UFC

NBA legend Paul Pierce has been ordered to write a $100,000 check to a security guard he called "racist" at the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib fight ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... a security guard at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas sued Pierce for defamation and other things over an altercation they got into during UFC 229 in Oct. 2018.

Long story short ... Pierce called security guard Christopher Mostello "racist" -- claiming Mostello (who is white) gave him a hard time while trying to get to his seat.

Pierce's "racist" allegation was captured on video and posted by TMZ Sports.

In his suit, Mostello claimed it was Paul who was acting inappropriately that night -- saying Pierce had gotten aggressive and physical with a female security supervisor -- and Mostello was only doing his job.

Mostello claimed his reputation took a serious hit because of the altercation and Pierce's accusations -- and he's been subjected to public embarrassment, harassment and ridicule.

The case went in front of a judge who ordered Pierce to either respond to the lawsuit or face a default judgment ... and since the court never heard from Pierce, the judge ordered him to pay up.

Pierce isn't out of moves yet ... he can ask the court to set aside the judgment but that's usually reserved for someone who didn't have the means to fight in the case in the first place.

Bottom line, it's an uphill battle for Pierce and it would probably cost him more than $100k to go that route anyway.

If Floyd Mayweather is serious about boxing a UFC fighter, Max Holloway says he's ALL THE WAY DOWN!!

The reigning UFC Featherweight champ has a solid stand up striking game -- and sources tell us that's exactly what Floyd is looking for in his UFC opponent.

So, when Max rolled through the TMZ Sports office ... we asked if that was something he would seriously consider.

"I want a Money Belt! Why not?!"

He added, "I would love to do that. He's one of the best guys to ever do it. And, to share the boxing ring with him, it would be a checklist for sure."

Holloway says he's already in INSANE shape -- and 12 rounds in a boxing ring would be "easy work" since he's already a cardio machine!

But, even if the Mayweather fight doesn't work out, Max says he's still interested in taking a boxing match ... especially with Dana White gunning to launch Zuffa Boxing in 2020.

Max says he's always wanted to box -- and brags that he's got a pretty solid Philly Shell ... but first, his focus is on beating Alexander Volkanovski on Dec. 14 at UFC 245.

Alistair Overeem is cracking jokes about it Sunday, but he couldn't even crack a smile after a sudden and bloody ending to his UFC fight, where his lip was nearly knocked clean off.

Overeem went down late in the 5th and final round of his UFC on ESPN 7 heavyweight match with Jairzinho Rozenstruik -- he was winning handily, really ... until then.

You gotta see the video of the shot Jairzinho uncorked right to Alistair's upper lip -- it's almost like his face exploded.

He managed to get back up, and attempt to grin, but the referee called the fight with just a few seconds left in the round. The attempted grin didn't work either, due to the horrific damage to Overeem's face.

A few hours later, Overeem joked on Twitter about his lip not looking too sexy.

If nothing else, the heavyweights made history -- Jairzinho's KO is the latest ever in a UFC heavyweight division fight.

Floyd Mayweather vs. a UFC star is nothing more than a "circus fight" -- according to pro boxer Andre Berto who says he's ready to step up if Floyd wants a REAL challenge in 2020.

Of course, Berto -- a former welterweight champ -- fought Floyd back in 2017 ... just a few months after Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao.

Berto lost the fight ... but tells TMZ Sports he knows what he did wrong and things would go MUCH differently if they fought a second time.

"It was hard to catch him the first time," Berto says ... noting he would "let his hands go" a lot more in the rematch.

As we previously reported, Floyd is looking for TWO boxing matches in 2020 -- one against a pro boxer and another against a UFC star.

Berto thinks Floyd is too afraid to take on a legit contender -- explaining, "I doubt he's gonna come in and fight any of these other hungry champions out there."

"He might come back for one of these circus acts."

UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal is calling 2020 "The Year of the Lottery" -- telling TMZ Sports he's actively trying to line up fights with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.

"2019 was cool," Masvidal says ... "But, if you like violence, 2020 will be a very powerful year. We’ve got a lot of options. I've got a lot of lottery tickets in my hand."

Masvidal -- who demolished Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019 -- says his goal is to fight Conor in April or May ... and then take a boxing match with Floyd in November.

