MMA

Conor McGregor doesn't REALLY want to fight Justin Gaethje ... it's all smoke and mirrors ... so says Tyron Woodley who thinks JG would bust him up!

Of course, Conor just announced he's fighting on Jan. 18 -- but wouldn't reveal the name of his opponent. Most people think the front-runners are Justin Gaethje or Cowboy Cerrone.

But, Tyron says his money's on Cowboy ... simply because he thinks Justin poses a much bigger threat that Conor doesn't really want!!!

"If I was him, Gaethje ain't the fight he want. Gaethje punch too hard. His chin is too crazy. He's gonna come forward with all that pressure. I don't think that's the fight."

Tyron says Cowboy is a "safe fight" for McGregor ... and thus, the more likely match-up.

"I think the Gaethje sh*t is just him just talking smoke and mirrors. I don't think he really want that noise. He don't wanna fight guys like me."

There's A LOT more -- Tyron sends a message to his pal Randy Couture, explains why Israel Adesanya is the next UFC superstar and daps up Tony Hawk!

Great news ... Randy Couture is doing REALLY WELL after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday -- and he's already cracking jokes!!!

"Contrary to recent rumors I have not kicked the bucket yet. I am alive and well," the 56-year-old UFC Hall of Famer said in a statement to TMZ Sports.

"Special thanks to the amazing staff at Cedars Sinai Hospital. From the ER to cardiac ICU thanks for taking care of me."

"I’m one of those people that has crazy thick blood and nominally high bad cholesterol. Unfortunately, those 2 factors combined to create a nice clot occluding my Diagonal artery."

Couture continued, "The Cath lab at Cedars got right on it, cleared it out and placed a stint in its place."

Couture is thanking his fans for the love and support -- and dropped these words of wisdom -- "Live your lives to the fullest. You never know when you’ll draw that last breath in!"

As for Randy's health, his rep tells TMZ Sports ... the UFC legend had emergency surgery after being admitted to the hospital.

Here's the whole story ...

"During a workout at Randy’s LA training home Unbreakable Performance in West Hollywood, CA, Randy experienced discomfort in what he initially thought was an offset rib or vertebrae."

"He tried working on a roller to relieve the problem -- but that was not successful.  Incredibly, Randy finished the entire workout while likely having the beginnings of a heart attack. Shortly thereafter, he drove home and attempted to rest. When the radiating chest pain did not cease, he recognized something was wrong."

"He proceeded to walk multiple blocks to a nearby emergency room rather than battle Los Angeles traffic. Upon his arrival, after an EKG, the medical staff informed Randy he had a heart attack, and would require immediate surgery to resolve the issue."

UFC rising star Maycee Barber says Paige VanZant needs to put up or shut up ... because if Paige REALLY wants to fight, Barber's ready to sign a contract RIGHT NOW.

Barber is 8-0 and destroying people in the Octagon -- and she clearly wants a crack at Paige.

What's interesting ... VanZant recently appeared on TMZ Sports and said she's been begging Dana White and the UFC to find her an opponent. Paige also posted on IG and tagged essentially every woman in the 115 and 125 division asking to bring it on ... except Maycee.

But, in this brand new video, Barber spells it all out for Paige -- she's ready, willing and able to fight ... unless PVZ is just too scared to accept the challenge.

There are reports VanZant has refused to fight Barber because she feels Maycee has disrespected her in the past ... and Paige doesn't want to reward bad behavior with a big money fight.

But, Barber says it's the fight game -- not the friend game -- and they need to settle things with their fists.

"Listen Paige, I'm not looking to go out there and fight you out of respect. I'm looking to go out there and sign a contact with another girl and have her actually show up."

"I saw your thing on TMZ about begging Dana for a fight, and listen ... Dana White, TMZ, Paige VanZant ... I'm right here. I've been waiting."

"So, either sign the contract or show up, otherwise gimme a contract with someone [else] with the last name of VanZant."

