Fights

Ex-NBA player Royce White says he's already taken real steps to make his UFC dream come true -- telling TMZ Sports he's reached out to Dana White's team in the hopes of getting a real fight in the Octagon.

We spoke with the 6'8", 260-pounder to find out how he's transitioning from the court to the mat -- and why the 28-year-old believes he can be dominant.

"One thing I am is a supreme athlete, one of the best athletes in the world," White says.

"And, not just because I was drafted int the NBA or because I'm a good basketball player. But because, even for a basketball player, I was one of the most athletic, unique, talented, skilled, composed, skilled athletes in that realm."

Royce also says when it comes to throwing punches, he has an advantage over virtually every person who's ever stepped in the cage.

"I have one of the top 10 biggest sets of hands in the history of the NBA."

That fact checks out -- look it up.

As we previously reported, White was balling out in Canada -- but believes he can be a great MMA fighter and he's already been training with a top MMA coach out in Minnesota.

White says his goal is to become the UFC heavyweight champ -- and he knows he's got his work cut out for him ... with fighters like Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic and maybe Jon Jones looking to stand in his way.

G.O.A.T. vs. G.O.A.T?!?!?

It's possible ... with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson telling TMZ Sports he's down for a 3-round boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

First off, DJ says Floyd is the one guy he would NEVER bet against in a fight -- "because he's just that good."

So, the respect is there.

But, now that Floyd's in the exhibition business -- where he's taking 3-round fights in Japan for roughly $10 mil-a-pop -- would Johnson be interested in testing his boxing skills against the best ever?

"Absolutely, I'll step in there and fight Floyd," 32-year-old Johnson said ... "3 rounds? Just boxing? I'll do that. It'll be fun! I feel like I'll do fine."

And, this isn't one of those hypothetical matchups either -- because as Johnson put it, "I think for Floyd Mayweather if it makes money sense, I think he would do anything."

Mayweather has already proven to be a big draw in Asia -- and with Johnson now fighting in Japan, his popularity is expected to skyrocket there too.

And, if DJ wins his March 31 fight against Yuya Wakamatsu at "ONE Championship: A New Era" -- it'll only help to create interest.

Kylie Jenner isn't going to make any drastic decisions to blow up her family -- at least not yet -- and she's willing to try and work things out with Travis Scott ... sources tell TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple got into a massive fight Wednesday after Travis flew home to surprise his baby mama and Stormi. We're told at some point during the visit, Kylie went through Travis' phone and discovered "evidence" he had been unfaithful.

Travis' reps tell us the rapper insists he did not cheat.

Our sources say Travis stayed at Kylie's home Wednesday and Thursday, and the couple tried working things out. We're told Kylie was extremely pissed at him, but she's trying to keep her emotions in check ... in no small part for the sake of their daughter.

Sources close to Travis say he plans to take the stage in NYC at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. You'll recall -- Scott canceled his show Thursday in Buffalo, claiming he was ill -- but we're told the fight with Kylie was the real reason for pulling the plug.

As for the situation with Kylie's best friend, Jordyn Woods ... Kylie's family is furious after her interview on "Red Table Talk," but Kylie hasn't ruled out a future reconciliation with her. Khloe, clearly, has a different opinion.

Jon Jones says he's gunning to fight 4 TIMES in 2019 -- and wants to keep that pace as long as he can -- telling TMZ Sports he's already got some high-profile opponents in mind.

Israel Adesanya. Johnny Walker. Thiago Santos.

Yeah, Jones says he's down to fight 'em all ... right after he takes care of Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on Saturday.

Of course, people have been comparing Israel Adesanya to Jones ... saying the 29-year-old has a similar physique, fight style and fight IQ.

Jon's clearly aware of all the talk out there and says he's "got a feeling me and him will eventually fight each other."

"I'd be excited for that challenge."

Israel is on a pretty impressive run of his own -- he's 16-0 -- with big wins over guys like Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares.

