Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane will battle for the vacated UFC heavyweight title at UFC 285 on Saturday, March 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card, which starts at 10:00 PM (ET), features another title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso for the women’s flyweight belt.
However, those traveling abroad may find it difficult to watch UFC 285 due to geo-blocking restrictions implemented by streaming service providers.
Luckily, you can work around these using a VPN. Just follow the steps below and watch UFC 285 live from anywhere in the world:
- Subscribe to a premium VPN provider. Surfshark is our recommendation as it’s fast, secure, and affordable.
- Download and install the VPN app on your preferred streaming device.
- Log in to the app using the username and password you created in Step 1.
- Connect to a server in the country where your UFC stream works. For ESPN+, connect to a U.S. server.
- Locate the UFC 285 fight card or icon on your streaming app.
Alternatively, fight fans can check out our list of the top free sports streaming sites for free UFC live streams.
Read the article for more details on how a VPN helps circumvent geo-blocking by streaming services and a full breakdown of Saturday’s action!
Jon Jones, arguably the greatest UFC fighter ever, returns to the octagon in a highly anticipated heavyweight title match against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
The UFC 285 PPV event is being held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, and the main card is expected to start around 10:00 PM (ET).
Jones returns to the UFC in a new weight class after a three-year hiatus. Having dominated the light heavyweight division for over 15 years, he will be looking to claim the recently-vacated heavyweight strap at UFC 285. Gane, though, hopes to deliver Jones his first true loss inside the octagon and claim the heavyweight belt for himself.
The women’s flyweight title is also on the line as Valentina Shevchenko defends it for an eighth time against Alexa Grasso. The rest of the card is also stacked, with household names like Geoff Neal, Mateusz Gamrot, and Derek Brunson gracing the main card and prelims.
Streaming UFC 285 could be an issue for those traveling abroad this weekend. The UFC and its streaming partners geo-block live streams if you’re not in the region where the subscription was purchased. With a virtual private network (VPN), you can circumvent these geo-blocks and watch UFC 285 live worldwide.
How to Watch UFC 285 Jones vs. Gane Worldwide with a VPN
The UFC has different streaming partners for different countries globally. To ensure the services of streaming providers don’t overlap, they limit their streams to particular nations or regions. For example, the ESPN+ UFC stream is usually geo-blocked outside the US.
A VPN encrypts your internet activity and reroutes it via a server located in a country of your choice. In this process, it changes your IP address, which is used by streaming companies to determine your location and block or permit live streams. In other words, a VPN makes it seem like you’re physically located in a particular country, even if you’re at the other end of the world!
Now that a VPN’s workings are clear, we’ll show you how you can set one up to watch UFC 285 worldwide.
Step-by-step guide: How to watch UFC 285 Jones vs Gane worldwide
- Subscribe to a premium VPN provider. We recommend Surfshark to stream UFC fights due to its fast speeds and large number of servers across the world.
- Download the VPN software or app from the provider’s website. Surfshark supports Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, and Linux devices. You can even install it on your smart tv!
- Install the VPN software on your streaming device. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- Log in to the VPN app. Enter the username and password you created in Step 1 when prompted to log in successfully.
- Connect to a VPN server in a country where your streaming service is not geo-blocked. If you use ESPN+, select one of Surfshark’s 600 US servers.
- Navigate to the streaming service’s app or website on fight day.
- Find the UFC 285 icon or event card on the app or website.
- Witness history in the making as Jones or Gane claim the vacant UFC heavyweight title.
Tip: Sometimes a UFC stream may be blocked even after using a VPN. Try using your browser in incognito mode to overcome this issue. Alternatively, try a privacy-friendly browser like Mozilla Firefox or Brave.
List of UFC 285 Live Streams
Wondering which website or channel is showcasing UFC 285 in your region? We’ve got you covered with the list provided below.
| Country | Provider | PPV? |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Combate | No |
| Canada | TSN | No |
| Indonesia | Mola.tv | No |
| India | SonyLIV | No |
| Poland | Polsat Sport | No |
| Australia | Foxtel Main Event | Yes |
| United States | ESPN+ | Yes |
Note: While it’s technically possible to use a Brazilian or Canadian VPN server to watch UFC 285 without paying a PPV fee, the UFC and its streaming partners have made it virtually impossible to sign up for a foreign service. They often require a local address or domestic payment methods to purchase a subscription.
UFC 285 Free Live Streams
Finding free and official live streams for events like UFC 285 is increasingly difficult. However, there are still a number of active unofficial sports streaming websites. But please be warned that the streams on these sites are fairly low quality and are frequently disrupted by pop-ups and ads.
Using a Free VPN to Watch UFC 285
A free VPN is a great option if you want to adopt safer browsing habits. However, even top-rated providers aren’t quite up to the mark for streaming live events like UFC 285. Here’s why:
- Limited server network: Having a number of server options is great when streaming sports events. It lets you try different servers in one country for the best speeds or explore streaming services in other countries. Unfortunately, free VPN services offer only a small number of servers.
- Low speeds: Since there are usually a large number of people on the limited free servers, the overall speeds are reduced for everyone. This is not ideal for watching UFC 285 as it leads to frequent buffering and lagging.
- Data caps: A UFC PPV event features five to six fights and can last for between three and four hours. You’ll need around 3-5GB of data to watch the entire event, which is far more than the 500 MB that free VPN providers usually offer. Even if you find a free service with 10GB or so, it may be lacking in servers or speeds.
Instead of getting a free VPN, you can try out Surfshark for free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
UFC 285 Jones vs Gane: What to Expect
Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC left the heavyweight title vacant. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better set of martial artists to compete for the belt than Jones and Gane. Jones, the former light heavyweight champion, has won 17 straight fights in the UFC — 15 of which have been title fights. However, Jones is competing in a heavier weight class, and there are questions about how his age, 35, will impact his athleticism and explosiveness.
While Ciryl Gane is relatively inexperienced, he is one of the heavyweight division’s most technical and precise strikers. The only loss on his record is against former champion, Ngannou. The fight will largely depend on how Gane deals with Jones’ wrestling, and whether Jones can handle Gane’s quickness and agility. A win for Jones could seal his legacy as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Valentina Shevchenko could also bolster her case as the greatest woman fighter with a win against Alexa Grasso. Valentina has defended her flyweight title a record seven times. An eighth defense would move her up to number four on the all-time title defenses list, in the company of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and George St Pierre.
However, Shevchenko would be naive to look beyond her Mexican opponent, Alexa Grasso. Grasso is 4-0 since moving to flyweight, and her impressive boxing could present a stiff challenge for Valentina.
The UFC 285 main card is so stacked that superb fighters like Derek Brunson, Dricus Du Plessis, and Ian Garry are fighting on the prelims. Other fights on the main card include a high-profile lightweight bout between Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot and a middleweight bout between UFC starboy Bo Nickal and fellow Contender Series alum Jamie Pickett.
UFC 285: Main Event Fight Card
Check out the table for details on all the fights on the main card as well as the lastest betting odds from the UFC website.
| Fighters | Bout | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Jon Jones (-) vs Ciryl Gane (1) | Heavyweight title bout | -165/+140 |
| Valentina Shevchenko (C) vs Alexa Grasso (6) | Women’s flyweight title bout | -730/+530 |
| Geoff Neal (7) vs Shavkat Rakhmanov (9) | Welterweight bout | +390/-490 |
| Mateusz Gamrot (7) vs Jalin Turner (10) | Flyweight bout | -205/+175 |
| Bo Nickal (-) vs. Jamie Pickett (-) | Middleweight bout | -1500/+900 |
