MMA

THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME!!

UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou has returned to his native Cameroon for the first time since winning the belt -- and EVERYONE came out to celebrate!!!

Check out Ngannou being paraded through the streets with a military escort while the locals cheer him on like the conquering hero he is.

Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March -- and after the fight, he talked about how proud he was to win for the people of Cameroon.

And when he returned home, the people flooded the streets to show love to the champ!

"This moment is something I have been waiting for," Ngannou posted on Twitter.

"It is hard to put this feeling into words. The belt is back home where it belongs."

The 34-year-old knockout artist was born and raised in the village of Batie -- where he worked in a sand quarry when he was 10-years-old.

He later got into combat sports -- realized he had legit talent -- and moved to France at the age of 26 to focus on training full time.

Ngannou began his pro MMA career in 2013 and clearly, it's working out well for him!

Francis is currently on a 5-fight win streak with victories over stars like Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes and of course, Stipe.

Kamaru Usman vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov?!!? How awesome would that be?!

Kamaru says it would "absolutely" be the biggest fight in UFC history -- but the champ isn't holding his breath that it'll happen.

Remember, Khabib (29-0) announced his retirement back in October 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje -- but later told Dana White he would consider a comeback if one of the top fighters showed him something "spectacular."

Well, enter Usman ... who's been destroying the best fighters in the UFC's welterweight division including wins over Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns and more.

The question -- is Khabib impressed enough to consider a comeback against the reigning welterweight champ?! Usman isn't counting on it.

"I’ve lost faith in this one," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "I think you have more of a chance at making Kamaru Usman and Georges St Pierre happen before Kamaru Usman and Khabib."

We also asked about a possible matchup with Nick Diaz down the line ... and Usman seems interested!

Welp, this is a way to bruise Conor McGregor's ego ...

Kamaru Usman tells TMZ Sports he's more interested in "beating the s**t" out of Jake Paul than taking on Conor ... explaining he's been looking for an excuse to punish one of these "Internet guys."

Usman is fresh off of a VIOLENT performance against Jorge Masvidal -- where he basically sent Gamebred to the shadow realm with one of the most devastating knockout punches in UFC history.

Before that, Usman went on a run dominating the best the UFC's welterweight division had to offer ... from Gilbert Burns to Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley and more.

So, in the immortal words of Bill Goldberg ... WHO'S NEXT!?

Usman says he's down to fight TWO more times before the end of the year -- but admits there's no one in his division that's tickling his fancy at the moment.

Sure, he's been trading Twitter trash talk with Conor McGregor -- but Usman says when push comes to shove, Conor doesn't want the smoke.

"He's fought once in the last year and a half and that didn’t end well for him," Usman says.

"Imagine what I would do to him. I would take his life in there."

Which brings us to Jake Paul ...

"If these guys don't show me anything, maybe I'll put out one of these guys who think 'I can box' and beat the sh*t out of them."

Kamaru even referenced the back and forth between Daniel Cormier and Jake Paul in the stands at UFC 261 ... and begged DC to stand down so he could teach the guy a lesson.

"DC, sit down, let me take care of that for you," Usman said.

Usman says he's sick and tired of Paul dissing legends like Cormier -- and believes it would be his duty to beat some respect into him.

Hey, Jake's looking for a fight too ... so, never say never.

Conor McGregor is putting $500k to a good cause after all ... with the UFC superstar making a surprise donation to help kids in south Louisiana this week.

Remember, Dustin Poirier blasted McGregor earlier this month ... saying Conor never made a sizeable donation to Dustin's "The Good Fight Foundation" as promised back in October 2020.

The 2 stars publicly railed each other ... with Conor accusing Poirier of running a shady operation ... and Dustin claiming McGregor's camp was ducking his calls about the matter. Poirier later apologized for making the situation public.

Now, it appears McGregor is still looking to help out ... by shelling out half a million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana, which is located in Poirier's hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.

It's worth noting -- Dustin's foundation has worked with this B&GC location in the past. We're told that despite all the drama, Conor still wanted to help out ... resulting in the $500k donation.

