UFC

It's starting to make more sense why Khabib Nurmagomedov so badly wants to fight Georges St-Pierre -- it was his father's plan.

Khabib's dad, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away back in July after battling COVID. Khabib and his dad were extremely close. Abdulmanap trained him since he was a little kid back in Dagestan.

Khabib will step back in the Octagon for the first time since his father's death on Saturday to take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 ... but he's talked publicly about wanting GSP as his next opponent.

We spoke with Khabib's trainer Javier Mendez who tells us he was with Khabib and his father in Dagestan back in 2019, when Abdulmanap talked about his dream for Khabib to fight St-Pierre.

"I was present when they had that conversation," Mendez says ... "That was the one he talked about as the fight his father would want to see … him fight GSP at 155 pounds."

"His father respected GSP probably more than anybody out of all the people he admired ... and therefore he wanted his son to fight GSP at some point."

In other words, it seems Khabib is calling out GSP in the hopes of honoring his father's wishes.

In the meantime, Javier tells us he's been incorporating Abdulmanap's training techniques for the Gaethje fight -- reminding Khabib to follow "Father's Plan."

Officials in Abu Dhabi are considering allowing fans on Fight Island to watch UFC fights in person at some point down the road ... and Dana White says he's already putting together his VIP list!

"I have a list of people that, when I get it done, I'm gonna reach out to see if they're interested in coming to Abu Dhabi for the fights," White says.

So, who's gonna make the A-list? Some of the biggest stars on the planet.

"Well I haven't even put it together yet but, definitely, obviously The Rock ... and Anthony Kiedis is a die-hard fan. Demi Lovato is a big fan."

"There's so many but we'll shoot something out to all of them and see if they want to come."

There's more ... we also talked to Dana about several upcoming potential fights.

Here are the main points:

-- UFC is targeting Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou for a heavyweight title fight in March.

"That's the goal, we'll see what happens."

-- What's up with the Diaz brothers?

"I know Nate's been texting and stuff like that. And, usually when you see Nate starting to get active, saying this about this guy and that about that guy, means he's getting ready to fight."

-- Do you want to see Nate run it back with Jorge Masvidal?

Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially made weight for his 155-pound championship fight with Justin Gaethje ... though he needed to strip down naked to do it!

The Eagle couldn't have looked more relieved Friday morning when he stepped onto the scale and hit exactly 155 pounds ... meaning the lightweight title fight with Gaethje will proceed as planned.

UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje is going down this Saturday LIVE from UFC Fight Island -- the main card kicks off at 11 AM PT.

Gaethje also weighed in perfectly.

Khabib has struggled with weight cuts in the past -- in fact, he pulled out of his UFC 209 fight with Tony Ferguson due to a bad cut.

But, no issues Friday ... though Khabib's people needed the famous UFC naked body ring to shield him while he stripped naked for the scale.

Justin Gaethje also made weight -- and later on, the two came face to face to "square off" for some promotional photos leading up to Saturday's main event.

As we previously reported, Dana White says the hype for UFC 254 is real -- it's currently tracking to be the most-watched PPV event in UFC history ... bigger than any Conor McGregor fight!

The fight is available on PPV through ESPN+.

LET'S GOOO!!!!!

Did you know Justin Gaethje has a twin brother?

It's true -- his name is Marcus, and shocker -- turns out knockout power runs in the family!

We spoke to the Gaethje boys (both on Fight Island getting ready UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje) ... and they revealed how they used to destroy people together, while playing high school football back in Arizona!

Both Gaethje's were 2-way players -- Justin was a QB and strong safety, Marcus was a tight end and middle linebacker.

But, they got their kicks on defense -- where Justin says they were a "brotherly force" ... "We both hit hard!"

Marcus tells TMZ Sports he always knew his bro was a talented athlete but didn't think he'd pursue professional fighting until Justin became a star wrestler in college.

"He met one of those wrestling coaches that was kinda in the fight game and he brought some UFC fighters to the wrestling [gym] and I think that's when he made the decision that he wanted to at least try fighting," Marcus says.

"Other than that, he did a couple backyard fights with gloves on but that was really it."

