Fights & Feuds

Village People founder Victor Willis is teeing off on the Grammys, saying it disrespects recording artists and has a Hall of Fame so lame ... the group's rejecting the recent induction of its biggest hit.

Willis tells TMZ ... his legendary disco group told Grammy Interim President Harvey Mason that it's declining induction into the 2021 Grammy Hall of Fame because the Hall is "lacking" and "not taken seriously by the recording academy."

Willis -- the cop in the Village People -- takes serious issue with the lack of attention Grammy Hall inductees get, saying there's no mention of them during the actual Grammy Awards ... and there's no induction ceremony.

For the record, the group's iconic track "Y.M.C.A." specifically was inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame in December, because it's only for singles or albums, not the artists -- but Victor's not even down with them honoring the song.

He calls the whole thing an insult the Village People want no part of until the Grammys "get their act together." He adds that when the group releases an album later this year, it likely won't even submit it for Grammy consideration.

He goes on to say the Grammys should "show respect for classic artists who built the recording business."

Whoa!! That was fast!!

54-year-old Mike Tyson has announced he will be fighting 58-year-old Evander Holyfield on May 29 -- despite Holyfield's camp saying negotiations were dead just 24 hours ago!!

"I just want everybody to know the fight is on with me and Holyfield," Tyson said during an IG Live session with Haute Living.

"Holyfield's a humble man I know that and he's a man of God but I'm God's man. Listen, I'm going to be successful May 29."

We're reaching out to Holyfield's camp right now to confirm he's in ... so stay tuned on that.

Remember, it was just yesterday that Evander's manager issued a statement saying talks had "fallen apart" between the two sides.

"We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time," Kris Lawrence said.

The two sides were honing in on a May 29 fight date at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The dispute came down to money -- Holyfield's camp says Team Tyson wanted a huge cut ... and even turned down a $25 million guarantee.

So, how did they get it all worked out? We're working on it.

Evander and Mike last fought in 1997 ... and it ended with Tyson biting a chunk out of Evander's ear. Holyfield's last pro fight was in 2011, when he earned a TKO victory over Brian Nielsen.

Bad Bunny has another hit on his hands -- meaning, he hit The Miz with a frickin' guitar during "Monday Night Raw!"

Somewhere, the Honky Tonk Man is smiling!

The two have been beefing ever since the Puerto Rican rap star made his wrestling debut at Royal Rumble back in February when Bad Bunny helped eliminate Miz and his partner, Morrison, from the match ... and hit 'em with a frog splash in the process.

There's been a tremendous amount of trash talk ever since ... which continued on Monday night.

After The Miz warned Bad Bunny to stay the hell out of pro wrestling FOREVER ... the music superstar sneaked up from behind and smashed an acoustic guitar right on Miz's back!

That's when Bad Bunny picked up the mic -- called Miz a "bitch" -- and accepted his challenge to square off at WrestleMania!!

Remember, The Miz told TMZ Sports ... if Bunny grew the stones to get in the ring with him, there would be serious consequences.

"He makes a lot of money being a musician," Miz told us back in January ... "So, go do that. Keep on making that money because the fact is, if you come into the WWE ring, I'm gonna break your jaw and when I break your jaw, you're gonna need a lot of money."

Brian Ortega says he might not be fighting for the title if not for the beating he took from Max Holloway ... 'cause the L opened his eyes to some major holes in his game.

TMZ Sports talked to the 30-year-old fighter -- the #2 ranked UFC featherweight -- days before he'll take on champ Alex Volkanovski at UFC 260 on Saturday ... and we asked if he's changed since his last title shot.

"I feel like I’m finally learning how to fight more, ya know. I feel like before, I was kind of just stuck with my old ways, and if it ain’t broken don’t fix it," T-City told us.

Remember, Ortega lost to Holloway at UFC 231 in December 2018 ... and it was a bloodbath. The Octagon-side doctor stopped the fight in the 4th round ... after Brian ate 290 significant strikes (244 to the head).

T-City -- who broke his nose and thumb in the match -- took nearly 2 years off after the fight. He returned to face the Korean Zombie -- Chan Sung Jung -- in October 2020.

Ortega won by unanimous decision ... and looked AWESOME.

So, did the dominating loss to Holloway actually help Brian?? Absolutely, according to Ortega.

"That was the best thing about it because [losing] showed me that there’s a flaw in your system. So now we have to fix that," Ortega said.

He added ... "The fact that you saw and notice that there is a flaw in the system, and luckily I was able to have a team, a new one, surround me and help me kind of cover all those holes, and guide me now on the right track."

Speaking of Max, the former champ recently told us he's "the cloud over [the Ortega-Volkanovski] fight" ... and Brian actually agrees.

