Given how huge the UFC has become, every single change The Company makes, no matter how seemingly small, is a big deal. That includes a shift in the time they start headliner fights. And it’s especially true when such a change is permanent.
The Company announced that, as part of its new broadcasting partnership with Paramount, the main card at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, would begin at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST. This is a noticeable departure from the previous opening bells, which rank at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. EST.
Initially, this was considered a one-off adjustment. After all, The Company is synonymous with its trademark 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST start times. Permanently moving up the opening bell can also have an impact on UFC betting online markets. The Company is now one of the biggest draws in all of sports for gamblers. Earlier starts come at the risk of freezing out those 11th-hour customers who aren’t looking to place live wagers.
As it turns out, however, the UFC 324 start time is a sign of things to come.
It Sounds Like The UFC is Permanently Changing the Times for Marquee Fights
To be sure, nothing on this front is confirmed. But as we look ahead to the schedule beyond UFC 324, it’s starting to seem like 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. EST will be the new benchmark. As Damon Martin of MMA Fighting writes:
“As part of the announcement for UFC 324, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, also came news that the main card would kick off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. That’s one hour earlier than the current start times for the pay-per-view main cards at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT — outside of a few special events like those happening in Abu Dhabi, which typically start in the morning to afternoon in the United States. Now it appears that this change is permanent with officials confirming to MMA Fighting that the new start time is expected to serve as the standard for all major numbered events moving forward.
“This actually happened once in the past with the UFC experimenting with an earlier start time for the pay-per-view cards several years ago but it was short lived with the promotion eventually returning to the regular 10 p.m. ET launch. That’s not the case any longer with the UFC airing events on Paramount+ starting in January with all of the events coming under the standard subscription price for the streaming service as the promotion moves away from the traditional pay-per-view model.”
The reason for this change becoming the new rule of thumb isn’t immediately clear. Marquee UFC events take place on Saturday nights, so the time isn’t being moved to accommodate the vast majority of people with a Monday through Friday work schedule. If anything, it serves as more of an inconvenience for people on the West Coast, a demographic to which UFC has long catered.
The Reason UFC Fights May Be Getting New Start Times
Let’s venture into the realm of speculation for a second. Paramount is clearly fueling the change, and after shelling out $7.7 billion over the next seven years to broadcast UFC events, The Company is obviously going to acquiesce to a request such as this. In fact, if we had to guess, the adjusted schedule was a prominent part of the contract both parties signed.
From Paramount’s perspective, the earlier start opens up options for when they want to broadcast major UFC events on network television. Yes, most UFC Fights will be aired exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service. But the company also intends to show UFC events on national television, under its CBS network channel.
Again, since we are talking about Saturday night fights, the earlier start isn’t mission critical to servicing the existing UFC fanbase. It may be more important, however, to roping in new fans. East Coasters, specifically, are more likely to stay up and check out a 9 p.m. fight compared to a 10 p.m. one.
We’ll Have to See If This UFC Schedule Shift Sticks
It will be interesting to see how ratings and engagement fares for the UFC under the new schedule. In some ways, it could be beneficial to attracting a new audience.
At the same time, the UFC tried adjusting its start times back in 2011. The change ended up not even lasting the entire year.
Perhaps Paramount is prepared to see this through as a longer experiment. Heck, maybe the earlier start times flat-out work. If they don’t, though, will Paramount be open to reverting back to 10 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. PST starts?
That’s a question neither the UFC nor Paramount wants to have to answer. And maybe they won’t. One way or another, though, it seems we’re about to find out.
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