Justin's career choice has panned out -- he's fighting for the UFC lightweight belt on Saturday.

Justin says he always wanted to be an NFL player -- but he just wasn't big enough.

He's still a huge fan of the Raiders and plans to take his UFC belt to the team after he beats Khabib!

There's a lot more ... Marcus also talks about what it was like growing up in the small town of Safford, AZ -- population 10,000.

"You would never think that this was possible for someone coming from our town [to make it big] ... and then it being my brother? It's kinda cool."

UFC's newest star Michael Chandler says he's taking his job as "alternate" for the Khabib vs. Gaethje fight very seriously ... and he'll be ready to step in if either fighter can't go on Saturday.

As we previously reported, several Khabib fights have been scrapped at the last minute to due unforeseen circumstances ... from bad weight cuts to freak injuries.

So, Dana White has a backup plan for UFC 254 -- flying out Michael Chandler, one of the best lightweights in the world, to stay ready in case something happens to either Justin or Khabib before that bell rings.

"Of course I don't want bad luck to befall Khabib or Gaethje because I respect them a ton," Chandler tells TMZ Sports ... "but they needed someone to be here as an insurance policy, as a backup plan in case somebody did fall off the card. So, I've said I have to be ready."

Chandler is on Fight Island and preparing himself as if he'll fight on Saturday night -- everything from conditioning to the weight cut.

"At this point, I still don't know if whether I'm weighing in and then waiting for Khabib and Gaethje to make weight," Chandler says.

"I don't know if I'm gonna go to the arena, warm-up, get my hands wrapped until Khabib and Gaethje actually step into that cage and that cage door's locked and Bruce Buffer's announcing them."

Chandler admits it's frustrating training for a fight that might not happen -- but "I signed on the dotted line saying I'd be the alternate, I am the alternate until I'm needed no more."

"All I can do is do my job."

After UFC 254, Chandler says he's hoping to sign a contract to fight Tony Ferguson -- and if he wins that, it would put him in a great spot for a potential title shot with Khabib or Justin.

We also asked Chandler to make a fight prediction for Saturday -- and he's taking Khabib over Gaethje.

"You gotta bet on the guy who is undefeated."

But, Chandler says Gaethje is a dangerous man -- and he's got a real shot at upsetting the champ.

UFC superstar Justin Gaethje says he doesn't have a healthy fear of dying -- which is exactly why he refuses to buy a motorcycle.

We should explain ...

31-year-old Gaethje says the way he's built, he goes "balls to the wall" in everything he does -- and that little voice that most people have in their heads telling them to "slow down" and "be careful" ... yeah, he doesn't have that.

He doesn't WANT to die -- but once he starts to do something that might be dangerous (like riding a motorcycle), he'll push it to the limit with no regard for his own safety.

Hence, his rule of trying not to put himself in a position where death is a real possibility. Get it?

Here's how Justin put it to us while talking about his upcoming fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.

"I'm confident in my skills, not one bit scared to step in there. I'm looking forward to that feeling. I chase that feeling. That's why I don't buy motorcycles because I will die. That's why I do a lot of things to keep myself from even putting myself in positions where I can be in danger because once it starts, it's balls to the wall."

Scary as hell, right?!

There's a lot more ... as far as Justin's MMA career, Gaethje says he's got "at least 5 more fights" -- but he'll only count a fight if it's a "war."

"If they're not wars, they don't count."

The money is also a factor -- "As long as [the UFC is] paying me as much as they're paying me, I'm probably gonna fight until I do not believe I can be the best in the world anymore."

Gaethje says the money he'll make from the Khabib fight will mean his mother no longer has to work another day in her life.

The only issue ... mom -- a Postmaster at Safford Post Office in Arizona -- isn't ready to retire just yet!

"She's so crazy. She's like 'Son, I can't leave them for Christmas. I have to at least work until Christmas!' I'm like, 'No you don't! You don't owe them nothing!'"

"But it's just a testament to who they are and who I am."

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje is tracking to be the biggest fight in UFC history ... bigger than any Conor McGregor fight ... so says Dana White.

We just spoke with the UFC honcho who tells us the data he's looked at shows massive interest in UFC 254 -- and he's expecting to break the 2.4 million PPV buys that Conor vs. Khabib did in 2018.

