Alexander Volkanovski will look to do the unthinkable and become a two-weight UFC champion by defeating Islam Makhachev this Saturday, February 11, 2023 at UFC 284.
The fight for Makhachev’s 155-pound title will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia along with several other intriguing fights on the main card, which is expected to start at 10 PM (ET).
Watching UFC 284 could be a challenge for fans travelling outside their home country, as live sports streams are often geo-blocked. But you can workaround such restrictions by using a virtual private network (VPN). Here’s how:
- Subscribe to a premium VPN provider like Surfshark.
- Download and install the VPN app on the your preferred device for sports streaming.
- Log in to the app using the credentials you created in Step 1.
- Connect to a server in the country where you have a UFC streaming subscription. For ESPN+, connect to a U.S. server.
- Locate the UFC 284 event card on your streaming service.
- Enjoy the bout!
Want detailed instructions on how to set up a VPN to watch UFC 284? Check out the rest of the article!
We’re in for what could be one of the all-time great UFC fights as featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski moves up to fight Islam Mackhachev for the lightweight belt at UFC 284.
The second UFC PPV event of the year will be held Down Under at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Saturday, February 11, 2023. The main card starts at 10:00 PM (ET).
UFC 284’s main event will be Islam’s first title defense after capturing the lightweight championship from Charles Oliveira. On the other hand, Volkanovski has laid rest to most of the competition at the featherweight division and is moving up a weight class in the hopes of becoming a double champion.
The co-main event is a fight for the interim featherweight championship between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmet.
With so much in store at UFC 284, it’s an event fans won’t want to miss. However, watching the UFC on your travels can be challenging as sports streams are often subject to geo-blocking.
However, you can circumvent such geo-blocking using a virtual private network (VPN). In the following sections, we explain how you can set up a VPN to live stream UFC 284 worldwide.
How to Live Stream UFC 284 Makhachev vs Volkanovsi with a VPN
Geo-blocking is the practice of limiting online streaming of content and sports events, like UFC 284, to particular geographic regions. Streaming companies’ license agreements with sporting brands usually require geo-blocking.
How does geo-blocking work? Well, the streaming service, like ESPN+ for users in the U.S., uses your IP address to determine your location. If you’re outside its licensed area, it’ll deny access to the stream, even if you have a subscription.
But here’s the catch: if you change your IP address to one that belongs to a licensed region, you can watch the stream no matter where you are in the world.
This is precisely what a VPN does. It changes your IP address to one of your choosing, allowing you to stream live sports events worldwide. Ready to set up a VPN and watch UFC 284 worldwide? Follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step-by-step guide: Watch UFC 284 Worldwide using a VPN
- Get a subscription to a premium VPN provider that offers fast speeds, a large server network, and top-notch security. Surfshark checks all these boxes and is our recommended VPN for sports streaming.
- Download the VPN app from the provider’s website. With Surfshark, you can choose basically any device that runs Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS (iPhone and iPad) to stream UFC 284.
- Install the VPN app on your device. The on-screen instructions provided by the installation wizard should guide you through the process.
- Log in to the VPN app. You’ll need to use the same credentials you created in Step 1 to log in.
- Connect to your preferred VPN server. This should be located in a country where you can access your usual UFC stream without geo-blocking.
- Navigate to your preferred streaming service’s website or app. UFC fans in the US should use ESPN+ to live stream UFC 284.
- Locate the UFC 284 card, which should be prominently displayed on the home page or in the sports section.
- Take in the action from what promises to be a UFC classic down under.
Tip: If your stream is blocked even after using a VPN, try using your browser in private/incognito mode. Alternatively, you can try a privacy-friendly browser like Mozilla Firefox or Brave.
Where is UFC 284 being live streamed?
UFC 284 will be streamed live in a number of countries globally. Here’s a list of licensed streaming providers in some regions:
| 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 Kingdom | BT Sport Box Office | Yes |
| United States | ESPN+ | Yes |
Note: As you’ve probably noticed, some countries on the list don’t charge a PPV fee on events like UFC 284. This makes watching UFC events in these countries relatively cheaper. However, it’s virtually impossible to sign up for these services as they detect VPN use or require local payment methods.
Is it possible to stream UFC 284 for free?
There are no legal and official to live stream UFC 284 for free. Most licensed broadcasters and streamers charge a basic subscription fee. There are a few unofficial sports streaming websites that will live stream UFC 284 for free.
However, the quality of content on these websites can be poor, and they’re usually flooded with annoying pop-ups.
Can a free VPN be used to watch UFC 284?
A free VPN also changes your IP address, so you can technically use it to watch UFC 284 worldwide. However, you’re likely to encounter the following problems when using a free VPN to stream sports events:
- Data caps: The average UFC PPV event can go on for up to four hours, including the prelims. If you want to stream the entire event, you’ll probably consume upwards of two GB of data. However, many free VPN plans cap out at around 500 MB/day, which is good enough for maybe a half an hour of HD streaming.
- Small server network: The limited number of servers offered by free VPNs can affect your UFC 284 viewing experience in a couple of ways. First, it limits the number of countries you can choose from to stream sports content. Second, the limited number of free servers can get overloaded with other users and reduce your connection speeds.
- Slow speeds: High-speed internet is a must for streaming UFC 284 as it ensures your stream doesn’t lag and you don’t miss out on any of the action. But, speeds on free VPNs can be relatively slower due to throttling by the VPN provider or the lack of requisite server infrastructure to provide high speeds.
Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee is a great option for users who’d rather not spend on a VPN to watch UFC 284. All you need to do is purchase a subscription and cancel it within 30 days to get a full refund.
All of Surfshark’s features are accessible during this 30-day period and you can use it to watch UFC 284 worldwide.
UFC 284: The State of Play
Alexander Volkanovski is looking to become only the fifth two-division champion in UFC history in the main event against Islam Makhachev. “Volk” has a record of 25-1 coming into this fight and has been on a tear in the featherweight division, including impressive victories over his arch-rival Max Holloway.
In his step-up to the lightweight division, he’ll be welcomed by newly crowned champion Islam Makhachev. Islam is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege and worked his way to a title shot by dominating his opponents using his fierce grappling and unorthodox striking. Islam’s size and strength advantage could prove vital in his first defense of the lightweight strap.
Volkanovski and Islam are ranked #1 and #2 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, so we can look forward to a fight of the highest caliber.
With the featherweight champion, Alex Volkanonski, moving up to lightweight, the UFC decided to award an interim belt to the winner of the fight between Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmet. They are ranked #2 and #5 in the featherweight division respectively, and it’ll be interesting to see if Emmett has an answer for the wild striking that Yair brings. The winner of this fight will probably face “Volk” in a unification bout.
The rest of the card is stacked with talent from Australia and New Zealand, including the likes of Jack Della Maddalena, Jimmy Crute, and Justin Tafa. Wins for these fighters should send the home crowd into a frenzy.
UFC 284: Fight Card
Here’s the full fight card for UFC 284:
| Fighters | Bout | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Islam Makhachev (C) vs Alexander Volkanovski (-) | Lightweight Title Bout | -365/+300 |
| Yair Roriguez (2) vs Josh Emmett (5) | Interim Featherweight Title Bout | -165/+140 |
| Jack Della Maddalena vs. Randy Brown | Welterweight Bout | -305/+255 |
| Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter | Heavyweight Bout | -140/+12- |
| Jimmy Crute (12) vs. Alonzo Menifield | Light Heavyweight Bout | -230/+195 |
