Fights

UFC star Tony Ferguson has cut his weight all the way down to 155 lbs -- which would be GREAT ... if the fight wasn't postponed!!!

Remember, Tony was supposed to fight Justin Gaethje in the main event at UFC 249 this weekend for the interim lightweight title (155 pounds).

But the April 18 fight was called off and Dana White is now looking at rebooking the event for May 9th.

Despite all those facts, Tony Ferguson has decided to continue his pre-fight training AS IF the fight were to happen on Saturday ... weight cut and all.

T-Ferg even hit the scale Friday morning to prove how serious he is about his process -- and yeah, it's a perfect 155 lbs.

The issue, of course, is that Tony will likely have to repeat the weight cutting process again next month if the UFC gets the green light to hold the event ... and that's A LOT of stress to put on your body in a short amount of time.

That said, it's still super impressive and shows how badly Tony wants the fight.

Stay safe, stay hungry -- and hopefully, we'll get to see the title fight we've all been waiting for sometime soon!

NY Mets ace Marcus Stroman is FURIOUS with NASCAR driver Kyle Larson for saying the n-word ... saying he should never race again and deserves to have his ass kicked.

Of course, the 27-year-old dropped an n-bomb during a virtual race on Easter Sunday ... apparently not realizing his audio was streaming out to thousands of people on Twitch.

Larson -- who later apologized for the slur -- was suspended by NASCAR, lost sponsorships, and was booted from his team.

Enter, Stroman -- whose parents are black and Puerto Rican. He's so pissed off about the incident, Stro wants to throw down with Larson in the Octagon.

"He should never be allowed to race again in @NASCAR," Stroman tweeted.

"Said that derogatory word so nonchalantly. Your apology doesn’t matter."

"Post-career...I’ll fight this man in a @ufc event for charity. He needs his ass beat. Would love to hear him say that word in the octagon."

Other athletes also went after Larson for his slur ... including Reggie Bush, who tweeted "apologize deez nuts."

"We not buying it and wear that racist badge with honor don’t hide we need to see who you really are!"

Ronda Rousey is slamming the door shut on a full-time return to WWE -- saying she refuses to dedicate her whole life for some "f*cking ungrateful" fans.

DAAAAAAAAMN RONDA!!!

Ronda hasn't been in the squared circle since WrestleMania 35 back in 2019 -- and many people were wondering if she's EVER coming back?

Now, some answers courtesy of the "Wild Ride with Steve-O" podcast [shout out ProWrestlingSheet] ... where the former "Jackass" star asked her straight up about her career plans.

"I love the WWE," Ronda said ... "I had such a great time. I love all the girls in the locker room."

BUUUUUT ... (of course, there's a "but").

"But, I was doing basically part-time and I was away from home 200 days out of the year. And, when I did get home, I was so sleep deprived cause you just don’t have time to lay down.”

“So it’s just like ... what am I doing it for if I’m not being able to spend my time and energy on my family? But, instead of spending my time and my energy on a bunch of f*cking ungrateful fans that don’t even appreciate me?"

And boom goes the dynamite.

"I love performing. I love the girls. I love being out there ... but, at the end of the day, I was just like, ‘F*ck these fans, dude.'"

Ronda continued, "My family loves me and they appreciate me and I want all my energy to go into them. So that was my decision at the end of the day. It’s like, ‘Hey girls. Love what you’re doing. I’m gonna try and take all my momentum and push you guys as far as I can ... fly little birds, fly! I’m going f*cking home!’ And that was basically it."

Floyd Mayweather is taking his talents to the other side of the mitts -- TBE says he's decided to become a boxing trainer ... and he's gunning to be the BEST.

Money sent out a heartfelt message on his new endeavor on Friday ... saying he's been inspired to help others find greatness through the sport in wake of his Uncle Roger's passing.

Of course, Roger was a legendary trainer ... and is credited for turning Floyd into the 50-0 boxing megastar he is today.

Floyd says he's going to use the downtime created by the coronavirus pandemic to help others fall in love with the sport the same way he did.

"In a time where we must distance ourselves from others, it has allowed me to reflect on how I want to make a difference in people lives and help them achieve their goals."

Floyd's first clients?? His oldest son, Koraun, and his nephew, Chris ... who could someday carry on the family legacy.

"It has become a goal of mine to help others reach the best versions of themselves and walk with it in confidence."

Floyd continued ... "I want to do my part on this Earth and allow people to see the potential in themselves so that they can share it with the world."

Floyd makes his ambitions clear -- this isn't just a hobby ... he wants to go down as a legendary boxing trainer, just like his uncle.

"But I promise you, I will be one of the best trainers in the world."

Floyd's entire explanation is powerful ... and you can read it below.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports UFC 249 is officially postponed and will NOT take place as planned on April 18.

But, "Fight Island" is still very real and in the works, White says.

