UFC

"F*** you [Chito]! I'm gonna knock you out, buddy!" 😲

Time doesn't heal all wounds ... more than 3 1/2 years after fighting, Sean O'Malley still ain't fond of Marlon Vera (and the feeling's mutual), with the reigning champ telling TMZ Sports he's going to render Chito unconscious!

We talked to 29-year-old "Suga" just days before he heads to Miami for the main event fight against his 31-year-old rival ... about everything from the effect of his only loss (Vera injured O'Malley during the fight) to if he'll chase double champ status against Ilia Topuria.

On the August 2020 fight -- which Sean lost by TKO late in the first round -- O'Malley had this to say:

"I got a lot of hate for saying mentally I didn't lose that fight. I didn't feel like my skills were beat. It was a freak accident. Yeah, he threw the kid. Yeah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I've heard it all. Mentally undefeated, going in there with that mindset. Going in there with the mindset to kill this dude, and it's as simple as that," Suga told us.

We asked O'Malley, brevity of the fight aside, if he could take away anything from the first outing.

"Not really," he added. "Like you said, it was such a short fight, there really wasn't too much to take away from it. I was confident. I felt very confident in there. Even with the injury, my foot was shut off and I was still piecing him up. Dotting him up, chasing him down. I'm just very confident going into this fight."

It's Sean's first fight as defending champion ... we asked what, if anything, was unique this time around.

"Nothing's been different. My second 5 round training champ. Obviously, that last fight didn't go 5 rounds, it only went 2, 1 1/2. Nothing's really been different other than Chito, big fight, rematch. Same s***, different day. I've been doing this for 13 years."

Speaking of his belt, Sean won it with a masterful performance against Aljamain Sterling at TD Garden in Boston at UFC 292 in August 2023 ... in front of a decidedly pro-O'Malley crowd.

299 isn't in Beantown ... instead, the March 9 event will take place in sunny Miami, a city with a large Ecuadorian population. Chito was born in Chone, Ecuador.

Daymond John's lavish Los Angeles bash Tuesday night felt more like a UFC event -- at least for a few moments -- 'cause Bruce Buffer kicked off the whole shebang with his signature vocals!!

The famed ring announcer stepped up to the microphone to get John's Rise Nation Mastermind Welcome Party started ... and, as always, he didn't disappoint.

Buffer fired up guests with his "It's Tiiiiime!" tagline ... something John, a big fight fan, clearly loved.

The party -- which John was throwing for his network of entrepreneurs out at Harriet's Rooftop in West Hollywood -- then really got going ... as some big-name celebs and former athletes rubbed elbows throughout the night.

Metta Sandiford-Artest, Akbar Gbajabiamila and T.J. Ward were all there. Foodgod, Lewis Howes and Jeff Beacher were too.

John's goal for the shindig was to help some heavy hitters in the business world have a cool and unique place to meet and talk shop.

Brendan Schaub flipped his truck in a terrifying off-roading crash earlier this month ... and the wild accident was all captured on video.

It happened while the former UFC fighter was trying to show off his souped-up TRX for an episode of his "Tune Town" YouTube show.

The 40-year-old took the ride to Johnson Valley, Calif. for a day of fun after getting it all tricked out ... and, initially, everything was going according to plan.

He and the vehicle were getting good shots blowing through dirt, sand and boulders -- and despite getting stuck at one point, the afternoon still appeared to be a success.

But, as he was getting set to leave, Schaub tried to spin some donuts ... and lost control.

You can see in video that Schaub posted to his social media pages, his airbag exploded as he was thrown around inside of the cab.

Thankfully, he was able to make it out of the car relatively unscathed ... though he did reveal he suffered a concussion in the wreck.

"Definitely didn't need another one," he said of the head injury. "But it could be a whole lot worse."

Schaub wrote on his YouTube page that the truck cost him in the area of $200,000.

"My favorite vehicle I've ever owned is that TRX," he said.

Brendan Schaub volcó su camión a principios de este mes y el salvaje accidente fue capturado en video.

Ocurrió mientras el ex luchador de la UFC estaba tratando de mostrar su TRX en un episodio de su programa de YouTube "Tune Town".

El ex luchador de la UFC de 40 años se fue a Johnson Valley, California, para pasar un día de diversión después de haberlo equipado todo, y al principio, todo marchaba según lo previsto.

Él y el vehículo iban de lo mejor a través de tierra, arena y rocas y a pesar de quedarse atascado en un punto, la tarde todavía parecía ser un éxito.

Pero cuando se estaba preparando para salir, Schaub trató de girar y perdió el control.

Usted puede ver en el video que Schaub publicó en sus páginas de redes sociales que su airbag explotó cuando él fue lanzado dentro de la cabina.