The B&GC is ecstatic to receive the help ... saying, "This investment is a gamechanger! Thank you, Conor, for helping to ensure that our kids have what they need to grow and thrive this summer!"

The club says the donation will help fund the 2021 summer camp and other recreational activities throughout the area.

"I'm going to rip his face apart. I'm going to hurt the kid. I will teach these kids not to continue to do this with people like me."

Daniel Cormier just UNLOADED on Jake Paul ... saying if the YouTuber-turned-boxer wants a piece of him, they can meet in the Octagon for an MMA fight -- and he's promising a bloodbath.

Of course, DC and Paul have been going at it ever since the 24-year-old wrecked Ben Askren at Triller Fight Club earlier this month ... with things getting heated when both guys crossed paths at UFC 261 this past weekend.

The 42-year-old UFC legend expanded on his hate for Jake on ESPN's "DC and Ariel" earlier today ... saying he will NOT step in the boxing ring with Paul.

"Floyd Mayweather is the greatest boxer of all time. So you go and play on his playing field. Why would I go and box Jake Paul?" DC said Monday.

"Who I am doesn't make me chase anything. I made my money as the heavyweight champion of the world. I don't have to chase a payday."

BUT -- if Jake REALLY wants to test his luck, DC says he's down to teach him a lesson in the Octagon ... and it ain't gonna be pretty.

"If he wants to actually fight with me, fight me in mixed-martial arts," Cormier said ... adding he'll even cut all the way down to 205 pounds for the bout.

"This is not going to be fun. I'm telling you right now, at 42 years old -- bad back and everything -- I'm going to torture him. I'm going to hurt him. I don't want to box him. I don't want to fight in a limited skill set of rules."

"If you really want to fight me, fight me in a mixed martial arts competition."

DC went on ... "I'm going to smash him and I'm going to hurt him and then he can go back to fighting these YouTube kids."

BADDEST BABY ON THE PLANET!!

UFC legend Ronda Rousey just announced she's 4 months pregnant -- and she's fired up!!!

Ronda and her husband, ex-UFC fighter Travis Browne, made the announcement in a video Wednesday morning ... saying, "Umm, how do I put this? Pow, 4 months pregnant!"

Ronda explained, "I've been pregnant since January -- so 4 months, baby bump! I can't hide it anymore so it's time to show it off."

Ronda and Travis have been talking about wanting to have children for the past few years -- she even took a hiatus from her gig with WWE back in 2019 to focus on starting a family.

Ronda said in the video there's "much more to the story" behind the pregnancy -- but didn't want to focus on those details just yet.

For the record, Ronda and Travis have NOT revealed the gender yet -- but insist they will break that news soon.

Due date -- September 22!

Ronda sent a message to her fans saying, "Thank you everybody for all the well wishes and all the positivity to get to this point."

"Baddest baby on the planet coming to you soon!"

Congrats!!!

Ronda is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time -- she was the UFC's inaugural women's bantamweight champion and defended the belt 6 times!

Before her MMA career, she was a decorated judo athlete -- who won the bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.

Kayla Harrison is an undefeated MMA fighter with 2 Olympic gold medals, but the PFL star admits cage fighting is SCARY, and says that's why she isn't underestimating her next opponent ... despite being a huge favorite.

TMZ Sports- talked to the 30-year-old, 8-0 fighter weeks before she attempts to win the Professional Fighters League million-dollar tournament for the 3rd straight time!!

Harrison is a massive favorite heading into her May 6 fight with 26-year-old Mariana Morais ... but don't make the mistake of asking Kayla (like we did) if it's hard to get motivated to fight the 16-10 journeyman when everyone expects her to easily win.

"Have you ever been in a cage with someone? It's the most terrifying thing in the world. It's like this person is trying to take your head off so there's no, I don't have to pump myself. There's no taking her lightly. Everyone is tough until you beat them," Harrison tells us.

Since joining the sport, Kayla has run through everyone she's faced ... causing some critics to say she isn't facing premier competition -- a claim Harrison takes umbrage with.