And, just for clarification ... that last dig seems to be a reference to rumors that Maycee slid into Paige's husband's DMs.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture suffered a heart attack on Wednesday and is currently in intensive care at an L.A. hospital, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 56-year-old legend -- a 3-time UFC Heavyweight champ -- walked himself to the hospital on Wednesday after feeling something was off after a workout at the Unbreakable MMA gym in L.A. He was admitted and treated immediately. The good news, sources close to Randy tell us he's expected Randy to make a full recovery.

Couture is widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time with victories over guys like Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort and more.

In fact, Couture fought competitively late into his 40s ... taking on Lyoto Machida for the UFC Lightweight Championship in 2011 when Randy was 46 years old. Couture lost that fight, but still, amazing.

Couture also built a career as an actor starting with a cameo on the CBS show, "The Unit" which snowballed into bigger roles in bigger projects.

Couture went on to appear in a bunch of 'The Expendables' movies alongside Sylvester Stallone ... and later starred in the 2011 movie, "Setup," with Bruce Willis and 50 Cent.

In 2014, Couture competed on "Dancing with the Stars" with his pro dancer partner, Karina Smirnoff. He wasn't the greatest dancer in the world, but he was a fan favorite.

Couture is a regular at Jay Glazer's Unbreakable Gym in L.A., where he still trains alongside MMA legends like Chuck Liddell.

Back in the day, Couture was a high school wrestling phenom and won a state championship in Washington. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1988 and made Sergeant in the 101st Airborne.

After the Army, Couture made the U.S. Olympic team as an alternate for the '88, '92 and '96 Games.

Couture was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006, only the 4th fighter to be enshrined. Couture had retired at the time but came back to fight several more times.

Couture has 3 children including son Ryan Couture, an MMA fighter who competes for Bellator.

A reporter in Russia asked Conor McGregor to his face about the rape allegation against him in Ireland ... but the host of Conor's media event shut it down before Conor could answer.

McGregor had invited Russian media to Moscow for a mystery press conference Thursday --  with Conor's team teasing the event this way, "Perhaps he will make statements about his imminent return to the octagon."

Of course, Conor DID address his fighting career and his whiskey business -- but when one reporter tried to ask about McGregor's legal issues ... he was stopped in his tracks.

The whole exchange went down in Russian -- so we got it translated and this is what we were told happened.

The reporter starts off friendly and praises Conor as a top athlete but says he wants to ask a serious question: "News is coming out that Conor McGregor raped a 20-year-old lady."

The moderator cuts him off saying, "We're not going to talk about that today."

She praised the reporter as a good guy -- but warns him to "behave himself."

FYI, Conor is reportedly being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s outside of Dublin pub. He was also accused of raping a woman back in December. Earlier this week, McGregor "emphatically denied" the recent allegations.

MMA fighter Justin Wren was sick to his stomach when he saw video of kids repeatedly beating up a 12-year-old boy with special needs ... so he decided to do something about it!

The horrifying footage of Rayden -- who's autistic, diabetic and deaf in his right ear -- is going viral ... showing a bunch of kids mercilessly beating and mocking him. It got so bad, Rayden began scribbling suicidal messages on his arm.

Wren's blood began to boil when he heard about the story -- so he got in contact with Rayden's family to see if he could help out and they gladly accepted the offer.

Besides rallying celebrities, pro fighters and the public to show support for Rayden, Wren -- who runs Fight For The Forgotten -- also brought him to a hyperbaric treatment center to help Rayden recover from his injuries.

"Been with Rayden over 20 days now. Taking him to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy because he was diagnosed with a concussion," Justin tells us.

"We are organizing something to help him and his family with medical bills and maybe something else really amazing!"

WWE legend Mick Foley also sent a video message to Rayden -- saying, "I am standing with you."

"If there is anything I can do to help you and make your day a little better, I sure will."

Foley added, "I am the father of a child on the autism spectrum, so you are a part of my extended family. I'll do anything in my power to help you."