"He's right. Alex wins, he has to fight [Max]. I win, I have to fight [Max]. Us three are a pain in each others’ asses that are going to keep being there."

Sharon Osbourne and her family -- including her dogs -- have been receiving death threats since her dust-up on "The Talk" ... so she's hired her own security.

Sources close to Sharon tell TMZ ... following last week's on-air dispute with co-host Sheryl Underwood over defending Piers Morgan and his harsh comments about Meghan Markle, Sharon's been bombarded by angry folks on social media and she's received several calls to her home threatening her safety.

Sharon's social media has been flooded with comments like, "Die and go to hell." "F**k Sharon Osbourne, her husband, her momma, them ugly f**kin' kids, the family dog and the b***h that lives next door. She can go die in a fish grease fire" and "I hope Sharon Osbourne gets hit by one last wave of COVID & dies."

We're told Sharon's personal phone numbers have also been blowing up, wishing harm on her and her dogs.

The private security company's been stationed outside the Osbournes' L.A.-area home all week to keep an eye on things.

Meanwhile, Sharon's turned off comments on her most recent couple of Instagram posts because they were so nasty.

As for the issues over at "The Talk" -- which went on hiatus following Sharon and Sheryl's contentious exchange -- we're told Sharon's still reeling from it ... but she's hopeful there can be a reconciliation at some point and she can return to a peaceful environment.

As we reported ... Sharon fired off an apology for offending or disappointing people of color with her words, but explained she "panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over."

Our sources say Sharon and Sheryl have not spoken since last week, and Osbourne has also not had any contact with CBS or 'Talk' honchos while they are conducting their investigation.

Kamaru Usman isn't just looking to beat Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 -- he wants to make a statement ... telling TMZ Sports, "I want to put the nail in that coffin once and for all."

Usman -- the reigning welterweight champ -- already defeated Masvidal when they clashed on Fight Island back in July ... but it's worth noting Jorge only took the fight on less than a week's notice.

Remember, Usman's original opponent for UFC 251 was Gilbert Burns -- but he caught COVID and Masvidal stepped up on less than a week's notice to save the card.

Masvidal fought hard -- but it was obvious his conditioning wasn't great ... and Usman proceeded to maul him for 5 straight rounds, winning by unanimous decision.

Ever since that fight, Jorge has been saying he'd wreck Usman if given a proper training camp -- and his wish was granted.

Masvidal will now have 6 full weeks to prepare for Usman before they face off on April 24 and Kamaru says he's fired up!!!

"I am more than excited," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm blessed for the opportunity that Allah has given me and being able to go out there and do major things. I'm so thankful."

As for Masvidal's claim that he'll whoop Usman the 2nd time around ... Kamaru is clapping back at that, too.

"There's two things -- One, either he truly believes it which I have to take very very very seriously ... or he's just too stupid to understand what's happening right now."

"So, I gotta believe that it's the first one and I gotta take him at his word."

Usman says he knows Masvidal is dangerous -- but at the end of the day he's a "journeyman" fighter who peaked in 2019 ... and those days are long over.

"Now it's time to come back to reality. It's 2021. The ship has sailed my man."

Prince William and Prince Harry's attempts to mend fences after the Oprah interview have hit a roadblock -- William wants their future conversations to remain private.

The elder Royal bro is reportedly concerned -- and possibly peeved -- that any talks he has with his little brother end up going public in the media, which is causing a major lack of trust.

To put it more bluntly, William's "now worried that anything he says to his brother will be plastered over American TV" ... according to the Vanity Fair report.

This seems to refer to Gayle King's recent reporting on "CBS This Morning" that Harry did speak to his brother and his father, Prince Charles, but that their talks were "not productive." Gayle said she called Harry and Meghan Markle directly to get the info, and apparently ... that's very worrisome to the Duke of Cambridge.

Interestingly, we talked to Gayle this week in NYC, following her reporting on Harry and William's chat, and she insists she's not a mouthpiece for Harry and Meghan ... she's just a concerned friend checking in on them.

Albeit, a friend who anchors a major morning TV show. Either way, it seems she's caught in the middle of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace ... and the VF report says the Royal Family is concerned the story is "becoming a soap opera."

Meghan Markle's estranged half-sister has gone from armchair psychologist to marriage counselor for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but not a very hopeful one ... because she's predicting divorce.

Samantha Markle -- who has no relationship with Harry or Meghan and has never been with them since they hooked up -- says Meghan and Prince Harry are inevitably heading for a split unless they get some serious counseling and go on an apology tour to undo all the damage they've done to the Royal Family.

It doesn't sound like Sam's holding her breath for that though, and she suggests Harry's probably already questioning his marriage to Meghan ... whom she accuses of nonstop lying.

