Cowboy gets his chance at The Notorious one — and at the UFC history books.
This Saturday, one of the biggest stars in the history of MMA returns to action after a break of over a year. The first man to hold two UFC belts simultaneously will face the man with the most UFC wins of all time. You can stream the entire night of fights easily with UFC 246 Pay-Per-View featuring McGregor vs. Cowboy in the ESPN app.
What is UFC 246?
UFC 246 is the newest major MMA event from the biggest promotion in the sport. UFC 246 will broadcast live on Saturday, Jan. 18, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This will be a split-broadcast event available with cards on ESPN+, ESPN and PPV, so you will need multiple subscriptions and logins to see everything in the ESPN app. The Early Prelims come first at 6:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. At 8 p.m., the Prelims are exclusively on ESPN. Finally, the Main Card will be on at 10 p.m. as a PPV via ESPN+, headlined by McGregor vs. Cowboy.
UFC pay-per-view events are now available exclusively on ESPN+. The streaming sports service is packed with additional UFC content, including regular UFC Fight Night events, Dana White's Contender Series, UFC Post Shows, and exclusive analysis on "Ariel and the Bad Guy". If you aren't sure what is needed so you can watch UFC 246 PPV on ESPN+, here's a breakdown to help.
How to stream UFC 246 even if you're outside the United States
If you are jacked for UFC 246 but already have tickets that take you out of the country, you might believe that you're out of luck. Streaming U.S. based sports like the UFC can be as frustrating as a first round disqualification. It's all because streaming services often block their feeds if you're not in America. Suddenly, your streaming subscriptions look like they've lost all their value.
However, there are ways to get things working again by using a VPN, which is short for "Virtual Private Network". It sends your internet traffic from far away through a specific set of servers, then pops it back into the United States.
Does a VPN sound appealing to you? It's easy to get a great one with subscription services that, for a few bucks a month, tunnel your traffic through your choice of a variety of locations. It can also give you security and peace of mind on open WiFi connections, because a VPN protects you against snoopers on any network.
A Top VPN Contender
ExpressVPN
From $12.95 a month
Use the subscriptions you pay for even if you've gone far from home.
ExpressVPN has all the things you want from a VPN, including multiple plans at different price points. It also has servers in 94 countries and apps for all major platforms.
How much will UFC 246 Pay Per View cost?
New & monthly subscribers can both save big by combining UFC 246 PPV and a one year plan for ESPN+
New subscribers and current subscribers on monthly plans can choose a special offer with months of sports to enjoy. The deal combines an annual subscription to ESPN+, which usually costs $49.99 a year, with UFC 246 PPV for $84.98. This gives new and monthly subscribers a big savings on this sports streaming service compared to the regular prices. That subscription gives you a full year of live UFC Fight Nights, Top Rank Boxing cards, MLB, NHL, MLS, College Football, and so much more.
How to order UFC 246 Pay-Per-View
If you already subscribe to ESPN+, you can buy UFC 246 PPV Main Event on the streaming devices you use to watch all the action. too. This feature is available on the ESPN app for TV platforms, and only takes a few taps on your remote.
For new subscribers, ESPN makes it easy to buy UFC 246 PPV on the event page of ESPN+. Just create an account and purchase this event on your computer. Then login with that account on a streaming device to activate the PPV in the ESPN app.
Both new and existing subscribers should buy UFC 246 early if they can. ESPN+ has shown that they can handle a rush of late orders, but you don't want to miss part of the event waiting to pick a new password or your purchase to process. That could be especially important for this event, which could be the most purchased pay-per-view since the ESPN+ deal started last year. It is quick and easy to sign up now and then sign in on your devices before the event. Take care of this ahead of time, and you can focus on the fights and the snacks when Saturday night hits!
UFC 246 McGregor vs. Cowboy — The Main Event Preview
"The Notorious" Conor McGregor (21-4) is perhaps the biggest name in all MMA, and has proven to be a giant draw in the boxing ring as well. McGregor is the fourth ranked contender in the UFC Men's Lightweight division, despite having not fought since October of 2018. This fight won't be the first comeback for McGregor, who was inactive for two years before that Oct. 2018 fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov. That incredible fight was the most watched UFC Pay-Per-View of all time, and McGregor's fights represent five of the top six spots among best selling UFC Pay-Per-Views. McGregor is immensely talented, with a big left hand, aggressive swagger style and deep stamina. He's been a two time undisputed UFC champion, but in both cases he has been stripped of his belt for not defending his belts.