He's also on track to fight Kelvin Gastelum for the UFC interim middleweight title at UFC 236 on April 13.

As for Johnny Walker, he's on an 8-fight win streak and has been creating all sorts of buzz for himself after a big victory over Justin Ledet at UFC Fight Night on February 2.

"My job is to knock 'em down as they come," Jones tells TMZ Sports ... "My job is just to be like a brick wall."

Jones says he feels bad for missing so much time due to outside-the-Octagon issues -- and wants to repay the fans by fighting as much as possible over the next few years ... 3 to 4 fights a year.

Ex-Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is under fire after officials say they have video of the 55-year-old berating officials at his stepson's high school basketball game.

McCarthy was allegedly pissed off at the referees after his stepson's Notre Dame Academy lost to Pulaski High on Tuesday night ... and followed the refs as they left the court.

Officials say McCarthy went on a "verbal tirade" -- using inappropriate language to rip the refs.

Officials have filed an "abuse against contest officials" complaint against McCarthy and the school is investigating.

Footage captured by the school district shows a man -- identified as McCarthy -- following the refs and yelling at them.

Pulaski athletic director Janel Batten explained it this way -- "This parent chose to follow the officials and berate them, which is clearly unacceptable."

"Some things were said, some language was used that we don't want in our gym, unsportsmanlike language," she told WLUK.

McCarthy has reportedly been a regular at his stepson's basketball games this season.

McCarthy coached the Packers from 2006 to 2018 -- leading the Cheeseheads to a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011.

He was fired last year after reported tension between him and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Jon Jones tells TMZ Sports he wants to be the first MMA fighter to finish his career with a 50-0 record -- becoming the Floyd Mayweather of the sport -- and he's 100% confident he can do it.

First things first ... we know Jones already has 1 loss on his record, but it's because Jon was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows in a fight he was otherwise dominating. Clearly, Jones doesn't consider that an official loss.

Instead, Jon views himself as unbeaten in the Octagon with a 24-0 record (instead of 23-1) -- and says he plans to chalk up another 26 victories ... starting with Anthony Smith on Saturday at UFC 235.

After that, Jones says he realizes he's on a collision course with Daniel Cormier ... but says it's unlikely they will fight at heavyweight unless the bag is gigantic.

"[The UFC] can convince me to fight Daniel Cormier," Jones says ... "We give the fans what they want to see."

As far as that 50 win mark, Jon explained it this way -- "I think 50-0 would be a really great number ... no one's ever done it. That puts you up there with Mayweather and some of the all-time greats in boxing."

"I'm 31 years old and I believe the best is yet to come."

Jones says he's got the best team around him that he's ever had and says he feels great.

While Jones is considered by many to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time, it ain't gonna be easy to get to 50-0.

Oscar De La Hoya says "REAL" boxing promoters don't tamper with other fighters -- and says, if Floyd Mayweather wants to set up a fight with Ryan Garcia, he's gotta do it the PROPER way.

Oscar -- who runs Golden Boy Promotions -- sent a cease and desist letter to Floyd after Mayweather made a fight offer to Garcia during an interview with TMZ Sports earlier this month.

In the TMZ Sports video, Mayweather looked in the camera and told Garcia -- a Golden Boy fighter -- that he'd offer $200k for Ryan to fight Mayweather Promotions fighter Rolando Romero.

If Garcia beat Romero, Floyd said he'd grant Garcia's wish to fight Mayweather's top boxer, Gervonta "Tank" Davis.

Both Garcia and Davis are rising stars in boxing's super featherweight division -- and seem to be on a collision course to battle in the near future.

After making the offer, Floyd invited Garcia to his 42nd birthday party -- and the two seemed to be chatting it up ... with Oscar nowhere to be seen.

Now, Oscar is pissed -- telling TMZ Sports, "There are proper ways of making fights happen. Look, you don't go out there publicly."

Oscar added, "The proper way is you send in a contract, you take a look at it and then we talk about it ... that's what real promoters do."