"Yeah, it's trending bigger than that right now," Dana says.

White says the data doesn't always hold up -- but right now, he's pretty confident.

For the record, 2.4 million buys at $65 a pop is $156 MILLION in PPV money alone ... so yeah, this is a big deal.

We also asked Dana about Khabib's comments to ESPN on Tuesday morning -- when the Dagestani said he's very interested in a fight with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre after he gets through Justin.

White says he's interested in exploring a possible deal -- but he's not making any promises.

"I'd be interested in talking about it. Just because that's what Khabib wants doesn't mean that fight can be made. I mean there's just so many things that have to come into play for that fight to happen."

As for Conor McGregor ... Dana tells us the contract to fight Dustin Poirier in January is NOT officially done at this point, but he's expecting it to happen soon.

"No, the deals not signed yet but in the history of dealing with Conor McGregor, Conor McGregor has never come out publicly and said 'I accept this fight' and not fought," White says ... "I expect the fight to go on."

Conor has said he wants the fight to take place at AT&T Stadium in Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has said he's open to hosting a McGregor fight.

So, we asked Dana if there's a realistic chance that could happen.

White says the UFC has been trying to book a fight there for years but it just hasn't come to fruition -- and it definitely won't until Texas allows full capacity for fans.

"Platinum" Mike Perry's mother told 911 dispatchers she was "scared for (her) life" during an alleged violent incident involving the UFC fighter back in February ... in which his ex-wife claims he cracked her ribs.

Important to note -- 29-year-old Perry is denying the allegations ... saying he NEVER put his hands on her during their "short-term marriage."

Danielle Nickerson went public with the allegations to MMA Junkie on Tuesday ... claiming Perry assaulted and injured her during a Feb. 10, 2020 incident in Orlando, FL -- forcing her to seek safety at her mother-in-law's home.

Perry's mother, Sabra Young, then called 911 ... saying she was fearful he would lash out against them.

"My son is out in the driveway, and he’s violent right now, and I’m scared for my life, and I don’t know what he’s going to do," Young says in the call.

"He’s revving his engine right now. His wife is inside my house, and I’m afraid he’s going to hurt her."

When asked if Perry was involved in a fight with his ex, his mother responded, "yes, he has a temper."

Police arrived at the scene a short time later, but Perry was already gone ... so no arrests were made, according to the news report.

Nickerson says she later filed for a protective order against Perry back in March ... but the request was denied after she "omitted certain details from her request," according to MMA Junkie.

They officially became divorced in July, according to the news report.

Perry addressed Nickerson's allegations on Twitter Monday night ... saying, "I did not put hands on my ex at any point in our short term marriage."

"I realize that I have said some things in the past that do not put me and what I stand for in the best of light and for that I apologize."

"I’m hopeful my ex can move on and find peace as I have.”

Perry recently completed an anger management course after knocking out an old man at a Texas restaurant in July ... and is set to fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 255 next month.

Joaquin Buckley's incredible spinning back kick KO has made it to the White House -- President Trump was so impressed, he called Dana White to rave about it!

Buckley's insane takedown of Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night 179 has exploded after being hailed by many as the greatest knockout in MMA history.

In fact, Kanye West used the KO footage as the backdrop for his new song, "NAH NAH NAH" ... which has already been viewed by millions of people.

When we spoke with Buckley, he was STOKED to get love from Yeezus -- suggesting they could collaborate on a project together down the line ... even though Joaquin doesn't rap!

"Hey, I can learn how [to rap] though! I can write it down real quick. I can come up with a couple of things!!"

As for President Trump, Joaquin says he got a call from UFC president Dana White after the KO telling him his good friend POTUS personally called him up to tell him how impressed he was with the epic finish.

And yeah, Joaquin says he's flattered by the compliment from the Commander In Chief.

"He's the world leader at the end of the day. If anything, that's good to have a person like that on your side."

And get this, 26-year-old Buckley is still NOT a full-time MMA fighter -- he has a job at Walgreen's ... though he admits he might have to cut back his hours to focus on fighting now!

