7:12 AM ET Anthony Smith is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC, all right? Everyone knows it and, frankly, loves him for it. This is the guy who could have called it quits in a UFC title fight against Jon Jones last year — after Jones blasted him with an illegal knee in
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9:50 PM ET While a fight with Georges St-Pierre has long been on UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s MMA bucket list, St-Pierre said Thursday that the chances of him returning to the Octagon are “incredibly low.” “It takes three parties to make a fight,” St-Pierre, who officially announced his retirement from the UFC in February
Aug 23, 2020 What do you get if you plonk 10 UFC fighters together in the same room? Now, imagine what happens if they begin living together 24/7 and are in the midst of a fight camp. This is not a riddle. Since the New Zealand city of Auckland returned to Stage 3 lockdown restrictions
6:00 PM ET One of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts might have only one fight left. Anderson Silva, the UFC’s former 10-time defending middleweight champion, told ESPN on Wednesday he is prepared for the possibility his next fight against Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 31 will be
Aug 24, 2020 Anthony Smith faces Aleksandar Rakic in the light heavyweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. The main card is on ESPN+, starting at 9 p.m. ET, and the prelims are on both ESPN and ESPN+ at 6 p.m. Smith (38-15, 8-4 in
8:09 AM ET The coronavirus pandemic has no doubt had a major impact on the UFC. With travel restrictions and positive test cases having led to canceled fights, putting on a card hasn’t been easy for UFC president Dana White and the organization’s matchmakers. But fighters taking bouts on short notice has been common since
10:56 PM ET It took Jamie Pickett three appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series — and nearly the end of his fighting career — to do it, but the 30-year-old middleweight has a UFC contract. Pickett (11-4) became only the second contestant in Contender Series history to lose twice on the show before finally earning
8:10 AM ET Dana White’s Contender Series has never been more important to the UFC. Through three weeks of this season, White, the UFC president, has awarded 12 contracts to winners on the show. And five of those athletes are already booked to fight in the UFC, including Impa Kasanganay, who is slated to compete
4:54 PM ET UFC president Dana White has said Francis Ngannou is next for a heavyweight title shot — and former longtime light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will not hop over him for an opportunity in a new division. For the most part, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic agrees with that assessment. Miocic defeated Ngannou
5:48 PM ET Does the future of the UFC’s women’s featherweight division depend on Megan Anderson upsetting champion Amanda Nunes? And does Anderson have much of a chance? Those are two questions that surfaced from this past Friday’s news that the fight is being targeted for December. And what about Fedor Emelianenko protege Vadim Nemkov
12:04 AM ET It was a night of upsets and comebacks, but most of all, Saturday’s UFC Fight Night was a showcase for a 38-year-old veteran who proved he’s not done yet. Frankie Edgar pulled out a split-decision win over Pedro Munhoz in his bantamweight debut. Should he have dropped to bantamweight sooner as many
11:29 PM ET Frankie Edgar is shopworn. He has been in too many wars, and he’s too old. Moving down to bantamweight 15 years into his career? A last-gasp move. Those were some of the storylines coming into the UFC Fight Night main event Saturday night in Las Vegas. Like he has so many times
Aug 22, 2020 UFC light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux was forced to withdraw from Saturday’s Fight Night co-main event, his manager confirmed to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, because of a positive COVID-19 test. “He battled Covid previously and presented both + and – tests this week,” Saint Preux’s management company, Knockout Representation, wrote on social media
Aug 22, 2020 UFC featherweight Ryan Hall has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout against Ricardo Lamas next week due to an injury, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. Hall (7-1) was supposed to fight Lamas on the main card of UFC Fight Night on Aug. 29 in Las Vegas. Sources close to
5:45 PM ET Marc Raimondi Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Frankie Edgar was supposed to fight Pedro Munhoz at UFC 251 on July 11. The bout fell through when Munhoz tested positive for COVID-19 hours before he was set to
Aug 18, 2020 Frankie Edgar, a former UFC lightweight champion who has competed at featherweight for the past several years, will make his bantamweight debut against Pedro Munhoz in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. The main card is on ESPN and ESPN+, starting
12:49 AM ET Ryan Bader had a chance to potentially be considered the best MMA light heavyweight on the planet this weekend. With Jon Jones announcing his departure from the division four days ago, all eyes were on Bader to see whether he could continue his hot streak, retain his title and cement his legacy
5:52 PM ET For the third time in the last four years, UFC dual-weight champion Amanda Nunes will defend one of her titles in December. Nunes (20-4) will face featherweight contender Megan Anderson (10-4) on Dec. 12 at a location to be determined, per multiple sources. The 145-pound contest will take place on a pay-per-view