Fights

Linda McMahon says she didn't make the call for the WWE to move forward with the Pay-Per-View event in Saudi Arabia on Friday ... saying she's no longer responsible for WWE's business moves.

Besides being married to WWE honcho Vince McMahon -- Linda also served as a high ranking executive in the organization from 1980 through 2009.

She's now part of the Trump administration -- serving as the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, based in Washington D.C.

So, when we saw her out at Reagan Airport on Tuesday, we had to ask how she felt about WWE not canceling the 'Crown Jewel' event, despite pressure from politicians and other powerful people in the wake of the Jamal Khashoggi murder.

"If you wanna talk WWE, you're talking to the wrong McMahon," Linda told us.

When we pointed out that WWE is essentially a family-run business, she replied -- "I don't run it and I'm not responsible for it ... ya gotta talk to Vince."

Message received -- loud and clear!

10:30 AM PT – Maury tells us he’s been trying to get Cardi on his show for 6 months to talk about Offset, but now he’s certain a show with CB and Nicki would be worthy of a primetime special.

Although the rivals tweeted Tuesday morning about being "all love" ... Maury ain’t buying it. As for who would come out on top in the lie detector test -- he thinks there's plenty of guilt to go around.

He also told us he and his staff security guards are prepared for the worst ... should the ladies agree to the polygraph showdown.

If Cardi B and Nicki Minaj really want THE TRUTH, one man is prepared to give them THE TRUTH ... and his name is Maury Povich.

Maury stepped squarely into the middle of hip-hop's biggest feud with an offer to hook both rappers up to a polygraph machine ... on his show, of course. We're thinking he'd have to make it a 2-hour special though, because there's a ton of beef to slice up:

-- Did Cardi stop Offset from doing the "No Flag" video with Nicki?
-- Did Nicki's pal Rah Ali really hit Cardi instead of security at the NYFW event?
-- Did Cardi block 21 Savage from doing "Krippy Kush" with Nicki?
-- Did Nicki leak Cardi's phone number after the NYFW fight?

And, that's just scratching the surface.

After Nicki dropped a ton of accusations on her "Queen Radio" show, she immediately offered to pay for a lie detector to prove she's in the right -- but as Maury put it, "Why pay for a Lie Detector Test @NICKIMINAJ ... when mine is FREE!"

For her part, Cardi fired back at Nicki with a ton of her own tea ... so, MP saw a huge opportunity and he pounced. Shoot your shot, Maury!

So, will they accept? Nicki SAYS she's down ... no word from Cardi yet.

Of course, with so much on the line, ya gotta wonder ... can they handle THE TRUTH?

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro suffered a nasty black eye after his baby mama allegedly hit him with a phone and punched him in the face, and this is a DIFFERENT incident from the one last week where cops came rushing to his home.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to the 'Jersey Shore' star's Vegas home Thursday night for a custody dispute over the couple's 6-month-old daughter. Law enforcement sources tell us during their visit, Ronnie told cops about Jen's history of violence toward him.

Now we find out ... this was just the latest incident of strife and violence. Back on October 5, Ronnie was allegedly brutalized by Jen ... he says she punched him and struck him in the head with a phone.

As we reported ... Ronnie posted a pic of his injuries on Instagram, but never disclosed what caused the shiner.

We're told officers in Vegas informed Ronnie he needed to file a police report in New Jersey -- where the alleged attack went down -- if he wanted Jen arrested. Sources close to Ronnie say he has not reported the incident ... at least not yet.

Daniel Cormier says Brock Lesnar better not try to pull any cage-storming antics at UFC 230 ... because he ain't gonna be so nice this time around.

D.C. fights Derrick Lewis at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night -- and if Cormier wins, it sets up a possible superfight with Lesnar ... a fight they've been unofficially promoting for months.

Remember, after Cormier beat Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title at UFC 226 back in July, Brock walked into the cage and shoved Daniel HARD -- and threatened to beat his ass if they ever fought.

