8:33 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the police report -- and the details are terrible.
UPDATE
Cops say the man who was punched in the video appeared to be unconscious when they arrived.
UPDATE
A witness told them the victim had smacked his head against the concrete after he was punched.
UPDATE
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and later spoke to cops ... but said he was experiencing memory problems due to the injury and didn't remember the punch or aftermath.
UPDATE
Cops also spoke with Perry who insisted he was just trying to leave the restaurant peacefully but people were "putting hands on me as I was trying to leave the building."
UPDATE
Perry admits to getting physical with multiple people -- but insists he was only reacting after the others had touched him first ... including the man he knocked down on video.
UPDATE
There's more ... a witness told police that during the altercation at Perry's table, the UFC fighter struck a woman who was ID'd as a friend of Perry's girlfriend. Unclear if she was injured in the incident.
'Platinum' Mike Perry -- a star in the UFC -- punched an elderly man in the face at a Texas restaurant Tuesday night in a violent, angry rage ... and the entire incident was caught on video.
Witnesses tell TMZ Sports ... the whole thing started when Perry got into a physical altercation with someone at his table at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock, TX around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night.
We're told a restaurant staffer approached Perry -- who had been ordering Berry Mojitos -- and asked him to leave the restaurant.
But instead of leaving, the witness says Perry PUNCHED the employee in the eye. We're told the employee suffered injuries.
That's when our video begins ... you can see people -- including Perry's girlfriend -- are trying to get Mike to leave the restaurant, but he won't go peacefully and drops several N-bombs on the way out.
It doesn't appear the N-word was directed at any Black people in the restaurant -- Perry is known to casually throw the word around in daily conversation.
As Perry and his GF left the dining area and walked outside, several men followed him out ... and things again escalated.
One of the older men got too close to Perry and Mike swung -- connecting with a haymaker from his right hand.
The older man went down -- and we're told he was later transported to a hospital with injuries.
As for Perry, he sat down on a ledge and challenged witnesses to call police -- which they did.
When cops arrived, we're told a report was taken but Perry was NOT arrested. We're still trying to get more info from law enforcement.
Aside from the alleged battery, we're told Perry also left without paying his bill and sources tell us the restaurant is considering pursuing a theft charge.
We reached out to Table 82 for comment and a rep for the restaurant told us, "Pending the criminal investigation, we prefer not to comment further because one of the victims was an employee of our company who had asked Mr. Perry to leave."
We reached out to Perry for comment but didn't hear back. However he did offer an official "no comment" on his Twitter page.
Perry is 14-6 as a professional MMA fighter -- defeating Mickey Gall on June 27 ... with his GF acting as his cornerman.
"Stop being a little salty bastard, get over [losing to me], 'cause I'm gonna do it again this weekend."
That's Alex Volkanovski comin' for Max Holloway's neck -- officially putting an end to their buddy-buddy relationship -- only days before their massive UFC 251 scrap on Fight Island.
The champ and former champ were super cool with each other ... but that all officially stopped when TMZ Sports talked to the 31-year-old featherweight titleholder, and asked if it'll be hard to hurt someone he likes.
"To be honest with ya, I don't go out to ever hurt my opponent, but we've got a job to do. I'm gonna punch his face either way, I'm gonna punch his head through the canvas is what I plan on doing."
Now, cue the beef.
"To be honest, he's sorta showing a side of himself that I haven't really seen before. Some of the things he's saying," AV says ... "He sounds like he's a little sour, he sounds a little salty about losing. Some of the things he's saying take me by surprise."
"I didn't take him to be a guy like that, to be a bit of a sore loser, I feel like I'm getting that out of him. But, again if he wants to act like that, so be it, it'll make punching him in the face even easier."
FYI, Volkanovski beat 28-year-old Holloway -- regarded by many as the greatest featherweight ever -- via unanimous decision in December 2019.
