UFC

Michael Chandler is making his UFC debut this weekend after years of kicking ass in Bellator ... and the MMA star says he's gunning to give Khabib something "spectacular" -- and entice the retired lightweight champ back to the Octagon.

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Chandler from Abu Dhabi ... and asked about his "dream scenario" -- is it a Conor or Khabib fight??

"I came [to the UFC] for big fights, of course, but I also came here, I want that gold around my waist. Having the gold around your waist, in turn, gets you the bigger fights," Chandler tells us.

And, the guy with the title ... that's Nurmagomedov.

"I would have to say if I had to lean one way, I would go Khabib. You gotta get that title shot. Those are not easy to come by here in the UFC, so I would definitely choose that, but of course they’re all getting talked about after I win my fight Saturday night."

Chandler -- whose beaten guys like Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson (twice) -- takes on #6 ranked lightweight, Dan Hooker (wins over Paul Felder, Gilbert Burns) on Fight Island.

Of course, Dana White recently met with Khabib on Fight island ... and said the 29-0 fighter was looking for something "spectacular" from Conor, Poirier, Hooker or Chandler -- in order to consider returning to fight.

"'Spectacular' is always my main objective when I step inside of that cage, and that cage door closes. It's time to work, and I'm always looking for the finish," Chandler says.

From there ... Michael would like to fight Khabib, take his belt, and then book a fight with McGregor.

Conor McGregor Jr. is already learning the ropes of being super famous ... joining his papa for an incredibly adorable poster signing sesh ahead of UFC 257!!!

3-year-old Conor Jr. has pretty much been following in his MMA superstar dad's footsteps since birth -- from joining him in the gym to wearing stylish designer outfits together.

Conor decided to bring his mini-me along to sign some promo posters ahead of his huge Fight Island bout with Dustin Poirier ... and the kid didn't just sit around -- he got in on the action, too!!

The video is downright precious ... with Notorious walking Conor Jr. through the motions and showing him how to get through the sesh with ease.

Conor absolutely LOVES it ... laughing and smiling from ear-to-ear as his kid signs to the best of his ability.

Now, the big question is -- how much would a Conor McGregor JUNIOR autograph sell for?? Hard to tell, but these posters could very well be the first documented signature of the young boy's life.

FYI -- signed Conor pics ain't cheap. Most cost a couple hundred dollars.

Two women in Ireland are suing Conor McGregor stemming from alleged incidents in 2018 ... but the UFC superstar is ADAMANT he did nothing wrong.

The suits were filed Monday in Dublin, according to Independent.ie, with one woman lodging a "multi-million euro personal injury lawsuit."

The other suit, the report notes, was filed by the woman's mother ... and also appears to be for alleged personal injuries.

Specific allegations against McGregor in the suits are not yet public ... according to the report, details cannot be revealed yet for legal reasons.

But, 32-year-old Conor is calling B.S. on it all nonetheless, with a rep for the fighter telling TMZ Sports the matter has already been investigated and thrown out by law enforcement officials.

"After an exhaustive investigation conducted by the Garda which, in addition to interviews of the plaintiff, included: interviewing numerous sources, obtaining witnesses' statements, examining closed-circuit footage and the cooperation of Conor McGregor, these allegations were categorically rejected," Karen J. Kessler said in a statement.

"The plaintiff knows the facts contradict the assertions in this lawsuit. Mr. McGregor will dispute any claims and is confident that justice will prevail."

Calvin Kattar says his UFC on ABC main event match with Max Holloway is more than just a fight ... a win represents a better life -- more money, more opportunities.

TMZ Sports talked to the 32-year-old fighter before his Fight Island fight this weekend with the former featherweight champ ... and Kattar says only everything is on the line.

"I ain't got s*** to say to Max! I'm just going out looking to earn my respect and just get me a title shot, ya know? Change my life."

"I'm chasing the life on the other side of a win over Max Holloway. Things get better off wins, you get double the money, you get more opportunities and like I said, I'm just chasing the life off a win over Max Holloway."

Kattar -- the #6 ranked featherweight -- is 22-4 ... and coming off wins over Jeremy Stephens and Dan Ige.

Calvin's been super impressive ... but things don't get any easier on Fight Island ... 'cause Holloway is arguably the greatest 145 lb.'er of all-time.

As for blessed, he's looking to claw his way back to the top of the UFC mountain after 2 controversial losses to Alex Volkanovski ... and that's exactly what he tells us he'll do.

"Belt or no belt, I'm gonna always carry myself as a champion. The belt doesn't define me. I got 5 titles at home. The 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, all the way to 13, 20, whatever you wanna call it, I'm gonna get it. It's just in due time," Max tells us.

