MMA

Greg Hardy is winning over some of the biggest female fighters in the UFC -- including Amanda Nunes and Rachael Ostovich -- and he tells TMZ Sports their support means the world to him.

Greg's past is no secret ... he was accused of domestic violence against a woman back in 2014 and initially convicted. The conviction was overturned in 2015.

There was a big controversy when Hardy fought on the same card earlier this year as Rachael Ostovich -- who was the victim of a brutal domestic violence attack ... with some saying it was unfair to Rachael.

But, she clearly didn't feel that way -- and told Dana White she was cool with the decision.

Now, 6 months later ... Ostovich is still supporting Hardy -- she "liked" a celebratory Instagram post Greg made after defeating Juan Adams on Saturday.

Plus, Greg says he's also getting support from stars like Amanda Nunes, Joanna and Kayla Harrison.

Greg says he appreciates those women giving him the chance to "get to know me" -- and wants to show he's not the monster some people think he is.

Inside the Octagon, however, Hardy is on a tear ... he destroyed Juan Adams to improve his MMA record to 5-1 -- and says he's excited to prove he's ready to take on the best heavyweights in the UFC.

Greg says he wants to be on the upcoming UFC card in Abu Dhabi and desperately wants to fight a ranked opponent.

Hardy also says he's still getting love from his old NFL teammates -- including Dez Bryant who reached out to him after the victory.

Hardy says he wants to make his friends and family members proud -- and feels he's doing that by succeeding in the UFC.

Greg says other teammates and coaches have also reached out -- and it means a lot to him.

UFC champ Jon Jones is denying allegations he slapped a cocktail waitress at an Albuquerque strip club back in April ... and telling fans, "I'm definitely not in any trouble."

According to police, the alleged victim claims 32-year-old Jones not only slapped her inside TD’s Eubank Showclub, but kissed her neck without consent ... and then put her in a chokehold that was so powerful, he lifted her off the ground.

The woman told police Jones continued to put his hands on her until he left the club, according to KRQE in New Mexico.

The woman called police to her home after the incident to report the alleged crime. Jones was later charged with misdemeanor battery and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

A spokesperson for Jones told the media Jon was unaware of the case against him -- and didn't know about the warrant because the paperwork was sent to the wrong address.

Jones later paid a $300 bond and the arrest warrant was rescinded.

"Today, the media told Mr. Jones about a false accusation launched against him and that paperwork had been sent to an incorrect address," a Jones spokesman said Sunday night.

"However, after receiving the documents from the press, Mr. Jones immediately went to pay the small fee, and he, and multiple witnesses, stand ready to factually refute the malicious lies being told about him to the public."

Jones later tweeted about the allegations -- telling one fan, "I’m definitely not in any trouble my friend, don’t be so quick to believe everything you read on the Internet."

He told another user, "I know there’s a whole bunch of people hoping for my downfall but there’s even more who are proud of me and love seeing me do well. And screw staying inside, I love this community.. excited to keep climbing, haters going to be mad when I win in December."

Story developing ...

Stipe Miocic says it "kinda sucked" when Brock Lesnar was in the mix for a UFC title fight with Daniel Cormier ... telling TMZ Sports he didn't think it was fair since Brock hadn't fought in years.

Remember, Stipe had defended the UFC heavyweight title THREE TIMES (the most in UFC history) before losing to Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018.

Stipe -- and many UFC fans -- believed he deserved an immediate rematch with Cormier ... but when Lesnar expressed interest in fighting DC, it seemed Brock became the priority.

Lesnar eventually ended talks with the UFC so he could turn his full attention to his WWE career ... and that's when the UFC decided to give Stipe the fight in August at UFC 241.

Miocic tells TMZ Sports the whole waiting game for Lesnar rubbed him the wrong way -- explaining, "I mean, the dude hasn't fought in like, 3 years. Been popped twice, suspended."

"It's like, how you gonna put a dude like that ... he's not even a money fight anymore."

Miocic continued, "When he fought Mark Hunt, it didn't get a lot of Pay-Per-View sales. So, what's the difference of bringing him in? So, I don't know, whatever, it's all good."

"Brock's doing his thing. Good luck with everything he does, but right now, it's me and DC."

Tyron Woodley and Max Holloway have been asked every MMA question in the book during their prolific careers ... but what are the 3 WORST questions they hate the most during fight week?!