Bellator champ Rafael Lovato Jr. also met up with Rayden -- and let him wear the championship belt!!!

Conor McGregor just announced his return to the Octagon -- saying he WILL fight on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas ... but his opponent is still shrouded in mystery.

The UFC star just held a media event in Russia, where he's promoting his Irish whiskey, and of course the conversation turned to his fighting career.

After trashing Khabib Nurmagomedov and telling reporters he would NOT wait around for Khabib to agree to a rematch, Conor said he's ready to move forward with his career.

"I would like to announce the return of The Notorious Conor McGregor will take place on January 18 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada,” McGregor said.

"That is my comeback fight. It’s 12 weeks this Saturday. I’m in prime physical condition. I have agreed the date with the company. As far as the opponent, I have the opponent’s name, but for me, the game I am in and from experience, if I was to give you people the name, which I would love to do, I know the UFC would flip it because they’re a crafty company."

Conor says to ask the UFC to reveal the opponent because "I don't give a f**k who the opponent is."

McGregor says the Jan. 18 fight will be "the beginning of my season" ... as he teased more fights in 2020.

"I will then look to compete against the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal for the Bad MotherF**ker title. Obviously, I have history with Nate Diaz, we are set to make the trilogy bout, so we will see how that goes."

"Then I will seek [a] Moscow bout and it will be against the winner of Tony Ferguson and .  Khabib Nurmagomedov."

Conor botched the pronunciation of Khabib's name ... but told reporters, "I can't even say the guy's name. Who gives a f**k what the guy's name is."

Conor adds of a possible fight with Khabib -- "The people of the world deserve this bout to take place. It is an inevitable rematch. It is a rematch that I will come in sharp, fresh, I will have no injuries, I will have no alcohol, I will have no outside influences, I will be fully focused -- exactly what the people deserve. Exactly what the fans deserve, and we will settle it once for all."

Ben Askren says there's a ZERO percent chance his next UFC fight ends after 5 seconds with a knee to the head. And, why's he so confident?

"I don’t think [Demian Maia] can jump that high!"

Ben's actually got a pretty great attitude going into Saturday's bout with Maia considering his last outing ... well it didn't go so well.

Askren was KO'd with a flying knee from Jorge Masvidal -- setting the record for fastest KO in UFC history.

"I think the best way to deal with adversity is obviously to hop right back in there so that’s what I did," Askren said.

"The UFC gave me the call pretty quickly after the Jorge Masvidal fight, and said ‘Hey would you want a main event in Singapore?’ And, I said 'Yeah, let’s go.' And, I thought that was a good time for me to hop back into the cage, so I’m excited."

Maia is currently the #10 ranked welterweight. Askren is #11 ... and Ben knows if he wins this fight, a title shot could be right around the corner.

"Obviously, I have to get the win on Saturday, and then once I do that, I can go to work calling people out and see where that can take me, but I don’t feel like I’m too far away from the top."

One of those guys at the top is Masvidal (ranked #3) ... and Ben says he's open for a rematch if the UFC is down.

"Yeah obviously that would be nice, and I think it would be an easy fight for me to get because the story’s so easy to tell."

Greg Hardy says he's fired up to fight an "actual monster" in Alexander Volkov -- telling TMZ Sports, "It's time to make a statement."

Hardy just agreed to fight the #7 ranked UFC heavyweight on Nov. 9 in Moscow -- replacing his training teammate Junior Dos Santos, who suffered an injury.

The former NFL star hasn't been beat in his pro career -- though he was DQ'd for an illegal knee against Allen Crowder ... and his victory over Ben Sosoli this past weekend was overturned because Greg used an inhaler between rounds.

Still, Hardy has been fairly dominant in the Octagon and when the opportunity came to fight a top-ranked opponent, the 30-year-old says he jumped at the chance.

"I'm excited, man," Hardy tells us ... "This is a a big-time fight, high-level competition. This is what any Prince of War or future King of War could ever hope for."

