UFC

It was just a matter of time, but Conor McGregor has finally been sued by a UFC fighter for that April bus attack at Barclay's Center where he threw a steel dolly through a window, injuring several people.

The man behind the first lawsuit is Michael Chiesa -- who was scheduled to fight Anthony Pettis at UFC 223 but was forced to pull out due to the injuries he received in the bus attack.

As we previously reported, Chiesa was on the bus with several fighters and UFC staffers when Conor and his gang of hooligans went berserk. Chiesa suffered cuts to his body and face.

According to the lawsuit filed in state court in New York, Chiesa says he also suffered "severe emotional distress, mental trauma and/or bodily harm."

Chiesa is suing McGregor for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He's also going after the Barclay's Center for negligence, claiming they failed "to engage in proper security measures to protect the plaintiff and other patrons."

Chiesa doesn't specify how much he's going after in the suit -- but he's clearly looking for a big number because part of the damages he's seeking are the paychecks he lost due to missing that massive UFC event.

Conor was arrested after the incident and charged with felony criminal mischief and 3 counts of misdemeanor assault. However, he later struck a plea deal with prosecutors in which he pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and the other counts (including the felony) were dropped.

Conor issued a statement thanking the D.A. for "allowing me to move forward."

There were other fighters injured in the attack including Rose Namajunas who has also told the media she was emotionally scarred. She hasn't sued yet, but that's only a matter of time.

Tyron Woodley says his skull-crushing victory over Darren Till at UFC 228 solidifies him as the greatest welterweight fighter of ALL TIME ... putting him over Georges St-Pierre.

"The Chosen One" was fired up Monday morning after notching his 4th title defense in a row -- but admitted to TMZ Sports his elbow and hands were sore from bashing in Till's face.

"I don't think [he landed one shot on me]. I think the stats show one, but I didn't feel one. His head connected with my elbow a lot. That motherf**ker is sore," Tyron said.

"I'm like, 'Damn! What's your head made out of?!'"

As far as his legacy is concerned, Tyron says there's no question -- "I am the greatest welterweight of all time. No disrespect to Georges St-Pierre, but I don't have to fight him to prove that."

Tyron goes on to explain why he deserves the #1 spot over GSP.

By the way, Tyron has previously called out GSP to his face on "The Hollywood Beatdown" back in November ... but St-Pierre wouldn't commit to a scrap.

By the way, we also asked Tyron if there's a chance he'd fight Conor McGregor down the line -- since the two had beef backstage at UFC 205 back in 2016 ... and Tyron's definitely down.

Tyron told us Conor needs to focus on getting through Khabib Nurmagomedov next month first -- and then "maybe" the two can work something out.

Ex-MMA star War Machine insists he's no longer the woman-beating maniac he used to be -- he's found Jesus and changed his life ... and he's begging his ex-GF for forgiveness.

War Machine's story made national headlines -- he was a super talented UFC fighter who lost it all in 2014 when he viciously attacked his then-girlfriend, Christy Mack, when he caught her with another man.

Mack's injuries were horrific -- 18 broken bones, broken eye socket, broken nose and a lacerated liver. The other victim, Corey Thomas, was choked out and bitten before escaping.

War Machine was eventually convicted on 29 felony counts and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 36 years.

Now, the imprisoned fighter -- real name Jon Koppenhaver -- is speaking for the first time from behind bars as part of a documentary by Jon Bravo ... and he's expressing serious remorse.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret that, and I hate it," he says.

"Nobody hates me as much as I hate the man that I used to be."

Machine says he initially blamed Christy for the incident because she was cheating on him -- but has now realized none of it was her fault ... he was the bad guy, period.

"From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to Christy. I'm sorry, Christy."

Conor McGregor just got called the HELL out, and not by a scrub either ...

The guy doing the talking is 28-0 welterweight champ Keith "One Time" Thurman, who says he'd destroy Conor on any shaped mat -- that includes Octagons.

