MMA

Melvin Guillard won't exactly have the clearest head in his return to the pro MMA world this weekend ... 'cause later this month, he's due in court in his domestic violence case.

The former UFC fighter was arrested in Colorado way back in April 2018 after cops say he violently attacked his mistress after she allegedly asked when he was going to leave his wife.

Cops say the 36-year-old choked the woman repeatedly ... and said the victim was "scared he might kill her.'"

Guillard's case in the Colorado court system hasn't progressed quickly ever since he pled not guilty to the crime ... but a court official tells us it likely has something to do with his two OTHER arrests in '18.

As we previously reported, Guillard was involved in TWO separate incidents in the Denver area where he knocked out civilians. He finally cut a plea deal to close those cases earlier this summer.

Now, Guillard's domestic violence case is ready to move forward -- he has a hearing slated for August 26, just 16 days after he makes his debut in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on Saturday in Mississippi.

A court official tells TMZ Sports Guillard is facing 2 charges in the domestic violence case -- 1 count of second degree assault and 1 count of third degree assault.

If convicted, Guillard is facing up to 18 YEARS behind bars -- so it's POSSIBLE his BKFC fight could be the last match of his career.

Guillard is scheduled to fight Isaac Vallie-Flagg in the BKFC event in the meantime this weekend.

Wanna see MMA badass Kayla Harrison take a TMZ staffer and THROW HIS ASS ON THE GROUND?!

Yeah, figured ...

Here's Kayla -- one of the most feared women in MMA -- performing her favorite Judo throw, the O Goshi, on our resident crash test dummy, Lucas ... and it's awesome!

Of course, Lucas has faced off with the best in MMA ... from Jon Jones to Brian Ortega and Henry Cejudo -- but this might be his most terrifying demonstration yet!

After Kayla destroyed our guy, she called out Cris Cyborg -- who will be released from her UFC contract after clashing with Dana White.

Kayla is competing for the $1 MILLION grand prize in PFL's big MMA tournament -- and she's laser focused on winning -- but says she'd LOVE an opportunity to square off with Cyborg.

Kayla says she's impressed with Cyborg -- but doesn't think she's indestructible -- and she's inviting the Brazilian superstar to come on over to PFL to continue her fighting career.

She even made a video message for Cris ...

"Listen, I heard you lost your job but if you're interested the PFL has a very special place for you ... and it's 2nd."

Nick Newell is a badass MMA fighter who happens to have 1 hand ... and Bellator signed him to a fight deal -- incredible story, right??

No, not if you ask Newell ... who tells TMZ Sports the shiny new contract doesn't mean a damn thing if he doesn't punch someone and get a W.

Nick -- who at 33 years old recently signed a 1 fight deal with Bellator -- is weeks away from his debut against Corey Browning (CB once beat Kimbo's son, Kevin Ferguson aka "Baby Slice") at Bellator 225 ... and he's far from happy just having a contract.

"I’m just showing up to win, being a part of something is not good enough for me," Newell says.

"I appreciate everything Bellator's doing for me, but just like showing up and being like, 'oh my god, I got signed by Bellator,' and getting my ass whooped, is not acceptable."

The 15-2 fighter went on to say ... "For me it’s nothing until I get my hand raised. I've accomplished nothing. Just by getting signed doesn’t mean that you're a big deal or that you're good enough."

"I'm not content. I have to win. When I win, then I'll be happy. Then I'll be excited for the future. I feel like I have to earn that."

Nick's journey to Bellator has been 10 years in the making, and while he might think it's no big deal to sign with 1 of the premiere fight promotions in the country, most in the MMA world are super impressed.

Newell will get his chance to earn a win on August 24.

Donald Trump Jr. and his brother, Eric Trump, are getting the early bird special at the UFC fight in New Jersey this weekend -- 'cause they showed up hours before the big bout.

President Trump's sons are sitting cage-side right now at the Prudential Center in Newark for the UFC on ESPN 5 event, where welterweights Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler are facing off for the main event. Colby personally invited DTJ and co. -- they're pals.

Sources connected to the event tell TMZ Sports that Don, Eric and their brood -- which appears to include Don's GF, Kimberly Guilfoyle and at least one kid -- arrived Saturday around 10 AM PT ... an hour after the first fights kicked off at 9 AM.

