When UFC returns to Russia for UFC Fight Night 149, it’ll bring a card with a distinctly national bent. And despite its early Saturday start time, you’ll be able to watch it easily and for free on ESPN+, as the broadcasting giant has made 20 exclusive Fight Night events available this year with the right TV streaming package.
The event, which will be held at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, features Russians fighting in every one of the night’s bouts. Its main event is high-stakes, pitting no. 9-ranked heavyweight fighter Aleksei Oleinik (57-11-1) against no. 7-ranked Alistair Overeem (44-17-0). The bout starts at 1pm ET and features perhaps the event’s most intriguing storyline: Overeem, seeking to regain his place as a premier heavyweight contender, could spring up the rankings with a win. For Oleinik, he’ll look to pick up another quality victory after he defeated Mark Hunt at last year’s Fight Night 136 in Moscow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2jAlXDqPRY
Here’s everything you need to know to live stream UFC Fight Night 149 for free.
UFC Fight Night 149: Alistair Overeem vs. Aleksei Oleinik
- When: Saturday, April 20, at 1pm ET
- Where: Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Streaming: ESPN+ (free with one-week trial)
Overeem vs. Oleinik live stream: How to watch UFC Saint Petersburg for free
ESPN+
- Cost: $4.99 per month or $49.99 for 12 months (after 7-day free trial)
- Devices: Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire Tablet, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku players and TV, Oculus Go, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung smart TVs, and iOS and Android devices
There’s only one option for watching UFC Saint Petersburg—ESPN+—and thankfully, it comes with a one-week free trial.
After ESPN inked a $1.5 billion deal with UFC in May 2018 to carry 30 Fight Nights, the company selected 20 of those events to run on its subscription streaming service, including Fight Night 149. However, that’s not the only UFC action that ESPN+ subscribers can access. In January 2019, the two sides extended their deal and designated ESPN+ as the sole provider of UFC pay-per-view events. With the purchase of one PPV event for $79.99, new ESPN+ subscribers gain an entire year of the streaming service (existing subscribers can purchase PPV events for $59.99).
In addition to UFC, ESPN+ subscribers can watch 180 out-of-market MLS matches, MLB games, the English FA Cup, tons of college sports action, and access to ESPN’s entire library of its acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series, among other things—all for $4.99 per month or $49.99 for the entire year. Simply put, you don’t have to be a UFC fanatic to get your money’s worth from ESPN+.
ESPN+ works as an extension of the ESPN app and website. Your ESPN+ subscription will simply unlock all of the content and live events marked with “E+” logo. You can find the ESPN app on Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and iOS and Android devices.
Alistair Overeem vs. Aleksei Oleinik: Why it matters
It’s all about narratives. Overeem is looking to power his way back into the conversation as one of UFC’s premier heavyweight mixed martial artists after he lost the title fight to Stipe Miocic in September 2016. Since that loss, he’s posted a 3-2 record, with a KO over Mark Hunt in UFC 209 and a TKO against Sergey Pavlovich at UFC Fight Night 141. However, a loss against Oleinik would probably end Overeem’s ability to contest again for the heavyweight title. It’s not a fight that he’s taking lightly.
“Oleynik is very experienced and very tough—he comes forward and puts a lot of pressure on and I just need to wait for my moment and take him out,” he told SunSport. Despite the high stakes, Overeem told the British tabloid that he’s confident he’ll emerge victorious after two rounds.
Oleinik faces the same potential outcome. A win would vault him up the rankings; a loss would probably end the 41-year-old’s title ambitions. He does, however, have home-field advantage on his side, as the naturalized Russian citizen will appear in UFC’s second-ever event in Russia as a last-second replacement for Alexander Volkov. Oleinik beat Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night in Moscow last year via submission, utilizing a rear-naked choke to take down the popular New Zealander.
UFC Fight Night 149 live stream schedule
Main card | 1pm ET on ESPN+
- Alistair Overeem vs. Aleksei Oleinik
- Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Sergei Pavlovich vs. Marcelo Golm
- Ivan Shtyrkov vs. Devin Clark
- Roxanne Modafferi vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Krzysztof Jotko vs. Alen Amedovski
Prelims | 10am ET on ESPN+
- Movsar Evloev vs. Seung Woo Choi
- Sultan Aliev vs. Keita Nakamura
- Alexander Yakovlev vs. Alex da Silva
- Marcin Tybura vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov
- Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk
- Magomed Mustafaev vs. Rafael Fiziev
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