MMA

MMA powerhouse Gabi Garcia got some new chest ink in Brazil -- but they wouldn't let go under the needle without covering up her lady parts first.

Check out the video of Gabi's tat artist in action ... followed by the final product.

FYI, Gabi's a fighting legend in Brazil -- she's a member of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Hall of Fame ... and she's racked up a 2-0 record in the Rizin Fighting Federation.

She's also a protege of Anderson "Spider" Silva ... who says she hits like a ton of bricks.

#Beast

The death of former MMA fighter Blas Avena -- who last fought War Machine at Bellator 96 -- is being investigated as a suicide ... Las Vegas Metro Police tell TMZ Sports.

32-year-old Avena was found dead around 11:36 AM Wednesday morning in his Las Vegas apartment.

A spokesman for the LVMPD tells us, "Arriving police and medical personnel located an adult male who was pronounced deceased at the scene. As of now, the death is being investigated as a suicide."

MMA fighter Jordan Parsons has died ... days after he was struck by a Range Rover in a hit and run incident in Florida. He was 25.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a dear member of the Bellator family, Jordan Parsons," Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said in a statement.

Parsons was 11-2 as an MMA fighter -- and was a part of the famed Blackzilians training group with stars like Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Rashad Evans.

"Jordan was an exceptional athlete and a rising star in the sport. But more importantly, he was an exceptional young man," Coker added.

"Jordan was hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, and a pleasure to be around. He represented all the reasons we love this sport. It is a terribly tragic loss and our thought and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates."

Parsons was struck by the car while crossing a street early Sunday morning. Officials believe Parsons may have been wearing headphones and was unable to hear the car approaching.

Cops are still looking for the driver of the car that hit Parsons and have vowed to prosecute that person to the fullest extent of the law.

UFC star Nick Diaz says training with Jean-Claude Van Damme this weekend was a dream come true -- especially since JCVD helped grow his love for fighting back when he was a kid.

Both Nick and his bro Nate Diaz hooked up with the action legend for a clinic in leg strikes -- so, we hit up Nick to find out what exactly went down when the 3 got into the gym.

Check out the clip ... Nick was clearly stoked to train with the guy and says things went so well, he plans to do it again soon.

But the funniest part ... watch how quickly Nick shut down the question when we tried to ask about his brother and Conor McGregor. Dude wasn't havin' it.

The MMA fighter who was struck by a car and lost his leg in a hit and run accident may have been wearing headphones that drowned out the sound of the car approaching ... officials say.

The story is absolutely heartbreaking ... 25-year-old Jordan Parsons was crossing a street in Florida early Sunday morning when he was struck by a Range Rover Sport and left with "extreme injuries."

Officials say the RR hit Parsons and fled from the scene -- leaving him with a severe leg wound.

Emergency responders raced to the scene and applied pressure to the leg in hopes to save it -- but the wound proved too severe and it was amputated at a nearby hospital.

Officials say it's unclear who had the right of way -- Parsons or the Range Rover.

Still, the driver should NOT have fled -- and now cops are offering a $1,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest.

Parsons -- who trained with superstars like Rumble Johnson and Rashad Evans -- is still in a coma, according to Evans and a GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for his medical bills.

1:28 PM PT -- The Delray Beach Police Department released a picture of the mirror that fell off the Range Rover at the scene of the crash.

Did you know ... table tennis is an Olympic sport -- and MMA is not?

Well, Kevin Costner ain't happy about it -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks the powers that be should bring the fighting sport to the Olympic games, ASAP!!!!

Costner says MMA has already "established itself as one of the greatest sports out there" ... adding, "I think it's where the real tough guys exist."

BTW, Costner's not the first high-profile dude to call for MMA in the games ... Randy Couture's been banging this drum for years.

#NoDisrespectToPingPong

Despite the fact he flat out LIED -- Dana White tells TMZ Sports Conor McGregor's not in his dog house ... and he's considering re-booking the UFC superstar as early as UFC 201 in August.

White was leaving Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills ... on his way to support Paige VanZant at "Dancing with the Stars" ... when we asked WHY he thinks McGregor posted the fake fight confirmation on Twitter Monday morning.

"I don't know ... I don't know why he did," White said ... "I still have not talked to him."

Jon Jones might have some brotherly company in the UFC ... 'cause his NFL star sibling Arthur Jones tells TMZ Sports he's considering an MMA career after his football days are over.

Arthur -- a defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts -- says he's been training with Jon for years ... and came thiiiis close to taking an MMA fight during the NFL lockout in 2011.

He also happens to be a killer wrestler -- and says he's confident he could hang with pro fighters because he's kicked Jon's ass on several occasions.

Seriously!

