MMA

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 2, 2023, 10:43 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions AUSTIN — The UFC has a new potential star emerging at 155 pounds. Georgian lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (21-3) knocked out Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) with a piston right

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 1, 2023, 03:53 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Former UFC champion Jamahal Hill was arrested this week in Michigan and charged with misdemeanor aggravated domestic violence, Kent County officials confirmed to ESPN on Friday. Hill,

Dec 1, 2023, 08:05 AM ET Open Extended Reactions There are champions in MMA and there are contenders closing in on claiming belts. There are marginal contenders, gatekeepers and former greats hanging on in hope of one last moment of glory. And then there are prospects, the young fighters who serve a vital function: They

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 30, 2023, 11:15 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The Professional Fighters League has renewed its domestic media rights agreement with ESPN, officials announced Thursday. The deal will keep the PFL regular season, playoffs and world

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 29, 2023, 09:45 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ONE Championship will be returning to Japan with a big card. Former top UFC prospect Sage Northcutt will face MMA legend Shinya Aoki in a lightweight bout under MMA rules Jan. 28 at ONE 165 in Tokyo, sources told ESPN on Wednesday

Nov 27, 2023, 09:11 AM ET Open Extended Reactions PFL will start the new year with the most talented and deepest roster outside the UFC, perhaps ever. After acquiring Bellator MMA officially last week, there is an exponential amount of potential matchups PFL can now make with all of its champions and contenders and their

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 25, 2023, 01:01 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions WASHINGTON D.C. — A potential superfight between two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison and Bellator MMA champion Cris Cyborg has tantalized fans for years. For the first time,

Nov 24, 2023, 07:23 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2023 PFL season will come to an end this fall, as all six weight classes will crown a new champion at the 2023 PFL World Championship on Nov. 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The promotion’s championship bouts will feature a mix of former

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2023, 03:54 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions A middleweight matchup between Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer will headline a UFC Fight Night event Feb. 10, UFC CEO Dana White announced Thursday. The event will

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2023, 03:23 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski will defend his title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, CEO Dana

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2023, 03:47 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Lightweight Jalin Turner has agreed to replace the injured Dan Hooker in a bout against Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2 in Austin. UFC

Kayla Harrison Nov 22, 2023, 08:46 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison returns to competition for the first time in a year on Friday, when she meets Aspen Ladd in a nontitle fight at the PFL Championships in Washington (ESPN+ PPV, 5 p.m. ET). It has been a quiet, uncharacteristic year

Ian Parker, ESPNNov 22, 2023, 08:32 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The PFL concludes the 2023 season with the PFL World Championships at The Anthem in Washington on Friday night (8 p.m. on ESPN+ PPV, 5 p.m. on ESPN+). The event will crown the promotion’s fifth group of champions since its debut in 2018. In

Nov 20, 2023, 02:54 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The PFL announced the long-rumored acquisition of Bellator MMA on Monday, with PFL chairman Donn Davis writing on the social media platform X that the purchase creates a “new MMA global powerhouse.” What does this deal mean for Bellator, which since being founded in 2008 has

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 20, 2023, 11:58 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The PFL has acquired Bellator MMA in a landmark deal for combat sports, PFL chairman Donn Davis announced Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 18, 2023, 08:40 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Brendan Allen picked up his sixth consecutive victory Saturday and immediately called for a No. 1 middleweight contender fight. The UFC might be hard-pressed not to give

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 18, 2023, 12:42 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Jason Jackson has witnessed the powerhouse Kill Cliff FC team pick up achievement after achievement over the years, serving as a training partner and corner for elite fighters such as former UFC welterweight champions Kamaru Usman and Robbie Lawler. On Friday, it

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 17, 2023, 07:25 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Maintaining a zero in the loss column of one’s fighting record is about as prestigious of a mark one can have. It is the clearest indicator of