UFC

Uh oh, Tito.

MMA legend Tito Ortiz is in hot water for allegedly filing for unemployment against the City of Huntington Beach ... despite still drawing a full monthly check.

And why is he drawing a check? BECAUSE HE'S THE MAYOR PRO TEM!

Yeah, not a good look!!

Records show 46-year-old Tito -- real name Jacob C. Ortiz -- filed paperwork with the  California Employment Development Department back on Feb. 22, claiming he hasn't been able to work full time as a City Council member since Feb. 9 due to the COVID pandemic.

FYI, Ortiz won his City Council seat back in November 2020 and was sworn in on Dec. 7.

The job reportedly pays $1,500 per month in salary -- plus Ortiz also receives a stipend and expense allowance.

The problem with Tito's claim ... officials say Tito has NOT taken a pay cut due to the pandemic and his claims appear to be bogus.

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr told NBC4 in L.A., "[Ortiz has] been receiving the same amount of wages and hours."

She also expressed concerns that Ortiz's claim may constitute fraud.

Ortiz may have a perfectly good explanation -- but so far, he hasn't commented publicly about the situation.

Tito made a ton of money during his MMA career -- and flaunts it regularly. He lives in a massive house in Huntington Beach and drives fancy cars around town. Have you seen his boat?

Ortiz -- a huge Trump supporter who once claimed COVID-19 wasn’t real -- has butted heads with many people in the city since taking office.

During his 1st planning meeting on November 5, Mayor Carr refused to let Tito into the building because he refused to wear a mask.

All class from UFC star Dominick Reyes ... who's praising the man who knocked him out cold this weekend -- saying, "What an elbow!"

Reyes was in a war with Jiri Prochazka at UFC Vegas 25 on Saturday when the 28-year-old blasted Dominick in the jaw with a sensational spinning back elbow, ending the fight in the 2nd round.

There was serious concern for Reyes who crumbled to the ground and laid sprawled out on the Octagon for several minutes while he was tended to by a team of medical personnel.

But finally, some good news from the 31-year-old fighter ... who said Monday evening, "Finally home and surrounded by those I love."

Reyes didn't reveal too much about his condition -- but said, "I’m doing good healing up ... I’ll be OK."

As for the fight, Dom says he fought his heart out -- and is understandably upset he didn't get the result he wanted.

"I went out and fought and for that I can say I’m proud. I love this game and at times it does not love me back but that’s what we all have signed up for."

Reyes added, "Congrats to Jiri Prochazka ... hell of a fight and what an elbow! It’s the ones you don’t see coming to get you."

Reyes is currently the #5 ranked UFC light heavyweight. He began his career with a 12-0 run -- defeating guys like Chris Weidman, Jared Cannonier and Volkan Oezdemir.

He put up a hell of a fight against Jon Jones at UFC 247 -- but lost the fight in a unanimous decision. Since then, he's lost to Jan Błachowicz and now Jiri Prochazka.

But, don't sleep on Dom -- dude's legit and vows to get back to the top of the division.

Chris Weidman's shattered leg will NOT stop the former UFC champion from returning to the Octagon ... so says "The All-American's" training partner, friend, and family member, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson.

TMZ Sports talked to Wonderboy -- who was in Chris' corner when his leg snapped during his fight with Uriah Hall -- and we asked whether the 36-year-old fighter will ever fight again in the UFC.

Stephen -- whose brother is married to Chris' sister -- didn't hesitate when he answered.

"I know for a fact he will come back," Thompson says.

"[Chris'] style of fighting, if that ever happened to me it would be different because I rely a lot on my kicking. He could never throw a kick again and still dominate in the UFC in his division."

Wonderboy continued ... "He’s not known for his kicking, he’s known for his striking, his wrestling, so that’s the thing that makes this not very worrisome. Yeah, it’s terrible that it happened, and I pray that he heals up fast, and I know he will, but he doesn’t ever have to throw a kick again and still win fights."

Before he can fight again, Weidman -- who had a titanium rod surgically put into his tibia -- has 6 to 12 months of rehab before he can even start training ... so we asked Stephen how Chris was dealing with the traumatic injury.

"Well, to be honest with you, he’s in good spirits. He keeps a very small circle around him of family and friends, and they’re being positive, and to be honest with you he’s great. He’s great."

Awesome news!

Logan Paul has exactly ZERO chance of beating Floyd Mayweather when they clash on June 6, so says Max Kellerman ... but he still thinks the event could be GREAT for boxing.

Kellerman is one of the top experts in the world when it comes to the sweet science -- he's like a walking encyclopedia. And, while some people are crapping on the fight as a mockery to the sport, Max says there's a silver lining.

