MMA

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJun 5, 2023, 12:08 PM ET The UFC will return to the City of Lights this summer. The promotion announced Monday it will be making its return to Paris on Sept. 2 for a Fight Night card at Accor Arena. It will be only the second UFC event ever in France,

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJun 4, 2023, 12:54 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun LAS VEGAS — Iraq’s Amir Albazi picked up a massive win in the UFC’s flyweight division, as he narrowly edged former title challenger Kai Kara-France via split decision at UFC

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterJun 1, 2023, 06:37 PM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun A marquee heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida will headline a UFC Fight Night in November, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. Contracts have not been issued,

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterMay 31, 2023, 12:11 PM ET UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili won’t be back in the Octagon until later in the year. Dvalishvili recently had surgery on his right hand is currently sporting a cast, his manager Oren Hodak of KO Reps confirmed Wednesday with ESPN. Hodak said Dvalishvili will be

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterMay 26, 2023, 07:40 AM ET Close Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Jared Allen entered U.S. Bank Stadium’s field last year the same way he went into retirement — on horseback. Cowboy hat on his head, sport coat

Andres Waters May 30, 2023, 11:30 PM ET ESPN’s “The Ultimate Fighter” is back, as the reality show returned in dramatic fashion with two polarizing fighters in the sport, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, taking over to coach the two teams for Season 31. (Watch the replay of the first episode of TUF 31 on

May 29, 2023, 09:00 AM ET For the entirety of its era-bridging run as a reality TV show — 30 seasons over 18 years — “The Ultimate Fighter” has served dual purposes. Ostensibly, it is a talent search, sorting out mostly up-and-coming fighters in order to freshen the UFC roster and perhaps unearth a gem.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterMay 27, 2023, 06:11 AM ET Former Bellator champions AJ McKee and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire will compete in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals July 30 at the storied Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo in one of the headlining fights for a card billed as Bellator x Rizin 2, it

Reed Kuhn Close Reed Kuhn Special to ESPN.com Reed Kuhn is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and strategy and analytics consultant. He is the author of “Fightnomics: The Hidden Numbers and Science in Mixed Martial Arts,” the first book to quantify drivers and performance metrics in combat sports. Ian Parker May 25, 2023, 09:26 AM ET

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterMay 23, 2023, 09:33 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun WHEN FRANCIS NGANNOU officially announced he’d signed with the PFL earlier this month, he promised the deal would allow the next chapter of his career to be “tremendous.” Under the