Compare
FighterAPI vs reading ESPN's UFC feed
ESPN's UFC JSON is public but undocumented. FighterAPI serves fight results with round-by-round stats, fighter profiles, odds and ratings, documented over REST and MCP.
Comparison facts checked October 9, 2026. FighterAPI data last refreshed 2026-10-09 10:01 UTC, newest data through 2026-10-06. Changelog
ESPN publishes UFC events and fights as public JSON (a scoreboard and a core API under site.api.espn.com and sports.core.api.espn.com), without documentation. It is the source of FighterAPI's cards, results and fight totals, and it is free to call.
What FighterAPI adds is the work around it: round-by-round lines from UFC Stats' numbers checked against ESPN's fight totals, fighter profiles with records by method, sportsbook moneylines from 2024, an Elo for every fighter since 2000, and a documented REST and MCP interface, so you do not parse and join the feed yourself.
Side by side
| FighterAPI | reading ESPN's public UFC JSON yourself | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 500 free credits, then from $19/mo | Free |
| Documentation | Every tool documented with real responses | None published |
| Round-by-round | Every UFC card since 2000, checked against fight totals | Fight totals; we take round lines from UFC Stats' numbers |
| Fighter lookups | Profile, fight history, record by method | Assembled by hand from several calls |
| Ratings | Our Elo, every fighter, every fight | None |
| Upkeep | Ours | Yours, when the shape changes |
Use reading ESPN's public UFC JSON yourself instead if
- You only need this weekend's card and the raw shape is fine.
- Your budget is zero and you are set up to parse and check the feed yourself.
- You need scores during a fight rather than the morning after.
Questions
Is FighterAPI's data ESPN's?
Cards, results and fight totals are ESPN's. Round lines are UFC Stats' numbers, checked against ESPN's totals, and ratings are computed here.
Is FighterAPI affiliated with ESPN or the UFC?
No. It is independent and not affiliated with ESPN or the UFC.
Sources
Checked October 9, 2026.
See the data
Try it with 500 free credits
No card. REST or MCP.