It's unclear exactly what Max -- who is seeking to avenge the L -- said to get Alex so fired up ... but the champ's adamant Saturday night will be less about revenge, and more about Holloway getting his head punched in.
"I can see myself hurting him, getting him to the ground, and if he's still going, just punching the head through the canvas."
Uh, yeaaaaaa, safe to say these guys ain't buds anymore.
Kamaru Usman says Jorge Masvidal's BMF belt IS on the line when they fight Saturday -- and he already knows where he'll keep it after he wins.
"After I go out there and beat his ass and ragdoll him, that sh*t is coming home with me so I can throw it in my closet."
Of course, Kamaru is the UFC's reigning welterweight champ -- and he was originally set to defend that belt against Gilbert Burns in the first main event on Fight Island.
But, when Gilbert tested positive for COVID and pulled out the fight over the weekend -- Masvidal stepped in and took his place.
Now, Kamaru says he's ready to rock ... and considers his new opponent nothing more than a "minor change."
"At the end of the day, when you’re in training camp, the way that I train, you see no face," Usman tells TMZ Sports.
"When I cross into that Octagon, I have to turn on the Nigerian nightmare and leave Kamaru Usman on the outside. And, so I see no face by the time I'm in there anyway."
"Now it's a little extra push to get in there and really do some damage."
Usman says he's the champ for a reason -- and Masvidal will learn the hard way that he's "definitely not Ben Askren."
Remember, Jorge's stock exploded when he slept Askren with a flying knee in the opening seconds of their fight at UFC 239.
A year ago today Jorge Masvidal delivered a first class ticket to the shadow realm to Ben Askren pic.twitter.com/gwElnX5aMu
"I'm smarter than doing something that silly and being put in that situation. So, I'm definitely not Ben Askren and he's definitely going to have to figure that out the hard way."
There's more ... Usman also told us why he thinks the Masvidal fight came together so quickly (in just a matter of hours).
Dustin -- who's still recovering from that WAR with Dan Hooker over the weekend -- is now the #2 ranked UFC lightweight, right behind Khabib and Justin.
Poirier has fought both of 'em already -- he beat Justin in 2018 but lost to Khabib in 2019.
Now, with Justin and Khabib squaring off at UFC 253 on Sept. 19, Dustin's in a pretty solid spot to fight the winner.
Dustin knows there are no guarantees in the UFC ... but he's convinced a Gaethje victory would put him in a much better position for a title shot.
"It’s more of a guaranteed lock for me to fight for the belt is Justin wins," Dustin says.
"I'm the last guy to beat him. I'm the only guy still in the organization who beat him. So it would make a lot of sense. And, I know he wants that fight as well."
So, how can Justin stop the seemingly indestructible Dagestani champion?
Dustin's got some ideas ...
"If Justin can keep his back off the fence, I believe he can out-scramble Khabib in the open."
"He just has such a pedigree in collegiate wrestling and that open mat area is going to be where Justin shines in the wrestling."
"If Khabib can get him against the fence, I believe Justin will be in trouble but we’ll see if he can stick to the game plan."
"I would assume that's gonna be his game plan -- to stay in the middle, make Khabib wrestle in the open and throw big punches."
And, if Khabib wins, Dustin says he's already been thinking about how he can correct the mistakes he made in the first fight and get the "W" in the rematch ... if Dana White gives him the shot.
There's more ... Dustin also told us about his plans to auction off his fight gear from the Hooker fight to help the less fortunate.
Conor McGregor'slongtime coach says the UFC star is really retired -- "as far as I can tell" -- but admits things can change in a heartbeat.
Of course, Conor announced his retirement from MMA earlier this month -- the 3rd time he's "retired" in 4 years -- but nobody really believes he means it.
So, when JohnKavanagh decided to host a quick online Q&A this week -- he was peppered with questions about Conor's career.
QUESTION: Is Conor retired?
ANSWER: "Yes, he is as far as I can tell. It's what he said, isn't it!?
