Fights

Demi Lovato has signed on to sing the national anthem at the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight on August 26 ... Showtime has confirmed.

Lovato is a HUUUUGE fight fan. She's not only a regular at UFC fights, but also trains MMA at Jay Glazer's gym in Los Angeles.

She also just released her new single, "Sorry Not Sorry," last month -- so the timing is great for her.

Also, Diddy and Mark Wahlberg are making a $200k bet on the fight (doubling down on their Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight bet).

Diddy has Floyd. Mark has Conor. Mark lost the first bet and paid the money to charity. Guessing it's the same plan for this fight.

Justin Bieber is not only off Floyd Mayweather's Money Team, he's now one of Floyd's mortal enemies ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to both Justin and Floyd tell us, the folks at the Hillsong Church have been counseling Justin for months on taking a hard look at his friends and pulling back from those who are bad influences.

We're told church pastors did not single out Floyd as a bad influence, but Justin decided on his own he needed some distance. Our sources say Justin didn't want a clean break from Floyd, he just wanted to "reset boundaries" ... walling himself off from things like Floyd's obsession with strip clubs.

Justin unfollowed Floyd on Instagram as part of the resetting of boundaries, and our sources say Floyd went "insane, nuclear." He lashed out at Justin, called him a "traitor" because Floyd had stuck with Justin during his meltdown when everyone was attacking Bieber.

Sources connected with Floyd say the boxer continues to be incensed at Justin ... screaming incensed.

Now it makes sense why Justin curiously told a photog last week he didn't think Floyd would knock Conor McGregor out at next Saturday's fight.

Jay-Z has finally broken his silence over the infamous elevator video in which Solange Knowles attacked him as Beyonce looked on.

Jay was on the podcast "Rap Radar" when he addressed the 2014 incident at the Standard Hotel in NYC, but without discussing the trigger for Solange's tirade.

Jay said obtusely, "I fought my brothers and argued with my brothers my whole life. It just so happens, who we are, these things go into a different space, but it ain't nothing."

He went on ... "We had one disagreement ever. Before and after we've been cool. She's like my sister. I will protect her. That's my sister, not my sister-in-law, my sister."

Future got bum-rushed onstage and that poor bastard who did it paid a hefty price -- security tossed him back into the crowd and a melee erupted.

The incident went down Friday night at Future's concert at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Alabama. The rapper was in the middle of performing "Wicked" when the overly eager fan made his way onstage.

We're told security managed to get the fan off stage and, once back on the floor, the fan started fighting security. That's when security tossed him back onto the crowd, who took matters into their own hands and laid a beatdown.

Arena security and off-duty cops brought control in a matter of minutes ... all while Future performed throughout the fight. We're told EMTs treated several people and cops took statements but it's unclear if any arrests were made.

TMZ Sports has put our investigative resources to good use ... and found out the identities of the Corona Girls who've been tapped to work the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight.

You're welcome.

Meet Kyra Keli, Tawny Jordan, Jessica Harbour, and Samantha Kumiko ... 4 of the women who will be working the ring during the August 26 fight.

As we previously reported, Corona won the bid to become the official beer sponsor of the fight and will provide the ring girls.

We're told the women are STOKED -- not only because they're getting the best seats in the house for the fight, but they feel like they'll be showcased to a HUGE audience!

TMZ Sports has obtained injury photos from the man Robert Horry tried to fight at a youth basketball game ... which shows bloody damage to the man's neck.

We broke the story ... Horry is under investigation for allegedly attacking the opposing coach at his 10-year-old son's youth basketball tournament at L.A. Live on August 5.

The opposing coach tells TMZ Sports -- he was a big Horry fan BEFORE the tournament. But Robert was aggressive and out-of-line from the moment he got to the courts.

The coach -- who doesn't want to be named -- says Horry was cussing and talking trash before and during the game and initiated the violent encounter that was captured on video.

The coach says he was"terrified" of Horry and only shoved the 46-year-old to protect himself.

Horry tells a different story ... claiming the coach struck first.

Cops are currently investigating the incident.

The Floyd Mayweather/Conor McGregor fight will be riddled with celebrities ... and TMZ Sports knows some who will be front and center.

Here's a partial list:

-- Angelina Jolie

-- Drake

-- Elon Musk

-- Diddy

-- Mark Wahlberg

-- Denzel Washington

-- Charlize Theron

-- LL Cool J

-- Jamie Foxx

-- LeBron James

-- Bob Kraft

-- Rick Ross

-- Adam Levine

-- Michael Bay

-- Avicii

-- Jeff Beacher

Daniel Cormier just rejected Jon Jones' friend request -- but the good news ... it sounds like they don't hate each other as much as they used to.

Remember, the animosity between the two was legendary -- they trashed each other for years in public and in private and called each other every bad name in the book.

But after Jones defeated Cormier at UFC 214 in July, JJ offered the olive branch -- and then told TMZ Sports he hoped the two would be friends one day.

Well, Cormier finally responded Wednesday night on FS1's "UFC Tonight" -- and politely declined the offer.

"Friendship would be very difficult for us to achieve because of our history," Cormier said ... "And I'm okay with that. I've always said that we don't have to be friends."

Cormier says he respects Jones as an athlete -- and still wants another rematch.

