TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, announced a multi-year partnership with Polymarket, establishing the prediction market platform as the exclusive official prediction market partner for both the UFC and Zuffa Boxing. The deal will integrate prediction market technology directly into live broadcasts and fan experiences, and comes quickly following the NHL’s announcement of similar agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket in October.
The UFC and Polymarkt
The core feature of this partnership revolves around a Fan Prediction Scoreboard that will display during UFC fights and show in real-time how millions of fans around the world predict the outcome of each fight. This scoreboard differs from traditional sports betting in that it visualizes collective sentiment instead of the odds set by bookmakers.
Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket, explained the mechanics during a CNBC interview, noting that the platform allows fans to buy and sell predictions during a fight as the momentum shifts. “The exciting thing about our approach is that you can actually buy and sell, you can trade, just like a stock all the way through,” Coplan said. The scoreboard will appear and measure the ‘heart rate’ of the crowd in real time for each UFC event.
Prediction markets work differently than traditional sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings. Instead of betting on fixed odds, users trade yes-or-no contracts on specific outcomes, such as whether a particular fighter will win a particular round. Each contract trades at a price between zero and one dollar, with the price reflecting the market’s collective assessment of the likelihood of that outcome. If new information emerges during a fight, a fighter’s performance, an injury or a change in strategy, traders adjust their positions and prices move accordingly. This constant adaptation creates what market operators describe as a dynamic fusion of crowd intelligence.
Ariel Emanuel, executive chairman and CEO of TKO, declared that the partnership would unlock a new dimension of fan engagement. “By working with Shayne and his team at Polymarket, we are unlocking a new dimension of fan engagement. By integrating Polymarket with the UFC and Zuffa Boxing live experience, fans can interact with these events in real-time, converting passive viewers into active participation.”
The deal goes beyond just live broadcasts. UFC and Polymarket will to collaborate in a social media series titled “Matchup Predictions – Who’s Next?” which will appear on official UFC channels including Facebook, Instagram, Threads and
Polymarket’s participation in this exclusive agreement comes amid significant shifts in the company’s regulatory environment. After settling with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2022 for operating as an unregistered derivatives platform, Polymarket faced restrictions on U.S. operations.
In July 2025, the CFTC and the Department of Justice closed their investigation without filing charges new costs. Shortly thereafter, Polymarket acquired QCEX, a CFTC-licensed derivatives exchange and clearinghouse, in a $112 million deal, creating the legal framework necessary to operate in the United States. The timing of this partnership comes amid increased scrutiny of UFC betting integrity. Dana White, UFC president, revealed in early November that the FBI is investigating suspected gambling activity surrounding a UFC Fight Night event on November 1, 2025.
Polymarkt founder Shayne Coplan has become notable within the technology and finance spaces. Born in 1998, Coplan founded Polymarket in 2020 after dropping out of New York University and initially building the platform from his bathroom during the pandemic. His investment in Ethereum during the initial coin offering in 2014 shaped his early understanding of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. In October 2025, after receiving an investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, Coplan was recognized as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at the age of 27, with Polymarket worth $9 billion.
The partnership includes implications for Zuffa Boxing, TKO’s boxing promotion set to launch in January 2026. Polymarket will serve as Zuffa Boxing’s first official brand partner, providing in-arena activations and digital content for upcoming fights starting in 2026. The scope of this agreement indicates that the prediction market integration can span multiple combat sports simultaneously.
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