MMA

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 10, 2023, 08:23 PM ET A first-of-its-kind retirement fund for MMA fighters was signed into law Sunday in California by Gov. Gavin Newsom, per a news release Tuesday. The new law will go into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2024, according to California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive officer Andy Foster.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2023, 04:33 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Israel Adesanya‘s UFC career is seemingly on hold. The former UFC middleweight champion doesn’t plan to fight for a “long time,” he said Thursday on New Zealand’s “The Rock” radio show. Adesanya is coming off an upset loss last month to Sean

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 10, 2023, 11:12 PM ET The UFC’s next pay-per-view main event fell apart Tuesday, only for the promotion to put together arguably an even bigger fight. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is injured and out of the UFC lightweight title main event at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in

Alexander Volkanovski says he’s in a “no pressure headspace” ahead of his unexpectedly early re-match against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The Australian was vaulted into the main event at UFC 294 after Charles Oliveira‘s decision to withdraw from his fight against Makhachev (24-1), after suffering lacerations above his right eye in the final stages of

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 12, 2023, 08:21 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LAS VEGAS — The UFC has threatened legal action against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency following a statement USADA made Wednesday announcing an end to the partnership between the two organizations. UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell said at a news conference Thursday

Oct 10, 2023, 10:40 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Sodiq Yusuff meets Edson Barboza in the men’s featherweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. The fights at UFC Apex are on ESPN+, with the 7 p.m. ET main card preceded by prelims at 4 p.m. Yusuff (13-2) last fought just

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2023, 09:39 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Wednesday that UFC fighter Conor McGregor has officially returned to the drug-testing pool, the next step ahead of a potential return fight. But CEO Travis Tygart’s statement in an accompanying news release came with a caveat: USADA’s

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2023, 01:40 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The UFC will hold its first-ever event in Saudi Arabia on March 2, 2024, officials told ESPN on Wednesday. The card will be a Fight Night in conjunction with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season festival. According to a release, UFC president Dana White

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2023, 04:59 PM ET Open Extended Reactions UFC 294 has another major change — with another high-profile replacement stepping in. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will now fight Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of the card Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, UFC president Dana White announced Wednesday

Oct 10, 2023, 10:27 PM ET Another season of Dana White’s Contender Series is in the books, and with every passing year, this show receives more credibility based on the success of its alums. The show has produced two champions, current UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley and former light heavyweight title holder Jamahal Hill. Last