9:20 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Cris “Cyborg” Justino has for years expressed a burning desire to venture beyond mixed martial arts and test herself in professional boxing. But the fact that she will be facing a two-time boxing world champion on Thursday night is not what she’s most excited about for Bellator 249. “No, it’s
MMA
11:44 AM ET For years, Khabib Nurmagomedov looked at Tony Ferguson as perhaps his greatest challenge in the UFC’s lightweight division. Those days, however, have come to an end. Nurmagomedov (28-0) will defend his 155-pound championship against Justin Gaethje (22-2) at UFC 254 on Oct. 24 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. He was scheduled to
12:45 PM ET Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza was the first UFC fighter to be pulled from a bout due to coronavirus back in May. Now, he will make his Octagon return. Souza, a perennial contender, will meet surging middleweight Marvin Vettori at UFC 256 on Dec. 12, sources told ESPN. No location has been officially set
7:57 PM ET Never say never in combat sports, but it appears Khabib Nurmagomedov is done with Conor McGregor. In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Nurmagomedov confirmed he nixed any plans of a reboot of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in 2021, which would have featured McGregor and him as opposing coaches. UFC president Dana
10:16 AM ET The UFC isn’t lacking intriguing main events for its remaining 2020 schedule. One of those, however, the Kamaru Usman–Gilbert Burns welterweight title fight, was recently postponed, and the UFC 256 card on Dec. 12 needs a new main event. Will the UFC turn to one of its most highly anticipated matchups —
7:44 PM ET Joaquin Buckley delivered a knockout that MMA fans won’t soon forget on Saturday. Buckley, who faced Impa Kasanganay in a middleweight bout on Yas Island — dubbed “Fight Island” by the UFC — finished it in the second round in unique fashion. Buckley threw a left high kick that Kasanganay caught with
11:46 PM ET It seemed as if Cory Sandhagen could sense that a finish was coming. The ESPN+ broadcast picked up Sandhagen shouting to his corner, “His orbital’s broke” in the second round of his fight with Marlon Moraes on Saturday. Moments later, wham! A spinning wheel kick from Sandhagen landed on the top of
4:42 PM ET The UFC bantamweight contender picture will gain some clarity Saturday night. Marlon Moraes meets Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The card will take place at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, which the UFC has dubbed “Fight Island,” the promotion’s international
10:40 PM ET Cory Sandhagen, like many other UFC fighters, wasn’t able to go to his gym early this year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the bantamweight contender was home, working striking techniques on an inanimate “body opponent bag.” One of the techniques he drilled ended up paying dividends at
7:00 PM ET Jeff Wagenheim Bellator MMA made history in Paris on Saturday, but many of the local fans at Accor Arena went home disappointed. Timothy Johnson eked out a split-decision victory over Paris-born veteran heavyweight Cheick Kongo in the main event of the first major mixed martial arts card ever held in France. France,