UFC

Alexandre Pantoja hasn't lost since mid-2020, and fans have repeatedly speculated the UFC's flyweight champ could go up a division and fight for a second belt -- so we asked him!!

TMZ Sports spoke to the 35-year-old ahead of his UFC 323 bout (December 6 on ESPN+) against 24-year-old challenger Joshua Van ... and asked about the prospects of fighting Merab Dvalishvili, the bantamweight title holder.

"I think Merab is one of the best fighters in the world, you know, 100%. He's the number three pound-for-pound, maybe number two," Pantoja said ... adding "Merab is a tough opponent for everybody in his division."

Kayla Harrison has her next two fights mapped out, and they're whoppers -- starting with Amanda Nunes, and then ... Ronda Rousey?!

Sure, there's probably a better chance hell freezes over than Ronda returning to the Octagon, but crazier things have happened.

Harrison's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, made the revelation during a recent conversation with TMZ Sports ... starting with Nunes, 37, who most agree is the women's MMA GOAT.

No frontin' here from Alex Pereira.

The UFC champion openly admits Jake Paul would be a challenging fight in a boxing ring, before adding it's all pointless talk ... 'cause the MMA superstar is under contract with Dana White's organization!

TMZ Sports was at Monster Energy's launch party for "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7" on the Intrepid aircraft carrier in NYC when we ran into Chama ... and asked about his back-and-forth with The Problem Child, who has since officially signed on to fight Anthony Joshua.

UFC legends Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva are set to throw down on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua next month in Miami ... and Woodley tells TMZ Sports that while he has respect for The Spider, the plan is to "hurt him" good in the ring.

We chopped it up with the former UFC welterweight champion after it was announced he would be stepping in to replace Chris Weidman against Silva ... and he told us that even though George St-Pierre was his number one dream fight, this is the next best opportunity.

"When this opportunity came about, you know, this is how a legend is made," Woodley said. "People talk about legacy, legacy, legacy, but they play it safe all the time. And I'm not playing it safe."

Arman Tsarukyan is taking his fight against Dan Hooker head-on -- literally -- 'cause he butted his opponent right in the noggin during a tense weigh-in altercation.

There's some serious beef between these two guys leading up to UFC Fight Night in Qatar -- Tsarukyan wasted no time going after Hooker after joining the promotion ... and it only intensified in the days leading up to the bout.

The two came face-to-face on Friday ... and as they approached each other on the stage, Tsarukyan (22-3) jolted forward and made contact with Hooker's face.

Two former Jake Paul opponents, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, are setting their sights on one another ... the UFC legends were just added to the El Gallo-Anthony Joshua card, where they'll duke it out in the ring!

Paul's Most Valuable Promotions announced the news Friday morning, calling Silva, who is 50, the "greatest MMA fighter of all time and Brazilian legend," announcing he'd square off against "combat sports icon" Woodley, who is 43.

The bout will be fought at 195 lbs., and will feature six, three-minute rounds.

Dillion Danis better keep his head on a swivel ... 'cause the beef with Team Islam Makhachev is anything but squashed, according to the newly crowned welterweight champ's manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

"This is not over. This is not over," Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports on Monday.

"This guy is not safe. Whole Foods, the airport at a terminal, if people catch this guy, he's gonna have problems. He's not done, these people are not done with him. For the rest of his life. [Dillon] or Conor, they're not safe. Or they have to come out and say, 'Know what, we're sorry, we give up. We're done.' Then after that you'll get mercy."

Dillon Danis just got himself blacklisted from the UFC ... because Dana White says the fighter is banned forever after igniting a wild brawl cageside at UFC 322.

The chaos exploded Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden in NYC ... moments before the main card kicked off when Danis got into it with several members of Islam Makhachev's squad.

Videos captured the scene ... showing Danis mixing it up with Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Magomed Zaynukov as security rushed in to break things up.

Dana addressed the melee during the post-fight presser and didn't mince words ... telling reporters he won't press charges, but Danis will never step foot at another UFC event again.

