Tony Ferguson to Conor: I'm Coming For Your UFC Belt! ... If You Still Got It
Tony Ferguson has a loud, finger-waggin' message for Conor McGregor ...
I'LL SEE YOU AFTER FLOYD, SON!!
We got T-Ferg leaving the first Mayweather-McGregor press conference at Staples Center Tuesday ... and the UFC lightweight contender wasted no time telling Conor -- the UFC lightweight champ -- what's up.
That said, Ferguson -- whose next fight isn't booked -- is open to other matchups ... like one with Justin Gaethje -- who dropped one of the most violent/awesome UFC debuts EVER last week.
"If he wants his a** kicked we'll handle that," Tony told TMZ Sports.
Basically, give the dude whatever gets him the gold. Right now, that's Conor ... unless the Irishman vacates his belt after cashing $100 mil vs. Floyd.
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Dana White White House Called Me About Fight ... Trump's All About It
Dana White says he got a call from Donald Trump's camp about the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight -- but says POTUS likely won't attend because he feels like he "ruins events."
Of course, Dana and Donald are longtime friends (Dana spoke at the RNC) -- and White has previously told us Trump has an open invitation to attend any UFC event.
So, we asked if Trump would be at T-Mobile Arena on August 26 and White replied -- "Funny you say that. They called me yesterday."
White says Donald is 100% interested in the fight but feels he'd be too big of a distraction to attend in person.
"He feels like he'll ruin events," White said ... "Secret Service is going to have to go through the place, shut down streets and create crazy traffic."
On the other hand, White says his good buddy Tom Brady can also get tickets if he wants -- best seats in the house!
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Conor to Floyd: 'Dance for Me, Boy'
Two things you don't say to black men in America ...
1) "Dance for Me"
2) "Boy"
Conor McGregor said BOTH of those things to Floyd Mayweather at the big fight news conference in L.A. and people are pissed.
The reaction on social media was swift with FS1's Chris Broussard tweeting, "'Dance for me, boy!' Ohh, ohh. Does he know what he just said?"
Not the first time Conor's gone racial to hype a fight -- he famously called Nate Diaz a "cholo gangster" before UFC 196.
"Dance for me, boy!" Ohh, ohh. Does he know what he just said?
@Chris_Broussard
Conor McGregor said "dance for me boy" that's some racist shit
@1freebandkc
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Valentina Shevchenko Calls B.S. On Nunes' Sinusitis Story 'Maybe It Was Her Plan'
Valentina Shevchenko is callin' B.S. on the reason behind Amanda Nunes' UFC 213 title fight withdrawal ... telling TMZ Sports she's "not believing 100%" that Nunes pulled out over health issues.
We spoke with Bullet about Nunes pulling out due to chronic sinusitis ... and Shevchenko says she doesn't believe the excuse because Lioness seemed perfectly healthy the week leading up to the fight.
As for why Nunes would make up the claim, Shevchenko speculates the withdrawal happened because Nunes was "feeling (her) energy" and wanted to reschedule the fight to throw off her rhythm.
But V.S. says if it was Nunes' plan all along to bail, it didn't work ... 'cause she'll be ready whenever a makeup date is set.
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Demi Lovato Conor Is 'Crazy' ... Floyd Better Be Careful
Demi Lovato says Conor McGregor is straight LOCO ... and his insanity is what gives him a legit shot to shock Floyd Mayweather.
"Conor's crazy! And sometimes you can't beat crazy," Demi told TMZ Sports outside Break Room 86 in L.A.'s K-Town while promoting her new single "Sorry Not Sorry."
Demi's a HUUUUGE fight fan -- she's been training at Jay Glazer's Unbreakable Gym in L.A. with some of the top fighters in the world ... and Jay says she's no joke. We've seen video. He's right.
But when it comes to the Floyd, Conor thing -- Demi says she's siding with the Irishman ... explaining that a McGregor victory would be massive for the sport she loves.
