5+ hour, 13+ min ago (514+ words) Jai Opetaia plans to begrudgingly fly to Los Angeles and bail up his next target in person after the Australian declared he wouldn't be rushed out of achieving his cruiserweight unification dream. The unbeaten IBF and The Ring champion will make a mandatory defence of his belts against Turkish challenger Huseyin Cinkara (23-0) on December 6 on the Gold Coast. It will be his eighth fight since first winning both belts more than three years ago and comes after thunderous knockouts in his only two appearances in 2025 improved him to 28-0. But the 30-year-old has been unable to unify his belts with those wins, with Opetaia's ruthless power and Australia's relatively small commercial market combining to scare off other belt holders. Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez, owner of the WBO and WBA straps, is the biggest culprit having announced a defence for May next year…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (489+ words) The UFC might have determined two No. 1 contenders on Saturday, as lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and welterweight Ian Machado Garry each turned in breakout performances. Tsarukyan (23-3) submitted Dan Hooker (24-13) in the second round of the main event of UFC Fight Night inside ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar. And in the co-main event, Machado Garry (17-1) cruised to a three-round decision over former champion Belal Muhammad (24-5). Tsarukyan has now won five fights in a row and has his sights on defending 155-pound champion Ilia Topuria, saying he would face him as quickly as January if the UFC sends him a contract. "We have to face each other, there is only one No. 1 contender and it's Arman Tsarukyan," Tsarukyan said of Topuria. "Don't make an easy fight. I'm ready, end of January. Send me the contract and I'll be there." Topuria has not fought…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago (246+ words) Most Valuable Promotions has revealed the undercard for Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami, which will air live on Netflix. Both Silva and Woodley have lost to Paul in the past. Silva dropped a narrow unanimous decision to Paul in 2022 while Woodley lost both of his fights to "The Problem Child," a split decision in Aug. 2021 and a brutal knockout loss in the rematch in Dec. 2021. "I believe that change always happens for a reason," said Silva in a statement. "I am focused on doing a good job. Always respecting my opponent and showing total respect to the boxing world." Weidman was forced out of the fight against Silva due to injury. Woodley held the UFC welterweight title from 2016 to 2019 and hopes to pick up his first win in a boxing ring against one…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago (197+ words) WBC junior lightweight champion Subriel Matias' second title reign might be in jeopardy without a single title defense. Matias (23-2, 22 KOs) tested positive for a banned substance in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test ahead of his title defense against Dalton Smith scheduled for Jan. 10 in Brooklyn. Matias' positive test was for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine, a source confirmed to ESPN. Ring Magazine first reported the substance for which Matias tested positive. Matias will have until Dec. 1 to request a test of his B-sample. Matias, 33, won the title for a second time when he defeated Alberto Puello in July. The positive test not only puts the Jan. 10 fight in jeopardy, but Matias could also be stripped of his title should his B-sample come back positive. It is rare that the B-sample isn't consistent with the A-sample. Ostarine is the substance Ryan Garcia…...

4+ day, 13+ hour ago (194+ words) WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez will put his title on the line on Saturday, Nov. 22, against Anthony Yarde. Benavidez will look to keep his perfect record intact, while Yarde will attempt to win his first world title. The event will take place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out more information on this weekend's boxing action below: What is the full card? What time are the fights? David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde (for WBC light heavyweight title): 9 p.m. Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney (for WBO welterweight title): 8 p.m. Jesse Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez (for WBA, WBC, WBO junior bantamweight titles): 7 p.m. Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes (for WBO lightweight title): 6 p.m. Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Samuel Nmomah: 5 p.m. Mohammed Alakel vs. Jiaming Li: 4:30 p.m. Sultan Almohammed vs. Umesh Chavan: 4 p.m. Julio Porras Ruiz vs. Pius Mpenda: 3:30 p.m. Juan Carlos Guerito vs. Barker Ssewanyana: 3 p.m. The…...

4+ day, 13+ hour ago (812+ words) Daniel Cormier speaks about Jon Jones' decision to retire without fighting Tom Aspinall. (2:52) Jon Jones has addressed turning down $30 million (23m) to fight Tom Aspinall. Jones abruptly retired amid talk that he could fight Britain's Aspinall in a defence of his UFC heavyweight championship. Aspinall was left frustrated and inactive while Jones was rumoured to have rejected a colossal pay-day to accept the fight. Jones has confirmed for the first time that he rejected the fortune to fight Aspinall -- and explained why. "My goals aren't traditional anymore," he told the Geoffrey Woo podcast. "Most fighters wouldn't turn down $30m, they just wouldn't do that. My goals are different these days. "The White House would be something for my personal list." But UFC CEO Dana White has insisted Jones will not be a part of the company's plans for a huge fight card…...

4+ day, 15+ hour ago (485+ words) Lightweight contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker will square off in the main event of UFC Fight Night at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday (1 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 10 a.m. on ESPN+). Tsarukyan is making his first Octagon appearance of the year after an injury forced him to withdraw from a title shot at UFC 311 in January. He has won each of his past four fights. Hooker also comes into the fight with some momentum, riding a three-fight winning streak. Neither fighter is in ESPN's divisional rankings. MMA analysts and commentators provide their predictions for the main and co-main events, and ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the value bets available on the card. I'm not sure that Hooker can stop Tsarukyan's takedowns. Tsarukyan will be the better grappler out there, but if Hooker can defend…...

5+ day, 1+ hour ago (294+ words) Sam Noakes believes his physicality will break down Abdullah Mason in Saturday's WBO world lightweight title fight. Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs), 28, from Maidstone in Kent, England, boxes for the vacant title against highly-rated 21-year-old Mason (19-0, 17 KOs), from Ohio, in Saudi Arabia. Slick southpaw Mason is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport today, and earlier this week was ranked No. 6 in ESPN's Top 25 Under 25 in boxing. Noakes, who used to work as a roofer, has gone the 12-round distance twice, while Mason has yet to go past Round 6 and the English boxer hopes his physicality will be decisive in the later rounds. "I feel like it could not have been a better time for me to be fighting for a world title, he thinks it's the right time for but unfortunately for him there's only going to be one…...

5+ day, 11+ hour ago (309+ words) UFC strawweight contender Iasmin Lucindo has withdrawn from her scheduled Dec. 13 bout due to a failed drug test, which her team is investigating as a potential contaminated supplement case ... UFC strawweight Iasmin Lucindo was forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout next month due to a failed drug test, which her team is investigating as a potential contaminated supplement case. Lucindo (18-6) was scheduled to face Gillian Robertson (16-8) at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 13, but was removed from the bout after she tested positive for traces of the anabolic steroid mesterolone, her team confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. The 23-year-old has been placed under temporary suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, while her team investigates the cause of the failed test. Lucindo denies knowingly ingesting the banned substance. "Iasmin has not knowingly used any prohibited substances and based on the…...

6+ day, 12+ hour ago (455+ words) Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez has given himself two fights to clean up the junior bantamweight division before moving up a weight class. The San Antonio, Texas-based boxer faces Fernando Daniel Martinez for three world title belts at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, part of a stacked card that also features David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde (light heavyweight) and Brian Norman vs Devin Haney (welterweight) in world title fights. WBC, WBO champion Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs), 25, stopped Phumelela Cafu in Round 10 to win a second title in July and is currently ranked No. 5 in ESPN's pound-for-pound list ahead of facing Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs), 34, from Buenos Aires in Argentina, who has made four title defences in his reign as WBA champion. If he beats Martinez, Bam will need one more belt to achieve his goal of being the undisputed champion at 115 pounds. Willibaldo Garcia…...