Partnering with UFC to Bring FIGHT PASS Events to Xtadium & Meta Horizon Worlds
Whether you regularly sit beside the world-famous Octagon® or just catch the occasional high-profile match up, professional mixed martial arts is among the most thrilling sports in the world to watch live. And today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with UFC to bring the MMA action home to the Meta Quest Platform. Now, thanks to the immersive magic of VR, you can experience the drama and excitement of live MMA action featured on UFC FIGHT PASS from the best seat in the house in Xtadium from YBVR and coming soon to Meta Horizon Worlds.
“We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with UFC,” says Meta’s Director of Metaverse Entertainment Content Sarah Malkin. “There are few experiences as riveting as watching an MMA fight live, but not everyone can catch the action in person. VR offers uniquely immersive events, letting fans get up close and personal for every takedown, submission, and knockout with UFC FIGHT PASS in Xtadium and Worlds.”
“We tested this technology successfully with a handful of MMA events last year, and now we’re going further,” says Craig Borsari, Chief Content Officer and Executive Producer at UFC. “The schedule of live MMA events available in Xtadium through UFC FIGHT PASS is growing and we’ll be helping to build out a dedicated UFC world in Meta Horizon Worlds that will offer the greatest fights in UFC history in a 4K 180-degree environment. We’re just scratching the surface of how we can use this technology to create greater fan engagement and grow this sport.”
The Xtadium Experience
MMA fans can expect 4K resolution and 180-degree VR capture as they experience live immersive fights with cage-side seats for free in Xtadium. Enjoy the action alone or with friends and switch camera angles throughout the fight to get the best view of every matchup. And after the fight ends, account holders can log in to UFC FIGHT PASS to access a library of UFC PPV cards plus the best original UFC FIGHT PASS content such as Fightlore, Year of the Fighter, and more.
“Mixed martial arts is an intense, fast-paced sport where the action can quickly shift and the stakes can change in a matter of seconds,” says YBVR CTO and Co-Founder Sebastian Amengual. “VR enhances the viewing experience by providing an up-close, immersive view of the action. It's one thing to watch a fight on a flat screen, but being virtually cage-side, feeling the proximity of the fighters and the raw energy of the match up is an entirely different experience. Additionally, MMA’s one-on-one nature, the use of an enclosed fighting area (like the Octagon), and the varied angles of combat all lend themselves incredibly well to VR’s strengths, making it a particularly compelling broadcast in virtual reality compared to other sports.”
To ensure the best viewing experience and optimal video resolution for live games and fights in Xtadium, YBVR uses advanced compression techniques and adaptive bitrate streaming which adjusts the quality of the video in real time according to the viewer’s network conditions. That helps ensure a smooth, high-quality stream even under fluctuating bandwidths. And YBVR’s streaming technology is designed to efficiently utilize bandwidth, delivering high-resolution video with lower latency.
“Reaching the UFC fan community in VR is a significant milestone for us,” says Amengual. “This isn’t merely about delivering content—it’s about creating a whole new way for fans to connect with the sport they love. The MMA community is extremely passionate and dedicated, and providing them with the ability to be ‘over the Octagon fence’ and experience the matches like never before is something truly extraordinary. We hope to deepen their connection to the sport and offer them a platform to connect with fellow fans, creating a global community that can share in the excitement of every match.”
Here’s the current schedule of upcoming matchups that’ll stream live in Xtadium:
- August 4: LFA 164
- August 18: LFA 165
- September 8: Cage Warriors 159
- September 22: LFA 168
- October 6: LFA 169
- October 27: LFA 170
- November 17: LFA 171
- December 9: Fight Pass Invitational 6
- December 15: Cage Warriors 165
A Dedicated UFC Experience in Worlds
The Worlds team at Meta is cooking up something special for MMA fans, gearing up for the launch of a dedicated UFC world in November. In addition to 4K 180-degree streaming of UFC fights, you’ll be able to meet up with friends to learn more about the sport. Prepare to unleash your inner competitor by playing fun interactive games (both single- and multiplayer), winning exclusive unlockable rewards, and rising through the ranks to become a UFC Hall of Famer!
“There is almost nothing in all of sports that matches the thrills and excitement of a great MMA event,” says Borsari. “We’re always looking for ways to capture that experience and share it with our fans who can’t get to an arena. That’s how we’ve built this sport over the years—by providing fans around the world with opportunities to engage with our content, whether through in-person attendance, live broadcasts, or social media.
“And now, Meta Horizon Worlds is taking fan engagement and community building to another level. Meta has pioneered VR technology through Meta Quest 2 that makes you feel like you’re standing on the deck of the Octagon, alongside our cameramen. At the same time, Worlds offers an immersive social environment where fans can see and speak with each other in real time. There’s nothing like this available for MMA fans anywhere else.”
“We’ve seen all kinds of communities come together in Worlds, but when we first broadcast live UFC FIGHT PASS events last year, we were blown away by the engagement and passion of this audience,” says Meta Product Marketing Director Meaghan Fitzgerald. “Since then, we’ve been working with UFC and MMA fans to build a virtual clubhouse for this community. We know that MMA fans don’t just like to watch thrilling fights—they also like to be a part of the action. That’s why we’re introducing a new dedicated UFC world, with a recreation of the famous Octagon and new immersive streaming formats that make people feel like they’re closer to the action than ever. It’s not just about exciting fights—it’s about sharing the experience with other fans, discussing MMA techniques, and being a part of the UFC community.”
The Future of Spectator Sports
Of course, this is just the beginning. The Worlds team continues to improve the experience, bringing better graphics, improved textures, and deeper gameplay to the platform, and YBVR plans to expand its Xtadium offerings to include even more sports, events, and interactive features.
“Emerging technologies like VR and AR are poised to revolutionize the way we consume sports entertainment,” says Amengual. “They offer a level of immersion and interactivity that traditional media simply cannot match. Rather than being passive observers, fans can become active participants in the events they watch. With VR, AR, and MR, we can give people the ability to virtually attend live events, experience them from unique perspectives, and engage in social activities with other fans. This technology has the power to make every seat the best seat in the house—or even better. It can provide perspectives that fans attending the events cannot have. Looking forward, we anticipate VR and AR to evolve with more interactive features, creating not just immersive but also personalized experiences for each fan.”
Make sure to catch the next immersive UFC matchup on August 4 in Xtadium, and mark your calendars for the return of UFC FIGHT PASS content in Worlds this November.