Kinda interesting if you think about it -- that means the Trumps are going to presumably stick around for a bit until the Covington/Lawler fight at noon ... which makes for a jam-packed day of Octagon action. Five matches have already been decided, so you gotta imagine the Trump crew caught at least two of them, so far.

It also looks like ESPN followed through on their plan to not keep the famous family off camera -- despite backlash it may or may not spark. They're all getting a healthy amount of screen time at the moment on TV, which we were told was expected ahead of the event.

As you know, the UFC is made up of pretty diverse fighters ... and with their pops being labeled a racist of late, the Trump boys' inclusion in this event was expected to be a powder keg of sorts.

No issues so far though, from the crowd or otherwise ... hopefully it stays that way.

What's it like to get a call from your boss telling you one of your fights will be forever memorialized in the UFC Hall of Fame?!

Check out this video of UFC legend Clay Guida telling us EVERYTHING in an amazing recap of the night his phone rang and Dana White was on the other line.

The fight that was enshrined is Clay's famous 2009 brawl with Diego Sanchez ... a 3-round bloodfest that's easily considered one of the greatest MMA fights EVER.

Clay lost the fight ... but man, what a war!!!

Clay and Diego were both on hand at the UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Las Vegas on July 5 ... where they got dope jackets and trophies to commemorate the enshrinement.

During the ceremony, Guida thanked everyone who helped make that legendary fight possible.

But, now, Guida is focusing on the present ... he's taking on Jim Miller at "UFC on ESPN 5" in Newark on Saturday.

Donald Trump's sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, will be front and center at Saturday's big UFC fight, and ESPN will show their mugs on TV ... but there are a few strings attached.

Sources connected to the Disney-owned network tell TMZ ... there has been no pressure to keep them off camera to avoid controversy. It's a particularly sensitive time, with Trump's latest attacks which have a huge swath of the country calling him racist. The UFC community -- both fans and fighters -- is diverse, and the presence of the Trumps is a powder keg.

Nevertheless, we're told UFC honcho Dana White is calling the shots on who gets on TV, and we're told the Trump kids will get as much air time as other big celebs at the Prudential Center in Newark. Not to say Dana's directing, but he gives broad directives, and there is no Trump ban.

Now ... we're told the commentators have been told ... NO POLITICS -- and that's squarely in line with ESPN's directive.

Eric and Donald Jr., along with his GF, Kimberly Guilfoyle, were invited to the fight by Colby Covington, who's headlining the main event against Robbie Lawler. Covington is a staunch Trump supporter who's rarely seen without his MAGA hat. POTUS even invited him to the Oval.

And, Dana himself is a die-hard Trump supporter, who even spoke at the RNC. Dana has famously said he will NEVER say anything bad about Trump, who was one of his first and biggest supporters in the early days of the UFC.

WARNING -- if you're eating lunch, ya might wanna put down the BLT ... 'cause Cris Cyborg is showing off her battle wound from UFC 240 ... and it's a doozy!!

The UFC superstar needed a bunch of stitches following her fight with Felicia Spencer on Saturday ... after getting a deep gash on her forehead in the 1st round.

Of course, Cyborg fought through the cut and ended up with the decision win like a badass ... and now she's proudly showing off the post-fight damage.

"I could see my skull after #UFC240!" Cyborg said.

Fun fact -- It was the first time in Cyborg's career she had to get stitched up ... which is incredible considering she turned pro in 2005!

Don't worry, though ... despite the injury, Cyborg made it VERY clear to UFC honcho Dana White she definitely still wants that rematch with Amanda Nunes.

Jorge Masvidal has a message for Conor McGregor -- LET'S FIGHT!!!

The 34-year-old UFC superstar is on a tear right now ... he destroyed Darren Till in March and put Ben Askren to sleep in 5 seconds earlier this month and the fans have been calling on Dana White to match up Jorge with Conor.

And, guess what ... when we spoke with Masvidal, he told us he's ALL THE WAY DOWN -- if Conor wants to make it happen.

There was no trash talking ... there was no disrespect -- just one professional fighter telling another professional fighter that he's ready, willing and able to sit down and hash out a deal.

"I got good things to say about Conor," Jorge told TMZ Sports ... "He's done a lot in the sport and he's made his money already and if he feels he's not getting the money he deserves to come back, man I'm gonna be the first one to applaud him and be like do your thing my brother."

But ... "If he wants to come back and he wants somebody that's gonna stand with him and give him the type of fights that he likes, look no further my brother!"