QUESTION: Can you convince him to come back?!
ANSWER: "I can't convince Conor to do sh*t. Conor will tell Conor what he's gonna do and who knows what's gonna happen in the future. But, for now, he's retired."
Someone asked how Conor would fare against the reigning welterweight champ Kamaru Usman -- and Kavanaugh gave an interesting answer to that as well.
"That would be interesting," John said ... nothing that "a very motivated Conor" could beat anyone around his weight class.
UFC's Dan Hooker admits he was initially "hesitant" about fighting in Nevada over the weekend due to the looming COVID threat ... but says he trusts Dana White to keep everyone safe.
30-year-old Hooker -- the #5 ranked UFC lightweight -- hails from New Zealand ... where the COVID numbers are incredibly low.
In fact, New Zealand has essentially been unscathed by coronavirus ... with only 1,170 confirmed cases, and 22 deaths.
To compare, the U.S. has more than 2.5 million confirmed cases ... with 126,000 deaths.
Nevada alone has roughly 11 times the number of cases as all of NZ.
"We have no cases actually in New Zealand and then coming over here I was a little bit hesitant to know about the safety precautions," Hooker tells us.
So, Hooker had a serious decision to make when White offered him the chance to fight Dustin Poirier on June 27 to headline UFC Fight Night at the APEX center in Vegas.
Hooker says he was reluctant to fly right into the COVID hornet's nest ... but ultimately he swayed after learning about the UFC's intense screening process.
"I feel comfortable. I've been here for 3 days and soon as we arrived, we got tested. Getting tested again [Friday], we get temperature checks every morning and they got security at every single door making sure that people can't come and go," Hooker says.
"I'm very confident in the precautions that the UFC has in place."
Now, Hooker is focused on Poirier -- the #3 ranked UFC lightweight ... and a win could put Hooker in the mix for a title shot.
FYI, Hooker is on a tear at the moment ... winning 7 of his last 8 fights over guys like Gilbert Burns, Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta.
Dustin Poirier says he's only interested in taking fights that will help him get closer to a title shot -- and a rematch with Conor McGregor wouldn't help his cause.
Remember, Poirier fought Conor bad in 2014 and lost in the 1st round -- but Dustin's been an ANIMAL ever since, beating stars like Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway.
In fact, Dustin is currently the #3 ranked UFC lightweight fighter -- with Conor behind him at #4.
Poirier tells TMZ Sports he thinks a win over Dan "The Hangman" Hooker on Saturday will get him closer to a title shot ... but he might need one more victory to seal the deal.
So, we asked if he'd be interested in McGregor after Hooker -- but Dustin says it just doesn't make sense.
"I mean I'd love to for the financial part of it but I'm not chasing grudge matches at this point in my life," Poirier says.
"I'd rather fight Tony Ferguson and get closer to the title but we'll see what happens."
Plus, as Dustin pointed out ... McGregor says he's retired from MMA ... so, it's not on the table anyway!
As for Dan Hooker -- who's on a 3-fight win streak -- Dustin says the key to victory is patience.
"It's a 5 round fight -- so pick my shots and wait for the big shot to be there. Don't force anything. I just need to be myself."
Jon Jonessays there's a silver lining to his March drunk driving arrest -- "it set me free in so many ways" -- and now he's focused on staying clean.
"It embarrassed me, it reality-checked me," Jones said on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast ... "I've never been on camera drunk for the public to see like that."
"It was humiliating, and somewhat of a bottom for me -- and I'm ready to snap it into high gear."
As we previously reported, Jones was arrested around 1 AM on March 26 after cops responded to reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque area.
When cops found Jones alone in his Jeep, he appeared intoxicated and admitted to drinking earlier in the evening.
32-year-old Jones later plead guilty to DWI and was sentenced to 1 year probation, ordered to house arrest and forced to wear an ankle monitor.
During Steve-O's podcast, Jones said he's been thinking deeply about his life ever since his arrest ... and he's trying to cut out the bad influences who have led him astray in the past.
