MLB Star Shane Victorino I'm Training in MMA ... to Get JACKED for Baseball
Pitchers are gonna think twice before throwing inside on Shane Victorino next season ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned, the Red Sox star is on a HARDCORE mixed martial arts training binge.
"The Flyin' Hawaiin" is getting into fighting shape with "UFC Fit" -- same MMA workout routine that helped UFC super stars like Johnny Hendricks and Thiago Alves get JACKED before fights.
Shane tells us, "As an athlete, I’ve taken part in a lot of training programs ... and UFC Fit takes things to a whole new level.”
Don Gold -- one of the honchos at the program -- tells us women's UFC star Ronda Rousey uses the system too ... "Mike Dolce and the UFC Fit team just recently trained Ronda for her UFC title defense and got her in the absolute best shape of her career."
Bottom line ... watch out for Shane when the benches clear next year.
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Ashton Kutcher Mastering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu I'm a Blue Belt, Bitches!
Charlie Sheen should tread lightly ... 'cause Ashton Kutcher has just earned his advanced blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu -- meaning, the guy can fight.
Kutcher has been training with MMA badass Rigan Machado ... and last night in Beverly Hills, the "Two and a Half Men" star was promoted to a "two stripe blue belt" -- which means he's spent hundreds of hours on the mat learning all sorts of new techniques.
Also in the house ... UFC fighters Josh Barnett and Cub Swanson. It appears Barnett was promoted to an instructor level.
Still, Kutcher is hardly the most dangerous sitcom star -- that honor probably goes to Ed O'Neil ... who's a frickin' BLACK BELT!!!
In fact, Rorion Gracie once described Ed as "As tough as they come."
Thiago Silva's Wife HE HAS A COCAINE PROBLEM
Thiago Silva has a serious cocaine problem ... so says his estranged wife who claims the drug made him paranoid ... though Thiago's lawyer tells TMZ Sports she's full of crap.
Thaysa Silva spoke with a Brazilian media outlet and said the UFC fighter's cocaine habit led to the demise of their marriage AND last week's gun-wielding showdown at a jiu-jitsu academy in Florida.
"The problem was cocaine. He always thinks he’s above the law," Thaysa said ... "He had the cocaine paranoia."
We spoke with Thiago's attorney who tells us ... "The claims are not justified" ... and notes that no cocaine was found on the scene, at Thiago's house or anywhere else connected to the fighter.
Even though they're technically still married, Thaysa says her relationship with Thiago ended more than a year ago.
"My marriage was over in December of 2012. In our relationship, I had to deal with the imbalance and aggressions. But I never went to talk to the police because I fear the reactions. Even after I was assaulted, I did not speak."
Thaysa also described the alleged encounter that went down at her house in the weeks before the arrest ... saying, "He came to my house, tore my clothes and pointed a gun at my head."
Thiago was arrested on February 6th -- he's currently being held without bond in a Florida jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Thiago Silva 'Trigger-Happy Cops Overreacted' ... Lawyer Says
There was NO REASON for cops to call in the SWAT team to apprehend Thiago Silva ... the "trigger-happy" police simply overreacted ... so says the UFC fighter's lawyer.
TMZ Sports spoke with attorney Scott Saul ... who tells us he was present when the SWAT team surrounded Silva's South Florida home.
Saul says ... cops went "overboard" because he's a UFC fighter.
Saul says the situation could have been handled as a routine arrest situation -- and the fact they called in an army of cops only escalated it.
"There was no allegation of harm against anyone," Saul says ... "But they treated it like a terrorist threat."
As we previously reported, Silva was initially arrested for attempted murder -- but the judge later reduced the charge because Silva never actually fired a shot or laid a finger on anyone during the incident.
Silva is currently being held without bond.
Thiago Silva Arrest Wife's Alleged Boyfriend I Need a Break From Fighting
The guy who owns the jiu-jitsu studio where Thiago Silva allegedly whipped out a gun and threatened to shoot a bunch of people has shut his doors ... but only for a couple days ... in the wake of the insane events that occurred this week.
