British sportsbook bet365 is the new official sports betting partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Canada and the U.S. in a deal that will tie the two brands closely together across North America.
The Ontario-licensed online sportsbook and casino has signed a multi-year deal with the mixed martial arts organization that will integrate bet365 into every UFC event through broadcast and digital channels and social media, where UFC has more than 330 million social media followers across various platforms. The sports betting operator will also have a presence at live fights and other events.
“This partnership with UFC marks a defining moment for bet365 as we accelerate our growth globally and deepen our commitment to sports where live action and fan engagement are inseparable,” said bet365 Head of Development Trip Stoddard. “UFC’s always-on event calendar and highly engaged global fanbase create a powerful environment for real-time betting, and our industry-leading product depth uniquely positions us to elevate how fans experience every fight.”
The partnership will officially launch this weekend with UFC 326: Holloway vs. Oliveira 2 on Saturday, March 7, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will be available live in Canada on Pay-Per-View starting at 9 p.m. ET, with the late prelims airing on Sportsnet and TVA Sports at 7 p.m. ET. In the U.S., UFC began an exclusive long-term broadcast agreement with Paramount+ this year.
In-stream betting, where available
UFC said in a press release announcing the bet365 deal that its fight-by-fight format “naturally drives in-play wagering and live odds engagement” and that MMA continues to rank as one of the world’s most-bet-on sports.
In jurisdictions like Ontario and the various U.S. states in which bet365 is authorized and licensed as a gambling platform, live bet365 odds and betting tickers will be integrated within UFC streams. These kinds of sports streaming betting integrations have become more popular in the U.S. in recent years, with the likes of the NBA and the PGA Tour embracing live odds in partnership with major sports betting operators in recent times.
UFC already has a betting partnership, of sorts. Its parent company TKO Holdings signed a U.S.-facing deal with leading prediction market company Polymarket in late 2025 that included a feature allowing Paramount+ stream viewers to interact with real-time fight market changes.
Now, it has its official sports betting partner.
“bet365 is a natural fit for UFC because they understand fight fans and how they engage with the sport in real time,” said TKO’s Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, Nicholas Smith. “This partnership enhances the viewing experience by providing fans with deeper insights, dynamic odds, and more ways to engage responsibly with every bout, from the opening bell to the final decision.”
UFC’s complicated relationship with betting
UFC’s betting and prediction markets partnerships and streaming integrations come while its own fights have been placed under intense scrutiny on more than one occasion in recent times.
Just weeks before it announced the Polymarket partnership in November, UFC cut ties with fighter Isaac Dulgarian after he was accused of throwing a fight against his underdog opponent Yadier del Valle amid suspicious betting activity spotted by integrity watchdog Integrity Compliance 360. Although he was the firm favourite, Dulgarian lost via submission in round one.
Then, in late January, UFC Chief Executive Officer Dana White canceled a bout on the UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett undercard after the matchup between Alexander Hernandez and Michael Johnson was also flagged for match-fixing concerns.
Ontario’s gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), briefly banned betting on UFC fights in late 2022, stating that UFC did not meet its betting integrity requirements as it did not prohibit all insiders from betting on its events. The AGCO began allowing bets on UFC again weeks later after the UFC announced it had tightened its insider betting policies.