It's pretty incendiary stuff from Samantha, who thinks it's only a matter of time before Harry pulls away ... and divorce lawyers get involved. Again, she has no connection to the Royals either, but that hasn't stopped her from weighing in.

As we reported ... Meghan's half-sister trashed Meghan earlier this week for turning her back on their family ... claiming she suffers from "narcissistic personality disorder."

During the Oprah interview, Meghan said she's had little to no relationship with Samantha for more than 2 decades. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Samantha from writing a memoir titled, "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister."

Unsurprisingly, Meghan's father Thomas also weighed in on Oprah's interview -- specifically Meghan's revelation of her mental health struggles -- claiming she might not have reached the point of feeling suicidal if she hadn't bailed on him and the fam.

Samantha has more thoughts on the broken relationship between Meghan and their dad, and what it would take to fix it.

UFC star Leon Edwards says he's going to beat the snot out of Jorge Masvidal ON SIGHT -- whether it's in the Octagon or in the street.

... and he's not kidding.

That bad blood between the two fighters goes back to May 2019 -- when they clashed backstage at a UFC event, resulting in Masvidal socking Edwards in the face multiple times.

Or as Masvidal described it ... he hit 'em with a "3 piece and a soda."

29-year-old Edwards -- the #3 ranked UFC welterweight -- felt the attack was basically a flurry of unprovoked cheap shots ... and now he's hellbent on revenge.

"What happened with me and him, that's away from fighting. That's street stuff," Edwards tells TMZ Sports.

"So, if that's what he's about, we’ll do it that way."

Of course, Edwards would rather get PAID to fight Masvidal -- so, he's hoping the UFC puts that bout together. But, if not, they're still gonna scrap.

"You best get your ass in the Octagon 'cause it's either on the street or in the Octagon but you're gonna get it."

"Wherever you want it, you choose, in the Octagon or on the street, I'm good to go either way."

But, before that fight happens, Edwards -- who's on an 8-fight win streak -- is set to take on Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night 187 on Saturday.

Edwards is confident he'll run through Muhammad -- setting himself up for a shot at the welterweight title

What's interesting ... Edwards hasn't lost a fight since 2015 -- and the last man to beat him is the reigning welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.

We also talked to Edwards about Khamzat Chimaev -- who Leon was supposed to fight on multiple occasions.

But Khamzat -- one of the most exciting young fighters in the UFC -- has been battling COVID and there's a timetable set for his return.

"As far as Khamzat, I kinda put him behind me because he's only had 2 fights, 3 fights in UFC," Leon says.

"He got little health issues now so I wish him well, wish him full recovery, that's number one. If he works his way up the division then for sure, I intend to fight him."

The Weeknd's only getting more heated with the Grammys -- he's boycotting the awards show, and not just this year, but for good!

The singer drew a line in the sand Thursday saying he'll boycott the awards show from now on "because of the secret committees" he believes are responsible for selecting nominees.

He told The New York Times he'll "no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys." Boom.

It's the latest chapter in Abel's beef with the Grammys after accusing them of snubbing his critically acclaimed album "After Hours" following a bitter back-and-forth over what his camp claimed was an ultimatum from Grammys brass -- us or Super Bowl LV.

Our sources had said there was a growing suspicion The Weeknd's decision to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show cost him Grammy noms. Grammys chief honcho Harvey Mason Jr. begged to differ ... saying there was nothing corrupt about Abel not being nominated.

Still, The Weeknd -- who's previously won 3 Grammys -- claimed the award show severely lacks transparency. He's said they mean nothing to him now.

If Dana White seriously wants MILLION DOLLAR action on the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing match ... Snoop Dogg says he'll take it!!

The rap legend clearly saw the footage of Dana on Mike Tyson's podcast ... where the UFC boss said he's willing to bet $1 MILLION that Ben will destroy Jake when the clash in the boxing ring in April.

Now, Snoop -- who was the announcer during Jake's last boxing match against Nate Robinson -- wants to RAISE the stakes.

"Hey Dana White, I see you got faith in your boy right?! Going up against my guy Jake."

"You say you got a million?! You’re the CEO of UFC. You got more than a million. Put up TWO. Put up $2 million and we’ll match it."

Remember, Jake Paul made a similar offer to Dana -- but so far, the UFC honcho hasn't responded.

Gotta wonder if Snoop's call-out is more interesting to Dana?!

"C’mon Dana, whatchu waiting on?! Your money is good," Snoop added.

"Yeah, I got Jake. Fight night. That's my guy. That's my dog in the fight. $2 million. Holla at me, Dana White."

Jake is 2-0 as a boxer -- with a violent KO of Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight back in 2020.

