Tyron Woodley told ESPN's Ariel Helwani he is still recovering from a hand injury. He had surgery after his fight against Darren Till in September but has not been cleared to return to action. He expects to next fight in the first quarter of 2019.

Greg Rosenstein, ESPN Staff Writer17h ago

Gunnar Nelson (17-3-1) defeated Alex Oliveira (19-6) by second-round submission. After a hard elbow opened up a cut on Oliveira's face, Nelson took his back for a rear-naked choke. It was his third win in his last four matchups.

Greg Rosenstein, ESPN Staff Writer2d ago

Hakeem Dawodu won his second straight fight and looked dominant doing it -- at least to two of the judges. Dawodu (9-1-1) peppered Kyle Bochniak with punches and kicks for all three rounds of their featherweight bout and left him a bloody mess on the way to an odd split decision -- two official scorecards agreed with ESPN’s 30-27 tally, but the other judge had it 29-28 for Bochniak (8-4), who lost his second straight.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN2d ago

Light heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago Santos -- Round 2: The fighters continued to throw big shots at each other, with both Manuwa and Santos looking like they were one good shot from falling. The fight ended up with Manuwa’s back against the cage and Santos throwing shots. Manuwa’s head movement dodged one, two, three, four wild punches, but the fifth, a monstrous left hook, connected flush on the chin and collapsed Manuwa to the canvas. KO for Thiago Santos (20-6) at 41 seconds of Round 2.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN2d ago

Nina Ansaroff scored the biggest win of her career, withstanding an early barrage to earn a unanimous decision over Claudia Gadelha, No. 4 in the ESPN strawweight rankings. Ansaroff (10-5) looked overwhelmed by the aggressiveness of Gadelha (16-4) at the start, but once she found her rhythm and range, she peppered the Brazilian with kicks, counterpunches and a steady diet of jabs to take control of the fight and win her fourth in a row.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN2d ago

Gilbert Burns floored Olivier Aubin-Mercier twice with punches, wrestled him to the mat three times and controlled him on the canvas and nearly choked him out on the way to a clear decision win in a lightweight prelim. Both fighters came into the fight off losses, and Burns (15-3) got back on track with a dominant performance.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN2d ago

It's been decisions, decisions for Jessica Eye in the UFC of late. After losing four of them in a row, Eye (14-6, 1 NC) got the judges' nod for the third straight time, edging Katlyn Chookagian by split decision in their flyweight prelim. Chookagian (11-2) had won three in a row -- all decisions.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN2d ago

Austin Vanderford announced on ESPN's Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Monday that he will be signing with Bellator. Vanderford is 6-0 as a professional, most recently defeating Edmilson Freitas by first-round KO. He is married to UFC fighter Paige VanZant.

Greg Rosenstein, ESPN Staff Writer8d ago

UFC welterweight title contender Kamaru Usman told ESPN he would be open to fighting next month at UFC 233 in Anaheim, California if it is for a chance at the belt. Usman is coming off a unanimous decision win against Rafael dos Anjos last weekend and has won 13 straight fights.

Greg Rosenstein, ESPN Staff Writer8d ago

Jake Hager, known to WWE fans as Jack Swagger, said during an appearance on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Monday that he will make his MMA debut on Jan. 26 against heavyweight JW Kiser at Bellator 214. The Inglewood, California, event will be headlined by the Heavyweight Grand Prix final between Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader. Hager, 36, wrestled and played football at the University of Oklahoma.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN8d ago

Middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan (7-0) stays undefeated with a hard-nosed split decision win over Darren Stewart at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in Las Vegas. Shahbazyan, 22, had to work for this one. In the end it was the commitment to his wrestling that got him through. Stewart did a nice job defending takedowns overall, but in a close fight, Shahbazyan's ability to grapple when he most needed it got the win.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer10d ago

Featherweight Kevin Aguilar (16-1) wins his UFC debut against Rick Glenn at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in Las Vegas. Back and forth battle, but Aguilar ends up winning 30-27 on all three scorecards. Solid debut by the 30-year-old Texan.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer10d ago

