MMA

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 15, 2024, 09:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions ANAHEIM, Calif. — The UFC and WWE merged last year into one company, the publicly traded TKO Group owned by Hollywood talent agency Endeavor. And now, some of the effects of that merger are coming to light. The UFC and WWE have

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 14, 2024, 05:56 PM ET Open Extended Reactions IRVINE, Calif. – The career of one of the most accomplished athletes in UFC history could be coming to a close. Again. Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo said Wednesday that he’ll retire if he loses Saturday at UFC 298.

Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.auFeb 12, 2024, 07:43 PM ET Close Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPN after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Open Extended

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNFeb 12, 2024, 09:23 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Few fighters in combat sports truly live up to their nicknames. “The Korean Zombie” did plod forward unfazed by whatever was in his path, but Chan Sung Jung was neither undead nor mythological. “The Axe Murderer,” as fierce as Wanderlei Silva was, never chopped

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 10, 2024, 10:34 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Jack Hermansson put forth a performance befitting the veteran he is, stymying the streak of a top prospect in the process. “The Joker” rallied after a slow start to defeat knockout artist Joe Pyfer via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) on Saturday

Feb 9, 2024, 09:12 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The next few months will be a fun stretch for fight fans. The UFC has a pay-per-view in Anaheim (UFC 298 on ESPN+) this month and Fight Night cards in Las Vegas and Mexico City. Plus, the clash of PFL and Bellator champions is set to

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNFeb 5, 2024, 11:15 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The Bellator fight card in March, the promotion’s first since being bought by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in November, will launch an eight-event Bellator Champions Series, with each card headlined by a title fight, the PFL announced on Monday. There will be a

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 5, 2024, 09:24 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Tom Aspinall knocked Sergei Pavlovich out with punches to win the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November. Since then, all he has been able to do is throw shots via social media. Aspinall is asking — begging, in some

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 3, 2024, 10:36 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Nassourdine Imavov, once considered one of the top prospects in the UFC middleweight division, had a disappointing 2023. He started the campaign with a loss and his only other outing resulted in a no contest. The Paris-based fighter got a measure of

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 2, 2024, 08:31 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Themba Gorimbo sat on a stool in the middle of a cage at MMA Masters gym in Miami. He wore a red shirt with the word “Zimbabwe” on it, a shoutout to his home country 8,000 miles from where he sat. A

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 1, 2024, 06:37 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The UFC is seeking a new main event for its return to the Jersey Shore. Sean Brady is injured and out of the planned welterweight headliner against Vicente Luque on March 30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, sources confirmed with ESPN on

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 1, 2024, 01:18 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier says he will no longer be fighting Benoit Saint-Denis after failing to come to financial terms for the bout with the UFC. Poirier

Dan Hajducky, ESPNJan 31, 2024, 10:00 AM ET Close Hajducky is an associate editor for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities. Open Extended Reactions UFC and Fanatics Collectibles have entered into a multiyear partnership granting Fanatics

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNJan 31, 2024, 09:20 AM ET Open Extended Reactions It was a momentous November night in 1993 when Royce Gracie made his way toward an ominous, octagonal cage at old McNichols Sports Arena in Denver to show a motley assemblage of fighters how to really fight. This first Ultimate Fighting Championship event (watch

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 30, 2024, 03:15 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Former UFC veteran Corey Anderson will face Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title on March 22 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, sources confirmed with ESPN on Tuesday. MMA reporter Ariel Helwani was the first to report the news. The March

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 30, 2024, 11:05 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Professional Fighters League (PFL) has penned a deal with Saudi Arabian-born fighter Hattan Alsaif, making her the first female athlete from the country to sign with a major global MMA promotion, officials told ESPN on Monday. Alsaif, 22, comes from a Muay

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 29, 2024, 09:20 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Like every sport, mixed martial arts has a relatively established list of stars. Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko, for instance — UFC champions and the status quo

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 23, 2024, 11:56 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Holly Holm and Kayla Harrison, two of the most accomplished athletes in women’s combat sports history, will meet at UFC 300. The UFC has signed Harrison, a