UFC

UFC 222's breakout star didn't have to wait long to get his next fight ... Brian Ortega just announced he'll be facing Max Holloway for the featherweight belt!

Ortega -- who viciously KO'd Frankie Edgar on Saturday -- broke the news on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs Monday night on FS1) ... telling the guys Dana White confirmed he's next in line for Max.

No word on when or where it's going down -- but you can bet it'll be a scrap. Brian's undefeated in his MMA career ... and Holloway hasn't lost in over 4 YEARS.

Dana alluded to making the matchup after 222, saying he'd "make that fight immediately" as soon as Holloway's injured leg got cleared by a doctor.

Looks like the UFC honcho didn't wanna wait ... and can you blame him after seeing Brian's uppercut from hell?!

"Sugar" Sean O'Malley put on a weed-smoking CLINIC at his UFC 222 after-party -- taking down blunt after blunt, including a UFC-themed super-blunt ... and it's all on video.

After piecing up Andre Soukhamthath to go to 10-0, the UFC's newest star broke out his signature "Sugar Show OG" strain ... and got down to business with some bros in Vegas.

The reefer madness wasn't just for fun, either -- O'Malley legit needed the herbal meds after wrecking his foot during the fight.

But, Sean wasn't satisfied with puffin' on some regular ass blunts ... so he busts out a golden blunt the size of a UFC glove!!!

O'Malley claims there were 90 grams in the thing -- and we're not about to second-guess him.

Just a month ago, Oscar De La Hoya told us Floyd Mayweather would get strangled unconscious in 10 SECONDS in a UFC fight.

But now, Oscar's pullin' a 180 -- telling us he truly believes Floyd "can do well" if he steps inside the Octagon.

Don't get it twisted -- Oscar hasn't forgotten about the Floyd-Conor McGregor "circus" pulling attention off the first Canelo vs. GGG fight ... but it seems like he's turned a new leaf with Canelo-GGG 2 taking center stage on May 5.

"I wish him all the best," De La Hoya told TMZ Sports. "If a boxer, and one of my colleagues, is gonna go inside the cage, I obviously have to go and support Floyd."

Cris "Cyborg" Justino brought her hardware to the post-UFC party Saturday night in Vegas, after annihilating her opponent in quick fashion.

Cyborg clutched her belt at the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay -- the official UFC after-party.

She hardly broke a sweat in destroying Yana Kunitskaya in the Octagon. Her TKO in round 1 brought her string of victories to 20.

DJ Baby Yu got in the pic as Cyborg smiled for the camera. She also spent time posing with fans.

Sean O'Malley was at a smaller party with friends ... he won his match in a decision, made all the more impressive because he jacked his foot up in the final round. BTW, Sean's entrance song was "Party in the USA!!!"

Epic news, gamers -- the best thing since "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out" is on the way ... 'cause Floyd Mayweather says he's following in Tyson's footsteps and creating HIS OWN video game!!

At his 41st birthday bash, Floyd told TMZ Sports he's already "working on" bringing TBE to video game consoles around the world ... and -- like all things Floyd -- he's gonna have "ownership" in it to make sure it comes out right.

FYI, the gaming community's been starved for a legit boxing game for years -- so this is a huge deal.

It's been rumored EA might be dropping a new "Fight Night" ... but Floyd told us he ain't gonna be in it if they do -- "Before I do anything, I have to have some ownership."

Bonus: In case you missed the Punch-Out craze, here's a tribute ft. Mayweather himself ...

Cain Velasquez ain't really gunnin' for a WWE career -- so says his BFF, Daniel Cormier ... who tells us Cain's Brock Lesnar call-out at "Elimination Chamber" was just for fun.

Velasquez, who beat Brock for the UFC heavyweight championship back in 2010, hit up his first WWE event with Cormier last weekend ... and teased a fight with the Beast inside the squared circle.

"I could feel at home here! Brock Lesnar, I wouldn't mind taking another belt from you," Cain said on social media.

But Daniel tells TMZ Sports Cain was messin' around -- 'cause that's the kinda guy he is when he's not smashing his opponents' faces in.

