From January 2026, the UFC officially entered its historic $7.7 billion Paramount+ CBS era. The move instantly hyped UFC fans, mainly because there would be no, or very limited, PPVs, and viewers could access the fight library with just a platform subscription. However, as the promotion entered its new broadcasting era, panic quickly spread after a viral post surfaced online. The picture appeared to show Paramount demanding $2.99 to watch individual fights, catching fans completely off guard.

“You have to pay to watch individual ufc fights on Paramount, w—f,” popular MMA account, DovySimuMMA posted on X.

As soon as the post started making rounds, UFC fans instantly grew disappointed, believing they would need to shell out extra to watch previous fights. But it turned out to be a rumor.

After the promotion’s move to Paramount, subscribers no longer need to use pay-per-view to watch UFC bouts. Starting January 24, Paramount+ subscribers will be able to watch UFC’s full slate of 13 numbered events and also all 30 of UFC’s 2026 Fight Night events on the streaming service, with no extra charge on top of their Paramount+ subscriptions. UFC 324 will be the first of 13 marquee numbered events on Paramount+. This is what Paramount had announced initially with regard to its plans.

And a few selected fights will be simulcast on CBS under the new deal.

Paramount+ offers two plans:

1. The first is an ad-supported Essential plan. It will cost $9 per month or $90 per year.
2. An ad-free Premium, which will cost $14 per month or $140 per year.

This makes it a lot cheaper for fans, considering UFC’s pay-per-view model with ESPN cost viewers $79.99 per event last year. So, fans will be able to enjoy UFC 324 in a unique way. However, the online rumors about having to allegedly pay $2.99 to watch individual fights ruined it for them.

UFC fans are shocked by rumors

There was a lot of online confusion. It seemed to stem from users without a subscription, along with what looked like a technical glitch on the platform. However, another social media account later uploaded a video on X showing the entire fight library available on Paramount+ without any additional charges.

While it was later proven that watching fights did not require any extra money, some fans still reacted with panic. One fan quickly chimed in, writing, “People were so happy for the Paramount switch 💀.”

The comment highlighted how Dana White’s affordability promise seemed to backfire, at least based on the initial post showing per-fight charges. Another user simply reacted, “That’s wild.”

Following those two comments, another user pointed toward a possible glitch, writing, “Surely that’s just a day one error, if Americans don’t have access to Fight Pass anymore the UFC has really f—d them over.”

It certainly looked like an error, especially since another social media user had already debunked the claim.

Plus, it has been a while since the promotion announced its one flat fee, no extra gimmicks model. It will not only make it more accessible to fans but also provide the promotion with more exposure through Paramount and CBS networks, especially with Paramount’s expansive reach of linear and streaming platforms.

Still, one fan was ready to take matters into their own hands, suggesting, “We all just have to start loading the fights we have on here, and one of us has to create a master database.” But that was not the end of it.

One fan went even further, hinting at illegal streaming by writing, “well back to pirating I go.”

In December, Daniel Cormier mentioned how illegal streams played a major role in the UFC shifting toward a no-PPV model, making that reaction feel like a step backward. Thankfully, that will not be necessary, as it now appears the fights can be streamed with a subscription.

The UFC’s calendar will be as busy as UFC 324 inches closer. It’s good that fans will be able to afford watching any fight without having to pay for each one and scrambling across different platforms.