Paramount Skydance announced a seven-year media rights agreement in which Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. -- pulling the mixed martial arts events from ESPN.

Paramount is purchasing the rights to UFC in a landmark $7.7 billion deal over seven years beginning in 2026, the companies announced in a statement Monday, in a move that will eliminate the pay-per-view model. All of the UFC’s events will now be accessible with only a Paramount+ subscription, and select numbered events will also air on CBS.

Just how big of a surprise was the UFC’s bombshell $7.7 billion deal with Paramount and CBS? So big that even UFC CEO Dana White didn’t see it coming.