Wednesday, June 24, 2026

UFC and DraftKings Join The Fight

  • The UFC has pinned down its first official deal with a sportsbook.
  • The mixed martial arts promotion has agreed to a five-year partnership with DraftKings.
UFC and sportsbook DraftKings come together on a partnership.
DraftKings, Handout Photo-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

UFC pinned down its first official deal with a sportsbook.

DraftKings advertised during UFC fights last year in Abu Dhabi, but this agreement takes their partnership to new heights.

The mixed martial arts promotion and DraftKings have entered a five-year partnership in a deal worth more than $100 million, per Sportico. The deal also encompasses a $250 million commitment to promote DraftKings’ UFC products.

“These guys have a platform that is second-to-none,” said Lawrence Epstein, COO of UFC to Sportico. “And that’s what makes this deal so groundbreaking.”

DraftKings gets rights to UFC logos for use across its betting and fantasy products, and the sports betting brand will be promoted on the octagon canvas at select UFC events.

UFC and sportsbook partnership will be on full display for the first time this weekend at UFC 259.

“This is the most important deal we’ve ever done to increase engagement with our fans and reach new ones, and I’m looking forward to all the exciting things we’re going to do with DraftKings over the next few years,” said UFC President Dana White.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 14, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) fights Ilia Topuria (red gloves) during the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House South Lawn.

UFC Leans Further In to AI With New Meta Rankings

The ranking system debuted with multiple issues.

Is Anyone Using FIFA’s Official Prediction Market?

The World Cup’s prediction market partner is not available in the U.S.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman sits for an interview at his office in Frankfort, Ky., on Dec. 18, 2025.

CFTC Sues Kentucky After State Takes Aim at Kalshi, Polymarket

Kentucky is the ninth state the CFTC has sued since April.

UFC’s Freedom 250 Draws 17 Million Viewers

The event was available exclusively on Paramount+. 
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

A Conversation with Tight End University’s Greg Olsen

0:00

Featured Today

Why U.S. Open Host Sites Are on a 25-Year Plan

The U.S. Open has already picked out 22 future sites through 2051.
Wisconsin Badgers forward Laila Edwards, left, and defender Caroline Harvey celebrate after Edwards scored against the Minnesota Gophers in the first period in a game Saturday, February 8, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin.
June 15, 2026

Two Rookies Are Rewriting Women’s Hockey Stardom

Their platforms are a mutual boon for the PWHL and its players.
Ai sports slop
June 5, 2026

How Sports Became Ground Zero for AI Slop

The category is the perfect breeding ground for AI content churn.
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group A - Germany v Luxembourg - Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany - October 10, 2025 Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann
June 4, 2026

‘Weird Corners of the World’: How to Find a World Cup Coach

National associations look for a winning record—and also hope for serendipity.
June 3, 2026

The Elite High Schools Hosting World Cup Teams

Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and Switzerland chose schools as their tournament base camps.
Kalshi's logo is displayed on a smartphone placed on a reflective surface onto which a betting curve is projected in Creteil, France, on March 9, 2026, during a major scandal and a $54 million lawsuit concerning bets related to recent strikes in Iran. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE

Kalshi’s Tarek Mansour Talks Giannis, Don Jr., Supreme Court

The Kalshi cofounder discussed critics, CFTC rulemaking, and more.
In this photo illustration, a mobile device displays the Kalshi logo while a laptop displays the webpage of the prediction market platform in Copenhagen, Denmark, on February 10, 2026. (Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/NurPhoto)
June 11, 2026

CFTC’s Proposed Rules Won’t Quiet Prediction-Market Critics

Markets tied to physical altercations or referee decisions would be flagged.
Reuters FILE PHOTO: Kalshi logo appears in this illustration created on April 22, 2026.
June 17, 2026

Kalshi CEO Downplays Polymarket Rivalry

Tarek Mansour says Polymarket’s scandals risk sullying the entire industry.
Sponsored

How Daktronics Is Reshaping the Modern MLB Ballpark Experience

The technology powering baseball’s next chapter.
Courtesy: Jake Epstein
June 10, 2026

Knicks Run Is New Front in the Kalshi-Polymarket Marketing War

Prediction-market platforms have capitalized on the Knicks’ Finals run.
Fanduel
June 8, 2026

FanDuel Is Latest Gambling Company to Cut Jobs

Sources tell FOS a few hundred people were laid off last week.
Reuters FILE PHOTO: Kalshi logo appears in this illustration created on April 22, 2026.
June 1, 2026

DraftKings Cofounder ‘Loves’ Prediction Markets Despite Attacks

Matt Kalish credits Kalshi with fighting legal and regulatory battles for the entire industry.
May 26, 2026

Trump Decries Prediction-Market Detractors As ‘Scum’

The president’s son is an investor in Polymarket and an advisor to Kalshi.