MMA

You've never seen a 1-2 combo like this -- here's MMA fighter Anastasia Yankova ... who's killin' it in the cage AND in the model game!!

The 27-year-old Russian fighter is heating up in both worlds. She's got a 5-1 pro record and she's currently fighting in Bellator. Also, she's really, really, really good looking.

But, Yankova ain't relying on her looks to get by -- she's putting in that work at the American Kickboxing Academy in Thailand ... where stars like Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov have trained in the past.

The modeling career is taking off too ... for obvious reasons.

And, sorry to break it to ya -- Yankova's taken by UFC fighter Mike Swick.

No word on when she's fighting next -- but you watch her slay the camera in this gallery.

UFC badass Polyana "Iron Lady" Viana is telling TMZ Sports exactly how she disarmed and throttled a man who was allegedly trying to rob her at gunpoint ... and it's VIOLENT.

Dana White has already heaped praise on Viana -- a 26-year-old fighter with a 10-2 pro MMA record -- but now, she's giving us the blow-by-blow herself.

It all went on Saturday night when she was approached by a man outside of her Rio de Janeiro apartment. Viana claims he pulled out something claiming to be a gun and demanded her cell phone.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

Polyana says she noticed the so-called gun "bent" when the guy touched it -- realized it was made of cardboard (not metal) ... and realized the only person who was in danger was the crook!!!.

"[I] thought, 'That's not a real gun.' So, I got up and threw 2 hooks."

"After that [I] just threw a kick to his face and that's the damage you all saw in the photos."

Polyana says those shots took the fight outta the alleged thief ... so then it was just about subduing the guy 'til cops arrived.

"He sat where he was and [I] grabbed him in a rear naked choke. He tried to hip escape a little bit. [I] was afraid he had a knife or anything that could hurt [me.] So, [I] didn't want to lose that position."

Authorities showed up, arrested the man and hauled him off to jail.

As for Viana, Dana White -- who's a helluva smart businessman -- booked her to fight a UFC 235 card in March.

#IronLady

Tito Ortiz says he's IN for a rematch with Chael Sonnen -- telling TMZ Sports, "I'm gonna pummel him for 3 rounds."

The two have been going back and forth on social media -- but Tuesday night in L.A., 43-year-old Ortiz told us the fight is definitely gonna happen ... "most likely with Bellator, Scott Coker will make the deal."

It's interesting considering Tito just fought Chuck Liddell under the Golden Boy MMA banner -- and said partnering with Oscar De La Hoya would be the way to go in the future.

But, it seems those plans are out the window ... and he's reuniting with Bellator.

FYI, Tito fought Chael back in Jan. 2017 at Bellator 170 -- and won by rear naked choke in the 1st round.

This time, Tito says he's got more violent plans for his 41-year-old nemesis.

"I'm gonna smash Chael," Ortiz said ... "I'm not gonna choke him. I'm not gonna submit him. I'm gonna smash him."

Ortiz says he'd like the fight to go down at Madison Square Garden in New York -- where legends like Muhammad Ali have fought in the past.

Here's a sight that'll make KSI VERY happy -- Logan Paul took an absolute beating from a real deal boxing star on his podcast ... and the video looks painful as hell!!

20-year-old Ryan Garcia -- a 17-0 rising boxing star -- turned the social media megastar into his own human punching bag on the "Impaulsive" podcast on Monday ... as part of the Body Shot Challenge.

If you can't figure it out ... the Body Shot Challenge is when someone tries to punch you as many times as possible (usually wearing some sort of padding).

Paul volunteered to be Garcia's guinea pig ... but the dude was clearly shook.

"I am f*cked. I am SO f*cked," Paul says before taking 20 straight punches to the gut and falling backward.

BTW, Garcia's known to be a heavy hitter -- he's knocked all but 3 of his opponents. But, Logan takes the hits like a champ, though ... and even takes one WITHOUT the padding!!

Tyron Woodley has a busy 2019 -- telling TMZ Sports the plan is to destroy Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 in March ... and then get back in the Octagon to face Colby Covington at UFC 238 in June.

