews enters the bout with a 14-4 record as a pro and a 7-4 mark in the UFC.
The 25-year-old Australian snapped a three-fight winning streak his last time out, succumbing to Anthony Rocco Martin’s anaconda choke at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide.
“I think it’s a good fight just to get back on track, get back into the win column,” Matthews said of his meeting with Akman, according to UFC.com. “He’s in the UFC for a reason, he’s a tough guy. Is he the caliber of guy that I’ve fought before? No. But in saying that, I’m going in there as if I’m fighting a world champion, like I always do. So, to me, he’s the toughest guy in the world. It’s a good fight, mentally. If they brought out a big-name guy, nerves might be racking up a little bit more. The goal for this one is just to get a nice, quick finish. Put the statement out that I’m still here, still active, still getting wins.”
He added: “It’s hard not to get even more pumped up, when you’ve got 60-odd thousand Aussies screaming — and they’ll all be screaming for me — it’s hard not to get motivated for that.”
Main Card (10 p.m. ET on PPV)
Robert Whittaker (champion) vs. Israel Adesanya (interim champion), middleweight
Al Iaquinta vs. Dan Hooker, lightweight
Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergey Spivac, heavyweight
Luke Jumeau vs. Dhiego Lima, welterweight
Justin Tafa vs. Yorgan de Castro, heavyweight
Preliminary Card (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2)
Jake Matthews vs. Rostem Akman, welterweight
Callan Potter vs. Maki Pitolo, welterweight
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Brad Riddell, lightweight
Megan Anderson vs. Zairh Fairn dos Santos, women’s featherweight
Early Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)
Nadia Kassem vs. Ji Yeon Kim, women’s flyweight
Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva, bantamweight
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UFC 243 Prelims Live Stream: How to Watch Online