McGregor has obviously tried his hand at boxing before, getting beat up by Floyd Mayweather in Vegas last summer ... Keith told TMZ Sports if he ever got his hands on Conor, it'd be WORSE.

"I'd beat Conor McGregor's ass, I'd beat his ass. He would've got knocked out. If he fought a real young welterweight ... he would've got knocked out for the whole world to see."

He's obviously referring to the boxing ring -- but if you think Thurman is scared to beat Conor at HIS game ... you're wrong.

"I'll take Conor in the Octagon. Ain't like he's throwing a lot of kicks anyway."

BTW ... anyone wondering when Keith is coming back to boxing, he addresses his future below, and it seems either Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, or Manny Pacquiao is in for a headache.

NBA stud Deron Williams was once offered a real-deal fight with Greg Hardy ... and wanna guess what his response was??

Yeah, it was a firm HELL NO.

Deron is actually a pretty legit MMA fighter ... dude has a serious wrestling background and he even co-owns Fortis MMA in Dallas where 3 fighters on the UFC 228 card train.

In fact ... UFC heavyweight Rashad Coulter -- who works out with Williams -- tells TMZ Sports, "He's a good wrestler and has fast hands."

But, when word of those skills got around to the Legacy Fighting Alliance -- where Hardy used to scrap -- they asked if Deron wanted to fight Greg ... D-Will's response was a swift no.

"Are they crazy right now!?" Williams says.

"Greg Hardy has to cut weight to make 265. You think I'm getting in there with that animal!?"

Williams tells us there is one scenario where he might step into the Octagon for real -- albeit not against Hardy -- saying he'd be down to fight one day for charity.

As for his basketball future ... Williams sure seems like he's done with the NBA -- although he ain't officially closing that door yet.

UFC champ Tyron Woodley says he LOVES that Nike signed Colin Kaepernick -- because it's inspiring and brave ... and he strongly believes the QB is continuing the legacy of Muhammad Ali.

"When Muhammad Ali died, I think [Kaepernick] took the torch."

Tyron says Kaep could have easily taken his NFL money and shut up somewhere -- ignoring the glaring issues when it comes to police brutality against minorities ... but he did the courageous thing and spoke out.

... just like Ali.

There's a lot more on this episode of 'The Hollywood Beatdown' -- including Tyron's weight cut for his UFC 228 fight against Darren Till.

Tyron tells us everything about all of his last minute preparations -- including final meals and what music he listens to right before walking into the Octagon.

It's great stuff.

Ex-UFC fighter Melvin Guillard -- who fought the likes of Nate Diaz and Justin Gaethje -- brutally attacked and KO'd a man in a Colorado bar ... and now cops are on the hunt.

TMZ Sports has obtained surveillance footage which shows the 35-year-old getting into it with several people at Bar Standard in Denver around 2 AM on Monday morning.

After some pushing and shoving, you can see Guillard -- with his trademark bleach blonde hair -- cold-cock a bar patron in the face ... knocking the guy out cold before he hit the floor.

The victim was clearly unconscious and people ran to tend to him -- while a female patron tried to attack Guillard in retaliation. Guillard hit her too.

TMZ Sports spoke with a Denver Police Dept. spokesperson who told us several witnesses were able to identify the attacker as Guillard ... and now a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Guillard was a pretty promising MMA fighter when he first started out -- appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter" season 2. He famously scored a victory against UFC stud Jeremy Stephens back in 2010.

But, he also got his ass kicked a lot ... chalking up Ls to guys like Nate Diaz, Israel Adesanya, Justin Gaethje, Michael Johnson and Donald Cerrone.

The UFC is the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you're one of the guys who sold it for max profit ... and later got some of the biggest names in music for your kid's wedding.

Frank Fertitta's daughter, Kelley, got hitched this weekend in Vegas to her man, Tyler, in what turned out to be one hell of a shindig -- 'cause they got guys like Bruno Mars, John Mayer and Seal to perform live. Needless to say ... that can't come cheap.

It all went down Saturday at the Red Rock Casino, with Bruno clearly being the biggest name on the bill. Based on video that was taken up close, it looks like he had close to a full band performing with him ... and belted out a few songs as part of his set.

