Fights

Tough break for Cody Garbrandt -- who's officially out of his flyweight championship fight at UFC 255 after suffering a freak injury to his arm.

"No Love" was initially scheduled to take on flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event on Nov. 21.

It was supposed to be Cody's first fight in the flyweight division. He had previously held the title in the bantamweight division.

"I tore my bicep on Monday," Garbrandt said on his Facebook page.

"The UFC decided to replace me but told me I’ll face the winner."

Figueiredo will now face #4 ranked flyweight fighter Alex Perez instead. Perez is on a 3-fight win streak, including a victory over Jussier Formiga at UFC 250 back in June.

Garbrandt added, "Time to heal and stay ready. Control what you can control in this life. I always count my blessings when negative things arise. #gratitude."

No word on when Garbrandt will be cleared to return to action -- but we're hoping for a speedy recovery.

Shia LaBeouf allegedly transformed into a bully and thief over the summer ... and now he's being charged over it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Honey Boy" star and a man got into some kind of verbal altercation that turned physical back in June in L.A. Our sources say after the dust-up was over, Shia took off the man's cap and left the scene with it.

It's unclear what led to the altercation or where exactly it went down but we’re told there were no major injuries to either guy. We're told the man filed a police report and cops investigated ... determining Shia was the aggressor.

The L.A. City Attorney ultimately charged Shia earlier this month with battery and petty theft, both misdemeanors. It's the first time in a while Shia's run into trouble with the law. You'll recall several incidents -- from his drunken arrest to his scuffle in NYC -- in 2017 that got him in hot water.

We've reached out to Shia's rep for comment, so far no word back.

A trial date has finally been set in the Dallas Goedert bar fight case ... months after the Philadelphia Eagles tight end was knocked out in an incident caught on video.

Goedert was socked in the face during a June 20 altercation at a South Dakota bar ... after getting into it with another group.

The man who was arrested and charged for punching Goedert, 30-year-old Kyle Hadala, got hit with a simple assault charge ... and faces jail time if convicted.

Goedert -- who was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the incident -- was neither arrested nor charged with a crime.

In fact, he healed up in time for the NFL season ... only to suffer a broken ankle in Week 3 and hit injured reserve. Tough year.

So here's what's next ... a pre-trial hearing for Hadala is set for Nov. 2 -- where prosecutors will likely try to hammer out a plea deal.

If no deal is made, a trial date has been set for Nov. 18.

As we previously reported, Hadala says he was protecting his friends -- and plans to fight the charge.

Big day for UFC champ Jan Blachowicz ... who was invited to sit down with the Prime Minister of Poland after winning the light heavyweight title!!!

Check out the pics of Jan with Mateusz Morawiecki choppin' it up in Warsaw on Wednesday ... to celebrate Jan's big victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 253.

37-year-old Jan flew back to Poland right after the insane 2nd round knockout and he's been treated like a ROCKSTAR ever since ... with a hero's welcome at the airport and now an invite to hang with the PM.

"Thank you for the invitation from the Prime Minister," Jan said on social media.

"Both for me and the MMA community, it proves that our discipline is not only popular, but also noticeable by the most important people in Poland."

"It is an honor to be an ambassador of this amazing sport."

The two seemed to enjoy the hang out -- sipping coffee and eating snacks while talking about the fight.

Jan is on an impressive 4-fight win streak at the moment -- with victories over  Reyes, Corey Anderson, Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold.

Jan is hoping to fight Jon Jones next ... but so is everyone.

If you're keeping track ... seems UFC's biggest stars are more connected than ever with world leaders.

UFC middleweight Paulo Costa wants another crack at Israel Adesanya ... calling the champ "human trash" for air humping him after Saturday's fight.

The Last Stylebender easily handled Costa with a 2nd-round TKO ... and promptly hit him with an NSFW celebration by getting on top of him and thrusting.

Costa says he had no idea what Izzy was doing at the time ... but now that he was able to see the footage, he's demanding revenge in a vicious video with the caption, "Adesanya is human trash. This has become a grave situation !"

"I disapprove 100%," Costa said in the video. "To me, this is mortal now. Nobody can stop me.

"I want my rematch and you know I will wait for you."

Costa goes on to say "something happened" before their big fight ... and he will be fully prepared the next time around.

"I'm not [making an] excuse here to my people, to my fans. but I will be 100% to fight him and to make him pay. That's my words. Save my words."