As we previously reported, Mayweather has a handshake deal with UFC president Dana White to box an MMA fighter in 2020 and we're told he's eyeing fighters with top stand-up striking talent.

Masvidal obviously has those skills and firmly believes he's the frontrunner for that fight.

"I can box my ass off," Masvidal says ... "Not saying I’m a better boxer than Mayweather, but man, I’m gonna be in there with bad intentions trying to hurt him."

The last UFC fighter to take on Floyd was Conor McGregor who famously gassed around the 8th round with the ref ultimately stopping the fight in Round 10.

"I'm a well-conditioned athlete that’s not gonna fade," Masvidal says ... "I'm not gonna fade in the 8th or 9th round. I’m gonna be there for the whole night."

Jorge -- who's calling the big Tito Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron fight for Combate Americas on Saturday -- also had a message for Floyd ...

"If you’re looking for a fight, I’m right here. If you’re looking for an easy paycheck, go back to Japan and beat up those little guys."

Masvidal says he understands why Floyd would be interested in someone like Khabib Nurmagomedov ... it's easy money for Floyd ... but if he REALLY wants a challenge, he'll sign the contract with Jorge.

The video is great ... Jorge knows Floyd is obviously much more experienced than him in the boxing ring, but he truly believes he can get the best of Mayweather and spells out his case on camera.

Think about it ... if Jorge's plans come to fruition, he can make LIFE-CHANGING money in 2020.

The Conor fight alone is big money ... and a Floyd fight could earn him more around $100 MIL.

Johnny Manziel has a job in pro sports again!

TMZ Sports has learned the former QB inked a promotional deal with DAZN to promote the big Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz rematch this weekend ... which is going down at the same time as the SEC Championship.

We're told the deal with Manziel is a "one-time partnership" with DAZN ... but it could lead to something bigger. We're told DAZN made a similar deal with Saquon Barkley.

One source tells us the streaming service is trying to find creative ways to promote their content and tapping Manziel, who has a large and loyal following, could pay off big.

The hook for DAZN is that the fight starts at 12:30 PM PT and will overlap with the LSU vs. Georgia game on CBS.

Manziel's selling point is that fans don't have to choose one or the other -- they can watch the game on TV and the fight on any device.

Tito Ortiz got the ultimate rock star treatment at a U.S. Border Patrol station in Texas ... where agents lined up to take pics ... and even asked him to sign their handcuffs.

... all while sporting a Trump 2020 campaign shirt.

Tito's in McAllen, TX -- about 3 miles from the Mexico border -- for his big Combate Americas fight on Saturday with Alberto El Patron.

And, with Ortiz being a very outspoken fan of Trump's immigration policies, he decided to meet with the people in charge of patrolling the area ... and they LOVED him!!!

Check out the video ... Ortiz took pics with everyone, signed autographs and even gave a motivational speech about overcoming adversity.

Meanwhile, his opponent Alberto El Patron -- who hates Trump -- went a different promotional route this week ... choking out a POTUS impersonator on a Spanish language TV show.

Dana White says the fight deal he made with Floyd Mayweather was entirely constructed and sealed at the Clippers game last month ...and says they're targeting a Sept. 2020 fight date.

"He and I did a deal right there in our seats on the court," the UFC honcho told Rich Eisen ... "We shook hands and we have a deal."

White didn't reveal any details about Floyd's potential opponent -- but later told Jim Rome he's hoping to sit down with Floyd's business partner, Al Haymon, in March to get a fight booked for Sept.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, Mayweather is actually trying to book TWO comeback fights in 2020 ... both boxing matches.

Sources close to Floyd tell us ... he wants to fight a respected pro boxer (we're told he's seriously considering Manny Pacquiao) plus another match with a UFC fighter.

Floyd has previously called out Khabib Nurmagomedov, but it's unclear if that's his intended target on the UFC side of things.

The man accused of abducting and murdering Aniah Blanchard went off in court Wednesday -- telling the judge, "Y'all have no video, no audio of me shooting anyone!"

Ibraheem Yazeed appeared with his attorney in an Alabama courtroom Wednesday to face capital murder charges in the death of Blanchard, step-daughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.  Prosecutors have said they're pursuing the death penalty.

