[ad_1] Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis came roaring back to life on Saturday with a highlight-reel knockout against Stephen Thompson at UFC Fight Night in Nashville, Tennessee.Pettis, 32, went into the welterweight contest on a 3-6 skid. Part of the reason he even wanted the 170-pound fight, in fact, was the a lack of exciting options in his own 155-pound weight class. After that performance, the options for Pettis'
[ad_1] Former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis made a superhero splash in his welterweight debut Saturday, knocking out two-time title challenger Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson with a Superman counterpunch with five seconds left in the second round in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.Pettis, who previously had fought at 155 and 145 pounds, became just the third fighter to win in those UFC weight classes
[ad_1] 10:20 AM ETJeff WagenheimESPN Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event between Stephen Thompson and Anthony Pettis has the potential to take our breath away. What more can we ask from an MMA fight -- especially one that, much like a karate kick of "Wonderboy" Thompson or a taekwondo kick of "Showtime" Pettis, seemingly appeared out of nowhere?The UFC is now on ESPN and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ to get:
[ad_1] When Anthony Pettis challenged Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight title in 2013, his coach, Duke Roufus, publicly compared him to Michael Jordan.Roufus' comparison understandably drew some skepticism. Michael Jordan? As in, that Michael Jordan? At the time, Pettis was 26 years old and vying for his first UFC championship. Comparing him to one of the best athletes of all time felt a little ... premature.But looking back on
[ad_1] TJ Dillashaw relinquished his UFC bantamweight title championship Wednesday after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the New York State Athletic Commission informed him of an "adverse analytical finding" in a drug test dating back to his most recent fight, in January in Brooklyn. The NYSAC issued him a one-year suspension and $10,000 fine. The decision leaves many questions for UFC fans, including where Dillashaw goes from here and the
[ad_1] Nearly six years after winning the UFC lightweight title, Anthony Pettis will move up to 170 pounds and face former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Nashville (ESPN+, main card 8 p.m. ET). The two fighters share multiple stylistic quirks, which results in a rather even stat sheet. However, there are a few key disparities that could signal a path to victory
[ad_1] TJ Dillashaw is no longer the UFC bantamweight champion.Dillashaw (16-4) announced Wednesday morning that he has "voluntarily relinquished" the UFC's 135-pound title after he was informed by the New York State Athletic Commission and the United States Anti-Doping Agency of an "adverse finding in a test taken for my last fight." ESPN confirmed the validity of the statement via multiple sources. Dillashaw did not reveal any more information. NYSAC
[ad_1] The first time Iraqi-Canadian MMA fighter Randa Markos threw a punch, it was in a small ring in her high school in Windsor, Canada. It was after school, and she'd walked into a wrestling practice. She felt her entire body fill with joy -- there was something incredibly cathartic and freeing about the act.She ran home right after, needing to tell her parents what she'd just experienced."No, you're a
[ad_1] Jorge Masvidal picked up one of the biggest wins of his 16-year professional career at UFC Fight Night in London on Saturday -- and went straight into a backstage altercation with another welterweight. And believe it or not, that welterweight wasn't even Ben Askren, who flew to London for the sole purpose of picking a fight!There was a lot going on at UFC Fight Night on Saturday. What's next
[ad_1] Dana White isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The president of the UFC announced Monday that he has agreed to a new seven-year deal to continue running the world's leading mixed martial arts circuit."Ari Emanuel and I just signed a new seven-year deal, too," White said in an interview with Megan Olivi on the UFC YouTube channel. "So we're here for seven years. ESPN is here for seven years, and