McGregor has become known as much for his controversies and activities outside of MMA as for his abilities inside the octagon. McGregor has been arrested multiple times, most recently for an assault in Dublin, Ireland last summer. His feud with Khabib turned from war of words into ugly incidents outside the ring, with ugly words, a post fight brawl and a bus attack that resulted in McGregor's arrest. In the boxing world, his match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned him a reported $30 million, despite him being TKO'ed in the 10th round. A rematch with Khabib could earn him big money as well, but his only path back there goes through Cowboy Cerrone.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (26-13) is the number five contender in the Men's Lightweight division, and he's accomplished so much in his long career with the UFC. In just over eight years, Cerrone has 23 wins in the UFC, and he's been the headline fight in six UFC Fight Night events. His resume includes most of the biggest names in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions, including Darren Till, Jorge Masvidal, Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson. Unfortunately for Cowboy, all four of those matches were losses. Cowboy has been an excellent fighter but has struggled to get over that last big step up.
Relive the moment Conor McGregor faced Eddie Alvarez in his quest to hold two belts at the same time.
This is the main reason why Cowboy has only had on title fight in the UFC. In 2015, he faced Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight title but he lost by TKO in the first round. Now that Cowboy has lost his last two fights against the numbers 1 and 3 fighters in his division, a win over fourth ranked McGregor could be a last chance to move up for a title shot. Current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov already has his next fight set for April, where he defends against Tony Ferguson. Cowboy certain hopes to be impressive in this main event, in the hopes of getting matched with the winner of that UFC 249 fight.
UFC 246 goes beyond the main event as MMA fans can look forward to several other major fights, including another legend of the sport. UFC star Holly Holm (12-5) will take on Raquel Pennington (10-7) in a rematch rescheduled from last October. Holm won the Bantamweight title from Ronda Rousey in a gigantic UFC upset back in 2015, but she's 2-3 in her last five fights, including loses in all three of championship fights since the start of 2017. Pennington wants another shot at Amanda Nunes' title, but first needs to avenge her 2015 loss to Holm by split decision.
How to watch UFC 246 on Amazon Fire TV
In order to watch UFC 246 on your Amazon Fire TV, you'll need the ESPN app. (That's because all UFC Pay-Per-View events are on ESPN+.)
The easiest way to get the ESPN app on your Fire TV probably is through a web browser. Here's how to do that:
-
Click here for the Amazon Appstore page for the ESPN app. (You may have to log in first.)
- In the drop-down menu, choose the Fire TV device you want to send the app to.
- Click or tap on Deliver.
Alternatively, just search for the ESPN app in the store directly on your Fire TV device. Your call. Either is fine.
After that, you'll need to log in to the ESPN app with your credentials.
How to watch UFC 246 on Roku
If you're going to watch UFC 246 on Roku — or anything else that's on ESPN+, for that matter — you're going to need to get the ESPN "channel" on Roku. (Think of it like an app, really.)
To get the ESPN Channel for Roku, you can hit up the store from within your Roku itself.
Or, if you'd prefer, you can sign into your Roku account and load the ESPN channel remotely. Click here to do so, and it'll automatically install itself on your Roku device. (Yes, that's pretty handy.)
How to watch UFC 246 on Xbox
- Open ESPN Xbox One app.
- Select the "ESPN+" tab on the top right corner.
- Scroll down and you should see a giant banner for the UFC 246 fight on Saturday.
- If you don't see the banner, scroll down further past "Live" and "Top On Demand" to the dedicated "Get Ready for UFC 246" section.
- The first banner should take you directly to the fight.
- If you haven't bought the fight yet, you it'll asked you to purchase an annual plan.
How to get UFC 246 Prelims on ESPN
ESPN networks owns over 10 different channels, but for the UFC 246 Prelims you only need ESPN. The Prelims Card includes four big fights, and features a featured women's flyweight matchup. Sixteen year vetern fighter Roxanne Modafferi (23-17) is in her second stint in the UFC, and now she's hoping to climb from her current seventh ranking into the top five. She'll take on the ninth ranked contender Maycee Barber (8-0) in the feature fight of the ESPN card. Barber is sixteen years younger than Modafferi, and fighting for just the third time in the UFC.