Both Usman and Covington have been angling for a shot at Woodley's welterweight belt ever since Tyron smashed Darren Till at UFC 228 back in Sept. ... but it wasn't clear who was gonna get the first crack.

Tyron tells us he signed his deal to fight Usman on March 2 in Las Vegas -- and WHEN he gets the victory, the plan is to get right back into fight camp to prep for Covington.

Colby is currently the #1 ranked welterweight contender, Usman is #2.

We asked Tyron if he's got a fight strategy for Usman yet ... and shocker, it's violent.

7:43 AM PT -- Tenshin just responded to Conor ... and laid out his terms for a fight with the UFC star.

"Dear Mr. McGregor, Thank you very much for remembering my name. I’m honored that you would even consider fighting me," Tenshin said.

So, what kind of a fight does Tenshin want?

Weight -- 58 kg (128 lbs).

Fight Rules -- kickboxing rules.

Tenshin says these are the demands that "would probably get us in the ring sometime in the near future."

The problem ... Conor ain't 128 pounds. He weighed in at 155 lbs to fight Khabib back in October and hasn't fought at 145 since Dec. 2015.

$9 million for 2 minutes of work??

Conor McGregor wants some of that action -- which is why he's calling out Tenshin Nasukawa ... the guy who got his ass kicked by Floyd Mayweather on New Year's Eve.

"I wish to go to Tokyo to face Tenshin Nasukawa in a Mixed Martial Arts exhibition bout," McGregor said in a note to the UFC and his agents at Paradigm Sports Management.

"Before this summer. Please arrange this, this instant. Yours sincerely, The champ champ."

The Tenshin vs. Floyd fight was supposed to be a 3 round exhibition -- but Tenshin's corner threw in the towel with 41 seconds left in the 1ST ROUND after Floyd knocked him down multiple times.

Some people think the fight was fixed and Tenshin took a dive ... but Conor doesn't seem to care -- all he sees is EASY MONEY!

Remember, McGregor made $100 million to box Floyd -- but LOST when the fight was stopped in the 10th round.

McGregor then made around $50 mil to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov ... but tapped out in the 4th after getting mauled by the Dagestani.

"Hold tight, I'm coming, Princess."

Luke Rockhold wants a big piece of Jon Jones ... and that's his message to the UFC superstar.

TMZ Sports spoke with Luke -- the former UFC middleweight champ who's moving up to light heavyweight -- and he ain't switching divisions just 'cause cuttin' weight sucks.

He wants to fight Jon Jones.

"I'm a different man at this weight, with the power behind me. I'm moving up to get after him. So, that's what I'm here for."

Luke's just the latest to throw his hat into the super crowded "I wanna fight Jon Jones" ring. Earlier this week, Anthony Smith AND Corey Anderson also told us they want a crack at Jones.

But, Rockhold's got the best resume of the 3 fighters ... and a fight with him and Jones would be a big money maker ... and it's a match L.R. is totally confident he'll win (he told us he'll be champ in '19).

Why? 'Cause he wasn't all that impressed with Jon's performance against Alexander Gustafsson.

"I thought he looked beatable."

So, who's Jon gonna pick???

Some people say it's Daniel Cormier. Others say it's Jon Jones ... but Amanda Nunes says when it comes to the greatest MMA fighter ever, SHE'S #1.

Most MMA experts agree Nunes solidified her place as the greatest female fighter ever with her dominant victory over Cris Cyborg at UFC 232.

But, with a resume that boasts wins over Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and TWO victories over Valentina Shevchenko ... ya can't ignore Amanda's G.O.A.T. case.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Lioness -- who's still giddy over the win -- and she says there's no doubt she's the best to ever step in the Octagon.

We also asked about a rematch with Cyborg -- and Nunes told us it'll be at least two years before Cris gets another shot.

In the meantime, Nunes says she's going back down to 135 pounds to punish the rest of that division.

Conor McGregor just left the hospital with his SECOND CHILD -- after his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, gave birth to their new baby!

The UFC superstar posted a photo with the new baby and his older boy, Conor Jr., with the caption, "Heading home with my two healthy babies and an energized and healthy SuperMam."