JULY 2017
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Conor McGregor I'm the President of Ireland
Hail to the chief ... Conor McGregor!?
During Conor's insanely expensive Rodeo Drive shopping spree in Bev Hills on Monday, we asked the Irish superstar if he would be inviting the President of Ireland to sit ringside at the Mayweather fight.
His response is classic ... "I am the President of Ireland. He's fighting that night!"
Conor is undoubtedly one of the most Irish men alive -- in fact, there was a movement to honor McGregor last year by putting his face on official Irish money.
The motion didn't pass ... at least not yet. Check back if he beats Mayweather.
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UFC's Justin Gaethje I Want to Fight McGregor ... I'll Destroy Him
07/10/17
The UFC's most violent newcomer Justin Gaethje says he KNOWS a superfight with Conor McGregor is coming ... and tells TMZ Sports he'll beat the Irishman or die trying.
The undefeated Gaethje made a helluva statement in his UFC debut last week -- stopping Michael Johnson in one of the most brutal/awesome fights ever.
After the brawl, Gaethje called out Tony Ferguson -- and if he can get through Tony, it seems Conor McGregor could be waiting for him on the other side.
Gaethje told the guys on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs tonight on FS1) -- "That's what I'm here for ... don't worry guys, you'll get to see it."
You gotta listen to Gaethje explain his fight mentality -- dude's no joke.
Check out "TMZ Sports" weeknights on FS1.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk: I Was Dead Serious About Fighting Shevchenko
Joanna Jedrzejczyk says she was so serious about stepping in for Amanda Nunes and fighting Valentina Shevchenko this weekend, she went to the gym on Saturday to get her body ready for the fight.
Joanna -- who Dana White described as a straight-up "gangster" -- explained the whole thing to TMZ Sports ... telling us she "really believed it was going to happen."
As we previously reported, Nunes bowed out of the UFC 213 fight on Saturday -- and Joanna offered to take her place ... despite the fact the fight was happening at 135 pounds and Joanna typically fights at 115.
Ultimately, Joanna was told it was too late for her to step in ... but the fact she was ready, willing and able? Badass.
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Nate Diaz Blasts Conor & Dana ... I'm The REAL Champ
Nate Diaz is firing shots at Conor McGregor and Dana White -- mocking the UFC duo on social media while proclaiming HIMSELF the real champ.
"There's 1 boss here," Diaz wrote under a picture of him busting out the Stockton Slap on both guys.
That's not all ... Nate also ripped into the photo Conor and Dana took together on Sunday after landing in L.A. for their Mayweather fight media tour.
"Little bitches," Diaz wrote ... "Got your ass beat. You lost bitch. Im the champ..."
Diaz hasn't stepped inside the Octagon since losing to McGregor in their rematch at UFC 202 back in August 2016.
White has told TMZ Sports he TRIED to make deals with Nate and his bro, Nick Diaz, to book them in other events ... but they flat-out refused every offer the UFC made.
Neither Dana nor Conor have responded to Diaz's comments -- yet -- but with the Mayweather media tour launching Tuesday, you can bet they'll have some thoughts on this dude.
MAY 2017
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UFC's Max Holloway Bring On Edgar & Swanson! TAG TEAM MATCH!
UFC star Max Holloway is calling for a tag team match -- a 2-on-1 meg-brawl with Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar ... and let's be honest, THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!!
TMZ Sports spoke with Holloway about the next man on his hit list -- and he told us he's ready to fight both dudes ... even if it's at the same time.
Yeah, we know it ain't gonna happen -- but we can dream, right?
On a serious tip, Holloway has a real message for Dana White about why the UFC should host a major event in Hawaii ... and it's a pretty compelling argument.
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Amanda Nunes I Have Sinusitis That's Why I Withdrew from UFC 213
Amanda Nunes pulled out of her UFC 213 fight because she was dealing with a chronic condition that didn't allow her to breathe properly ... according to the brawler herself.
Amanda posted a statement Sunday explaining her sudden withdrawal from her main event fight against Valentina Shevchenko, saying she suffers from chronic sinusitis.