"Brock Lesnar can come ringside," Daniel tells TMZ Sports ... "but he better not come in there because this time, it might be problem for him."

Might be tough for Brock considering he's headlining the "WWE Crown Jewel" event in Saudi Arabia on Friday night ... but it's theoretically possible for him to make it to MSG in time for D.C.'s fight.

As for Lewis, Cormier says he respects him as a fighter -- but at the end of the day, he's gonna beat Derrick's ass.

We also spoke with D.C. about a possible 3rd fight with Jon Jones and who he thinks Ben Askren should face when he makes his UFC debut.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... if Floyd Mayweather is serious about fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov, it ain't gonna be a boxing match -- it's the Octagon or nothing!

Floyd has said he's 70% certain the two sides will get a deal done to box -- he expects to make a 9-FIGURE CHECK if it comes to fruition.

But, when we saw Dana at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills over the weekend, he had an ultimatum for Floyd.

"Listen, if Mayweather wants to fight, come fight. You fight in the UFC. We're not boxing him. We did that once. That's over."

Of course, Dana's referring to Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor -- which clocked in at the 2nd highest pay-per-view fight of all time. But, apparently, Dana's not down for a second bite of that apple.

"You wanna fight? You come fight ... a REAL fight."

Mayweather has previously teased that he was training for an MMA fight -- but it doesn't seem like he ever followed through with it.

UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley has offered to personally train Floyd and said he truly believes the 41-year-old could have real success in the Octagon.

As for Khabib, White says his next UFC is pretty obvious ... he's gunning for Tony Ferguson, as long as they can overcome a few obstacles.

1:22 PM PT -- Cops say Bonnar was speeding down I-15 in a red Cadillac CTS in excess of 90 MPH around 1:15 PM.

Witnesses say he was driving like a maniac. By the time the Highway Patrol responded to the scene, citizens had already surrounded the vehicle and physically restrained Bonnar, who appeared incoherent.

As cops tried to place handcuffs on him, Bonnar woke up and began to resist. With help from the citizens, cops eventually got him cuffed and transported him to a nearby station where he was booked for 3rd-degree felony DUI.

Cops say Bonnar reeked of booze. Medical staff also responded to the scene and determined nothing was medically abnormal, he was just drunk.

UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar was arrested for DUI on Sunday -- after a group of concerned citizens (one armed with a gun) corralled him after an apparent car crash in Nevada.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... witnesses claim the 41-year-old was driving erratically and feared he would hurt someone.

Somehow, a group of concerned citizens wrangled Bonnar to the ground and kept him at bay until law enforcement arrived.

One he was taken into official custody he was booked for DUI, resisting arrest and unsafe driving. Bail was set at $22,000.

Bonnar is a UFC legend -- he fought Forrest Griffin in the finale of the very first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" back in 2005 -- a fight that's regarded as one of the best and most important in UFC history.

Bonnar lost that fight, but got a UFC contract out of the deal and went on to have a pretty solid career -- fighting guys like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

Dana White says he wishes nothing but the best for Demetrious Johnson now that he's leaving UFC for another MMA promotion -- and tells TMZ Sports he hopes DJ finally gets the respect he deserves from fans.

The UFC worked out a trade with ONE Championship -- in which Johnson will leave UFC and in exchange, ONE has sent over their welterweight champion Ben Askren.

Johnson was a beast during his UFC run -- breaking the record for the most title defenses -- but he was never the pay-per-view draw a fighter of his caliber could have been.

We asked White how DJ would be remembered in the UFC -- and he told us, "I feel like he never really got the love and respect he deserved from the fans."

White added, "I don't know if he was always thrilled being here, so hopefully, he's a lot happier where he's headed now."

As for Ben Askren -- who's undefeated, 18-0 as a pro fighter -- everyone wants to know who he'll get first in the UFC.

"We're still working on it," White says ... noting, "He's definitely gonna fight somebody in the Top 5."

