MMA

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman attempted to keep the mood respectful with Colby Covington in the final news conference ahead of their meeting on Saturday in the main event of UFC 268. However, as most observers anticipated, the challenger was having none of it and instead worked the assembled crowd into a frenzy by unleashing a

8:00 AM ET SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It’s a Saturday morning in October and Zhang Weili is in MMA gloves and her workout gear, walking to the mat at Fight Ready MMA & Fitness. A YouTube video with the sound of fans loudly booing at a sporting event is being broadcast over the gym’s speakers. Coaches

When welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was asked to describe teammate Justin Gaethje, the first words he could come up with were “mad man.” Gaethje fights as if he’s mad and raging at the world, but it’s a process to get an otherwise polite, thoughtful 32-year-old into the headspace he needs to be in to compete

Maybe a few years ago, Kamaru Usman would have gotten exorcised by the notion that just four fights into his UFC career, some credible people in MMA are saying publicly that Khamzat Chimaev is ready and qualified to challenge for the welterweight title that Usman will defend against Colby Covington on Saturday in the main

Getty Images It’s Fight Week in New York City once again. Nearly two years after the last UFC PPV event took place in the Big Apple because of COVID-19, the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden with a loaded fight card sure to delight fans who have missed out on all the action with UFC

8:00 AM ET Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman defends his UFC title against Colby Covington, in a rematch of their tremendous 2019 fight, which Usman won by fifth-round TKO. The bout on Saturday headlines a packed UFC 268 card that also includes another title rematch, a must-see lightweight fight and an opportunity for a few fighters

(R-L) Glover Teixeira of Brazil secures a rear choke submission against Jan Blachowicz of Poland in the UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 267 event at Etihad Arena on Oct. 30, 2021 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Nothing came easy in his MMA career for

UFC action takes center stage at Etihad Arena on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as two title fights headline a stacked UFC 267 card.  In the main event, light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (28-8) will face 42-year-old Glover Teixeira (32-7) and the two fighters will enter the Octagon with a combined 75 fights

Combate Global Fight Night is back in Miami with the latest installment of Combate Global. The promotion returns with eight fights on the main card on Friday night and some prospects worth paying attention to throughout. Levi Escobar and Daniel Sanchez link up in the main event at lightweight. Escobar is 2-0 so far in

12:44 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Kayla Harrison‘s dominance of the PFL continues. For the second consecutive season, Harrison has captured the PFL lightweight championship. She did so with ease Wednesday at the Hard Rock Live; she attempted 90 strikes and landed all but five of them en route to an armbar submission

The journey, as Kayla Harrison calls it, will resume Wednesday night in Hollywood, Florida, when she attempts for the second time to win the Professional Fighter’s League’s women’s lightweight championship, and the $1 million prize that goes with it. After a lengthy period of thought following her second Olympic gold medal in 2016, Harrison decided

The latest numbered UFC event is fast approaching. UFC 267 is set to hit Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Oct. 30 with a pair of title fights atop the marquee. The light heavyweight title will be on the line when champion Jan Blachowicz looks to defend against veteran and long-time title hopeful Glover

LAS VEGAS — Paulo Costa entered the Octagon at Apex on Saturday, his grudge match with Marvin Vettori only moments away. In 90 seconds, maybe two minutes, he’d be able to hit Vettori all he wanted. But Costa made an angry charge at Vettori, interrupted by inspectors from the Nevada Athletic Commission. It’s not always

1:34 PM ET LAS VEGAS — One of the most interesting fight weeks of 2021 will come to its conclusion tonight, as Paulo Costa takes on Marvin Vettori in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night inside the Apex. This fight, of course, was supposed to take place at 185 pounds and have a

LAS VEGAS — To listen to Paulo Costa tell the story, the UFC decided after arranging a middleweight bout for him with Marvin Vettori that just days before the match to change the weight class and throw the entire show into disarray. Costa weighed 211 pounds on Wednesday, and didn’t sound the least bit apologetic

Getty Images In the main event of UFC 268 on Nov. 6, bitter rivals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will battle for Usman’s welterweight championship for a second time. That fight is not the only championship rematch set for the event, with Rose Namajunas defending the women’s strawweight title against Weili Zhang, the woman Namajunas

8:03 AM ET The 2021 PFL season will come to its conclusion on Oct. 27, with a full lineup of tournament championships in six different weight classes (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+). Emerging women’s MMA superstar Kayla Harrison (11-0) will headline the event, in her lightweight final against Taylor Guardado (3-1). Arguably the most intriguing finals

LAS VEGAS — The middleweight bout on Saturday at Apex between No. 2 Paulo Costa and No. 5 Marvin Vettori figures to be a fan-friendly bout. The more fan-friendly you believe it will be, though, figures to influence who you believe will win the fight. Both men are coming off title fight losses to champion