MMA

. LOS ANGELES – Umar Nurmagomedov will look to add another major title to his team at UFC 311. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome. With his cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, having paved the

Open Extended Reactions Many MMA fighters had a great year in 2024. We saw some claim their first title in a major promotion. And there were those who reclaimed titles they previously held. But no MMA fighter had a better 12-month stretch than UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Pereira reeled off three successful title

. (This story was updated to add new information.) The UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2025 is set for Saturday just outside Los Angeles. Here’s how to watch UFC 311 with the bantamweight and lightweight titles on the line at the top of the card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Broadcast and streaming info UFC

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 11, 2025, 10:34 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern avenged a loss from five years ago to Amanda Ribas on Saturday, as she submitted Ribas via armbar with just four seconds remaining

. LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event. The weigh-ins took place at the UFC Apex, which hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN+). Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 14 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, and don’t miss

Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing InsiderJan 6, 2025, 06:27 PM ET Close Mike Coppinger has covered boxing since 2010 with roles at USA Today, Ring Magazine and The Athletic before he joined ESPN in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger Open Extended Reactions Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo will fight No. 8 contender Song

Despite the UFC’s reach and schedule feeling suffocating at times, there’s a ton of worthwhile talent that resides outside of the umbrella of the world’s leader when it comes to MMA. In fact, between the constant growth of the sport to the UFC’s semi-recent business trends and how it affects the promotion’s talent cultivation, one

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 6, 2025, 09:15 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions A new year is upon us. It’s time for optimism and hope, right? I believe in both, but unfortunately, mixed martial arts has not been fantastic about

When Cybertruck explosion suspect Matthew Livelsberger was identified by authorities, Tim Kennedy asked on social media if anyone knew him, given the military credentials. As it turns out, Kennedy himself did. In a video clip unearthed by “Inside Edition” on Friday, Kennedy and Livelsberger competed together on a History Channel shooting competition series called “Ultimate

. Umar Nurmagomedov hopes Merab Dvalishvili makes it to their fight at UFC 311. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event from Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Dvalishvili has been vocal about not wanting to fight Nurmagomedov, deeming him as an unworthy title

Mar 30, 2024; Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Jacob Malkoun (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Andre Petroski (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports UFC Fight Night 251 has lost one of its scheduled bouts. Jacob Malkoun was scheduled to compete at the event on Feb. 15

Andreas Hale, ESPNDec 14, 2024, 11:23 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will compete in his first nontitle fight since 2019 when he faces Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 1. Adesanya (24-4) is coming off

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 11, 2024, 05:00 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Combat sports star Nate Diaz is facing a misdemeanor battery charge in Las Vegas. According to TMZ, the charge stems from an August incident in which Diaz, 39, allegedly shoved

Andreas Hale, ESPNDec 7, 2024, 11:20 PM ET Open Extended Reactions A pair of title fights headline the UFC’s return to Sydney, Australia on Feb. 8. Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight championship in a rematch with Sean Strickland while Zhang Weili puts her strawweight title on the line against Tatiana Suarez at UFC

. Brandon Royval and Manel Kape will square off in a potential title eliminator at UFC Fight Night 253. Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape preview Since falling short in his title opportunity against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296, Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) rebounded with back-to-back wins over former champion Brandon Moreno, and

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 07: Brandon Royval celebrates after his victory over Matt Schnell in their flyweight bout during UFC 274 at Footprint Center on May 07, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Should we cue up Rodney Dangerfield and that classic line about “no respect”? Brandon Royval signed on the dotted

Jeff Wagenheim Dec 23, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The year of the champion. That’s what 2024 has been in the UFC. How so?There were 16 title fights this year, and in 11 of those, the defending champion walked out of the cage still holding onto the belt. That might not seem so

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Jim Miller (red gloves) reacts after defeating Damon Jackson (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images [embedded content] Jim Miller already is the UFC’s all-time wins leader, and from a percentage standpoint, he’s the leader by a