MMA

Dana White says Rachael Ostovich is "totally cool" fighting on the same card as Greg Hardy in January ... despite his history with domestic violence.

There's been backlash over the decision to put Hardy on the Jan. 19 card considering Ostovich was JUST involved in a D.V. incident last month -- and claims she suffered bad injuries at the hands of her MMA fighter husband.

But, Dana White appeared on TSN in Canada early Thursday morning and addressed the issue head-on -- saying he will NOT move Hardy off the card ... and that Ostovich has "no problem" with the decision.

White explained that Hardy will be tied to the domestic violence allegations for the rest of his life -- but he's put in the work to rehabilitate himself and White feels he's a changed man who deserves a 2nd chance.

White says during his conversation with Ostovich, Rachael told him, "[Greg's] story is not my story and I believe in second chances."

Dana says having Rachael's support was a "key factor" in making the decision to keep Hardy on the card.

Ostovich will Paige VanZant that night. Hardy will square off against Allen Crowder.

UFC star Kamaru Usman says Dana White offered him a fight with Colby Covington next month ... and he's waiting on Donald Trump's favorite fighter to sign the contract.

Both fighters have been dying to get a shot at the welterweight champ Tyron Woodley -- and it seems the winner of the proposed January 19 bout would get their wish.

TMZ Sports talked to Usman ... who tells us Dana called this week and made the offer.

Kamaru ain't exactly confident the fight will actually happen ... saying Colby has refused to accept the match on 4 other occasions in the past.

So yeah, Kamaru and Colby hate each other ... and straight-up, Usman says Covington is scared.

If he accepts, Usman vs. Covington would join a bunch of solid fights on the first UFC event on ESPN -- including Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich and Greg Hardy vs. Allen Crowder.

Usman just dominated Rafael dos Anjos when they clashed on Saturday night at "The Ultimate Fighter" finale.

Covington's last fight was also against RDA -- Colby scored the "W" in a 5-round decision at UFC 225 back in June.

After the fight, Colby underwent surgery to correct a nasal issue. He visited Trump at the White House in August and took a pic with POTUS while Donald held the UFC interim welterweight championship belt over his shoulder.

We reached out to Covington for comment ... so far, no word back.

Greg Hardy's 1st UFC opponent says he has extra motivation to destroy the ex-NFL star -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to get the victory to honor Rachael Ostovich.

Hardy is set to fight Allen Crowder at UFC on ESPN on Jan. 19 -- the same night Ostovich will return to the Octagon after her domestic violence incident.

As we previously reported, Ostovich was hospitalized last month following an altercation with her MMA fighter husband Arnold Berdon, who was later arrested and charged with assault.

Some critics are upset with the UFC -- claiming the organization is tone deaf putting Hardy and Ostovich on the same card because of Hardy's past domestic violence issues.

FYI, Hardy was found guilty of domestic violence by a judge in 2014 -- but the conviction was thrown out in 2015 when he appealed to have the case go in front of a jury ... and his accuser stopped cooperating with prosecutors.

Dana White has previously told us he's spoken with Hardy about the incident -- but he's convinced Greg is a changed man.

So, how does Greg's new opponent feel? We spoke with Crowder -- who's fought against beasts like Curtis Blaydes and Justin Willis -- and he spelled it out for us.

"I definitely want to win this fight for [Ostovich]. I'm very against men beating women. And, I'm definitely not a woman, so he's gonna have a lot harder time with me then he did the last person."

UFC star, Brian Ortega returned to the TMZ newsroom this week -- and once again, he put a chokehold on one of our guys!!!

Here's the deal ... the last time Ortega was here, he taught us the proper way to execute a rear-naked choke and used Lucas to demonstrate.

This time, Ortega wanted to teach us a few tricks about how to put a guy to sleep in a street fight ... once again, Lucas volunteered his neck.

Ya gotta watch the clip ... Lucas taps out even faster than Conor McGregor at UFC 229!!!

Of course, Ortega will get a chance to fight someone his own size when he takes on Max Holloway at UFC 231 in Toronto, for the Featherweight title on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Don't worry, Lucas is fine!