The Chosen One and the conductor of the Blessed Express are pulling no punches on this week's episode of "The Hollywood Beatdown" ... where Max was promoting his UFC 240 fight against Frankie Edgar.

Of course, the fight will be Max's first since his loss to Dustin Poirier back in April -- but Max says he's ready to prove he's back and more dangerous than ever.

Besides revealing the 3 Q's he hates more than anything ... Holloway also shouted out his pal, Justin Bieber, and said the guy is serious about taking an MMA fight, he'd LOVE the opportunity to train him up!

Henry Cejudo wins again!!!

The UFC superstar is down in Mexico on vacation with a smokin' hot lady on his arm ... and by the looks of things, he's having a GREAT time!!!

Triple C (two UFC championship belts and an Olympic gold medal) was spotted out in Tulum with a new lady friend.

We're told the mystery lady is a soap opera actress from Brazil named Sandra -- and by the looks of it, we're guessing she also does some modeling (if not, she should).

Our Cejudo sources tell us the two are vacation together (it's not like he met her down there) but they're not an official boyfriend, girlfriend thing just yet.

As one source put, "He's still single man. He's having fun."

Cejudo is having one hell of a year in 2019 -- he defended his UFC flyweight belt in January against a juiced up T.J. Dillashaw and then in June he starched Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight title.

Greg Hardy vs. Jon Jones?!

That's what Greg wants in a BAD way -- telling TMZ Sports he KNOWS he's gotta scrap with the G.O.A.T. if he truly wants to be known as the greatest combat sports athlete ever.

The 30-year-old ex-NFL superstar is making it clear he's closed the door on his football career to focus on MMA -- and says his goal is to climb the heavyweight ranks and fight for the title.

First step is getting past Juan Adams at UFC on ESPN on Saturday -- but Hardy says he can see himself upgrading opponents to guys like Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier as he continues to chalk up the Ws.

As for Jones, Hardy says he has nothing but respect for the guy -- even noting that he emulates Jon's fighting style in the Octagon.

"It's impossible not to dream of Jon Jones," Hardy said ... "It would be an honor and a pleasure to go to war with him, if I make it that far."

Hardy is currently 4-1 as a pro MMA fighter -- with all 4 of his victories coming by 1st-round stoppages.

Greg says he doesn't have any personal issues with Adams -- who's been talking A LOT of trash -- only giving this message ...

"I forgive you, I understand your ignorance and I apologize for sending you to the hospital. Hope you get better soon, brother."

AFC North quarterbacks better watch out ... 'cause Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett has been training with Stipe Miocic ... and the UFC heavyweight says he was blown away by his power!!!

Stipe and the Pro Bowl defensive end focused on power work and and combinations in the cage earlier this week ... and Miocic says Garrett was loving every second of it -- and was crushing it!!

"He's an absolute beast," Miocic tells TMZ Sports. "Whatever that dude does, he's good at."

The Cleveland sports hero is a HUGE Browns fan ... so he says he's down to train Garrett's teammates like Baker Mayfield and OBJ to help out his beloved Brownies in any way.

We asked if Garrett would be able to hold his own in an MMA fight someday down the road ... and it's clear Stipe thinks he's got a legitimate shot.

"He's just gotta stand there and punch someone one time. That dude's got power. He's got a LOT of power."

Stipe has his own fight around the corner -- a rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 -- and he's got one message for DC.

UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber is so amped up after his victory over Ricky Simon this weekend -- he wants a shot at Henry Cejudo ... and he wants it THIS YEAR!!

"He's the best guy in the world and I want to fight him," the 40-year-old legend told TMZ Sports ... "It makes sense."

Faber says at his age, he doesn't want to be sitting out too long -- and says his dream situation would be to fight Cejudo at UFC 244 on November 2 at Madison Square Garden.

"I think Henry's injured at the moment, but the sooner the better!"

Urijah's right ... Henry is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and will likely be out the rest of the year -- but if Faber has to wait until early 2020, it sounds like he's down. 

Faber also tells us why he thinks fighting Cejudo would be a good matchup for him stylistically. 

And, if that fight doesn't come to fruition, there's another UFC star Faber would be down to scrap ... T.J. Dillashaw. 