"I'm still employed by Walgreens. I gotta talk to my boss right now because I was supposed to head back on Monday!"

Buckley says he loves the Walgreen's job, but his fighting career is exploding right now and he knows he'll have to commit full-time in order to compete at the highest level.

The good news ... Buckley says his boss and co-workers are 100% supportive.

"They're just happy for me. I told 'em where I come from, they know my background, they know my story -- and just to see where I'm at now, everybody's proud of me."

Buckley is 11-3 as a pro and is now scheduled to take on Jordan Wright at UFC 255 next month!

Conor McGregor's wish is evidently Jerry Jones' command ... the Cowboys owner says he's now "very open" to hosting the Notorious' next fight at his palace in Dallas!

"I'm a real admirer of his," Jerry said of McGregor on 105.3 "The Fan" on Friday. "He's one of the neatest individuals I think I've met. Period."

Conor said Wednesday he's accepted a UFC fight with Dustin Poirier for Jan. 23 ... and in his announcement, McGregor said he wanted the scrap to take place at AT&T Stadium.

And, when Jerry was asked about the possibility of making that happen ... the 78-year-old said he was more than down to try to make it work.

"[Conor] is special," Jerry said. "It would be quite a day for AT&T Stadium to have him."

Of course, the UFC has yet to officially cross the T's and dot the I's on the fight ... so selecting a location for the possible tilt is still a ways away.

But, if a deal is eventually made ... it could pave the way for thousands of fans to watch the fight in person.

Jerry's been operating Cowboys home games with roughly 25,000 people in attendance all season.

As for how Jones knows Conor so well ... you'll recall, he played host to the fighter at a Dallas game back in 2018 -- and everyone LOVED the guy there!!

So, do we officially have a fight AND a location now???

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The man with the best locks in the UFC no longer has hair ... Brian Ortega shaved off his beautiful salad for his bout with the Korean Zombie this weekend -- and we're heartbroken.

We just spoke with the 29-year-old a couple days ago, ... and his luscious slicked-back ponytail was still intact.

But, Ortega clearly broke out the razor in the last day or two ... showing up to weigh-ins bald as a cue ball!!!

Of course, Ortega is still handsome as hell ... but man, that hair was something!!

Unclear if Brian needed to ditch the mane to make weight ... back in 2017, he said he came close to shaving it off for the scale at UFC 214.

As for his thoughts back then on going bald? "I still look pretty regardless, I feel ... I woulda pulled it off!"

He's not wrong ... but, man, pour one out for that hairdo. Gone too soon.

Justin Gaethje says he knows his upcoming fight with UFC champ  Khabib Nurmagomedov can change his life forever -- and to steal a line from Hamilton, he's not throwing away his shot.

"The stakes are huge," Gaethje tells TMZ Sports ... "This is life-changing for me. I go out there and get a dub?! This is life-changing."

And, for all of the critics who think he'll get smoked by the undefeated Dagestani, Justin offered up this message ...

"I am prepared and you can bet your bottom dollar I will not go out like no bitch!"

Justin and Khabib -- two friends who share the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz -- are scheduled to throw down for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 254 on Oct. 24 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Wanna hear Justin's fight plan?

"I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna try and break his face, I promise you."

That simple.

We asked Justin what he believes will be the biggest challenge in the fight -- and his response was interesting.

"Right now, this man is gonna be very hard to beat. With the passing of his father -- for people like us that is a driving motivating factor. He's going to be 100% motivated but I do believe ... that I can beat him."

Justin says he knows he has to punish Khabib early and often -- explaining, "If he takes 8 clean shots I truly believe that he will understand that he doesn't want to take this damage."

Justin says the UFC is flying his parents out for the fight -- and when he wins the belt, they'll be the first people he seeks out to celebrate with.

"When I win, I'm gonna go find them and give them a huge hug because we f*cking did it!"

We also asked Gaethje about Conor McGregor -- and if he still wants to fight the Irishman after all of the back and forth over the years.

"When I get this belt, the target will be on my back and I will have no need to call anybody out," Gaethje says.

Forget the Secret Service, the "Baddest MF" on the planet has Donald Trump's back in Miami ... Jorge Masvidal.

