MMA

1:14 AM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Ryan Bader is back at home and still on top. Defending his heavyweight championship for the first time in 2½ years, Ryan Bader picked up where he left off by grinding out a tight but unanimous decision over Valentin Moldavsky in the main event of Bellator 273 on Saturday night

8:51 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a lightweight bout between Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon in April, multiple sources told ESPN. The 155-pound fight would take place on a UFC Fight Night event on April 30. The UFC has not announced an official venue for the card. Cerrone (36-16) has not fought

8:00 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim At first, Ryan Bader wondered if he belonged. By using a relative colossus and a stoic legend as springboards, he came to recognize he most definitely did. The self-reflection by Bellator’s light heavyweight champion occurred as the promotion put a new challenge in front of him in 2018. Bader had

3:35 PM ET UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will seek his second title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Wednesday. The UFC is working on finalizing the 155-pound title fight shortly. The pay-per-view event now includes two title fights. Brazilian light heavyweight champion Glover

9:59 PM ET UFC president Dana White says him not putting the heavyweight title belt on Francis Ngannou after UFC 270 last weekend had nothing to do with “disrespect.” White addressed the postfight situation in a fan Q&A on Wednesday night with interviewer Laura Sanko on ESPN+. White did not put the belt on Ngannou

2:36 PM ET UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will have to undergo knee surgery before he is able to train or compete again, his manager, Marquel Martin, told ESPN on Wednesday. Ngannou (17-3) unified the UFC heavyweight championship by defeating Ciryl Gane (10-1) by unanimous decision at UFC 270 last weekend in Anaheim, California. Immediately

7:30 AM ET Francis Ngannou had a lot stacked against him at UFC 270. The heavyweight champion entered his Jan. 22 title defense with a severely compromised right knee. His challenger, Ciryl Gane, was coached by Ngannou’s own first MMA coach, from whom Ngannou was estranged. And the champ, competing in the final fight on

7:59 PM ET A welterweight matchup between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad will headline a UFC event in April, multiple sources told ESPN. The 170-pound contest will serve as the main event of UFC Fight Night on April 16. The promotion has not yet announced an official venue for the event. Luque and Muhammad are

1:30 PM ET Former UFC lightweight contender and fan favorite Dan Hooker will make his featherweight return against Arnold Allen on March 19, officials announced on Monday. The 145-pound contest, which will mark Hooker’s first fight at that weight in over five years, will take place at UFC Fight Night in London. Hooker (21-11), of

7:35 AM ET Associated Press The Professional Fighters League agreed to a multiyear deal and an expanded platform with ESPN — and the MMA entity expects to have undefeated champion Kayla Harrison along for the ride. PFL CEO Peter Murray told The Associated Press he is “confident” that Harrison — the two-time Olympic gold medalist

7:50 PM ET The UFC threatened to sue Francis Ngannou‘s agent just hours before Ngannou was set to compete in a heavyweight title fight Saturday night, Ngannou said Monday on “The MMA Hour.” Ngannou said he was getting dressed in preparation to go to Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday when his agent, Marquel

12:57 PM ET Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw‘s recovery from knee surgery is taking longer than expected, although he anticipates returning to the Octagon around midyear — in a title fight. Dillashaw, 35, underwent surgery on his left knee last August to repair a torn PCL and damaged meniscus. He suffered the injuries during the

7:40 AM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jon Jones was going to be in attendance at UFC 270 on Saturday night. He’d be there, likely close to the Octagon, to watch the heavyweight title unification fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, and the winner would likely be his next opponent. That was the plan a

12:31 AM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mexican fans showed up in droves on Saturday to witness the UFC’s first Mexican-born champion, Brandon Moreno, defend his title for the first time. But by the slimmest of margins, Deiveson Figueiredo spoiled the party. Figueiredo (21-2-1) reclaimed the 125-pound title he lost to Moreno (19-6-2) in August by

3:13 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Francis Ngannou has built a championship fighting career by unleashing blows with earth-shattering impact. Prior to Saturday night, the UFC heavyweight champion had finished his five most recent fights by knockout, three in less than a minute. Ngannou’s UFC 270 main event in Anaheim, California, ended with challenger Ciryl Gane

2:00 AM ET Deiveson Figueiredo exacted revenge on Brandon Moreno in their trilogy fight to win back the flyweight title at UFC 270 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday. It was the most entertaining fight of the night, and Figueiredo seemed to have elevated his game after moving his camp to Arizona

1:09 AM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — Francis Ngannou is the most frightening power puncher in UFC history. But he reminded everyone Saturday night that he is not only that. Ngannou showed off a well-rounded game — and immeasurable heart — befitting the champion he is. Down on the cards early, the hardest-hitting man maybe ever

7:38 PM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are former sparring partners. That might be the only thing the two agree on at this point. At a news conference Thursday, Ngannou and Gane argued if they were actually ever “teammates.” They couldn’t agree whether Ngannou knocked Gane out with a head kick