MMA

Social media influencer and boxer Jake Paul announced Thursday he’d signed with the Professional Fighters League and will compete in MMA at some point in 2023. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) The jury remains out on Jake Paul as a fighter, both as a boxer and now as a mixed martial artist, since he signed

8:21 AM ET So much goes into a “breakout season” in mixed martial arts. One could argue, more so than in any other sport. A breakout season in MMA requires skill and preparation, but it also involves timing, health, luck and maybe a viral moment here and there. If you want to break out in

UFC president Dana White apologized for slapping his wife during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a club in Mexico. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Dana White’s life changed forever on the night of Dec. 31, 2022, when he decided to slap his wife, Anne, in the face while the couple was in Mexico celebrating

Getty Images After video surfaced of Dana White appearing to strike his wife during an argument in a nightclub on New Year’s Eve, the UFC president has issued a statement stating there is “no excuse” for his actions. TMZ published a video of the altercation, with White and his wife, Anna White, appearing to argue

Dec 30, 2022 Jeff Wagenheim Seven appears to be the lucky number. Or unlucky, depending on whether or not you start the year with a UFC championship belt wrapped around your waist. Exactly a year ago, I made predictions for ESPN on what fighter would be champion at the end of 2022 in each of

After injury forced Geoff Neal out of his highly anticipated bout with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC Fight Night 217, many believed it would be nearly impossible to find a replacement on just over two weeks’ notice. There haven’t been many people pleading for the assignment against the undefeated rising contender, but Bryan Barberena is one

CBS Sports Illustration There are many different elements that typically combine to make for a strong fight of the year selection in MMA, including everything from sustained two-way action to the combination of technical brilliance and major swings of momentum.  Rarely before, however, have the group of finalists in a single year, which was the

Dec 12, 2022 Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Marc Raimondi Chuck Liddell is long retired. Same for Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Jon Jones was last UFC light heavyweight champion over two years ago. Once the UFC’s glamour division filled

Getty Images Stephan Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer known for being the ultimate underdog in the Octagon, died Saturday. He was 45 years old.  Bonnar died of presumed heart complications while at work, according to UFC, which announced his death. Both inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013, Bonnar and Forrest Griffin

Stephan Bonnar, whose fight with Forrest Griffin in the first The Ultimate Fighter finale remains one of the greatest in UFC history, died Thursday at 45. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/GettyImages) Stephan Bonnar, the UFC light heavyweight whose memorable battle with Forrest Griffin not only landed him in the Hall of Fame but may have also saved the

Dec 22, 2022 The sport of mixed martial arts is never dull, and 2022 was a perfect example of that. In the span of four months, three of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world weren’t just beaten, but finished. The year started with Francis Ngannou, the hardest puncher in UFC history, using wrestling and

Alex Pereira went 3-0 in 2022 and became UFC middleweight champion. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Ten months were in the books in 2022 and not a soul was talking about Alex Pereira as a potential MMA Fighter of the Year. It’s just like after four rounds in his middleweight title fight against Israel Adesanya

Jiri Prochazka finished Glover Teixeira in the waning seconds of the fifth round in an incredible fight that is the clear choice as the 2022 Yahoo Sports men’s MMA Fight of the Year. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) Jiri Prochazka, in only his third UFC fight, got the opportunity to challenge then-champion Glover Teixeira

Bellator MMA 2022 was an interesting year for Bellator MMA. Two World Grand Prix tournaments dominated the headlines, titles changed hands and young stars continued to rise. Now, with 2023 looming, it’s time to look ahead at what could be a great year for the promotion. From the Bantamweight World Grand Prix finals, to a

Plan your fight nights ahead with our UFC fight schedule. Included below are all of the UFC’s upcoming Fight Night cards and pay-per-events with announced bouts. We’ll also include any odds that are posted at BetMGM. Check back often as this list will be updated as new fights are scheduled. Here are the major scheduled

Jared Cannonier did just enough to get a close win over Sean Strickland. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) For 25 minutes in the final UFC fight of 2022 between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland at Apex in Las Vegas, there was this sense of impending doom. It seemed that either Cannonier or Strickland would at

Dec 17, 2022 LAS VEGAS — The UFC’s final fight of 2022 came down to the scorecards on Saturday, as former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland via split decision. Cannonier (16-6) out-pointed Strickland (25-5) over the course of a five-round main event that took place almost exclusively on the feet. Judges Derek

USATSI The last UFC Fight Night of 2022 features a matchup of feared strikers as Saturday when No. 3-ranked Jared Cannonier meets No. 7-ranked Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickalnd. The five-round showdown with title implications anchors the main UFC fight card (7 p.m. ET) from the Apex