The UFC honcho says because of coronavirus concerns ... high-ranking execs at both ESPN and Disney advised him to hold off on the April 18 fight card.

"I got a call from as high up as you can go at Disney asking not to do this event on April 18," White said.

The plan had been for the fights -- headlined by Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje -- to go forward at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif.

But, Dana says he's going to listen to his partners at ESPN ... and call off the fights for now.

"One thing you’ve heard me say is how awesome this relationship has been with ESPN," White says. "So when they call and ask me to not go, obviously, I'm going to respect it and not go."

As we previously reported ... White was going forward with the fights despite losing Khabib Nurmagomedov -- who withdrew from the card after expressing concern over COVID-19.

The card also lost another headliner in Rose Namajunas on Thursday, when she officially pulled out after she lost family members due to the coronavirus.

White tells us he's ain't laying off UFC staff despite the cancellations ... and guaranteed UFC cards would be back shortly.

"We will be the first sport back on television," White said.

As for "Fight Island" -- White says it's "really happening ... the infrastructure is being built right now on the island."

Thursday is the 15th anniversary of that epic Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar fight that launched the UFC on a multi-billion dollar trajectory.

So, we hit up Forrest to talk about how it changed his life -- and the video is awesome.

Remember, Griffin vs. Bonnar was the main event finale of the very 1st season of the "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show competition -- and it's still widely regarded as one of the best (and most important) moments in MMA history.

Griffin won that 3-round war by unanimous decision and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Looking back, Forrest says that night -- April 9, 2005 -- changed his life forever.

"I knew at the end of that I did not have to go to a day job. My job was now professional fighting," Griffin tells us.

"That's the bigger moment than winning the belts or fighting the best guy in the world or anything else. That’s the moment for me that really will always stand out."

Remember, 'TUF: Season 1' was aired the U.S. on Spike TV -- and was it was really the first time UFC content was available to the masses without a paywall.

Dana White has often credited the fight with launching the UFC to the next level -- but Griffin is still humble about his role.

"There were other people who laid the foundation for us and I got to help a little bit too."

"The history of MMA -- so many great people have gotten to offer so much to it, I’m really glad I got to offer my little keystone in it. With all the Chucks and the Royce’s and the GSPs, all the great people that changed the game. The Ronda Rouseys the McGregors, they turned it into a mainstream thing."

Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager ain't happy with Conor McGregor -- blasting him as a coronavirus hypocrite and a "jealous prostitute" after the Irishman criticized Khabib.

"It’s crazy because this guy has been telling people to stay home, don’t come outside, he’s donating millions of dollars, which now we know this sh*t is all fake," Ali Abdelaziz tells us.

Remember, Conor -- who made that emotional plea to Ireland to shelter in place -- accused Khabib of "chickening out" of his April 18 fight against Tony Ferguson.

"Khabib scurried out of the U.S. to home, and amid the crisis," McGregor said.

Well, that didn't sit well with Ali ... who WENT OFF on Conor to TMZ Sports.

"You’re telling everybody to stay home, now Khabib -- the government of Russia says he can’t travel, you’re going to call him a chicken?! [Conor] doesn’t matter."

He continued, "[Conor is not] #1, he’s not #2, he’s not #3. It’s Khabib, Justin, Tony. [Conor is] #4. He’s not even in the conversation right now. He’s just like a jealous prostitute, she’s got too old for her to make money."

Ali also issued this message to McGregor -- "Why don’t you even jump on a plane and come fight Tony Ferguson? I bet he understands that Tony Ferguson would beat his ass too. All those 3 guys would beat his ass. Justin, Tony and Khabib.”

There's more ... Ali also reps Justin Gaethje, who will be fighting Tony Ferguson instead of Khabib at UFC 249 and he told us how that deal came together "within an hour."

As for fighter safety, Ali says Justin and Tony -- and everyone involved UFC 249 -- is in good hands with the UFC.

"UFC for the last 20 years they set a standard about testing medical procedures. There’s never been a death or a serious injury to happen in the UFC."

UFC star Justin Gaethje says he's both excited and terrified about fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 ... saying, "I’m facing my fears right now and I think that’s what we all need to do."

Justin is replacing Khabib Nurmagomedov in the April 18 main event for the interim lightweight title after the COVID-19 pandemic left the Russian unable to leave his home country. White says all fighters on the 249 card will undergo thorough medical screening before being allowed to fight.

The 31-year-old knockout artist says he's never taken a fight on this kind of short notice before -- but explains, "I’ve also never been offered a UFC title and that’s the only thing I’m working for."

"That’s all I’ve been working for since the beginning, so I’m ready to gamble."

So, why did Justin ultimately agree to take the fight?

Gaethje says he didn't immediately say "yes" -- telling his coach he wanted to sleep on it for a night to really think it through.

"The next morning I woke up and said, 'If I lose where are we at?' For me, it’s in the same exact spot I am right now. I’m going to go out there and get a paycheck, which is nice, but ultimately I get a chance at glory."

