MMA

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJul 4, 2023, 01:01 PM ET Val Woodburn will replace Tresean Gore in Saturday’s middleweight bout against Bo Nickal at UFC 290, sources confirmed to ESPN. Gore announced Tuesday on Instagram that he was out of the fight because of a wrist injury, writing that he might need surgery on the

Megan Anderson Jul 3, 2023, 02:56 PM ET The UFC will close out International Fight Week this weekend with its eighth pay-per-view event of the year as the promotion hosts UFC 290 on Saturday (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims at 8 p.m. on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, and early prelims on at 6 p.m. on

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJul 3, 2023, 12:59 PM ET Top welterweight prospect Jack Della Maddalena has a new opponent on short notice for this weekend. With Sean Brady out, Della Maddalena will now face UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell at UFC 290 on Saturday in Las Vegas, sources confirmed with ESPN. MMA Fighting was the

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNJul 3, 2023, 08:23 AM ET The PFL completed its regular season earlier this month. and now it’s on to the playoffs. The 12 semifinals in six weight classes will be spread across three fight cards in August, with the winners advancing to the finals in the fall. Three champions from the 2022

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJul 2, 2023, 12:37 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Sean Strickland earned the 11th knockout of his career on Saturday, with a second-round finish of Abus Magomedov at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. The TKO came at 4

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 30, 2023, 02:47 PM ET Two of the top UFC heavyweights of their generation will meet in a rematch – in an unexpected setting. Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum, both Brazilian-born former UFC heavyweight champions, will fight each other in bareknuckle mixed martial arts Sept. 8 in Jacksonville, Florida

Jun 30, 2023, 09:40 AM ET With the UFC schedule midway through 2023, there is plenty to discuss and break down in every division. So far this year, the UFC has seen arguably its most dominant champion, Amanda Nunes, hang up her gloves. It’s also seen one of its most dominant champs, Valentina Shevchenko, lose

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 29, 2023, 06:58 PM ET Former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo announced Thursday he has a partially torn right shoulder and is out of his scheduled UFC 292 matchup with Marlon “Chito” Vera on Aug. 19 in Boston. Cejudo made the announcement on his YouTube page and Twitter. He said

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJun 28, 2023, 11:50 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun The UFC will celebrate Mexican Independence Day with a UFC Fight Night event headlined by a women’s flyweight championship bout. Alexa Grasso will defend her 125-pound championship against former champion

Andres Waters Jun 27, 2023, 05:02 PM ET We’re five weeks into “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31, and for the fifth week in a row, Michael Chandler‘s team got a win over Conor McGregor‘s. Team Chandler’s Brad Katona used his ground game to control Team McGregor’s Carlos Vera and pick up a unanimous decision victory

Jun 26, 2023, 09:29 AM ET With the conclusion of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, the first half of the year is behind us. Starting with a surprise faceoff between the best heavyweights in the sport, Marc Raimondi, Brett Okamoto, Eddie Maisonet III and Andres Waters discuss the biggest moments we’ve seen so far in the

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 24, 2023, 06:30 PM ET The UFC has one of its next big international stars — and its first from Spain. With Spanish soccer legend Sergio Ramos cheering him on from cageside, the undefeated Ilia Topuria dominated Josh Emmett for the biggest win of his MMA career in the main

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJun 24, 2023, 11:28 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun The PFL has suspended former lightweight champions Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio from its 2023 playoffs, following their substandard fight at PFL 6 on Friday in Atlanta. Schulte (25-5-1) defeated

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJun 24, 2023, 01:07 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun ATLANTA — Sadibou Sy just continues to establish himself as the man to beat in the PFL’s welterweight division — and looks really good doing it. Sy (15-6-2) secured his

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 23, 2023, 12:18 PM ET Rose Namajunas will make her debut in a new weight class in an iconic city. The former two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion is moving up to flyweight to fight contender Manon Fiorot of France at UFC Paris on Sept. 2., sources confirmed to ESPN on

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 23, 2023, 07:22 AM ET Ilia Topuria walked out of the tunnel onto the soccer pitch of the 100-year-old Estadio de Mestalla in Valencia, Spain, last Sept. 4, alongside fellow UFC fighter Brandon Moreno. The home team, Valencia CF, was warming up for its game that night against Getafe CF.

Jeff Wagenheim Jun 22, 2023, 09:21 AM ET Shane Burgos does not want to be the next Rory MacDonald or Anthony Pettis. He doesn’t want to be like Thiago Santos or Krysztof Jotko. Like Burgos, all of those fighters arrived in the PFL with notable résumés built on stints in the UFC. It didn’t go

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 21, 2023, 11:46 PM ET A pair of elite bantamweights will scrap in Beantown. Rob Font and Song Yadong have verbally agreed to a 135-pound contender fight at UFC 292 on Aug. 19 in Boston, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. Bout agreements have not yet been sent out, sources