UFC

Jake Paul can train nonstop for the rest of his life, but there's no way he'll come close to beating Nate Diaz in an MMA fight -- so says former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos, who tells TMZ Sports The Problem Child will NEVER beat the MMA legend in his own sport!

We caught up with RDA ahead of his big matchup against Vicente Luque at UFC Fight Night on Saturday ... and considering dos Anjos once beat Nate in the Octagon, we had to ask about Jake calling out Diaz for a rematch in the PFL SmartCage.

Of course, Jake previously said on Logan's "Impaulsive" podcast he'd be able to handle Nate in an MMA fight if he had eight or nine months of training under his belt.

But dos Anjos thinks Jake needs to be brought back down to earth.

"Nate is a fighter," dos Anjos said. "He got good jiu-jitsu, he has that mentality, the fighter mentality. It's a real fight. When you go to the ground and elbows and knees -- it's a different game."

"I think Jake Paul can train as much as he wants, he don't beat Nate Diaz in an MMA fight."

As for his fight with Luque, RDA said he's expecting a war ... and doesn't see it being left up to the judges.

We also spoke with Luque about the matchup ... and he said it's an honor to go up against dos Anjos because he's a bona fide legend in the sport.

Claressa Shields resigned with PFL ... and as the boxing superstar prepares to get back in the MMA cage, she says she's getting some tips from the one and only Conor McGregor.

"Conor McGregor inboxed me," Shields told TMZ Sports.

"Conor actually gave me some of the best advice today actually. He was just like 'Don't take away from your boxing. You need to get comfortable being on your back and comfortable with your wrestling.'"

Shields, who signed a multiyear deal with the MMA promotion this week, went 1-1 in the cage under the PFL banner in 2021. In the ring, she is regarded as one of, if not the best female boxer in the world.

Any struggles Claressa has had in MMA resulted from being taken down ... and that's something she intends to work on with The Notorious, himself.

"That's an honor and that's a privilege for me, so thank you to Conor McGregor for that, and I look forward to working with him some."

Claressa says McGregor's not the only one who reached out ... and as she's "reconstructing [her] whole team," Shields says she's also been in contact with Cris Cyborg.

"[Cyborg's] one of the toughest and roughest female combat fighters in the world and she reached out. I may do some work with her. I don't know."

As for when she plans to get back in the cage, Claressa says ... "I know it'll be next year, I don't know if it's February, March, or a little bit after that. I just really wanna hone my skills."

We also talked to Shields about Jake Paul (who coincidentally) is also signed to PFL. But, if you thought that'd mean Claressa wasn't coming for "The Problem Child," you're mistaken.

Shields says she is down to fight Paul ... and she's sure she'll beat him.

"I would really fight Jake Paul in a fight, honestly, and I would win. He knows that. He knows that."

Mark Zuckerberg is refuting Elon Musk's Friday morning claims ... saying no details of their potential fight have been finalized at all -- adding that he still wants Dana White involved in the process.

The Meta boss unloaded his side of the story on Threads on Friday afternoon -- just a couple hours after Musk told his 156 million X followers that a bunch of the particulars of the future billionaire brawl were now set in stone.

In one of his tweets ... Musk said the tilt will go down at "an epic location" in Italy. In another, he said all of the action will be live-streamed on X and Meta.

He also said White and the UFC are now out of the planning process, insisting, "The fight will be managed by my and Zuck’s foundations."

Zuckerberg, though, made it clear he hasn't agreed to any of those stipulations just yet ... writing in posts on his social media app, "please assume anything [Musk] says has not been agreed on."

"Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready," he added. "When I compete, I want to do it in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game. You do that by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE to pull this off well and create a great card."

Zuck then said he's still training like a mad man for the potential bout -- showing off a photo of him working in his backyard Octagon.

The two businessmen initially began the process of setting up a fight way back in June ... when Musk floated the idea of a cage match following the revelation Zuck's Threads was in the works.

