UFC

Jon Jones has tested positive for steroids in his UFC 214 victory over Daniel Cormier ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... Jones tested positive for Turinabol -- an anabolic steroid.

Jones won the July 29 fight -- taking the UFC light heavyweight belt from Cormier with a savage head kick followed by a barrage of punishing punches to Cormier's head.

Jones will now go through the disciplinary process and his title could be stripped, which would make the fight a "no contest" and the title would go back to Cormier.

It's the second time Jones has failed a USADA drug test. He tested positive for banned substances in 2016 before UFC 200 and was pulled from the main event. Jones got socked with a 1 year ban.

We're told this time around, he could be banned for up to 4 years.

Jones had blamed his previous failed test on a male enhancement pill. He claimed he didn't realize the pill contained a banned substance and insisted he was NOT trying to gain a competitive edge.

If the test results hold up, it's unclear how he'll explain his way out of this one.

Story developing ...

7:25 PM PT -- A rep for Jon Jones released the following statement ... "We are all at a complete loss for words right now. Jon, his trainers, his nutritionists and his entire camp have worked tirelessly and meticulously the past 12 months to avoid this exact situation."

"We are having the samples tested again to determine the validity or source of contamination. Jon is crushed by this news and we are doing whatever we can as a team to support him."

7:01 PM PT -- A rep for Daniel Cormier tells TMZ Sports ... "It is very hard not to feel cheated. Again!"

6:25 PM PT -- The UFC released a statement saying they were notified today by USADA of a "potential Anti-Doping Policy violation violation stemming from an in-competition sample collected following [Jones] weigh-in on July 28, 2017" ... the day before UFC 214.

The statement goes on to say, "under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed."

Things got real heated between Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi at a fight media event in Vegas moments ago -- with Paulie getting right in Conor's face, teasing him about his balls.

Paulie kept repeating to Conor, "Did you bring your balls?"

Conor reached out and put his hand on Paulie's shoulder and said, "You got your ass whooped. Get over it."

Paulie is furious with Conor for releasing a sparring video from his training camp which showed him knocking Paulie down in the ring.

Paulie claims the video was edited to make him look bad. Conor's camp says that's BS.

Paulie will be part of the Showtime announcing team working the Mayweather fight -- but Showtime says it's not worried about slanted coverage.

WWE superstar The Miz has a Plan B in mind for Conor McGregor after he fights Floyd Mayweather ... and it ain't the UFC!

We asked Miz if Conor should join him in WWE after MayMac is a wrap -- and his answer was a resounding HELL YEAH.

Miz told us McGregor can "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" -- and that his skills on the mic would make him a huge star in the squared circle.

But even though the WWE intercontinental champ LOVES Conor's shtick ... he ain't exactly sold on him out-boxing Floyd.

McGregor's got plenty of options after taking on TBE, of course ... but he might wanna avoid the WWE after trashin' Brock Lesnar and most of the roster last year.

So much for an impartial announcer ...

One of the guys commentating on the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight hates Conor McGregor's guts with a passion ... which begs the question, why is Showtime allowing Paulie Malignaggi to call it?!

Paulie was Conor's training camp sparring partner until a nasty breakup last month. Since then, Paulie's been on a media blitz, blasting Conor to every media outlet that will have him on.

He's called McGregor everything from a dirtbag to a bum fighter -- and insinuated that he was set up by McGregor's people to be a fall guy in order to make Conor look like a legit boxer.

Despite the declaration of war, Showtime says Paulie will remain on the broadcast team -- they see the situation as a "non-story."

But it's a big story ... commentators have a BIG influence on how the public sees the fight and a constant, slanted trashing of McGregor could unfairly hurt his image.

In most cases, announcers tasked with working major sporting events like NFL or MLB games are mandated by networks to keep their opinions to themselves until the game.

Demi Lovato has signed on to sing the national anthem at the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight on August 26 ... Showtime has confirmed.

Lovato is a HUUUUGE fight fan. She's not only a regular at UFC fights, but also trains MMA at Jay Glazer's gym in Los Angeles.

She also just released her new single, "Sorry Not Sorry," last month -- so the timing is great for her.

Also, Diddy and Mark Wahlberg are making a $200k bet on the fight (doubling down on their Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight bet).

Diddy has Floyd. Mark has Conor. Mark lost the first bet and paid the money to charity. Guessing it's the same plan for this fight.

Conor McGregor is literally puffing his chest at Floyd Mayweather -- showing off the crazy physique he's been training for ... with just days left until the biggest fight of his life.

The Irish superstar posed down at the UFC Performance Institute in Vegas -- saying, "The final rev of the engine on the Conor McGregor Fast conditioning program tonight! What a camp it has been!"

He then got into his green Lamborghini to cool off.

TMZ Sports has put our investigative resources to good use ... and found out the identities of the Corona Girls who've been tapped to work the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight.

You're welcome.

Meet Kyra Keli, Tawny Jordan, Jessica Harbour, and Samantha Kumiko ... 4 of the women who will be working the ring during the August 26 fight.

