Zain Bando writes for The Sporting News as a freelance contributor. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
Bando has covered Illinois, Northwestern and Kansas State athletics throughout his career, with the Big Ten conference serving as his primary focus.
He covers MMA and boxing for MMA Knockout On Sports Illustrated.
Bando hosts two weekly podcasts for the Empty The Bench Podcast Network: “Bando’s Breakdowns” and “The MMA Outsiders.” Both shows air on YouTube and release on podcast platforms on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
A Chicago suburban native, Bando holds memberships in the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
Since June 2019, his work has appeared across multiple platforms including MSN, Yardbarker, Deadspin, FanSided, BJPenn.com, Bridge Media Network, Mike Farrell Sports and Reuters.
When not writing, Bando watches old UFC fights, spends time with family and friends, memorizes Super Bowl details, and plans his future travel destinationsālaptop always in tow.
