Fights

How the hell do you defend against those legendary Jon Jones elbow strikes?

UFC star Dominick Reyes believes he's got the answer -- and he's demonstrating his violent plan on one of our TMZ staffers!

Of course, Dom and Jon Jones are set to do battle at UFC 247 in Houston on Saturday -- in a fight for the UFC light heavyweight title. It's the biggest fight of Dominick's impressive career.

And, since Jon Jones recently came into the office and taught our own Lucas the art of the elbow strike ... we thought it would be a good idea to see if he could test out his skills on Dom!

The good news ... Reyes is ready and has a plan to keep Jon's elbows out of his mouth by essentially beating him to the punch.

"You gotta strike first," Reyes said while demonstrating his counterattack ... "It's so simple, it just might work!"

We also spoke with Reyes about why he's 100% confident he'll be the very first man to give Jones a legitimate L in the Octagon.

"It's just my time. Simple as that. I've worked my whole life for this."

Reyes says he's played out the first a million times in his head and couldn't be more ready.

As for Jones, he's the champ for a reason.

This is one of the most violent college basketball fights EVER -- courtesy of the women of Alabama St. and Texas Southern.

ASU was being blown out 81-54 on Monday night in a super testy Southwestern Athletic Conference game in Montgomery ... when a fight broke out and escalated QUICKLY.

The benches cleared and a BUNCH of players threw wild haymakers -- some connected, some didn't -- but good lord, it was crazy.

Staffers and security rushed on to the court attempting to stop the brawl -- but the players overpowered them at first.

At one point, the fight spilled on to the scorer's table -- and the combatants came thiiiis close to knocking the whole thing over.

Eventually, officials were able to separate the teams and sent everyone to the locker rooms. A spokesperson for the ASU police tells us there were NO arrests made.

Reps for Alabama State were pretty pissed over the whole incident on Tuesday ... saying there WILL be repercussions for their players' actions.

"I am extremely disappointed by the behavior of our women athletes at the end of their game against Texas Southern University," ASU President Quinton T. Ross Jr. said in a statement.

"Alabama State University has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior."

Ross added the school is now launching a full-blown investigation into the fight ... with suspensions and other disciplinary actions almost certainly on the way.

Offset's rap partners are defending their buddy after he let the fists fly when someone sprayed champagne on his wife -- and their rationale is basically ... WWYD?

That's pretty much what Takeoff and Quavo told us Saturday in Miami, where all the rappers are hanging out in the days ahead of Super Bowl LIV. We asked 'em if they'd caught what had happened to Offset and Cardi in a club the night before ... sure enough, they had.

As we reported ... Cardi was on the receiving end of some bubbly early Friday morning, and Offset reacted by literally jumping into the crowd with an airborne punch.

According to the Migos boys, the move is fair game when your significant other is involved. Takeoff says Offset "did what he had to" with the way he responded, and Quavo turned it around and asked our camera guy what he would do if it was his wife.

"You got a cast on, bitch -- you lucky!!"

Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman almost got into an all-out brawl on radio row at the Super Bowl in Miami ... and video of their heated confrontation is EPIC!!!

The near-fight all started with some friendly trash talk ... but things got more serious when Usman begged Masvidal -- repeatedly -- to "do something!"

Masvidal seemed to be down for the scrap ... but he told Usman he wasn't going to hit him because of a cast Kamaru apparently had somewhere on his body.

"That's the only reason why nothing's happening to you!" Jorge said.

The two were ultimately separated by their entourages ... but it begs the question, is this the next fight for the two UFC superstars?!?!

Neither has an opponent lined up for their next tilt ... and Dana White himself told us earlier this month that would be "an incredible fight."

After seeing the two in Miami on Wednesday ... we gotta agree. MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Nicki Minaj and her husband got a nasty stare-down by Meek Mill ... and THAT'S what started the epic shouting match.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Nicki and hubby Kenneth Petty had barely walked into the high-end clothing store, Maxfield in WeHo, last weekend when Meek immediately gave them a nasty stare-down.