Elon Musk says the fight with Mark Zuckerberg is officially on -- he announced Friday the billionaire brawl is all set to go down at "an epic location" ... though he added the two won't face off for a while, 'cause he needs minor surgery first.

Musk made the revelations in a series of early morning tweets ... explaining he and Zuck have just finalized a bunch of the details about their upcoming tilt.

First, the Tesla honcho said the fight will no longer be put on by Dana White and the UFC -- saying it all will now "be managed by my and Zuck's foundations."

He also said after recent talks with the Prime Minister of Italy and the Minister of Culture ... they've agreed the match will happen on Italian soil. It's unclear, however, if that means Rome's Colosseum -- as has been rumored for months now -- or somewhere else.

When it comes to how fans will watch the action, he said it will be live-streamed on X and Meta ... and "everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all."

Finally, Musk tweeted all of the profits from the fight will go to veterans.

"Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy," Musk added.

The fight night date is still unknown ... though Musk said he'll need a bit more time to prepare, 'cause he's undergoing surgery soon to fix an issue with his shoulder blade.

"Recovery will only take a few months," he insisted.

Logan Paul is firing back at the critics of his ultra-popular Prime Energy drink ... saying he and his partners have done nothing wrong when it comes to the beverage -- while insisting its sister product is actually way better for consumers than Gatorade.

The WWE Superstar joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" to give the 411 on his drinks straight from the horse's mouth ... and he brought along a bevvy of props to make sure his points were heard.

You'll recall ... Paul's energy drink came under fire earlier this year after United States Senator Chuck Schumer questioned whether it should be allowed due to its high caffeine content, but, the Maverick took aim at the critique Wednesday -- saying the bashing just makes no sense.

Paul said at 200 MG of caffeine per can, his Prime Energy drink actually features the same amount as Celsius and Gatorade's Fast Twitch. He also said it comes in with 100 MG less caffeine than Bang's similar energy drink.

As for the allegations that he and his team have been targeting teens with the beverage ... he said that, too, was just simply not true.

While he did say most of the advertising his company does is through social media -- he said those under the age of 18 make up only a small portion of his social media following. He also reiterated that his Prime Energy drinks say specifically on their labels that they're for those 18-years-and-older.

When it comes to the energy drink's sister product -- Prime Hydration -- Paul spoke glowingly about that beverage too ... touting its low sugar content.

"One 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 34 grams of sugar in it," he said. "To put that into perspective, one bottle of Prime only has two grams of sugar in it."

If Logan Paul needed any more motivation to kick Dillon Danis' ass in October, he has it now -- the Bellator fighter went full savage mode by posting a fake nude image of The Maverick's fiancée, Nina Agdal, on social media ... just days after their fight was announced.

Danis has been on a tear on X all week -- he started posting pics of Nina with her past boyfriends, Leonardo DiCaprio and Reid Heidenry ... before going a bit too far in trying to get under Logan's skin.

Danis shared a NSFW edited pic of a topless Nina to his page on Wednesday ... and while Agdal has posed nude in the past, he was immediately met with backlash as it was a clear attempt to humiliate his opponent.

"dude this is f***ed up," influencer Alissa Violet replied. "are you ok??"

"way too far. she has literally nothing to do with this. just beat him in the ring god d***."

Danis responded by bringing up Violet's history with both Paul brothers ... doubling down on his decision to bring Agdal into the beef.

Dana White revealed he recently had a meeting with Italian officials about holding the Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk fight at the historic Colosseum in Rome.

The UFC honcho provided the update during his appearance on Mike Tyson's "Hotboxin'" podcast this week ... saying he did, in fact, talk to the folks in Italy about bringing the billionaire brawl to one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

"I actually did have a meeting with the Minister of Culture's team in Italy to actually hold that fight in the Colosseum if it would happen," White said. "We're talking."

TMZ Sports broke the story back in June -- sources told us administrators in charge of the landmark location initially reached out to Zuckerberg, who then connected them with Dana's people.