Afortunadamente, fue capaz de salir del coche relativamente ileso, aunque reveló que sufrió una conmoción cerebral en el accidente.

"Definitivamente, no necesitaba otro", dijo de la lesión en la cabeza. "Pero podría ser mucho peor".

Schaub escribió en su página de YouTube que el camión le costó al rededor de $200.000.

"Mi vehículo favorito que he tenido es ese TRX", dijo.

Chuck Liddell estuvo nadando en San Diego durante el fin de semana, aunque no lo hizo voluntariamente.

TMZ ha obtenido un video de Chuck dando vueltas en un barco, hablando expresivamente con un par de tipos y aparentemente inclinándose hacia adelante para mostrarles un movimiento con el puño cerrado.

Por desgracia, parece que no tenía las piernas firmes y se fue hacia atrás. Los compañeros de Chuck no lo estaban mirando, por lo que no fueron capaces de detener su descenso.

Liddell chapoteo en el agua y las campanas de alarma sonaron con toda la tripulación en modo de rescate para arrastrar a Chuck de nuevo a bordo.

Uno de los chicos del barco salta de la parte trasera y nada hacia Chuck ayudándole a volver a subir. Tiene chicos tirando de sus brazos mientras otro le sostiene la espalda mientras un perrito mira.

Sus compañeros tardaron un rato en subirlo a cubierta -Chuck es un tipo bastante grande- pero al final lo pudieron sacar del agua.

Actuando como el campeón que es, Chuck siguió vibrando en la noche, testigos presenciales dicen que tenía comida entregada a la nave Lamborghini.

También saludó a una colección de fans - aunque no salió de la nave para el resto de la noche.

Chuck Liddell went for a swim in San Diego over the weekend ... though he didn't do it voluntarily, instead slipping off a boat into the bay!

TMZ has obtained video of Chuck hanging around on a Lamborghini yacht, talking expressively with a couple dudes and seemingly leaning forward to show them a move with his fist balled.

Unfortunately, seems like CL didn't quite have his sea legs underneath him 'cause he started to fall backward -- and Chuck's companions weren't looking toward him, so they weren't able to stop his descent.

Liddell made a big splash into the water, and the alarm bells sounded with the whole crew kicking into rescue mode to drag Chuck back on board.

The yacht's owner, Ace Rogers, jumps off the back and swims toward Chuck helping him back up. He's got guys pulling on his arms while another supports his back as a little dog looks on.

It takes a while for his buddies to pull him back up onto the deck -- Chuck's a pretty big dude -- but ultimately they dragged him up out of the water.

Acting like the champ he is ... Chuck -- who was a special guest for the Digital Mastery Mastermind event over the weekend -- just kept on vibing into the evening, eyewitnesses say he had food delivered to the Lambo yacht.

He also waved hello to a collection of fans -- though he didn't leave the boat for the rest of the night.

UFC Fight Night 237 saw some big names throw down in Mexico City ... but the biggest knockout of the night may have actually happened outside the Octagon.

Video of a brawl breaking out in the crowd during the big event Saturday night is going viral online ... with a huge group of men grabbing each other by the shirt and throwing punches, essentially turning the crowd into a mosh pit.

Right in the middle of the melee ... one of the biggest knockouts in UFC history -- if you can count a fight going down in the stands that is.

Check out the vid ... a man in a black shirt throws a vicious left hook against his unsuspecting victim, and the guy's body basically goes limp as he hits the concrete canvas.

The fight sorta cools off after the KO ... with guys on both sides holding people back -- though they don't look like security guards per se.

In fact, it seems like security took forever to respond -- just check out the multiple angles of the fight that go on for a while ... and UFC prez Dana White even expressed his shock at the lack of a security presence.

White said he stood there watching the fight for a while, just waiting for security to come in and handle the fight ... but they seemed to just let it go until it ended.

DW's clear though -- he doesn't feel it reflects poorly on the UFC ... even if it was one of the craziest things he's ever seen, he said.

BTW ... several fights actually went down in the ring too with Brandon Royval defeating Brandon Moreno to launch himself back into UFC Flyweight title contention.

UFC Fight Night 237 tuvo a grandes nombres en la Ciudad de México, pero el mayor nocaut de la noche en realidad puede haber sucedido fuera del Octágono.

El video de una pelea que estalló en la multitud durante el gran evento de la noche del sábado se está volviendo viral en línea, con un enorme grupo de hombres agarrándose unos a otros por la camisa y lanzando golpes, convirtiendo a la multitud en un mosh pit.

Justo en medio de la guerra, hubo uno de los mayores nocauts en la historia de la UFC.

Échale un vistazo al video, un hombre con una camisa negra lanza un gancho de izquierda contra su víctima desprevenida, y el cuerpo del hombre básicamente se queda sin fuerzas mientras golpea la lona de hormigón.

