4:59 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a welterweight bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa on Jan. 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina, per sources. Contracts have not yet been signed, but both sides have agreed to the bout. The 170-pound contest will take place at UFC Fight Night inside PNC Arena.
MMA
9:19 AM ET UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has her next assignment. Shevchenko is scheduled to meet top contender Katlyn Chookagian on Feb. 8, sources told ESPN. The fight will be on a pay-per-view, but it’s unclear whether it will be labeled UFC 246 or 247. That decision hinges on whether Conor McGregor returns
5:00 PM ET Three fighters who competed in the PFL playoffs last month failed drug tests and are facing discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Glaico Franca and Luis Rafael Laurentino both tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol and Ramsey Nijem tested positive for marijuana, NSAC chief assistant Jeff Mullen told ESPN
7:10 PM ET Retirement, especially in combat sports, is a fickle thing. Sometimes we believe it’s real, but more often we don’t because, well, it’s not. As you know, MMA produces incredible highs and lows, and sometimes a retirement announcement comes from the emotion developed during those lows. It is understandable. When I started doing
11:03 AM ET Ben Askren‘s legacy is different things to different people. To those who saw him as a loud-mouthed, over-hyped, boring wrestler, his retirement Monday likely was met with a shrug and declaration that his 1-2 record in the UFC defined a failed stint against MMA’s best. But to others, Askren was more than
5:30 AM ET An amateur mixed martial arts fighter has died in England after suffering a brain injury during a match. Saeideh Aletaha, 26, was competing at a Fast and Furious Fight Series (FFS) event in Southampton’s Central Hall on Saturday when she was critically injured. She was taken to hospital following the fight, but
11:00 AM ET Yoel Romero has lost three of his past four fights, yet the former Cuban Olympic wrestler seems to be a popular choice when it comes to being the next challenger for Israel Adesanya‘s UFC middleweight championship. Does the “Soldier of God” think he’ll be the next challenger? Adesanya said he’ll be willing
5:30 PM ET Jeff Wagenheim The final act in the Ben Askren story encapsulated the essence of a career that had as many twists and turns as the mop of hair on his head. There he was on the canvas in the center of the Octagon on Oct. 19, immobilized on his back, staring helplessly
2:47 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi on Feb. 8, according to multiple sources. Contracts have yet to be signed, but both sides have agreed to the matchup. The UFC has not yet announced an event or venue for the date of Feb. 8,
1:29 PM ET Ben Askren announced his retirement from the UFC on Monday, just a little more than a year after joining the promotion with considerable fanfare. “I’m retiring from the sport of MMA,” Askren said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “Frankly, I’m retiring from everything.” Askren, who said he needs a hip replacement, was