Mike Tyson says if he would've gone into mixed martial arts -- instead of boxing as a teenager -- he would've been a helluva MMA fighter ... as long as no one stepped on his feet!!

Yes, one of the most ferocious men the world has ever seen has a weakness ... and it's having his feet stomped.

TMZ Sports talked to 54-year-old "Iron Mike" -- a huge UFC fan -- about how he would've fared if he dedicated his life to a different combat sport.

"I could of done all that stuff," Tyson says.

"I could of done all that stuff but once someone stepped on my foot, I would of tapped out. My feet are my weak spot! You step on my feet, I'm gonna tap out!"

FYI, if you're not familiar with MMA rules ... stomping on your opponent's feet IS allowed.

Tyson -- who has recently worked with fighters like Francis Ngannou and Rashad Evans -- started boxing at an early age ... and became the youngest heavyweight champion of all-time at 20 years, 4 months when he beat Trevor Berbick in 1986.

UFC 1 didn't take place until late-1993 ... while Tyson was in prison.

"I don't give a f**k about Jon [Jones]. This is about Dominick Reyes and my journey and the gold belt."

That's 30-year-old UFC star Dominick Reyes plainly saying he could not care less about Jon Jones ... or the fact he isn't fighting Bones for the Light Heavyweight title at UFC 253 on Saturday.

Reyes -- whose only career loss was a very controversial decision to JJ in February -- says his sole focus is on becoming a champion.

"As long as I get that gold, that's all the matters to me. That's all that ever mattered to me," Reyes says.

"With Jon, it was cool because I would be knocking off the greatest light heavyweight of all time, ya know? It would of been really cool and freaking awesome, but it is what it is."

Dominick continued ... "We turn the page, ya know? It's my challenge in front of me. I gotta serious serious f**king threat in front of me. So I gotta do my work and show the world that I'm best light heavyweight in the world."

Of course, Jon relinquished his LHW title a few months back ... and is likely moving up to heavyweight.

Meanwhile, the only thing standing between DR and being anointed the best light heavyweight in the world is 37-year-old, 6'2", 205 lb. UFC star Jan Blachowicz.

DaBaby's alleged beating victim says he's on the verge of possibly needing back surgery to fix nerve damage ... this according to the man's lawyer.

Anthony Werbin of Downtown L.A. Law Group is repping Cristofher Pocasangre, and tells TMZ his client's now suffering through structural damage to his back and spine ... on top of previously diagnosed nerve damage from the incident with the rapper.

The lawyer says Cristofher has unbearable pain on a daily basis since DaBaby allegedly put a beatdown on him in a Bev Hills hotel last December. He's also getting injections to his back to help ease the pain ... according to Werbin.

If Cris's pain continues, Werbin says he might need to get back surgery in the next couple of weeks.

We got a photo of the alleged injuries ... and though it looks minor on the outside, Werbin says the internal injuries are excruciating. On top of that, Pocasangre claims the incident took an emotional toll on him, saying he was embarrassed and humiliated after the video started circulating on social media.

To that point, Chris' lawyer says friends have been taunting Chris for not standing up for himself against DaBaby. Truth is ... he says he was scared when it all unfolded.

As we reported, Pocasangre sued the rapper -- who he says used to be his fave artist -- claiming DB went on a violent rage when he snapped a selfie with him.

Boxing star Jermall Charlo is an undefeated champion, but says if he wants to be remembered as an immortal fighter, he needs to fight and KNOCK OUT Canelo Alvarez.

The 30-year-old WBC middleweight champ (30-0, 22 KO's) is fighting Sergiy Derevyanchenko Saturday night on Showtime. Derevyanchenko -- a former amateur champ -- has only lost 2 pro bouts and gave Gennady Golovkin a tough fight.

Beating Sergiy would be a good win ... but Charlo tells TMZ Sports if he wants to be remembered as one of the greatest ever, he needs to go big game hunting.

Big ... as in the biggest star in the sport, 30-year-old Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KO's).

"I just know [a Canelo fight is] always getting closer. One day I'm gonna get that call. That's all I can always dream for. Hope to fight the best. The best fight the best in the world."

Jermall says it's not enough to fight Canelo, or even just beat him ... he's gotta knock his ass out.