"It's a good introduction for a lot of people to combat sports," the ESPN star explains ... saying it reminds him of when the UFC burst onto the scene.

"A lot of boxing industry [people] felt threatened by UFC back in the day. I always felt, not only did I like the UFC, but that boxing should also welcome it, not feel threatened by it because they were exposing a new generation of fans to combat sports."

"So, you say, 'Hey, you like combat sports? Come over here and check us out' and Logan Paul is doing the same thing with Floyd Mayweather now."

As for his fight prediction -- "No, Logan Paul doesn't have a chance to beat Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring but he's gonna try. Good for him."

GOOD NEWS! Chris Weidman's "bone through the skin" injury is healing up nicely ... and he's got video of the injury site to prove it!

The UFC star finally removed the bandages from his right leg on Wednesday -- just days after that catastrophic injury at UFC 261 ... and you can clearly see the spot where the bone ripped through the back of his calf.

"I undressed my injury," Weidman said in a Wednesday update ... "The cut on the back of the calf is from when I stepped down in octagon, and bone went through calf muscle and skin."

Weidman was discharged from the hospital in Jacksonville earlier this week and is continuing his recovery at home in South Carolina, where remains in good spirits.

"I know there are many worried about me, including family friends and fans. I will be good. I love you all."

As we previously reported, 36-year-old Weidman suffered the injury while throwing a routine leg kick in the opening seconds of his Saturday night match against Uriah Hall.

Surgeons used a metal rod to stabilize the leg -- and Chris posted photos of the X-rays.

THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME!!

UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou has returned to his native Cameroon for the first time since winning the belt -- and EVERYONE came out to celebrate!!!

Check out Ngannou being paraded through the streets with a military escort while the locals cheer him on like the conquering hero he is.

Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March -- and after the fight, he talked about how proud he was to win for the people of Cameroon.

And when he returned home, the people flooded the streets to show love to the champ!

"This moment is something I have been waiting for," Ngannou posted on Twitter.

"It is hard to put this feeling into words. The belt is back home where it belongs."

The 34-year-old knockout artist was born and raised in the village of Batie -- where he worked in a sand quarry when he was 10-years-old.

He later got into combat sports -- realized he had legit talent -- and moved to France at the age of 26 to focus on training full time.

Ngannou began his pro MMA career in 2013 and clearly, it's working out well for him!

Francis is currently on a 5-fight win streak with victories over stars like Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes and of course, Stipe.

Kamaru Usman vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov?!!? How awesome would that be?!

Kamaru says it would "absolutely" be the biggest fight in UFC history -- but the champ isn't holding his breath that it'll happen.

Remember, Khabib (29-0) announced his retirement back in October 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje -- but later told Dana White he would consider a comeback if one of the top fighters showed him something "spectacular."

Well, enter Usman ... who's been destroying the best fighters in the UFC's welterweight division including wins over Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns and more.

The question -- is Khabib impressed enough to consider a comeback against the reigning welterweight champ?! Usman isn't counting on it.

"I’ve lost faith in this one," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "I think you have more of a chance at making Kamaru Usman and Georges St Pierre happen before Kamaru Usman and Khabib."

We also asked about a possible matchup with Nick Diaz down the line ... and Usman seems interested!

Looks like a pile of snapped twigs, right?!

Except that's the x-ray of Chris Weidman's mangled leg bones ... and good lord, that must've hurt!!

"Before and after X-rays of this nightmare," Weidman said Tuesday morning ... 3 days after snapping his tibia and fibula at UFC 261.

Weidman spelled out the main concern is his recovery -- and it's jaw-dropping.

"The primary concern is the bone punctured through my calf and skin when I put my weight on it, making sure the laceration doesn't get infected."

Yeah, whoa.

Weidman says despite the severity of the injury, doctors told him he'll be leaving the hospital TODAY -- and he's "excited to get back home."

36-year-old Weidman suffered the injury to his right leg while throwing a kick against Uriah Hall in the opening seconds of their UFC 261 fight in Jacksonville.

He was rushed to the hospital where doctors performed surgery to treat the injury -- which included using a metal rod to stabilize his tibia.

Conor McGregor is putting $500k to a good cause after all ... with the UFC superstar making a surprise donation to help kids in south Louisiana this week.

Remember, Dustin Poirier blasted McGregor earlier this month ... saying Conor never made a sizeable donation to Dustin's "The Good Fight Foundation" as promised back in October 2020.

The 2 stars publicly railed each other ... with Conor accusing Poirier of running a shady operation ... and Dustin claiming McGregor's camp was ducking his calls about the matter. Poirier later apologized for making the situation public.

