MMA

10:08 AM ET Bellator MMA has added a middleweight title fight to its first major event of 2023, promotional officials told ESPN on Tuesday. Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will seek his first title defense against Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event of Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 in the Los Angeles area. The event will

9:43 PM ET David Purdum Close ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008 Marc Raimondi The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has suspended UFC fighter Jeff Molina, according to Molina’s page on official MMA online recordkeeper mixedmartialarts.com. The reason for the suspension is not listed. A source with access

6:54 PM ET Stephan Bonnar, who helped launch the UFC into the mainstream with his fight against Forrest Griffin in the finals of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, died at age 45, the promotion announced Saturday. Bonnar died of presumed heart complications while at work, according to the UFC. Bonnar and

12:36 PM ET Two of the best bantamweights in the world will meet early next year, potentially with a title shot on the line. Marlon “Chito” Vera will face Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, the UFC announced Friday on social media. Sources told ESPN

7:52 AM ET The sport of mixed martial arts is never dull and 2022 was a perfect example of that. In the span of four months, three of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world weren’t just beaten, but finished. The year started with Francis Ngannou, the hardest puncher in UFC history, using wrestling and

12:53 PM ET Taila Santos has more work to do before getting a rematch with champion Valentina Shevchenko. Santos will take on top prospect Erin Blanchfield on a UFC Fight Night card Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, multiple sources confirmed with ESPN, including Blanchfield’s rep Oren Hodak of KOReps. Blanchfield first mentioned the matchup on

3:59 PM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Zion Clark, a former college wrestler born with no legs, made his professional MMA debut a success Saturday. Clark, who was born with a rare disorder that affects fetal development, won a unanimous decision over nondisabled opponent Eugene Murray at an event in San Diego called Gladiator Challenge: Seasons Beatings.

2:43 PM ET A highly anticipated middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will not happen at UFC 284 as planned, sources told ESPN. The UFC still has the 185-pound contest officially listed on its website for the UFC 284 event, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 11 in Perth, Australia, but

10:36 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The UFC’s final fight of 2022 came down to the scorecards on Saturday, as former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland via split decision. Cannonier (16-6) out-pointed Strickland (25-5) over the course of a five-round main event that took place almost exclusively on the feet. Judges Derek

10:35 PM ET Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm will return to the Octagon against Yana Kunitskaya on March 25, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Holm (14-6) has not fought since May because of an undisclosed injury that required surgery earlier this year. The 41-year-old former professional boxing champion told ESPN in September she expected