MMA

Conor McGregor is taking his L with a shot of his Proper 12 whiskey and a black eye from Khabib Nurmagomedov ... saying "we lost the match but won the battle."

It's the first time we've seen McGregor since he got choked out by Khabib in the 4th round at UFC 229 on Saturday night ... and all things considered, Conor looks pretty good.

Of course, Conor and Khabib got into a massive brawl with each other's crews after the fight ended ... with Nurmagomedov jumping out of the Octagon to confront Conor's training partner, Dillon Danis.

Conor didn't do any media after the fight and blew off his club appearances on Saturday ... but he appears to be moving forward.

Wiz Khalifa says punishing Khabib Nurmagomedov for attacking Conor McGregor's jiu-jitsu coach would be the height of hypocrisy -- it's just fighters being fighters.

We got the rapper at LAX Sunday, and he was still hyped after the UFC 229 insanity -- Khabib smoking Conor in the Octagon, and then sparking a massive post-fight brawl by going after Conor's jiu-jitsu coach, Dillon Danis.

Wiz says if Conor didn't get punished for the bus attack at Barclays Center back in April ... then Khabib also deserves a pass.

However, he does think one thing has to change ... and that's the level of trash talking before bouts. Sounds like he thinks the post-fight brawl was inevitable due to the things said leading up to UFC 229. Wiz says it's on the UFC to get a handle on this.

How serious is Floyd Mayweather about running it back one mo' gin with Manny Pacquiao?

According to the top guy at Showtime Sports, he's serious as a heart attack ... as in DEADLY SERIOUS.

TMZ Sports talked to Stephen Espinoza -- Prez of programming for Showtime Sports (and Conor McGregor's archnemesis) -- about the proposed rematch, and if would ever ACTUALLY happen.

"Having spoken to Floyd, I know he's deadly serious about it. He's very, very serious about wanting the fight."

The first one was a PPV record setter, and although there are a ton of people that wonder if this one would be as big (basically, some people don't care) ... Espinoza says next year, it's LIT.

"2019 sounds perfect. After I get a little bit of sleep after this event, we'll go at Mayweather/Pacquiao 2, I think."

2:03 PM PT -- This is what we're told happened in regards to Paul facing off with security. People present tell us that Paul appeared at the top of the stairs and was trying to get back down to his seat, but was unable to produce a ticket to the guard at the entrance. A verbal dispute occured between the two, and Paul continued down the stairs. The guard called for backup, which is when the two other security guards eventually intervened. We're told not all of the guards on his way down were on the same page as to what had happened up top, but eventually, stadium staff told metro police to stand down once he was at his seat.

Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce got into it with a security guard Saturday night at UFC 229 in Vegas.

Paul was trying to get to the first floor of the arena when apparently a security guard questioned if he had a ticket to be in the area.

The two exchanged words, and at one point the guard puts his hands on Pierce to block him from walking.

Staff eventually intervened and the two separated, you hear Pierce call the guards racist before walking back to his seat.

The incident was mild compared to what happened later in the evening, after Khabib submitted Conor McGregor in the fourth round, jumped into the crowd and attacked Conor's camp.

Members of Khabib's camp then attacked Conor inside the Octagon.

BTW ... we got Paul on the way out after the fight, and while he was mum on his own confrontation ... he definitely had some thoughts on McGregor vs. Khabib.

Khabib Nurmagomedov apologized for attacking Conor McGregor's coach after pounding the crap out of Conor to retain his title, admitting it was revenge for the Irishman's smack talk against him.

Khabib professed remorse to reporters, but also tried justifying his anger. He made it clear ... he reached a boiling point because Conor attacked him, his religion, his country and his father. He also referenced Conor's bus attack back in April, which resulted in criminal charges and injured 3 fighters. Khabib said he's only human, and he snapped.

For his part, Dana White was furious at Khabib and crew for the 2 attacks, saying they are all in "big trouble." He says Khabib's looking at a suspension and even raises the possibility of visa issues for the Russians.

The champ did not explain why Dillon Danis -- Conor's jiu-jitsu coach -- was Khabib's target.

Khabib, championship belt in hand, apologized to the Nevada Athletic Commission and added his father was going to "smash me" when he saw him.

We got video of one member of Khabib's team as he was arrested and cuffed.