Cody Garbrandt has a plan ... fight Jose Aldo, beat Aldo, drop down a weight class and take on the winner of Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno ... and get the UFC belt back!

The 29-year-old former bantamweight champ is coming off a serious battle with COVID-19 (more on that later) ... and hasn't fought since knocking out Raphael Assuncao in June 2020.

But, No Love is back ... and he laid out his next moves to TMZ Sports.

"The best possible solution for me in my mind, is the Aldo fight. So I'm gonna keep my weight here, keep strong, keep fast, keep developing, ya know?"

Garbrandt is the 3rd-ranked 135 lb. fighter ... and 34-year-old Aldo is 6th -- but Cody knows the Brazilian legend is still very dangerous.

"[Aldo's] a long-standing rival with Team Alpha Male, but can always count on me. Count me to get the job done, and I'm focused, and I'm hungry and that's where I'm at in my career and in my life. I'm a dangerous man."

After beating Aldo, Cody tells us he plans to drop down to the 125 lb. division and take on the winner of the Figueiredo and Moreno rematch.

"I'll fight Aldo in April. Put a legend in my cap. Get a good win, fight a legend. Stay sharp at camp and then whoever wins out of that fight with Figgy and Moreno, we fight in September or August."

Garbrandt also breaks down his serious struggles with COVID ... and how he dealt with vertigo, pneumonia, and a kidney infection that hospitalized him.

A magnesium globe? Check. A one-of-a-kind diamond? Check. A four-satellite structure that moves at a crazy speed set on a base of diamonds that's encased in crystal and gold? Check!

Yup, Conor McGregor's new wristwatch has it all ... the UFC fighter flaunted the newest addition to his wardrobe Thursday -- and it's INSANE!!!

The piece is called Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette ... and it's reportedly valued at over $1 MILLION.

The folks at Jacob & Co. created the piece -- and it's clearly so cool, Conor just had to cop it before his huge fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 next weekend.

McGregor bragged about the watch on social media, posting pics and videos with it -- and he even said he got a new pricey car and suit to go along with it.

Jacob & Co. reps say the watch is truly an epic piece ... and in the video they created to show the thing off -- you can see just how intricate and amazing the flashy mechanism is.

Of course, McGregor is no stranger to fancy watches (he's copped this one AND this one just recently) ... but when you're the Notorious One, you can never have too many options, right??

UFC fighter Irwin Rivera has been arrested for 2 counts of attempted murder ... according to a jail official.

31-year-old Rivera is a UFC bantamweight (135 lbs.) fighter who first fought with the promotion in May 2020. Rivera is 1-2 in the UFC ... and 10-6 as a professional.

Rivera was booked into the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach, FL around noon on Thursday, per jail online booking information.

The UFC issued a statement on Rivera's arrest, saying ... “UFC is aware of the recent incident involving Irwin Rivera and subsequently received information from his management that he has been exhibiting behavior consistent with mental health issues.”

The statement continues ... “The allegations are extremely troubling and the organization is currently gathering additional information. The investigation is ongoing and any potential next steps including disciplinary action or medical attention will be determined upon the conclusion."

"Furthermore, UFC has informed Rivera’s management that he will not be offered a bout at this time.”

Before his arrest, Rivera was originally scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night in March.

UFC fighter Mike Perry is on the mend after slicing himself open during a bizarre incident late Sunday night -- posting footage showing doctors stitching up his wound.

The 29-year-old initially posted video showing him lying in a pool of blood Sunday next to a shattered glass door. It appears as if Perry opened a massive gash while trying to smash through the glass.

While on the ground, Perry says to himself, "F*ck am I supposed to do about this?"

Fans on social media expressed concern for the fighter who seems to be in a downward spiral -- following allegations of domestic abuse and a separate violent incident at a steak restaurant back in July.

But, early Monday morning, Perry posted video from what appears to be a hospital room -- showing a doctor treating the wound on his lower right leg.

A few hours later, Perry posted more footage showing himself walking his dog -- so, all better?

Perry has fought in the UFC since 2016 and has flashed real potential -- earning multiple fight of the night and performance of the night bonuses along the way.

But, losses to guys like Cowboy Cerrone, Geoff Neal and most recently Tim Means (in Nov.) have kept him from reaching that next level.

MMA star Anthony Pettis says that he's 100 percent down to fight Jake Paul ... and he's willing to do it in the boxing ring -- a place where he has no experience.

But, Jake does -- he's 2-0 as a professional boxer.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old fighter before his unanimous decision UFC Fight Night win over Alex Morono in Vegas ... and Pettis was crystal clear -- he wants to box before he retires, and Jake Paul would make for a helluva opponent.

