UFC

Freedom 250 at the White House will be one of the most secure places on the planet, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to an official from the Department of Homeland Security, Freedom 250, going down on the South Lawn on June 14, has been designated a Level 1 Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) ... meaning multiple federal law enforcement agencies will be involved in keeping fighters, teams, and throngs of fans safe.

Officials take importance, attendance, visibility, and risk assessment into account when designating an event ... and level 1 is reserved for events like the Super Bowl and major marathons.

The Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby have traditionally been SEAR 2, while the Masters is SEAR 3.

Daniel Rodriguez spent eight months in a Mexican prison, but no one laid a finger on him ... 'cause the UFC star says he had some very powerful people watching over him while behind bars!

"I've been in jail before. It's not my first rodeo, but this was a whole different monster," 39-year-old D-Rod told Babcock. "Surrounded by the lowest of the low. You can imagine jail, then you can imagine jail in Mexico."

"Fortunately for me, word kind of got around who I was and I had people in high places take care of me and stuff. I guess you can say for the most part I was put in probably the best living situation."

"I was expecting Herb to pick my hand up."

Curtis Blaydes wholeheartedly believes he beat Josh Hokit during their insane UFC 327 fight ... a bloody, action-packed scrap that's been described as the greatest heavyweight bout ever.

"When they gave us the judgment, I was in a little bit of shock. I was like, 'Dang, I thought I did enough,'" Curtis told Babcock.

Officially, the 35-year-old heavyweight lost by unanimous decision, with all three judges' scorecards reading the same ... 29-28 (2 rounds to 1 for Hokit).

More trouble for Mark Hunt -- one of the most beloved UFC fighters ever -- the heavy-hitting heavyweight was arrested after he was accused of threatening to kill a female acquaintance.

"I'm just going to murder you in the end anyway," the 52-year-old MMA legend allegedly texted the woman after a dispute this week in South Wales, Australia, which prompted cops to rush to the scene and take Hunt into custody Tuesday night.

He is facing one count of stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical harm.

Hunt was initially refused bail before his first court appearance on Wednesday, but was ultimately allowed to bond out after agreeing to abide by a series of strict conditions.

The Super Samoan was a fan favorite during his run with the UFC, beloved for his devastating power, and his signature walk-offs.

In the Octagon, Mark mixed it up with some of the best heavyweights ever, including Stipe Miocic, Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Curtis Blaydes, and Derrick Lewis, among others.

Hunt last fought in December 2018 in a losing effort.

Mark has faced significant challenges since walking away from fighting, including health, financial, and legal troubles that have severely impacted his life.

While Hunt has not addressed the claim, his legal team disputed the charge in court.

Guy Fieri was caught on camera shaking Andrew Tate's hand at UFC 327 over the weekend ... and has been getting dragged on social media for it.

On Saturday, the Food Network star was filmed dapping up the red-pill podcaster and hand-hugging with Andrew's brother, Tristan Tate.

Fans expressed their disgust over the interaction ... slamming the celeb for playing nice with the brothers, who have been accused of allegedly committing some pretty heinous sex crimes.

President Trump took a break from the conflict in Iran to enjoy some UFC battles here at home Saturday night -- and, as usual, 47 made a grand entrance inside the arena.

The Commander in Chief walked out of a tunnel with UFC boss Dana White to massive applause from the crowd at UFC 327 in Miami's Kaseya Center.

Check out the video that shows Trump waving at fans who are cheering him on while taking cell phone videos.

The UFC shared some behind-the-scenes photos from its collab with the FBI earlier this month at the agency's headquarters in Quantico, Virginia ... showing off some of the work accomplished during the combat seminar.

Jorge Masvidal, Chris Weidman, Justin Gaethje, Claudia Gadelha, Manel Kape, and Michael Chandler all helped out in the event that FBI Director Kash Patel lobbied for months prior.

In one of the photos, you see Patel watching as Weidman and Gaethje give recruits pointers on moves they can break out on bad guys. Another photo shows Gadelha -- a former contender in the UFC strawweight division -- going with a more hands-on approach in her lesson.

Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane is one of the most anticipated MMA fights of the year, and Francis Ngannou is breaking down the scrap for TMZ Sports!

We recently spoke to The Predator, and asked him about the co-main event for Freedom 250 ... going down on the White House's South Lawn on June 14th.

Odds say the fight is very close, and Francis agrees ... though he believes Ciryl has certain advantages.

MMA rising star Maycee Barber was knocked out cold by her opponent, Alexa Grasso, during Saturday's UFC Fight Night 271 -- and video of the takedown is downright terrifying.  

Check it out ... in the first round, Barber and Grasso are going toe to toe, kicking and throwing jabs until Grasso connects with a hard left to the face.

Barber falls on her ass as Grasso goes in for the kill, putting Barber in a chokehold before she goes unconscious with her eyes staring into space.

If Justin Gaethje gets his hand raised during UFC Freedom 250 at the White House … don’t be surprised if he turns straight to President Donald Trump for the ultimate victory moment.

That’s according to Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who tells TMZ Sports the UFC star would want the POTUS himself in the octagon if he’s victorious over Ilia Topuria in their headlining lightweight title fight.

“You better believe it,” Abdelaziz said. “If Justin Gaethje wins, he will ask President Trump to put the belt on him.”

Picture it: Gaethje center cage, UFC boss Dana White on one side … Trump on the other.

Ex-UFC star Diego Sanchez can breathe a huge sigh of relief -- the fighter will not spend time behind bars for his gun-related arrest last year ... after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

The 44-year-old was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and 800 hours of community service this week -- prosecutors initially requested two years in prison.

Sanchez was initially facing two charges -- shooting at or from a motor vehicle and negligent use of a deadly weapon.

UFC boss Dana White is stepping in to change a young girl’s life ... offering to cover every penny of Maya Gebala’s medical care after she survived a horrific school shooting.

TMZ Sports has confirmed White is footing the bill for treatment at a top Los Angeles-area hospital … and is willing to foot the accommodations for the 12-year-old's family so they can be by her side.

The incredible gesture was revealed by Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, who shared an emotional update on GoFundMe after finally receiving some long-awaited good news.

Edmonds says the UFC president reached out early in Maya’s hospitalization ... offering fully paid treatment at one of the “top tier” hospitals in L.A. -- a move that wasn’t possible before now because Maya wasn’t stable enough to travel.

But that could be changing.

Conor McGregor says he's officially back ... and he's here to "save fighting again."

The 37-year-old UFC superstar -- who hasn't fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021 -- went to social media to address recent chatter of a comeback ... telling his millions of followers "the rumours are true."

"Mr. Confidence returns to save fighting again!" he said Tuesday night alongside a mirror selfie. "Call your grandma! Nanny we did it! Watch and pay me. F*** you pay me. You fat Irish p**** you don’t have my money I put your brain to sleep."

Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria was NEVER close to happening on the White House card, despite claims to the contrary ... according to the welterweight champion's longtime manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

The highly anticipated White House card is only 81 days away ... and despite Topuria having his hands full with the interim lightweight champ, talk about Islam and Ilia hasn't subsided.

So, we went straight to the source, Ali ... and asked him to clear the air regarding the fight.

"I got called about Ilia fighting Islam. It was the middle of the day, Islam was sleeping, and I was excited about it," Abdelaziz told us.

If you thought the first showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao was massive … buckle up!!!

Jas Mathur -- CEO of Pacquiao’s promotion company and one of the key figures behind the rematch -- tells TMZ Sports the September 19 clash at Sphere in Las Vegas isn’t just big … it’s historic.

“I’d say huge is an understatement,” Mathur told us, pointing to the original fight’s eye-popping $600 million haul. “You’re talking about a spectacle.”

And this time, it’s not just boxing -- it’s a full sports-entertainment takeover inside one of the most high-tech venues on the planet … with Mathur promising a production that’ll leave fans not believing what they see.