10:25 PM ET UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya has long targeted 2021 as the year he would move up and try to become a double champion, but the plan was always to challenge Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. But with Jones pursuing his first heavyweight bout, Adesanya will instead take on Jan Blachowicz

9:00 AM ET Mike Brown had a decision to make. In early November, the Japanese government announced that select noncitizens could enter the country for business purposes if they quarantined for two weeks before mixing with the general population. That meant Brown, one of American Top Team’s main coaches, would be able to corner one

7:19 AM ET Canceled cards, fights that never materialized and careers put on hold punctuated what UFC president Dana White described as his most challenging year. And while White was able to navigate the UFC through the pandemic with surprising success, several of his fighters will be looking at 2021 as a chance to put

1:16 PM ET A highly anticipated welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev on Jan. 20 is now off, after Chimaev was forced to withdraw for undisclosed reasons, sources confirmed. The 170-pound matchup was scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi. The UFC has not formally announced the cancellation

1:37 PM ET A high-profile middleweight tilt between 2020 breakout Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson will headline UFC Fight Night on March 20, sources told ESPN. Contracts have not yet been signed, but both sides have agreed to the five-round headliner. The UFC has not yet announced a location for the event. Holland (21-5) is

7:58 AM ET The UFC shouldn’t be short on excitement to open 2021. The promotion will head back to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to kick off its January schedule, with three compelling main events in an eight-day span. And each of those fights has title implications. The one that surely will

3:56 PM ET Former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has agreed to a new multifight deal with Professional Fighters League, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. He will take part in PFL’s 2021 season and will compete in the lightweight division. On Tuesday, Pettis, who recently fought out his UFC contract after an almost

8:47 PM ET It will no longer be “Showtime” in the Octagon. Anthony Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion, announced his departure from the UFC in social media posts Tuesday. Pettis, nicknamed “Showtime” for his flashy, exciting fighting style, wrote that he would be exploring free agency. “From being on MTV to the cover of

10:57 AM ET The UFC is officially headed back to Fight Island for its first slate of events in 2021, and it includes the return of former two-weight champion Conor McGregor. UFC president Dana White announced on Tuesday that McGregor’s nontitle lightweight fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on Jan. 23 will take place

8:31 AM ET In the past six months, the UFC has seen records fall for the fastest 3-0 start in modern history, most middleweight wins during that span and fastest turnaround for a champ. There have been viral knockouts, stunning submissions and dominance of title contenders. ESPN’s MMA Hot List features the top fighters over