Like anyone running into an ex, Nicki and Kenneth took offense to Meek giving them a dirty look and that's what triggered the shouting match. Our sources say Nicki and Kenneth did NOT approach Meek by any means. The couple just happened to cross Meek's path when they walked into the store.

This, of course, disputes Meek's side of the story. As we first reported ... the "Championships" rapper said Nicki and Kenneth approached him and started getting loud.

Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez's billion-dollar rematch ain't happening -- not now, not ever -- so says the Mexican superstars' promoter, Oscar De La Hoya.

Remember, the boxing legends fought back in 2013 ... and Canelo -- who was only 22 years old at the time -- was easily handled by Floyd, losing by majority decision.

The two have been talking trash to each other publicly ever since -- Canelo's mocked Floyd for fighting Conor McGregor. Floyd went after Canelo for his positive PED test in 2018. For a second, it started to feel like they were seriously building toward a rematch.

In fact, just last year De La Hoya told us the rematch would be the biggest event in boxing history -- easily a $1.5 BILLION event.

But, things have changed and now, Oscar seems to be slamming the door on getting the superstars back in the same ring.

CM Punk is finally responding to Logan Paul's big MMA call out ... and bad news -- it's a big, fat THUMBS DOWN!

Of course, Paul is looking to continue his combat sports career after that big boxing match with KSI back in November -- and the two names he's thrown out are Antonio Brown and CM Punk.

With AB's troubling legal issues, that fight seems like a long shot now ... so what about Punk?

Remember, 41-year-old Punk has two UFC fights under his belt -- and even though he lost 'em both, we're told he's a maniac in the gym ... and a lot of people would like to see him get another shot.

Paul is one of the people ... telling TMZ Sports he'd LOVE to throw down with the WWE legend and bragging, "I think I would destroy CM Punk if I'm being honest."

So, when we saw CM out in L.A. the other night -- we had to ask if he had any interest.

Kansas Jayhawks player Silvio De Sousa is breaking his silence following the bench-clearing brawl on Tuesday night ... saying straight-up, "I messed up and I am sorry."

De Sousa received the harshest punishment handed down for his part in the melee ... getting slapped with a 12-game suspension.

Remember, De Sousa stood over DaJuan Gordon after a chase-down block, which kickstarted the brawl. During the fight, the 21-year-old is seen holding a stool over his head before a coach yanks it from his hands.

De Sousa owned up to his actions on Wednesday, saying there is no excuse for what he did.

"Yesterday, during the Kansas State game, I displayed highly unacceptable behavior that was a poor representation of my team as well as my own character. There is no excuse for my behavior, and I cannot justify the unreasonable choices that I made yesterday on the court. I not only showed a lack of sportsmanship, but I put myself, my teammates and the fans in danger."

He added ... "I am truly embarrassed by my actions and have let everyone down who has supported me on my basketball journey. There is no amount of regret that I can express that will correct this mistake."

"I understand that I am extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play for KU and I recognize that I never should have let my emotions get the best of me, but unfortunately that is what happened. By doing so, I put the Kansas reputation at stake because of a moment of weakness and inconsideration."

"I will continue to support my team and do everything I can to help while serving my suspension."

"I messed up and I am sorry."

Antonio Brown not only physically assaulted a moving truck driver -- he also picked up a rock and threw it at the vehicle, causing even more damage ... this according to police.

TMZ Sports has obtained court docs in the AB alleged assault case in which the moving truck driver describes why Brown and his trainer attacked him during a routine drop-off Tuesday at Brown's Florida home.

The driver claims he was hired to deliver belongings AB had stored in California -- but when he arrived and demanded his $4,000 payment, Brown refused to hand over the cash.

The driver claims he tried to leave the home (with AB's property still in his truck) but Brown picked up a rock and threw it at the vehicle causing a dent and a paint chip on the driver's side door. The driver called police to report the vehicle damage.