Jones also says the COVID-19 pandemic is helping him learn how to stay away from the party scene -- "detach from the nightlife."
"The coronavirus really helped though -- it helped me learn how to stay home on Fridays and Saturdays."
"Before the world got put on hold, I had this fear of missing out ... and coronavirus helped me realize 'Jon you're not missing anything out there.' And, anything that really matters is happening during the day time with your wife and kids."
Jones also talked about his work with the C.A.R.E. project -- which is raising money and support for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in NM.
"I'm trying to create a life of more substance outside the UFC," Jones says.
The UFC fighters set to compete on Fight Island will undergo multiple rounds of testing before they're even allowed to step in the octagon ... and it's all laid out in a snazzy new flow chart.
The Fight Island venue -- located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi -- will debut on July 11 and features some insane fights including Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns.
But, all fighters must undergo 4 separate tests before their bout -- followed by a post-fight test before they're allowed to leave the Island.
The 1st test a fighter must undergo will take place 48 hours before they depart from their home city, according to the chart first obtained by ESPN.
A 2nd test will take place when their flight touches down at the Abu Dhabi Airport VIP terminal.
A 3rd test will follow at the fighter's hotel -- where they will be quarantined until the test results come back.
There's a pre-event test ... and then after the fight, the final 5th test will be performed so the fighter can be cleared to travel home.
There are at least 3 additional events on Fight Island ... taking place on July 15, July 18 and July 25.
"He asked out 9 times! This isn't goddamn Bloodsport!!!"
That's UFC fighter Anthony Smith going off on Max Rohskopf's cornerman for not stopping Saturday's fight after the 25-year-old repeatedly told him to "call it."
Rohskopf was taking on Austin Hubbard -- a short notice fight he only accepted 5 days in advance -- and was getting beat up pretty badly.
In between rounds 2 and 3, Rohskopf told his cornerman, Robert Drysdale, "I don't have it" and made it clear he didn't want to continue.
Drysdale seemingly ignored Max's pleas to stop and tried to talk him into continuing. Finally, an official from the Nevada State Athletic Commission who overheard Rohskopf stepped in and ended the fight.
Enter Smith ... whose cornerman took a lot of heat for not stopping Anthony's fight with Glover Teixeira last month, despite Smith taking major punishment and losing teeth during the brawl.
Smith says the difference is he WANTED to continue in his fight. Rohskopf didn't.
"Not all of us think the same. Not everybody is me. It's just different. He's a young kid and he wanted out, get him the f*ck out of there!"
"He wanted to go home. He said he didn't have it. He said he didn't want to do this any more. That's different from just being down on yourself and needing a pick me up."
Smith says he respects Drysdale -- but says it's important to call him out when he's so clearly in the wrong.
"I did everything I could to stay in there and [Rohskopf] was doing everything he could to get out -- get him out!!"
For his part, Drysdale is defending his decision -- telling ESPN, "I stand by what I did. I expect excellence from the people I train because I love them."
"He wasn't seriously hurt, and I felt he needed a mental push. I would expect the same from my coach."
4:25 PM PT -- Ostovich's manager tells TMZ Sports his client unintentionally took a contaminated supplement ... and that's the reason for the failed drug test.
UPDATE
"Today USADA released the sanction against our client Rachael Ostovich to which Rachael and USADA have come to an agreement on. It is clear to both sides that Rachael was unaware of ingesting the prohibited substance and the contaminated supplement was identified quickly and sourced through USADA’s own testing facilities."
UPDATE
"Because the product was not certified by one of USADA’s third-party verification platforms, Rachael has agreed to take that responsibility to which USADA has given her a reduced sanction. Rachael encourages every athlete to be very careful about the supplements they take and to look for those accredited third party logos on everything they ingest."
UPDATE
"Rachael is back in camp now and will be reinstated to fight in September."
UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich was hit with a 1-year suspension Thursday after testing positive for a banned substance.
The 29-year-old flyweight tested positive for Ostarine -- a prohibited substance similar to an anabolic steroid.
Technically, "Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents," according to the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
USADA says Ostovich tested positive through a urine sample during an out-of-competition collection on January 3, 2020.
Ostovich told officials she unknowingly consumed Ostarine while trying a supplement at a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah.
However, the supplement Ostovich consumed DID list a different banned substance on the label ... and Rachael took it anyway, not realizing it was prohibited.
Bottom line ... she messed up -- but USADA had mercy on her, only giving her a 1-year ban, with a 4-month credit for cooperating with the investigation.
The ban dates back to Jan. 3rd, the date of her positive test -- and will last 8 months from that date.
Ostovich was supposed to fight Shana Dobson in New Zealand in February 2020 -- but she was mysteriously taken off the card. Now we know why.
Ostovich is 4-5 as a pro -- most recently losing to Paige VanZant at UFC Fight Night in January 2019.
Wanna see Steve-O ollie over the greatest MMA fighter ever???
Good ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained video of the former "Jackass" star boarding over Jon Jones at a New Mexico skate park this week -- and it's both awesome AND terrifying!!!
Check out the footage ... Jones laid down on a ramp and let Steve-O skate over him -- and the first attempt nearly cracked Jon's ribs, it's pretty damn scary!!
But, Steve-O eventually nailed the trick ... and Jon couldn't have been happier.
There's much more in the clip ... Steve-O can REALLY skate -- and Jon even tried his hand at going up and down a ramp a few times, too!!!
By the way, Steve-O tells us he was scared out of his mind to let Jon on the board, saying, "a wave of panic swept over me for the possibility that I might be responsible for the career-ending injury of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time."
But -- both dudes ended the sesh OK ... and Steve-O added, "so glad we got away with it!"
Us too!!!
By the way, if you're wondering why the duo are spending time together in New Mexico ... it's all for a great cause.
Steve-O joined the UFC champ to help his efforts with the C.A.R.E. project ... raising money and support for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico.
Steve-O is a massive UFC fan and has been a regular at UFC fights for years.
Matt Frevola says he's officially been pulled from his "UFC Fight Night" bout this weekend -- after his cornerman tested positive for COVID-19
30-year-old "Steamrolla" Frevola -- a lightweight fighter with an 8-1 record -- was set to fight Frank Camacho on UFC on ESPN 11 Saturday night in South Carolina.
Frevola, along with all members of his team, were all tested for COVID this week as part of the UFC's strict screening protocol ... and his cornerman Billy Quarantillo came back positive.
Frevola says his own test was negative -- but the UFC decided to pull him anyway out of an abundance of caution.
FYI, Frevola -- who earned a UFC deal on Dana White's Contender Series -- and his team aren't the first to be pulled from a match over a positive COVID test ... "Jacare" Souza was scratched from UFC 249 in May after he and 2 of his cornermen contracted the virus.
As for Saturday's fight, Camacho has accepted a new opponent on short notice -- Justin Jaynes (15-4) -- but Frevola says if that falls apart, he's down to make this fight happen on an upcoming card.
"I’m willing to rebook this fight ASAP or when ever [Frank] wants. I’m sorry to everyone who was excited to watch me fight and supports me along this journey, I really felt the love."
Dana White has previously said they expected fighters to test positive -- and believes the positive tests are proof that his screening system is working.
They've got style. They've got charisma. They've got insane knockout power ... and that's why Sean O'Malley says he ain't mad at the recent comparisons to Conor McGregor.
"Anytime you're getting compared to someone great like that, you're doing something right," the undefeated 25-year-old tells TMZ Sports.
Of course, O'Malley's stock has been on the rise after flattening his last two opponents in sensational fashion. Most recently, a phenomenal 1-hitter quitter KO over Eddie Wineland at UFC 250.
