Fights

Kayla Harrison's UFC debut couldn't have possibly gone any better ... she dominated an MMA legend, and now the star fighter is telling us who she wants next!

33-year-old Harrison joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where she discussed everything from Holly Holm's strategy vs. her, to her big weight cut, and her next opponent.

"I heard that [Bantamweight champion] Raquel [Pennington] is feeling a little under the weather, not able to fight. So if she can't fight for the title, I would love to fight Juliana [Pena], whoever, I don't care. I would love to fight for that belt," Harrison said.

Justin Gaethje's UFC career is chock full of big fights, but he says none more important than his UFC 300 scrap with Max Holloway!

There's that much on the line.

"This is the biggest fight of my career," 35-year-old Gaethje, the #2 ranked lightweight, told TMZ Sports of Saturday's contest, continuing, "a loss here definitely takes away those aspirations of fighting for the gold. You know, a win here definitely solidifies that."

32-year-old Holloway, who is going up to 155 for the scrap, isn't ranked at lightweight ... but is the #2-ranked featherweight.

FYI, Justin is coming off an impressive win over star Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, and Rafael Fiziev before. JG's also beaten the likes of Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza, and Cowboy Cerrone in the UFC.

Max defeated "Korean Zombie" in August, and Arnold Allen in April 2023. Mas has beaten Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Anthony Pettis, and Jose Aldo (twice).

Justin, a slight favorite Saturday, believes a dub gets him a title shot against champ Islam Makhachev.

"I think I win this fight and my goal is to fight the champion at Madison Square Garden," Gaethje says.

We also talked to Justin about fighting on the historic card. UFC 1 was in November 1993 ... and now 30 years later, Gaethje is one of the premiere fights on the stacked card.

He talked about what it means to him.

"It's just a testament to what I've done here," Gaethje said.

"My first interaction with the UFC fans at a press conference, I said 'I'm the most violent lightweight on the planet and the most exciting,' and I think I've lived up to that. I've spoken it into reality. I'm the most consistent guy. I think that's why we're kind of the people's main event, because they know they're going to get a show."

It's a busy time for the Denver Nuggets ... the defending champs, on a quest to go back-to-back, are fighting for the number one seed in the West -- but that's not going to stop the defending champs from having a UFC 300 watch party, according to star Jamal Murray!

27-year-old Murray, a huge MMA fan, joined Babcock on TMZ Sports, and chopped it up while previewing the historic card ... which is going down Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for the NBA star, Jamal won't be able to attend the fights in person at T-Mobile Arena 'cause the Nuggets play the San Antonio Spurs in Texas on Friday and the Memphis Grizzlies in Tennessee on Sunday.

But, Murray has a Plan B.

"We'll do a little watch party," Jamal said, adding, "I think we got a little conference room set up in Memphis for the fights. I mean, the cards will be going on all day. So, yeah, some great fights, man. Some great fights!"

UFC 300 is a big deal for Dana White's organization ... and as you'd expect, the card's stacked! One of the big fights is Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway. We asked Jamal about the scrap.

"Justin, Max Holloway, that's going to be a very, very interesting fight because it can go so many different ways," the former 7th overall draft pick told us.

"I think Max is going to have to pull out all the tools to beat Gaethje, whereas Gaethje, he can more stand in the pocket and rely on his chin and his punches to win the fight at that weight. Whereas Max is going to have to be more technical and probably get some ground control, more knees, you know, just a little more tighter."

AEW aired footage of the physical altercation that led to CM Punk's firing from the promotion in 2023 on Wednesday ... showing the wrestling superstar shove and seemingly choke Jack Perry after a heated exchange.

The video was part of the AEW Dynamite event this week as part of the Young Bucks' current storyline against tag team FTR ... with YB claiming the incident was possibly orchestrated by their opponents --- blurring the lines between a real backstage incident with their ongoing TV feud.

The clip shows Punk approaching Perry backstage at the All-In event in London back in September ... and the two got on a passionate back-and-forth before things got violent.

Punk pushed Perry away from him ... and then proceeded to wrap his arms around his neck area.

The two needed to be separated by multiple bystanders ... and eventually, Punk stormed away from the scene.

It all stemmed from a previous incident at AEW's show, Collision -- when, according to Punk, Perry was hellbent on using real glass for a spot.

It led to a confrontation between them ... and then Perry went ahead and used real glass in a spot -- and told the camera, "Cry me a river," which Punk took as shade.

Punk -- who is back with WWE following his boot from AEW -- explained his side of the scuffle in an interview last week ... claiming he didn't feel like it was a fireable offense since he didn't punch Perry, just "choked somebody a little bit."

Ja Morant is one step closer to winning a lawsuit against the teenager who he punched during an altercation in a pickup basketball game two years ago ... a judge just ruled the NBA superstar was acting in self-defense when he hit the minor.