The Ministry of Culture's Office claimed at the time there had been "no formal contact" between the two sides ... but we were told there were conversations that occurred, and now White is confirming it himself.

As for the fight, White believes it can rake in more than a billion dollars in revenue ... saying it's an event everyone in the world wants to see.

"Think about how big that fight is -- two of the richest, most powerful guys in the f***ing world are gonna fight on the biggest stage ever," Dana said.

"Who the f*** doesn't wanna see that fight?? ... That's the kind of fight your f***ing grandmother would watch that fight."

Errol Spence and his face are back to normal after suffering his first career loss against Terence Crawford ... 'cause the boxing star is looking good while partying it up in Ibiza!!

The 28-1 welterweight was spotted at the O Beach day club in Spain recently ... and fans who noticed Spence took a couple of pictures with the Big Fish, who appeared to be in great spirits.

It's awesome to see, considering Spence was left beaten and bloodied after taking a bunch of shots just 11 days ago.

Spence is in Spain with his longtime girlfriend Ashra Ortiz ... who shared some words of encouragement after the fight.

"You’re a soldier fr & you never quit. You got the heart of a lion & because of that your name will forever hold weight," Ortiz said on Instagram.

"They gone be talking about Errol Spence Jr. 30 years from now and that’s what makes you stand out, you are one of the greats."

Conor McGregor spared no expense for Dee Devlin's birthday this week ... putting on an epic boat party for his fiancée, while showering her with designer gifts.

The UFC superstar shared pics of his surprise bash for his lover on Tuesday -- one day before Devlin, who's pregnant with the couple's fourth child, officially turns 36 -- and you can see, the guy went absolutely all out.

McGregor strung up a ton of balloons -- some pink, some gold -- in a room on their yacht ... and then he forked over handbags and shoes that cost several thousand dollars each.

One of the gifts was a super rare Chanel purse ... which the fighter said had significant meaning to him, 'cause it represented his big feelings for her.

"Baby my love for you is as deep as the ocean!" McGregor said of the presents and the party. "Here is the limited edition ocean @chanelofficial bag, among other things you love!"

"I love you baby," he added, "happy birthday ❤️"

The lovebombing didn't stop there ... 'cause the couple and their kids eventually hit one of the boat's decks for a big cake!!

The two have been nearly inseparable since McGregor was accused of sexual misconduct at an NBA game back in June -- she traveled to New York to give him some TLC just after the allegations surfaced ... before they jetted off to France earlier this month for a vacation.

Logan Paul is getting back in the boxing ring -- the Maverick is slated to go up against MMA fighter Dillon Danis in October.

The WWE Superstar and internet superstar announced the big news on Tuesday ... saying, "OCTOBER 14 I return to boxing after fighting Floyd Mayweather over 2 years ago."

"I doubt this little parasite will show up but if he does I’m going to erase him from existence."

Paul's hesitation is warranted -- Conor McGregor's buddy was supposed to fight KSI in January ... but backed out due to being "underprepared," according to Misfits Boxing's Mams Taylor.

Paul -- 0-1 as a professional -- most recently went up against TBE in Miami back in June 2021, an exhibition fight that did not have a winner declared.

This will be Danis' boxing debut ... but he holds a 2-0 record in Bellator.

Conor seems pretty stoked for his friend's combat comeback ... saying, "Dillon Danis Returns!"

Danis' involvement is pretty interesting ... considering KSI is on the same card, fighting Tommy Fury.

KSI told us Danis was banned from Misfits Boxing after pulling out of their fight ... saying he would "slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me."

It's gotta be a bummer for Tyron Woodley, who recently told us he wanted to throw his name into consideration to be Logan's opponent.

Jake Paul's fight against Nate Diaz was on the same level as one of the most popular fights in combat sports history -- so says former boxing champ Shawn Porter, who tells TMZ Sports Saturday's event felt "just as big as" Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor!