Yazeed was initially charged with 1st-degree kidnapping -- and when he appeared in court for the new, more serious charge ... he was not happy.

"I got rights too," Yazeed told the judge.

"Y'all have no video, no audio of me shooting anyone, that’s why I’m trying to see how y’all going to bind me over on hearsay. But y’all aren’t presenting no evidence."

Officials have video showing Yazeed at the same gas station where Blanchard was last seen before her disappearance.

A witness also claims Yazeed forced Blanchard into her car -- which was later found covered in blood.

Cops believe Yazeed ultimately shot Blanchard to death and then hid her body in a wooded area.

Officials say there is a NEW witness who saw Yazeed with a gun tucked into his shorts while in possession of Blanchar's car.

Officials say the witness claimed Yazeed had admitted to shooting a girl and that the girl had "went for the gun" before he murdered her.

In other words, Aniah fought back.

It seems this new witness -- unnamed in the court doc to protect the person's identity -- was the key to finding Blanchard's body.

UFC star Brian Ortega says he suffered a partially torn ACL in his knee during training and has pulled out from his Dec. 21 fight against Chan Sung Jung, aka the Korean Zombie.

"I tore my ACL in training and I won't be fighting in Korea," Ortega just revealed.

"Thankfully it was only a partial tear so I'm already rehabbing it and the plan is to be back to 100% in 2-3 months."

Ortega says he strongly considered fighting through the pain because he didn't want to let anyone down -- but ultimately doctors advised him to call the whole thing off.

"I didn't want to let down the fans, the Zombie and the UFC so I strongly considered pushing through it and fighting anyways, but according to the doctors, the risk of a full rupture in the fight was high and that would put me out for up to a year."

"Sorry guys I gotta take care of this right now, but I'll make it up to all of you 2020 I promise."

Ortega hasn't fought at all in 2019 after a violent clash with Max Holloway in Dec. 2018.

The 28-year-old fan favorite is still considered one of the top contenders in the featherweight division -- currently ranked #2 behind Alexander Volkanovski and the champ, Max Holloway.

We're big fans of Ortega at TMZ Sports, where he regularly comes into our office and chokes out various staff members!

Officials say Aniah Blanchard was killed by a gunshot ... and now, they're seeking the death penalty for her alleged killer.

Blanchard's body was recovered in a wooded area in Macon County, Alabama on Nov. 25 after she had gone missing for weeks.

The medical examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Blanchard -- the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris -- was killed by a gunshot ... but didn't specify to which part of her body.

Now, prosecutors say the man accused of pulling the trigger -- Ibraheem Yazeed -- is being charged with capital murder, and they're seeking the death penalty.

"This case has shaken our community to its core," Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes said Monday ... "It is my intention that the response to this horrific crime serve as a warning to anyone who believes they want to come to Lee County and engage in violent criminal behavior."

Hughes added, "You will be dealt with and the consequences will be severe."

So far, three men have been arrested in connection with Blanchard's abduction ... but Hughes said Monday Yazeed is now believed to be the "lone person responsible" for Blanchard's death.

Hughes says Yazeed abducted Blanchard from an Auburn gas station on Oct. 23 ... and his first-degree kidnapping charge has now been upgraded to capital murder.

Yazeed is still being held in jail without bond.

UFC heavyweight Junior Dos Santos' dancing career just took a KO shot to the face -- Cigano has been eliminated from the Brazil version of "Dancing With The Stars."

The 35-year-old ex-champ showed off his moves one final time on "Dança dos Famosos,” on Sunday ... but was ultimately voted off the show after receiving the fewest votes.

It was a great effort from the #4 ranked heavyweight and his partner, Ana Paula Guedes ... the dude danced his ass off to hits like "What Is Love" by Haddaway while wearing pants that would make MC Hammer proud.

Cigano left the show due to an injury back in October -- which also kept him out of UFC Moscow in November --  but was able to come back to be the last athlete standing (the rest of the dancers are actors/actresses).

Dos Santos really made his presence known on the dance floor -- his dances scored among the highest each week until his elimination.

He's 44-years-old ... but Tito Ortiz says his fight game is BETTER than ever -- and he wants to prove it against Jon Jones.

"I think I could beat Jon Jones," Tito tells TMZ Sports ... "I think I got a good chance. I really do think I got a good chance."