Joshua Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant back in Sept. 2022, alleging the Grizzlies point guard roughed him up while the two were competing on a basketball court at Ja's Eads, Tenn. home.

Holloway claimed that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged, and socked him with a closed fist.

Julio Urias has been hit with multiple criminal charges over allegations he roughed up his wife during a soccer match last year ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the L.A. City Attorney's office tells us ... prosecutors formally hit Urias with five misdemeanors on Monday.

The ex-Dodgers star is facing one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving dating relationship, one count of false imprisonment and one count of assault. His arraignment is scheduled for early May.

MMA star Rachael Ostovich ain't lettin' a bun in the oven keep her from getting in a violent workout ... hitting the punching bag while in the third trimester of her pregnancy!!

The 1-0 BKFC fighter and former UFC talent posted a clip of her recent gym session on Tuesday ... rocking a one-piece athleisure 'fit as she threw some jabs at a new addition to her fitness setup.

"Third trimester ain’t stopping me," Ostovich said on Instagram. "lol I'm sure Miss. Dovey Girl is having the time of her life in there."

Ostovich -- who announced her pregnancy with a nude photoshoot on February 25 -- even shared some fighting tips ... saying attacking her new water punching bag bare-handed helps build tolerance for when it comes to hitting a real human, which she happens to do a lot with her day job.

Lennox Lewis says he's relieved the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul clash will not be a sanctioned bout ... saying this weekend if it were one, he'd be worried for Paul's safety.

Lewis spoke about the upcoming superfight while out at the CSA sports memorabilia show on Sunday in Chantilly, Virginia ... and he made it clear, Paul should thank his lucky stars the guys will fight under exhibition rules.

Of course, punches will still be thrown when the two step in the ring -- but under non-sanctioned regulations, it's not expected to be nearly as competitive as it would've been if it were the opposite.

And, Lewis obviously believes that's going to save Paul a lot of headaches down the road.

"I would feel really bad for Jake Paul," Lewis said. "I don't want him to get hurt."

Regardless, Lewis says he's pumped for the fight ... saying it should be a good bout -- an opinion that Canelo Alvarez does not share.

You'll recall, the boxing superstar told TMZ Sports last month he doesn't necessarily think it'll be good for the sport.

Mike Tyson isn't slated to fight Jake Paul for another couple months, but he's clearly ready to step in the ring right now -- check out the bod he showed off during an autograph session over the weekend ... he looks gooooooood!!

Iron Mike ditched his shirt while attending a Fiterman Sports Group meet-and-greet event with fight fans on Sunday in Chantilly, Virginia ... showing off a chiseled physique that was complete with a set of six-pack abs.

Tyson explained at the show that he lost his top on purpose ... in order to send a message to those who are doubting him ahead of his July matchup with The Problem Child.

Talk about adding insult to injury -- IShowSpeed's pain continued after getting destroyed by Randy Orton at WrestleMania 40 ... 'cause KSI made things even worse by heckling him over the epic ass-kicking.

The popular streamer made a surprise appearance during Logan Paul's match against Orton and Kevin Owens on Sunday ... revealing himself as the guy in a Prime bottle costume.

Speed took quite a beating throughout the showdown ... with Orton viciously kicking him and hitting him with a signature RKO, which took him out.

Speed appeared to be in major pain after Paul retained his United States Championship ... wearing a neck brace and lying on a cart.

Paul's former boxing nemesis-turned-business partner played a similar role for Paul at WrestleMania 39 ... which resulted in the Maverick accidentally body-slamming him on a table.

With that being said, KSI was quick to throw some verbal jabs Speed's way as he nursed his injuries backstage ... sending the streamer a personal video message.

"Speed, I hope you enjoyed your WWE debut," KSI said with a laugh. "I hope you enjoyed getting wrecked. It sucks, doesn't it? It's not fun."

"Anyway, IShowStink, IShowMeat, well played on getting your ass beat. I'll see you in a bit."

Speed was NOT happy about the clip ... shouting back into the phone, "Man, f*** you, you bald-headed bitch. Man, get the f*** outta here, bro."

As for how Speed's feeling physically, he said wrestling may be scripted, but his owies are REAL ... revealing his neck is messed up and he had the wind knocked out of him.

Tori Spelling says her estranged husband Dean McDermott said something to her so personal last year that it completely torpedoed their marriage ... a story she's now telling in full.

The actress broke it all down on the latest episode of her podcast -- saying that in June 2023 ... she and Dean were on their way home from a shoot she'd been doing earlier with Jennie Garth, and apparently -- DMD said something to her that crossed the line.

Tori doesn't explain what exactly that was, but she does describe the aftermath, including her throwing a potato on the ground and letting out a guttural scream she calls beast-like.

4:25 PM PT -- A representative for Katt Williams tells TMZ ... the show was actually only cut off about five minutes early -- so, the Indianapolis audience didn't miss too much of the show.

