MMA

11:20 AM ET Sean O’Malley, who has talked a good game for his entire UFC run, proved his worthiness of being considered among the elite at bantamweight with his UFC 280 victory over former champion Petr Yan last weekend. As a result, “Suga Sean” enters the men’s top-10 in the latest ESPN divisional rankings and

9:00 AM ET The rise of Islam Makhachev in the UFC’s lightweight division culminated on Saturday, when he captured the championship at UFC 280 in a virtuoso performance against Charles Oliveira. But that rise took a while. Makhachev has been in the UFC since 2015, and this past weekend’s bout in Abu Dhabi was his

Oct 24, 2022 Jeff Wagenheim Bellator MMA and Japanese fight promotion Rizin have worked together several times before but never on such a grand scale as what they have planned for New Year’s Eve. The companies announced Monday that they will co-promote a fight card at 36,500-seat Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo on Dec. 31

Oct 22, 2022 Popular English lightweight Paddy Pimblett will face Jared Gordon at UFC 282 on Dec. 10, the promotion announced Saturday. Pimblett (19-3) has been eyeing the UFC 282 date since his last fight in July. The 27-year-old has fought in Las Vegas previously, but never with a crowd. His UFC debut took place

9:35 PM ET Two of the best young featherweight fighters in the world will clash before the end of the year. Undefeated rising stars Bryce Mitchell and Ilia Topuria have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 282 on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday. The website Fight Bananas was the

3:05 PM ET Undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields has her plan for the immediate future set, and it still includes both boxing and mixed martial arts. Shields, who became the undisputed middleweight champion for the second time on Oct. 15 in a unanimous decision win over Savannah Marshall, told ESPN on Monday that she plans

9:17 AM ET After the wild ride that was UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi last weekend, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. What fight should the UFC look to make for new lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, and if the matchup is Alexander Volkanovski, how would that affect the pound-for-pound rankings? Will Sean O’Malley challenge

Oct 22, 2022 Aljamain Sterling has had one of the most bizarre title reigns in recent MMA memory, but to his credit none of it has been his own doing — and all he does is keep winning. Sterling beat former champion TJ Dillashaw via TKO at 3:44 of the second round in the co-main

Oct 22, 2022 “Father’s plan” worked. Islam Makhachev is the new lightweight champion after defeating Charles Oliveria by second-round submission (arm triangle) to win the vacant belt at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. Makhachev entered the fight on a 10-fight winning streak and was set to finalize the plan of

5:21 PM ET Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Marc Raimondi What can we take away from a fascinating slate of title fights and marquee matchups at UFC 280? Marc Raimondi and Brett Okamoto offer up their thoughts from a highlight-packed

6:32 PM ET Jeff Wagenheim By becoming UFC lightweight champion Saturday, Islam Makhachev fulfilled a prophecy. Maybe it was really just a lifelong friend expressing faith and brotherhood, but when Khabib Nurmagomedov briefly interrupted a Makhachev news conference three years ago, it felt like something far more consequential. Let’s call it a coronation-in-waiting. Nurmagomedov was

5:38 PM ET ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from mixed martial arts two years ago as an undefeated champion, Islam Makhachev‘s reclaiming that lightweight title felt like a preordained moment. That moment came Saturday. Makhachev (23-1) seized the UFC’s 155-pound championship by submitting Charles Oliveira (33-9) at UFC 280

10:12 AM ET When Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the UFC’s lightweight championship and retired from mixed martial arts two years ago, the sport’s expectations turned to his longtime teammate and protégé, Islam Makhachev. And now his time has come. Makhachev (22-1) will attempt to win the UFC’s 155-pound title on Saturday when he meets Charles Oliveira

2:12 AM ET ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Charles Oliveira still considers himself the UFC’s lightweight champion, but will look to make it official on Saturday. Both Oliveira (33-8) and Islam Makhachev (22-1) successfully made weight on Friday for their lightweight championship bout at UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. Both of them actually came

7:53 AM ET PEORIA, Ariz. — Sean O’Malley was feeling good. It was 5 p.m. on a Saturday in September, about five weeks into his camp for this weekend’s bantamweight fight against Petr Yan at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. O’Malley had looked great in sparring that morning and was sitting down

12:31 AM ET Two of the top women’s flyweight fighters in the world will meet in Brazil. Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade will face Lauren Murphy at UFC 283 on Jan. 21 in Rio de Janeiro, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. MMA Fighting first reported the news. Andrade is ranked No. 9

Oct 18, 2022 UFC president Dana White’s new combat sports venture — slap fighting — will be a licensed athletic competition in Nevada. Dana White’s Power Slap League will be regulated and overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) following a vote Tuesday in Las Vegas at the commission’s monthly meeting. UFC chief business

9:30 PM ET Kamaru Usman is willing to travel into potentially hostile territory in an effort to get back the UFC welterweight title. Usman has asked the UFC for a trilogy fight with champion Leon Edwards in London, Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, told ESPN on Tuesday. Edwards is a Jamaican-born fighter who