10:54 AM ET A pair of rematches are slated to headline UFC 227 this weekend inside Staples Center in Los Angeles. Former teammates-turned-rivals TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt will meet in the main event Saturday in a rematch of a riveting fight at UFC 217 last November in New York. Dillashaw stunned then-champion Garbrandt with
MMA
4:06 PM ET Chamatkar Sandhu Michael Page has signed a new long-term deal with Bellator, and he’s on the verge of fighting Paul Daley in the first round of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix. In short, he’s a happy man. Page (13-0) says the new agreement won’t preclude him from continuing his boxing career, a
12:09 PM ET Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman has signed a deal with the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation (WBKFF) to compete in a boxing match later this year. Merriman, 34, has teased the possibility of competing in combat sports, notably mixed martial arts, for years. A three-time Pro Bowl selection with the San Diego
12:08 AM ET Prosecutors still intend to pursue domestic violence charges against Nick Diaz after a grand jury declined to indict the UFC fighter. Diaz was arrested in May and charged with domestic battery and felony domestic battery by strangulation. He was released from the Clark County Detention Center on an $18,000 bond. Diaz’s attorney,
12:00 PM ET Richard Mann In the main event of UFC 227, TJ Dillashaw will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against former champion and chief rival Cody Garbrandt. Dillashaw defeated Garbrandt for the title via second-round knockout in the co-main event of UFC 217. At a glance, the two fighters appear to be similar from
4:11 PM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN There’s nothing quite like the edgy anticipation of that first collision. Maybe it’s an invulnerable champion defending the belt against an unbeaten up-and-comer, or a pair of top-rung contenders who’ve been eyeing each other as each ascended the ladder meeting at the summit. Whatever confrontational crossroads gets the juices flowing,
5:41 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing an intriguing middleweight fight between Derek Brunson and Israel Adesanya for UFC 230 on Nov. 3 in New York, according to sources. Mark Henry, coach of UFC lightweight contender Eddie Alvarez, said he deserves the blame for his fighter losing on Saturday to Dustin Poirier. Max
4:43 PM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Eddie Alvarez was in the most dominant position in MMA when Saturday’s fight with Dustin Poirier took an instantaneous turn for the worse. While on top of Poirier and pinning him against the cage in the second round, Alvarez threw an illegal elbow that resulted in the fight being stood
4:09 PM ET UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani he is feeling much better after a health scare earlier this month and wants to defend the belt before the end of 2018. Holloway was forced to pull out of UFC 226’s co-main event with Brian Ortega just two days before the July
11:52 AM ET ESPN.com Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Monday marks another star-studded edition of ESPN’s newest podcast — Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. Dustin Poirier seized the opportunity, earning a TKO victory over Eddie Alvarez after Alvarez was called for an illegal strike. The show, aired live on Twitter, will feature current and