Porter -- who was on the mic in Dallas for the big matchup -- said the vibes were off the charts throughout the Jake vs. Nate fight ... calling the experience Super Bowl-esque.

"This was just as big as Mayweather and McGregor," Porter emphatically told us on Monday.

FYI -- Floyd vs. Conor is widely reported as the second-highest-selling fight in Pay-Per-View history (behind Floyd vs. Manny Pacquiao) ... so to compare the energy at Jake vs. Nate to that is quite a compliment.

Of course, "Showtime" is no stranger to the biggest events in the sport -- whether he competed in or attended them, he's witnessed some electric crowds over the years.

But Porter said the spectator support of Diaz was second to none ... adding, "I've never heard anything like that before."

"MMA fans, man. They show up, they show out, they have a lot of fun and they are extremely loud. I was loving it."

As for the fight, Shawn gave Jake a C grade on the night, despite getting the victory ... explaining the Problem Child still has to work on finishing off his opponents after landing big punches.

Justin Gaethje is arguably the hottest fighter in the UFC right now after his highlight-reel knockout of Dustin Poirier, and that's why Conor McGregor is calling out the lightweight star on social media ... he's clout chasing, according to JG's manager.

TMZ Sports talked to Ali Abdelaziz days after his star client went home with the BMF belt, which he won during the main event of UFC 291. While people were in awe of Gaethje's fight-ending head kick, The Notorious wasn't one of them ... Conor quickly hit up Twitter and trashed Justin.

Just jealousy, according to Ali.

"Conor McGregor, he lost himself. He doesn't know who he is. He's a guy who isn't even a fighter. He's a retired fighter. He's not in the USADA program, he probably weighs almost close to 200 pounds. He just wants clout," Abdelaziz told us.

"Justin Gaethje's a gladiator. Dustin Poirier's a gladiator. Kamaru Usman, Islam, Max Holloway, all those guys are gladiators. He's not a gladiator anymore."

Speaking of Poirier, McGregor hasn't fought since breaking his leg against Diamond at UFC 264 in July 2021.

"Conor McGregor is a pretender right now," Abdelaziz said.

"He gets in fights in bars and at Grammy's, street fights. He gets in fights when he has security there to protect him."

Conor is/was supposed to fight Michael Chandler (who coached opposite him on TUF), but that fight hasn't yet been made, and reports indicate McGregor isn't in the USADA test pool yet, meaning he couldn't fight for at least 6 months.

Listening to Ali, it very much seems Conor and Justin is NOT going to happen. Question is, who will it be? Abdelaziz breaks it down.

3:07 PM PT -- Elon Musk might need more time to train and get ready for a cage match against Mark Zuckerberg -- but the Facebook founder says he's ready now.

Zuck fired back at Elon's chirping this weekend, taking to his own platform (Threads) to point out that he's all set to rumble, and at a moment's notice. He also says he suggested a date of August 26 when Elon first challenged him -- but claims EM is stonewalling.

Finally, MZ takes a jab at Elon's proposal of streaming the bout on X -- suggesting Threads would be a better place for generating actual revenue (for charity). Twitter/X has been in dire financial straits for months now.

Elon's teased the fact that he's pumping iron in preparation, but also notes ... Mark probably has him beat on stamina -- and that if they duke it out, he'd wanna end it quickly.

Elon Musk plans to make some loot for his company formally known as Twitter, because he's planning on live-streaming his highly anticipated fight with Mark Zuckerberg on X ... so he declared Sunday.

TMZ has been reporting, Zuck and Musk are both all in for mixing it up in the UFC octagon.  There were actually talks between UFC and the Italian Foreign Ministry about holding the fight at the Coliseum, but our sources say that's not going to happen.

We're also told if the fight goes down, it will likely take months. We're surmising from what we're hearing Elon needs more time to train ... something Zuck has been doing for a long time.

Despite their height and weight disparity -- Zuck's 5'7" and 150 lbs, while Musk towers over him at 6'2" weighing 230 -- M.Z. had a big edge when it comes to stamina.

