MMA

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterMay 31, 2023, 12:11 PM ET UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili won’t be back in the Octagon until later in the year. Dvalishvili recently had surgery on his right hand is currently sporting a cast, his manager Oren Hodak of KO Reps confirmed Wednesday with ESPN. Hodak said Dvalishvili will be

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterMay 26, 2023, 07:40 AM ET Close Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Jared Allen entered U.S. Bank Stadium’s field last year the same way he went into retirement — on horseback. Cowboy hat on his head, sport coat

Andres Waters May 30, 2023, 11:30 PM ET ESPN’s “The Ultimate Fighter” is back, as the reality show returned in dramatic fashion with two polarizing fighters in the sport, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, taking over to coach the two teams for Season 31. (Watch the replay of the first episode of TUF 31 on

May 29, 2023, 09:00 AM ET For the entirety of its era-bridging run as a reality TV show — 30 seasons over 18 years — “The Ultimate Fighter” has served dual purposes. Ostensibly, it is a talent search, sorting out mostly up-and-coming fighters in order to freshen the UFC roster and perhaps unearth a gem.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterMay 27, 2023, 06:11 AM ET Former Bellator champions AJ McKee and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire will compete in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals July 30 at the storied Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo in one of the headlining fights for a card billed as Bellator x Rizin 2, it

Reed Kuhn Close Reed Kuhn Special to ESPN.com Reed Kuhn is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and strategy and analytics consultant. He is the author of “Fightnomics: The Hidden Numbers and Science in Mixed Martial Arts,” the first book to quantify drivers and performance metrics in combat sports. Ian Parker May 25, 2023, 09:26 AM ET

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 23, 2023, 09:33 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun WHEN FRANCIS NGANNOU officially announced he’d signed with the PFL earlier this month, he promised the deal would allow the next chapter of his career to be “tremendous.” Under the

Jeff Wagenheim May 20, 2023, 10:36 PM ET Mackenzie Dern did not add to her record number of submissions but showed off a different dimension of dangerousness in dominating Angela Hill in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. Dern (13-3), a two-time jiu-jitsu world champion whose four submission wins

May 19, 2023, 09:27 AM ET It’s been a massive week of breaking news in mixed martial arts, as the last five days have included the end of Francis Ngannou‘s free agency and the return of the UFC’s notorious BMF title. Ngannou (17-3) sent a shockwave through the sport Tuesday when he announced he’d signed

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 18, 2023, 03:29 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun If Sean O’Malley is to become the UFC’s bantamweight champion this summer, he’ll have to defeat the most dangerous bantamweight in the history of the sport — at least in

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 16, 2023, 07:35 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun A bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley will headline UFC 292 on Aug. 19, UFC president Dana White announced on Tuesday. The pay-per-view event will take place

Jake Michaels, ESPN Senior WriterMay 17, 2023, 08:14 PM ET Close Jake Michaels is a Melbourne-based sports writer who covers everything from Aussie Rules to Formula One, basketball to boxing. He has been with ESPN for 10 years and works as a Senior Writer, covering sport in Australia and around the world. Sydney has struck

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 17, 2023, 04:45 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun The Nevada State Athletic Commission has officially acknowledged nine PFL fighters tested positive for banned substances last month, during the promotion’s opening round of matchups for its 2023 season. Last

Brett Okamoto Close Brett Okamoto ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Jeff Wagenheim May 16, 2023, 07:02 PM ET The PFL has made it a mission to persuade the MMA public that it is the No. 2 fight promotion in the sport, behind only

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 16, 2023, 07:19 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Former UFC interim lightweight champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will square off for the second time in a five-round main event at UFC 291, UFC president Dana White announced

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 16, 2023, 05:16 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has signed an expansive, multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League, he and the organization jointly announced on Tuesday. Ngannou (17-3) is expected to

Jeff Wagenheim May 15, 2023, 12:34 PM ET The Edwards family already has one MMA world champion. It could add a second in September. Bellator middleweight Fabian Edwards, fresh off a win in a No. 1 contender fight, will challenge champion Johnny Eblen in the main event of Bellator Dublin on Sept. 23 at 3Arena

May 15, 2023, 09:23 AM ET There was plenty of action across MMA over the weekend with Bellator 296 in Paris on Friday night and UFC Fight Night in Charlotte on Saturday. Rising UFC heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida notched a first-round submission win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik to extend his UFC unbeaten streak to five in