Heavyweight Junior dos Santos (20-5) scores a huge win on the road. Finishes Tai Tuivasa via TKO in the second round at UFC Fight Night in Australia. Tuivasa had the momentum, but got caught by a couple good punches and made mistakes trying to make up for it. Walked into more shots. JDS ends up in mount, finishes the fight.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (26-11) defeats Tyson Pedro (7-3) via TKO in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night in Adelaide, Australia. The finish came shortly after Pedro appeared to suffer some sort of leg injury. Rua was a 4-to-1 betting underdog in the bout. At 37, he's won four of his last five bouts.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Heavyweight Mark Hunt didn't have it tonight. Takes a decision loss to Justin Willis. Hunt basically walked into Willis punches, with no game plan or purpose. This was the final fight on his contract. Thanks the UFC and the fans in attendance and says, 'I'll see you somewhere else." Most likely the end of his time with the UFC.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Welterweight Tony Martin (15-4) submits Jake Matthews (14-4) via anaconda choke in the third round of UFC Fight Night in Adelaide, Australia. Big time win for Martin. Matthews is a talented 24-year-old with a lot of experience, fighting at home in Australia. Martin was clipped early in the fight, but turns in a well-rounded effort to get the late finish. That's three wins in a row for Martin, and six wins in his last seven.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Featherweight prospect Sodiq Yusuff (8-1) knocks out Suman Mokhtarian (8-1) at 2:14 of the opening round at UFC Fight Night in Adelaide, Australia. Bit of a controversial stoppage, as Mokhtarian appeared to still have some life when the referee stepped in. Aside from that, incredibly impressive performance by the 25-year-old. Dangerous striking showcased by Yusuff.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Undefeated Aussie Jim Crute (9-0) submits Paul Craig (10-3) via kimura in the third round of their light heavyweight fight at UFC Fight Night in Adelaide, Australia. Promising showing by the 22-year-old. Some back and forth grappling exchanges, but it's Crute who gets the sixth finish of his career. Nearly submitted Craig in the first round with an arm-triangle, too. UFC is always in need of new blood at 205 pounds, perhaps Crute can make some noise going into 2019.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer9d ago

Spain's Juan Espino (9-1) submits Justin Frazier (10-3) via straight armbar 3:36 of the first round, to win the 28th season of The Ultimate Fighter. A 38-year-old heavyweight, Espino is the oldest fighter to ever win TUF. Espino trains out of American Top Team and out-grappled Frazier en route to the win.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer10d ago

Fun female featherweight TUF finale in Las Vegas. Macy Chiasson hurts Pannie Kianzad on the feet, nearly gets caught in an armbar on the ground, escapes and finishes the fight with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Chiasson wins the 28th season of TUF. Hosting a 145-pound female tournament on TUF is one of the strongest actions of support the UFC has done for that weight class to date.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer10d ago

John Salter finished Chidi Njokuani with a rear-naked choke at 4:32 of Round 1 in the middleweight main event of Bellator 210 on Friday night at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Salter (16-4) has had a knockout or submission in all six of his Bellator wins.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN10d ago

Former bantamweight champion Joe Warren verbally submitted to Shawn Bunch at 1:42 of the first round of their Bellator 210 prelim on Friday night in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Warren, 42, appeared to suffer a neck or shoulder injury before turning away from the fight, prompting the referee to step in. A Bellator spokesman said Warren was transported to a hospital for precautionary reasons.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN10d ago

Chuck Liddell suffered his fourth straight loss (all by knockout); third straight first-round KO loss. For Tito Ortiz it was his first knockout win since October 2006 in his third fight with Ken Shamrock. Liddell had knocked out Ortiz in each of their first two meetings (2004 and 2006).

Andres Ferrari, ESPN Editor16d ago

Alistair Overeem welcomed Sergey Pavlovich to the UFC by handing the Russian heavyweight his first defeat, taking down Pavlovich midway through the first round and getting the ground-and-pound TKO at 4:21 in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Beijing. Overeem (44-17, 1 NC) ended a two-fight losing streak.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN17d ago

Twenty-year-old Song Yadong, in his 19th professional fight, moved to 3-0 in the UFC with a unanimous-decision bantamweight win over Vince Morales at Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Beijing. For Song (14-3, 2 NC), who trains with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, it was his first UFC bout to go the distance.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN17d ago

Beijing-based welterweight Li Jingliang overcame an early knockdown and scored a late stoppage in his hometown, flooring David Zawada with a body kick and getting the TKO at 4:07 of Round 3 in the opening bout of the UFC Fight Night main card Saturday at Cadillac Arena.

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN17d ago

Light heavyweight Johnny Walker (16-3) delivers a stunning, short elbow knockout over Khalil Rountree (7-3) at UFC Fight Night in Argentina. First round. Walker hit Rountree with a head kick, followed it moments later with a short elbow in the clinch that put Rountree down. What a UFC debut for Walker.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer23d ago

UFC newcomer Ian Heinisch (13-1) picks up a decision win against Cezar Ferreira (13-7) at UFC Fight Night in Argentina. Heinisch, of Englewood, Colorado, took this fight on short notice. Heinisch dropped him Ferreira with a right hand in the second round and kept up the pace in the third. He is a former inmate at Rikers Island, who fled the country earlier in his life to avoid legal trouble from selling drugs. He was a contestant on Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series earlier this year.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer23d ago

Ecuadorian bantamweight Marlon Vera (14-5-1) taps Guido Cannetti (8-4) in the second round of UFC Fight Night in Argentina, via rear-naked choke. Vera mounted the comeback after a tough first round, in which Cannetti landed some hard punches on the feet. Afterwards, Vera calls for a fight in Ecuador, a country the UFC has never visited.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer23d ago

Strawweight Cynthia Calvillo (7-1) submits Poliana Botelho (7-2) via rear-naked choke in the first round. Big win for Calvillo, who missed time this year due to a suspension for marijuana metabolites. Calvillo also missed weight this week, and looked very bad at weigh-ins. No ill effects tonight. Worked the takedown and out-grappled Botelho, as she's done with other UFC opponents. Impressive win at UFC Fight Night in Argentina.

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer23d ago