Fights

The woman who slapped the crap outta Phoenix "Karen" was scared she'd get the short end of the stick if cops got involved, which made her reluctant to speak out ... until the video went viral.

Karina Rodriguez tells TMZ ... she considered contacting police after her weekend altercation with "Karen" at the gas station, but decided not to because she feared cops might racially profile her, and blame her for the run-in.

She says she didn't want it to be her story of what happened against the word of a white woman, so she decided to let it go.

Karina tells us she was also hesitant to go public after getting word that "Karen" -- real name Tamara Harrian -- has a lawyer husband. However, he's already said he's actually on Karina's side.

Fortunately for Rodriguez, video of the incident -- shot by Greg Conn, another customer -- has gone everywhere, and makes it clear who was in the wrong.

Greg tells us he and Karina spoke after the incident, and she messaged him on Facebook to thank him for posting the video. He says she told him the outpouring of support made her feel comfortable to speak out.

As for why Tamara didn't call the cops -- Greg says the attendant Tamara originally yelled at before arguing with Karina, followed her outside and calmed her down. Then, she just left.

Shakur Stevenson has only watched ONE ROUND of tape on the man he's fighting Tuesday night ... telling TMZ Sports it's obvious his opponent just ain't in the same class.

22-year-old Stevenson -- dubbed the next Floyd Mayweather -- is taking on Felix Caraballo at the MGM Grand in Vegas ... the first major boxing match since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Stevenson is undefeated (13-0) and the reigning WBO featherweight champ. Carabello is on a 5 fight win streak.

But, Shakur says this will be easy work -- and he's asking fans to tune in because he promises to put on a show!

"I'm real excited," Stevenson says ... "I like the pressure. I enjoy being the one that's got to put on the performance."

As for doing research on Caraballo, Shakur says 1 round of footage was enough to prepare.

"I've prepared in the gym ... but I honestly watched him and I did not think nothing of it. I'm just gonna beat him up."

We also asked Shakur how he feels about comparisons to Mayweather -- and man, check out his answer.

"I'm my own person the end of the day. I'm trying to out do what Floyd has done ... I'm trying to go past what he's done in boxing."

Can't say he lacks confidence!!

Sugar vs. No Love!?!

UFC rising star Sean O'Malley tells TMZ Sports that's a fight that will "100% happen" -- even if it takes a few years to get there.

Of course, Sean and Cody both fought at UFC 250 on Saturday -- and KO'd their opponents with unbelievable 1-hitter quitters!

They each got a $50k performance bonus -- and now, the hype to get these guys into the Octagon TOGETHER has begun.

"He's a dangerous fight, for sure," O'Malley tells us ... "Anyone that throws a right hand like that is dangerous."

"We'll fight someday. 100% fight someday. He's still pretty young so I think that's gonna be a potential big, BIG fight, that's a big pay-per-view fight here in the next years."

"He keeps winning, I keep winning. That's a big f**king fight."

O'Malley says he's got tons of respect for Garbrandt after he came back from a 3-fight skid to KO Raphael Assuncao ... but he did notice one interesting change about Cody's look.

"Grew his beard out a little bit, try to add maybe a little cushion there and it might have worked -- but I'll slice right through that f**king beard!"

As for Sean's killer KO of Eddie Wineland -- "Sugar" breaks down the punch that ended the fight ... and it's awesome.

Fight Island officially opens on July 11 -- and Dana White is telling TMZ Sports who will have the honor of breaking in the new venue!

"The first fight that we're looking at is Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway," White says.

Of course, the two fought back in Dec. 2019 -- with Volkanovski beating Max by unanimous decision.

Now, Max gets a shot at redemption on Fight Island ... which has also been revealed as Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Other fights taking place ... Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo and Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas.

White also says Kamaru Usman will fight Gilbert Burns.

White says the UFC is working on locking in more fights for Fight Island ... including Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Shogun Rua and Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till.

White says there are more fights in the works.

As for the safety issue re: COVID-19, White says there will be "Lots of testing, lots of quarantining and lots of fighting."

UFC has also "secured" its own airline -- "We're going too be flying guys in from all over the place on our own airline."

There's more ... we also asked about Conor McGregor and if White truly believes the Irishman will stay retired from combat sports,

"I honestly don't know," White said ... ""but that kid's got a ton of money."

