MMA

Open Extended Reactions UFC pay-per-view action returns on Saturday night as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and strawweight champion Zhang Weili put their titles on the line at UFC 312. Du Plessis will face Sean Strickland in the main event, a rematch of their January 2024 title fight which Du Plessis won by split decision.

Now into her second UFC title reign, Zhang Weili defends her strawweight championship against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) The champ has been studying. Just check out her Instagram, you’ll see. Zhang Weili, the dominant force that’s been holding down the UFC strawweight title for a little over the past

. Check out these photos from the Invicta FC 60 weigh-ins, ahead of the event taking place at Center Stage in Atlanta featuring a bantamweight fight between Olga Rubin and Mayra Cantuaria. (Photos by Dave Mandel, Invicta FC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brett OkamotoFeb 5, 2025, 07:54 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions When Tatiana Suarez challenges Zhang Weili for the UFC strawweight championship Saturday, one thing she won’t lack is self-belief. Because if Suarez did not truly believe she was the best

. Chael Sonnen believes the true reason UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has been talking about chasing a second title in a higher weight class has nothing to do with accolades or building a legacy. Soon after defeating short-notice opponent Renato Moicano in the first round at UFC 311, Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) said he

Brett OkamotoFeb 1, 2025, 03:39 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Israel Adesanya‘s remarkable career in combat sports has come to a major crossroads, following his fourth defeat in five appearances on Saturday. Adesanya (24-5) suffered a TKO loss to Nassourdine

Stay ahead of the action with our up-to-date UFC fight schedule. Below, you’ll find all of the upcoming Fight Night events and pay-per-view cards, along with confirmed matchups and the latest odds from BetMGM. Be sure to check back regularly, as we’ll keep this list updated with newly announced fights. Here’s a look at all

. Sean Strickland’s reaction to Islam Makhachev considering middleweight was surprising. UFC lightweight champion Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) insists on fulfilling his goal of becoming dual-champion before he calls it a career. But with his friend and training partner Belal Muhammad currently holding the UFC welterweight strap, his plans have been momentarily put on

Jan 30, 2025, 04:45 PM ET UFC CEO Dana White has condemned comments made by featherweight fighter Bryce Mitchell on his podcast where he defended Adolf Hitler, denied the holocaust happened and took aim at both the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities in a shocking rant. “I’ve heard a lot of dumb and ignorant s— said

. The UFC kicks off a stacked February schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 250, which takes place at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and streams on ESPN+. Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) returns to the octagon in the main event for his first non-title bout in nearly

Brett OkamotoJan 27, 2025, 09:15 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions Every sport loves itself a little bit of drama — a little bit of chaos. Mixed martial arts is certainly no exception. In fact, 2025 started with UFC lightweight Renato

2025 PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series: at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, Saturday, Saturday, January, 25, 2025. (Jose Peñuela / PFL) Check out these photos from Usman Nurmagomedov’s majority decision title defense against Paul Hughes in the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series main event at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. (Photos courtesy of PFL

Robert Whittaker, Jack Della Maddalena, Jeremy Stephens, On The Nose | The Ariel Helwani Show | Jan 22, 2025<p>Join Ariel Helwani and The Boys In The Back as The Ariel Helwani Show sets the table for the combat sports weekend.<br><br>Check out Wednesday’s lineup below:<br><br>1 p.m. ET: Ariel and The Boys In The Back answer all

Andreas Hale, ESPNJan 19, 2025, 01:10 AM ET Open Extended Reactions INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Islam Makhachev retained his lightweight title with a first-round submission against Renato Moicano on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome. After being dropped briefly by a right hand, Makhachev (27-1) put Moicano on his

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJan 19, 2025, 12:41 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Merab Dvalishvili had already beaten four consecutive champions going into his first UFC title defense this year — and yet, Saturday still might have

. [embedded content] (ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Renato Moicano, Umar Nurmagomedov after UFC 311 title losses?) After a 2024 that featured many UFC title challenges, the first champions to put their belt up for grabs this year were successful in defending them at UFC 311. In the main event, lightweight Islam

Jeff Wagenheim Jan 17, 2025, 07:48 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Talk about making a strong first impression by putting your best foot forward. The UFC is opening its 2025 pay-per-view schedule with a two-title-fight card headlined by its best fighter. Islam Makhachev, No. 1 in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings, defends his lightweight championship in

. 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