MMA

A CES MMA bantamweight title, historically, has been a ticket to an eventual trip to the UFC. That may be in Joshua Smith’s (10-6) future after he submitted Dinis Paiva (13-9) to win the 135-pound title in the CES MMA 62 main event Friday at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Fla. Smith tapped Paiva at the

Getty Images Bellator MMA is back in a big way. The promotion returned with its debut card for 2021 on April 2 and saw two-division champion Patricio Pitbull defend his featherweight crown with a first-round submission of Emmanuel Sanchez. The win sets up a massive fight later this year against top contender AJ McKee in

Getty Images The Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix rolls on. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is still set to compete in the tournament on May 7 despite losing his scheduled opponent, former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero. Johnson will face off with Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros, Bellator officials confirmed to CBS Sports. Barros is a 29-year-old

Sometime in late 2004, after the filming of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” was completed but before it aired, Diego Sanchez ate breakfast with a reporter at a Las Vegas restaurant. Sanchez was the same quirky, friendly, charming and easily influenced guy as a nearly 23-year-old that fans would come to know and

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene for Friday’s UFC on ESPN 23 weigh-ins, where fighters faced off for the only time this week. In the main event, Dominick Reyes (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Jiri Prochazka (27-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who both made weight, meet in a key light heavyweight bout. Prior to

7:22 AM ET Going into Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event, it’s not unfair to say we don’t really know who Dominick Reyes or Jiri Prochazka are. When it comes to just name value alone, we do. Reyes (12-2) fought Jon Jones for the UFC’s light heavyweight championship 14 months ago — and many observers

Getty Images If the aftermath of Jon Jones’ exit from the UFC’s light heavyweight division to move up in weight has proved anything over the past year, it’s that the future is wide open at 205 pounds.  Battle-tested veteran Jan Blachowicz upset Dominick Reyes last September via TKO to claim the vacant title. Seven months

Getty Images Diego Sanchez, former title challenger and winner of Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter, has been released from the UFC after more than 15 years competing for the promotion. The news comes on the heels of the UFC removing Sanchez from his planned May 8 bout with Donald Cerrone for what was termed

Associated Press Seahawks say everything’s fine with Wilson after speculation Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider spent Wednesday talking about their relationship with their starting quarterback after months of silence on the subject. From the standpoint of the Seahawks’ leadership, everything is just fine with Russell Wilson despite speculation earlier in

1:42 AM ET Diego Sanchez, one of the longest-tenured athletes in UFC history, is officially no longer with the promotion. The UFC terminated Sanchez’s contract Tuesday, according to UFC president Dana White. Sanchez, 39, basically announced the split on Thursday, as he posted “Free at last” on his personal Instagram. Sanchez was scheduled to face

11:57 AM ET Endeavor Group Holdings, the media conglomerate and ownership company of UFC, launched an initial public offering Thursday. Executives Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, as well as UFC president Dana White, were all in appearance in New York, where Endeavor stock began trading at $24 per share. “It’s official,” White wrote on Instagram.

12:20 AM ET Yoel Romero is out of the most anticipated first-round matchup in Bellator’s big 2021 tournament — and arguably one of the promotion’s biggest fights in recent memory. The former UFC middleweight title challenger didn’t clear pre-fight medical screening and is out of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, promotion officials confirmed

RIO RANCHO, NEW MEXICO – FEBRUARY 15: Diego Sanchez reacts after an illegal knee from Michel Pereira in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Santa Ana Star Center on February 15, 2020 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Diego Sanchez, a winner on Season

Diego Sanchez’s storied UFC tenure has come to an end. After more than 16 years and 32 fights with the promotion, “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner Sanchez has been released from his UFC contract. MMA Junkie verified news Sanchez (30-13 MMA, 19-13 UFC) had been cut from the roster with a UFC official on Friday.

Getty Images The most anticipated first-round matchup of the eight-man Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix is no more after Yoel Romero was pulled from his May 7 promotional debut against fellow newcomer Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.  The 43-year-old Romero (13-5), a former two-time UFC middleweight title challenger, did not clear pre-fight medical testing and

Very little about the news Diego Sanchez was out of his next UFC fight seemed like a normal fight withdrawal. That news came Wednesday when it was revealed Sanchez (30-13 MMA, 19-13 UFC) was out of his welterweight co-main event against former teammate Donald Cerrone (36-15-1 MMA, 23-12-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 24 on

6:45 PM ET Jeff Wagenheim Rory MacDonald came within a round of being UFC welterweight champion. He later did win a Bellator championship. And on Thursday night, he will begin a quest to capture the PFL welterweight championship and the $1 million prize that comes with it — and it’ll take four fights to get

8:39 AM ET Rose Namajunas did not move very far, but her climb was tremendous. She entered last Saturday’s UFC 261 as the No. 2 strawweight in the ESPN divisional MMA rankings. Now she is just one spot higher at No. 1 — but she’s also once again a UFC champion, after knocking out Zhang