UFC fans illegally streaming McGregor’s UFC comeback fight sent major warning
UFC fans who stream fights illegally have been sent a major warning by president Dana White.
It comes as the sport prepares to welcome Conor McGregor back for a third time from retirement.
The Irishman is set to take on Dustin Poirier for the second time in the Octagon, six years after their first bout.
On that occasion, Notorious made light work of the American but the Diamond is a different animal this time round.
The contest is set to go ahead on January 23 at UFC 257 and is the main event.
McGregor has not fought since around this time last year when he faced and beat Donald Cerrone in Las Vegas.
And with the controversial MMA star set to to take to the Octagon again, there will no doubt be a massive following.
But White has taken aim at fans looking to watch illegally when one replied to his Instagram post.
"Can't wait to pirate the f*** out of this thanks Dana I'm excited," a fan said.
The UFC president replied: "And I can't wait to catch u!!! Gotta a surprise for u mother******* this year."
Illegal streams have long been a problem for sports, particularly combat sports that are largely watched through pay-per-view channels.
Broadcasters have looked for solutions for years and it was reported that they found a way back in 2017 when McGregor took on Floyd Mayweather.
At the time, some noted that a watermark containing random letters and numbers popped up on their screen while illegally streaming the boxing match.
It was revealed that this was a code for licensees to track down IP addresses and pirates.
Authorities are ramping up their efforts to crack down on illegal streaming with arrests being made in recent months.
Eight men are facing charges after being detained in the United States over illegal streaming sites.
In football, the Premier League has warned fans they face hefty fines if caught pirating matches.
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