He added, "2019 is off to the best start! Thank you for the well wishes everybody!"

No word on the name or the sex of the newest McGregor family member. We'll update as soon as we find out.

McGregor's celebrity friends are already reaching out -- The Rock posted a message saying, "Ohana! Congrats brother!!"

Hopefully, Conor had a driver waiting for him outside of the hospital because his driver's license is still suspended in Ireland stemming from a 2017 traffic stop.

As we previously reported, McGregor pled guilty in November to going 95 in a 60 in a blue Range Rover. His license was suspended for 6 months and he was hit with a $1,100 fine.

Conor's oldest child, Conor Jr., was born on May 5, 2017 -- a few months before Conor Sr. got in the boxing ring and fought Floyd Mayweather.

Conor obviously lost that bout -- but reportedly made around $100 MILLION.

Conor Sr. is already training his little boy how to fight -- recently posting footage of Conor Jr. hitting the mitts.

WARNING -- this video of Brian Ortega will make your skin crawl. If you've already had your breakfast, prepare to revisit your eggs and toast ... 'cause this is gnarly.

We're not kidding. This is your last chance to look away.

For some reason, the UFC star thought it would be a great idea to show off what it looked like two pins getting yanked out of his bone and through his flesh on Thursday ... and we wish he hadn't.

Ortega broke his thumb and nose during a bloody fight against Max Holloway at UFC 231 last month ... and despite the nasty vid, the recovery seems to be going okay.

"I didn’t feel a THING," Ortega says ... as the metal pins are clamped with pliers and wrestled out of his hand.

Shockingly, not really any blood ... but it's still hard to watch.

Hope we didn't ruin your Friday.

Cris Cyborg had one helluva shoulder to cry on after she lost to Amanda Nunes on Saturday -- because Halle Berry was waiting for her in the locker room.

The UFC superstar had cameras in her locker room -- capturing the moment Halle visited her friend and gave her a big hug minutes after the brutal knockout.

It was Cyborg's first loss in 12 years ... but it seemed Halle took it harder that Cris -- with Cyborg telling her friend, "Don't cry, Halle."

Halle has been training at Cyborg's gym in Huntington Beach, CA for the past couple of months to get ready for her new MMA movie, "Bruised" ... but the two have struck up a friendship outside of the training center.

In fact, Hall was Cyborg's VIP guest at UFC 232 ... and hung out with her training team before and after the fight.

Cris was obviously sad -- but trying to stay positive ... telling Halle the loss will put "more fire in my heart."

Halle later admitted, "I was shocked [by the loss]. A lot of mixed emotions. But, she's a champion. You'll see ... she'll be back."

She added, "All champions have to face highs and lows. I've faced it in my career. We've all faced it. She'll be back."

Cyborg's friend Clarissa Shields -- a 2-time Olympic gold medalist boxer -- also spoke with Cris after the fight ... telling the UFC star she should have used her jab more often against Nunes.

Ya can't praise Jesus on one hand while popping steroids and cocaine with the other ... so says UFC fighter Corey Anderson, who says he's sick of Jon Jones pretending to be a man of God.

Anderson -- a religious man himself -- is the #6 ranked light heavyweight and angling for a title shot. He tells TMZ Sports it's not just about the belt, he wants to teach a lesson.

"He puts things, 'Oh, God this and God that,' but then goes out and does drugs. Ya popping steroids and ya failing your tests. You're hitting pregnant women and running from the scene. Ya can't sit there and mix God and still live that life."

Long story short ... Anderson thinks Jon is a phony who's been putting on an act to win over the public for years -- and says it's offensive that he would tattoo a bible verse on his chest while living an ungodly life.

"There's a lot about him that's just fake to me. The fact that he keep quoting these bible verses," Anderson says ... "I'm the type of person, I wake up in the morning and read my bible. I'm a God-fearing man."

Anderson and Jones have been trading insults on social media -- but Corey says he's not just about that talk ... he wants that action in a big way.

