Boxing

9:40 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Robson Conceicao has filed a complaint with the WBC following his unanimous-decision defeat to Oscar Valdez on Friday in Tucson, Arizona, his manager, Sergio Batarelli, told ESPN. Among the grievances: the officiating, the judging and the fact Valdez was allowed to retain his title despite testing positive for the banned

12:53 AM ET This new genre of novelty boxing matches — fights between celebrities, legends and social-media influencers — has been one of the most popular things in combat sports over the last year. Mike Tyson and Ron Jones Jr. set the stage last November, and the trend has continued to gain momentum since then.

6:03 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield faces former UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort in an eight-round boxing match at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida (Triller Fight Club PPV, 7 p.m. ET). Holyfield (44-10-2, 29 KOs), of Atlanta, is 58 years old and hasn’t fought since

Anthony Joshua has welcomed Tyson Fury’s declaration that he still wants to fight him next year. Hopes for Joshua-Fury — reportedly worth £200 million — fell apart when an arbitration hearing in the United States ruled that Deontay Wilder was owed a third fight with Fury. Both will instead fight different opponents over the next

10:11 PM ET Teofimo Lopez is exploring moving up divisions after his lightweight title fight against George Kambosos Jr. on Oct. 4 in New York City, and he said in an interview with ESPN on Friday night that he has no plans to schedule a rematch with Vasiliy Lomachenko. Lopez has expressed interest in moving

12:45 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Oscar Valdez dealt with a storm of controversy after the banned substance phentermine was found in his system. He was called a cheater by his fellow fighters. He drew the ire of fans who were angered that he was allowed to proceed with Friday night’s fight despite the Voluntary Anti-Doping

5:34 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN WBC junior lightweight world titlist Oscar Valdez defends his belt against Robson Conceicao on Friday (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET, with undercard fights starting at 6:10 p.m. ET) in Tucson, Arizona. Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine in August, but the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission allowed Valdez to

9:00 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Evander Holyfield will return to the ring Saturday against a legendary mixed martial artist, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. Yes, Holyfield is 58. And yes, this will be his first fight since he defeated Brian Nielsen in 2011, capping one of the greatest in-ring careers of all time.

8:22 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos have signed contracts for an undisputed lightweight title fight that will take place Oct. 4 at New York’s Hulu Theater at MSG, Triller COO Thorsten Meier told ESPN. The fight was set for Oct. 5 but Triller moved the fight to avoid competing with a

Sep 8, 2021 Mike CoppingerESPN Mikey Garcia, a four-division champion, has agreed to terms for a fight with Spain’s Sandor Martin on Oct. 16, possibly in Texas, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 145 pounds, sources said. Promoter Eddie Hearn was planning to stage the 115-pound championship

7:53 AM ET Two fighters who shouldn’t be near a boxing ring are headlining cards in Miami and Tucson, Arizona, this weekend. Evander Holyfield, 58, returns to the ring to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, 44, in an eight-round heavyweight match on Friday at Hard Rock LIVE at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

7:48 AM ET Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano shined in recent unanimous decision wins, and each of them solidified her spot in the ESPN women’s pound-for-pound rankings. Taylor (19-0, 6 KOs), 35, of Bray, Ireland, defended her lightweight undisputed championship with a dominating victory over Jennifer Han (18-4-1, 1KO) on Sept. 4 in Leeds, England.

9:08 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Brandon Figueroa has tested positive for COVID-19 and his 122-pound title unification with Stephen Fulton, set for Sept. 18 in Las Vegas, has been postponed, the boxer announced Tuesday on Instagram. The PBC on Showtime main event will be rescheduled along with the rest of the card, sources told ESPN.

8:04 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Former president Donald Trump has signed a contract to provide commentary on a “gamecast” of Saturday’s boxing event headlined by Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort, Triller told ESPN. His son, Donald Trump Jr., will join him at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. “I love great fighters

7:49 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN Oscar Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine last month, but his WBC junior lightweight title defense against Robson Conceicao in Tucson, Arizona, will go on after a ruling made by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission on Thursday. The WBC further stated it will not strip Valdez of

6:42 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Josh Warrington was left frustrated after his bid for revenge against Mauricio Lara ended in a technical draw Saturday. The fight was just getting

5:49 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Katie Taylor’s reign as the queen of the lightweight division — and women’s professional boxing — might not have been in doubt Saturday, but

1:08 AM ET Associated Press MONTREAL — A female Mexican boxer died Thursday, five days after being injured in a Montreal ring. Groupe Yvon Michel, the organizer of the boxing event, said Thursday that 18-year-old Jeanette Zacarias Zapata died from injuries sustained in a bout with Marie-Pier Houle on Saturday night at IGA stadium. Zapata