"I was on the other side of the Octagon and go, 'F---, I know exactly what this is,'" White said. "You will never see Dillon Danis at a UFC fight ever again."

Danis, of course, isn't a stranger to Nurmagomedov drama. He was in Conor McGregor's corner during their infamous 2018 title fight in Las Vegas ... the same night Khabib Nurmagomedov choked out McGregor and then leapt out of the cage to attack Conor's corner.

UFC 322 is a kick-ass card from top to bottom, and TMZ Sports is breaking it down with the man in charge, Dana White!

"Islam [Makhachev] is on a 15-fight win streak, and Jack [Della Maddalena] is on an 18-fight win streak. These guys haven't lost a fight in years," the UFC president and CEO told Babcock, setting up the main event.

"Jack bursts onto the scene, coming off the Contender Series. Goes all the way up and beats Belal Muhammad, which is not easy to do. He just beat Belal. Now, if he can beat Islam. Jack Della Maddalena is a bad dude."

Kamaru Usman has an idea of how he wants his legendary UFC career to come to a close ... and he let TMZ Sports in on the blueprint -- and it all starts with the winner of this weekend's UFC 322 main event!

We chopped it up with the 38-year-old former welterweight champion ahead of the promotion's return to Madison Square Garden in NYC on Saturday, and Usman says he's got an eye on the title scrap between champ Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, who surrendered his lightweight belt to go for gold in the 170 lb. division.

"I think [the fight is] a toss-up, but I do think Islam has the grappling edge when it goes down to the ground," Usman said. "I think he's just done it longer. We'll see what happens. But of course, I'm looking to get in there and potentially test myself against the winner."

It's almost certainly a pipe dream ... but if the UFC wants the biggest fight in the world for the White House event, it's Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, according to the Predator himself!

TMZ Sports spoke to 39-year-old Ngannou -- in the midst of his online spat with Jake Paul -- and asked the former UFC heavyweight champ which bout he thought bigger at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Jones vs. Alex Pereira, or Jones vs. himself.

"You know the answer. You don't need me for that," Francis said with a smile, implying the answer was him.

Just months after Ben Askren was hospitalized with a severe staph infection that led to life-threatening pneumonia and ultimately a double lung transplant ... the former UFC star is back doing what he loves, posting a video of himself hitting the wrestling mats!

Askren shared the video to his social media on Thursday, showing him lacing up a fresh pair of wrestling shoes and getting some training in.

"4 months ago I was on my deathbed," Askren wrote. "3 months ago I couldn't stand unassisted, 2 months ago I was still using a walker."

Dana White is opening up on the betting scandal embroiling one of his now former fighters, Isaac Dulgarian, telling TMZ Sports what caused the UFC to actually reach out to the FBI!

Dulgarian, 29, was a sizeable betting favorite (-250) over Yadier Del Valle at Saturday's UFC Fight Night, but ultimately lost by rear-naked choke in the first round.

The result, combined with something that happened hours earlier, has raised serious alarm bells for the UFC honcho ... and that's why Dana decided to loop in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Ex-UFC star BJ Penn was arrested again this week -- this time, he's accused of punching and kicking a 45-year-old man in Hawaii.

Hawaii Island Police say the 46-year-old former fighter was arrested and charged with third-degree assault stemming from an incident early Tuesday morning.

Cops were called to a residence in Hilo around 1 AM ... when the man said Penn hit him several times before he was able to flee the scene.

Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo was in a scary car accident in Brazil on Thursday ... documenting the aftermath in a social media video -- but thankfully, it sounds like he's all good.

The sixth-ranked bantamweight contender in Dana White's promotion said he was going on a local street in the city of Belém when the collision occurred ... claiming a woman was seemingly "on the run" and driving "at a high speed" prior to impact.

Figueiredo said "thank god we're fine" ... and the other party involved is okay as well. It is unclear if anyone was in the car with him.