We're also told Katt's team believes it's the venue's policy to turn on the lights as the show's ending ... and not directly related to the brawl.

Katt Williams' recent show didn't end with a standing ovation ... instead, it finished with bloody fans exiting the building -- 'cause a brawl apparently halted the set.

The comedian/actor hit the stage at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis Saturday night ... but, it seems about partway through the stand-up, a fight broke out in the stands, and it brought everything to a stop.

Check out the vid ... it's hard to tell, but it certainly looks like there's some movement in the upper regions of the arena as well as a lot of shouting and confusion.

The Rock proved ring rust is just a myth on Saturday -- returning to the squared-circle for the first time since 2016 at WrestleMania 40 ... and ending the epic match with the win!!

The Final Boss and Roman Reigns paired up against Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin'" Rollins in a tag-team match to cap off WWE's first night of festivities ... and the whole thing was fireworks from start to finish.

In fact, action broke out outside of the ropes numerous times ... and Cody and Seth were in for a world of pain, as Rock -- a real-deal exec with WWE's parent company, TKO -- made it clear to the ref early on ... if he counted, he's fired.

It seems everyone's accepted Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired for good ... the MMA legend's manager says the UFC didn't even reach out about a possible return to the Octagon as Dana White's promotion put together one of their biggest events ever!

UFC 300 is going down Saturday, April 13 in Las Vegas ... and it's a landmark event (UFC 1 was in 1993!). The card's stacked -- from the early prelims through the main event, Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill -- with 13 strong fights!

For months, fans wondered who would be a part of the card ... and with White's org obviously looking to put their best foot forward, we asked Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, if he received a call from the UFC in an attempt to lure the 29-0 superstar.

"Even if [UFC] asked me to call Khabib, I'm not even gonna call Khabib. I'm not. I'm not gonna call Khabib to fight," Abdelaziz told us.

"His legacy moves on to other people like Islam, Usman, Umar, Gaethje, his team. He's a guy who created opportunities for all those guys coming up. He created an opportunity himself with myself. He brought up the whole team and now just create an opportunity for other people. That's what he's doing right now."

Of course, Nurmagomedov, who is still just 35 years old, retired after beating Justin Gaethje by submission at UFC 254 in late 2020 ... following the tragic death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap.

Khabib was inducted into the UFC's Hall of Fame in 2022.

There was a time when the UFC tried to lure Khabib back to the cage ... but listening to Ali, it's clear that's now stopped.

"Dana tried for years but Dana understands now. I think Khabib retired early too, I agree with Dana, but his father situation, the trauma he went through, the promises he made, and honestly, now, at this point, I don't wanna see Khabib come back."

"He undefeated, on top, he's the greatest of all time. I agree with Dana White on everything. This one I don't agree with him on. [Khabib's] the greatest, he's the GOAT," Nurmaogmedov's longtime manager said.

There's a bunch more with Ali ... on his many star clients who ARE fighting this Saturday, including the aforementioned Gaethje, the #2 ranked lightweight, who is fighting fellow legend Max Holloway.

The former 145 lb. champ, still ranked #2 at featherweight, is moving up a weight class for the scrap. What would a win mean for JG and his title hopes? We asked Ali.

We also talked to AA about client Kayla Harrison ... who is making her UFC debut against Holly Holm.

It's fair to say Abdelaziz sees big things coming for the Olympic gold medalist.

4/8 8 AM PT -- Jones is further clearing the air regarding his interaction with the drug tester ... saying he was NOT arrested over the incident.

"I must admit, it's disappointing to have to clarify these things again, but I understand that I may be an easy target given some of my past issues," Jones said. "It's important to set the record straight and make sure the truth is told."

Jones reiterated he was upset when the tester showed up to his home ... and he was "caught off guard" as he was taking a nap at the time. Jones admitted to using profanity after growing frustrated with the administrator's "unprofessionalism and protocol," but other than that ... he claims he did nothing wrong.

"It's unfortunate that false news has been spread without proper fact-checking," he added. "I want to assure you that I will vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations. The truth is, the incident simply did not occur."

UFC champion Jon Jones is adamantly denying any wrongdoing after a drug tester showed up at his place unannounced ... saying the whole interaction was as cordial as could be.

Jones -- a 36-year-old fighter -- claims he was at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend ... when out of nowhere, a UFC-certified official showed up to test his blood while he was celebrating a birthday.

In a police report filed by the alleged tester, Jones is accused of grabbing the official's phone and threatening to kill her ... but he says there's video to prove there was no bad blood.

Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill are technically the headliners of UFC 300 ... but, they're NOT "The People's Main Event!"

No, that title belongs to Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje, according to "Blessed" himself, who says fight fans can look forward to VIOLENCE!!

TMZ Sports spoke to the 32-year-old ... where the former featherweight champion previewed the highly anticipated scrap.