"Bro, I would love to box. I haven't boxed yet, so I'm 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That's why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching Chavez, De La Hoya, Mayweather, all these guys up and coming."

Of course, Paul knocked former NBA star Nate Robinson out cold over a month ago. There's been debate about how good JP actually is in the squared circle ... but Pettis believes Jake has skills.

"I think he's definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It's going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it."

Even if it's not against Jake Paul, Pettis -- a former UFC champ with wins over guys like "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Wonderboy" Thompson -- says he's gonna give boxing a shot before he retires from fighting.

"Man, I'm only 33, and I've been doing this MMA thing for so long. 12 years with Zuffa. So as a pro, I think I've been like 14 years. It's a crazy life I live. I'd love to go in there and try something new," Pettis tells us.

Bottom line ... "I definitely think before I retire boxing will be something I do."

Khabib Nurmagomedov is adamant he's retired, but there's one guy his manager says could entice the UFC superstar to step back in the Octagon ... a fight with Georges St-Pierre!!

TMZ Sports talked to Ali Abdelaziz ... and we straight-up asked Nurmagomedov's longtime manager and friend if he believes Khabib will fight in 2021.

"Honestly, I think if Georges St-Pierre is serious about coming back to fight, I could see it happening, that would get Khabib up."

The issue ... St-Pierre is 39-years-old and hasn't fought since beating Michael Bisping in 2017. In fact, GSP has only fought since the end of 2013.

Khabib's father, Abdulmanap -- who passed away from COVID-19 complications in July -- always wanted his son to fight GSP.

If not GSP, are there any other fights Abdelaziz believes would intrigue Khabib enough to return ... say like a HUGE money fight against Conor McGregor?

Very unlikely, according to Ali.

"I think financially it’s a huge fight. But, we know Khabib, it’s hard to persuade him financially."

Abdelaziz tells us Khabib and Dana White are planning to sit down for dinner in Vegas sometime soon ... and discuss Khabib's fighting future.

And like Ali says, "Dana is really good at getting people to do things."

So ... Khabib vs. GSP, 2021??

Jake Paul says fighting UFC superstar Amanda Nunes would be a complete "waste of time" ... telling TMZ Sports he wants a better-known opponent to generate more hype.

Remember, Jake recently called out Dana White to set up a fight with Conor McGregor ...  and the UFC honcho responded by telling us he'd consider letting Nunes "knock his ass out."

Nunes responded by saying she's down to scrap ... so naturally, we asked Jake if he'd entertain the idea.

"Nah, I wouldn't fight her," Jake says. "Waste of time. No one knows who she is."

Worth noting -- Nunes has more than a million followers on Instagram and several major endorsement deals ... but we take it Paul's comment is related to his fan base.

Of course, Jake acknowledges Nunes is one of the best fighters in combat sports ... but says he's looking for 2 things in his next opponent that the Lioness lacks.

"There's not a lot of hype there. Plus, there's no history."

"I wanna knock out Dilon because we've been talkin' s**t back and forth for 2 years, I've hooked up with his girlfriend, he's all butt-hurt about it, there's history there."

Paul even pulled up on Danis last week -- throwing water balloons and toilet paper at him in a drive-by.

Paul adds Danis might help him get closer to his goal of securing his dream fight with Conor ... "So, why would I waste my time doing some bulls**t like [boxing Nunes?]"

While Jake may not want to fight Nunes for those reasons, boxing star Devin Haney also spoke to us against the idea recently ... saying, "men should fight men."

You've seen Conor McGregor's dolly-throwing attack on Khabib Nurmagomedov ... but have you seen it in GINGERBREAD FORM?!?!

Thanks to UFC fighter Angela Hill, the infamous moment in MMA history has taken a delicious turn ... and we gotta admit, it's impressive as hell!!!

Remember, Conor and his buddies went crazy at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April 2018 ... throwing objects at the bus filled with fighters, including Khabib, Michael Chiesa and Rose Namajunas.

Hill and her husband, Adam, decided to pay tribute to the wild moment with their gingerbread house this year ... creating the scene complete with a bus, a dolly-wielding Conor, an angry Dana White, Khabib and Artem Lobov.

The thing is incredible ... and even detailed down to each fighter's face.

"Adam drew all the faces but Conor and the whole thing is made from gingerbread, icing, chocolate for the dolly and candy!," Angela said on Instagram.

As for how long it took to make the masterpiece ... it sounds like a REALLY long time.

"Adam and I spent longer than I’d like to admit making this beautiful #gingerbreadhouse highlighting an important moment in mma history."

Logan Paul is going NUCLEAR on Canelo Alvarez ... saying the champ has no room to call him "disrespectful" to boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.

