MMA

7:57 AM ET UFC fans are anxiously awaiting Conor McGregor‘s Octagon return, which is expected to be Jan. 23 vs. Dustin Poirier. But until bout agreements are signed, it’s not a done deal, and according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, this fight is not yet a done deal. So what happens if it falls through? And

7:18 PM ET Islam Makhachev‘s first appearance in a UFC main event will have to wait, as the lightweight has withdrawn from Saturday’s headliner with an undisclosed injury. Makhachev (18-1) was scheduled to face former champion Rafael dos Anjos (29-13) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas but was forced to withdraw on

2:03 AM ET ESPN’s panel of Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim break down the biggest stories coming out of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card, including a look at Glover Teixeira‘s third-round submission of Thiago Santos and what it means. Eight or so days ago, if you would have asked me who

1:09 AM ET Glover Teixeira is on the wrong side of 40 years old. He hasn’t fought for a title in more than five years. Yet, one of the most durable veterans in UFC history continues to put up victories against elite light heavyweights. Teixeira submitted Thiago Santos via rear-naked choke at 1:49 of the

5:44 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Two former UFC title challengers will look to strengthen their cases for a second championship attempt when light heavyweights Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira collide at UFC Fight Night on Saturday at the Apex. Santos (21-7) will be making his first appearance since he came up short in a

4:08 PM ET A fight is off Saturday’s UFC card due to a positive test for coronavirus. A middleweight bout between Ian Heinisch and Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Teixeira has been canceled Saturday afternoon, the UFC announced. The scrapping of the bout is due to a positive COVID-19 test “involving” Heinisch,

9:08 PM ET There was a time, not that long ago, when Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event between light heavyweights Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira looked like a No. 1 contender bout. That time, unfortunately, has passed. UFC president Dana White recently ended any speculation as to who will challenge light heavyweight champion Jan

4:05 PM ET UFC middleweight Darren Till has withdrawn from his scheduled UFC Fight Night main event against Jack Hermansson on Dec. 5 due to injury and had been replaced by surging contender Kevin Holland. An undisclosed injury officially knocked Till, of Liverpool, out of the 185-pound contest this week. All parties involved have already

1:00 PM ET A key bout canceled twice due to COVID-19 is now finally official. Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira both weighed in successfully Friday in Las Vegas for their light heavyweight contender bout. Santos and Teixeira each weighed 205.5 pounds, within the 206-pound non-title limit in the division. The two will meet in the

7:50 AM ET On July 6, 2019, Thiago Santos came closer than anyone else in the history of the UFC to legitimately defeating Jon Jones. Yes, Vitor Belfort had Jones in trouble with a submission attempt in 2012. Alexander Gustafsson beat him up pretty good in a unanimous-decision loss in 2013. And there are a

9:29 PM ET Corey Anderson‘s Bellator debut could not have gone more perfectly. Anderson destroyed combat sports veteran Melvin Manhoef via TKO at 2:34 of the second round in the main event of Bellator 251 on Thursday night. The card took place in a bubble setting at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Anderson, one of

10:07 AM ET UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz said he wants to wait until March before defending his belt against middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, who is looking to become the eighth fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously. Blachowicz, who beat Dominick Reyes for the title Sept. 26, and his wife are

10:03 PM ET UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya spent all week talking up his City Kickboxing teammate Carlos Ulberg, ahead of Ulberg’s appearance on Dana White Contender Series. Turns out, the champ wasn’t lying about his buddy’s potential. Ulberg (3-0) joined Adesanya amongst the UFC ranks on Wednesday, as he earned a UFC contract by

3:01 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a welterweight bout between Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Geoff Neal on Dec. 19, according to multiple sources. Once signed, the 170-pound bout will be added to the UFC’s final event of 2020, a UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Another high-profile welterweight matchup between Leon Edwards

8:22 AM ET Vince Murdock bears the scar of last year’s brain surgery, which threatened not just his MMA career, but his life. Courtesy of Vince Murdock KIRA MURDOCK STEPPED out of an elevator on the top floor of The Bank food hall in Sacramento, California. Wearing a flowing, white gown and veil, Murdock was expecting

4:36 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a flyweight fight between Katlyn Chookagian and Cynthia Calvillo for UFC 255 later this month, according to multiple sources. Contracts have not yet been signed, but the bout will take place on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas once it’s official. It’s good timing for the 125-pound

9:36 PM ET The UFC is close to finalizing a strawweight bout between Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas for UFC 257, according to multiple sources. The UFC 257 pay-per-view event is the first on the company’s 2021 schedule. The promotion has not announced a location for the event or a main event, although UFC president

2:53 PM ET Mike Perry will remain on the UFC 255 card after all. Perry vs. Tim Means has been booked for the Nov. 21 event, per sources. Means replaces Robbie Lawler, who withdrew from the fight last week. Means (30-12-1, 1 NC) is coming off a win over Laureano Staropoli via unanimous decision in