So, who's in the Top 5 in the UFC's welterweight division -- guys like Colby Covington, Darren Till, Rafael dos Anjos, Stephen Thompson and Robbie Lawler.

Tyron Woodley is the UFC's welterweight champ -- but he and Askren are good buddies and it seems like they're not looking to fight each other anytime soon.

Actor Kobie "DJ K-LUV" Randolph says he was attacked at George Clooney's Halloween party, and depending on who you believe ... Brandi Glanville either broke it up or attacked him.

Randolph told cops Brandi was with a woman with whom he had a past relationship. He claims the woman attacked him, punching him in the face and splitting his lip.

Brandi told cops she broke up the fight, but he says she was one of the perps who attacked him.

Randolph also claims the 2 women attacked him with "12 uppercuts like I'm in a boxing match." He also complained no one at the party came to his rescue.

Derrick Lewis says he's in the best shape of his life -- he's been training 3 hours a day to go the distance with Daniel Cormier ... and predicts a KO in the last few seconds of the 5th round!

Of course, Lewis famously said his cardio was terrible after his last second victory over Alexander Volkov earlier this month (he also complained his balls were hot) ... but he's been kicking his own ass in the gym and looks super leaned out.

"I'm training 3 hours a day instead of 30 minutes," Lewis tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm prepared to go 5 rounds."

Lewis and Cormier will square off for the UFC heavyweight title on Nov. 3 at UFC 230 -- and even thought Derrick's the heavy underdog, he's advising everyone to BET MONEY ON HIM!!

"I'm the underdog just about every fight," Lewis says ... "Whoever betting on me, I'm making you money!"

So, what's next for Derrick if he wins?

UFC badass Anthony Smith wants to fight Jon Jones ... and says he's 100% sure he can take out the all-time UFC great.

Smith -- who's DESTROYED his last two opponents, Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans -- fights Volkan Oezdemir Saturday on FS1, but tells us after that fight he's got his sights on a much, much bigger face off, and that's with Jones.

"Once I go through Volkan and do what I think I'm gonna do to him. I'm gonna stomp my foot in the ground and stake my claim."

His claim -- he feels -- is to be the #1 light heavyweight in the world ... and in order to do that he's gotta go through Jones, something he says only he can do.

"I'm not afraid of Jon Jones. And, there's probably not that many people in the division that can say that," Smith tells us ... "I'm 100% not afraid of Jon Jones. And, I really believe deep down in my soul that I can beat him."

Of course, Jones has some work to do first too ... he's got a fight against badass Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in December -- his first fight since July 2017.

This could get awesome.

Parker McKenna, who played Damon Wayans' daughter on "My Wife and Kids," claims her ex-boyfriend beat the crap out of her, and he's now sitting in a Houston jail ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Parker told prosecutors her ex, YouTube star Chris Sails, got pissed after he saw a DM from another man on her phone, and started beating her so badly, she thought she was going to die.

The alleged incident went down last month in the couple's apartment. Parker claims Chris repeatedly punched and slapped her in the face, and choked her while slamming her head on the ground.

Parker called cops and responding officers noticed she had a black eye and cuts on her neck. We're told she initially claimed a woman who was visiting had attacked her. Two weeks later she recanted, and told cops Sails punched her.

Cops are getting to know Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley by their first names, because they had to come out again Thursday night to break up an escalating fight over child custody.

Jen showed up at Ronnie's home to pick up 6-month-old Ariana Sky, only to be blocked at the front door by him and his aunt. The aunt went HAM, screaming that her only motive for creating all the drama was money. She also called Jen a whore.

This whole thing erupted after the former "Jersey Shore" star posted a video calling Jen out for leaving their baby and her 12-year-old son home alone so she could go out with her friends and get drunk. It appears after Ronnie posted that video, Jen went to his house to get the baby.

Ronnie posted and deleted a screenshot of Jen asking for $20k for publicly humiliating her.