According to the police report, not only did the UFC star pull up to the studio and threaten to kill his wife and her alleged new boyfriend ... he also threatened to shoot everyone inside the studio.
Which is why the people who run the place decided to shut it down for a few days ... posting a sign on the door Saturday to let patrons know they'd resume business on Monday.
As we previously reported ... Silva was hit with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm -- and is still in custody without bond.
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Thiago Silva Officially Replaced for 'UFC 171' After Insane Gun Arrest
Thiago Silva is officially OFF THE BILL for "UFC 171" in March ... after allegedly threatening to kill his wife ... and he's been replaced by a Ukranian bad ass, TMZ Sports has learned.
After declaring Silva will never fight in the UFC ever again, Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... 21-year-old phenom Nikita Krylov will fill Silva's spot and fight Ovince St. Preux at UFC 171 in Dallas.
We're told Krylov -- a former heavyweight -- will drop down to the light heavyweight division for the fight.
White is stoked about the matchup, especially after the way Krylov -- who calls himself the Al Capone of MMA -- knocked out Walt Harris with a head kick just :25 seconds into the fight at "UFC on FOX 10."
Sorry Thiago ... but that's what happens when you threaten to shoot people with a gun (allegedly).
Thiago Silva's Next Opponent I'm Pissed We Can't Fight 'You Gotta Be F-ing Kidding Me'
The UFC fighter Thiago Silva would've faced next -- had he not been busted for allegedly pulling a gun on his wife -- tells TMZ Sports ... he's DEVASTATED the fight's scrapped saying "you gotta be f-ing kidding me."
Ovince St. Preux was set to square off against Silva at UFC 171 on March 15 ... but after the Brazilian fighter's insane meltdown, UFC prez Dana White permanently banned him from the Octagon.
St. Preux tells us he's bummed the match is cancelled ... but agrees with the ban, saying "I understand where Dana White is coming from, he has to protect the brand ... Plus, he's my boss."
As for why he thinks Thiago snapped ... St. Preux says "we don't know what he was going through" ... adding, "If he's having personal problems, anyone in his position might've done the same thing."
"Thiago took on the bad boy role ... and he played it well," St. Preux said, "I thought it was an act, but maybe he was being himself."
It's still unclear who -- if anyone -- Ovince will face at UFC 171 in Dallas.
Thiago Silva's Wife HE HAS A DRUG PROBLEM
Thiago Silva's wife Thaysa told law enforcement ... the UFC fighter has a "drug problem" ... and has abused her for months, this according to documents obtained by TMZ Sports.
We've obtained documents Thaysa filed in Florida back in January seeking a restraining order against Silva -- in which she checked a box saying he has a "drug problem."
In the docs, she also detailed an alleged violent incident with Thiago and says she fears for her well-being.
"I am not safe in my own house," Thaysa wrote ... adding, "I can not live more saying 'yes' and 'forgive' everything."
"I am very afraid of him."
In the documents, filed on January 6, Thaysa did not go into detail about Thago's alleged drug problem -- but she did say Thiago got violent with her while she was in a friend's home on Jan. 5th. In broken English, Thaysa seems to explain that Thiago went on a rampage and cut up her work uniform.
She also claims, "Months ago he grabbed me and pulled me."
The restraining order was granted. But last night, Thiago confronted Thaysa in front of a martial arts studio and allegedly threatened to shoot her and her supposed lover.
Silva was arrested for attempted murder -- but those charges were later reduced to aggravated assault.
UFC Star Thiago Silva Arrested for Attempted Murder Accused Wife of Affair, Shoved Gun in Her Mouth
8:21 AM PT -- The judge has THROWN OUT the attempted murder charges against Silva, claiming there isn't enough evidence to prove the UFC fighter ever intended to kill his wife, despite allegedly pulling a gun on her on multiple occasions and sending threatening text messages to her.
The judge explained, "It just seems if he wanted to shoot Mrs. Silva, he would've done it. He didn't do it."
Instead, Silva was hit with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm ... and the judge has decided to hold him in custody without bond.