Jorge says there's one BIG catch ... he doesn't want to have to "flirt" with Conor to bait him into the fight.

"Let's just scrap if were gonna scrap ... and if not, NEXT!"

Of course, Dana White recently told us he did NOT want to make the Masvidal vs. McGregor fight because Conor is too small physically to be fighting someone Jorge's size.

FYI, Jorge's last fight was at 170. Conor's last fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov was at 155.

But, Jorge thinks Dana's assessment is wrong -- insisting their natural weights are closer than people think. Conor also told Dana recently the "too big" argument is BS.

Besides, if they DO fight ... Jorge says he expects the two to stand and bang -- giving the fans the kind of violent show they've been begging for.

"He knows I'm only going for one thing on him -- the off button. I'm not going in there to outpoint him or nothing."

Masvidal ended with one final message to the Irishman ...

UFC star Colby Covington says he'll have major Trump support when he fights Robbie Lawler on Saturday ... claiming Donald Trump's two oldest sons will be sitting in the front row.

Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, will be on hand at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ ... along with Eric Trump, Covington says.

"They're gonna be front row at my fight this weekend when I retire Robbie Lawler," Covington says ... "This is official."

Covington is a VERY outspoken Donald Trump supporter -- not only has he met with President Trump at the White House, his red MAGA hat has become a staple in his wardrobe.

In fact, Colby tells TMZ Sports ... he's a loyal soldier in the MAGA army and would do anything to help POTUS. He's even offered to follow in Dana White's footsteps and speak at the next Republican National Convention.

Colby also says he thinks Donald would be a GREAT fighter because "he has bricks for hands" ... insisting "this guy could knock somebody out with one punch."

Colby takes on Robbie in the main event at "UFC on ESPN 5" on August 3 ... and if Colby wins, he'll likely get a title shot against UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, so there's a lot on the line for him.

Dana White turned 50 on Sunday ... and his surprise birthday bash was INCREDIBLE -- with an amazing performance from Gwen Stefani and Don Henley busting out "Hotel California"!

The UFC boss had no idea the party was being set up at the Aria Hotel & Casino on Sunday night ... but when he arrived, the guy nearly lost his mind!!!

White is a huge music fan -- his office is filled with memorabilia -- so to have the stars from "No Doubt" and The Eagles in the house meant a lot to him. Gwen performed several hits including "The Sweet Escape."

We're told roughly 200 of Dana's closest friends and family members showed up for the bash ... including Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra.

Just 24 hours before the party, Dana was in Canada for UFC 240 ... where he wrapped the UFC championship belt on Max Holloway after he defeated Frankie Edgar in the main event.

But, when you're Dana White, and traveling internationally means jumping on your private plane, it makes life easier!

UFC stud Jorge Masvidal will NOT get a crack at Conor McGregor, despite his record-breaking victory over Ben Askren ... so says Dana White.

"Hell no," White told us ... explaining that Masvidal is a welterweight fighter (170 lbs) and he's simply too big for take on the smaller McGregor, who fights at lightweight (154 lbs).

"There's plenty of fights for him in his weight division without Conor," White said ... "He's too big for Conor. [McGregor] doesn't belong in 170."

"[Conor] has the balls to fight at 170, but he doesn't belong there."

So, when WILL Conor return to the Octagon and who will he fight?

White says he expects to see Conor back in action either at the end of 2019 or early 2020 -- but he won't commit to an opponent until Khabib Nurmagomedov fights Dustin Poirier in September.

McGregor will NOT automatically get the winner of that fight -- but White says it will be easier to matchmake after that fight goes down.

"A lot of things will shake out and we'll see who's next."

Conor hasn't fought since UFC 229 back in October 2018 when he lost to Khabib -- and he's currently nursing an injured left hand he busted up during a recent training session.

TMZ Sports has obtained pics of UFC star Jon Jones and his brother Chandler Jones inside  TD's Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque on the night of an alleged incident with a cocktail waitress.

As we previously reported, Jon is being investigated over allegations he slapped a woman's vagina during a wild night out on April 19. The waitress told police Jon had been pestering her for a table dance before kissing up on her neck.

The woman also claims Jon later came up from behind her and put her in a "tight rear naked choke hold" and then lifted her up in the air in what felt like a "wrestling match."

The person who shot the photos tells us Jon was interacting with women all night ... but the witness did NOT see anything that resembled slapping, choking or any of the other violent allegations.