White says he found out McGregor is likely making a fortune in his liquor deal with Proper No. 12 -- and adds, "The minute you even start thinking about retiring, you should retire."

White tells us he understands fighters can fall in and out of love with the sport -- and the pandemic isn't helping.

Floyd Mayweather isn't gonna let Conor McGregor "retire" without taking a few shots at the guy on the way out.

... especially with all the crap Conor has been talking about Floyd lately!

Remember, it was just back in May that Conor told Mike Tyson, "I will beat Floyd. I promise my life on it."

Tyson had been praising McGregor as a "bad motherf**ker" for going 10 rounds with Floyd in their 2017 fight -- and McGregor responded on social media.

"Thank you Mike, and just know that for the inevitable rematch, with the knowledge I now hold of Floyd’s style, plus under the tutelage of my old school boxing coach, I will crack the puzzle, and I will beat Floyd. I promise my life on it."

So, when Conor unexpectedly announced his retirement from combat sports on Saturday evening ... Floyd was stunned and ready to talk some trash of his own,

“If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you tell Mike Tyson you could beat me if we fought a second time?" Floyd said.

"Now you're quitting! I thought you wanted to beat the best? Well, if you decide to come back, I will be waiting to punish you again."

Just a few months ago, Mayweather told us he was game for a rematch with Conor ... if the price is right.

No one really believes Conor is done fighting -- despite claims that he's bored with the fight game.

Most experts and insiders believe it's just another negotiating tactic to try and get a better deal with the UFC.

Will Conor reconsider for another 9-figure payday with Floyd? They ain't getting any younger!!!

Stay tuned ...

QUADRUPLE C?!!

Maybe ... because Henry Cejudo says he's already considering coming out of retirement from MMA for one last fight ... and he's got his sites set on Alexander Volkanovski.

FYI, Volkanovski is the current UFC Featherweight champ -- so, Triple C is essentially saying he wants to upgrade to Quadruple C!!

Cejudo already has 2 UFC championship belts and an Olympic gold medal on his resume ... but says the opportunity to add a 3rd UFC title is something he couldn't pass up.

"I've done everything in MMA. I'm satisfied with my career. There would only be one fight that would really bring me back, that would really wake me up in the morning ... it would be Alexander Volkanovski."

"I want a 3rd title because I want to be different," Cejudo tells TMZ Sports ... "To go into the history books as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time."

FYI, Volkanovski is a stud -- he's got a pro record of 21-1 and hasn't lost since 2013 ... nearly 7 years ago.

Cejudo says he has other options too -- including a possible boxing match with 21-year-old sensation Ryan Garcia.

As we previously reported, Cejudo says he's already had talks about fighting Ryan in Saudi Arabia.

Remember, Cejudo unexpectedly announced his retirement from MMA back on May 9 after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.

We have a new "Karen" -- this one is in Arizona -- and this time she didn't walk away clean ... instead, she got handled with a slap to the face.

This went down Saturday at a Phoenix gas station, where a middle-aged white woman stormed inside demanding to be helped after her pump outside was apparently not working. An argument ensued between her and a younger woman who was being helped at the counter.

While you don't hear it initially, the guy recording says he just heard "Karen" tell the other woman she needs to go back to her country. She also tells the clerk -- on camera -- not to serve the woman.

Eventually, both women got in each other's faces, and after "Karen" got handsy, the other woman slapped her square on the jaw. "Karen" stormed out in a huff.

The overreacting, racist behavior we've seen plenty of lately -- but this outcome was much different. Maybe even ... refreshing? Sure, let's go with that.

Cops tossing explosives, charging at protesters and protesters hurling bottles and rocks -- that was the ugly scene in Seattle after a violent clash.

What had been a peaceful protest looked more like a war zone Saturday evening right around sunset. Seattle PD says it warned demonstrators to stop pushing barricades, and then some people in the crowd started throwing all sorts of objects at cops.

This video, shot by someone right in the thick of the skirmish, is alarming. Cops, mostly on bicycles, fired off pepper spray and multiple flash-bang explosives in an attempt to advance their line and push back the crowd.

Seattle PD says 2 of its officers had to get treatment for wounds. It's unclear how many protesters were injured.

