UFC

WARNING -- DO NOT TRY THIS MOVE ON ANYONE UNLESS YOU'RE A WORLD CLASS FIGHTER!!!

This is A.J. McKee -- one of the hottest young stars in MMA -- and he's REALLY good at submitting people.

So, when he came to the TMZ newsroom the other day, we had him put Lucas in the same crazy armbar he used beat Derek Campos at Bellator 236 in December ... and yea, it was AWESOME!

McKee is undefeated -- 16-0 as a pro -- with the most consecutive wins in Bellator history, including 5 wins by submission (the most in Bellator featherweight history).

Lucas -- who's locked horns with legends like Jon Jones, Brian Ortega, Henry Cejudo, Paige VanZant and Kayla Harrison -- offered himself up as a fight dummy for McKee and learned first hand what it's like to be in his grasp!

As for his fighting future, McKee is currently in the semi-finals of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix ... where the grand prize is a $1,000,000 check!

We spoke with McKee about his career goals, dream fight ... and his favorite moments inside the cage.

Here's Colby Covington proving he's okay after having his face broken at UFC 245 ... playing a full basketball game just a little more than 3 weeks after breaking his jaw!

Colby hit up a Lifetime Fitness in Boca Raton, Fla. on Wednesday to get in a little rec-league run ... and while he wasn't exactly Michael Jordan on the court, he looked pretty good considering the injury he suffered on Dec. 14.

Remember, Covington's jaw was broken during his scrap with Kamaru Usman in a super violent welterweight title fight. Due to the injury, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has suspended him from fighting until at least Feb. so he can heal up.

But, Covington looked to be all right on the hardwood this week ... shooting jumpers, getting rebounds, playing defense and mixing it up in the paint.

In fact, one person who saw him play Wednesday tells TMZ Sports Colby didn't look beat up at all ... and other than a small cut near his eye, "he looked fine."

Covington himself told us the ball night went off without a hitch ... saying, "Basketball is great. You don't have to be good or in shape. Just woke. Ask LeBron."

Dana White was so impressed with the way a female Best Buy staffer beat the hell out of a suspected shoplifter, he's flying her to UFC 246 and wants to HIRE HER!!

The footage of 24-year-old Summer Tapasa went viral in December when she confronted a man at a Best Buy in Hawaii who allegedly stole an expensive speaker and blocked him from leaving the store.

Tapasa parted ways with Best Buy after the incident -- but their loss could be the UFC's gain, because White tells TMZ Sports he's on a mission to bring her into the UFC fold.

"That's the kind of person I want working for me," White said ... "You're crazy Best Buy! You shoulda kept her! I'm gonna steal her from you now!"

White says he's flying Summer to be his VIP guest in Vegas for the Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone fight at UFC 246 ... and he's "dead serious" about possibly offering her a job during the event.

T-minus 8 days until the return of Conor McGregor ... and no one seems more excited than Conor himself!

Check out the Irish superstar in a pre-fight workout at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas earlier this week -- his energy is through the roof.

As we previously reported, Conor returned to America a few weeks before the January 18 bout with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone ... and he's been training like crazy.

During this week's workout session, Conor was bouncing around the gym while Notorious B.I.G. played in the background. At one point you can hear McGregor say, "I f**king love it!"

McGregor hasn't fought in the Octagon since his UFC 229 loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov in Oct. 2018.

Conor has said his main goal is to run it back with Khabib -- but Dana White wants him to EARN his rematch by getting through Cowboy first at UFC 246, only available on ESPN+.

Claressa Shields is getting a big-time assist in her possible MMA fight with Amanda Nunes -- PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS FROM JON JONES!!!

The planet's best female boxer tells TMZ Sports she's been in contact with the UFC superstar about some MMA lessons to get ready for a possible tilt with Nunes ... and it looks like those will all go down after Jones' fight with Dominick Reyes in February.