Now, it appears McGregor is still looking to help out ... by shelling out half a million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana, which is located in Poirier's hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.

It's worth noting -- Dustin's foundation has worked with this B&GC location in the past. We're told that despite all the drama, Conor still wanted to help out ... resulting in the $500k donation.

The B&GC is ecstatic to receive the help ... saying, "This investment is a gamechanger! Thank you, Conor, for helping to ensure that our kids have what they need to grow and thrive this summer!"

The club says the donation will help fund the 2021 summer camp and other recreational activities throughout the area.

Chris Weidman and his shattered leg are on the road to recovery ... 'cause the UFC star says doctors successfully fixed his broken tibia and fibula during surgery on Sunday.

Only 17 seconds into the 1st round of his fight with Uriah Hall, the former middleweight champ fired off a leg kick ... literally snapping his leg while the packed crowd in Jacksonville watched in horror.

36-year-old Weidman posted a video on social media ... updating his fans from his Florida hospital bed, saying, "It's pretty brutal but I'm going to get through this."

Weidman continued ... "They put a titanium rod through the tibia so they go through the knee and put the rod and drill it through the tibia make it straight and hard. My fibula was broken as well."

As for how long Chris will be off his feet, it's going to be 2 months before he can so much as walk unassisted.

"I think it's gonna be 8 weeks until I can walk without crutches and stuff and drive and all that."

Weidman says he's heard from a TON of family, friends, fighters and fans since suffering the devastating injury.

"I'm so thankful for all the love and support."

But, will Weidman ever fight again?? It sure sounds like he's going to try ... but, it's gonna take some time.

Chris says it'll be 6 to 12 months before he can start training again.

Kamaru Usman was ready to party his face off after practically knocking Jorge Masvidal's face into space during UFC 261 ... and he did that and then some at a post-fight rager.

The Nigerian mixed martial artist swung by Myth Night Club late Saturday night after beating the brakes off Masvidal at the nearby VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL ... and club-goers were definitely ready to embrace the welterweight champ.

Usman was dressed to impress as well ... rocking a clean suit and some shades. He was ready to boogie too -- the guy didn't shy away from the dance floor, or the DJ booth.

We're hearing Usman showed up near closing time ... when DeeJay Capone was still blasting music. After the normies were kicked out -- an after-party proceeded ... which is what you see here in the video of the event we obtained. Looks like a good time was had by all.

The man had every reason to celebrate ... this after knocking out Masvidal cold with a clean, hard punch to the jaw. The KO went down in the second round, about a minute or so in.

Masvidal was actually laughing at Usman seconds before he got his clock cleaned ... and the crowd was absolutely stunned at how it all unfolded.

Jake Paul is trying to shame Dana White into ponying up BIG money by using an old clip of DW flippantly saying he'd bet a million bucks on Ben Askren ... but the video proves nothing.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer posted a series of snippets Saturday on his IG Story, showing he and Snoop Dogg are still trying to collect on a bet they insist Dana made over the boxing match from last weekend. In Jake's eyes, he's got the smoking gun to prove his case.

He resurfaced an interview Dana did on Mike Tyson's 'Hotboxin'' podcast -- in which he casually said he'd bet a million dollars that Askren would whoop Paul in the ring.

Since then -- and in light of Jake actually winning -- both he and Snoop have been demanding he fork over anywhere between 1 and 2 million dollars ... while Dana has denied ever making such a bet with them, specifically. Fact is, Dana seems to be right.

First off, this clip that Jake surfaced isn't new ... it's been out for a month now and everyone was well aware Dana said he'd throw down a mil. However, it seems like Jake/Snoop are the only ones who took it literally and for some reason ... think they're owed something.

There's also the fact that there's ZERO evidence suggesting Dana made a one-on-one bet with Snoop at any point ... not for a million, and not for two million. Dana has repeatedly denied doing so, even explaining that if he was gonna bet that big ... he'd do it in Vegas with better odds. So again, Jake's video doesn't appear to be anything more than a troll job.

Fact is ... harping on a hypothetical bet is a little absurd at this point. By the looks of it, Dana doesn't owe Jake or Snoop a dime ... so this social media campaign won't go anywhere.

UFC superstar Kamaru Usman was hit so hard by COVID following his July 2020 fight with Jorge Masvidal, he drove himself to the emergency room for treatment.

Usman says he was so dehydrated, he peed blood, lost his sense of smell and dropped 17 pounds as a result of the virus ... telling ESPN he was seriously concerned about dying.

The good news ... Usman insists he has recovered and is ready to go for his UFC 261 rematch with Masvidal this weekend.