If Conor McGregor were a rapper this would be his biggest hit song, "I'm retired" -- a track he's already dropped twice, but is now releasing for a 3rd time.

Conor tweeted his alleged retirement late Saturday, saying ... “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting,” and added, "Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!”

This retirement announcement -- his 3rd in just 4 years -- came with a pic of Conor and his mom, and a note about buying her a house ... despite the fact he already pimped out his mother's crib in 2017.

Nice emotional touches that make ya think, maybe he means it this time???

Well, consider the fact he tweeted right after UFC 250 had wrapped Saturday night in Vegas -- a time when Conor, no doubt, knew people were talking about when he'd get back in the Octagon. UFC Prez Dana White had already said Conor would get the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje's summer fight.

Remember, Conor previously retired in 2016 and 2019, but always came back for bigger and bigger paydays -- but this time he told ESPN he really REALLY means it because, "The game just does not excite me."

No one actually believes Conor. Especially with the maniacal way he's talked about a rematch with Khabib ever since he lost back in 2018. He also recently threatened to kill Justin Gaethje when they finally clash.

Still, Dana's heard the retirement talk all before and totally took it in stride after UFC 250, saying ... “If Conor McGregor feels he wants to retire, you know my feelings about retirement. You should absolutely do it. And I love Conor. There’s a handful of people that have made this really fun for me, and he’s one of them.”

Soooo ... see ya in September, Conor?

J.R. Smith will likely NOT be hit with criminal charges for beating the hell out of an alleged vandal in an incident caught on video, multiple sources involved with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the NBA player went ballistic on a man he claimed vandalized his truck during a wild looting spree in Los Angeles on May 30.

Smith later called the incident a "random act of stupidness" and said he regretted his actions.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the victim has not gone to police -- no report has been filed -- and, at this point, we're told it seems highly unlikely that will happen.

Our sources tell us without a victim coming forward, there's no way for prosecutors to even attempt to levy charges against the 34-year-old.

As we previously reported, Smith essentially described the incident as Street Justice shortly after the attack ... saying he whooped the man's ass for smashing a window on his truck.

Amanda Nunes wants Nina Ansaroff to sit out an entire year before returning to the Octagon after giving birth ... but Nina says she's coming back a lot sooner!!

Nina and Amanda are expecting a baby in September ... and Ansaroff -- the 5th ranked strawweight -- is adamant she will return to the Octagon.

But, how soon? We asked.

"In 3 months, [our baby girl's] gonna be here and I plan on fighting 6 months after that. Amanda says a year, but I'm giving 6 months," Ansaroff tells us.

Amanda?

"It's too soon, ya know?"

Nina's badass mindset should come as no surprise ... she says she's still training super hard.

"Unfortunately, the gym closed down because of the virus and all of that. I put the pads at home on the wall, I run every single day, I lift."

There's more ... we talk epidurals (yes -- and Nina ain't getting one), and Nunes' main event fight against Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 Saturday night.

"I'm ready to do this. I've been waiting for this moment for so long in my career. To defend the 2 belts, and hold both of them. Nobody ever did it before. And, I'm gonna be the first one to make history," Nunes says.

FYI -- Amanda is gunning to become the 1st 2-division UFC champion to successfully defend both titles.

Cops in Maryland are on the hunt for a man some are calling a male 'Karen' -- video shows him swiping signs from a kid trying to honor George Floyd.

Here's the deal ... the Maryland-National Capital Park Police are searching for a guy they say was involved in an assault Monday morning on the Capital Crescent Trail near Bethesda.

One alleged victim shot video of the enraged mystery man -- decked out like he's prepping for the Tour De France -- approaching a young girl and ripping something out of her hand while bystanders scream and watch in horror, pleading with him to leave her alone.

The girl was reportedly putting up signs in the park commemorating Floyd, but, for some reason, the guy wasn't having it.

After scaring the girl, he turned on the person shooting video and bum-rushed them with his bike ... until someone went down hard. Now, cops want the public's help tracking down this jerk.

Joe Giudice finally has an opponent lined up for his celebrity boxing match ... and there's a good chance Jennifer Lopez may be rooting for him to kick some ass.

The ex-"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star will fight actor/producer Ojani Noa ... according to Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman. As we reported, Joe inked a deal last month for an October 24 fight in the Bahamas.