"I gotta fight him and once we fight, I knock him out and then everyone in the world will be able to cement my legacy as one of the best to ever do it."

Why is the KO necessary?

Charlo says Alvarez was already beaten by Floyd Mayweather back in the day, so he's gotta do what no other fighter has ... stop Canelo.

And, Jermall says he's ready ... it's just up to Canelo to accept the fight.

Conor McGregor says he's got his next fight on deck ... and it's not in the Octagon -- it's a boxing match against Manny Pacquiao!!!

So ... is this real, or is the dude blowing major smoke??

Here's the deal -- Conor went on a mini-rant on Twitter on Friday ... posting Instagram DMs with Dana White that seemingly show he was begging for a fight prior to his retirement in June.

"I was pushing hard for the season," Conor says. "Multiple opponents, multiple dates offered throughout. All to take place back to back."

He added ... "Then when covid hit and the talk was that I would have to wait for crowds again, I walked away from the situation. I was waiting long enough at that stage."

This all came to a head after Hall of Famer Diego Sanchez said he wanted his retirement fight to be against McGregor ... which Conor seemed to be down with back in February, according to the DMs.

Nothing was able to come to fruition ... and now Conor is telling his 8.2 million Twitter followers he'll be back in the fight game ... just not for UFC.

"Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook," Conor tweeted. "I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East."

While the news is extremely exciting, it must be taken with the biggest grain of salt on the planet -- Conor has been known to use his platform to express his frustrations in the past.

It IS pretty interesting, however, that Conor recently posted footage of himself training in the ring ... so, coincidence??

White has also previously spoken on the possibility of setting up a Conor vs. Manny fight -- saying, "I don’t care about that s**t."

So ... there's that.

Story developing ...

UFC stars Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff just welcomed their 1st baby ... a precious baby girl, Raegan Ann Nunes!!

The 32-year-old women's G.O.A.T. made the announcement on social media, saying ... "Speechless ❤️ Raegan Ann Nunes 9/24/2020 7:15 am #happydaughtersday #love #mylittlefamily"

Reagan was born Thursday morning in a Florida hospital.

34-year-old Ansaroff -- the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- posted their very first family photo, and wrote ... "I am so in love! I can’t wait to show you the world! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕September 24th 2020"

So, how's the couple doing?? We just talked to Dana White -- who was preparing for UFC 253 from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi -- and he told us the new moms are ECSTATIC!

The UFC honcho -- and father of 3 -- shared a photo sent by Nunes ... along with some parenting advice for the couple.

Now, the question is ... when does Nina -- who has won 4 of her last 5 fights -- return to the Octagon?

In June, Ansaroff told us she only wanted to take off 6 months after giving birth ... while Amanda wanted her fiancee to sit out a little longer!

A quick return to the Octagon isn't impossible. Remember, Mackenzie Dern fought only 4 months after giving birth to her daughter.

The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight just got a celeb host -- Mario Lopez.

We're told Lopez will be the emcee of the November 28 fight ... introducing the various fighters and tossing to musical acts throughout the evening.

In other words, it's not just a fight ... it's an event.

Sources tell us Lopez will be at the fight venue -- not hosting remotely -- and the production is already taking steps to make sure they adhere to COVID-19 regulations.

Lopez -- along with all of the fighters, trainers, production crew, etc. -- will most likely undergo rigorous testing leading up to the fight to ensure everyone is safe and healthy.

As for the musical acts, we're told producers are gunning for A-list talent and have superstars from the R&B and the hip-hop world lined up ... now it's just about finalizing the contracts.

The event is being put on by Triller -- which is looking to dethrone TikTok as the go-to place for music-driven social media -- so it's obvious why the entertainment portion of the night is so important to them.

As for Lopez, he's a hardcore combat sports fan whose been regularly training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Gym in L.A. for years.

"I have the opportunity to combine my passions for boxing with hosting is truly a career milestone, and for it to be at such a legendary event, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it," Lopez said in a statement to TMZ Sports.

54-year-old Mike Tyson says he would fight 30-year-old, 6'6", 240 lb. heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, RIGHT NOW ... as long as the money went to charity!!

Some background ... Rafael Cordero, Mike's legendary trainer recently told us that Tyson -- who last fought in 2005 -- could hang with beasts like Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Tyson Fury.

So, when "Iron Mike" joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show to talk about his HUGE Legends Only League fight with Roy Jones Jr. on November 28 ... we asked him if his next opponent might be a boxer in his prime.

