MMA

8:21 AM ET So much goes into a “breakout season” in mixed martial arts. One could argue, more so than in any other sport. A breakout season in MMA requires skill and preparation, but it also involves timing, health, luck and maybe a viral moment here and there. If you want to break out in

7:42 PM ET Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Former mixed martial arts fighter Phil Baroni has been arrested in Mexico for allegedly killing his girlfriend, the prosecutors’ office in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit said Wednesday. The office said a woman was found dead on Sunday in the beach town of San Fernando, just

10:47 AM ET The UFC has rebooked a welterweight matchup between Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov for UFC 285 on March 4, multiple sources told ESPN. The 170-pound bout will take place in Las Vegas. It was originally scheduled for a UFC Fight Night on Jan. 14, but Neal was forced to withdraw due to

8:34 AM ET SAITAMA, JAPAN — MANNY PACQUIAO, flanked by family and security, came out of an elevator and passed through a holding area for MMA fighters before they made their ring walk. To the boxing legend’s right, former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was on a knee, trying to help Bellator’s AJ McKee put

9:14 PM ET UFC president Dana White issued a public apology Monday for a physical altercation between him and his wife that was captured on video during their New Year’s Eve celebration in Cabo, Mexico. The video, published by TMZ, shows White, 53, and his wife, Anne, in a VIP area of a nightclub. Dana

3:07 AM ET All right, here we go. One of my favorite pieces of the year: the fights I would love to see most in 2023. I’ve done this annual piece for years at ESPN. You can find last year’s list here, and we did see a few (most of the ones we did see,

10:11 AM ET SAITAMA, Japan — AJ McKee felt a bit of pressure heading to the ring Saturday night. And it wasn’t just the weight of the black samurai costume he wore for his elaborate walk out. With a McKee win, his Bellator promotion would sweep its competition with Japan’s Rizin. On top of that,

7:43 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Seven appears to be the lucky number. Or unlucky, depending on whether or not you start the year with a UFC championship belt wrapped around your waist. Exactly a year ago, I made predictions for ESPN on what fighter would be champion at the end of 2022 in each of

7:50 AM ET Bob Sapp crouched down on the ramp with his team behind him — torches brimming with fire on either side. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound former NFL lineman exploded his torso upright, sending his green robe off him into the waiting arms of a coach. It was Dec. 31, 2003, and the Nagoya Dome

5:12 PM ET A middleweight contest between Derek Brunson and Dricus Du Plessis has been booked for the UFC 285 pay-per-view on March 4, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Contracts have not been signed but the bout is expected to be finalized shortly, sources told ESPN. UFC 285 is scheduled to take place in Las

10:08 AM ET Bellator MMA has added a middleweight title fight to its first major event of 2023, promotional officials told ESPN on Tuesday. Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will seek his first title defense against Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event of Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in the Los Angeles area. The event will

9:43 PM ET David Purdum Close ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008 Marc Raimondi The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has suspended UFC fighter Jeff Molina, according to Molina’s page on official MMA online recordkeeper mixedmartialarts.com. The reason for the suspension is not listed. A source with access

6:54 PM ET Stephan Bonnar, who helped launch the UFC into the mainstream with his fight against Forrest Griffin in the finals of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, died at age 45, the promotion announced Saturday. Bonnar died of presumed heart complications while at work, according to the UFC. Bonnar and

12:36 PM ET Two of the best bantamweights in the world will meet early next year, potentially with a title shot on the line. Marlon “Chito” Vera will face Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, the UFC announced Friday on social media. Sources told ESPN

7:52 AM ET The sport of mixed martial arts is never dull, and 2022 was a perfect example of that. In the span of four months, three of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world weren’t just beaten, but finished. The year started with Francis Ngannou, the hardest puncher in UFC history, using wrestling and

12:53 PM ET Taila Santos has more work to do before getting a rematch with champion Valentina Shevchenko. Santos will take on top prospect Erin Blanchfield on a UFC Fight Night card Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, multiple sources confirmed with ESPN, including Blanchfield’s rep Oren Hodak of KOReps. Blanchfield first mentioned the matchup on

3:59 PM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Zion Clark, a former college wrestler born with no legs, made his professional MMA debut a success Saturday. Clark, who was born with a rare disorder that affects fetal development, won a unanimous decision over nondisabled opponent Eugene Murray at an event in San Diego called Gladiator Challenge: Seasons Beatings.

2:43 PM ET A highly anticipated middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will not happen at UFC 284 as planned, sources told ESPN. The UFC still has the 185-pound contest officially listed on its website for the UFC 284 event, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 11 in Perth, Australia, but