Oscar says he has not heard "one word" from Floyd's camp before or after sending the letter.

It sounds like Oscar is still interested in making a Davis vs. Garcia fight -- but he refuses to hash it out in the media and wants Floyd to deal with him behind the scenes ... or else.

Meanwhile, Oscar has a lot on his plate -- he's currently promoting the massive Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs fight scheduled to go down May 4 on DAZN.

Daniel Cormier better watch out ... there's a new guy comin' for the UFC heavyweight belt -- ex-NBA player Royce White!!

The 6'8", 260-pounder announced he's now transitioning to MMA and even has a full-time coach in Minnesota.

In his new book "MMA x NBA," the 27-year-old says he's dead serious about becoming a pro fighter -- and he's got some BIG goals.

“I’m coming for the UFC Heavyweight Crown,” RW told The Last Renaissance.

He's even hooked up with famed MMA coach Greg Nelson -- who has trained UFC stars like Brock Lesnar.

It's an interesting move for White who's been making headlines for years -- both for his athletic talent and his fight with the NBA and Houston Rockets over the way they deal with mental health issues.

White's story is pretty well-known ... after dominating at Iowa State, he was selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft ... but didn't make his NBA debut until 2014 due to a dispute with the Houston Rockets over his mental health condition.

White was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in grade school -- he's openly talked about how the condition affects many facets of his life, especially flying.

Royce was drafted by the Rockets and immediately became openly outspoken for mental health awareness in the NBA, a stance he believes strained his relationship with league officials.

After a short stint with the Sacramento Kings, White picked up his basketball career in the National Basketball League of Canada, where he was league MVP in 2017.

But, if White is serious about getting a UFC contract, it seems he's leaving basketball for good ... with UFC honcho Dana White having talked about the insane commitment it takes to fight with the best in the world.

Boxing champ Claressa Shields -- a 2-time Olympic gold medalist -- says UFC star Amanda Nunes would get a RUDE AWAKENING if they ever fought ... explaining, "I T-Rex bitches!"

23-year-old Shields is the biggest star in women's boxing right now -- she's the undisputed, unified champ in TWO weight classes with an 8-0 pro record. She's a BEAST!!!

She's also very close with Cris Cyborg -- and was at UFC 232 back in December when Cyborg got knocked out by Nunes.

So, we asked if she's down to avenge her friend ... and she told us she's 100% confident she would destroy the Brazilian superstar.

First off, Shields says she'd need a year of hardcore MMA training to become the baddest woman in the Octagon -- but if Nunes wanted to step in the boxing ring, she'd beat that ass right now.

"Amanda Nunes caught Cris Cyborg because Cris Cyborg went in there wild and crazy," Shields says.

"We got 10 rounds. Amanda Nunes can't beat me in a boxing match."

"Myself, I'm the G.O.A.T. I'm the greatest woman of all time!"

Shields says she's not interested in an MMA fight right now -- but she's not ruling it out down the line.

Right now, she's focused on her April 13 fight against undefeated German superstar Christina Hammer.

Conor McGregor would be STUPID to take a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov because it's a fight he'll never win ... ever ... so says Eddie Alvarez.

Of course, Eddie battled Conor back in 2016 at UFC 205 and lost via TKO in the 2nd round -- so he's well aware of what Conor's capable of doing in the Octagon.

But, Eddie says Khabib's wrestling is just too much for Conor -- the Irishman can't stop the Dagestani's ground game -- and if they run their 2018 fight back, it ain't gonna go well for McGregor.

"He can't overcome the style matchup," Alvarez says ... "Khabib just has a style that beats him. That's it."

There's another issue ... Eddie isn't convinced Khabib actually wants to fight again -- and thinks we may have seen the last of The Eagle.

As for Eddie, he's gearing up for his March 31 battle with Timofey Nastyukhin at the ONE Championship: A New Era event in Japan.