"In terms of going forward, we will be professional because we have to ... until the cage door closes again."

Floyd Mayweather Sr. is coming out swingin' at Justin Bieber -- saying the pop star doesn't know a DAMN THING about boxing if he thinks Conor's gonna go the distance.

Remember, Bieber -- Floyd Jr.'s longtime friend -- recently shot down the idea that Mayweather would K.O. McGregor ... and that ain't sittin' too well with Floyd Sr.

"Justin Bieber ... he don't even know boxing," Floyd's dad told us at LAX ... "He knows Floyd. But he don't know Floyd like I know Floyd."

Floyd Sr. also went in on Vegas gamblers putting their money on Conor -- saying they're crazy ... and a bet on Floyd is like taking free money!

Peter Thomas -- the guy who brought a knife to a ... well ... fight -- could be getting his own spin-off show after splitting from Cynthia Bailey on 'RHOA.'

Production sources tell us Peter and Bravo started filming a pilot focusing on his club in Charlotte, NC, Club One -- think "Vanderpump Rules."

We're told the show will cover Peter's life owning and managing the club in the aftermath of his breakup with Cynthia last year on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta.' We're told it's highly unlikely Cynthia will come on as a guest.

You'll recall ... Peter pulled a box cutter on Kenya Moore's ex, Matt Jordan, in March during a brawl the 2 had in the middle of a radio interview. At the time, he claimed self-defense.

We're told the network is happy with what it's seeing and it's looking like the show will make air.

Hey ... why wouldn't it? The drama's so thick, you could cut it with a ... forget it.

Floyd Mayweather says he's putting business before pleasure -- and won't have sex before he fights Conor McGregor.

It's an old superstition that's been around the boxing game for years. You remember Mick from the 'Rocky' movies famously said, "Women weaken legs."

Floyd seems to agree. Conor McGregor has a different strategy.

"That is most certainly a superstition that I do not abide by," Conor told Conan O'Brien back in 2015 ... "I definitely have as much sex as possible."

So, to bang or not to bang? That is the question ...

Even Floyd Mayweather's closest friends don't think the boxer has a real shot of knocking out Conor McGregor next weekend ... just ask Justin Bieber.

Mayweather told the media last week he's gunning to finish the UFC star long before the 12th round when they clash on August 26. Tons of boxing experts are also predicting a K.O.

But not Biebs.

The singer hit up Runyon Canyon for his own workout when he poo-poo'd the knockout talk -- though it's clear he's still pickin' Floyd to get the W.

Bieber's been hardcore Team Mayweather for years -- and even walked the boxer into the ring for the Pacquaio fight.

Cody Garbrandt better watch his back ... 'cause one pissed off contender is ready to put him in a body bag.

That man's Aljamain Sterling ... who told the guys on TMZ Sports (weeknights on FS1) he's coming hard after Cody 'cause the UFC champ took a shot at him after a rough loss -- saying Alj "broke" in his fight with Bryan Caraway.

"Eventually he's gonna have to meet his maker. That maker's gonna be me," Sterling tells us.

Sterling's coming off a HUGE win over former bantamweight champ Renan Barao ... but tells us he has another guy on his hit list before he takes out Cody.

A "Unite the Right" rally in downtown Charlottesville has been met with protesters, and so much violence erupted ... the governor declared a state of emergency.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe made the declaration Saturday morning amid clashes between white nationalists and thousands of protesters. City officials deemed the rally an "unlawful assembly" and state police equipped with riot gear cleared Emancipation Park.

Video of the violence shows brawls, tear gas being used and people holding weapons. Several arrests have been made and so far at least 2 people have reportedly been injured.

This comes on the heels of an alt-right march in Charlottesville Friday night, which was met with opposition by hundreds of UVA students. The white nationalists are rallying to oppose a plan to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from the park.

Spencer Pratt went on the attack Tuesday night, putting a famous British comedian in what looks like a vicious head lock.

Spencer was goofing, we assume, just outside the Ivy in the bougie part of L.A. where Keith Lemon was begging for mercy.

It's a little weird ... 2 grown dudes rolling around in the grass, clearly for the cameras. Soon-to-be-father Spencer -- courtesy of Heidi -- sure looks like he's applying pressure. And, Spencer's death stares are definitely WWE worthy.

Dave Chappelle and Donnell Rawlings are in the middle of a crazy, violent fight triggered by a guy who was determined to get pics of Dave.

Thurston Greer shot the video, obtained by TMZ. We broke the story ... Greer was somewhere in the vicinity of a bathroom early Friday morning at the Soho Grand Hotel in NYC when he spotted Dave and tried taking a pic, but he was blocked. He says he went outside to do a Facebook post, talking smack on Dave and Donnell, when he ran into them and he says Donnell struck him.

Dave and Donnell say the guy was trying to get pics in the bathroom, they told him no but he persisted and got aggressive. Donnell insists he never laid a finger on Greer and in the video you don't see Donnell ever make contact with the guy.

But the video is insane, and the fight seems to last forever ... lots of n-words hurled back and forth.

As we reported ... Donnell's wanted by police for questioning.

Greer says he was injured in the altercation, citing a sore back, neck and head ... among other scrapes and bruises.