TMZ Sports has obtained injury photos of UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich -- taken in the wake of the domestic violence incident with her MMA fighter husband ... and they're brutal.

The photos show damage to Rachael's face, body, arms and head -- including a black and blue bruise under her right eye.

We spoke with a member of Rachael's family who tells us the photos reflect the "truth" of what really went down that day.

As we previously reported, Ostovich claims her husband, Arnold Berdon, savagely attacked her during a dispute at their home in Hawaii on Nov. 18.

Ostovich claims she suffered a broken orbital bone (eye socket) during the altercation and pulled out of her scheduled UFC bout with Paige VanZant. She has since gotten a second opinion from a doctor who cleared her to fight.

Berdon was arrested and charged with 2nd degree assault. He has pled not guilty and family members have told us he will argue self-defense.

Ostovich filed a request for a restraining order against Berdon -- and court docs show the judge granted the order after Berdon agreed to stay away for 20 YEARS.

Berdon is due back in court on Dec. 18.

Conor McGregor claims UFC fighter Michael Chiesa shouldn't be able to sue him for intentional infliction of emotional distress because he wasn't the intended target in his NY bus attack.

We broke the story ... Chiesa sued Conor over the injuries he suffered from the April 5, 2018 incident at Barclays Center where McGregor threw a steel dolly at a bus packed with UFC fighters and staffers, including Chiesa.

Chiesa was hit by shards of glass and suffered cuts to his face that were so bad, he was forced to pull out of his UFC 223 bout against Anthony Pettis.

Now, McGregor has filed a response to Chiesa's suit admitting his conduct was "unquestionably inappropriate," but should not be considered "outrageous."

So, why does that distinction matter? Because proving "outrageousness" is essential for collecting damages when it comes to intentional infliction of emotional distress.

McGregor also argues that his actions were "clearly not directed at [Chiesa] at all" -- which the judge should consider in evaluating the "outrageousness" of the incident.

Conor has publicly acknowledged that his target was Khabib Nurmagomedov -- who was also riding the bus that day.

Conor had flown into New York from Ireland to attack Khabib after the Russian fighter got into it with one of Conor's friends days before the bus attack.

In his court docs, McGregor also claims Chiesa has failed to prove that he suffered any real emotional distress from the incident -- noting that he's a "seasoned combat sports fighter" ... and therefore should be used to physical trauma.

McGregor was arrested for the incident and later pled guilty to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 5 days of community service, and ordered to complete an anger management class.

Floyd Mayweather ain't gonna like this ...

George Foreman tells TMZ Sports it doesn't matter if Money goes ANOTHER 50-0 ... he'll never consider him the greatest boxer of all-time -- 'cause he ain't a heavyweight!

"If Floyd Mayweather goes out and gets a real beer belly and comes back and challenges the heavyweights, I'll call him all that," George tells us.

"But right now, he's thin as a rail."

Floyd's 50-0 and owns victories over Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and just about every other great fighter of this era ... and even has a win against one of the UFC's best too (sorry, Conor).

But, Foreman clearly doesn't care ... telling us ya gotta beat the BIG boys to wear the GOAT crown.

"He's got to say, 'I'm one of the best.' That's all he can say."

If you think Khabib has NO CHANCE to beat Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, one of the biggest underdogs in sports history is here to tell you ... YOU'RE WRONG ... and he's proof.

We talked to James "Buster" Douglas in NYC, the man who stepped into the ring back in 1990 as a 42-1 underdog to Mike Tyson, and WON ... and he told us not to count out Khabib.

"Anybody got a chance, anything can happen."

We know what you're thinking, Buster was a boxer and Khabib is primarily a wrestler, but BD doesn't care, he thinks Khabib's combat sports pedigree make him a threat.

"He's an athlete."

BTW -- the fight between Khabib & Floyd is still just talk, but both sides have said they're interested and willing to do it for the right price.

Mayweather is getting older and Khabib did drop Conor with a big right ... so maybe Buster's right.

Manny Pacquiao says fans are still pissed off about the Floyd Mayweather fight leaving a bad taste in their mouths ... and there's only one way to fix it.

Rematch.