John Mayer's performance from the rehearsal dinner appeared to be a bit more low-key and subtle (that's kinda his thing) ... but Seal's time on the mic day-of seemed to be the most intimate. He was on the dance floor singing to (and with, honestly) the crowd around him. Other notable guests of honor included EDM DJ Marshmello ... and none other than the king of UFC himself, Dana White.

In case you weren't familiar, Frank and his brother, Lorenzo, bought UFC back in 2001 for $2 million ... and sold it just a couple years ago for a reported $4 BILLION. So yeah ... the Fertatti family's set for life. It's no wonder they could snag such A-list talent -- they're freakin' loaded!!

Fresh off snatchin' James Vick's soul, Justin Gaethje's got a wish list of 3 of the baddest MF'ers in the UFC -- Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Gaethje joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weeknights on FS1) just days after his devastating 87 second KO victory ... and he ain't lookin' to wait long before stepping back in the Octagon.

"Now, I needed this so bad. We're right back in the mix," Gaethje says ... "I'll even fight the loser of Khabib and Conor. Hell, I'm in."

Gaethje also says he's got work for Tony Ferguson -- who's fighting on the Conor-Khabib UFC 229 card in October.

"If something happens with Anthony Pettis. He stubs his toe, rolls an ankle. I'm in. I'll fight October 6th verse [Ferguson]. That's for damn sure."

"He's coming off a leg injury. I'll go in there and chop it off the rest of the way."

Mike Perry is hoping for a second shot at a first impression with Jon Jones ... 'cause the UFC fighter was HIGH AS BALLS when the two met earlier this month -- and he says Jon kinda hated him for it.

The hilarious tale all went down after Mike landed in Albuquerque to train at Jackson Wink MMA Academy ... when Perry decided eating a weed brownie before meeting one of the best ever would be a good idea.

"I had this f*cking brownie, and I was dead when Jon came through," Mike says.

"I didn't know it was going to be like that! So, Jon's like a little disappointed in me, because our first meeting the other day I was high as hell on some brownie!!"

Mike says he tried to mend the fences ... and he thinks he might have salvaged it -- 'cause he says Jon's agreed to grapple with him.

3:30PM PT -- Diaz released a statement addressing the case ...

"I'm grateful this case is finally over, I want to thank my team and my lawyer Ross Goodman for the excellent work. But most importantly, I want to thank the fans who stuck by me throughout this process. I'm happy to put this chapter of my life behind me and I'm looking forward to focusing on my return."

Nick Diaz is officially off the hook in his felony domestic violence case ... at least, according to the UFC star's attorney.

As we previously reported ... Diaz was arrested back in May after a woman claimed he slammed her to the ground and choked her in a Las Vegas home.

When cops arrived, officers say the woman had injuries -- she was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Diaz was facing 3 felony domestic violence charges and a misdemeanor -- serious business.

But now, Diaz's attorney Ross Goodman has told ESPN ... prosecutors have thrown out the case and Nick is in the clear.

"[Nick is] grateful the District Attorney's office was fair and thoughtful in reviewing this case based on the evidence," Goodman said to ESPN.

"Truth delayed is better than no truth at all and I trust that the ultimate dismissal of all charges with prejudice will be viewed as total vindication for Nick and clears his name from being associated with such horrific but false allegations."

We spoke with Nick after the incident -- and he joked that he was framed.

The biggest fight in UFC history will end in a loss for Conor McGregor -- 'cause he's NEVER fought a dude with strength like Khabib ... so says UFC star Kelvin Gastelum.

Kelvin tells TMZ Sports he's heard all about Khabib from other fighters ... and he sees no way McGregor will be able to overcome his power when they square off at UFC 229.

"Every time somebody speaks about Khabib, they tell me how strong he is and how he feels like a heavyweight once he gets a hold of you," Gastelum says.

"So, I feel like if he grabs a hold of Conor, he's never felt that kind of pressure and I think Khabib will get it done."