A short time later, the driver was contacted by the moving company and asked him to go back to Brown's home to redeliver the goods ... telling him Brown was willing to make the initial $4,000 payment PLUS an additional $860 to cover damage to the truck and the extra work time.

Upon arrival, the driver claims AB gave him the $4,000 but refused to pay a cent more -- so again, they argued. But, this time, the driver says Brown forced his way into the driver's side of the main cabin and began to physically strike him.

Brown's associates eventually restrained the NFL star.

Quality Control Music's CEO Pierre "Pee" Thomas is threatening and unpredictable, even when he's in a courtroom ... so claims his baby mama, Lira Galore, who wants a judge to keep him away from her.

Lira filed docs seeking a temporary protective order against Pee because of what she calls his "menacing behavior" last week during a court hearing in their custody battle for 9-month-old, Khaleesi.

As you'll recall ... Galore accused Thomas of violent abuse last month, claiming he beat her during her first 8 months of pregnancy with his child. She's seeking at least $15 million for her injuries.

Lira says in new docs that because of the past alleged violence, she's terrified of Pee ... and says his antics in court only intensified her fear. She claims Thomas kept trying to speak to her, including approaching her in an "intimidating nature" and attempted to get her phone number.

Delonte West looks to be in need of serious help.

Check out these disturbing videos appearing to show the former NBA player getting beaten up in the streets of D.C.

It's super sad ... Delonte is apparently saying someone came at him with a gun while he was walking down the road. He then starts ranting and keeps saying "I don't give a f***" when pressed for more details about what went down.

UFC fighter Felice Herrig is giving TMZ Sports a blow-by-blow of her bloody Vegas street fight ... and she tells us the whole thing started over a penny.

35-year-old Herrig --the #12 ranked strawweight -- was in Sin City for UFC 246 ... when her night out on the town started to resemble her day job.

Herrig was walking with a friend between two casinos when a woman halted foot traffic to retrieve the cent.

“I was just like, ‘Dude it’s just a penny,’” Herrig told us. “And then I thought it was over and I was walking out with my friend, Kim, and she comes up from behind me and she was like, ‘It was on heads!’”

The penny-pincher declined Herrig’s request to get out of her face.

“So, I kind of shoulder bumped her to kind of let her know to go away, and she came at me,” Herrig tells us. “She punched me in the nose. I just remember punching her two times back.”

Herrig wasn't seriously hurt ... but did have her nose busted. Luckily for the woman who allegedly started beef with Felice ... she wasn't badly hurt either.

“I wanted to double-leg her, but I’m still recovering from my ACL injury,” Herrig tells us.

Felice says she doesn’t go out in public looking for fights, but she had a message for anyone else looking to start with her.

Dana White says Conor McGregor's next fight will almost definitely be a rematch with Khabib ... and the result of the match will have a major impact on the legacy of both guys.

TMZ Sports talked to Dana White outside T-Mobile Arena in Vegas after McGregor DOMINATED Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone ... and asked the UFC honcho who the Irish superstar wants next?

"Conor wants Khabib. Conor always has a lot of options. He wants Khabib, that's the fight he wants, and we'll see what happens."

We then asked White who he wants Conor to fight.

"I think Khabib makes sense too."

Khabib is scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson in April ... and if the 28-0 fighter wins, that could set up the Nurmagomedov-McGregor rematch -- and it'd be HUGE.

The only snag? Khabib and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, have repeatedly said the Dagestani star will NOT rematch Conor.

But, Dana doesn't sound worried.

"Listen, Khabib has never turned down a fight. The guy's 28-0. He's one of the baddest dudes to ever do it," Dana tells us.

"This fight's important for his legacy too. When you start looking back at Khabib's career and if he goes undefeated and retires. You're looking at the names, and the names mean everything. He beat Conor McGregor. He beats Tony Ferguson. He beat Conor McGregor again. He beat this guy, that guy."