Ben, on the other hand, is a decorated MMA fighter who's gone toe-to-toe with some of the baddest men in combat sports.

Dr. Dre's wife just got shut down by the judge in her divorce case ... after claiming she fears for her safety because he refers to her in his new track as a "greedy bitch."

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Nicole Young requested an emergency domestic violence restraining order ... citing the song released last month, in which Dre calls her a "bitch and a perjurer."

Nicole says this is nothing new, but claims with the new track "he has upped the ante and is now outright threatening me to keep my mouth shut or else."

According to the docs filed by attorney Samantha Spector ... Nicole feels this latest alleged threat -- along with her past allegations of spousal abuse -- justify an emergency restraining order, but the judge begged to differ and denied her request because of "insufficient evidence."

As for Dre's response to her allegations, filed by Laura Wasser, he says he's only seen or spoken to Nicole one time since she filed for divorce in June 2020 .... and that was when she visited him at the hospital in January, following his brain aneurysm.

Dre says he's had no contact with her otherwise, and categorically denies all of her abuse claims.

He adds since she made her allegations in August, he "realized he had no idea who the woman he was married to was and he wanted nothing to do with her."

Sharon Osbourne's going to bat for her pal Piers Morgan, and his right to sound off about Meghan Markle -- but doing so has her feeling "like I'm about to be put in the electric chair."

Yeah, things got that heated when Sharon squared off with her co-host Sheryl Underwood on "The Talk," and demanded to know how in the world Piers is racist for simply criticizing Meghan.

Wednesday's argument brought Sheryl close to tears ... while Sharon was pissed she actually had to defend herself as not being racist.

Sharon begged Sheryl to explain how anything Piers said about Meghan was racist, and not just his opinion about the Oprah interview. Watch the clip, Sheryl made a calm and passionate attempt to explain ... but Sharon wasn't having it.

As you'll recall ... Piers dragged Meghan over her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah ... calling her a liar over her claims of racism against the Royal Family, among other things.

He doubled down on "Good Morning Britain" before he quit the show. Since then, the UK's media regulator said it received over 41k complaints over Piers' comments.

Meghan Markle's sister is furious the Duchess essentially disavowed her family -- especially their dad -- during the Oprah interview, and claims she's merely playing victim for sympathy.

Samantha Markle went HAM Monday while on the Australian radio show "Fifi, Fev & Nick" ... calling BS on Meghan telling Oprah she'd lost her father because of Royal family pressures.

Samantha said, "When she said 'I lost my dad' -- the world watched as my dad was in interviews wanting communication with his daughter. She didn't lose her dad. She iced her dad!"

Samantha didn't pull punches, as she played dime-store psychologist on Meghan, saying ... "I see a narcissistic personality disorder," and suggested Meghan needs counseling.

It gets worse ... she also equated Prince Harry to a kidnapping victim who's falling in love with his captor. Samantha said, “I feel sorry for Harry. He fell victim to her negligence, and I will say sociopathy ... she pulled him away from his family, all of his friends, the life that he knew."

As for Meghan's claim to Oprah that she didn't know anything about the Royals and their way of life -- Samantha claims Meghan studied the UK Monarchy, and even tries to emulate Princess Diana.

Samantha added, she doesn't think Meghan's embarrassed of her family -- she just didn't want them around to expose lies Samantha claims her sister's told.

Meghan Markle is taking off the gloves in her highly-anticipated/feared interview with Oprah, but she reportedly is nothing but nice to a Royal with whom she had issues ... Kate Middleton.

Markle has only kind words for her sister-in-law, according to NY Post sources.

The Palace reportedly is overwrought with worry over Sunday's sit-down, and an obvious concern is the now widely-reported rift between Meghan and Kate. There have been numerous stories about Kate being reduced to tears over Meghan's alleged demands revolving around Meghan's wedding.

Nevertheless, The Post says Meghan is nice to both Kate and William. William and Harry have had a fractured relationship for a while now ... when Harry left England we're told the 2 were barely speaking.

The interview, however, justifies cause for concern among the Royal Fam. Meghan goes after The Firm hard, saying she was silenced, lorded over and smeared.

UFC fighter Tim Elliott was multi-tasking Saturday night as he pounded away at his opponent, accusing him of beating his ex-girlfriend ... something the opponent's manager calls "reckless slander."

Elliott was dominating the flyweight fight to an empty arena, when Elliott appeared to say, "I heard you choked your girl in 2018. Are you a woman beater? She messaged me." The opponent, Jordan Espinosa, responded, "Did she? You don't know the whole story." Elliott shot back, "I know enough," to which Espinosa said, "You don't know s***."

Elliott won the fight by unanimous decision. When it was over, Espinosa's manager, Bryan Hamper, called the accusation, "Reckless slander."