MMA

11:24 PM ET Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm has been forced to withdraw from a featherweight main event against Norma Dumont on Oct. 16, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The UFC is working on finalizing 26-year-old Aspen Ladd as a replacement to fight Dumont in the UFC Fight Night main event, sources said. Once

2:13 PM ET One top Bellator star will be defending her belt next month. Another will be giving up his title. Bellator president Scott Coker said Wednesday on The MMA Hour that Cris Cyborg will defend her women’s featherweight title against Sinead Kavanagh on Nov. 12 in Hollywood, Florida. Coker also announced that Patricio “Pitbull”

8:00 AM ET The UFC’s year-end slate is taking shape, and the promotion is already starting to fill in some big fights for 2022. Conspicuous by their absences are some prominent, pay-per-view-headlining-caliber names, including Nate Diaz, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-crowned BMF himself, Jorge Masvidal. Other stars, such as

12:26 PM ET The UFC has quickly rebooked a middleweight contest between Kyle Daukaus and Kevin Holland, after their first meeting ended in a no-contest at a UFC Fight Night last weekend. Contracts have not been signed, but both sides have verbally agreed to run it back on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas, multiple sources

4:02 PM ET In the wake of a fighter’s death, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) medical advisory committee has issued a statement urging athletic commissions to exercise caution when it comes to bare-knuckle fighting. In the statement written Tuesday by co-chairman and ringside physician Dr. Michael Schwartz and obtained by ESPN,

8:04 AM ET October got off to a less explosive than expected start in the world of MMA, as powerful strikers Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker fought cautiously and went the distance in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event. But a busy month of October has just begun. Holly Holm returns to featherweight and main

12:26 AM ET Dustin Poirier will indeed get his chance to hold UFC gold by the end of the year. Poirier (28-6) has agreed to challenge Charles Oliveira (31-8) for the lightweight championship at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. The matchup had been in talks for weeks, and Poirier told ESPN late last month there

4:39 PM ET Two of the most explosive knockout artists in the UFC light heavyweight division will go to battle this weekend. Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker meet Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas — and it would be shocking if the bout between the two natives of Brazil

9:58 PM ET A bout that was promoted as being a sure bet to produce fireworks ended up being a dud. Thiago Santos edged Johnny Walker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. The fight featured two of the most explosive knockout artists

7:36 PM ET Jeff Wagenheim Michael Page made up for his only career stumble by securing the biggest victory of his career on Friday in his hometown, edging three-time Bellator MMA welterweight champion Douglas Lima by split decision in the main event of Bellator 267 at Wembley Arena in London. In a highly competitive fight,

2:44 PM ET A women’s bantamweight fight between Aspen Ladd and Macy Chiasson is off this weekend’s UFC card after Ladd appeared shaky at the weigh-in. Ladd was unsteady on the scale Friday morning as Nevada State Athletic Commission chief assistant Jeff Mullen was attempting to register her weight. Every time Ladd attempted to put

7:30 AM ET In the UFC’s light heavyweight division, 40 is the new 30. The current champion, Jan Blachowicz, turns 39 years old in February. No. 1 contender Glover Teixeira, who will challenge Blachowicz for the title at UFC 267 on Oct. 30, is 41. Blachowicz and Teixeira both have exhibited longevity and perseverance. Blachowicz

2:30 PM ET Less than one week after an impressive victory at UFC 266 in Las Vegas, lightweight Dan Hooker has already accepted his next task — and it’s a big one. Hooker (21-10) has agreed to face Islam Makhachev (20-1) at UFC 267 on Oct. 30, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Thursday.

7:23 PM ET The UFC is finalizing a bantamweight fight between two exciting bantamweight prospects in Sean O’Malley and Raulian Paiva, multiple sources told ESPN. Once finalized, the 135-pound bout will take place at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. The UFC has not yet announced a location for that pay-per-view event, but it is expected

10:40 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim Douglas Lima is a master at rematches. A three-time Bellator MMA welterweight champion whose punches and kicks land with fight-ending power, he’s difficult enough to handle the first time you tussle with him. But if you find yourself facing Lima a second time? Watch out. Lima was in his second

5:42 PM ET The UFC has added another important bantamweight fight to its late-year slate. Former longtime UFC and WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will meet the surging Rob Font in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card Dec. 4 in Las Vegas, sources confirmed Tuesday with ESPN. The bout was first mentioned

4:45 PM ET Julia Budd, the former Bellator women’s featherweight champion, has signed a contract with PFL, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Budd will make her debut Oct. 27 on the undercard of PFL’s championship event in Hollywood, Florida, against an opponent to be determined. She will then be a part of PFL’s season structure

8:02 AM ET The main event and co-main event of UFC 266 featured big victories for reigning champions Alexander Volkanovski and Valentina Shevchenko, but the real stories of the weekend were Nick Diaz, making his return after a lengthy absence from the UFC, and Jon Jones, who after getting his fight inducted into the UFC