The more these guys jawbone back and forth, the more likely it is they'll fight, because neither one is prone to blinking.

Stay tuned.

Some spectators at the Jake Paul/Nate Diaz fight wanted a piece of the action, because not one but several crazy brawls erupted after the match.

It's unclear why people were fighting, although the simple explanation is they were just looking for a brawl. It's kinda like projection ... they all wanted to be Jake, so they took a swing at it.

Doesn't seem anyone was seriously hurt, and they all got their money's worth. Jake won by unanimous decision.

As for the fan fights ... people trashed the brawlers on social, calling it embarrassing.

BTW ... Jake chose to fight Nate over a rematch with Tommy Fury, whom he lost to a few months back by decision.

Buckle up ... Jorge Masvidal's opened the door to a possible UFC return. He also wants to smash Conor McGregor's face ... preferably in the street, not an Octagon.

The 38-year-old MMA superstar sat down with Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... when the topic turned to the BMF title.

"I think I'm going to have to come back and snatch that belt up real quick. Something like that. But not at [155 lbs.], they gotta come up to [170 lbs.]," Masvidal said.

Gamebred continued ... "A UFC fight. Not now, but at some point, I think I gotta come back."

Of course, Jorge was the OG BMF belt holder ... he defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 244, and took home the belt, which was presented to him by The Rock.

Last weekend, Masvidal, who retired after his April fight with Gilbert Burns, was on hand in Salt Lake City ... and presented the belt to Justin Gaethje after he defeated Dustin Poirier.

We asked Jorge ... who would you want to fight in your return?

"Whoever's got the BMF belt," Masvidal started answering ... and that's when McGregor came up.

"Really I would like to fight Conor because he's such a bitch. I can't stand that dude. But him on the street for free, 'cause he'll never fight me in the ring."

"He never mentions my f***ing name in a comment," Jorge said, adding ... "[Conor's] calling out Dustin and Justin. Shut the f*** up, and do the due process. You f***ing bitch!"

If you're a fan of Masvidal, you know before Strikeforce, Bellator, or the UFC, he got his start fighting in the streets ... alongside the great Kimbo Slice.

"Conor doesn't want [a fight with me]. He's shut it down like 3 or 4 times and he's told people that I'm too big for him, yet he's at my weight class, 170," Masvidal said, explaining why he doesn't believe the fight would ever happen anywhere besides the street.

"He knows that the way that I'd beat him is the way that he wins fights. Stand up, f***ing punching his teeth in and kicking his ribs in, so I know it's just not good for his brand."

Even though Jorge hasn't been fighting, it doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.

Since retiring, Masvidal's launched his very own fight promotion, Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA ... and he's proceeded to book big fights with combat sports superstars.

In fact, former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum are fighting on September 8 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL ... a rematch of their UFC 90 scrap (2008), which FW won by KO.

There's much more with Jorge ... including his plans for his promotion, who he'd like to sign next (Derrick Lewis, anyone?), his renewed beef with Ben Askren, and of course, that coveted return to the cage!

Conor McGregor took his growing family out to the beaches of the South of France this week ... and the UFC superstar was clearly excited for his baby on the way -- kissing his partner's tummy during the outing!!

The Notorious and Dee Devlin threw on their bathing suits and soaked up the sun during their getaway ... chowing down on some food, running in the water and taking selfies.

Conor also showed his love for his unborn fourth child ... rubbing all over Dee's stomach and hugging her.

As we previously reported, Conor revealed back in June his partner is pregnant again ... and he couldn't be more excited about the new addition.

The whole family appeared to be in great spirits at the beach ... despite the recent controversy surrounding the former champion outside the Octagon.

As we previously reported, Conor was accused of raping a woman at the Miami Heat NBA Finals game in June ... which is still under investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Conor was also spotted rushing out of a funeral in Ireland last month ... although details surrounding the incident remain unclear.