Dana White tells TMZ Sports he really hopes Jon Jones will fight in the UFC again ... but acknowledges JJ doesn't really need the money.
Of course, there's been some serious issues between Jones and the UFC -- with Jon recently saying he's considering sitting out until he gets a massive increase in pay.
"I don’t want to fight soon," Jones said on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast ... "I have no interest in fighting in the UFC until I get paid what I believe I’m worth."
Jones also floated the idea of "retiring" in a tweet back in May if he doesn't get a better deal.
Honestly no, not in the stage of my career. I could retire today. I’ve already done my job, I’ve given this company over a decade of entertainment. https://t.co/8V3iORDXAk
So, we asked Dana if he thinks Jon will make good on his threat.
"I don't know," White said ... "Jon Jones has enough money to retire. He can retire."
"The whole Jon Jones thing has been a rollercoaster ride for many many years. Nothing surprises me with Jon Jones."
White says he invited Jones into the UFC office to explain the numbers in an effort to show transparency -- but White claims Jones turned down his offer.
"Listen, Jon Jones -- we've offered -- my lawyer offered to have Jon Jones come out and walk Jon Jones through the numbers and Jon Jones was like, 'I don't give a f**k what the numbers are. This is what I want and that's that.'"
So, will the two sides ever make peace and will Jon ever fight in the Octagon again?
"I hope so, but that's up to him ... if he decides to never fight again, that's up to him."
UFC fighter Mike Perry believes he has a problem with alcohol abuse -- and says he will seek professional treatment immediately ... following a violent altercation at a Texas restaurant.
As we previously reported, Perry punched an older man in the face -- and allegedly struck 2 more people -- during a crazy incident Tuesday night at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock.
Witnesses told us Perry had been ordering berry mojitos before things got violent.
Now, the UFC has issued a statement about the incident -- with several interesting points about Perry.
"UFC is aware and troubled by the video that was released last night concerning Mike Perry."
"The conduct displayed by Perry is not reflective of that of our organization," UFC said in a statement first reported by ESPN's Brett Okamoto.
The UFC says Perry has apologized for his behavior and acknowledged he was disappointed with himself that his actions may have reflected poorly on UFC.
"He further acknowledged that he believes he has some issues related to alcohol abuse and is informed UFC that he has committed to immediately seek professional treatment, including substance and behavioral counseling."
"At this time, UFC has informed Perry that he will not be offered a bout, and the parties have agreed to evaluate next steps for Perry following the completion of this treatment program."
Perry most recently fought in the UFC on June 27 -- earning a convincing victory over Mickey Gall.
That's UFC fighter Dan Ige telling TMZ Sports why he's rooting forMike Perry to get his life together after that horrible violent incident this week at a Texas restaurant.
As we previously reported, Perry -- a popular UFC fighter -- allegedly struck several people (including a woman and an older man) while leaving Table 82 in Lubbock.
Perry isn't commenting on the incident -- but several people in the UFC world are concerned the fighter is heading down a dangerous path.
Count Ige as one of those people -- telling TMZ Sports, he REALLY hopes Perry can turn his life around before it's too late.
"Mike Perry is definitely battling some demons in my opinion," Ige says ... "I just feel like he needs some guidance. "
"I'm not trying to tell him how to live his life. But, it's sad. You don't want to see guys spiral downhill. And, I hope he gets help. I hope he gets himself on the right path."
There's more ... Ige is facing Calvin Kattar in the main event at "UFC Fight Night" on July 15 -- in a fight that could lead to a title shot down the line.
8:33 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the police report -- and the details are terrible.
UPDATE
Cops say the man who was punched in the video appeared to be unconscious when they arrived.
UPDATE
A witness told them the victim had smacked his head against the concrete after he was punched.
UPDATE
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and later spoke to cops ... but said he was experiencing memory problems due to the injury and didn't remember the punch or aftermath.
UPDATE
Cops also spoke with Perry who insisted he was just trying to leave the restaurant peacefully but people were "putting hands on me as I was trying to leave the building."
UPDATE
Perry admits to getting physical with multiple people -- but insists he was only reacting after the others had touched him first ... including the man he knocked down on video.
UPDATE
There's more ... a witness told police that during the altercation at Perry's table, the UFC fighter struck a woman who was ID'd as a friend of Perry's girlfriend. Unclear if she was injured in the incident.