7:30 AM PT -- Joe Rogan says Khabib was provoked by Conor's jiu-jitsu coach Dillon Danis after Danis was hurling insults at him.

7:30 AM PT -- Conor's pregnant girlfriend and child were whisked out of the arena and they looked scared.

7:10 AM PT -- Dana White said Khabib's paycheck for the fight will be withheld until an investigation by the Nevada Athletic Commission is completed.

7:00 AM PT -- Conor decided not to press charges, so the 3 men were released.

10/6 10:43 PM PT -- Dana White says 3 members of Khabib's team have been arrested for brawling after the fight.

Unclear which members were arrested and what they've been charged with. Dana suggested the charges are serious, and the guys might be deported and barred from coming back to the U.S.

White also says he spoke with Conor -- and he wasn't hurt in the aftermath, but he's bummed out about losing the fight.

Khabib Nurmagomedov just dominated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 -- making the Irishman tap -- and then jumped out of the Octagon to attack Conor's team.

Remember, Conor and his band of thugs attacked Khabib's bus at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn back in April -- after an incident between Khabib and Conor's teammate, Artem Lobov.

Conor famously threw a steel dolly at the bus -- while trying to provoke Khabib to step outside and fight.

Conor was arrested for the attack -- Khabib said if Conor wanted to fight, "send me the location."

The two have been threatening each other in public ever since. Conor recently said he would have killed Khabib if he would have stepped off the bus.

But, Saturday night, Khabib was the better fighter -- dominating Conor in basically every facet of the fight at UFC 229 in Vegas.

He ultimately choked Conor out in the 4th round -- and once Conor tapped, Khabib appeared to spit on Conor and then jumped outside of the cage and attacked Conor's team.

You could see Khabib brawling in the crowd with Conor's pal, Dillon Danis -- one of the guys who was with Conor when he attacked the bus.

Someone jumped inside the Octagon and attacked Conor.

Security raced to the scene and tried to restore order.

The Khabib/McGregor after-fight spilled out of the T-Mobile Arena Saturday night, and one ridiculous dude came without a whisker of getting cuffed and carted off to jail.

Fans were fighting after the UFC 229 melee and Las Vegas cops had trouble controlling the situation.

Check out the guy in the green shirt -- a clear sign he's a Conor supporter -- he mouths off to the cops and seems as if he's ready to fight them. Even after getting pushed and warned by an officer, the guy presses his luck, but cops showed restraint and diffused the confrontation.

French Montana feels strongly ... Khabib should NOT be suspended for jumping out of the Octagon after beating Conor McGregor's ass and then attacking Conor's coach, because that's what fighting is all about.

French is a hardcore Khabib fan, and brags he won $100,000 on the fight! He calls Khabib his brother and doesn't understand how anyone would doubt a guy who fights bears ... real bears!

Farrah Abraham feared for her life when Khabib attacked Conor McGregor's coach, because she was right there.

We got Farrah, along with Scott Disick and Sofia Richie, leaving the T-Mobile Arena Saturday night, and she apparently had great seats, because the melee engulfed her. She says her entire row got taken out.

Farrah has a fight of her own coming up against Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander. She tells us she's going to do one thing very differently at her fight.

Greg Hardy believes he can be a 2-sport athlete -- and says he's convinced he's exactly what the New England Patriots defense needs to get back to the Super Bowl.

In fact, Hardy -- who's been dominating in MMA -- is making his case to Bill Belichick as to why the organization should take a chance on him.

"Mr. Belichick, I would be under your regime, boss man. Following orders, doing whatever you need me to do, baby. I'm the ultimate team guy!!"

Hardy's NFL career was sidelined after his 2014 domestic violence case. His conviction was overturned but many people believe he got off on a technicality. Hardy has maintained his innocence.

He hasn't played in the NFL since the 2015 season -- but insists he's ready to go RIGHT NOW.

30-year-old Hardy says he's had a major impact on every team he's played for -- and he'd do the same exact thing for the Pats.

He also believes Tom Brady could use the help on the other side of the ball -- and wants to prove he's worthy of another shot in the league.

In case you were wondering whose side Drake's on for the UFC 229 Lightweight Championship bout between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov ... this video should clear it up.