Tito has been training his ass off for his Dec. 7 MMA clash with ex-WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio and says he finally feels healthy, clear-minded and strong.

Of course, Jones is only 32 and hasn't really lost a fight since turning pro -- he's widely considered one of the greatest UFC fighters ever!

But, Ortiz says Jones ruined his shot at being the G.O.A.T. -- "He tarnished his career so many times, so much stuff he did in and out of the cage. Bums me out because I love the guy, man."

As for the critics who say Tito's too old hang with a guy like Jones, Tito has a message for them too ...

"Come to my camp. Come train with me. Come wrestle with me. Come do Jiu-Jitsu with me. Watch me weight train, watch my biking ... I'm doing amazing, my mind's in the right place."

There's A LOT more in the raw video (see below) ... Tito talks about his issues with Dana White and why he's down to squash the beef with the UFC once and for all.

He also talks about his rivalry with Chuck Liddell, his upcoming movie with Bruce Willis ... and his dreams of becoming a WWE superstar down the road!

Worried about potential shopping brawls on Black Friday???

UFC stud Mike Perry's got ya covered ... 'cause he's shelling out advice on how to protect yourself in a fight over that marked down big screen TV!!!

"Stick and move, man," Perry tells TMZ Sports. "Throw objects. Use chairs. Keep your distance!"

Of course, the day after Thanksgiving is always mired in some kind of fighting over door-busting deals ... but Perry's got some rock-solid tips to help you survive.

And, if you are brave enough to scrap with the crowds ... Perry's the guy you wanna listen to -- 'cause he's been in a ton of these brawls throughout his life!!!

But, Perry's biggest piece of advice? Forget the whole day in general, stay at home with the fam and wait to shop online on Cyber Monday.

Heart-breaking news in the search for Aniah Blanchard ... cops believe they found the 19-year-old's body in a wooded area in Alabama.

Cops have been searching for Aniah ever since she was abducted from a Chevron station on Oct. 23. Blanchard is the step-daughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

Days after her disappearance, officials had found Aniah's car, which was covered in blood ... and believed she had suffered a fatal injury during the kidnapping.

Cops hunted down Ibraheem Yazeed -- the prime suspect -- who was seen at the gas station with Blanchard in the moments before her abduction. He was arrested in Florida after leading cops on a pursuit and suffered a busted eye during the apprehension. He's since been charged with 1st-degree kidnapping.

Now, terrible news ... cops say they found human remains in Macon County, Alabama and they believe it's Aniah.

"I can confirm that human remains have been found in Macon County on County Road 2 and we have good reason to believe they are that of Aniah Blanchard," Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes said.

Officials say the remains were found in the area between the Chevron Station in Auburn where she went missing and the spot where her car was discovered in Montgomery.

A second suspect in Aniah's disappearance was arrested on Friday -- Antwain "Squirmy" Shamar Fisher -- who's also been charged with 1st-degree kidnapping.

Story developing ...

MMA legend Rampage Jackson says he's VERY interested in taking a PRO BOXING match before he retires ... and he'll fight anyone -- except Deontay Wilder!

In fact, the 41-year-old former UFC heavyweight champ tells us, "I asked Dana White a long time ago, way before Conor McGregor even was around, let me do some boxing!"

Rampage -- who parted ways with UFC in 2013 -- says he was told back in the day there just wasn't anyone for him to box, so the idea was shut down.

But, he insists, "I still wanna fight a boxing match before I retire."

Rampage's stand-up game is legendary -- he famously KO'd Chuck Liddell in 2007 and Wanderlei Silva in 2008 ... and several other guys along the way.

And, with Floyd Mayweather gunning for a UFC crossover, we asked Rampage if he had a particular opponent in mind.

"I'd fight anybody but Deontay Wilder," Rampage says ... "He's too tall!"

Rampage says there's one way he'd make an exception -- "Unless they give me $100 mil. Then I'll fight him! I'm not gonna lie, I keep it real!"

We get it ... Wilder just destroyed Luis Ortiz and widely considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history!

"I'll fight him if they give me $100 mil and we do one boxing match and then one MMA match."

But, don't count on it going down any time soon -- as Rampage explains, "I don't like fighting them long, tall dudes. I gotta take them down!"