MMA

Jeff Wagenheim Dec 11, 2023, 09:23 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The most impactful storyline at UFC 296 will shine a spotlight on what’s right in front of our eyes, sparkling with the promise of ascendance. Behold those golden championship belts — two of them! — that will be up for grabs on Saturday at

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2023, 01:36 PM ET Open Extended Reactions A big bantamweight fight is coming to Southern California. Former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo will face Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. Cejudo discussed the fight Sunday in a YouTube

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2023, 01:18 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Song Yadong is the youngest bantamweight contender in the UFC. He didn’t appear that way in a mature performance Saturday. The 26-year-old striker used his wrestling and grappling to gain the edge late in a five-round unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45) victory

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 6, 2023, 08:42 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions The UFC is finalizing a ranked featherweight bout between Dan Ige and Lerone Murphy in February, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The 145-pound contest will take place

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterDec 6, 2023, 02:28 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Brandon Moreno will fight Amir Albazi in a flyweight contender bout Feb. 24 in Mexico City, the former UFC flyweight champion confirmed in an interview published Wednesday by ESPN. The bout being discussed, a five-round co-main event on the UFC Fight Night

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterDec 6, 2023, 07:58 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Bryce Mitchell will step in on short notice to face Josh Emmett in a featherweight contender bout at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Wednesday. Mitchell will fill in for Giga Chikadze, who withdrew from the scheduled

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 5, 2023, 09:41 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, he announced on his Instagram account Tuesday. Chimaev (13-0) suffered a torn ligament in his

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 5, 2023, 12:10 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze has withdrawn from his bout against Josh Emmett at UFC 296 later this month because of a torn groin, Chikadze announced on social

Dec 3, 2023, 09:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Mixed martial arts is an unpredictable act. Look no further than UFC Fight Night last weekend in Austin. A slam knockout is one of the most rare ways for a bout to end, and yet it happened in back-to-back contests on Saturday, in nearly mirror images

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterDec 2, 2023, 10:43 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Open Extended Reactions AUSTIN — The UFC has a new potential star emerging at 155 pounds. Georgian lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (21-3) knocked out Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) with a piston right