"That's fine, say that I'm fighting cans, say that I'm fighting bums. That's just 'cause I'm that good. That's what I want. That's fine, I want people to say that."

We also spoke to Kayla about a future super fight with Amanda Nunes (the opposite of a can) ... a match MMA fans badly want.

Nunes recently ran through top-contender Megan Anderson ... and many experts believe Harrison is the only woman who can give Lioness a run for her money.

Speaking of money ... Kayla says it's gonna take a whole lotta cash -- and some other things -- before that fight ever happens.

But ... she definitely didn't say no!!

Before he smashed his way into the UFC, Daniel Rodriguez was honing his fight skills on the streets and in jail -- telling TMZ Sports he's 200-0 OUTSIDE the Octagon.

D-Rod -- who obliterated Mike Perry on the main card at "UFC Vegas 23" this past weekend -- says he's been fighting his whole life ... and his experience on the streets has helped him become the successful pro he is today.

"That’s how this all started. It all started in the street ... I’m a hood baby. I'm from L.A. you know.?!"

34-year-old Rodriguez says he was in and out of jail growing up -- something he attributes to running with the wrong crowd and making bad choices.

Daniel says he cleaned up his life and is laser-focused on his MMA career -- racking up an impressive 14-2 record as a pro.

So, what's scarier ... fighting in a jail cell or in the UFC Octagon? D-Rod says there's no comparison.

"There's a referee in [the Octagon]. There’s somebody to stop it."

"I’ve been in situations where ain't nobody gonna stop it ... so it's kill or [be killed]."

So, what's next for Rodriguez INSIDE the Octagon? He's gunning to fight a ranked opponent and would love a crack at the legendary Robbie Lawler.

Lawler is currently the #15 ranked welterweight -- but Rodriguez says he's confident he'll make Robbie look like Mike Perry when it's all said and done!

Wanna see Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill face off against a UFC badass in an ultimate pickleball showdown for the ages??

You're in luck ... 'cause Julian Marquez tells TMZ Sports he's made contact with the K.C. Chiefs superstars after issuing his public challenge -- and they're already planning the big game!!

The 30-year-old Kansas City native called out the trio of Super Bowl LIV champs right after choking out Sam Alvey during UFC Fight Night on Saturday ... saying he's ready to prove once and for all he's the pound-for-pound top dog in his city with a friendly game of pickleball.

The guys responded on Twitter ... with Mahomes, Kelce and Hill ALL agreeing to the challenge.

But, it wasn't all talk -- "The Cuban Missile Crisis" says he's been in touch with the guys since the call-out ... and it's a matter of WHEN, not IF, they face off on the court!!!

"I've actually been talking to Travis Kelce, he's 100% down," Marquez tells us. "The Kansas City Chiefs are 100% down. The local Kansas City fans are 100% down, and that's all we need. We just gotta figure out the right times for us all."

Marquez points out Mahomes is still recovering from foot surgery to fix a turf toe injury ... so he wants to make sure the guy is fully healthy before they compete.

"I don't want him to have an excuse when we go at it on the pickleball court."

As for the biggest threat on the court, Marquez thinks Kelce is the guy to watch.

"There would be a lot of trash-talking, a lot of jokes. Maybe a couple dances. We'll probably TikTok it out, but I'm just saying, I hope he comes with that same energy he brings on the field."

We also got an update on Marquez's budding friendship with Miley Cyrus ... and he tells us the "Prisoner" singer could be popping up at a UFC fight in the future!!

"I'm sad, I'm very sad."

Anderson Silva was so shocked by the death of rap legend DMX, he could barely find the words -- but ultimately explained how the guy made such a tremendous impact on his life.

The MMA legend -- who's boxing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 19 --  famously used DMX's "Ain't No Sunshine" as his ring walkout song for years. Watch the video below, the fans went WILD!!!!

So, when we spotted Silva shooting a promo on Friday in the hours after X's passing, we had to ask his thoughts -- and you can feel the sadness.

Silva also tells us he plans on honoring DMX during the Chavez fight.