**ATTENTION DEGENERATE GAMBLERS**

UFC star Anthony Smith says you can make a TON of cash betting on him to knock out Jon Jones at UFC 235 this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports, it's a safe bet.

Of course, Smith is a huge underdog in the fight ... the current line is Jones (-950) and Smith (+575).

In other words, if you bet $100 on Smith to win, it pays $575. If you bet on Jones, you need to plunk down $950 just to make a $100 profit.

But, Smith tells us, "If you wanna make some money, throw some money on me, man!!! If you don't and you bet against me, I'm sorry you're gonna lose your money."

Check out the clip ... Smith looks locked in and tells us exactly how he plans on beating Jones, who some call the greatest fighter in UFC history.

"I'm gonna finish Jon Jones," Smith says.

"I'm gonna put this fist on his chin and he's gonna go down. And, whether he stays down is up to him. But, if he gets back up, I'll do it again."

Anthony is currently on a 3-fight win streak -- with 6 wins in his last 7 fights. He's got solid victories over guys like Shogun Rua, Rashad Evans and Volkan Oezdemir.

Floyd Mayweather says he ain't mad at Tyga for trying to pull a gun at his birthday party over the weekend -- in fact, Floyd says the rapper will still be invited to the next big bash.

We broke the story ... Tyga was physically removed from Floyd's 42nd birthday party at the Sunset Room on Saturday night after getting into a heated altercation with another man inside the event.

Our cameras captured a FIRED UP Tyga as he reached into his security guard's gun holster and tried to grab the pistol. Fortunately, the quick-thinking guard snatched the gun from Tyga, preventing what could have been a deadly situation.

Our sources tell us ... Tyga was furious after being accused of missing payments on a fancy Maybach car. He flipped out. Tyga says the two sides later talked things out and everything is cool now.

So, when we saw Mayweather at Ace of Diamonds in L.A. on Monday night, we asked if Tyga will be blacklisted from future Floyd events.

"I don't care that Tyga got in a fight in my party ... guess what?! It was good publicity for my party!"

Floyd also says he'll be invited back for the next shindig -- and doesn't really seem too worried about possible gun violence.

After all ... it's not the first time Floyd's been close to a situation involving firearms. Remember, last year someone opened fire on Floyd's entourage in Atlanta, striking his bodyguard, Greg La Rosa.

Roman Reigns just gave cancer the Superman punch ... 'cause the WWE Superstar announced his leukemia is in remission!!

Last October, the 33-year-old -- who was originally diagnosed with leukemia in 2008 -- gave up his universal title and walked away from the ring to focus on his battle with cancer.

RR returned to Monday Night 'Raw' last night to officially announce the great news ... saying "THE BIG DOG IS BACK!!!"

"I said I was going to swing for the fences ... We did better than that, y'all," Roman said to a bunch of fans shouting his name in support.

"We didn't just swing for the fences. We hit a home run. So when I tell you this, I'm so grateful and so humbled and so honored to announce this ... The good news is, I'm in remission, y'all!!"

Reigns says he intends to use his platform to raise awareness for those dealing with similar diseases ... but also hinted at making a full return at a later date.

It wasn't just an announcement night for Reigns ... he also got in on the action -- saving Dean Ambrose from a 4-on-1 attack!!

Tyga got booted from Floyd Mayweather's birthday bash over 2 very common issues for the rapper -- money and the repo man.

Witnesses inside the Sunset Room tell TMZ ... moments before Tyga got dragged out of the club, he was approached by several men from whom he had leased a white Maybach -- and not in a friendly way.

We're told Tyga had a deal to pay $6,000 a month for the Maybach, but he fell behind on his payments and the men had the luxury car repo'd last month. So, when they crossed paths at the party, an argument erupted and Tyga started threatening the men.

You know what happened next ... security grabbed Tyga by the neck, dragged him out of the club and onto the street, where Tyga tried to pull a gun off his bodyguard.

