MMA

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

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

1:26 PM ET UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira will defend his title against Jiri Prochazka on May 7, multiple sources have told ESPN. Both Teixeira and Prochazka have committed to the date and opponent. The 205-pound title fight will take place on a UFC 274 pay-per-view event. The UFC has not announced an official

1:49 PM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — A highly anticipated battle between the two top heavyweights in the world — who also happen to be former teammates — is now official. Francis Ngannou weighed in at 257 pounds and Ciryl Gane was 247 pounds Friday morning. The two giants will compete to unify the UFC heavyweight

9:14 PM ET A heavyweight matchup between English prospect Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov will headline the UFC’s return to London on March 19, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Thursday. The UFC has not held a live event in London since March 2019. The promotion’s first canceled event of 2020 due to the

2:17 PM ET The UFC is officially getting into the NFT business. The mixed martial arts promotion announced on Thursday it has partnered with Dapper Labs, the same company behind NBA Top Shot and NFL ALL DAY, to launch its own NFT this weekend. Fans will be able to purchase “moments” of UFC history beginning

1:56 PM ET Two of the UFC’s most popular fighters continue to express interest in facing one another; however, there are no concrete plans to schedule the bout as of yet. In a social media post on Wednesday, Nate Diaz implored the UFC to book him a fight against former lightweight interim champion Dustin Poirier.

7:49 AM ET PARIS — An Uber arrives for a pickup outside the MMA Factory gym in the Rungis neighborhood, near Orly Airport. It’s a brisk afternoon with a light rain, three days after Christmas. The city, a capital of arts from fashion to culinary, is relatively quiet. When the driver hears that his passenger

6:41 AM ET UFC has announced it will host a fight night in the UK, which will be the first time in three years. The event, to be held in London on March 19th, is the first of its kind since Jorge Masvidal recorded a stunning knockout win over Liverpool’s Darren Till at the O2

7:50 AM ET SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., and TIJUANA, Mexico — Brandon Moreno was prone on his knees and elbows, his head resting on the Octagon canvas. It’s Aug. 31, 2016, in Las Vegas, and Moreno’s potential run in the UFC was not off to the best start. He had just lost his opening bout on The

7:43 PM ET UFC heavyweight fighter Carlos Felipe was suspended 18 months due to a positive drug test for a steroid, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced Tuesday. Felipe tested positive for the anabolic agent boldenone and its metabolites in relation to his UFC Fight Night co-main event with Andrei Arlovski on Oct. 16,

4:19 PM ET For the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinated UFC fighters will not be tested for COVID-19 during fight week. Fighters and their corner people who are fully vaccinated will not have to undergo COVID testing nor any quarantining at UFC 270 this week in Anaheim, California, UFC chief business officer Hunter

Dec 11, 2020 Marc Raimondi Eric Gomez Editor’s note: This story was originally published ahead of UFC 256. It has been updated to reflect the result of that fight and the upcoming trilogy fight at UFC 270. The half-made piñata would be sitting on the floor of Pinatas Moreno in Tijuana, Mexico, and business owner

7:59 PM ET Former UFC champion Miesha Tate will continue her comeback inside the Octagon in May — in a new weight class. The UFC has booked a 125-pound flyweight matchup between Tate and Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night on May 14, officials confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. The promotion has not yet announced

7:50 AM ET On. Jan. 22, Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will square off in the main event of UFC 270 (10 p.m. on ESPN+ PPV), with the heavyweight title on the line. That fight will shape the course of three fighters in the top 10 of ESPN’s MMA Rank, an effort to project which

3:52 PM ET Police in Ireland are investigating an alleged attack on a bar owned by UFC superstar Conor McGregor, according to the establishment’s management. Management of the Black Forge Inn in Dublin said in a statement that the alleged attackers “made an unprovoked effort to inflict damage” on the upscale pub Wednesday night. Per

6:28 PM ET LAS VEGAS — UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will go into his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 on Jan. 22 with a lot of uncertainty around his future contractual status with the promotion. But one thing he says he knows for sure is that he will not fight again

7:52 AM ET We’re days away from the first UFC fight card of 2022, and just over a week away from a UFC 270 pay-per-view featuring title fights on opposite ends of the spectrum — heavyweight and flyweight. The MMA world is cranking its way back into action, and a new year is filled with