MMA

10:36 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The UFC’s final fight of 2022 came down to the scorecards on Saturday, as former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland via split decision. Cannonier (16-6) out-pointed Strickland (25-5) over the course of a five-round main event that took place almost exclusively on the feet. Judges Derek

10:35 PM ET Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm will return to the Octagon against Yana Kunitskaya on March 25, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Holm (14-6) has not fought since May because of an undisclosed injury that required surgery earlier this year. The 41-year-old former professional boxing champion told ESPN in September she expected

9:30 AM ET Ryan Hockensmith Close Ryan Hockensmith is a Penn State graduate who joined ESPN in 2001. He is a survivor of bacterial meningitis, which caused him to have multiple amputation surgeries on his feet. He is a proud advocate for those with disabilities and addiction issues. He covers everything from the NFL and

1:18 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing an important middleweight fight between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze in March, sources told ESPN. Both sides have agreed to the 185-pound matchup, which will take place at UFC 286 on March 18 in London. The UFC has not yet announced a main event for that

9:15 AM ET The UFC will end its year with a main event highlighting one of the promotion’s most interesting divisions. Sean Strickland will take on Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in a critical middleweight battle. Both men are coming off losses against elite fighters, and the winner

1:02 PM ET The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) on Wednesday extended the suspensions of MMA coach James Krause and fighter Darrick Minner, who were previously suspended after Minner’s UFC fight against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke was flagged for suspicious betting activity. The suspensions are pending further investigation and future disciplinary hearings. Krause and Minner’s NSAC suspensions

8:00 AM ET The UFC’s last fight card will feature two of the best lightweights in MMA in Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov (Saturday, 7 p.m. E.T. on ESPN+), who carry a combined record of 42-4 in their careers thus far. Neither is relatively close to contending for a title in 2023. That’s how deep

9:36 AM ET Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Marc Raimondi Chuck Liddell is long retired. Same for Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Jon Jones was last UFC light heavyweight champion over two years ago. Once the UFC’s glamour division filled

1:31 AM ET LAS VEGAS — UFC lost its light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka to injury in November. UFC 282 was supposed to crown his successor. Unfortunately, it did not. Former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1) and Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) fought to a five-round split draw in the main event Saturday inside T-Mobile Arena. Judge Mike

2:00 AM ET Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Marc Raimondi Chuck Liddell. Randy Couture. Tito Ortiz. “Rampage” Jackson. Daniel Cormier. Jon Jones. The UFC light heavyweight division has been home to some of the biggest stars and best fighters in

2:27 AM ET UFC will not have a light heavyweight champion to close 2022. But the promotion is not wasting any time in trying to crown a titleholder. Following a split draw in a vacant light heavyweight title bout Saturday night at UFC 282, former champion Glover Teixeira will face Jamahal Hill for the belt

Dec 10, 2022 Jeff Wagenheim Raul Rosas Jr., who turned 18 years old just two months ago, became the youngest fighter ever to compete in the UFC on Saturday night, and his performance was dominant in a first-round submission of veteran bantamweight Jay Perrin during the prelims of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las

12:59 AM ET Paddy Pimblett was the most talked about fighter on the card. The most talked about thing coming out of the card might be the decision in his fight. “The Baddy,” one of the UFC’s top rising stars, squeaked out a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Gordon in the co-main event of

12:29 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Raufeon Stots fought and then he sang. After the split decision was read on Friday night and Stots was declared the winner of a Bellator 289 main event that had a fiery leadup littered with trash talk, Danny Sabatello stormed out of the cage, whereupon Stots grabbed his interviewer’s microphone

6:57 PM ET Kevin Holland isn’t the only one with an injured hand after a hard-fought UFC Fight Night main event last week. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson wrote Friday on Twitter that he broke the second and third metacarpals in his left hand in the bout against Holland. Thompson won via TKO after the fourth round

9:05 PM ET Fight fixing is now a “huge concern” for the UFC amid several investigations into suspicious betting activity around a bout last month, UFC president Dana White told ESPN. A Nov. 5 UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke is under scrutiny after a dramatic betting line movement in the hours before

2:08 PM ET Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis reinstated betting on the UFC on Friday, a week after ordering the province’s sportsbook to cease offering wagering on the promotion while an investigation into coach James Krause was conducted. “With the recent announcement by the UFC that Krause, his managers and fighters will not be permitted

9:00 AM ET There is a constant debate in MMA about when fighters may enter their prime. Some people believe it’s the late 20s. Others feel it’s early- to mid-30s. But none of that stops fans from looking for the best up-and-coming talent to follow, and, ultimately, see where they land. ESPN’s fourth annual ranking