'Platinum' Mike Perry -- a star in the UFC -- punched an elderly man in the face at a Texas restaurant Tuesday night in a violent, angry rage ... and the entire incident was caught on video.
Witnesses tell TMZ Sports ... the whole thing started when Perry got into a physical altercation with someone at his table at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock, TX around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night.
We're told a restaurant staffer approached Perry -- who had been ordering Berry Mojitos -- and asked him to leave the restaurant.
But instead of leaving, the witness says Perry PUNCHED the employee in the eye. We're told the employee suffered injuries.
That's when our video begins ... you can see people -- including Perry's girlfriend -- are trying to get Mike to leave the restaurant, but he won't go peacefully and drops several N-bombs on the way out.
It doesn't appear the N-word was directed at any Black people in the restaurant -- Perry is known to casually throw the word around in daily conversation.
As Perry and his GF left the dining area and walked outside, several men followed him out ... and things again escalated.
One of the older men got too close to Perry and Mike swung -- connecting with a haymaker from his right hand.
The older man went down -- and we're told he was later transported to a hospital with injuries.
As for Perry, he sat down on a ledge and challenged witnesses to call police -- which they did.
When cops arrived, we're told a report was taken but Perry was NOT arrested. We're still trying to get more info from law enforcement.
Aside from the alleged battery, we're told Perry also left without paying his bill and sources tell us the restaurant is considering pursuing a theft charge.
We reached out to Table 82 for comment and a rep for the restaurant told us, "Pending the criminal investigation, we prefer not to comment further because one of the victims was an employee of our company who had asked Mr. Perry to leave."
We reached out to Perry for comment but didn't hear back. However he did offer an official "no comment" on his Twitter page.
Perry is 14-6 as a professional MMA fighter -- defeating Mickey Gall on June 27 ... with his GF acting as his cornerman.
"Stop being a little salty bastard, get over [losing to me], 'cause I'm gonna do it again this weekend."
That's Alex Volkanovski comin' for Max Holloway's neck -- officially putting an end to their buddy-buddy relationship -- only days before their massive UFC 251 scrap on Fight Island.
The champ and former champ were super cool with each other ... but that all officially stopped when TMZ Sports talked to the 31-year-old featherweight titleholder, and asked if it'll be hard to hurt someone he likes.
"To be honest with ya, I don't go out to ever hurt my opponent, but we've got a job to do. I'm gonna punch his face either way, I'm gonna punch his head through the canvas is what I plan on doing."
Now, cue the beef.
"To be honest, he's sorta showing a side of himself that I haven't really seen before. Some of the things he's saying," AV says ... "He sounds like he's a little sour, he sounds a little salty about losing. Some of the things he's saying take me by surprise."
"I didn't take him to be a guy like that, to be a bit of a sore loser, I feel like I'm getting that out of him. But, again if he wants to act like that, so be it, it'll make punching him in the face even easier."
FYI, Volkanovski beat 28-year-old Holloway -- regarded by many as the greatest featherweight ever -- via unanimous decision in December 2019.
It's unclear exactly what Max -- who is seeking to avenge the L -- said to get Alex so fired up ... but the champ's adamant Saturday night will be less about revenge, and more about Holloway getting his head punched in.
"I can see myself hurting him, getting him to the ground, and if he's still going, just punching the head through the canvas."
Uh, yeaaaaaa, safe to say these guys ain't buds anymore.
Of course, Jorge won the BMF title in his UFC 244 (Nov. 2019) victory over Nate Diaz -- with UFC spending a TON of cash (around $50k) to get a special championship belt made.
Jorge hasn't fought since ... and now that he's finally getting back in the octagon, everyone wants to know if he's putting that belt on the line!
In fact, Usman -- the reigning UFC welterweight champ -- recently told us how BADLY he wants that belt.
But, bad news for Kamaru ... Dana says it ain't happening.
"It's not on the line," White tells TMZ Sports ... "Usman wants it to be on the line so bad, he will not stop texting me saying, 'I don't understand why this belt isn't on the line! This guy's running around saying he's the BMF champ!'"
"[Kamaru's] like, 'I wanna squash it all. [Masvidal's] not gonna win my title and I'm gonna take his BMF belt!'"
"Believe me," Dana says ... Usman has not stopped terrorizing me about this."
