12:19 AM ET Francis Ngannou scored the biggest victory of his career with a KO victory over Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 260 on Saturday in Las Vegas to win the heavyweight title. Miocic (21-3, 15-3 UFC), who defeated Ngannou (15-4, 10-3 UFC) by unanimous decision in 2018, was overwhelmed by Ngannou’s
MMA
2:20 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Francis Ngannou had just dropped UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic with a jab and had him trapped against the cage. The big man swarmed, a finish seemingly within his grasp. But Miocic escaped with urgency and moved toward the center of the Octagon, where the champion made his stand. Miocic
12:50 AM ET There is a new UFC heavyweight champion and a new combat sports superstar. Francis Ngannou is possibly on his way to owning one of the greatest years in combat sports, and it began with a brutal knockout of Stipe Miocic, the greatest heavyweight of all-time. So what’s next for Ngannou? Millions? Endorsements?
7:01 AM ET Oftentimes, when a UFC champion has enjoyed the level of success that heavyweight Stipe Miocic has, the topic of motivation comes up. For instance, what keeps Miocic going, when he already has defended his title more times than any heavyweight in UFC history? What’s fueling that fire, when he already knows what
10:17 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The UFC is waiving a regulation in its anti-doping policy to make room for the return of Miesha Tate. Hunter Campbell, the UFC’s executive vice president and chief business officer, told ESPN on Friday that Tate will not have to be in the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug-testing
4:16 PM ET LAS VEGAS — A women’s strawweight fight between Hannah Goldy and Jessica Penne has been removed from Saturday’s UFC 260 card after Goldy tested positive for COVID-19. Goldy posted about the positive test Wednesday on Instagram, writing in part, “I have never felt better, stronger or more complete. I was so ready
7:29 AM ET When UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic walks to the Octagon on Saturday to face Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC 260, he’ll be accompanied by two sides of a debate that he might finally be able to settle. Is he the greatest heavyweight fighter in MMA history? The old-schoolers say
8:06 PM ET UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya acknowledged he “crossed the line” and apologized Thursday after a back-and-forth exchange on social media with fellow middleweight Kevin Holland ended with Adesanya saying he would “rape” him. Adesanya posted a video on social media earlier this week, responding to trash talk from Holland. In the video,
11:19 AM ET LAS VEGAS — UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic has a gym in the basement of his Cleveland-area home, and occasionally his 2-year-old daughter, Meelah, will walk over and hit the heavy bag a few times. “Punch, punch,” she says. That’s the extent of Meelah’s exposure to her father’s career as a professional
8:43 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Rory MacDonald‘s 2015 challenge of UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler was an absolute classic. A year and a half after Lawler had edged out MacDonald by split decision in a nontitle bout, they went at each other relentlessly for the belt for 21 bloody, bruising minutes. MacDonald wobbled Lawler with