Silva was not only deemed a flight risk, due to his connections in Brazil -- but the judge says there's a high risk he'll commit violence against his wife.
Thiago's lawyer had argued that his fighter was being unfairly judged because of his occupation as a UFC fighter -- saying, "There's an overreaction [with the charges] simply because the man, what he does for a living."
During the hearing, Silva's lawyer said the fighter is dead broke ... and desperately needs the paycheck he'll receive for his scheduled fight in Dallas at UFC 171.
However, UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... "This guy will never fight in the UFC again."
THE ALLEGATIONS -- Silva's wife told police Thiago went nuclear because he suspected his wife was having an affair with MMA instructor Pablo Popovitch, who runs a jiu-jitsu center in South Florida.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Thiago pulled up to Pablo's training center Thursday night ... pulled out a GLOCK and pointed it at his wife.
Thiago allegedly told his wife, "You have ten seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone."
Cops say the class was filled with 25 students at the time of the altercation.
Thiago's wife told cops Pablo raced out of the center to protect Silva's wife -- and that's when Thiago threatened to kill them both. Pablo then raced inside the gym to call 911. That's when Silva drove back to his home.
There's more ... cops say there was ANOTHER violent incident between Thiago and his wife on January 30 -- when he accused her of cheating on him.
Thiago's wife says he got so angry, he pulled out a silver revolver and shoved it into her mouth -- while threatening to shoot her. Thiago's wife eventually got free and obtained a restraining order against the UFC fighter.
THE ARREST -- UFC fighter Thiago Silva was arrested Thursday night for attempted murder following a standoff with a SWAT team after he allegedly threatened people at a jiu-jitsu school and barricaded himself inside his home -- and we have footage showing the moment he was finally captured.
Cops in Broward County, FL say the incident began just before 8 PM, when Silva went to the school owned by famed instructor Pablo Popovitch. Silva -- sporting blue board shorts -- allegedly threatened people there and then went back to his home.
According to police, Silva barricaded himself inside the home. The SWAT team arrived a short time later and surrounded the place as officials tried to get him to surrender. Silva finally gave himself up around 11:15 PM.
TMZ Sports has obtained video of Silva in the back of the cop car. The photog asked him if he pulled a gun on his wife. Silva responded no, adding, "She wants my house, she wants my money." And then he says, "Just don't report this. Can you do that for me?"
Once in the police station, Silva flipped off photogs as officers booked the fighter on 4 criminal charges -- 2 counts of attempted felony murder, one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting arrest.
The 31-year-old Brazilian-born fighter is 16-3 in the UFC -- and was expected to fight at UFC 171 in March. We're guessing that ain't gonna happen now.
Jon 'Bones' Jones I Didn't Diss GSP It Was a Misunderstanding
UFC champ Jon 'Bones' Jones tells TMZ Sports ... he wasn't TRYING to duck Georges St-Pierre at a post-Super Bowl party in NYC last weekend ... it just seemed that way.
We shot the footage of the awkward encounter Sunday night when it appeared Jones was trying to get into the party without St-Pierre noticing -- when GSP noticed, hilarity ensued.
But Tuesday in D.C., Jones says he wasn't trying to diss his old friend -- and he has a perfectly good explanation.
In fact, Jones says the two have a long history of partying together.
Jones tries to blame us for stirring things up -- but hey, we just call 'em like we see 'em.
Jon Jones & GSP BIZARRE ENCOUNTER At Super Bowl Party
Was Jon "Bones" Jones trying to DUCK Georges St-Pierre at the Super Bowl post-game bash in NYC last night??? Because it sure as hell looked that way in this clip.
It all went down outside Marquee nightclub ... GSP has no idea he's standing 3 ft. away from his fellow UFC superstar until our camera guy points him out.
What ensues is awkward, funny and confusing ... all at the same time.
It seems "Bones" was trying to signal our photog NOT to alert St-Pierre to his presence ... but our guy didn't get the hint and gave JJ up.
Ya gotta watch the clip -- either way, it's pretty hilarious ... and "Bones" deserves an Oscar.