That said, Cormier says Cain is dead set on making his UFC comeback this summer -- and wants to fight on the same card he's headlining vs. Stipe Miocic (UFC 226).

As for his opponent ... DC says that's TBD -- but we all know the door's open for Brock to return.

Cris Cyborg says there ain't a chance Ronda Rousey would come back to fight her in the UFC ... so, she's lettin' Ronda know she's 100% down to rumble in her new home -- WWE!!

We spoke to Cyborg before her upcoming fight with Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 222 ... and had to get her thoughts on Rousey -- Cris' ex-UFC rival who she literally wanted to "kill" back in the day.

Cyborg told TMZ Sports she's over the beef ... but would gladly accept an invite to toss her around in the ring.

The only problem -- "If she don't fight (me) in MMA, I don't think she gonna agree fight (me) in WWE."

But, Cris says she's got a plan to get Ronda's attention -- and it involves a STEEL CHAIR.

Before Ronda eats steel, Cyborg's gotta take out Yana -- a UFC newcomer who told us she's got the goods to pull off the MASSIVE upset.

We'll see ...

UFC rising star Brian Ortega lives by the warrior code -- anyone, anytime, anywhere -- and says those rules apply even if you're a 78-year-old woman!!

We got "T-City" and Bruce Buffer on the TMZ Sports TV show earlier this week ... and Buff told us Ortega's so game, he'd literally kick anyone's ass at a moment's notice.

Our guy, Van, countered with the freakshow fight of a lifetime -- a matchup with his own grandma!!

Brian's response -- "How much money we getting paid?"

SHUT IT DOOOWN.

Real talk, Ortega's got a huge scrap vs. ex-champ Frankie Edgar -- a fighter he considers "a legend" -- at UFC 222 this Saturday.

Guessing he'll be a tougher test than Van's grammy ... just by a little.

At least one big UFC star believes Jon Jones ... with Tyron Woodley saying he DOESN'T think the embattled MMA fighter intentionally took steroids before UFC 214.

Jones has suggested an enemy may have slipped anabolic steroids into his workout supplements in order to sabotage his career ... and while Tyron wouldn't go that far, he explains why he doubts Jon would ever knowingly 'roid up.

It all went down on "The Hollywood Beatdown" -- where Tyron also questioned why Jones' reputation is in shambles after his PED test ... but Brock Lesnar (who also tested positive) is still a huge fan favorite.

There's more ... Woodley also weighs in on Deontay Wilder's claim he could beat Mike Tyson in the prime of Mike's career and also breaks down Wilder's upcoming fight against Luis Ortiz!

Daniel Cormier ain't about to throw a pity party for Jon Jones ... saying his rival got what's coming to him with his steroids suspension.

"He put himself in all these situations -- these were not forced on you. That's his reality now," Cormier told TMZ Sports.

FYI, Jones got slapped a 1-year ban from the California Athletic Commission earlier this week ... and is still facing a max 4-YEAR ban from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for failing a drug test before his UFC 214 fight vs. DC.

But Daniel says he ain't getting hung up on Jon's PED saga ... 'cause he's got bigger and better things to worry about.

"I've moved on," Cormier said. "I've disconnected myself from that man and his issues."

DC says all he cares about now is becoming a 2-weight champ by beating Stipe Miocic -- who he just finished filming 'TUF 27' with -- at UFC 226.

But, ya gotta wonder ... could Daniel possibly fight Jones after that scrap?

Cormier confirmed his retirement timeline with us, and things ain't looking great for Jon ...

Snoop's favorite UFC fighter -- "Sugar" Sean O'Malley -- says he's beyond stoked to make his Pay-per-View debut on the main card of UFC 222.

But, Sugar tells TMZ Sports he's just as excited for his post-fight party -- 'cause he's debuting his own custom weeeeeeed after the scrap!!

O'Malley says his buddha-smokin' bros just whipped up Sugar Show OG -- a brand new hybrid strain -- in honor of his big night ... and there'll be plenty getting passed around Saturday night.

Can't say we're surprised -- this is the same kid who smoked up with Snoop hours after winning a UFC contract.

Sugar says he's been getting his fair share of hate since then 'cause the UFC's been giving him Conor McGregor-level hype ... but told us he ain't trippin' off it.