"He said after he fights, I could come down there a week or two and see how I feel doing MMA stuff."

Of course, if Shields had her way ... there would be no need for the workouts -- she wants a fight with Nunes to be strictly boxing only.

But, Amanda told us last month the only way she's getting in the ring with Shields is if it's an MMA fight ... so Claressa is taking the steps to get the ball rolling on that.

Shields says she's actually "excited" AND "scared" to begin learning the tools for the possible bout ... telling us, "I'm going to have to learn so much more stuff and I just hope that I like it."

As for what will happen when she feels her MMA skills are good enough to take on Nunes ... Shields says she expects that fight to be BIGGER than Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor!!

But before stepping in the cage ... Shields has a big time boxing match this Friday against Ivana Habazin in Atlantic City.

He's baaaaaaack!

Conor McGregor has returned to the U.S. -- he's got a fight here in 2 weeks -- and he's already hitting the ground running ... literally.

"Out running on the streets of Las Vegas today," McGregor said over the weekend ... "We are two weeks from fight night!"

"So great to be back on U.S soil."

Of course, McGregor is taking on Cowboy Cerrone at UFC 246 on January 18 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas in his first fight since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in Oct. 2018.

But, he's not coasting into the fight -- McGregor's been training since his arrival. In fact, Conor ran into UFC star Dominick Cruz during a session at the UFC Performance Institute.

Before this trip, we hadn't seen Conor in America since around the time he was being prosecuted for stomping on a cell phone outside of a Miami hotel back in March.

The Irishman pled not guilty and the charges were ultimately dropped after the victim stopped cooperating with police ... but it wasn't a good look for Conor.

Since then, CM's had other problems ... he punched a man in a bar in Ireland for no good reason during an incident in April and reportedly been investigated for 2 alleged sexual assaults in his home country. He adamantly DENIES the allegations in both cases.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is still adamant he's NOT considering a rematch with Conor McGregor ... despite what Dana White has been saying, this according to Khabib's manager.

White has been talking about a Conor vs. Khabib rematch for weeks -- telling BT Sport, "If Conor can get through [Cowboy Cerrone], and if Khabib can get through [Tony Ferguson], then we’d be looking at a rematch with Conor and Khabib down the line pretty soon."

So, when we saw Ali Abdelaziz out in NYC, we asked how Khabib felt about running it back with Conor ... and he made it pretty clear, the Dagestani ain't down.

"Conor is not on our radar," Ali says ... "He might lose to Cowboy. I think he might lose!"

Ali pointed out the first fight ... saying Khabib simply kicked Conor's ass for 4 rounds before making the Irishman tap out. He thinks Justin Gaethje is a better opponent for McGregor but has his own suspicions about why the UFC hasn't booked that fight.

"The UFC made the right choice not to fight Gaethje because he would have beat his ass, simple."

What's interesting is Ali -- who reps both Gaethje and Khabib -- says he thinks those two should fight it out one of these days because they're two of the best in the world.

In fact, we spoke with Gaethje about the possibility of a Khabib fight a few months ago ... and he says it's nothing personal, he just wants to fight the best.

As for Ali, he had one hell of a year in 2019 ... with clients like Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo and others winning belts and putting on great fights.

So, how can things get better in 2020? He's got a plan ...

Forget Conor McGregor ... Canelo Alvarez says he's down to fight UFC star Jorge Masvidal next -- telling TMZ Sports, "Why not?!"

... Of course, in boxing only.

Masvidal famously called out Canelo shortly after beating Nate Diaz for the 'BMF' belt back in November ... and when we asked Alvarez out in L.A. this month if he'd be up for the fight, the boxing superstar told us he's down.

"For business, why not?!" Canelo says.

Neither guy has an opponent lined up for their next fight ... so could it actually happen??

Seems there's a chance ... the first big, MMA-boxing crossover was HUGE -- with Floyd Mayweather and McGregor making SERIOUS bank for getting in the ring back in 2017.