She goes on to explain that she's fought with the condition before, but couldn't soldier on this time because she felt off balance and couldn't breathe at the official weigh-in. She also says UFC docs cleared her based on blood and dehydration tests ... but a CT scan later found mucus build-up in her sinuses.
As we reported ... Amanda pulled out of UFC 213 last minute Saturday, only hours before her title match. She told UFC officials she did not feel well enough to step in the Octagon.
Amanda has apologized for the cancellation and promises that the fight will be rescheduled.
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Michael Bisping On Floyd vs. Conor: My Son Can 'Beat The F**k Outta Them'
Michael Bisping says he knows of a 16-year-old high school phenom who could destroy Floyd Mayweather AND Conor McGregor in a fight ... and they happen to share the same last name!!
We spoke to the UFC middleweight champ about the super fight ... and while Bisping says he'd be too big of a mismatch to take on Floyd or Conor ... he guarantees his son, Callum, could do the job and "beat the f**k outta the pair of 'em."
BTW -- Callum is already a stud in his own right ... having won the silver medal at the SJJIF world jiu-jitsu championships last year. He also won top sophomore on his high school wrestling team.
Bisping explains that Floyd and Conor are both amazing fighters ... but their size differences would be too much of an advantage for his offspring.
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Michael Johnson to UFC: Strip Conor's Belt! Who Knows If He's Ever Coming Back?!
UFC lightweight Michael Johnson has a message for the UFC -- vacate Conor McGregor's belt already!!
"Who knows when he's gonna come back?" Johnson told TMZ Sports. "As I look at the division, I don't see a champion right now."
FYI -- McGregor hasn't defended his 155-pound title since winning it way back in November. Clearly, Johnson's not convinced Conor will return to the octagon after making BANK boxing Mayweather.
As for Johnson ... he's fighting an undefeated Justin Gaethje in the main event of Friday night's "The Ultimate Fighter" finale -- looking to move one step closer to Conor's gold with a W.
Gaethje's a scary dude -- seriously, go watch his highlights -- but MJ says he's shook ... and promises to wreck the UFC newcomer for talkin' smack.
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Amanda Nunes 400% Chance I Crush Shevchenko
Amanda Nunes once told us there was a 200% chance she'd beat Ronda Rousey.
Now, she's DOUBLING that number when it comes to beating Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 213 on Saturday.
TMZ Sports spoke with the UFC women's bantamweight champ -- who guaranteed a 2nd victory over Shevchenko in their highly anticipated rematch.
The two previously battled it out at UFC 196 back in March 2016 -- a fight Nunes won by unanimous decision. Shevchenko says she's out for revenge. Nunes has other plans.
So, what's next if Nunes wins? Hopefully, a superfight with Cris "Cyborg" Justino. We asked her about that too.
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Ronda Rousey My Bachelorette Party's Gonna Be Epic
No Vegas. No wineries. Ronda Rousey tells TMZ Sports her bachelorette party is gonna be way more kick-ass -- think road trip on steroids!
The UFC legend is gearing up for her big wedding with UFC fighter Travis Browne -- so, we had to ask how they're planning on blowing off steam before the big day ... and it ain't nightclubs and rose'.
We also asked Rousey who she's got in McGregor vs. Mayweather -- and she explains why there ain't no losers in that fight.
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UFC's Khabib Nurmagomedov Gets Medieval In Bloody Cupping Sesh
If the sight of blood makes you sick ... it's probably too late.
Here's UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov bleeding more than he ever has in a cage ... giving up his back to the medieval practice of wet cupping (aka "Hijama").
FYI, cupping's a form of Eastern medicine that's meant to detoxify blood ... but it's rare you see a celeb messing with Hijama -- which involves making actual incisions.
It's not the most visually appealing process, but Khabib -- a practicing Muslim -- says it's the medicine of the prophet Muhammad (according to the Google translation of his Instagram caption).
Good times.