UFC announces new numbered event start time heading into Paramount era

UFC fans can have their heads hit the pillow a little earlier after the biggest fight nights of the year.

Ahead of UFC 324, its Paramount debut, the promotion revealed a new numbered event main card start time of 9 p.m. ET, a one-hour shift forward from its long-standing pay-per-view main card start time of 10 p.m. ET.

The first event of the Paramount era takes place Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a show headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, with a co-headliner of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship.

UFC 325 takes place one week later, Jan. 31 in Sydney, Australia, with a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. That event is also listed on the UFC's website as having a main card start time of 9 p.m. ET.

Paramount+ public relations executive Chris DeBlasio indicated on X that the plan is for 9 p.m. ET to be the new start time for the majority of main cards going forward.

With the Paramount era on the horizon, the promotion's numbered events will no longer be pay-per-view, but instead behind a subscription paywall. Current pricing is $7.99 per month for a basic Paramount+ plan with a $12.99 per month price point for a premium subscription. An increase to $8.99 (basic) and $13.99 (premium) is expected in January.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC announces new numbered event start time heading into Paramount era