And, Canelo DEFINITELY appears pretty intrigued by that.

As for if the Masvidal fight falls through ... Canelo says he'd be up for a rematch with Mayweather next -- telling us, "I was very young and experienced at the time and now I'm a different fighter. It will be a totally different result."

You think a fetus can derail UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff's MMA training!?!?!

Well, it can ... but Nina tells TMZ Sports she ain't exactly putting her career on hold when she gets pregnant with Amanda Nunes' baby.

Of course, Amanda ain't the only world-class fighter in the relationship -- 34-year-old Nina is the #5 ranked strawweight contender in the UFC. She's a killer.

But, with the two decided to expand their family in 2020 -- and Nina being the designated baby carrier -- we asked the two how it will affect her career in the Octagon.

"I’m taking a year off," Ansaroff says ... but when she returns, Nina says she plans on moving up a weight class and competing in the 125-lb flyweight division.

"I’m gonna be training throughout my pregnancy. I’m gonna stay in shape. I’m not gonna, ya know, just like not do anything and jump in."

UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman says he's got BIG things lined up for 2020 -- not just in the Octagon -- in fact, he wants to be the next 'Bachelor.'

... and yeah, HE'S SERIOUS!!!

The 32-year-old fighter had a huge year in 2019 -- not only defeating Tyron Woodley to win the welterweight belt but also beating the hell out of Colby Covington in a jaw-breaking performance at UFC 245.

So, how do you top that in 2020? Kamaru's got a plan ...

"I'm gonna blow it out of the water," Usman says ... suggesting he could try his hand at acting or broadcasting.

As for "The Bachelor," Usman first floated the idea back in October ... but now hopes his high-profile win over Colby will help him get on the show!

Tyron Woodley says he was "disgusted'" with the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington fight ... admitting, "I wanted to throw up [over] the fact I lost to Usman."

"F**k both of them."

The former UFC welterweight champ spells it all out on this week's 'Hollywood Beatdown' -- saying both guys looked weak during their UFC 245 title fight ... and neither man fought smart.

"As far as IQ, moving your fucking head maybe!? ... I didn't see a lot of that."

Woodley also says when it comes to power -- neither guy showed anything special, despite the fact Kamaru broke Colby's jaw in the 2nd round.

"If I would have punched Colby, he may be on life support right now."

Of course, Usman is the guy who beat Tyron to take his welterweight belt back in March. Tyron hasn't been back in the Octagon since ... but says he's looking for a big-money fight, even if it's in the boxing ring.

Woodley says he's getting his boxing license in California and Nevada and is seriously hoping to land a fight with Canelo Alvarez.

There's a lot more in this episode ... from Tyron's thoughts on Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone to his upcoming plans with the FaZe Clan and why he's got a ton of respect for Jorge Masvidal.

This was no Mayweather vs. McGregor ...

UFC superstar Derrick Lewis told a boxer to PUT UP OR SHUT UP during an argument about MMA vs. boxing ... and the results did not go well for DL's opponent.

The 34-year-old heavyweight says he was working out in the gym on Wednesday, when the other man said, "He will knock me out because I’m a MMA fighter."

Lewis, not one for boring debates, told the guy to strap on the gloves and get in the ring ... and the rest -- well, just watch.

Lewis beats the guy up so badly, he almost punched him THROUGH THE ROPES!

Of course, Lewis -- aka "The Black Beast" -- is known as one of the toughest dudes in all of combat sports ... beating guys like Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, Travis Browne and Roy Nelson.

Here's UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem showing off his new surgically-repaired lip ... after his face was blasted open in a TKO loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Overeem's face was a bloody mess after the UFC on ESPN 7 event on Dec. 7th ... when Rozenstruik hit Alistair with a crushing right hook in the 5th round that ended the fight with only 4 seconds left.

