Joe Tessitore, sports anchor at WFSB, Channel 3, for the past eight years, is leaving the station for a full-time role at ESPN. His last telecast is tonight.

“The best part of this whole thing is I don’t have to move from Connecticut,” said Tessitore, who lives in Tolland.

ESPN hired Tessitore last year to anchor “Tuesday Night Fights,” which returns for a second season June 3 with a card at the Mohegan Sun. He also will replace Bob Papa on “Friday Night Fights,” starting June 6 with another Sun card. Papa recently signed a contract with NBC and is busy with the College Sports TV network.

Tessitore, 32 in July, also figures to pitch in on ESPN’s college football and basketball telecasts. He will depart as co-anchor on Channel 3’s UConn football telecasts with Eric Clemons.

“I’ll be flying back from location [on “Friday Night Fights”] so it would not be feasible,” Tessitore said.

It isn’t clear who will replace Tessitore, but Clemons, the weekend anchor, looks like he’ll get the nod.