MMA

Conor McGregor laid on the mat of the UFC Octagon looking toward the ceiling, his hands clasped behind his head. It was March 5, 2016, and McGregor’s chest was heaving with deep breath after deep breath. The mixed martial arts superstar had just suffered his first UFC loss, a second-round submission defeat against Nate Diaz.

Paul Varelans, a well-known name from the UFC’s early days, died Saturday after a battle with COVID-19, his live-in girlfriend, Kim Watson, confirmed to ESPN on Monday. He was 51 years old. Varelans was admitted in December to Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta with coronavirus and was subsequently put into a medically induced coma,

Michael Chiesa meets Neil Magny in the welterweight main event of a midweek matinee UFC Fight Night on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The fights will be broadcast on both ESPN and ESPN+, with the main card starting at noon ET and the prelims at 9 a.m. ET. Chiesa (17-4) is 3-0 since

MGM GRAND GARDEN Arena was packed with great fighters that night. It was Sept. 27, 2014, and the headline bout of UFC 178 had a championship at stake. The Las Vegas spotlight was also shining on the return of a long-gone former champ. There were even three future titleholders sprinkled throughout the undercard. One of

The last time I spoke to Conor McGregor in person was on Jan. 18, 2020. It was moments after his electrifying 40-second TKO of Donald Cerrone in Las Vegas. We were in his locker room inside the T-Mobile Arena. He was happy, but not overly so. Excited. Somewhat emotional. Most of all, he seemed appreciative

Undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov left the door open for a return to the Octagon. Promotion president Dana White said that if the two lightweight fights next week — Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler — are spectacular, Nurmagomedov would consider coming back to fight one of the winners.

With 90 seconds left in his fight Saturday, Max Holloway turned away from his opponent, Calvin Kattar, and told the broadcast team cageside that he is the best boxer in the UFC. On ABC, the network that has been a home for boxing since the 1940s, Holloway more than proved his point with his punches.

The UFC featherweight title will be defended on March 27, as the promotion has booked champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega for UFC 260, sources told ESPN. The hope is for the 145-pound title fight to serve as the co-main event for a card headlined by Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 for the heavyweight

This fight was supposed to happen just over seven years ago, amid great anticipation. Back in late 2013, Carlos Condit was just a year removed from a challenge for UFC welterweight championship, and he was on an eight-fight run during which his only defeats had come against champion Georges St-Pierre and future champ Johny Hendricks.

Ryan Garcia believes he’ll be done with boxing early. He plans to retire at the age of 26. But the red-hot prospect is not saying he’ll give up all combat sport at that time. The popular Garcia said on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday that he will consider moving over to MMA following his

As the UFC looks to kick off 2021 with two elements that were sorely lacking for most of 2020 — Conor McGregor and fans in attendance — this brief pause in the calendar offers the perfect window to take stock and look ahead. So who will have the best year of all? After a 2020

The UFC has “essentially” struck marijuana as a punishable offense in its anti-doping policy, the promotion and anti-doping partner USADA announced Thursday. Beginning retroactively Jan. 1, a positive drug test for carboxy-THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, will no longer be considered a violation — unless USADA is able to prove that an athlete intentionally

As the UFC looks to kick off 2021 with two elements that were sorely lacking for most of 2020 — Conor McGregor and fans in attendance — this brief pause in the calendar offers the perfect window to take stock and look ahead. So who will have the best year of all? After a 2020

The UFC is looking to get involved with research into psychedelic drugs as a therapy for fighters’ brain health. The promotion has been in contact with Johns Hopkins University about its psychedelics studies with an eye toward seeing if the drugs can be helpful for fighters dealing with brain issues, UFC president Dana White told

Will the third time be the charm for Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev? UFC is hoping so. The promotion has rebooked the welterweight fight for March 13, sources confirmed to ESPN. The bout will serve as the main event of a UFC Fight Night card. Edwards-Chimaev was originally set for Dec. 19 but was rescheduled

As the UFC looks to kick off 2021 with two elements that were sorely lacking for most of 2020 — Conor McGregor and fans in attendance — this brief pause in the calendar offers the perfect window to take stock and look ahead. So who will have the best year of all? After a 2020

Pat Miletich, the first UFC welterweight champion and one of the most decorated coaches in MMA history, announced in an Instagram video that he was fired by Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) for being present at the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The Hall of Famer has been a color commentator for MMA

When Max Holloway leaves the Octagon after Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event, he could be the loser of three straight and four of five. That would be quite a cliff from which one of the sport’s most prestigious careers would be dangling. Calvin Kattar, meanwhile, is trying to build his resume. He’s won four