"Hey Jon, if you watching, let's go. All the smoke baby. You said, do I want the smoke? I want it all. Chain smoke. Cigar smoke. Weed smoke. Crack smoke. Whatever you smokin', blow it in my face. Let's get it."

Anderson fought on the undercard at UFC 232 and beat Ilir Latifi before Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson in the main event.

As we previously reported, Anthony Smith is also gunning for a shot at Jones and says he's already negotiating with UFC.

Jon Jones is one step closer to his next fight ... because Anthony Smith tells TMZ Sports his manager is already talking with the UFC to get a deal done.

30-year-old Smith has clawed his way to becoming the #3 ranked light heavyweight after taking out Rashad Evans, Shogun Rua and Volkan Oezdemir in his last 3 fights.

After Jones beat up Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 on Saturday, he and Smith talked trash to each other during the post-fight show on FS1.

Now, Smith says he ain't just blowing smoke -- he wants smoke -- and his manager, Jim Walter, is already speaking with the UFC honchos to hammer out a deal.

No word on when the fight would go down but Smith says he'll brawl with Jones "any time, any place anywhere ... I'll fight Jon this weekend if he wants to."

Smith says he respects Jones as a fighter but wasn't super impressed with his 3rd-round victory over Gustafsson -- saying, "I've seen him look better."

Of course, there are other fighters angling for a shot at JJ -- including #6 ranked contender Corey Anderson ... but Smith says no one wants to see that fight because Jones will beat his ass.

We asked Smith if he had a message for Jones -- "I'm ready. I'm ready and you know it. And I know it. I'm the only one that's gonna push you."

The Conor McGregor-Khabib rematch WILL go down in 2019 -- so says Dana White ... who tells TMZ Sports it'll happen as long as everything goes according to plan.

The UFC honcho popped by the TMZ offices last week ... and told us there are still some hurdles to clear -- but he thinks Khabib-Conor II will get set sometime in the next 12 months.

"As long as everything goes right, this fight should happen."

Of course, Khabib and Conor are still facing suspensions for their roles in the brawl that broke out at UFC 229 ... and guys like Tony Ferguson and even Max Holloway could get shots at Khabib before Conor does.

But, Dana says if everything lines up the way he thinks it will ... the rematch will happen.

Khabib dominated Conor at UFC 229 on Oct 6 -- forcing the Irishman to tap out in the 4th round.

After the fight, Conor gave a round-by-round breakdown explaining why he lost the fight -- but gave credit to Khabib and vowed to return "with my confidence high."

Floyd Mayweather's fight with Tenshin Nasukawa is a complete joke and is nothing but a money grab ... so says Bob Arum, who RIPPED Floyd for even taking the fight.

"It is a non-event. It is not a sporting event," Bob tells TMZ Sports.

Arum was out at Craig's this week when he made sure to stop for our photog, to crap all over Mayweather's highly-anticipated New Year's Eve exhibition in Japan.

"That's pretty much a joke, isn't it? I think so. I think so. Because, it's not a real fight ... the people who are watching that nonsense are pretty well jerks."

In fact ... Bob tells us he thinks the ONLY reason the tilt is going down is 'cause Mayweather straight-up NEEDS the cash!!

"He needs money for Christmas and the New Year, and this is a good way for him to make some money. God knows Floyd always needs money!"

Khabib's manager tells TMZ Sports Floyd Mayweather has been texting him CONSTANTLY ... saying the boxing legend has been "begging" for a fight with Nurmagomedov!!!

"Me and him have been texting each other for the last month," Ali Abdelaziz says ... "He's very much begging for the fight."

Of course, the potential tilt has been talked about for months -- ever since Khabib and Ali called out the boxer after beating Conor McGregor back in October.

But ... seems Floyd is getting deadly serious about putting pen to paper on a contract for the scrap -- 'cause Ali says he's been blowing up his phone.

"If he say he did not, I'm going to put everything online. Don't lie, Floyd! Do not lie, Floyd!"

The holdup on Ali's end?? The money ... 'cause Abdelaziz tells us, "At the end of the day, if he want it, the fight is here. I like this fight. But, he has to come a little bit better. He knows what I'm talking about."