Overeem was hospitalized after the fight and underwent a surgical procedure to stitch him up ... and ESPN's cameras captured the 39-year-old as he was healing up.

"It was a nice fight," Overeem said ... "It was a good scrap."

"I was winning all rounds, just doing my thing. Too fast of a stoppage if you ask me. I was not out. I was knocked down, getting right back up."

Overeem is the #8 ranked heavyweight in the UFC at the moment -- and seems eager to get back in the Octagon and fight again ... just as soon as he gets cleared.

Tough dude.

Here's UFC star Mackenzie Dern showing her holiday spirit ... rocking a tiny bikini in Brazil, where it's 80 degrees and sunny in the middle of December!

The 26-year-old jiu-jitsu champion is coming off an impressive fight against Amanda Ribas -- who she fought in October, just 4 months after Dern gave birth to her daughter, Moa.

Dern lost the scrap, but the fact she was able to get back into fighting shape in just 124 days -- and fought Ribas all the way to a decision after three 5-minute rounds is pretty damn amazing!

Now, Dern is back home in Brazil where she's getting in some quality beach time with her family -- including longtime boyfriend Wesley Santos, a pro surfer.

No word on when Dern will return to the Octagon and fight again -- but she's been back in the gym and we're told she's planning on taking a fight in early 2020.

"He must want to die."

That's UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman reacting to Conor McGregor after the Irishman suggested the two could fight down the line.

After Kamaru broke Colby Covington's jaw and spirit at UFC 245 on Saturday, Conor tweeted out "145. 155. 170" ... and since he's won belts at 145 and 155, the insinuation is that he wants a crack at Kamaru's title.

So, we asked Kamaru about a possible scrap with McGregor -- and Usman didn't hold back.

"You saw what Khabib did to him," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "Like, oh my god. It wouldn’t even be fair if I fought Conor."

"Much respect to Conor for what he’s done for this sport and transcended it, but nah, this is not what you want."

"Sit down, little man! Sit down! Learn to walk before you can run because I would hurt that guy."

So, who DOES Kamaru want to fight? Georges St-Pierre.

"If I had to choose, of course, I want Georges ... I want GSP."

Of course, St-Pierre officially retired from MMA earlier this year ... but there are rumblings he's down for one last scrap if the situation is right.

Kamaru says he has tremendous respect for GSP, but if the two get into the Octagon together, Usman tells us, "I think I'll finish him."

And, if you're still reveling in Usman's victory over Colby and wanna see Kamaru talk even more trash ... watch the clip below.

Kamaru says he's super proud for shutting Colby's mouth -- and get this, he explains why he still wants to take the UFC belt to the White House to meet Donald Trump.

Amanda Nunes is calling BS on Cris Cyborg ... telling TMZ Sports the former UFC champ NEVER would've left the UFC if she really wanted a rematch with the champ-champ.

Nunes -- the bantamweight and featherweight champion -- came by the office this week with her fiancee (and #5 ranked UFC strawweight) Nina Ansaroff ... and chopped it up about Cyborg.

Remember, Cyborg -- who was KO'd in the 1st round of her December 2018 fight with Nunes -- floated the idea of a UFC-Bellator cross-promotion fight in the future when we saw her at LAX last month.

But, straight up, Nunes ain't buying it.

"Honestly, I love a challenge, but she made a wrong decision. She left [UFC], why? Why? If she really wanted to fight me she should’ve stayed."

Amanda says if Cyborg truly wanted the fight, she would've done anything -- including staying with the UFC -- to make the fight happen.

"If [Cyborg] really wanted [the fight], [she'd say] 'I’ll fight Amanda, give me $10,000 dollars. I'll fight her for $10,000. I’m better than her, I want that belt back.'”

So, Amanda thinks Cyborg's lying ... but it probably doesn't even matter.

The UFC hasn't done a cross-promotion in over 15 years ... and then there's the whole issue of Dana White despising Cyborg.