The Ultimate Fighting Championship will use the Telesport agency to sell its rights in Russia after sports media platform Match TV failed to agree terms on a renewal for the mixed martial arts series.
Match TV’s deal with the UFC was worth $500,000 for 2016 only, a 25 per cent increase on the $400,000 the promotion earned from Match in its previous one-year deal in 2015.
No details have been given about the deal and whether it could disrupt or enhance planned coverage of upcoming UFC events. Russian lightweight star Khabib Nurmagomedov is scheduled to fight for the UFC interim lightweight title on March 4.
Russian broadcaster VGTRK agreed a one-year deal for UFC rights in January 2015, but Match TV assumed the rights 11 months later.