Best Bars To Watch UFC Fights In East Bay

One reason you leave the comfort of your couch to watch sports at bars is the companionship and camaraderie, the collective joy of rooting for your favorite or against your opponent. While mixed martial arts' (MMA) popularity is ascending rapidly, it's still a lot less popular than, say, every other sport (except perhaps, professional cycling). So it's important to watch UFC fights in a venue where your fellow patrons know the nuances of the sport and what they're talking about. You want to be able to discuss the finer points of a triangle choke versus a guillotine or argue about whether ground and pound or Brazilian jiu-jitsu is more likely to end a fight early. Herewith, we tender the list of the best bars for watching MMA.

Stadium Pub
1420 Lincoln Ave.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 256-7302
www.thestadiumpub.com

Price: $5
Hours: Mon to Thur 11 a.m. - 11 p.m; Fri 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Sat to Sun 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

The Stadium Pub proclaims it is "Walnut Creek's Home for the UFC" and a finer, more comfortable home you couldn't imagine. First, the important stuff: the pub has 47 television screens and three big-screen projectors, 23 beers on tap, an impressive selection of Belgian beer and a staggering array of tequilas. Stadium Pub boasts a large menu leaning toward meat and potatoes and fried bar food. This place is popular with the locals, so come early for the preliminary bouts and get a good seat. Of course with 47 TVs, it's hard to find a bad spot in this pub.

Lariat Tavern
1428 El Camino Real
Belmont, CA 94002
(650) 593-7201

Price: $10
Hours: Mon to Fri 3 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Sun 12 a.m. - 2 a.m.

The Lariat is a casual, locals-only bar with a slightly divey vibe. The bar charges a $10 cover charge for men (women are free) on fight nights, but the drink prices are affordable. There are a dozen or so HD flat screens to catch the action on, but the bar also has pool and shuffleboard to keep you entertained between bouts. The atmosphere is friendly, relaxed and unpretentious. Food is not served, but they'll let you bring your own in, and Godfather's Burgers down the street will deliver to the bar for you.

Legends Sports Bar & Grill
4050 Port Chicago Highway
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 687-4111
www.legendsdiablocreek.com

Price: $5
Hours: Daily 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Located at the Diablo Creek Golf Course, Legends Sports Bar and Grill distinguishes itself from the rest of the UFC bars with a thrifty $5 cover charge for pay-per-views. Different sporting events are shown in each of this watering hole's three large rooms, so the fights are sure to be on even when they share the air with another major game. The kitchen serves up typical sports bar offerings - burgers, dogs and sandwiches.

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Firehouse Grill & Brewery
111 S. Murphy Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 773-9500
www.firehousegrill.com
Price: $10

Hours: Mon - Wed 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.; Thur - Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

You know the Firehouse Grill and Brewery is legit, because its got a big banner featuring former UFC Heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez out front, and he even visited the bar in person. Firehouse shows all UFC events with a $10 cover charge for pay-per-view events. This is a true brew pub, offering a hefeweizen, a pale ale and numerous seasonal beers all brewed on site. The large menu expands on typical pub fare to include salads, pizza, and a variety of seafood dishes.

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7 Mile House Sports Bar & Grill
2800 Bayshore Blvd.
Brisbane, CA 94005
(415) 467-2343
www.historic7milehouse.com
Price: $10

Hours: Mon to Tues 11:30 am-10 pm; Wed to Sat 11:30 am - 2 am; Sun 10 am - 8 pm

Definitely one of the more unique settings in which to enjoy MMA, 7 Mile House was founded in 1853 as a stagecoach stop (a "mile house") and has experienced incarnations as a 19th century gangster hangout, biker bar and illegal gambling den. Today it's a family restaurant and bar that features all UFC pay-per-view events. The menu features many Filipino specialties as well as Italian and Mexican offerings and more familiar pub grub standards. Come get a free Stella Artois chalice on Saturday fight nights.

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar
3712 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 361-0447
www.buffalowildwings.com

Price: $10
Hours: Sun, Mon, Wed 11 a.m - 9 p.m; Tues 11 a.m - 10 p.m.;  Fri to Sat 12 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Unless you go to the bathroom or pass out face down on the floor, it will not be possible for you to have a bad view of the fights here--there are more than 80 screens. Another benefit of watching at Buffalo Wild Wings is that you can enjoy your UFC fights guilt-free. Instead of slinking off to the bar and leaving the spouse and kids at home, you can bring the whole family to enjoy some of the best wings in Northern California. This joint takes a simple, vestigial appendage and elevates it to gastronomical excess with 16 different sauces.

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Robyn Chelsea-Seifert is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in The Miami Herald, Creem, Hit Parader, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and International Musician. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.