"I take that as a compliment, getting compared to Conor. As far as the skill set wise, I think I have more skills when it comes to the striking."
Hey, O'Malley definitely doesn't lack confidence!
"I can stand southpaw and throw anything the same as I can stand orthodox and throw anything. I'm very, very dangerous from every position."
"He's mainly a southpaw with a bomb left hand and he throws left heaves and some decent spinning stuff. I feel like I have more tools in the toolbox than anybody in the MMA as far as coming up with striking."
O'Malley jokes that he only hopes the comparisons stop when it comes to some of the outside the Octagon activity Conor's been involved with ... like the arrests.
"I don't wanna be compared to him as I'm on TMZ going to jail! I'm gonna try to avoid those situations as much as I can."
"Being compared to Conor, yeah, it's great. It's like being compared to Jon Jones, Muhammad Ali, those guys. It's like, 'F**k yeah,' you can compare me!"
Ali Abdelaziz -- who also reps champs like Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo -- says he's sick and tired of Conor always trying to strong-arm himself into title fights that he doesn't deserve.
"Right now, he's on punishment for his bad behavior," Ali tells TMZ Sports ... "Right now, he needs to sit down."
"Go fight Tony Ferguson, stay busy, stay active. Go fight Jorge Masvidal. Stay active, I want to see activity. Remember, he used to say that to all of us, guess what? Payback is a bitch."
Obviously, Ali doesn't believe Conor's recent retirement announcement will stick -- he thinks it's just another attention grab.
"Same old prostitute, he wants attention."
Ali says he's unsure if either Khabib or Justin would even give Conor a shot -- but an impressive performance against a guy like Tony Ferguson or Jorge Masvidal would help his case.
Ali also talked about the upcoming UFC 251 main event between his two clients Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns -- and how they won't let their friendship stand in the way of a ferocious brawl on Fight Island.
"Best two fighters in the division that's gonna fight. Buy the Pay-per-view and you're gonna find out."
"I got no prediction, you know where I'm gonna stand. I'm not picking sides here. I love both those guys equally. Kamaru's my brother, I love Gilbert. I want them to fight each other, give each other a hug, both of them will be healthy and that's it. That's all I want."
But, Amanda Nunes is still often excluded from "Greatest Of All Time" conversations. And, Dana White thinks he knows why ...
"I think it's because she's a woman, to be honest with you."
32-year-old Nunes currently holds belts in TWO divisions -- bantamweight and featherweight -- and hasn't lost a fight since 2014.
But, after that "L" to Cat Zingano, Nunes has been on an 11-fight win streak ... defeating some of the biggest names in the history of women's MMA.
Most recently, Nunes dominated Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 ... just months after a 5-round victory over Germaine de Randamie.
"It's getting very hard now for people not to start respecting her, especially after this last performance," White says.
"When she fought Germaine de Randamie, people were like 'Ohh she looked awful human in that fight.' She looked human?!! What?!? She fought the greatest female striker ever and she won the fight. What do you guys want from this woman?! And, this last fight against an unbelievably tough durable Spencer, she put on an absolute clinic."
So, who's next for Nunes? Some have been calling for a 3rd fight with Valentina Shevchenko (who's a beast) or even a boxing match with undefeated champ Claressa Shields.
White weighed in on both situations ...
First, Claressa ...
"The hard part with a fight like that is where do they fight? Do they box or do they do MMA?"
"I know Clarrisa's been training [in MMA] but she couldn't possibly be at the level as Amanda Nunes."
Still, White says he likes Claressa and recently met with her manager ... but they've gotta figure out how to make a fight work.
As for Shevchenko ...
"'Well, maybe we throw Shevchenko at her again' is what people are thinking. And, I don't like anything about that because they already fought twice and Amanda beat her twice."
"I would rather see Shevchenko keep doing her thing, Weili Zhang keep doing her thing and if they stay on the same trajectory, those two eventually squaring off."