UFC star Urijah Faber's comeback could be a short one -- like 1 fight -- IF he doesn't get a crack at champ-champ Henry Cejudo, the HOFer tells TMZ Sports.

40-year-old Faber walked away from fighting in December 2016 ... but recently inked a deal to fight Ricky Simon at UFC Fight Night 155 on Saturday -- almost 3 years after retiring.

The California Kid tells us he hasn't decided what he'll do after his fight -- meaning he could hang the gloves back up.

"The truth is, I'll make that decision later. I'm really enjoying this process at the moment. For me, 1 fight at a time," Faber tells us.

But, there's 1 big catch ... he'll absolutely without any doubt fight Cejudo.

"Fighting Henry Cejudo, Mr. Cringe himself," Urijah says ... "I'll fight that dude all day. Believe that."

Remember, Henry called out Urijah in the Octagon after winning the bantamweight title last month.... saying he had a hit list and Faber was on it.

"Styles make matchups. He's not gonna break me, that's absolutely sure. I'm not worried about getting out wrestled or out grappled. His pressure is what's won him fights. That's something I can handle. Pressure is all good with me."

The greatest female boxer in the world wants a piece of the greatest female UFC fighter in the world ... with Claressa Shields guaranteeing she'd KNOCK OUT Amanda Nunes!!!

"If we were to fight, I would win," Shields told us bluntly ... "In boxing, yeah, Amanda Nunes would go to sleep."

24-year-old Shields is a MONSTER in the ring -- she's 9-0 and the undisputed women's middleweight champion of the world! BEAST!!

Of course, Nunes ain't no punk -- she's widely considered the greatest female MMA fighter EVER ... after smashing everyone from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm. 

Sheilds says Nunes would obviously have the advantage if they stepped into the Octagon, but in a pure fistfight ... oh man, Sheilds says Nunes wouldn't stand a chance! 

So, could it happen? 

Don't rule it out ... Nunes prides herself on her striking ability and we've seen MMA fighters jump into the boxing ring before (McGregor vs. Mayweather anyone!?). 

In the meantime, Claressa says she REALLY wants a crack at welterweight champ Cecilia Braekhus, a 35-0 superstar who hails from Norway. 

UFC champ Kamaru Usman says he was genuinely "scared" for his UFC rival, Ben Askren -- saying that 5-second, knee-to-the-head knockout looked REALLY bad in person. 

Usman was in the crowd at UFC 239 in Vegas last weekend when Jorge Masvidal turned out Askren's lights with a ferocious flying knee ... and Kamaru admits, "I was kinda scared."

"Actually, I was kinda sad cause he was out for a long, long time," Kamaru says ... "He was out for about 5 to 7 minutes." 

"I was kinda scared cause he was stiff. I thought something might've happened."

Askren was rushed to a nearby hospital -- but tweeted later that night and says he's fine. 

Of course, Kamaru and Ben have a pretty nasty history ... Askren mocked Kamaru for months by calling him "Marty," the Americanized nickname he got during his college wrestling days. 

But, when push comes to shove, Kamaru says he doesn't wish terrible things on Askren -- you can tell there's some real respect there. 

As for Masvidal, who's been pushing for a shot at Kamaru's belt, Usman says the guy needs to "SLOW DOWN" ... though he seems open to the idea. 

Chandler Jones would BEAT THE HELL out of his famous UFC brother, Jon Jones ... so says the Arizona Cardinals DE himself, who tells TMZ Sports, "I'll beat Jon Bones' ass!!"

"Listen, he has the longest arms in the UFC," Chandler says ... "My arms are longer than his. That's my brother, I love him to death, but I'll kick his ass!"

The clip is hilarious ... but Chandler seems dead serious -- telling us his older brother would take the first real L of his career if the two really did square up.

And why? Chandler says it's all about his power.

"I would wrestle him. I'm more strong than he is," Chandler says ... "Listen, I'm not trying to brag, but I go against 300-pound men every day. Jon Bones is like, what, 235?"

Jon fights at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds ... while Chandler plays at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds. The tale of the tape is interesting ...

As for Jon's input on the matter, Chandler says even the UFC superstar knows he'd get wrecked in the bro-on-bro fight!!

"Easy work," Chandler says.

