Boxing

5:34 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN WBC junior lightweight world titlist Oscar Valdez defends his belt against Robson Conceicao on Friday (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET, with undercard fights starting at 6:10 p.m. ET) in Tucson, Arizona. Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine in August, but the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission allowed Valdez to

9:00 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Evander Holyfield will return to the ring Saturday against a legendary mixed martial artist, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. Yes, Holyfield is 58. And yes, this will be his first fight since he defeated Brian Nielsen in 2011, capping one of the greatest in-ring careers of all time.

8:22 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos have signed contracts for an undisputed lightweight title fight that will take place Oct. 4 at New York’s Hulu Theater at MSG, Triller COO Thorsten Meier told ESPN. The fight was set for Oct. 5 but Triller moved the fight to avoid competing with a

Sep 8, 2021 Mike CoppingerESPN Mikey Garcia, a four-division champion, has agreed to terms for a fight with Spain’s Sandor Martin on Oct. 16, possibly in Texas, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 145 pounds, sources said. Promoter Eddie Hearn was planning to stage the 115-pound championship

7:53 AM ET Two fighters who shouldn’t be near a boxing ring are headlining cards in Miami and Tucson, Arizona, this weekend. Evander Holyfield, 58, returns to the ring to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, 44, in an eight-round heavyweight match on Friday at Hard Rock LIVE at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

7:48 AM ET Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano shined in recent unanimous decision wins, and each of them solidified her spot in the ESPN women’s pound-for-pound rankings. Taylor (19-0, 6 KOs), 35, of Bray, Ireland, defended her lightweight undisputed championship with a dominating victory over Jennifer Han (18-4-1, 1KO) on Sept. 4 in Leeds, England.

9:08 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Brandon Figueroa has tested positive for COVID-19 and his 122-pound title unification with Stephen Fulton, set for Sept. 18 in Las Vegas, has been postponed, the boxer announced Tuesday on Instagram. The PBC on Showtime main event will be rescheduled along with the rest of the card, sources told ESPN.

8:04 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Former president Donald Trump has signed a contract to provide commentary on a “gamecast” of Saturday’s boxing event headlined by Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort, Triller told ESPN. His son, Donald Trump Jr., will join him at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. “I love great fighters

7:49 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN Oscar Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine last month, but his WBC junior lightweight title defense against Robson Conceicao in Tucson, Arizona, will go on after a ruling made by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission on Thursday. The WBC further stated it will not strip Valdez of

6:42 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Josh Warrington was left frustrated after his bid for revenge against Mauricio Lara ended in a technical draw Saturday. The fight was just getting

5:49 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Katie Taylor’s reign as the queen of the lightweight division — and women’s professional boxing — might not have been in doubt Saturday, but

1:08 AM ET Associated Press MONTREAL — A female Mexican boxer died Thursday, five days after being injured in a Montreal ring. Groupe Yvon Michel, the organizer of the boxing event, said Thursday that 18-year-old Jeanette Zacarias Zapata died from injuries sustained in a bout with Marie-Pier Houle on Saturday night at IGA stadium. Zapata

9:33 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Oscar Valdez can proceed with his fight vs. Robson Conceicao on Sept. 10 in Tucson, Arizona, despite testing positive for the banned substance phentermine, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission ruled Thursday, multiple sources tell ESPN. Valdez is the WBC’s 130-pound titleholder. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told ESPN the organization

Sep 1, 2021 Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Ireland’s Katie Taylor hopes retaining her world lightweight titles on Saturday against Jennifer Han will land her a fight with Amanda Serrano. Taylor, who

10:03 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Chris Eubank Jr. will face Sven Elbir at the SSE Arena Wembley in London on Oct. 2, UK promoter BOXXER announced Wednesday. It will

8:20 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Josh Warrington has admitted that losing to Mauricio Lara earlier this year left him too embarrassed to leave his house for six weeks. The

6:55 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Oscar Valdez’s A-sample tested positive for phentermine, a central-nervous stimulant prohibited by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, multiple sources tell ESPN. Valdez is scheduled to defend his WBC 130-pound title against Robson Conceição on Sept. 10 in Tucson, Arizona, a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ main event. The WBC will hold

7:21 AM ET Jake Paul had the combat sports world buzzing after his latest victory on Sunday night. Paul defeated former UFC champion Tyron Woodley by split decision in Cleveland, moving to 4-0 as a professional boxer and raising his profile as a fighter once again. Paul, despite tweeting that he’s a “retired boxer” on