White says the BMF title fight was a "one and done" -- so, basically ... it's been retired.
There's a lot more ... Dana also tells us how he was able to put the Usman vs. Masvidal fight together so quickly after Gilbert Burns dropped out due to a positive COVID-19 test -- and if he ever considered using Colby Covington as a replacement fighter.
The whole thing goes down on July 11 at UFC 251 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi ... and White tells us, he's so excited about the location, he's looking to buy a house there!
White says he's planning to return to "Fight Island" for more UFC events after the initial 4-event run in July ... and confirms it will be a regular location for the UFC for years to come.
Ya gotta watch the video ... White even tells us about the FOOD in Abu Dhabi, and it sounds pretty incredible.
An awesome new twist in the Dana White vs. John Oliverfeud -- Dana is now selling UF-SEA t-shirts as John suggested ... with all of the proceeds going to one of John's favorite charities.
Okay, some brief backstory ...
Over the past few months, the 'Last Week Tonight' host has been clowning White over the name, Fight Island -- saying White would have been better off calling it UF-Sea.
"He was making fun of Fight Island," White says ... "Basically saying 'This idiot is gonna build an island where people could fight during COVID-19.'"
Dana tells TMZ Sports ... he ultimately took Oliver's advice and trademarked UF-Sea -- and now, he's getting ready to sell UF-Sea merchandise on the official UFC website starting this week.
White -- who says he's actually a John Oliver fan -- tells us he wants to use the attention to do something positive for people in need.
"I did some research on John Oliver," White says ... "One of his big charities is the Bob Woodruff Foundation."
FYI, the Bob Woodruff Foundation was established "to raise money to assist injured service members, veterans and their families."
"So that's one of [John's] big charities, so all the money from the UF-Sea- shirts are gonna go to one of John Oliver's charities."
So, buy a shirt -- it's funny ... and it's also for a really good cause.
Kamaru Usman says Jorge Masvidal's BMF belt IS on the line when they fight Saturday -- and he already knows where he'll keep it after he wins.
"After I go out there and beat his ass and ragdoll him, that sh*t is coming home with me so I can throw it in my closet."
Of course, Kamaru is the UFC's reigning welterweight champ -- and he was originally set to defend that belt against Gilbert Burns in the first main event on Fight Island.
But, when Gilbert tested positive for COVID and pulled out the fight over the weekend -- Masvidal stepped in and took his place.
Now, Kamaru says he's ready to rock ... and considers his new opponent nothing more than a "minor change."
"At the end of the day, when you’re in training camp, the way that I train, you see no face," Usman tells TMZ Sports.
"When I cross into that Octagon, I have to turn on the Nigerian nightmare and leave Kamaru Usman on the outside. And, so I see no face by the time I'm in there anyway."
"Now it's a little extra push to get in there and really do some damage."
Usman says he's the champ for a reason -- and Masvidal will learn the hard way that he's "definitely not Ben Askren."
Remember, Jorge's stock exploded when he slept Askren with a flying knee in the opening seconds of their fight at UFC 239.
A year ago today Jorge Masvidal delivered a first class ticket to the shadow realm to Ben Askren pic.twitter.com/gwElnX5aMu
"I'm smarter than doing something that silly and being put in that situation. So, I'm definitely not Ben Askren and he's definitely going to have to figure that out the hard way."
There's more ... Usman also told us why he thinks the Masvidal fight came together so quickly (in just a matter of hours).
11:47 AM PT -- Conor has sent a message of sympathy to his rival, Khabib, tweeting ... "The loss of a father, a coach, and a dedicated supporter of the sport. Condolences and rest in peace Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov."
Khabib Nurmagomedov's dad, Abdulmanap, has died from COVID-19 complications.
Abdulmanap was battling the virus for months but ultimately succumbed to it.
Khabib says his dad was struggling with COVID as far back as May, saying of his dad ... "He's in the hospital now, he's in very serious condition" after undergoing several surgeries.
His dad had a serious heart condition that required surgery a year earlier, putting him at risk for a bad outcome with COVID.
Khabib's dad was his longtime coach and a critical member of his team. And, his dad was incredibly successful as his son rose to the top of the UFC heap ... beating Conor McGregor.