As for the fight itself, Anderson tells TMZ Sports he knows Chavez Jr. has a lifetime of experience as a boxer ... but he's up for the challenge and says he wouldn't have signed up if he didn't think he could win!

And, get this ... if Silva beats Chavez, he wants MORE boxing fights down the road and says he would seriously consider Jake and Logan Paul as future opponents.

UFC star Nina Nunes just gave birth 6 months ago ... but tells TMZ Sports she CAN'T WAIT to get back in the Octagon and fight on Saturday!

Nina -- formally known as Nina Ansaroff -- had a baby back in September with her longtime partner Amanda Nunes, who happens to be one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time!

Nina ain't too shabby herself -- she's the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- and she's taking on fellow mom Mackenzie Dern on "UFC on ABC 2" on April 10.

Mackenzie made headlines herself back in 2019 when she fought Amanda Ribas just 4 months after giving birth ... and gave a pretty inspiring performance, despite losing the fight.

Nunes tells us she has tremendous respect for Dern ... and hopes the fight will show people you can be a mom and also kick ass as a pro fighter!

Nunes admits her delivery wasn't exactly smooth -- she had some serious medical issues that left her in rough shape.

But, as soon as she was cleared to work out, she got ripped in weeks -- just look at the photos! Amazing!

As for Dern, she tells TMZ Sports the respect with Nunes is mutual -- "The babies make us better athletes, better fighters, more motivated, more professional."

Both women tell us they're expecting a war -- but it's not personal ... and they expect to take pictures with their babies together after the fight!

Kevin Holland ➡️ Israel Adesanya ➡️ Middleweight title

That's the blueprint UFC fighter Marvin Vettori tells TMZ Sports he plans to follow ... insisting he's only 1 "Big Mouth" ass-whoopin' away from a long-anticipated rematch with Stylebender.

We talked to the 27-year-old Italian MMA star before his UFC on ABC 2 main event scrap on Saturday with 28-year-old Holland ... who stepped in for Darren Till -- who broke his collarbone (but MV ain't buying the injury) -- about his place in the 185 lb. division.

Per the UFC's Middleweight rankings, Marvin's #6, Holland's #10, and Till's #5. Despite sitting behind a few other top fighters, Vettori says with a dub on Saturday, it's his time for a shot at the title.

"Most of the top five, they're injured or they're not showing up, so it don't count. Like they're top-five just on the paper. I think I deserve the title shot after this," Marvin says.

As for that scrap with Till ... Vettori says he isn't interested anymore.

"[Darren] lost his opportunity. I don't even trust him anymore to show up. I would like to eventually, but he can try and challenge me when I'll be the champion and if he can gain the spot, I'll face him then," Marvin tells us.

"He lost his spot, man. He lost his opportunity. I'm getting more suspicious by the day, to be honest."

Regarding that rematch with 31-year-old Adesanya ... Izzy and Marvin fought in April 2018. Israel won via split decision ... but some people believe MV was the real winner.

But, just beating Adesanya on a single scorecard is an impressive feat ... something that no other UFC middleweight has done.

Get Kevin Holland a new nickname ... 'cause "Big Mouth" won't be running when he fights Saturday night, telling TMZ Sports his sole focus is whooping Marvin Vettori's ass.

28-year-old Holland received an onslaught of criticism -- from fans to Dana White -- for the nonstop crap talk during his unanimous decision loss to Derek Brunson only 19 days ago.

Holland's stepping up on short notice to fight Vettori -- the 27-year old, 6th-ranked UFC middleweight -- and we asked if he was gonna press pause on the trash talk.

"Yeah, I mean ultimately, I go in there and get the job done and then we'll see what happens after that, but it's like a whole lot of talking that night, I don't see that happening. Go in there, get the job done and then we can talk about it after."

It's an interesting dilemma ... MMA fans loved Holland's brashness when he was winning (he fought and won 5 times in 2020!!) -- but turned on him when he talked and lost.

So, moral of the story for Kevin? Win. This. Fight.

"I just got a job to do. The job is to put Vettori away in a nice fashion."

As for any bad blood with White ... Holland says everything's cool with the UFC honcho.