NEW YORK (March 20, 2026) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced the renewal of its multi-year partnership with U-NEXT, Japan’s leading video streaming platform. The agreement extends U-NEXT’s role as the exclusive home of all PFL programming in Japan, bringing live coverage of PFL Global events along with PFL MENA and PFL Africa tournaments to fans across the country. The deal further strengthens the league’s media presence in Asia while continuing to expand access for MMA fans in one of the sport’s most passionate markets.
The renewed partnership begins with coverage of PFL Madrid, where Japanese audiences will once again be able to watch live PFL competition through the U-NEXT streaming service at 2:00 AM on Saturday, March 21 (Japan time).
Japanese fans will also have access to PFL’s roster of world-class athletes competing across the league’s global platform. The PFL features some of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts including PFL Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov, PFL Middleweight Champion Costello Van Steenis, PFL Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg, as well as undefeated women’s flyweight star Dakota Ditcheva, and lightweight sensation Paul Hughes.
PFL continues to showcase elite fighters from around the world while also highlighting talent from Asia, including Japanese stars Kana Watanabe, Masayuki Kikuiri, and Takeshi Izumi, as the PFL expands its global footprint.
“We are very excited to extend our partnership with U-NEXT and continue building the PFL brand in Japan and across Asia,” said John Martin, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “Asia is a critically important region for the global growth of MMA and for the future of the PFL. Over the past year we have expanded our presence across the Asia-Pacific region as we aim to create new opportunities for fighters and fans. Looking ahead, our goal is to continue signing top Asian talent, deepen our partnerships across the region, and bring more PFL events to fans throughout the Asia Pacific.”
“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the PFL, one of the world’s leading mixed martial arts organizations. Through our platform, we have been proud to deliver a diverse range of martial arts content from both Japan and around the world. As PFL continues to expand its global footprint with the new launch of PFL Global events, we are excited to further grow the league’s presence in Japan and bring world-class MMA competition to Japanese fans with the same passion and energy felt inside the arena. We also look forward to shining a spotlight on Japanese athletes competing on the global stage and sharing their journeys with fans across the country,” said Tenshin Tsutsumi, CEO of U-NEXT.
As the PFL continues to grow worldwide, the organization remains committed to developing elite fighters from across the globe and expanding its international leagues. Through competitions such as PFL Global, PFL MENA, and PFL Africa, the league is building a global platform that showcases emerging talent while delivering premium MMA content to fans around the world.
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ABOUT U-NEXT
U-NEXT is Japan’s leading video streaming service, offering the largest number of titles available for unlimited viewing in the country.* Subscribers can enjoy more than 420,000 movies, TV dramas, and anime titles, along with real-time live streaming of music concerts, stage productions, and world-class sporting events including soccer, golf, martial arts, and tennis. In addition, U-NEXT provides access to over 1.24 million manga and book titles, delivering a cross-genre entertainment experience that allows users to seamlessly enjoy video, books, sports, and live events within a single application.
Following the service integration with Paravi in July 2023, a wide range of popular dramas and variety programs from major Japanese terrestrial broadcasters TBS and TV Tokyo were added to the platform, further enhancing U-NEXT’s lineup and strengthening its position in the domestic streaming market.
U-NEXT, Inc. is a group company of U-NEXT HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasuhide Uno).
U-NEXT: https://video.unext.jp
*Source: GEM Partners (as of February 2026).
Survey of major subscription-based video streaming services in Japan covering Western films, Japanese films, international TV series, Korean and Asian dramas, domestic TV dramas, and anime. Additional pay-per-view titles may apply.
