MMA

Jan 19, 2024, 08:09 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2024 MMA calendar is off and rolling with big events on the immediate horizon. The UFC will host its first pay-per-view of the year in Toronto with UFC 297. The first joint event between the PFL and Bellator will follow in February with a fascinating

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 18, 2024, 04:45 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Higher education and combat sports will come together this fall. UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber and Sacramento State are launching what is believed to be the first university-backed combat sports development program, Faber and Sacramento State president J. Luke Wood told

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 17, 2024, 12:46 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Tatiana Suarez’s UFC journey has been hit with another obstacle. The top UFC women’s strawweight fighter is injured and out of her scheduled contender fight against Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California, UFC officials confirmed with ESPN

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 16, 2024, 01:18 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The PFL will kick off its 2024 calendar with a pay-per-view event on Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring landmark matchups between its 2023 PFL champions

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 16, 2024, 08:07 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland warned Dricus Du Plessis not to cross the line ahead of their title bout this week in Toronto, saying that referencing the

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 16, 2024, 08:27 PM ET Open Extended Reactions For the first time in UFC history, the BMF title will be defended. Justin Gaethje will put the BMF championship on the line against former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas, UFC CEO Dana

Jan 16, 2024, 07:13 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Conor McGregor started off the year claiming in a post on X that he would fight Michael Chandler at 185 pounds at International Fight Week on June 29. Now, the fight has not been confirmed by the UFC, but there’s still plenty to talk about this

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 13, 2024, 10:03 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Any controversy between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker came to an emphatic end on Saturday, as Ankalaev scored a vicious knockout over Walker at the UFC’s Apex

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 08:09 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions A heavyweight matchup between fan favorite Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura will headline a UFC Fight Night in March, UFC CEO Dana White announced Friday. The event

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 03:49 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The scheduled UFC flyweight contender fight between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau is off, promotion officials told ESPN on Friday. Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds Friday morning, coming in at 129.5 pounds. The bout with Nicolau was scheduled for UFC Fight

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 08:30 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Former UFC champion Rose Namajunas will continue to test the waters of a new weight class in 2024. Namajunas will face Amanda Ribas in a flyweight main

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 08:31 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions A welterweight matchup between Sean Brady and Vicente Luque will headline the UFC’s first trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in nearly six years on March 30,

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 08:54 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The UFC has added a bantamweight matchup between two former champions to its UFC 300 lineup in April. Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will face former flyweight

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNJan 12, 2024, 08:41 AM ET Open Extended Reactions WHEN ANDREI ARLOVSKI enters the Octagon for the feature prelim on Saturday’s year-opening UFC fight card, the onetime heavyweight champion will be taking a significant step forward. Arlovski will be in his 41st UFC fight, moving him within one of the promotion’s record. Not

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 11, 2024, 08:37 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Brandon Moreno has a new opponent in his return to his home country. The former two-time UFC flyweight champion will fight Brandon Royval in the main event of UFC Mexico City on Feb. 24, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. Amir Albazi,

Dec 27, 2023, 11:23 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Magomed Ankalaev meets Johnny Walker in a rematch of top-10 light heavyweights in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. The fights at UFC Apex are on ESPN+, with the 7 p.m. ET main card preceded by prelims at 4 p.m.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2024, 11:25 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The UFC’s next milestone event will have a first — two Chinese athletes fighting one another in a title bout. Zhang Weili will defend her UFC women’s strawweight title against countrywoman Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas,

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2024, 11:50 AM ET Open Extended Reactions ONE Championship will return to the United States with two events late in 2024, officials told ESPN on Wednesday. ONE Fight Night 26 will take place Sept. 6 at Ball Arena in Denver, and ONE Fight Night 28 will be held Nov.