At the time ... the opponent was TBA, but Feldman said he was open to anyone. Joe even joked he'd step in the ring with Mike Tyson.

Let's face it, Noa's a much better fit for Joe. If you're unfamiliar ... Ojani was married to J Lo for less than a year between 1997-1998. About a decade later, they had some more drama. He's done film acting, nothing huge -- "Rapping-n-Rhyming" in 2002, "Irish Eyes" in 2004 and "Eye See Me" in 2007.

He'll need to do more than act like a boxer ... Joe's got some hands, for a celeb amateur. They'll go toe-to-toe for three 1-minute, 30-second rounds.

IT'S NOT SHOW FRIENDS, IT'S SHOW BUSINESS!!

That's how UFC star Gilbert Burns feels about his teammate Kamaru Usman -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to fight his pal for the title, ASAP.

Of course, 33-year-old Burns just defeated former champ Tyron Woodley on Saturday -- and he's now the #1 ranked welterweight contender.

And, since Usman is the reigning champ -- seems that fight is bound to happen.

The only issue ... Burns and Usman share a manager (Ali Abdelaziz) and train together. They're friends.

So, would you be willing to fight your buddy for a shot at the belt?

Burns says for him ... it's a no-brainer.

"I know his family. I know the guy a lot," Burns says ... "but I want to be the champion too."

"We're professionals. It's not going to be drama, I'm not gonna talk sh*t to the guy ... I just want to be the best and that's it."

Burns is currently on a 5-fight win streak -- with victories over stars like Woodley, Damien Maia and Gunnar Nelson.

Usman hasn't lost since 2013 -- most recently beating up Colby Covington at UFC 245 back in December.

Burns says money's no object -- he's reasonable -- and he's calling on Dana White to put it together.

"I'm available, I'm hungry. And I want to fight for the title next."

J.R. Smith says he's disappointed in himself for opening a can of whoop-ass on an alleged vandal ... saying it was a "random act of stupidness" on both sides.

TMZ Sports posted the video of the incident ... where Smith is seen unloading a bunch of violent kicks on a man who allegedly smashed his car window during the protests in L.A. this weekend.

Smith joined the "Pat McAfee Show" on Monday to give more insight into the situation ... and the NBAer admits he wishes the incident never happened in the first place.

"Granted, if he would've seen me, and seen somebody outside the car or outside the house or whatever, do I think he would've broke it? Absolutely not," Smith says.

"It was just a random act of stupidness, and I give him that. But, that ass whooping was a random act of stupidness on my behalf."

J.R. says he's supporting the peaceful protests in honor of George Floyd, but condemns the looting and vandalism.

"This man was down there for 8:46 for no reason. Literally, taking the life from him. Calling for his dead mother."

"And then, we go out here and try to represent his name in a good way and between tarnishing people's shops -- like so many people have nothing to do with the situation."

Smith continued ... "We should be able to lock arms and stand in front of somebody's store and say no this is not right. Being able to do stuff like this isn't right."

As for the moment he unloaded on the alleged vandal, Smith says he regrets how it went down.

"When it happened, I seen red. Then when I finally snapped to... I'm still disappointed with myself."

"For me, I'm 34 years old. I have 4 little girls at home. I don't want that image, regardless of the fact whether it was right or wrong, I don't want them to have that image of their dad being capable of doing that, and doing something like that."

NBA star J.R. Smith beat the living daylights out of a man who allegedly smashed his car window during the wild protests in L.A. ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

You can see ... the 6'6", 225-pounder unleashed a barrage of violent kicks on the man -- landing several times in the head.

When the guy finally stands up on his feet, Smith delivered a final punishing overhand right to the guy's dome.

Finally, some of J.R.'s friends step in and the other guy scurries off in a hurry.

Smith explained the attack in an emotionally charged video -- saying, "One of these motherfu**king white boys didn't know where he was going and broke my f**king window in my truck."

"Broke my sh*t."

Smith says his truck was parked in a residential area -- away from the stores that were being looted.

We're told the incident took place around the Fairfax area -- near the famous Flight Club sneaker shop, which had just been looted.

"I chased him down and whooped his ass," Smith said.

Smith says the incident was NOT fueled by race or hatred -- it was simply revenge for messing with his truck.

AKA, Street Justice.