So, what does Arthur do to relax? He's a dog breeder who runs Jones Bros Kennels ... where he breeds dogs that are so big, his kids can ride 'em like horses!

War Machine's freedom of religion is under attack while he sits behind bars in Nevada ... so he claims, and the ex-MMA fighter is calling on the ACLU for help.

War -- who faces life in prison on charges of attempted murder after allegedly beating ex-GF Christy Mack -- claims Nevada's High Desert State Prison won't let him properly observe Passover.

War is on the prison's list of inmates who identify as Jewish. We're told he'll have access to a rabbi and special meals.

What he WON'T get is the right to attend Passover services because his prison status restricts his movement.

No word on whether the ACLU will champion his cause.

Dana White is calling BS on Conor McGregor's alleged "retirement" -- saying he's very confident McGregor will fight again in the UFC within the next year.

The UFC honcho just appeared on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on FS1 and said despite pulling Conor from UFC 200, he's "not mad" at the guy ... claiming, "The show will roll on."

And get this ... White said there is STILL A CHANCE Conor could save his spot on the card and battle it out with Nate Diaz at UFC 200 ... but there's a VERY small window of opportunity to fix the situation.

When it comes to protection, headgear and padded gloves can actually make things MORE dangerous for an MMA fighter ... so says UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

We were asking Joe about the recent death of MMA fighter Joao Carvalho -- who died following an MMA fight this weekend -- and if adding extra layers of padding could help prevent tragedies like this in the future.

While Joe said he didn't know about the specifics surrounding Joao's death, he made it clear he believes more padding is NOT the answer.

"It's actually better to have no pads," Joe said ... "You'll take less brain impact than with pads."

When asked specifically about forcing fighters to wear headgear during a match, Rogan says he wasn't keen on that either -- "There's actually an argument that wearing headgear is worse."

Conor McGregor says he was ringside at the MMA fight in Dublin -- in which a fighter was beaten so badly, he died from his injuries ... and calls the whole situation "truly heartbreaking."

Conor was at the fight to watch his teammate Charlie Ward take on Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho. Joao lost by TKO in the 3rd round ... and died a few days later from head injuries suffered in the fight.

"Terrible news regarding Joao Carvalho," McGregor said in a statement.

"To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking."

"We are just men and women doing something we love in the hope of a better life for ourselves and our families. Nobody involved in combat sports of any kind wants to see this. It is such a rare occurrence that I don't know how to take this."

"I was ringside supporting my teammate, and the fight was so back and forth, that I just can't understand it."

"My condolences go out to Joao's family and his team. Their man was a hell of a fighter and will be sorely missed by all."

MMA star Tito Ortiz will NOT be prosecuted for an alleged battery that happened inside a Vegas nightclub back in February ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Rosie O'Donnell's brother, New York State Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, just took the floor of the assembly and claimed mixed martial arts is like gay porn, but without a climax.

O'Donnell opposes a bill that would legalize MMA in New York. He believes the sport is thinly-veiled erotica, telling his colleagues, "Two half-naked hot men rolling around in a cage trying to dominate each other. It's basically gay porn, only with a different ending."

He went on to say his famous sister was for lifting the MMA ban in New York, but he feared it would trigger a rise in violence and gambling among young people, adding he was going home "to take a long shower" after discussing the prospect of legalizing MMA.

The assemblyman, who is gay, went on to call MMA "an alleged sport."

Matthew Titone, another openly gay Assemblyman, cracked a different gay joke during the hearing.

MMA fighter Dada 5000 is doing MUCH better after a frightening health scare following his fight with Kimbo Slice at Bellator 149 this past weekend ... so says Dada's rep.

We spoke with Mike Vazquez -- who says he was with Dada in the hospital following the fight -- and he tells us, "Dada is recovering well. On his feet and moving around. Back to his usual self."

"He should be out [of the hospital] by the end of the week and can personally address [then]."

Kurt Angle could lay a real life smackdown on a real life fighter ... 'cause the wrestling legend says he's considering doing a real MMA fight -- and named Kimbo Slice as a possible opponent.

Angle -- who's been doing commentary for Bellator -- recently appeared on "The Roman Show" and was asked if he'd ever step out from behind the media desk ... and into the ring.

Angle says there's a VERY SMALL chance he agrees to a fight -- since he's 47 years old now -- but if it does happen, he's already thought about who he wants to fight.

"Of course, I'm not going to fight a guy in their prime," Angle said ... "It's obviously gonna be one of the older guys. But if it does come to fruition, it'll be a helluva fight, whether its Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn ... or even Royce Gracie."

He added, "If I do decide [to fight], it'll be with a Hall of Famer ... it won't be someone in their prime in their early 30s, no way, not now."

Fingers crossed!