As we previously reported, Corona won the bid to become the official beer sponsor of the fight and will provide the ring girls.

We're told the women are STOKED -- not only because they're getting the best seats in the house for the fight, but they feel like they'll be showcased to a HUGE audience!

Huge sporting events mean huge money for sex workers ... but cops in Vegas have a message for tourists -- if you're gonna pay for it, KEEP IT LEGAL!

If you like smokin' hot women in bikinis, here's some good news, bad news about the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight ...

Bad news ... the UFC's legendary Octagon girls will NOT be working the event.

Good news ... we're told the Corona Girls will handle ring card duties instead -- and they ain't no slouches!

Here's the deal ... Corona won the bid to become the official beer of the fight -- which means they get prime in-ring promotion, which includes the beautiful women holding the ring cards.

So, what will the Octagon girls be doing on August 26? Hustlin' baby!

We spoke with Arianny Celeste, who says she'll be hosting a fight party in Miami ... and, shocker, she's rooting for Conor.

The Floyd Mayweather/Conor McGregor fight will be riddled with celebrities ... and TMZ Sports knows some who will be front and center.

Here's a partial list:

-- Angelina Jolie

-- Drake

-- Elon Musk

-- Diddy

-- Mark Wahlberg

-- Denzel Washington

-- Charlize Theron

-- LL Cool J

-- Jamie Foxx

-- LeBron James

-- Bob Kraft

-- Rick Ross

-- Adam Levine

-- Michael Bay

-- Avicii

-- Jeff Beacher

Daniel Cormier just rejected Jon Jones' friend request -- but the good news ... it sounds like they don't hate each other as much as they used to.

Remember, the animosity between the two was legendary -- they trashed each other for years in public and in private and called each other every bad name in the book.

But after Jones defeated Cormier at UFC 214 in July, JJ offered the olive branch -- and then told TMZ Sports he hoped the two would be friends one day.

Well, Cormier finally responded Wednesday night on FS1's "UFC Tonight" -- and politely declined the offer.

"Friendship would be very difficult for us to achieve because of our history," Cormier said ... "And I'm okay with that. I've always said that we don't have to be friends."

Cormier says he respects Jones as an athlete -- and still wants another rematch.

"In terms of going forward, we will be professional because we have to ... until the cage door closes again."

Floyd Mayweather Sr. is coming out swingin' at Justin Bieber -- saying the pop star doesn't know a DAMN THING about boxing if he thinks Conor's gonna go the distance.

Remember, Bieber -- Floyd Jr.'s longtime friend -- recently shot down the idea that Mayweather would K.O. McGregor ... and that ain't sittin' too well with Floyd Sr.

"Justin Bieber ... he don't even know boxing," Floyd's dad told us at LAX ... "He knows Floyd. But he don't know Floyd like I know Floyd."

Floyd Sr. also went in on Vegas gamblers putting their money on Conor -- saying they're crazy ... and a bet on Floyd is like taking free money!

Floyd Mayweather says he's putting business before pleasure -- and won't have sex before he fights Conor McGregor.

It's an old superstition that's been around the boxing game for years. You remember Mick from the 'Rocky' movies famously said, "Women weaken legs."

Floyd seems to agree. Conor McGregor has a different strategy.

"That is most certainly a superstition that I do not abide by," Conor told Conan O'Brien back in 2015 ... "I definitely have as much sex as possible."

So, to bang or not to bang? That is the question ...

They thought they were slick ... dozens of websites aiming to livestream the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight for free.

But Showtime is preemptively striking the potential pirates with a big, fat lawsuit ... mateys.

The network is ripping a page from the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao playbook -- where they scouted out a bunch of potential illegal streaming sites and hit 'em with a legal blow before the fight.

There's obviously a TON of cash on the line -- some say the fight could bring in more than $500 MILLION ... so, they ain't lookin to let anyone skim from their pockets.

In the suit, filed in federal court, Showtime is asking a judge to issue an injunction to block the sites from streaming the August 26 fight -- and they'll probably get it.

Even Floyd Mayweather's closest friends don't think the boxer has a real shot of knocking out Conor McGregor next weekend ... just ask Justin Bieber.

Mayweather told the media last week he's gunning to finish the UFC star long before the 12th round when they clash on August 26. Tons of boxing experts are also predicting a K.O.

But not Biebs.

The singer hit up Runyon Canyon for his own workout when he poo-poo'd the knockout talk -- though it's clear he's still pickin' Floyd to get the W.

Bieber's been hardcore Team Mayweather for years -- and even walked the boxer into the ring for the Pacquaio fight.

Jon Jones says he's a fool for passing up a chance to hang with Muhammad Ali ... and tells TMZ Sports the regret's still eatin' him up.

In a few words -- "That really sucked."

Jones has met a who's who of legendary fighters in his life ... but told us he backed out of a dinner with The Greatest cause he was afraid to see one of his heroes in such a bad way.

Ali battled Parkinson's for years and one of his friends advised him not to meet with his hero because Ali was a shell of his former self and "it won't be everything that you thought it would."