UFC

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."

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.

Sean O'Malley's proving it pays to be one of the UFC's biggest stars ... especially when you've got friends like Adin Ross, who just hooked the MMA champ up with a custom "Suga" candy paint low rider!

The streamer surprised the bantamweight title holder weeks after Sean defended his belt against 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299, his 18th win as a professional.

When it came time to gift O'Malley the whip, he was in pure shock when he removed the blindfold, revealing the hot pink 1975 Chevy Caprice, and he (justifiedly) went crazy!

"No way!" O'Malley yelled. "What?! Bro! Haha! That's crazy!"

O'Malley took the car for a spin straight away ... moments after he secured the keys and got a tutorial on how to raise and lower the ride with the hydraulic suspension.

The car's sick ... from the deep, rich, metallic paint to the chromed-out suspension.

Of course, the low rider -- from the High Class Car Club in Glendale -- fits O'Malley's personality perfectly ... as he's known for his vibrant hair color and style.

Ross -- who went forward with the gift despite receiving an ass whoopin' in the cage during a sparring sesh earlier in the day -- also said he has an Audemars Piguet luxury watch for Sean.

Jake Gyllenhaal y Conor McGregor podrían ser el próximo dúo dinámico de Hollywood, porque su reboot de "Road House" acaba de hacer historia con 50 millones de visitas desde su debut, un nuevo récord para Prime Video.

Los números fueron compartidos una semana después del estreno de la película, y los funcionarios aseguran que fue todo un éxito.

50 millones es una cifra récord para el debut de una película en Prime Video y McGregor estaba emocionado por el logro.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor might be the next dynamic duo in Hollywood ... 'cause their "Road House" reimagining just made history with 50 million views since its debut -- a new record for Prime Video.

The numbers were shared just over a week after the action flick premiered on the streaming giant ... with officials saying it attracted a ton of eyeballs.

50 million is a record-breaking number for a movie debut on Prime Video ... and McGregor was thrilled over the accomplishment.

Ex-MMA star Mark Coleman is getting the royal treatment after heroically saving his parents from a house fire last month ... with Dana White's organization hooking him up with tickets to UFC 300!!

The former heavyweight champion shared the exciting news on Tuesday ... saying he and his daughters will be present when the big event goes down in Las Vegas next weekend.

Coleman was clearly pumped over the gesture ... showing off some punches as he exercised during his video announcement.

59-year-old Coleman even joked he would be a backup fighter on the card ... adding he can't wait to check out Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje duke it out for the "BMF" belt, as well as the main event fights between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill and Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan.

Holloway spoke out in support of Coleman on Monday ... saying the UFC legend should present the belt after the fight, as he's the REAL BMF for risking everything for his loved ones.

As we previously reported, Coleman has been on the road to recovery following the life-threatening tragedy ... but has shown great signs of improvement, even returning to the gym just days later.

Tyron Woodley is champing at the bit to get in the ring with Manny Pacquiao -- the former UFC fighter claims he's thiiiiis close to setting up a scrap against the boxing great ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to get the contracts signed ASAP.

Woodley -- who last fought Jake Paul in December 2021 -- told us he's been negotiating with Pacquiao for MONTHS ... but as of right now, they haven't been able to agree on the deets.

Woodley said he's now resorting to putting some serious pressure on Manny and his camp ... especially considering they're slated to make way more than he ever did in his two bouts against the Problem Child.

"When I say good numbers -- great numbers," the former MMA champ said. "Multi-multi-multi-million-dollar fight."

Woodley explained there have been plenty of options out there -- names like Floyd Mayweather and KSI -- but his sights are solely set on PacMan.

"I don't wanna have to start ruffling Manny Pacquiao's feathers, but if that's what I gotta do to get this done because I can't just linger around waiting," Woodley said. "If I take another fight, that can f*** this fight up."

Woodley shared his dilemma -- he respects the hell outta Pacquiao for being a "nice, humble, gracious guy," but fears the whole event could slip through the cracks if his side doesn't pick up the pace.