The "In My Feelings" rapper seemed to appear on the stage out of nowhere during Conor and Khabib's public weigh-in Friday night in Vegas ... draped in an Irish flag.

After Conor flaunted his fighter bod for the cheering crowd, he got a hug from Drake before the ceremonial face-to-face with his opponent ... which got a little heated.

McGregor clearly violated Dana White's "no touching" rule before giving a high-kick in Khabib's direction. Khabib seemed unfazed. Both fighters made weight earlier Friday.

Saturday night can't come soon enough.

By the way ... even though it looked like Drake was just all of a sudden onstage supporting Conor, he actually walked in with him.

There must not have been any major Kentucky Basketball events for him to attend instead.

Conor McGregor's manager, Audie Attar, is going to make millions of bucks Saturday night ... as a 10 percenter!

We got Audie at a bar at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, and he scoffed at reports stating Conor is only raking in $3 mil from Saturday's Khabib fight. There are other reports that Conor's pulling in closer to $100 mil. Our intel is that it's somewhere in the middle.

Audie teases our photog with a Mayweather/McGregor 2 fight possibly in the future.

Greg Hardy's had a nice run to start his fighting career ... but it'll all come crashing down as soon as he stops "fighting bums" -- so says ex-UFC star Brendan Schaub.

We got the UFC fighter-turned-MMA analyst out at LAX ... and he pulled no punches when it came to breaking down Hardy's fight career -- both present and future.

"There's other guys I would market over Greg Hardy for a number of reasons," Schaub says.

"He's not young, he's fighting bums."

Brendan says he sees Greg's run -- which has already featured 3 devastating knockouts in 3 bouts -- coming to an end as soon as he gets to "those real killers in the UFC."

In fact ... Brendan tells us if Shawne Merriman and Hardy go toe-to-toe in a scrap that they both want -- Schaub says he's got "Lights Out" in the match.

Jake Paul says he's 100,000% positive his bro, Logan Paul, would wreck CM Punk in a real UFC fight -- and now he's firing back at Dana White, who's been trashing the idea all over town.

"Dana White's thinking small," Jake told us outside Craig's with his GF, Erika Costell.

Remember, after Logan fought KSI in a wildly successful pay-per-view fight on YouTube in August ... the social media star told us his goal is to fight in the UFC Octagon -- and he's dead serious.

Enter UFC honcho Dana White who immediately shot Logan down -- warning he'd get "hurt badly."

But, Jake says Logan's no punk bitch -- he's a real athlete with legit combat training.

"My brother's an athlete and has a wrestling background, 5th place at Ohio Division 1 state wrestling (in high school). Has boxed for a year now, will get another year of boxing under his belt before his next fight with KSI."

"Dana White, you might watch this, Dana. You're thinking small. I know you're about the money. Let my brother fight!!"

UFC's "Platinum" Mike Perry is so confident Conor McGregor will beat Khabib's ass on Saturday -- he went to a Vegas sportsbook and plunked down hundreds of dollars on the Irish superstar.

"I got Conor McGregor ... by very exciting knockout. He's gonna f*cking kill it," Perry told us.

And, he's backing it up with cold hard cash -- telling us he put a couple hundred dollars on a parlay that includes McGregor over Khabib.

We don't think there's anything wrong with a UFC fighter betting on another UFC fighter -- we just don't hear about it very often.

That's not the only money Perry is looking to make -- he wants a $50 MILLION fight of his own one day and tells TMZ Sports he's willing to step into the boxing ring to get it.

In fact, he's calling out Canelo Alvarez -- and he already has a plan to beat the boxing champ!

"Imma cheat. Imma elbow his ass!"

Khabib Nurmagomedov mauled and violently submitted Michael Johnson when they fought 2 years ago ... and now he's out for revenge -- as in, he wants a rematch.

Johnson -- who's beaten badasses like Tony Ferguson and Edson Barboza -- landed a few clean punches (and arguably stunned Khabib) back in 2016 ... but the fight was pure domination by Nurmagomedov.

So, logic dictates MJ steer wayyyyy clear of Khabib, right?

Wrong.

Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about running the fight back ... and this time, Michael says, he'll win.

"When I fought [Khabib] I was a little too nervous about his wrestling and my feet weren't under me. I was throwing wild punches."

But, he's learned ... "I wouldn't be so keen on getting held, and things would be a lot different."