Dustin -- who's still recovering from that WAR with Dan Hooker over the weekend -- is now the #2 ranked UFC lightweight, right behind Khabib and Justin.
Poirier has fought both of 'em already -- he beat Justin in 2018 but lost to Khabib in 2019.
Now, with Justin and Khabib squaring off at UFC 253 on Sept. 19, Dustin's in a pretty solid spot to fight the winner.
Dustin knows there are no guarantees in the UFC ... but he's convinced a Gaethje victory would put him in a much better position for a title shot.
"It’s more of a guaranteed lock for me to fight for the belt is Justin wins," Dustin says.
"I'm the last guy to beat him. I'm the only guy still in the organization who beat him. So it would make a lot of sense. And, I know he wants that fight as well."
So, how can Justin stop the seemingly indestructible Dagestani champion?
Dustin's got some ideas ...
"If Justin can keep his back off the fence, I believe he can out-scramble Khabib in the open."
"He just has such a pedigree in collegiate wrestling and that open mat area is going to be where Justin shines in the wrestling."
"If Khabib can get him against the fence, I believe Justin will be in trouble but we’ll see if he can stick to the game plan."
"I would assume that's gonna be his game plan -- to stay in the middle, make Khabib wrestle in the open and throw big punches."
And, if Khabib wins, Dustin says he's already been thinking about how he can correct the mistakes he made in the first fight and get the "W" in the rematch ... if Dana White gives him the shot.
There's more ... Dustin also told us about his plans to auction off his fight gear from the Hooker fight to help the less fortunate.
It took 400,000 man-hours and 350 tons of metal -- but now Fight Island is ready to roll and it looks AMAZING!!!
Dana White just dropped the hype video showing the tremendous effort it took to bring Fight Island to life in just a few months ... transforming part of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi into a city custom-built for the UFC.
Of course, Fight Island was created to provide a safe place for the UFC to host fights in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic -- so, there was clearly an emphasis on testing facilities on the premises.
There are 17 medical personnel stationed on the island, according to UFC -- and they've already administered more than 2,000 tests.
You can see in the video the massive construction effort it took to erect the main fight arena, the beach Octagon and other facilities necessary to host all of the upcoming UFC events.
White has said all fighters and their crews will undergo 5 rounds of testing -- starting with tests before they board their flights to Yas Island.
Once on the island, there will be 3 more rounds of testing before the fights -- and then a final post-fight test before fighters are allowed to fly home.
There is a massive security presence on the Island to keep things safe -- and Dana White is fired up!
"I can't wait to get there," White said.
The first event on Fight Island is UFC 251 on July 11 -- featuring some crazy bouts ... including Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns.
Arianny Celeste -- the most famous UFC Octagon girl ever -- has announced she's pregnant ... and will be stepping away from the cage for a bit.
34-year-old Celeste tells TMZ Sports ... she and her boyfriend, Taylor King, are expecting their first child in September.
Celeste says she hasn't been working UFC events recently due to the pregnancy -- and plans on taking some time off until after the baby is born. So, she won't make the trip to Fight Island for UFC 251.
But, don't worry, Celeste says after the kid is born she plans on returning to her job ... and tells us UFC -- including Dana White -- have been nothing but supportive.
Celeste has been working UFC fights since 2006 and blew up after that -- modeling for everyone from Playboy to Sports Illustrated and more.
Arianny says she doesn't know the sex of the kid yet -- but she's excited to find out.
Celeste and Taylor King (a professional photographer) have been dating for roughly a year ... and Arianny says he's her "soulmate and my best friend."
Oh, and if you like the maternity pics -- Taylor shot 'em!
Conor McGregor'slongtime coach says the UFC star is really retired -- "as far as I can tell" -- but admits things can change in a heartbeat.
Of course, Conor announced his retirement from MMA earlier this month -- the 3rd time he's "retired" in 4 years -- but nobody really believes he means it.
So, when JohnKavanagh decided to host a quick online Q&A this week -- he was peppered with questions about Conor's career.
QUESTION: Is Conor retired?
ANSWER: "Yes, he is as far as I can tell. It's what he said, isn't it!?
QUESTION: Can you convince him to come back?!
ANSWER: "I can't convince Conor to do sh*t. Conor will tell Conor what he's gonna do and who knows what's gonna happen in the future. But, for now, he's retired."