You can get the UFC 246 Prelims from ESPN on five of the largest live TV streaming services. Hulu with Live TV and some of the other services offer a variety of free trials, while Sling TV's Orange Plan offers the lowest regular price. Check out the options, and select the one that is best for you. Then you can use the login and password for these streaming services in the ESPN app to watch the Prelims.
Hulu with Live TV
Cable in a choke hold
Hulu with Live TV
$55 after free trial
Get ESPN & the UFC 246 Prelims streaming live.
Hulu has live TV including sports networks along with a huge back catalog of shows. ESPN is on Hulu, which means the UFC 246 Prelims are ready to go.
Sling TV - Sling Orange
Big Action, Small Price
Sling Orange
$20 at Sling
Get the Prelims and keep more of your cash.
Sling is the more economical way to get ESPN. It costs about half the price of other services and still gets you access to the UFC 246 Prelims.
AT&T TV Now - Plus Plan
More on AT&T TV Now:
Now's the time for new TV
AT&T TV Now
$65 a month
The Plus Plan is your key to the UFC 246 Prelims.
AT&T TV Now has a long list of channels in their lineup. The Plus Plan has ESPN so you can access the UFC 246 Prelims. Every plan includes HBO too.
YouTube TV
- The cost: $50 a month after a free trial
- UFC 246 Prelims on YouTube TV: (Make sure to mention the channels and specific plan if necessary)
More on YouTube TV:
From Creators to Destroyers
YouTube TV
$50 a month
OK Google, Watch the UFC 246 Prelims
YouTube TV is one of the easiest streaming services to understand, with a single plan, a ton of channels — including ESPN for the UFC 246 Prelims.
How to watch UFC 246
The ESPN app has everything you need to watch all of UFC 246 online on your TV. Your best play is to install the app, and log in with your ESPN+ account and your Live TV streaming credentials before the event begins. The ESPN app is available on the major streaming platforms and game consoles including iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
UFC 246 Schedule and Fight Card
All times shown are Eastern time.
- Early Prelims: 6:15 p.m. on ESPN+
- Prelims: 8 p.m. on ESPN
- Main Card: 10 p.m. on PPV
- Post Show: 1 a.m. on ESPN+
The full event fight card, subject to change as always, is as follows:
Main Card — Pay Per View
- Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (26-13)
- Holly Holm (12-5) vs. Raquel Pennington (10-7)
- Aleksei Oleinik (57-14-1) vs. Maurice Greene (8-4)
- Claudia Gadelha (17-4) vs. Alexa Grasso (11-3)
- Anthony Pettis (22-9) vs. Diego Ferreira (16-2)
Prelims — ESPN
- Roxanne Modafferi (23-17) vs. Maycee Barber (8-0)
- Andre Fili (20-6) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (10-1)
- Drew Dober (21-9) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (11-2)
- Chas Skelly (18-4) vs. Grant Dawson (14-1)
Early Prelims — ESPN+
- Aleksa Camur (5-0) vs. Justin Ledet (9-2)
- Tim Elliott (15-9-1) vs. Askar Askarov (10-0-1)
- Brian Kelleher (19-10) vs. Ode Osbourne (8-2)
- Sabina Mazo (7-1) vs. JJ Aldrich (8-3)
You can order UFC 246 McGregor vs. Cowboy today. New ESPN+ subscribers pay $84.98 for this pay-per-view and 1 year of ESPN+. Existing subscribers can pay just $64.99 for just the event, or $84.98 to upgrade from monthly to a 1 year subscription with the event. Either way, you will get an exciting night of top fights including McGregor vs. Cowboy.
UFC 246 Rocks the Octagon
ESPN+ UFC Pay-Per-View
From $65 at ESPN
See the superstar matchup of McGregor vs. Cowboy on UFC 264.
ESPN+ has major UFC events on the regular, including this Pay-Per-View event. This year end edition has three championship fights on a single card. You can also get a year of live on ESPN+ if you choose the bundle.
