Polymarket has officially partnered with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to become its exclusive prediction market partner. This collaboration significantly enhances Polymarket’s presence in the U.S. sports sector as it gears up for its reintroduction into the domestic market.
Announced on Thursday, this agreement will enable Polymarket’s trading insights and live market activities to be featured in UFC broadcasts, live events, and across social media platforms. Furthermore, the platform will be integrated with Zuffa Boxing, a new league from TKO Holdings set to debut in January 2026. This partnership represents Polymarket’s second notable collaboration within a major U.S. sports league after its recent agreement with the NHL.
As part of this initiative, Polymarket will introduce a “Fan Prediction Scoreboard”, which will showcase global predictions from traders and deliver what the company describes as a data-driven “pulse” of each fight. This tool aims to provide a “storytelling metric” that visualizes fan engagement and perceived fight momentum without directly competing with regulated sports betting, according to Polymarket.
“Very few sports create the kind of passion and lively debates that the UFC does. By incorporating prediction markets into our broadcasts and arenas, we’re offering fans a fresh way to engage with the action — moving beyond merely observing outcomes to watching how expectations evolve throughout each round,” stated Shayne Coplan, Polymarket’s founder and CEO.
“What makes our approach exciting is that fans can buy, sell, and trade predictions like they would stocks during the fight,” Coplan added in an interview with CNBC. “This will foster new user behaviors as the dynamics of the fight shift.”
Ari Emanuel, executive chair and CEO of TKO Holdings, remarked that the partnership would enhance viewer interaction. “Partnering with Shayne and his team at Polymarket opens up new avenues for fan engagement,” he said, adding that integrating Polymarket into UFC and Zuffa Boxing would “turn passive viewing into active participation.”
Polymarket, currently valued at over $8 billion, is not yet available in the U.S. after it paused its domestic operations in 2022 due to regulatory challenges. Recently, the company acquired QCEX, a federally regulated derivatives exchange, for $112 million to restore its U.S. operations. Although it had indicated a potential launch during football season, no specific date has been announced.
Platforms like Polymarket and its competitor Kalshi allow users to trade yes-or-no contracts on event outcomes and have the potential to operate in all 50 states, including regions where sports betting remains prohibited. This rapidly evolving sector faces legal challenges, with Kalshi currently embroiled in lawsuits from state regulators contesting its ability to offer certain contracts.
Major sports betting companies like FanDuel and DraftKings are also preparing to launch prediction market products, signaling an increase in competition in this market segment.