Hardy says he respects Volkov but believes he can knock out the Russian in under 3 rounds ... just like Derrick Lewis did in 2018.

"If 'Pillow Hands' Lewis can do it, I can go in there and compete," Hardy says.

Hardy says he plans to use this opportunity to show UFC fans he's the real deal.

"It's time to make a statement. It's time to step up and put my mettle to the test ... put my hands up and fight with an actual monster, fight with a top-ranked elite assassin."

We also spoke with Hardy about the inhaler controversy and he took full responsibility for the infraction -- vowing to make sure he's more educated on the rules for his next fight.

Hardy says he's not mad at his coaches and fight team for allowing him to use the inhaler -- saying they've done so much for him over the years, he can't get upset over one stupid mistake.

"This is the best team in the country, best team in the world ... two years ago I was a football player who couldn't throw a punch."

A Russian Instagram star -- known as Bazooka Arms -- stepped into the cage for an MMA fight against a Russian blogger ... and it didn't end well for the man with inflated biceps.

Kirill Tereshin went viral a few years ago after he reportedly artificially inflated his arms with Synthol drug injections. The 23-year-old (who has 445k IG followers) reportedly served in the Russian military.

But, last week, the guy decided to test his mettle against Russian blogger Oleg Mongol in a real MMA match in a gym in the Russian Republic of Khakassia.

Things started off okay for Bazooka Arms ...he traded strikes with Mongol ... but you can see his freakishly large arms quickly began to tire.

And, when the fight went to the ground, it didn't go well for him ... with Mongol eventually driving his forearm into Tereshin's neck so deeply, the IG star panicked and tapped.

There's no bad blood ... the two hugged it out at the end of the fight.

You think the campaign trail is tough? Try sparring with a UFC champ!!

That's what presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard did in Boston last week -- trading shots with strawweight superstar Weili Zhang ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Remember, Gabbard played a huge role in helping the Chinese superstar get a visa so she could come to the U.S. on a media tour.

Gabbard, a U.S. military combat vet and current member of the Army National Guard, is a HUGE fan of MMA and has watched Zhang compete for years.

So, when the opportunity came up to spar with the 30-year-old champ, the congresswoman from Hawaii wasted no time strapping on the gear!!

You can see in the video, shot Friday morning, Gabbard knows what she's doing as the two exchange kicks and punches. At one point, famed MMA coach Duke Roufus tells the women, "No elbows!"

After the training sesh, the two hung out and talked -- with Gabbard stressing that sports can help build relationships between countries that aren't exactly on great terms ... like the U.S. and China.

"There is so much conflict, sports like MMA have an opportunity to build relationships and help us get to know each other as people instead of the misunderstanding we see too often."

Zhang tweeted after the meeting, "Today I had the honor to meet and train with Miss @tulsigabbard and she is a very strong martial artist. We had a great training session taught by @coachdukeroufus and his team. It is a happy day when martial arts brings people together."

Zhang is currently is 20-1 as a pro -- on a 20 fight win streak -- and recently called out Valentina Shevchenko, which would be a GREAT fight!

Boxing? Check. WWE? Check. MMA?!? Tyson Fury says HELL YEAH ... 'cause he's telling TMZ Sports he wants to dominate ALL combat sports!!!

The Gypsy King -- who's taking on WWE Superstar Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia in a few weeks -- was out at Pier 17 in New York on Thursday ... when we had to ask what his next move is.

Of course, the 6'9", 260-pounder knows his way around the squared circle -- he's also prepping for his highly anticipated rematch with Deontay Wilder -- and how he's looking for another challenge.

"I'm taking over all combat sports," Fury tells us. "So, whatever combat sport you're in, BEWARE. 'Cause the Gypsy King is coming!"

"I'm coming to your sport, whatever sport it is. I'll be there. MMA takeover!!!"

Not sure if Fury was just talkin' to talk or if he REALLY wants to get in the cage. But, if he's serious, his pals at WWE definitely know how to get in touch with Dana White!!!