Someone asked how Conor would fare against the reigning welterweight champ Kamaru Usman -- and Kavanaugh gave an interesting answer to that as well.
"That would be interesting," John said ... nothing that "a very motivated Conor" could beat anyone around his weight class.
UFC's Dan Hooker admits he was initially "hesitant" about fighting in Nevada over the weekend due to the looming COVID threat ... but says he trusts Dana White to keep everyone safe.
30-year-old Hooker -- the #5 ranked UFC lightweight -- hails from New Zealand ... where the COVID numbers are incredibly low.
In fact, New Zealand has essentially been unscathed by coronavirus ... with only 1,170 confirmed cases, and 22 deaths.
To compare, the U.S. has more than 2.5 million confirmed cases ... with 126,000 deaths.
Nevada alone has roughly 11 times the number of cases as all of NZ.
"We have no cases actually in New Zealand and then coming over here I was a little bit hesitant to know about the safety precautions," Hooker tells us.
So, Hooker had a serious decision to make when White offered him the chance to fight Dustin Poirier on June 27 to headline UFC Fight Night at the APEX center in Vegas.
Hooker says he was reluctant to fly right into the COVID hornet's nest ... but ultimately he swayed after learning about the UFC's intense screening process.
"I feel comfortable. I've been here for 3 days and soon as we arrived, we got tested. Getting tested again [Friday], we get temperature checks every morning and they got security at every single door making sure that people can't come and go," Hooker says.
"I'm very confident in the precautions that the UFC has in place."
Now, Hooker is focused on Poirier -- the #3 ranked UFC lightweight ... and a win could put Hooker in the mix for a title shot.
FYI, Hooker is on a tear at the moment ... winning 7 of his last 8 fights over guys like Gilbert Burns, Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta.
Dustin Poirier says he's only interested in taking fights that will help him get closer to a title shot -- and a rematch with Conor McGregor wouldn't help his cause.
Remember, Poirier fought Conor bad in 2014 and lost in the 1st round -- but Dustin's been an ANIMAL ever since, beating stars like Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway.
In fact, Dustin is currently the #3 ranked UFC lightweight fighter -- with Conor behind him at #4.
Poirier tells TMZ Sports he thinks a win over Dan "The Hangman" Hooker on Saturday will get him closer to a title shot ... but he might need one more victory to seal the deal.
So, we asked if he'd be interested in McGregor after Hooker -- but Dustin says it just doesn't make sense.
"I mean I'd love to for the financial part of it but I'm not chasing grudge matches at this point in my life," Poirier says.
"I'd rather fight Tony Ferguson and get closer to the title but we'll see what happens."
Plus, as Dustin pointed out ... McGregor says he's retired from MMA ... so, it's not on the table anyway!
As for Dan Hooker -- who's on a 3-fight win streak -- Dustin says the key to victory is patience.
"It's a 5 round fight -- so pick my shots and wait for the big shot to be there. Don't force anything. I just need to be myself."
Jon Jonessays there's a silver lining to his March drunk driving arrest -- "it set me free in so many ways" -- and now he's focused on staying clean.
"It embarrassed me, it reality-checked me," Jones said on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast ... "I've never been on camera drunk for the public to see like that."
"It was humiliating, and somewhat of a bottom for me -- and I'm ready to snap it into high gear."
As we previously reported, Jones was arrested around 1 AM on March 26 after cops responded to reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque area.
When cops found Jones alone in his Jeep, he appeared intoxicated and admitted to drinking earlier in the evening.
32-year-old Jones later plead guilty to DWI and was sentenced to 1 year probation, ordered to house arrest and forced to wear an ankle monitor.
During Steve-O's podcast, Jones said he's been thinking deeply about his life ever since his arrest ... and he's trying to cut out the bad influences who have led him astray in the past.
Jones also says the COVID-19 pandemic is helping him learn how to stay away from the party scene -- "detach from the nightlife."
"The coronavirus really helped though -- it helped me learn how to stay home on Fridays and Saturdays."
"Before the world got put on hold, I had this fear of missing out ... and coronavirus helped me realize 'Jon you're not missing anything out there.' And, anything that really matters is happening during the day time with your wife and kids."
Jones also talked about his work with the C.A.R.E. project -- which is raising money and support for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in NM.
"I'm trying to create a life of more substance outside the UFC," Jones says.
