TKO Partners with Polymarket to Integrate Prediction Markets in UFC and Zuffa Boxing

TKO Group Holdings, parent company of UFC and Zuffa Boxing, has inked a multiyear deal with prediction market platform Polymarket. The partnership will introduce real-time betting visuals during live combat sports events—marking the first such integration in professional sports.

Polymarket's technology will display dynamic fan sentiment metrics and momentum shifts mid-fight, creating a stock market-like trading experience for fight predictions. CEO Shayne Coplan described the mechanism on CNBC: "Fans can actively buy or sell positions as match dynamics evolve, with additional betting options to be added based on user feedback."

TKO's Ariel Emanuel emphasized the interactive dimension this brings to viewership. The collaboration transforms passive spectators into active participants, potentially increasing engagement for UFC's 700 million global fans. The move comes as combat sports organizations explore Web3 integrations, though notably absent are direct cryptocurrency payments or blockchain mentions in the current implementation.