As we reported, Jen allegedly attacked Ronnie Wednesday ... after which he posted a photo of a shiner around his eye. He didn't say specifically Jen was the culprit, but it's not hard to read between the lines.

Check out the video ... you hear Ronnie getting smacked as she accuses him of killing her dog.

Dana White will eventually change his mind and sign Logan Paul to a UFC fight contract ... at least, Tyron Woodley is convinced that's how it'll go down!

Remember, White crapped all over the idea of Paul getting into the Octagon -- saying the YouTube superstar would get hurt fighting with the trained killers in the UFC.

But, on "The Hollywood Beatdown" this week, Tyron says he watched Logan's boxing match -- and feels the same way as Joe Rogan -- that Paul has some real fighting talent.

Tyron also points out that Dana, to his credit, has reversed course when it comes to UFC policy in the past -- remember when he said women would never fight?

There's more ... Tyron also explains why he probably WON'T fight Ben Askren in the UFC -- but tells us why the newest UFC superstar could cause some REAL problems for guys like Georges St-Pierre.

Ronda Rousey tells TMZ Sports ... pulling out of the WWE event in Saudi Arabia would be the WRONG move, because there is SO much good that can ultimately come from it.

And she's so passionate about the event, she was fighting back tears while making her point.

The WWE superstar was out in NYC promoting Sunday's all-female Pay-Per-View event 'Evolution' -- and explaining the cultural impact it can have ... when we naturally segued into the Saudi Arabia event.

Several politicians and other high powered people have been calling for Vince McMahon to postpone the event in the wake of the Jamal Khashoggi murder and alleged Saudi cover up.

But, Ronda tells us she supports the decision to move forward with 'Crown Jewel' on Nov. 2nd in Riyadh -- based on previous experience as an athlete who's competed internationally.

"I’m a 2-time Olympian, so I’m an idealist when it comes to sports," Ronda says ... while explaining how she bonded with a boxer from Iraq while the U.S. was at war with his country.

"Nowhere else in the world would some man from Iraq and a little girl from Venice Beach be respecting each other and sharing space. And, I think that sports is where we really find that common ground with each other."

"And, I think that pulling out of the 'Crown Jewel' would be the wrong move because I think that this is an opportunity to be able to share our cultures, and to define what we have in common and in times especially when, you know, times of adversity between two countries that’s the absolute wrong time to be able to pull away."

"I think that’s the time for us to be able to find what we have in common and be able to understand each other more."

Tyson Fury wants Donald Trump to be his guest of honor for his fight with Deontay Wilder in December ... officially extending the invite to POTUS through TMZ Sports!

"President Trump, I invite you to come down to see the biggest heavyweight fight in the last three decades!!!"

Of course ... Trump probably ain't showin' up -- security would be a nightmare -- but Tyson loves the dude, saying he's just as controversial!!

We also talked to Fury -- who was at Wild Card West boxing gym in L.A. -- about Wilder's claim that he wanted to MURDER somebody in the ring ... and Tyson wasn't down for all that chatter.

"I think it's a very stupid comment. You want a body on your record? No, this is a sport, a gentleman's sport. May the best man win."

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan tells TMZ Sports ... WWE is making the RIGHT move pushing forward with the Saudi Arabia show -- explaining, "You can't shut down a whole operation over a horrible incident.

Vince McMahon's company announced Thursday the 'Crown Jewel' event in Riyadh will proceed as planned on Nov. 2 ... despite pressure to postpone after the murder of reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

But, Duggan says even though Khashoggi's death is a tragedy -- the WWE legend doesn't blame Vince for not scrapping the "huge business opportunity."

Duggan also believes the Khashoggi incident is relatively minor compared to other things happening in that region of the world.

"You can't hold the rest of the world to our values ... and what happens over there happens over there," Hacksaw says.

"If you're gonna start picking and choosing things, you won't be able to go anywhere. There's something everywhere negative."