Fury's definitely tough enough for MMA ... remember he battled through that insane GASH over his eye when fighting Otto Wallin last month.

And, good news, Fury says the wound is healing nicely and should be ready for action by the time he fights Deontay Wilder in February!!!

Chris Weidman says he can do what Daniel Cormier couldn't -- beat Jon Jones -- and he's telling TMZ Sports how he plans on taking down one of the greatest fighters EVER.

Of course, Weidman moved up to the light heavyweight division to fight undefeated Dominick Reyes at 'UFC on ESPN 6' in Boston on Friday -- but his goal is to smash Reyes in the hopes of getting a crack at Jones.

Weidman has spent most of his career fighting at middleweight (185 pounds), but says the weight cuts were killing him ... so he decided to move up to 205.

The former champ -- who took out Anderson Silva TWICE -- says he feels GREAT at his new weight and is already dreaming about adding another G.O.A.T. to his hit list.

Weidman knows he would be a heavy underdog in a fight with Jones -- but says he's got the skills, the size and the power to put Jon on his ass.

In fact, Chris says he's got the physical attributes that guys like Cormier didn't possess -- like a long body and long limbs -- which would give him a real advantage against Jones.

Paige VanZant has a message for the UFC -- GET ME BACK IN THE OCTAGON ALREADY!!!

The 25-year-old says she's got the green light from doctors to fight again after undergoing surgery on her right forearm back in June ... and she's DYING to test it out in combat!

Of course, Paige initially injured her arm while delivering a spinning backfist during a 2018 fight against Jessica-Rose Clark and needed surgery to fix it.

Paige returned to the Octagon in Jan. 2019 and defeated Rachael Ostovich ... but required another operation in June 2019 to get a metal rod reinserted in the arm.

Now, VanZant says she's all healed up and she's already hit up Dana White to book a match ... and she wants a fight in the next 2 months!!

"I told the UFC, actually, almost a month ago. Like 4 weeks ago. 'Hey, I'm ready to fight. Give me a fight.' And its been a month and I haven't heard anything," VanZant says.

"I'm trying to force the hand and get a fight because I've been ready this whole time and we're kinda just waiting to hear who they match me up against."

Paige had offered to step in and fight Michelle Waterson if Joanna Jedrzejczyk dropped out of their Oct. 12 main event due to weight issues. But, Joanna made weight, so no go for Paige.

VanZant says she's still down to fight Waterson when she heals up from the Joanna fight -- but if Michelle needs months to recover, Paige would rather find another opponent because she doesn't want to wait.

HE'S STILL GOT IT!!!

He hasn't fought in almost 15 years, but 53-year-old Mike Tyson can still hit like a Mack Truck ... and here's the video to prove it!!

Mike was hosting a bunch of UFC stars at Tyson Ranch earlier this month -- including Ottman Azaitar, a rising MMA star from Morocco.

During the meeting, Ottman and Tyson were talking about striking -- specifically a stick-and-move technique, when Mike decided it was time for the jacket to come off and the guns to come out.

A bizarre ending in the Jon Jones strip club vagina slap case -- the UFC star pled no contest to disorderly conduct ... but officials say they couldn't prove Jon actually did what he's accused of doing!!!

Remember, a waitress at TD's Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque told cops Jones had slapped her in the vagina during a wild April 19th night out with his NFL star brother, Chandler Jones.

The woman claimed Jon came up from behind her that night 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."

Once he put her down, the woman claims Jon slapped her right in the genitals.

Jones was initially charged with misdemeanor battery -- though he ADAMANTLY denied all wrongdoing and pled not guilty at the time.

Cops investigated the allegations and interviewed "numerous independent witnesses" -- but NOBODY could corroborate the woman's allegations.

In fact, cops say they tried to work with the accuser -- but she stopped cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation.

Ultimately, the Bernalillo County DA's office tells TMZ Sports, "There was not enough evidence to proceed with the petty misdemeanor charge of battery under New Mexico state law."