Think we know why ...

UFC newcomer Mackenzie Dern is flattered by all the Ronda Rousey comparisons, but says she's her own woman ... and wants to accomplish EVEN MORE than Ronda in MMA!!

We talked to the jiu-jitsu phenom before her debut at UFC 222 ... and she laid out why labeling her Rousey 2.0 ain't right -- even though both women are known for ripping their opponents' arms off.

"It's nice that people think that, but I'm not the next Ronda Rousey," Dern told TMZ Sports. "We are two different people, different personalities, different histories, different obstacles ... it's a new era."

That said, Mackenzie told us she's gunnin' for it all -- and hopes to achieve "at least as much, if not more" than the UFC's first female trailblazer.

Gonna have to tune in Saturday to see if she passes her first test, 'TUF' alum Ashley Yoder, but one thing's for sure ... she's got the look.

LeBron better start knucklin' up ... 'cause the baller he's been beefin' with is getting boxing lessons from a UFC superstar!!

That superstar is former middleweight champ Chris Weidman -- who came through Knicks practice on Wednesday to chill with his hometown hoops squad ... including Bron's trash-talkin' rival, Enes Kanter.

Weidman shot around with Enes -- but it looks like they had more fun strappin' on the gloves to get the Turkish big man ready for a potential throwdown with the King.

"Hey @kingjames, I've been training my guy @eneskanter11. Best think twice before messing with the Orange and Blue again," Chris tweeted at LeBron.

FYI, Kanter called LBJ a "queen" and a "princess" after they got in each other's faces in November ... and trolled him after a game last month, too.

Stipe Miocic is from Cleveland, Bron -- might be time to reach out.

The baddest woman on the planet ain't afraid of taking on Floyd Mayweather inside an MMA cage ... and she's laying out exactly how she'd smash him.

We spoke with UFC champ Cris Cyborg ahead of her 2nd title defense this weekend at UFC 222 ... and had to ask how she thinks she'd fare against Floyd, who's talked to Dana White about potentially taking a fight for the UFC.

Cyborg didn't back down -- telling TMZ Sports all the tools she'd have to bust out to put Mayweather to sleep.

Of course, that's a fantasy matchup we're never gonna see (well, maybe in Japan) ... so if ya wanna catch Cyborg, you're gonna have to tune in this Saturday when she scraps with Yana Kunitskaya.

Jon Jones is officially BANNED from fighting in California ... at least for now ... after the California Athletic Commission revoked his fight license over a positive steroids test at UFC 214.

Jones is eligible to apply for reinstatement in August 2018 -- one year retroactive from his failed drug test.

Jones was also hit with a $205,000 fine -- 40% of his fight purse from the Daniel Cormier fight -- the largest fine the C.A.C. could levy.

The punishment was handed out after a terrible hearing for Jones -- who was grilled like a cheeseburger over the steroid test and other screw-ups in his life.

But, the worst moment for Jones undoubtedly came when he admitted he never completed USADA's anti-doping tutorials in 2015 ... despite the fact he signed paperwork saying he did.

Jon later said his management team took the tutorials for him and forged his signature.

As for the steroid test ... Jon testified that he had no idea how the the anabolic steroid Turinabol got into his system. Jones insisted he never knowingly took the substance and suggested it may have been planted in his workout supplements by an enemy.

"I have no clue how this happened," Jones told the panel. "My luck has been terrible when it comes to USADA."

And the worst could still be yet to come for Jones ... who will meet with USADA later this year.

Canelo Alvarez says he wouldn't be caught dead in an MMA cage 'cause he's got too much love and respect for boxing ... unlike Floyd Mayweather.

With all the buzz about Floyd possibly taking a UFC fight, we had to ask Canelo if he'd consider crossing over, too.

Canelo shut that down quick -- and shaded his former rival in the process.

"I respect boxing. Boxing's my sport. That's what I love. The other sport, that's something we'll never know," he told TMZ Sports.

As for Floyd -- "With him you never know ... but you know what? Whatever he does doesn't interest me."

Of course, Canelo's focus is on his May 5 rematch vs. GGG ... and both guys let us know why this one's a way bigger deal than their first matchup.