Anderson Silva is one of the greatest fighters to ever live ... but the Spider says we ain't seen NOTHIN' yet ... telling TMZ Sports his son could be even better than him!!

Silva's 20-year-old son, Gabriel, just competed in his first Muay Thai fight last month and beat his opponent via 2nd-round TKO ... so we had to ask his dad how good his son could be.

"He has a great future inside the sport." Spider says ... adding it's too soon to decide whether he'll follow in his footsteps to be a UFC superstar.

We followed up by asking if Gabriel could be better than his daddy, and Silva said, "of course!!!"

Silva says they've sparred together in the past ... and his son has beaten him!!

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones came face to face in the lobby of an L.A. hotel right before the ESPYs ... but according to DC, the two kept it cordial.

Sources tell us the UFC rivals had a brief conversation -- but it was more civil than friendly. In other words, they acknowledged each other's presence just to be polite.

When we spoke with Cormier about the situation, he downplayed -- "Nothing happened. All my energy is on [my upcoming fight against] Stipe Miocic."

Cormier reiterated about Jones -- "We're not friendly."

Of course, these guys have one hell of a history -- they have one of the nastiest rivalries in pro sports and have talked an insane amount of trash to each other over the years.

At one point, Cormier even mocked Jon's wife for having a "flat ass."

Jones won both UFC fights against Cormier, though his second victory was overturned after Jon tested positive for an illegal substance.

But, Jon recently told TMZ Sports his animosity toward Cormier has been fading -- and claimed he would even shake his hand if the opportunity presented itself.

We're not sure if the two actually shook during Wednesday's run-in -- but DC made it clear he has no desire to have a friendly relationship with Jon.

It seems the two are on a collision course for a 3rd fight ... Cormier told us it's possible -- but he's gotta get through Miocic first.

When we asked if it would a "dream" to end his career with a victory over Jones -- DC laughed and responded, "It was my dream twice."

Jorge Masvidal's FINALLY gettin' the respect he's long deserved -- thanks to his brutal Ben Askren flying knee KO -- so says UFC star Robbie Lawler.

TMZ Sports talked to Lawler -- who was in NYC promoting his August 3 fight with Colby Covington -- about his former teammate Masvidal's monster win at UFC 239 last weekend.

"That was damn impressive. Masvidal is awesome and it was cool to see him go out there and showcase his skills," Lawler says ... "He's been in the sport a long time and never got the respect that I think he was due. And, hes earning it now." 

"He has almost 50 fights. He's fought a lot of the good guys in the sport. He's impressive!"

FYI -- Masvidal's 34-13 with wins over guys like Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Darren Till.

Of course, Masvidal FLATTENED Askren, the formally undefeated fighter in 5 seconds ... the fastest UFC KO ever.

What's interesting -- Robbie and Ben have history ....they fought in March (Askren won), but the match ended in controversy.

Lawler (and a lot of fans) believed ref Herb Dean prematurely stopped the fight while Robbie was getting choked.

In fact, Dana White publicly said he wanted to rematch the fight ... but it never came together.

UFC double-champ Henry Cejudo says he wants to add MORE gold to his collection -- and if that means fighting Amanda Nunes, he's DOWN! 

He seems like he's joking ... but maybe not! 

After all, Cejudo usually fights at 125 pounds. And, Amanda's last fight was at 135 pounds. And, since she's got the women's bantamweight and featherweight belts, Henry is calling her out!

"If Amanda Nunes wants to get it too? Valentina [Shevchenko]? I'm calling you guys out too. I take no prisoners."

Of course, Cejudo already holds the titles in the UFC's bantamweight and flyweight divisions -- plus, he's got an Olympic gold medal -- but he's a self-described "gold-digger" and he's very greedy!

In all seriousness, Cejudo says he wants to fight the winner of the upcoming Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar featherweight title fight at UFC 240 later this month. 

Cejudo says Holloway would pose a greater challenge because of the obvious height difference -- but tells TMZ Sports he still thinks he could win. 

"The fight would have to be so strategic," Cejudo says ... "But, he can get it too, man!"

Cejudo says his goal is to be known as the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. 

There's more ... we also asked Henry to break down that crazy Jorge Masvidal knockout of Ben Askren ... and he demonstrated on one of TMZ staffers (Lucas!). 

Don't miss the "TMZ Sports" TV show -- weeknights on FS1.