Kelvin's bold fight predictions didn't stop there ... 'cause he also tells us he's going to win his upcoming title bout with Robert Whittaker -- and he's even giving us the round it'll end in!!

By the way ... there's still no date set for that fight while Robert recovers from a broken hand.

Conor McGregor told Floyd Mayweather he can take that olive branch he offered and shove it ... saying, "There is no peace here, kid."

Remember ... Floyd gushed over McGregor to TMZ Sports on Monday, calling the Irish fighter a "warrior" and even inviting him to train for the Khabib fight at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Vegas.

But Conor clearly wants no part of that ... declining Floyd's offer on Tuesday with a fat middle finger.

"F*ck the Mayweathers, except Senior and Roger," Conor said.

"There is no peace here, kid. Step up or step down."

Floyd responded to Conor's tweet later Tuesday night by posting a pic from the fight ... saying "Easiest 9 figures I ever made!"

Obviously ... there's still bad blood on Conor's end from when the two fought in the boxing ring last August. McGregor lost ... and then had to deal with Floyd's trash talk over their Forbes List rankings (Floyd #1, Conor #4) a few months later.

Eryk Anders' opponent at UFC Fight Night really made an impression ... leaving his TEETH MARKS in Eryk's shin bone after he KO'd the dude with a leg strike to the face!!!

Anders was fighting Tim Williams on Saturday night -- and delivered the punishing blow with his left leg while Williams was trying to get up off the ground.

"His teeth marks are definitely in my shin," Anders said ... noting that his foot is fine and dandy after the fight.

By the way, Anders was a big college football star back in the day -- he was a linebacker on the 2009 Alabama BCS National Championship team and his sack in the 4th quarter sealed the game over Texas.

On top of that, Anders had a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns after his Bama days ... as well as stints in the CFL and Arena Football League before taking fighting seriously full-time.

Now, he's an MMA fighter -- and he's a good one, too. So far, the 31-year-old has already racked up an impressive 11-1 record with some violent finishes.

UFC knockout artist Justin Gaethje says his violent beatdown of James Vick this weekend felt "amazing" for him -- but for the other guy?

"It was the most terrifying night of that man's life."

Yeah, he ain't lyin'.

Gaethje joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) -- and said it was actually a "scary moment" for Vick ... 'cause getting KO'd is no joke.

"I've been there man. It's scary actually. His brain ... it's like a reset button on your forehead. It's like someone presses it every 30 seconds."

Gaethje was the #7 ranked lightweight fighter in the UFC going into the fight. Vick was ranked #10. The fight ended 90 seconds into the first round when Justin threw a crushing overhand right.

Gaethje says he actually felt bad for Vick -- a little bit -- but in the moment he was focusing on his accomplishment and "it feels f**king amazing."

Despite all the trash talk before the fight, Justin says there's no hard feelings anymore -- because it's way easier to squash beef after you almost knock your opponent's head off.

"It's a painful way to go out."

Floyd Mayweather has a warning for Khabib Nurmagomedov -- Conor McGregor is coming for your head!!

One year after Floyd and Conor faced off in the boxing ring, TBE says he learned firsthand McGregor is a "warrior" who's not afraid of anything ... and he's passing on a warning to his UFC 229 opponent.

"Conor's not gonna back down and he's not a scared fighter at all, win, lose or draw," Mayweather said at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City ... "Conor gonna come to fight."

Despite their rivalry, Floyd says he actually wants to HELP Conor this time around ... saying he'd love for CM to train at his home gym in Vegas.

"I know that UFC got a training facility but we'd like for him to work out at the Mayweather Boxing Club."

So, who's Floyd picking to win the fight?

"I don't really have a prediction because I've never seen the guy fight that's facing Conor McGregor -- from what I know he's a hell of a guy that's on the ground -- hell of a grappler -- and he can wrestle."

"But, the fans want to see you stand up and fight. That's what the fans like to see. But, Conor McGregor, he's a tough competitor, like I said before Conor McGregor's not gonna back down from anyone, he's not scared, he's a warrior."