MMA

12:48 AM ET The path to the UFC lightweight title has gone through Dagestan for some time. And now so does the road to the No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking, once again. In a classic back-and-forth battle, Islam Makhachev pulled out a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) over Alexander Volkanovski to retain the lightweight title in

1:03 PM ET Amanda Serrano, the undisputed featherweight champion and No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, said Friday she is planning on making a return to mixed martial arts at some point in the future. Serrano, 34, has fought in mixed martial arts before, holding a 2-0-1 record in MMA and a 5-0 record

8:08 AM ET Alexander Volkanovski Alexander Volkanovski is ranked by ESPN as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s never lost in the UFC, compiling an impressive 12-0 record since his 2016 debut. The Australian has won 22 straight fights and owns four successful title defenses as the UFC featherweight champion. Yet, despite all

4:58 PM ET The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC), the organization that oversees athletic commissions in North America and beyond, is going to be giving fighters a seat at the table for the first time. The ABC is starting an athlete’s voice committee, which will have seven retired fighters as members, to

8:14 AM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN When an athlete wins a championship, those watching from the stands tend to view the achievement as an arrival at the ultimate destination. Some champions themselves even see it that way. They’ve elevated themselves above the masses, and their reign on higher ground is what will define their legacy. But

12:11 PM ET Sean O’Malley, one of the UFC’s top rising stars, confirmed Friday on his YouTube page that he has signed an eight-fight contract extension with the promotion. The top bantamweight contender didn’t disclose financial details of the deal, but said he negotiated without a manager and felt the UFC gave him the compensation

8:18 AM ET The UFC is will open its third Performance Institute training facility later this year, and the location will be in Mexico City, promotion officials told ESPN. The building is targeted to open in the fourth quarter of 2023. Currently, the UFC has Performance Institutes in Las Vegas and Shanghai, China. While the

8:33 PM ET Kevin Lee is heading back to the UFC, the former lightweight title challenger told ESPN on Monday. Lee, 30, says he has agreed to an exclusive deal with the UFC, a little more than one year after the promotion released him of his contract. Lee has not booked his return to the

2:12 PM ET Over three years since 57,127 fans crammed into Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, the UFC is officially finally back in Australia. Perth’s RAC Arena will on Sunday host UFC 284, headlined by the lightweight title fight between the champion Islam Makhachev and the challenger, Australia’s own Alexander Volkanovski. Will Volkanovski join rarefied company and

8:35 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Rankings are opinions. Opinions are debatable. Except for this one: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski is the No. 1 fight to watch at this weekend’s UFC 284. There’s simply no other way to stack up the event in Perth, Australia. Makhachev, 23-1 and a winner of his past 21 fights,