MMA

9:49 PM ET No, it was not the signature win over a fellow contender like he and his team had hoped. But Islam Makhachev made a statement that was necessary to peg himself as the next UFC lightweight title contender. Makhachev dominated Bobby Green, finishing with a ground-and-pound TKO at 3 minutes, 23 seconds of

7:05 PM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Gegard Mousasi extended his second reign as Bellator middleweight champion in style on Friday, stunning previously undefeated Austin Vanderford early with a 1-2 punch combination before taking the fight to the ground and finishing off a first-round TKO knockout in the main event of Bellator 275 in Dublin. Mousasi (49-7-2),

8:02 AM ET There is a saying mixed martial arts manager Jason House often turns to during conversations with the athletes he represents. “I always tell them, ‘It’s not about who’s good,'” House says. “‘It’s about who’s left.'” In a sport full of potential pitfalls, UFC lightweight Bobby Green (29-12-1) has always found a way

8:30 PM ET Robert Whittaker sees no ceiling on his MMA career despite the loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 271, saying he left Houston believing he is the “best middleweight in the world.” And the Australian hopes to be back in the Octagon as soon as possible, eager to continue the journey to get

2:14 PM ET The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation has medically suspended Adam Piccolotti for six months after the Bellator fighter posted an Instagram video of himself vomiting during his weight cut last week, director Mike Mazzulli said Wednesday. Piccolotti wrote on social media that he had thrown up “20-plus times” during the weight

5:08 PM ET A lightweight fight between Donald ”Cowboy” Cerrone and Joe Lauzon on April 30 has shifted to May 7, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. The 155-pound bout was originally supposed to take place at a UFC Fight Night, most likely in Las Vegas, but will now take place on a UFC 274

Feb 17, 2022 Prior to UFC 271, Tai Tuivasa was just a big man with a fun gimmick. The 28-year-old Australian heavyweight had won four fights in a row, but with none of those wins having come against a ranked opponent, Tuivasa was best known for his signature victory celebration: drinking beer out of a

7:38 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim When Gegard Mousasi and Austin Vanderford step inside the cage for the main event of Bellator 275 on Friday in Dublin, Ireland, the Bellator middleweight championship matchup will represent far different career mileposts for each fighter. For Vanderford, the title challenge is unquestionably the biggest fight of his life. He

5:31 PM ET COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — Joanna Jedrzejczyk arrived back in Florida from her home in Poland last month. The plan was for her to start training camp at American Top Team with an eye toward a rematch with Zhang Weili in March or April. That is not quite how things have worked out.

9:35 PM ET Jamahal Hill‘s nickname is “Sweet Dreams.” It’s not because of his propensity for singing lullabies. The top light heavyweight prospect put another highlight-reel finish on his résumé Saturday night after putting Johnny Walker to sleep with a knockout punch at 2:55 of the first round in the main event of UFC Fight

9:00 AM ET They are two of the most exciting words in mixed martial arts: Fresh blood. Like in any sport, it’s not unusual for the same handful of names to dominate the top of a division in MMA. The best are the best, and usually they’re the best for a decent amount of time.

8:38 PM ET UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has been forced out of a main event slot against Islam Makhachev on Feb. 26 due to injury, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Dariush (21-4-1) was scheduled to face Makhachev (21-1) in a 155-pound bout that might have produced a future title challenger, but withdrew Tuesday after

11:42 AM ET A highly anticipated featherweight title rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has been booked for April 15, Bellator officials announced Wednesday. The 145-pound championship bout will headline Bellator 277 at SAP Center in San Jose, California. Additionally, that event will feature a light heavyweight title fight between defending champion Vadim

7:30 AM ET Israel Adesanya showed he belongs among the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA when he defended his UFC middleweight championship against a fellow top-10 fighter, ex-champ Robert Whittaker, and won a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 271. The problem for Adesanya, who was No. 2 in the ESPN rankings going

6:32 PM ET A pair of interesting bouts have been added to Eagle FC’s return to the United States. Former UFC title challenger Ray Borg will take on Ricky Bandejas in a bantamweight bout and Rizvan Kuniev will defend his heavyweight title against UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton at Eagle FC 46 on March 11 in

8:42 PM ET COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — Kayla Harrison says she does not yet know where she’ll end up fighting this year, but she’s leaving her options open. And those options are broader than expected. The former two-time Professional Fighters League women’s lightweight champion told ESPN on Monday that she is “considering” a future move

8:03 AM ET UFC 271 culminated with Israel Adesanya defending his middleweight title in convincing fashion with a second victory over Robert Whittaker. Rising stars Jared Cannonier and Tai Tuivasa both earned major victories in Houston as well, and set themselves up for major fights and potential title shots late this year. Thus far, 2022

2:37 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Now that Israel Adesanya has nudged Robert Whittaker out of his path, the UFC middleweight champion can set his sights on his ultimate destination: surpassing Anderson Silva. Adesanya, the Nigeria-born New Zealander’s tight but unanimous decision victory over Whittaker in the main event of UFC 271 on Saturday night in