MMA

3:20 PM ET The UFC is finalizing a welterweight fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz to headline UFC 279 on Sept. 10, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN on Tuesday. Contracts have not been signed, but both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup and date according to Campbell. UFC 279 will

4:24 PM ET Henry Cejudo’s ultimate goal — and one of the main reasons he is coming out of retirement — is to challenge for the UFC featherweight title. But it’s more likely Cejudo returns initially at bantamweight. Cejudo told ESPN in an interview published Tuesday that he wants to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the

9:00 AM ET The Professional Fighters League playoffs are set to commence on Aug. 5 in New York City with semifinals in the light heavyweight and men’s lightweight divisions. From there, the playoffs will visit Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 13 (featuring heavyweights and welterweights) and London on Aug. 20 (featherweights, women’s lightweights) before wrapping up

9:11 AM ET Nate Diaz is the kind of guy who makes more headlines from doing an interview than most fighters get for competing in the cage. He’s one of the most famous athletes in the history of the UFC and remains relevant in any MMA conversation despite having just one win since 2016. Diaz

8:19 AM ET Frankie Edgar, one of the best mixed martial artists of the last decade, says he intends to retire after making one final appearance in the UFC this year. Edgar told ESPN he has asked the UFC to book him one more bantamweight fight in November, on an event expected to take place

3:33 PM ET What were the biggest moments at UFC Fight Night in Long Island? Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim offer up their takeaways from a fun-filled event in Elmont, New York. There is plenty to unpack from a disappointing UFC Long Island main event. How does Yair Rodriguez‘s victory following a Brian Ortega injury

4:12 PM ET In October, the UFC lightweight championship is officially up for grabs in Abu Dhabi. The vacant 155-pound title will have former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira fighting Islam Makhachev for the strap. Oliveira, who recently earned the ESPY for MMA fighter of the year, has won 11 consecutive bouts, including the past 10

5:32 PM ET ELMONT, N.Y. — A highly anticipated featherweight main event between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega ended unfortunately on Saturday, when Ortega was unable to continue after appearing to dislocate his right shoulder. The injury occurred at the 4:11 mark of the opening round. Ortega had just taken Rodriguez to the ground, and

2:57 PM ET The UFC has booked a lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev to headline UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The UFC 280 pay-per-view event takes place on Oct. 22 at Etihad Arena. Officials announced the lightweight contest Saturday. Officially, the fight will be for the UFC’s vacant

11:00 AM ET ELMONT, N.Y. — A marquee featherweight matchup between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez is set to headline UFC Fight Night inside UBS Arena on Saturday. The main card airs on ABC (2 p.m. ET) and will be simulcast on ESPN+, with prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 11 a.m. Ortega (15-2) is making his

9:05 AM ET The UFC is amid a busy summer schedule, coming off International Fight Week two weeks ago. Next up is UFC on ABC this weekend (Saturday, main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET, prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 11 a.m.), with a big-time main event between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. From there,

Sep 19, 2019 Editor’s note: This story was published after Yair Rodriguez’s win over Chan Sung June. Rodriguez faces Max Holloway on Nov. 13. Yair Rodriguez landed what some consider the greatest knockout in UFC history Saturday night in Denver, finishing Chan Sung Jung — best known as “The Korean Zombie” — with a brutal

9:15 AM ET Any mixed martial arts fan will tell you that one of the best things about following this sport is the never ending string of storylines to follow. There is no off-season, and there is always something going on inside and outside the Octagon, and things can change instantly. Never a dull moment,

11:34 AM ET Few would dispute that UFC men’s featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and former champ Max Holloway are the two best 145-pounders in MMA. Right behind them? We might find out on Saturday afternoon, when Brian Ortega meets Yair Rodriguez in a matinee main event of UFC Fight Night in Elmont, New York. Ortega

12:51 AM ET LAS VEGAS — Rafael Fiziev proved to be one step ahead of Rafael dos Anjos over the course of four lightweight rounds on Saturday. And then in the fifth, he put the former champion away for good measure. Fiziev (12-1) continued his ascent of the UFC’s lightweight rankings with a blistering, left

12:05 PM ET Alexander Volkanovski suffered a broken left thumb during last weekend’s title defense against Max Holloway, the UFC champ revealed on social media Thursday night. Volkanovski (25-1) wrote on Twitter that he will undergo surgery on the broken hand and the recovery timeline is 12 weeks. “Broke my thumb in the second round,

7:20 PM ET The UFC has booked a strawweight clash between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan to headline an October event, multiple sources told ESPN on Friday. The five-round contest will headline a UFC Fight Night on Oct. 1 at a location to be announced. Dern (12-2) is closing in on a potential title shot

3:12 PM ET A marquee welterweight matchup between Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady is set to take place in October, sources have told ESPN. Contracts are not yet signed but both sides have agreed to the 170-pound contest, which will take place at a UFC event Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi. It is expected to