"Heroes live forever, legends never die and I’m literally here to make a statement. My name will be carried on far longer after I’m here because of my effort, because of my work ethic and because of the skills I possess."

He added, "There’s very few people on earth that would sign up for what me and Tony just signed up for, including most UFC fighters. A lot of guys will say that they’re ready, but a lot of guys would not put their name on the dotted line."

"I woke up in a guillotine-ish mood."

That's UFC star Brian Ortega explaining why he chose his trademark GUILLOTINE CHOKE as today's lesson for TMZ's Snapchat show "Fight School" ... and the video is awesome!

T-City joined Paige VanZant to train up our TMZ Sports producer, Lucas -- our human crash test dummy -- in the secret MMA gym in the TMZ office!

Not only did Brian drop all sorts of knowledge on us ... but he also let Lucas try out the move ON HIM!!

Did Lucas actually get Brian Ortega -- the #2 ranked UFC featherweight contender -- to tap?!!?

Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's thiiis close to closing a deal to host UFC fights on a private island -- where he would fly in fighters on private planes.

YES, THIS IS REAL!!!

The UFC boss tells us he's laser-focused on keeping the business alive during the COVID-19 pandemic -- starting with UFC 249 on April 18.

White says the location for that event is still top secret -- though he's locked up the mystery venue where it will take place for 2 months and plans on pumping out fights every week.

But, after that, White says he's planning to move the Octagon to the island -- where he will set up shop and host fights involving massive international fighters.

White says the deal for Fight Island isn't done yet -- but it's very close. And, no, we don't know what part of the world it's in.

White also revealed the rest of the card for UFC 249 ... which includes some pretty big fights including Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade and Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Greg Hardy will also be on the card as well as Ray Borg, Jeremy Stephens and more.

White says every person involved in the fights -- from production staff to fighters -- will be screened thoroughly by a medical team before they will be allowed into the venue. White says safety is the highest priority.

White also talked about Khabib Nurmagomedov -- who was initially slated to fight Tony Ferguson in the main event at UFC 249 until the pandemic left him stuck in Russia. White says people should stop blaming Khabib for being out of the fight, there's nothing he could have done.

Rob Gronkowski didn't just host WrestleMania 36, HE WON A CHAMPIONSHIP BELT!!!

The ex-NFL star dropped the mic and took out his homeboy, Mojo Rawley, on Sunday night to win the coveted 24/7 championship belt ... and man, was he PUMPED!!

FYI, the 24/7 title is ALWAYS on the line -- the titleholder can be pinned by ANYONE, any time, any place. And, if a ref busts out a 3 count, it's over!

So, during Sunday's Part 2 of Mania from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando ... Gronk saw an opportunity and pounced.

Mojo had only won the title on Saturday after pinning R-Truth in a sneak attack during Part 1.

And, while he was trying to run away from challengers on Sunday, Gronk decided to jump off of a perch and crushed several wrestlers ion the process ... knocking Mojo out cold and getting the pin!!!

Wasn't this dude supposed to have a bad back?!!

So, hail to the new victor, WWE CHAMPION ROB GRONKOWSKI!!!

It's official ... Justin Gaethje will replace Khabib to fight Tony Ferguson in the main event at UFC 249 on April 18!!!

So, many questions remain -- like where will the event take place -- but so far, that's all we know.

There will be a fight. It will be live on ESPN+. Tony and Justin will fight for the UFC interim lightweight title (Tony previously held it, but was stripped when he injured his leg. Khabib then fought Al Iaquinta for the interim title).

As for the location, Dana White has only teased it will go down "somewhere on EARTH!"

No matter where the fight takes place, the UFC will most likely restrict fans from attending due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unclear who will call the fight.

As we previously reported, Khabib Nurmagomedov was all set to fight Tony -- but he's stuck in Russia and unable to fly out.

So, the UFC locked in Gaethje -- one of the most ferocious strikers in all MMA -- to go after Tony instead.

White has said there will be other fights on the card, but he has not revealed the names of anyone else signed on yet.

Ezra Miller appeared to have a physical altercation with a woman in Iceland, and though it started out seeming like a joke ... people at the bar took it very seriously.

According to our sources ... "The Flash" star was visiting the Prikið Kaffihús bar in Reykjavik on April 1 when this went down. Take a look, Miller seemed to be pretending to be annoyed as a smiling woman danced toward him -- but then he said, "Did you wanna fight? Is that the deal?"

The actor grabbed her by the throat and attempted to throw her down, at which point the person recording the video says, "Whoa, bro. Bro. Bro," and stops shooting.

It's unclear what led to the altercation or if the woman suffered any injuries. Sources at the bar tell us police were not called, but Ezra got booted. He's reportedly a regular at the trendy spot whenever he's in town.

We reached out to Ezra's team ... so far, no word back.