MMA news

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is taking an in-person approach to promote MMA in the African continent. Usman lost the welterweight belt to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 earlier this year. It was his first defeat in the UFC, and he’s expected to face Edwards in a trilogy next year. As 2023 approaches, the

Bellator MMA and RIZIN are set to stage a historic event early tomorrow (Sat., Dec. 31, 2022) from inside the famed Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan which will feature five of best fighters the promotion has to offer square off against one another. Headlining the event will be A.J. McKee taking on RIZIN Lightweight

(Editor’s note: This story includes results from the Rizin FF vs. Bellator card in Japan, which airs at 5 a.m. ET. Do not continue below unless you want to see results from the matchups, which air via tape delay on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET) Rizin FF vs. Bellator takes place Saturday, and you can

UFC star Paddy Pimblett is the latest professional cage fighter to make an internet trash talker pay for his words with actions. Pimblett is 4-0 in his UFC career after a stint in Cage Warriors that featured a title reign. He last fought at UFC 282, winning a unanimous decision against Jared Gordon in Las

No. 7-ranked light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov will risk his spot in the division Top 10 when he collides with No. 10-ranked Ryan Spann in the upcoming UFC Vegas 70 main event, recently made official for Sat., Feb. 25, 2023, at APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 30 year-old Krylov opened as the -175 (4/7)

Bryan Barberena’s name is not on the table for a potential fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov. Barberena (18-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) posted on Instagram on Friday to say his request to step in on short notice to fight Rakhmonov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 217 on Jan. 14 was shut down. Rakhmonov originally

7:43 AM ET 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

With the conclusion of its fight schedule for 2022, the UFC has been looking back on the most memorable moments from the past year, including with microphone in hand. While the main appeal for mixed martial arts enthusiasts is the action inside the cage, most are partial to an entertaining and impassioned rant, speech, or

Bellator MMA and RIZIN is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Dec. 31, 2022) inside Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Headlining the event will be A.J. McKee taking on RIZIN Lightweight champion, Roberto de Souza, in a non-title fight. In further action, RIZIN Featherweight champion will take on current Bellator MMA 145-pound king,

The stage is set for the final major MMA event of 2022 after official weigh-ins for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator went down Thursday night in Japan. With five promotion vs. promotion fights set for the main card, which airs on Showtime via tape-delay on Saturday from Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo, all

MMA fighter Vitaliy Mironyuk pulled off one of the more obscure jiu-jitsu submissions to get the win against Jin Guk Kim at Road FC 62. Bantamweights Mironyuk and Kim met on the undercard of the event on Sunday in Seoul, South Korea. Mironyuk was looking to get back in the win column, while Kim was

Former UFC light heavyweight Abdul-Kerim Edilov, whose one and only Octagon appearance resulted in a technical knockout victory over Bojan Mihajlovic, was found dead earlier today under “mysterious circumstances,” according to a report from Bloody Elbow. Edilov, who also holds a win over former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, stopped competing after his second-round

7:50 AM ET Bob Sapp crouched down on the ramp with his team behind him — torches brimming with fire on either side. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound former NFL lineman exploded his torso upright, sending his green robe off him into the waiting arms of a coach. It was Dec. 31, 2003, and the Nagoya Dome

UFC women’s flyweight Tracy Cortez has clarified the reason behind her recent fight withdrawal after taking issue with a media headline. Following a 4-0 start in the UFC that’s seen her rise to #13 on the 125-pound ladder, Cortez was hoping to take the next step towards the title picture by adding the name of

Welcome to Midnight Mania! On Tuesday, undefeated professional boxer and WBA Lightweight champion Gervonta Davis was charged with battery causing bodily harm and arrested in Parkland, Florida. He allegedly struck a woman on the right side of her head, causing some damage to her right lip. ESPN obtained audio of the 911 call, in which

5:12 PM ET A middleweight contest between Derek Brunson and Dricus Du Plessis has been booked for the UFC 285 pay-per-view on March 4, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Contracts have not been signed but the bout is expected to be finalized shortly, sources told ESPN. UFC 285 is scheduled to take place in Las

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin has addressed the passing of his two-time adversary, Stephan Bonnar. The MMA community was shocked to learn the news of Bonnar’s death last week. Bonnar passed away due to a heart condition, as the UFC announced in its statement. Many of Bonnar’s fighting colleagues, and adversaries, have given

Marcus Aurelio sent Hidenori Ebata into foggy oblivion at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye x Ganryujima event on Wednesday night in Tokyo, Japan, a scene not unlike the end of Superman II, when Zod, Ursa and Non all met their doom by way of gravitational mist. I know it was instinctual but Ebata is fortunate he didn’t