TMZ Sports spoke with Pac-Man about his plans after his big fight with Adrien Broner in January ... and Manny's calling out the retired boxing superstar to give the fans what they want.

Although it's been well over 3 years since their first fight in 2015 ... Manny says he's constantly getting asked about Mayweather's doings ... and wants to finally put it all to rest.

UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich says she feels like she HAS to fight Paige VanZant after suffering serious injuries in an alleged domestic violence incident ... saying she NEEDS to send a positive message to other D.V. victims.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Ostovich was hospitalized with a broken orbital bone and other injuries after a violent Nov. 18 incident with her husband, Arnold Berdon, who is also an MMA fighter.

The injuries forced the UFC star to back out of her fight with PVZ ... but speaking publicly with a black eye for the first time since the incident -- Ostovich says the fight's back on 'cause she feels like she HAS to do it.

"I felt that it was extremely important to me to follow through with it and not only for me but for my daughter and other people that might be going through similar situations,” Ostovich told KHON2 in Hawaii.

"I want to take a stand against domestic violence and show others that it’s okay to come out and speak about it and not be quieted."

Ostovich continued, "I’m extremely grateful and blessed for my support system. My family, who has done so much for me and has kept me together and kept me strong. I feel like I have to do this."

"This is something that can’t be taken away from me. I want to use this big worldwide UFC platform to show people that don’t let anyone or anything come between you and your dreams and your career.”

For her part, VanZant tweeted earlier this week, "Yes we are going to war with each other in the cage, but I stand by her side with her ongoing battle at home. Let’s put on a fight and show these people how strong we are. #GirlPower #UFC."

Halle Berry just stepped into the gym with the most dangerous woman alive -- UFC star Cris Cyborg!

The two hooked up at Cyborg's gym in Huntington Beach, CA on Thursday for a training session -- and anyone who's ever worked out with Cris before knows she doesn't mess around!

So, why are they training together? Halle is starring in "John Wick 3" and she's been doing heavy MMA training for the role ... so it's possible she was working with Cris to prep for a fight scene.

Or maybe she just caught the MMA bug after all of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu work she's been putting in for the part.

Either way, Halle had a great time -- saying, "From the red carpet to the ring - so inspired by your tenacity, Cris Cyborg - can't thank you enough for your hospitality."

Cyborg is an aspiring action movie star too -- she starred in "Fight Valley" back in 2016 and was tapped for the sequel.

Conor McGregor is taking his punishment for a speeding incident in Ireland very seriously, showing a ton of remorse and ... JUST KIDDING, CONOR DOESN'T GIVE A FOOK ABOUT YOUR PUNISHMENTS!!!

Just a day after The Notorious One had his driving privileges in Ireland revoked for doin' 95 MPH in a 60 ... Conor joked about the whole ordeal with his adorable baby.

McGregor and little Conor hit the driveway in the baby's electric Mercedes ... and Conor giggled happily, joking, "I've found my new driver."

Conor's been pretty Teflon to everything that goes bad in his life these days ... and the loss of a driver's license for 6 months plus a measly $1,100 fine doesn't look like it's changin' a thing.

BTW ... now that Conor's car-less -- he's got some extra time on his hands to keep his training up ... and he's even making that a family affair too!

Oscar De La Hoya says Dana White should "shut the f*ck up" and stop worrying about Golden Boy Promotions -- and focus on his own company.

That's just part of the fiery statement the boxing legend issued in response to Dana White calling him an irresponsible "cokehead" for allowing Chuck Liddell to fight last weekend.

Remember, White was PISSED -- claiming Oscar cared more about money than Liddell's health and said all sorts of terrible things about De La Hoya.

Now, Oscar has responded ... saying, "Dana is so small and threatened by our success with DAZN and now in MMA that he is bringing up news from a decade ago to try to stay relevant."

"Boxing has entirely rejected him. And, MMA fighters are now realizing they don’t have to risk their lives just so he can get rich."

"Golden Boy and I are moving forward and are bigger than ever. Dana should shut the f*ck up and try to figure out how to save his own company."

The comment about DAZN is in reference to the $365 MILLION deal Oscar put together for Canelo Alvarez as part of a 5-year, 11 fight contract.