"I been around and I feel like legacy is about making great choices and fight big fights and take big risks and nobody is remembered for playing it safe," Woodley added.

Jake Gyllenhaal's new flick, "Road House," packs one helluva punch ... but Key West's Mayor ain't too thrilled with how their sunny paradise has been portrayed on-screen.

Teri Johnston, the mayor of Key West, tells TMZ ... while she hasn't caught the film, she's not pleased with its rowdy, drug-filled, and crime-ridden portrayal of the Florida Keys ... saying that might've been The Keys in the '70s and '80s, but it's a whole new ball game in 2024!

Mayor Johnston lays down the facts ... telling us 90% of Key West residents are transplants  -- representing a diverse mix of environmentalists, artists, business owners, teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

UFC flyweight Andre Lima got bitten, and he's got the marks to prove it ... but believe it or not, the undefeated MMA fighter says he feels bad for the guy who went all Iron Mike on his arm during the Fight Night scrap!

"I feel so sorry, to be honest," Lima told TMZ Sports on Monday. "I'm sad for him because he came from the same thing, the struggle like I did. He has a family ... bright future."

"I feel so much for him because I know the same journey I have, he has too. I feel bad for him."

If you didn't catch it, 20-year-old Igor Severino, who was 8-0 and making his UFC debut, squared off against 8-0 Lima in Las Vegas when things took a wild turn. About halfway through round 2, Igor latched onto the inside of Andre's arm, near his bicep, prompting a scream from Lima.

Severino was disqualified for the bite -- his first loss -- and Dana White cut him shortly after the DQ. In the thousands of fights in UFC history, this was a first.

But, it's not all terrible news ... Lima, who actually got a tattoo of the bite after the fight, says he's down to rematch Igor, IF he gets back into the UFC -- but that's probably wishful thinking.

Lima also got a $50k bonus from Dana ... for going through what he did (as well as the awesome tattoo). We asked him what he was going to do with the cash.

"I wanna help my mom, a few people in my family," Lima said, adding ... "I wanna buy a car. That's one thing I've wanted for a long time and now I can buy my car."

Lima also wants UFC fans to take him seriously ... and doesn't want to only be known as the guy who was bitten during a fight.

Conor McGregor le dice a TMZ Sports que su papel en el nuevo reboot de "Road House" estará lejos de ser su última aparición en la gran pantalla.

La superestrella de la UFC no se anduvo con rodeos cuando le preguntamos sobre su futuro como actor mientras estaba en Nueva York promocionando la nueva película con Jake Gyllenhaal, diciéndonos que "por supuesto" que está planeando seguir con su nueva carrera.

No está claro exactamente lo que está por venir para el luchador de 35 años de edad, pero cuando le preguntamos si tenía más papeles en mente, nos dijo: "¡Por supuesto, por supuesto!".

"¡Oh, sí!", añadió.

Por el momento parece que le está yendo muy bien. Las primeras críticas de "Road House" han sido positivas, y los clips que hemos podido ver hasta ahora muestran que McGregor sabe cómo patear traseros en cámara.

Por supuesto, McGregor sigue con su trabajo como luchador a pesar de su incursión en Hollywood, y ha estado entrenando duro para un futuro combate con Michael Chandler.

Conor McGregor tells TMZ Sports his role in the new "Road House" reboot will be far from his last appearance on the silver screen ... saying this week he's got a whole lot more irons in the cinema fire.

The UFC superstar made no bones about it when we asked him about his acting future while he was out in NYC promoting the new Jake Gyllenhaal flick ... telling us "of course" he's planning to keep pursuing the new career.

It's unclear exactly what's coming next for the 35-year-old fighter ... but when we asked if he had any more roles lined up at the moment -- he said straight up, "For sure, for sure!"

"Oh, yes!" he added.

As for how job No. 1 in the new industry went for The Notorious, so far, it seems so good. Early reviews for the "Road House" reimagining are positive ... and the clips we've gotten to see so far show McGregor certainly knows how to kick ass on command on cam.

Of course, McGregor's still keeping up with his day job despite the foray into Hollywood ... he's been training hard for a future bout with Michael Chandler.