That's not all ... White also talked Floyd Mayweather -- who teased a Floyd-Conor II and Floyd-Khabib bout Saturday night -- and made it clear TBE still wants to fight.

The woman who was allegedly punched by star boxer Sergey Kovalev in a 2018 attack says she needed a plate and 4 screws in her neck to fix the damage he caused ... and she says she's still in pain.

Jamie Frontz claims she was socked in the face by the 36-year-old Russian after she denied his sexual advances after the two met at the opening of a boxing gym in Big Bear, Calif. in June '18.

In a conversation with TMZ Sports ... she described how the alleged assault went down -- and it's graphic.

According to Frontz ... she and Kovalev were making out on a couch in her rented cabin when she began to feel like the boxer was getting too aggressive -- so she started to pull away.

That's when she says her dog intervened, jumping in between the two ... and "Krusher" shoved the animal to the ground. Frontz says when she screamed for Kovalev to leave immediately after, he grew even angrier, and KICKED the dog in the chest.

That's when she said Kovalev became violent toward her ... punching her with a closed fist in her face.

"When he punched me, my nose exploded," Frontz says. "Blood went everywhere. There was blood all over the cabin. All over the walls. All over the carpet. All over everything."

Alex Volkanovski ain't done G.O.A.T. hunting ... 'cause the new UFC champ -- fresh off taking out Max Holloway -- tells TMZ Sports he's got his eye on another legendary fighter.

Khabib Nurmagomedov.

We were talking to the the 31-year-old featherweight champ when the convo moved to going up to 155 pounds ... and fighting the undefeated Daghestani superstar.

"I'm not going looking for these fights, but you'd be silly if it doesn't cross your mind," Volkanovski says.

"I'm the type of person, I'll look at all opportunities and I'll at least let me play in my head. Whether I think they're realistically happening anytime soon, alright, maybe not. But, I'm still gonna think about it."

Volkanovski continued ... "People will be like, 'He's trying to call out Khabib.' They can take it however they want, but if that opportunity comes ..."

"Again, my goal is to defend my belt in the featherweight division, we've got a stacked division, so I'm happy to defend it there. But, if that opportunity comes up, I'm not gonna lie, obviously I'll take it."

Alex is 21-1 as a pro -- and hasn't lost since 2013 (that's 13 wins in a row) -- so no shocker he believes he matches up great against Nurmagomedov.

"Let's be honest. I'm not an easy man to hold down. Me being short sometimes works in my favor. These little limbs get me up pretty easily. I'm very strong, I've got a very good base. And then, obviously, you know that I can strike."

"She's Muhammad Ali's daughter, she's not Muhammad Ali."

That's boxing superstar Claressa Shields essentially telling Laila Ali to put up or shut up ... after Ali trashed Shields this week as an inferior fighter.

Shields appeared on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) to respond to Ali's insults ... and yeah, Shields was FIRED UP!

"Let's just keep it honest. Don't say that I'm not talented because I'm the most talented female fighter there has been in the history of boxing."

Of course, 42-year-old Ali went on "Sway in the Morning" and said she would destroy Shields if they ever fought because Claressa isn't talented enough to hang with her.

FYI, Ali was 24-0 as a pro. She last fought in 2007. 24-year-old Shields is currently 10-0 and looks unstoppable.

"Laila Ali is all bark, no bite," Shields said ... "If a girl call me out, I answer."

Shields says Ali ducked Ann Wolfe back in the day. Wolfe is widely considered one of the best female fighters of all time.

Instead, Shields says Ali's resume is packed with bums, not legit top flight opponents.

"She fought against soccer moms and probably strippers or something. I fight real fighters."

Now, Shields says she's down to settle this in the ring.

Claressa says she'll give Ali one year to train up -- and even has a pay structure in mind.

"The loser gets $5 million. The winner gets $10 million."