These guys clearly hate each other's guts -- and we're guessing this feud is far from over.

Great news for Rachael Ostovich -- the fighter has been cleared to get back in the Octagon after her domestic violence incident ... and now her fight with Paige VanZant is BACK ON!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Ostovich was hospitalized with a broken orbital bone and other injuries after a violent Nov. 18 incident with her husband, Arnold Berdon, who is also an MMA fighter.

Berdon was arrested and charged with felony assault -- he's pled not guilty. Family members have told us he will argue he was defending himself. Ostovich has obtained a restraining order against him.

Initially, it seemed Ostovich's injuries were so severe, she wouldn't be able to fight again in January -- but she got a second opinion which gave her the go-ahead to take the bout.

Now, Ostovich's manager, Brian Butler-Au, says Rachael has been cleared to fight again and WILL compete against VanZant on January 19 in Brooklyn.

As for Paige, she's fired up about the news -- tweeting, "FIGHT STILL ON!!!!! I couldn’t be more great full to @rachaelostovich."

Sorry, Logan Paul, you ain't gettin' a crack at CM Punk in the UFC Octagon -- Punk just slammed the door on the possibility ... and then dissed the YouTube star for good measure.

Logan's brother Jake Paul had been lobbying Dana White to make the fight happen -- claiming Logan is a real athlete who could compete with guys on the UFC roster, including Punk.

In fact, Joe Rogan said he was impressed with Logan's talent during his boxing match with KSI earlier this year ... and made it clear he thinks Paul would whoop Punk in the UFC.

Now, Punk sat down with MMAFighting's Marc Raimondi and told him straight up -- ain't happening.

"I’m not fighting Logan Paul."

Then came the shade ...

"I think this is one of the avenues where people will be like, ‘I don’t even know who Logan Paul is.’ Logan Paul is apparently a popular guy, but it’s not in any kind of avenue that I drive my car on. The only thing I know about him is he’s the guy who filmed the dead body in the Japanese suicide forest, which is don’t get me started on that, because I’ll say a bunch of stuff and then I’m sure somebody will make a YouTube video about it."

There's more ...

"When you fight somebody, when you enter into a fight camp, you have to spend a lot of time thinking about that person ... And, I’m not into sharing that much of my time and my headspace and my life with somebody that did something that I feel is so reprehensibly disrespectful to the people of Japan, who I love."

"They’ll always have a special place in my heart. So, no. I’m not fighting him. I have no interest to."

Dana White just went scorched Earth on Oscar De La Hoya -- blasting the head of Golden Boy Promotions as a "f*cking cokehead" who irresponsibly let Chuck Liddell fight Tito Ortiz this past weekend.

"I love Chuck Liddell and I don’t ever want to bad mouth Chuck Liddell,” White said on the "UFC Unfiltered" podcast on Tuesday.

"People even think I’m remotely bad mouthing Chuck Liddell, but the reality is -- first of all, I heard last week the cokehead ‘Oscar De La Weirdo’ is talking sh*t that I don’t have any place to tell guys when to retire."

"First of all, it’s called ‘friendship’ you f*cking cokehead."

"I’ve been friends with Chuck Liddell for 20 years and the reality is that Chuck Liddell retired when he should have retired. Eight, nine years ago, however long it was. And, Chuck Liddell’s almost 50-years-old and has no business fighting anymore."

"The fact that the state of California even let that fight happen is disgusting. Disgusting."

He continued ... "Chuck Liddell has an incredible legacy. He’s a huge superstar in this sport, so of course as a friend, anybody who claims to be a friend of Chuck Liddell and was anywhere near this fight is full of sh*t. They’re not a friend of Chuck Liddell. To let him go in and fight this fight is terrible."

Of course, Chuck was knocked out in the 1st round of his fight with Ortiz -- and after the bout, he told TMZ Sports he's not sure if he'll step in the cage again.

Clearly, he knows how Dana feels about the situation ...

Dana and Oscar have been publicly feuding for a while -- ever since Oscar blasted Dana for the Mayweather vs. McGregor boxing match.

Oscar said the fight could kill the sport of boxing.