Obviously, that's just one person's perspective -- we're trying to speak with other people who were there that night too. Stay tuned on that.

You can see in the pics, Jon and Chandler were sitting right in front of the stage -- and we're told people inside recognized them. In other words, they weren't trying to lay low.

After Jon and Chandler left the club, the accuser went home and called police. After telling her story to cops, Jones was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Conor McGregor needs to stop selling whiskey and get in the Octagon with Al Iaquinta ASAP ... so says Al himself, who tells TMZ Sports he wants a scrap with the Irishman!!!

Of course, Conor hasn't fought since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 ... and some think he ain't returning to fight at all unless it's for a rematch with The Eagle.

But, Al says that's bad for Conor ... 'cause he doesn't think McGregor will get a rematch, saying The Notorious looked like too much of a "sissy" in the first fight to earn a runback.

"His stock is not as high as he thinks it is," Iaquinta says. "He got finished in his last fight as far as everyone's concerned. He's dead. The ref had to pull the guy off of him."

Al added, "He looked like a sissy tappin' out like that, so, he's got to come back and get a win."

Good news for Conor? Al -- the 6th ranked lightweight -- says he's more than willing to give McGregor a shot to get that victory ... saying he thinks a Conor-Iaquinta fight "really makes the most sense."

But, if McGregor ain't down ... Al tells us he's gunning to fight at UFC 243 in October or 244 in November -- and says a scrap with Dan Hooker is possible.

By the way, if Conor does get a rematch with Khabib ... Al says it's going to be a murder, telling us straight-up, "He's gonna get beat again. That's a fight that you need heart for and he doesn't have it."

Undefeated boxing superstar Claressa Shields is convinced she'd make MILLIONS from a superfight with UFC champ Amanda Nunes ... but it ain't about the money.

"I'm more about the legacy of it," Sheilds said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show ... "To say that you actually beat the greatest MMA fighter."

The 24-year-old boxer is seemingly unstoppable ... she's 9-0 as a pro with TWO Olympic gold medals. Meanwhile, Nunes has destroyed the greatest female MMA fighters ever -- from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.

The fight is starting to pick up some serious momentum ... earlier this month, Dana White told TMZ Sports he's open to the idea of letting Nunes cross over into the boxing ring (a la Conor McGregor) after she takes care of some UFC business.

And, Shields says her manager is also on board -- not just because of the money but because the event would be huge for female combat sports.

He's 8 months away from being back in fighting shape, but UFC warrior Thiago Santos says he REALLY wants a second crack at Jon Jones once he recovers from his double knee surgery.

35-year-old Santos tore ligaments in both knees during his July 6 fight with Jones -- and he just underwent surgery last week. In his left knee, Santos tore his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus. He also suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee.

Despite the devastating injuries, Thiago went all 5 round with Jones -- throwing LEG STRIKES all the way up until the final bell.

TMZ Sports spoke with Santos while he was in physical therapy and he told us he's so mentally tough, he willed himself to keep fighting that night even though his body wanted to shut down.

"Even on pain, I had to continue kicking," Santos said through a translator.

Santos lost the fight via split decision -- but knows how close he came to pulling off the upset.

Now, with an 8-month recovery plan, Santos says he's REALLY hoping for a rematch with Jon.

"That's my will. I really want to fight him again but I want to be at 100% before that's happening."

Cris Cyborg says ain't bothered over Dana White saying she's "afraid" to fight Amanda Nunes again ... telling TMZ Sports, "You think I'm surprised when Dana say type of things like this?"

White previously told us "it's pretty obvious why" Cyborg won't sign a contract to rematch with Nunes ... who knocked her out in 51 seconds when they squared off at UFC 232 back in Dec.

"I think that [Cyborg] is at the point where she's afraid to lose again. Losing again isn't something she's interested in," White said.

So, when we spoke with Cris -- who's gearing up to fight Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 on Saturday -- we had to ask if she took issue with Dana's comments.

Cyborg essentially told us her relationship with Dana ain't great -- and she'd be more surprised if he said something "nice" about her.

She also said Dana isn't qualified to speak about a fighter's mindset -- explaining, "Dana White's never stepped in the case, never fight before ... because he's the promoter."

Cyborg says she doesn't want to talk about a possible rematch with Nunes until AFTER the Spencer fight on Saturday ... telling TMZ Sports she's laser-focused on getting that W.