As for why Tyga got so heated -- we're told he feels the Maybach was unlawfully repossessed.

Tyga's been down this road before ... it's the second Maybach he's lost to the repo man, and he also had a Ferrari swiped.

The good news ... it's all water under the bridge now, because Tyga says he's made-up with the men and the bouncer.

UFC legend Matt Hughes has been ordered to stay 500-feet away from his wife -- who claims Matt has physically attacked her multiple times and once threatened to shoot her.

It's all part of court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which Audra Hughes describes a disturbing pattern of violence and abusive behavior beginning in 2017.

Remember, the UFC Hall of Famer nearly died when a train struck his truck in a June 2017 accident that left Hughes with a serious brain injury.

But, Audra says shortly after he recovered from the trauma in September or October 2017 ... he roughed her up badly in the shower.

Audra claims she refused to give Matt his truck keys, saying, "I told him he can't have them because he shouldn't drive due to his DAI (brain injury)."

She alleges Matt then snapped ... choked her -- and asked her for the code to his gun vault.

When Audra refused again ... she says Matt choked her again, smashed her head against the shower wall and screamed, "This is what choking is!"

Audra says nearly a year later on July 21, 2018 ... Matt told her, "I'm going to f*cking shoot you," because she took his phone, claiming, "he was communicating with multiple women."

Audra also says just a few months later, on Dec. 12, 2018 ... Matt hit her in front of her son, their daughter and her step-dad after she accused him of texting other women.

Audra filed for a restraining order the following day ... and a judge has since ordered the fighter to stay at least 500-feet away from Audra and their children.

There's more ... Matt's twin brother, Mark Hughes -- a retired MMA fighter who competed at UFC 28 in 2000 -- has also filed for a restraining order against the 45-year-old, alleging Matt roughed up his son and tried to destroy his tractor.

Mark says the two had a disagreement over which brother actually OWNS the tractor ... and when Matt saw Mark's 15-year-old son driving it sometime later on Sept. 23, 2018 -- he lost it on the kid.

Mark alleges Matt grabbed his son, shook him and told him that's his "f*cking tractor."

Mark also says a week later on Sept. 30, 2018 ... he believes Matt doused the tractor and its surrounding area in gasoline -- and suspects he was trying to destroy it.

Mark filed for a restraining order the next day ... which a judge granted -- ordering Matt to stay away from his brother and his family.

Matt was a 2x UFC Welterweight Champion and piled up a career 45-9 record with victories over legends including Georges St-Pierre, BJ Penn and Matt Serra.

He was recently recognized as a guest of honor on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night in St. Louis.

6:14 PM PT -- It looks like Tyga has made peace with whoever he was beefing with Saturday night, including the security guard who dragged him out of the Sunset Room.

He posted a photo on his IG story Sunday with a group of guys, which he suggests were the ones he got into a scuffle with. You can see the security guard who yanked him out standing right next to him ... no hands on him this time around.

Tyga captioned the photo, "No rap cap. Real street s***. Sat down face 2 face & spoke, & turned it into some real men s***. All love. Back 2 the bag."

It's still unclear what exactly happened to kick all this off, but at least it had a happy ending.

Tyga was dragged out of Floyd Mayweather's birthday party Saturday night by his neck ... and during the melee, he reached for a gun.

Tyga was at the Sunset Room in Hollywood, celebrating Floyd's 42nd, when someone in the crowd got into it with the rapper. It's unclear what they were beefing about, but whatever it was, security wanted Tyga out, and he was grabbed by the neck yanked out of the club.

Once outside, it escalated and at one point Tyga reaches for a grabs his security guard's gun.

The security guard knew trouble was brewing and made sure it never left his holster, so Tyga never actually took possession of the firearm.

It took a while for things to calm down, but eventually, Tyga and his crew left the club.

By the way ... we asked about the latest drama with Khloe, Jordyn Woods and Tristan Thompson -- wondering if Khloe and Jordyn could reconcile -- but he had other things on his mind.