British operator bet365 is teaming up with one of the premier competitions in sports.
On Thursday, bet365 and the UFC announced a long-term partnership that makes the operator an official sports betting partner of the mixed martial arts organization in both the U.S. and Canada.
The multi-year deal will cover every UFC event in the organization’s calendar, and will expand bet365’s reach in North America, providing the operator with access to the roughly 700 million fans the UFC has around the world.
“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 long-term partnership forged between bet365 and the UFC includes sportsbook integrations that will be displayed during broadcasts of the MMA promotion’s bouts, including on-screen betting tickers, fighter odds and parlay betting markets.
The UFC will also provide bet365 marketing across its digital and social channels. As of March 2026, the UFC has roughly 300 million followers across its social media platforms.
The partnership will kick-start this weekend for UFC 326, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 7. To celebrate its partnership with the UFC, bet365 is providing its users with exclusive profit boosts throughout Saturday’s event.
DraftKings and UFC end their relationship
The UFC tapped bet365 as its official sports betting sponsor, ending a long-term partnership with DraftKings. In 2021, the UFC and DraftKings reached an agreement to make DraftKings the official sportsbook partner of the UFC in both the U.S. and Canada.
Their pact also included in-fight integrations and presenting partnerships.
Now, bet365 has officially replaced its fellow sportsbook.
“bet365 brings scale, credibility, and innovation to the sports betting space, and we’re thrilled to continue to develop this long-term partnership at such a momentous time for UFC,” said TKO Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships Nicholas Smith. “bet365 is a natural fit for UFC because they understand fight fans and how they engage with the sport in real time.”
UFC secures deal with Polymarket
The UFC enlisted bet365 as a sports betting partner after dipping into the prediction market space through a multi-year pact with Polymarket in 2025.
The partnership was secured through UFC’s parent company, TKO Holdings, and provides UFC fans with real-time market insights that resemble real-time sports betting odds. It also provides the UFC with access to two major verticals, sports betting and prediction markets.
The UFC became the first sports organization to directly integrate prediction market technology into a live streaming and fan experience.
In addition to the UFC, Polymarket has secured a deal with another major American sports organization, the NHL. The league, which also has a deal with Kalshi, provides Polymarket with access to its official data and logos.
Polymarket has partnerships with the UFC and the NHL despite not having a nationwide presence as it reenters the U.S. market on a rollout basis after exiting in 2022.
