Knockdown Daily 7/16/22: ESPN+ Price To Increase By Three Dollars

A change to ESPN+ leads the MMA headlines for Saturday

Welcome to the Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today has a few quick news stories, including a preview for today’s UFC card.

News

ESPN+ Subscription To Increase By Three Dollars In August

Prices surrounding UFC programming have only continued to go up.

ESPN+, the subscription service that hosts all UFC pay-per-view events and most “Fight Night” cards, will see an increase in its monthly fee, starting next month.

ESPN+ will go from $6.99 USD to $9.99, starting August 23rd. News of the change was first reported by Gerry Smith of Bloomberg.

ESPN+ has been the home for UFC content since the promotion entered into a deal with the company in 2019. The platform currently airs the majority of UFC “Fight Night” events and is the exclusive home for purchasing PPV cards hosted by the promotion.

Other UFC cards, some of which air on ESPN or ABC, will often also be simulcast on the ESPN+ platform, providing a route for many to watch shows despite not having access to cable television.

Content like “Dana White’s Contender Series” and “The Ultimate Fighter” is also available through an ESPN+ subscription.

The risky sudden adjustment in price, which is a 43 percent increase in total, is just the most recent change that has made watching UFC events more expensive.

In January, UFC’s PPV events increased by five dollars, making the total price of an event $74.99. This marked the second time since 2020 that the price for a PPV show went up.

Ludovit Klein Off UFC 277, Now Set To Face Mason Jones At July 23rd Card

Plans have changed for lightweight Ludovit Klein. While he was first expected to face Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 277 on July 30th, he is now being lined up to meet Mason Jones on July 23rd.

The new matchup, which was first reported by Marcel Dorff of Eurosport Netherlands, is joining a card that is scheduled to take place at the O2 Arena in London, England.

Bahamondes was reportedly forced out of his appearance against Klein due to visa issues. He was fighting to earn his third consecutive win since joining the UFC roster last year.

Because of this change, Klein is now scheduled to appear a week earlier than initially expected. Klein snapped a two-fight skid in his last appearance, earning a split decision victory over Devonte Smith.

Jones, a former Cage Warriors Champion, is coming off his first UFC victory. That win came in October 2021, when he beat short-notice opponent David Onama on scorecards.

Preview

UFC on ABC 3: Ortega vs. Rodriguez

UFC will be given a big platform to present a late-afternoon card this Saturday. This week’s show will be at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, USA, and will be broadcast on the U.S. TV network ABC. The event marks just the third time that UFC has broadcast on the channel since first entering into a deal with their sister network, ESPN, in 2019.

High-level featherweights Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will headline the card. They’re both aiming to return after losing in recent high-profile fights in the division. A win this weekend for either would keep them around the title picture at 145-pounds.

A full preview of the card can be read here.

Here’s the lineup:

Preliminary Card (11:00AM EDT) (ESPN / TSN 2)
Bout 1: Jessica Penne (14-5) vs. Emily Ducote (11-6) (Strawweight)
Bout 2: Dwight Grant (11-5) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (13-4) (Middleweight)
Bout 3: Dustin Jacoby (17-5-1) vs. Jung Da-un (15-2-1) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 4: Bill Algeo (15-6) vs. Herbert Bruns (11-3) (Featherweight)
Bout 5: Ricky Simon (19-3) vs. Jack Shore (16-0) (Bantamweight)
Bout 6: Punahele Soriano (8-2) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (11-4) (Middleweight)
Main Card (2:00PM EDT) (ABC / TSN 2)
Bout 7: Lauren Murphy (15-5) vs. Miesha Tate (19-8) (Flyweight)
Bout 8: Shane Burgos (14-3) vs. Charles Jourdain (13-4-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 9: Matt Schnell (15-7) vs. Sumudaerji (16-4) (Flyweight)
Bout 10: Li Jingliang (18-7) vs. Muslim Salikhov (18-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 11: Michelle Waterson (18-9) vs. Amanda Lemos (11-2-1) (Strawweight)
Bout 12: Brian Ortega (15-2) vs. Yair Rodriguez (13-3) (Featherweight)

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