MMA

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2023, 03:47 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Lightweight Jalin Turner has agreed to replace the injured Dan Hooker in a bout against Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2 in Austin. UFC

Kayla Harrison Nov 22, 2023, 08:46 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison returns to competition for the first time in a year on Friday, when she meets Aspen Ladd in a nontitle fight at the PFL Championships in Washington (ESPN+ PPV, 5 p.m. ET). It has been a quiet, uncharacteristic year

Ian Parker, ESPNNov 22, 2023, 08:32 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The PFL concludes the 2023 season with the PFL World Championships at The Anthem in Washington on Friday night (8 p.m. on ESPN+ PPV, 5 p.m. on ESPN+). The event will crown the promotion’s fifth group of champions since its debut in 2018. In

Nov 20, 2023, 02:54 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The PFL announced the long-rumored acquisition of Bellator MMA on Monday, with PFL chairman Donn Davis writing on the social media platform X that the purchase creates a “new MMA global powerhouse.” What does this deal mean for Bellator, which since being founded in 2008 has

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 20, 2023, 11:58 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The PFL has acquired Bellator MMA in a landmark deal for combat sports, PFL chairman Donn Davis announced Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 18, 2023, 08:40 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Brendan Allen picked up his sixth consecutive victory Saturday and immediately called for a No. 1 middleweight contender fight. The UFC might be hard-pressed not to give

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 18, 2023, 12:42 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Jason Jackson has witnessed the powerhouse Kill Cliff FC team pick up achievement after achievement over the years, serving as a training partner and corner for elite fighters such as former UFC welterweight champions Kamaru Usman and Robbie Lawler. On Friday, it

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 17, 2023, 07:25 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Maintaining a zero in the loss column of one’s fighting record is about as prestigious of a mark one can have. It is the clearest indicator of

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNNov 16, 2023, 08:18 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Every fight card is built upon questions that the bouts then proceed to answer. Can the fighter who enters the cage as champion walk out still in possession of the belt? Will the competitor with an unbeaten record or a winning streak keep the

Nov 15, 2023, 08:50 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2023 PFL season will come to an end this fall, as all six weight classes will crown a new champion at the 2023 PFL World Championship on Nov. 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The promotion’s championship bouts will feature a mix of former

ESPN News Services Nov 15, 2023, 08:21 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou has been ranked No. 10 in the heavyweight division by the World Boxing Council (WBC) on Wednesday following a split decision loss to champion Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut last month. Ngannou, 37, faced Fury in

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 14, 2023, 04:29 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) established thresholds on certain prohibited substances Tuesday during its monthly meeting, meaning fighters who have those drugs in their system will now not automatically be in violation. The drugs listed are selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs);

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 13, 2023, 09:41 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The UFC held its first event celebrating Mexican Independence Day back in September. The sequel promises to be even bigger. UFC CEO Dana White told reporters Saturday night that the promotion has booked the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas for Sept. 14,

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 13, 2023, 09:18 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Dana White was on a stage in Las Vegas in late 2013. The UFC had just celebrated its 20th anniversary after a successful 12-month period, one that saw women fight in the Octagon for the first time. Behind White, the UFC president

Nov 12, 2023, 01:20 AM ET Open Extended Reactions UFC 295 concluded with two new champions, as Alex Pereira won the vacant light heavyweight title and Tom Aspinall took home the interim heavyweight title. But with two divisions plagued with questions, what’s next for the new champs and their weight classes? Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi

Nov 11, 2023, 09:10 PM ET Open Extended Reactions NEW YORK — UFC 295 looks a bit different than it was originally constructed. The highly anticipated heavyweight title main event between two of the top big men in UFC history, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, had to be scrapped last week when Jones suffered a

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 12, 2023, 12:29 AM ET Open Extended Reactions NEW YORK — Alex Pereira has been in the UFC for just two years. And now he has won championships in two weight classes. Pereira stopped Jiri Prochazka via TKO at 4:08 of the second round Saturday night in the main event

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterNov 11, 2023, 11:51 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions NEW YORK — Tom Aspinall said it was his destiny to win the UFC heavyweight championship in Madison Square Garden. Hard to argue with that after what