But, man, the story behind his illness is scary stuff.

Usman told ESPN he started feeling symptoms after he flew from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi to his home in Colorado.

At first, Usman says he felt sick -- and he thought he would beat it easily. But, things escalated quickly.

After five days of symptoms, Usman says he couldn't wait it out anymore and went to a local emergency room for treatment.

Usman was admitted to the hospital, where he tested positive for COVID and was immediately given medicine to help him recover.

Usman tells ESPN his mind went to a dark place, admitting he thought to himself, "Man, I just made all this money and I'm not gonna be able to spend it."

Fortunately, Usman was able to make a complete recovery ... and returned to the octagon in February 2021, where he defeated the #1 welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns.

"I think they're awesome people and I can't wait to see what the baby's gonna look like!

That's UFC star Rose Namajunas sending big love to Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne on their newly announced pregnancy ... telling TMZ Sports, "She's gonna be a great mother!"

Rose and Ronda go way back ... in fact, Namajunas posted a pic with Rousey way back in 2014 (before Rose shaved her head!).

The two have had a friendly relationship ever since, with Ronda even showering Rose with praise after her 2018 victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

And, now that Ronda and Travis are expecting, Rose couldn't be more excited for them -- "I'm really happy for them and their family."

Meanwhile, Rose is gearing up for a highly anticipated showdown with Zhang Weili for the UFC strawweight title at UFC 261 on April 24.

Weili hasn't lost a fight since her pro debut back in 2013 -- since then she's been on a 21-fight win streak with victories over stars like Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade and Tecia Torres.

Rose tells us she's got the right skillset to break the streak.

"My movement, the way that I move, the way that I think and my fighting spirit. They're all unique."

So, how does she see the fight going?

"My game plan is the same every time. I go in there and punch their face, take their back and choke 'em out. It may manifest differently each time but that's my goal and that's what I'm focused on."

BADDEST BABY ON THE PLANET!!

UFC legend Ronda Rousey just announced she's 4 months pregnant -- and she's fired up!!!

Ronda and her husband, ex-UFC fighter Travis Browne, made the announcement in a video Wednesday morning ... saying, "Umm, how do I put this? Pow, 4 months pregnant!"

Ronda explained, "I've been pregnant since January -- so 4 months, baby bump! I can't hide it anymore so it's time to show it off."

Ronda and Travis have been talking about wanting to have children for the past few years -- she even took a hiatus from her gig with WWE back in 2019 to focus on starting a family.

Ronda said in the video there's "much more to the story" behind the pregnancy -- but didn't want to focus on those details just yet.

For the record, Ronda and Travis have NOT revealed the gender yet -- but insist they will break that news soon.

Due date -- September 22!

Ronda sent a message to her fans saying, "Thank you everybody for all the well wishes and all the positivity to get to this point."

"Baddest baby on the planet coming to you soon!"

Congrats!!!

Ronda is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time -- she was the UFC's inaugural women's bantamweight champion and defended the belt 6 times!

Before her MMA career, she was a decorated judo athlete -- who won the bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.

Kayla Harrison is an undefeated MMA fighter with 2 Olympic gold medals, but the PFL star admits cage fighting is SCARY, and says that's why she isn't underestimating her next opponent ... despite being a huge favorite.

TMZ Sports- talked to the 30-year-old, 8-0 fighter weeks before she attempts to win the Professional Fighters League million-dollar tournament for the 3rd straight time!!

Harrison is a massive favorite heading into her May 6 fight with 26-year-old Mariana Morais ... but don't make the mistake of asking Kayla (like we did) if it's hard to get motivated to fight the 16-10 journeyman when everyone expects her to easily win.

"Have you ever been in a cage with someone? It's the most terrifying thing in the world. It's like this person is trying to take your head off so there's no, I don't have to pump myself. There's no taking her lightly. Everyone is tough until you beat them," Harrison tells us.

Since joining the sport, Kayla has run through everyone she's faced ... causing some critics to say she isn't facing premier competition -- a claim Harrison takes umbrage with.

"That's fine, say that I'm fighting cans, say that I'm fighting bums. That's just 'cause I'm that good. That's what I want. That's fine, I want people to say that."

We also spoke to Kayla about a future super fight with Amanda Nunes (the opposite of a can) ... a match MMA fans badly want.

Nunes recently ran through top-contender Megan Anderson ... and many experts believe Harrison is the only woman who can give Lioness a run for her money.

Speaking of money ... Kayla says it's gonna take a whole lotta cash -- and some other things -- before that fight ever happens.

But ... she definitely didn't say no!!