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Dana White Brock Lesnar Wants to Fight in the UFC Again
UFC prez Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... Brock Lesnar wants to RETURN to the Octogon ... and White says he'd LOVE to have him back.
Dana was in NYC today getting ready for UFC's Super Saturday ... and told us Brock's still bummed his fighting career ended short due to injury ... and says "he'd like to take another run" in the UFC.
The former UFC heavyweight champ left the world of MMA in 2011 ... after a string of losses that he chalked up to his battle with a potentially life threatening case of diverticulitis (a digestive disease).
Lesnar recently returned to the WWE ... but White says that doesn't mean UFC is off the table -- "I think he wants to do both. When his schedule opens up I think he'd like to fight."
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UFC Badass Mark Munoz I Do Zumba ... And I LOOOVE It!
Your mom's Zumba class just got HARDCORE ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned, UFC face-smasher Mark Munoz is taking up dancercise -- and we dare you to crack a joke (at least to his face).
Munoz -- who's currently ranked #7 in UFC middleweights -- hit up the LA Fit Expo on Saturday ... where he fulfilled his New Year's Resolution of (that's right) learning Zumba.
And guess what -- Mark says he loved the class so much ... he's actually considering using some of the moves in his regular MMA workout routine.
Check out the clip ... once you see the girls in this class, it'll all start making sense.
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UFC Legend Ken Shamrock I'm a Bodyguard Now ... For 50 Cent!!
50 Cent has SERIOUSLY upgraded his personal security team ... 'cause one of the guys watching his back is UFC Hall of Famer (and ex-WWE superstar) Ken Shamrock!!!!
49-year-old Shamrock was spotted on the rapper's personal protection detail at the CES convection in Las Vegas yesterday ... and afterward, Ken confirmed he's now working for a company that does private security for several "high-end clients," including Fiddy.
After the convention, Ken tweeted that it was a "pleasure" working for 50 ... and said the rapper is, "By far one of the classiest gents I have ever worked with."
As for Ken's fighting career -- he may not have given up on the ring entirely ... just last month, he appeared in a wrestling event in Costa Rica.
But for now, don't screw with Mr. Cent ... or you might end up in a nasty ankle lock.
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UFC 168 Winners Celebrate ... WITH JUNK FOOD
Hours after retaining his championship belt and possibly ending Anderson Silva's career ... UFC Middleweight champ Chris Weidman continued his campaign of destruction -- by decimating a double bacon cheeseburger.
Weidman partied at Surrender nightclub -- washing down his burger with a cold Miller Lite.
UFC's other big winner Ronda Rousey also feasted in celebration ... she went with family and friends to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the MGM for her usual post fight chicken wings.
America!
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Georges St-Pierre TOOK HUGE HIT FROM EX-MANAGER Paid Out $737k After Nasty Split
Georges St-Pierre cut a $737k check to his former manager -- after the woman sued the UFC champ for screwing her out of her contract ... and according to court docs, she could still be in line for a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR payday.
TMZ Sports has obtained documents filed in Clark County, NV which show GSP was sued by ex-manager Shari Spencer after the two parted ways in 2011.
According to another manager who worked with GSP, Georges' relationship with Shari ended "very badly."
Shari clearly felt she helped build GSP's career and therefore deserved a cut of his fight earnings and sponsorship cash.
The court docs show ... the judge agreed with Shari and ordered GSP to cut a check for $737,066.35 -- which the fighter paid back in April.
But there's more ... the judge also ordered GSP to pay Shari's management company the following:
-- 20% of future revenue on various UFC Pay-Per-View fights
-- 20% of royalties earned under a 2008 UFC merchandising contract
-- 5% of future revenues from sponsorships she apparently helped him earn (including Affliction and RUSHFit).
A source familiar with the case tells us ... Shari's final cut could be worth several million dollars.
GSP's had a rough year -- as we first reported, the UFC champ is already stressing out over his sick father and an unplanned pregnancy.
We reached out to GSP's camp for comment -- so far, no word back.