MMA

8:18 PM ET Jon Jones has not fought his last MMA fight. Heck, he hasn’t fought his last UFC fight, either. I believe this is true. I know one of his tweets on Monday made it seem like he was walking away from the sport, but I think it signified something else, although still important.

5:47 PM ET Jon Jones announced Monday on Twitter that he has vacated the UFC light heavyweight title he has held off and on for nearly a decade. “It’s officially up for grabs,” Jones wrote of the UFC light heavyweight title. “It’s been an amazing journey, sincere thank you to all my competition, Ufc and

12:36 PM ET A high-action main event capped off UFC 252 and Stipe Miocic heads back to Ohio with the UFC heavyweight title and intentions on healing up. Daniel Cormier put up quite a fight and had the champ rocked at a few moments, but the former two-division champion exited the Octagon with a loss

8:01 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The backdrop for UFC 252’s main event heavyweight title fight could not have been more intriguing. It was a “perfect storm” of circumstances, according to UFC president Dana White. A series tied at 1-1, featuring Stipe Miocic, the only man who has ever defended the UFC’s heavyweight championship three

8:52 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Shaking his head before Bruce Buffer even had the chance to finish reading the scores, Daniel Cormier stood in the center of the Octagon with his left eye nearly shut, and seemed to know what was coming. It’s a disappointment Cormier had felt a few times before in a combat

2:20 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim If you’re ranking the greatest mixed martial artists of all time in terms of charisma, Stipe Miocic is not in your, oh, top thousand or so. If your criteria for star power includes prefight bluster or even in-cage razzle-dazzle, this UFC champion does not shine so brightly. But if you’re

1:01 AM ET The debate over who is the greatest heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history has long raged. That discussion might be over, at least for now. Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to retain the UFC heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 252 on Saturday

6:11 PM ET One more fight. That’s what Daniel Cormier is promising. And it doesn’t come any bigger than his UFC 252 main event vs. Stipe Miocic on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) will close a legendary MMA career by challenging Miocic (19-3) for the heavyweight title.

3:48 PM ET One of the busiest fighters in UFC history has accepted his next assignment, as welterweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Niko Price have agreed to a bout on Sept. 19, sources told ESPN. The UFC has not officially announced the 170-pound bout or a location for the event. Cerrone (36-15) is looking to

9:29 PM ET Former NFL All-Pro Greg Hardy will return to the Octagon against Maurice Greene in a heavyweight fight on a UFC Fight Night card Oct. 31, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday night. No location has been determined for the event. MMA Junkie was the first to report the news. Hardy (6-2, 1

6:34 AM ET From the moment Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 3 was signed back in June, I’ve been calling it the biggest fight in UFC heavyweight history. Now that it’s fight week, I suppose I should make sure I haven’t been lying about that. Admittedly, I did not meticulously revisit the history books before

1:31 PM ET What is arguably the most significant fight in UFC heavyweight history is now official after champion Stipe Miocic and challenger Daniel Cormier weighed in successfully Friday morning for the main event of UFC 252 in Las Vegas. Miocic made weight at 233 pounds; Cormier was 236. The bout Saturday will decide the

6:42 AM ET UFC president Dana White has said the winner of Saturday’s main event — Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier — will be the greatest heavyweight ever. And the two fighters involved with UFC 252, not surprisingly, agree with the promoter. Nobody would argue that either fighter isn’t great. Miocic’s three heavyweight title defenses

11:03 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier has repeatedly stated his heavyweight title fight against Stipe Miocic on Saturday will be the final fight of his career. What does UFC president Dana White think each time he hears that? “No, it’s not,” White told ESPN on Thursday. “No, it’s not.”

8:18 AM ET It was Sept. 11, 2017, a beautiful day in the Cleveland suburb of Valley View, and fire chief Ken Papesh was anxiously awaiting a visitor. UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier was headed to the firehouse to interview heavyweight champ — and part-time firefighter/paramedic — Stipe Miocic for the FS1 show “In

1:36 PM ET Newly signed Bellator MMA light heavyweight Corey Anderson said a recent health scare and wisdom from two-time UFC champion Daniel Cormier were behind his recent promotional switch. Anderson (13-5) secured his release from UFC last week — despite two fights remaining on his contract — and immediately signed a deal with Bellator.

3:47 PM ET Paige VanZant has found a new home. The former UFC fighter says she has signed a new four-fight, exclusive contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Her debut for BKFC isn’t set yet, but the current plan is for her to compete in November. “It was an amazing contract, an amazing opportunity,” VanZant

6:53 AM ET Editor’s note: When Daniel Cormier walks to the Octagon on Saturday to challenge heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 252, the MMA world will be viewing it through the prism of historical significance. Cormier, 41, has said that this will be the last fight of his storied career,