LP is responding to Canelo's recent comments to TMZ Sports ... where the 30-year-old fighter said it's a "lack of respect" for pros to fight YouTubers like the Paul Bros -- claiming it's more about money than the love of the sport.

The social media superstar addressed Alvarez's comments on Monday ... and he didn't hold back.

“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids twice," Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. "We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules."

Of course, Canelo was hit with a 6-month suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol in 2018 ... which the fighter blamed on tainted meat.

Regardless of the explanation, Paul says it takes away Canelo's right to talk down on his own boxing endeavors.

"To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me."

Paul says Canelo's pissed that he has an upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather ... when that's the only loss on the top pound-for-pound fighter's record.

"F**k you. Suck a d**k," Paul added. "I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him. That’s his one loss."

Logan -- who admits he idolizes Canelo and considers him one of the greatest fighters of all time -- defends his boxing pursuits ... saying he trains like a maniac and isn't half-assing anything.

UFC fighter Rob Font brutally knocked out Marlon Moraes, and now the 135 lb. striker has his sights set on former champ, T.J. Dillashaw -- along with a warning -- "I hit hard."

Font tore his ACL during a fight last December (he still won) and has been out of the fight game for a year, but needed less than 4 minutes to smash 32-year-old Moraes ... the 3rd ranked UFC bantamweight.

So, after the super-impressive performance, who's next?

“In a perfect world, the belt, fighting for the belt. But it’s looking like I’m going to need at least 1 more. A big name like TJ Dillashaw. Cody Garbrandt is out there. Cory Sandhagen, Frankie Edgar’s booked, I wouldn’t mind filling in if God forbid anything happened with that fight. But in a perfect world, I get a title shot.”

Font was ranked 11th before his impressive win, and will certainly jump up in the rankings ... but he'll still need a win or 2 before fighting for a title.

Enter Dillashaw, whose 2-year performance-enhancing drug suspension is about to come to an end.

TJ is a former champ, and was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world before he was popped by USADA ... but Font believes he's "the guy to welcome him back to the division."

“I get my range, with my accuracy, my heavy hands, and I’m putting any of these guys away. I’m excited," Font says.

"Big options after this, but I wouldn’t mind gettin in there with TJ, ex-champ. I honestly don’t even care about the whole PED situation. That’s in the past.”

It's clear Font's gunning to dethrone the biggest names in the division ... but does he believe it's his time to takeover?

Jake Paul says his $50 MILLION fight offer to Conor McGregor is "real as f*ck" -- and he's got the "proof of funds" email from the bank to prove it.

Paul says he's backed by bona fide commercial real estate billionaires -- and he's got an email from a Senior VP at Signature Bank in NY which shows the benefactors' money is legit and ready to be deployed.

The problem ... Jake says Conor has been radio silent since he made the fight offer.

"We're talking to his team," Paul said ... "[Conor] looked at my DM on Instagram. But, we're talking to his team."

Paul continued, "When we sent them the proof of funds they like put their tail between their ass … they’re like. 'This little crazy kid ain't playing.'"

Remember, Paul initially called out Conor after knocking out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson fight.

Since then, Jake's brother, Logan Paul, has secured an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

There’s at least 1 person who isn't convinced Khamzat Chimaev is a killer in the Octagon ... UFC title contender Stephen Thompson.

TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Wonderboy -- who was recently floated as a possible opponent for 26-year-old Chimaev -- and Thompson made it crystal clear Khamzat simply doesn't deserve all the praise ... at least not yet.

"There's a lot of hype around [Khamzat] at this point. He's won three fights, he's had one fight at welterweight, he's ranked #15 right now, he's gonna be fighting a guy who ranked higher than me."

FYI, Chimaev -- who has been hit a grand total of 3 TIMES in his 3 UFC fights -- is fighting #3 ranked Leon Edwards (the fight was scheduled for this weekend, but Edwards got COVID, so it's being rescheduled.)

Thompson -- the #5 ranked welterweight -- continued ... "It's definitely a big jump for him and a test for Khamzat. So, at this point, I'm not really sold yet. I just haven't seen enough and on paper. Leon Edwards wins this all day, so I'm going for my man Edwards."

Edwards is 18-3 and has won 8 fights in a row ... with dubs over guys like Rafael dos Anjos and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. But Thompson says if Chimaev can take LE out ... then it'll make him a believer.

"[Khamzat] may go out there and prove us all wrong, ya never know. He'll be the real deal. I will say he's the real deal if he goes out there and just does work, but at this point, I haven't seen enough."

Speaking of big time fights, Thompson has a scrap Saturday night in Vegas against 30-year-old striker, Geoff Neal -- aka "Handz of Steel" -- who's 5-0 since signing with the UFC.