Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov will take each other on at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend.
The huge fight marks McGregor’s return to the UFC following an almost two-year absence.
The 30-year-old from Dublin will be taking part in a lightweight title fight as part of UFC 229.
The McGregor Khabib fight is one of the most hotly anticipated UFC events in 2018 – but it’s being shown on paid for sports channels.
In the UK UFC fans will have to have a BT Sports subscription to be able to watch the big fight.
And those who are tempted into illegally streaming the fight have been put on alert about the dangers of doing so.
Kieron Sharp, CEO of the UK’s leading intellectual property protection organisation FACT, has spoken out on the risks of illegally streaming the fight.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Sharp said: “Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to UFC is sure to be an incredibly popular fight, and users must ensure they are watching the stream through official sources to avoid possible fines or a tougher sentence.
“Whether it’s watching a live stream on social media, using a piracy site, or a box or stick connected to your TV, watching it any way other than through the official provider is illegal.
“People need to be aware that this is no longer a grey area, in fact it is very black and white. If you are accessing content for free such as sport, TV and films for which you’d normally need a subscription, this is illegal.
“FACT is leading the way in combatting digital piracy and working with PIPCU and industry bodies to crackdown on illegal streaming and to hold those behind them accountable for their actions.
“It is getting harder to watch live sport illegally and fans should be aware that if they are planning to watch the fight this way they are breaking the law.”
The warning comes after it emerged a man who broadcast part of a pay-per-view fight on his phone was fined thousands of pounds.
Josh Mellor told The Independent he had no idea he was breaking the law when streaming several minutes of a pre-boxing fight coverage on Periscope.
He said: “I went round to my friend’s house to watch a pay-per-view boxing match and while we were waiting for the fight to start I started scrolling through Periscope.
“I’d heard in the pub, and from friends, that you could watch free live streams of the fight and wondered how as we’d paid to watch it.
“Whilst on Periscope, I saw a number of streams and while exploring I clicked the ‘Go Live’ button.
“I streamed the pre-fight coverage from my mate’s TV for a few minutes before quitting the app.”
He added: “I think there are a lot of people out there who don’t understand that digital piracy comes with some very real risks.
“There are laws around it and the implications can be huge, from large fines to actual jail time.”
The McGregor Khabib fight will start at 3am BST on Sunday October 7 and will be shown in the UK on BT Sports.