The UFC superstar (and reigning "BMF" titleholder) was waiting for POTUS at Miami International Airport on Thursday to personally greet Trump as he arrived for his NBC Town Hall event at the Perez Art Museum.

Masvidal was wearing a mask. Trump -- who recently tested positive for COVID-19 -- was not. But, Jorge didn't seem too concerned.

While at the airport, Trump told reporters, "Don't ever fight him!"

Trump and Masvidal have become close over the past few weeks -- with Jorge even campaigning for Donald at a recent "Fighters Against Socialism" rally.

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted at Masvidal, "Jorge, you’re really tough and really smart. My Great Honor to have your support!"

Masvidal -- whose father was born in Cuba -- responded, "My honor and duty to the country my father risked his life escaping to from the hands of communists. Said it before and I’ll say it again, you a bmf sir."

Earlier this week, Masvidal had a fast-food lunch with Donald Jr. -- and said they had a lot in common ... including "good hair."

Trump has won over several UFC fighters over the past few months -- including Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo.

Conor McGregor is back!!

The Irish superstar claims he IS fighting Dustin Poirier on January 23 ... and he says he wants the mega event to go down at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The Notorious made the announcement on Twitter, writing ... "I accept, Jan 23rd is on!"

McGregor continued ... "My goal is to see this fight take place in Cowboy stadium. Proper Style! Jerry Jones is a friend and the stadium can hold our crowd. I will be ready for Texas and Texas will be ready for my fans!"

FYI, the UFC has not confirmed the news.

Remember, last week Conor expressed interest in fighting the 31-year-old, #2 ranked UFC Lightweight ... but with 1 very important caveat.

The fight had to be in 2020 ... which presented a problem 'cause it's already mid-October and most of the UFC's cards are already set.

Our UFC sources told us Dana White was willing to make the fight ... but it'd have to go down in January -- and it seems that's exactly what's going to happen.

Conor and Dustin have history ... the 2 men fought at UFC 178 in 2014. McGregor knocked out Poirier in the 1st round.

But, Dustin isn't the only guy Conor wants to put his hands on ... 'cause The Notorious says after Poirier, "Then Manny [Pacquiao]"

UFC fighter Edmen Shahbazyan says the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has a California connection -- with several of his Armenian friends in Glendale flying back to fight in the war.

... and he's praying they all make it out alive.

FYI, Glendale reportedly has the largest concentration of Armenians outside of Armenia. It's also where Edmen lives and trains.

The 22-year-old prodigy -- who's 11-1 as an MMA pro -- points out the war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has already claimed many lives. According to reports, between 300 and 500 people have been killed over the past month.

"I'm just praying every day for the best for my Armenian soldiers," Shahbazyan says.

"A lot of young kids, a lot of young soldiers are dying, younger than me. They're like 18, 19 years old! They're going to war and they're not coming back."

Shahbazyan says he's been participating in protests and demonstrations in Glendale -- hoping the world will support his people and help to achieve peace.

Conor McGregor just added a pretty sick toy to his collection -- A LAMBORGHINI YACHT!!!

It's called the Lamborghini 63 Yacht By Tecnomar -- which was only revealed to the public a few months ago.

The boat was designed by the people at Lamborghini -- in collaboration with the Italian Sea Group, a company that specializes in custom yachts.

But, let's get to the fun stuff -- it's 63 feet long, weighs 24 tons, has a top speed of 60 knots (roughly 70 mph) and has a 4,000 horsepower engine.

Starting price on this baby ... $3.9 MILLION.

Each boat can be customized and upgraded -- so it's possible Conor's yacht could cost a lot more.

The UFC star says it's the "Supercar of the Sea."

"I am honoured to secure the Number 12 edition of just 63 to be made," McGregor said.

"1963 being the year Lamborghini first began, and 12 being, well you know Twelve!  Proper F*cking Twelve baby!"

Conor ordered his vessel with his family at the Italian Sea Group headquarters in Marina di Carrara, Italy.

His yacht is expected to be ready for action by next summer.

"Excited to see the finished result during next seasons yachting season," Conor said.

Of course, Conor has a ton of issues in his life right now -- from criminal allegations in Corsica to drama with the UFC.