The Verge is reporting that the monthly price of the ESPN+ service will be increasing for subscribers starting in August.

The deal between UFC and ESPN was first reported more than two years ago back in May 2018, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s official relationship with them commencing in January 2019. Since then, the events broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+ have seen some huge moments take place from big knockouts to title fights and beyond.

While ESPN+ has had its fair share of problems, nobody can deny the financial benefits of the deal for the UFC, as well as the platform they’ve now got courtesy of ESPN’s global brand appeal.

As we’ve already noted, though, the many services included on ESPN+ will now come at a higher price – although the difference may not even be all too recognizable for the majority of paying customers.

The aforementioned report confirms that the price will move from the current $4.99 to $5.99 starting in the month of August. Existing monthly subscribers will be able to keep the current $4.99 price for a period of one year before being switched over, whereas new subscribers will have to act fast in the next month or so if they want the cheaper rate.

One thing that will remain unchanged is the annual price option, which is set to remain at $49.99 for the time being.

The general thought process behind boosting the price, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, is not yet known, with Disney refusing to issue a statement to The Verge.

The UFC’s latest ESPN offering came this past weekend when Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker went to war in the main event of UFC on ESPN 12. In the aftermath of that battle, ESPN’s MMA analyst Chael Sonnen said that the second round between the two men was the best round of action he’d ever seen.

“Where do we begin to break down Hooker vs. Poirier? Look, this thing took some twists and some turns. Guys, (Marvin) Hagler and (Thomas) Hearns fought for the first time in 1985. You have to go back to 1985 to find a round in combat as good as Hooker vs. Poirier round two. Greatest round I’ve ever witnessed,” Sonnen said after the ESPN broadcast concluded.

“155lbs, right now, is not only the toughest division in the organization of the UFC, but it’s the toughest division in the history of the sport of mixed martial arts.”