Someone like ...  IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua?

"Listen, I'm very interested. If doing that means we can have a bigger charity exponent, well so be it, I'm down to do that, too."

Seriously??

"I would love to [fight Joshua]. That would be mind-blowing."

That's not all ... Mike also talks about voting for the first time this November in the presidential election, and what would've happened if he chose MMA, rather than boxing back in the day.

Full interview airs tonight on FS1 at 9pm PT / 12am ET on FS1!

Khamzat Chimaev SMASHED another opponent just 4 days ago ... but the UFC phenom says he's ready to fly to Fight Island and fight Israel Adesanya or Paulo Costa for the title.

TMZ Sports talked to Chimaev ... and asked if he'd fight Adesanya or Costa this weekend in Abu Dhabi if either of the men were unable to participate in the UFC 253 main event.

That might sound crazy ... until you consider the 26-year-old undefeated fighter fought and won twice -- only 10 days apart -- back in July.

Khamzat's answer? Well, you probably already know.

"Yes, 100%, I'm ready," Chimaev said.

"Of course, 100%, for the title, I'm always ready. I would be so happy to be given the chance to jump in there. 100% gonna take this."

Chimaev -- who has been hit a grand total of 2 times during his 3 UFC fights -- also laid out his hit list ... the guys he wouldn't mind beating down while he pursues the UFC strap.

"My dream is title, but I can fight with everybody. Demian Maia, Jorge Masvidal, Diaz brothers, Conor McGregor, everybody, everybody, I can smash everybody. Doesn't matter."

Then, Khamzat threw one more dagger at The Notorious ... the guy who once called him "rat lip."

"People talk about him, Khabib smashed him, brother. Already, everybody knows what I'm about. [Conor's] not on my level. Khabib showed that to everybody."

"It's gonna be the same. I take him down and smash his face."

YouTube superstar and boxer KSI says there's no way in hell Floyd Mayweather is gonna fight Logan Paul ... asking straight-up, "Why the f**k would Mayweather say 'yes' to this?"

As we previously reported, 43-year-old Mayweather has been approached with an offer to take on 25-year-old Paul in an exhibition match ... but a deal has NOT been made.

KSI -- who beat LP in a controversial rematch at Staples Center last November -- called BS on the fight ever coming to fruition on Tuesday ... saying, "This is cap, it's cap."

"It's not happening. Why the f**k would Mayweather say 'yes' to this? Why would he fight the loser of me and Logan?"

KSI goes on to point out he draws massive crowds everywhere he goes ... and would perform much better in the ring against a 50-0 legend.

"I'm the bigger draw when it comes to boxing, because I defeated the one who started it -- Joe Weller -- and defeated Logan Paul himself. So, why would Mayweather want to fight the second best, when he can just easily fight the best?"

As for Logan, he was super quiet with us last week about the possibility of fighting Floyd ... but he definitely seems down to make it happen.

"Khamzat would put Conor McGregor in a wheelchair, and he would drink from a straw for the rest of his life."

That's Khamzat Chimaev's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, detailing what would happen to McGregor if he ever stepped in the Octagon with the UFC's hottest fighter.

Chimaev only needed 17 seconds to brutally KO Gerald Meerschaert Saturday night in Vegas ... his 3rd win in 66 days. In 3 fights, KC's been hit a grand total of 3 times.

TMZ Sports talked to Abdelaziz about Chimaev's next opponent ... and it's crystal clear he thinks it'd be a TERRIBLE idea for McGregor to fight him.

"I'm not looking for Khamzat to fight a mentally unstable fighter. Conor McGregor is mentally unstable. I wish him the best of luck," Abdelaziz tells us.

"Khamzat would kill him. He would really kill him."

Of course, McGregor previously talked smack to Chimaev, calling him "rat lip" ... in a Tweet Conor later deleted.

So, who's next then?

Abdelaziz says he doesn't believe Demian Maia stands a chance in hell of beating Khamzat ... so he'd rather see him scrap with Jorge Masvidal or Nate Diaz.

Though, AA says they don't stand a chance, either.

"Nate Diaz, Masvidal, some of these guys, I think he'd mop the floor with them too. I think he'll beat the shit out of these guys. These guys are a little bit older, they're veterans, they're great fighters, but I think they're levels to this."