8:32 AM ET UFC president Dana White has been saying it a lot in recent weeks, and it’s worth repeating here: Just get through 2020. It’s safe to say the UFC has done a tremendous job operating within a pandemic this year, and it’s nearly across the 2020 finish line with three events to go.
MMA
8:10 PM ET Jake Paul is already one of the most talked-about boxers in the world, even with only two pro fights. The polarizing YouTube and social media star is coming off a second-round knockout Saturday of Nate Robinson, the former NBA player, on the very successful Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. undercard. Now?
1:00 PM ET Yair Rodriguez is in hot water with the UFC’s anti-doping partner, though he has not tested positive for any banned substance. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has suspended Rodriguez, a popular featherweight fighter, for six months due to a whereabouts violation, USADA announced Thursday. Rodriguez is ineligible to compete until March
9:52 PM ET Khabib Nurmagomedov plans on keeping busy in retirement. And one of his planned tasks? Helping to get mixed martial arts into the Olympics. The current UFC lightweight champion, who announced his retirement in October, said at a press conference Tuesday in Uzbekistan that he is already working behind the scenes in an
8:22 PM ET Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw surrendered his 135-pound title in 2019 due to a two-year doping suspension, not a loss. Now that the suspension is nearly over, he believes he should get an immediate shot at regaining the belt he never actually lost in competition. Dillashaw (16-4) was suspended by the United
8:07 AM ET There’s been a lot of talk about how successful an athlete can be crossing over between boxing and MMA, well Claressa Shields is going to put her combat skills to that test. The No. 1 pound-for-pound female boxer in the world has signed a multi-year deal with the PFL, and she plans
3:07 PM ET The highly anticipated Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight isn’t happening on Dec. 19 after all. The main event fight, which was slated to be the UFC’s final one in 2020, has been canceled after Edwards recently tested positive for COVID-19, sources told ESPN. The promotion is hoping to rebook the fight
7:45 PM ET Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has decided to squeeze one more appearance into 2020, on less than three weeks’ notice. Pettis (23-10) will face Alex Morono (18-6) at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas. Contracts have not been signed, but both sides have agreed to the welterweight matchup.
8:57 AM ET Alexander Volkanovski is tracking towards his second UFC featherweight world title defense, yet there is a greater goal bubbling away under the surface for the 32-year-old Australian: a move up to lightweight. Volkanovski couldn’t care less if that’s something fans aren’t taking seriously. In fact he’s ready to use it as further
9:44 PM ET Claressa Shields, arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound female boxer in the world, has signed an exclusive, multiyear contract with PFL that will see her transition to professional mixed martial arts, sources confirmed to ESPN. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing, Shields, 25, will not compete in PFL’s traditional “season format” in