La lucha se enfría un poco después del KO, con los chicos de ambos lados celebrando otra vez y volviendo a la calma a pesar de que nunca apareció ningún guardia de seguridad.

De hecho, parece que la seguridad tomó una eternidad para responder, solo échale un vistazo a los múltiples ángulos de la pelea. Al presidente de la UFC -Dana White- expresó su sorpresa por la falta de seguridad.

White dijo que se quedó allí viendo la pelea por un tiempo, a la espera de que la seguridad llegara a poner orden, cosa que nunca pasó.

Sin embargo, deja claro que esto no tiene por qué ensuciar el nombre del deporte, aunque sea una de las cosas más locas que ha visto nunca, dijo.

Hubo varias peleas memorables, con Brandon Royval derrotando a Brandon Moreno para lanzarse de nuevo en la lucha por el título de peso mosca de UFC.

Sean Strickland is apparently taking on all challengers both inside and outside the Octagon these days ... getting into a scrap on Thursday with a man right on top of a mountain!!!

The impromptu wrestling match happened on a ski slope that appears to be somewhere in North America ... after a dude who Strickland may or may not have known asked him for a wrestling match amid a flurry of snow.

Of course, as one of the baddest men in the UFC -- the former middleweight champ accepted ... and seconds later, the two were locking horns.

Initially, Strickland's opponent seemed to hold his own as a group of snowboarders gathered around and cheered on the action ... but it didn't take long for the MMA star to get control.

And, after a few moments, Strickland made the guy tap. Later, he celebrated the unique win on Instagram.

"Always a good time on the mountain!!!!" the 32-year-old said. "Yall need to stop challenging me lmao!!!!!"

Strickland has made a bit of a habit of beating up non-pros lately ... he took on social media star Sneako in a sparring sesh a few days ago, and after toying with him for a few minutes -- he made the influencer bleed.

The UFC and WWE are now owned by the same company, and that couldn't be clearer Monday night ... UFC star Michael Chandler showed up to Raw and cut a wild promo, attacking "candy ass" Conor McGregor!

"What's up Anaheim? You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet," Iron Mike screamed to the packed crowd at the Hondo Center, and then he took aim at The Notorious.

"There's a man from Ireland that's been making me wait way too long, and I still got one dude on my mind, Conor McGregor, get your candy ass back to the Octagon! We got some unfinished business boys, God bless! I'll see you at the top!"

It was a cool, unexpected moment ... and it likely won't be the last time a UFC star has the mic at a WWE event, and perhaps vice versa.

Last year, the UFC's parent company, Endeavor, merged with WWE ... creating TKO Group Holdings, an enormous company with a market cap of nearly $15 billion. The Rock sits on the company's board. Ari Emanuel is the CEO.

As for what Chandler said from just outside the squared circle, he took a shot at McGregor ... as the pair still doesn't have an official fight date despite almost a year passing since the men coached against each other on "The Ultimate Fighter."

Last month, it finally appeared the guys had decided on a date ... June 29 in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, there's been nothing set in stone since.

UFC fans might've been shocked to see Mark Zuckerberg Octagon-side at UFC 298, but Merab Dvalishvili wasn't ... 'cause the Facebook founder shot the star bantamweight fighter a text a few days before telling him he'd be in the building for the event!

One of the most memorable moments of the entire card was Merab picking up opponent Henry Cejudo and slamming him to the canvas near where Zuck was sitting, before engaging in a conversation with the billionaire.

TMZ Sports asked the 33-year-old contender about Mark's presence.

"We are following each other on Instagram, and he did text me before the fight that he was coming. He told me 'Don't tell no one.' I can keep a secret, of course," Dvalishvili told us, adding, "I knew he was there, and once I was walking out I saw him, of course, I said hello to him in person."

Although Zuck wasn't technically Merab's corner like he (momentarily) was for Alex Volkanovski, that's not to say Mark didn't share some of his BJJ expertise.

"I had a 4th corner that night. [Zuck] was giving me some tips when I was fighting," Merab said with a laugh.

Remember, Zuck has trained with the likes of Volk, Israel Adesanya, Mikey Musumeci and other top fighters.

Dvalishvili also revealed he was supposed to train with Zuckerberg before the FB exec injured his ACL last year. The men plan to get together once MZ's healed up.

Billionaire tech geniuses aside, there's a bunch more with Merab ... who many fans assume will get the next crack at a title after "Suga" Sean O'Malley and Marlon "Chito" Vera fight at UFC 299 next month.

We asked Merab if the UFC has informed him that he will fight the winner. Merab also tells us who he would prefer to fight, and why.

As for his 298 opp, we also asked Dvalishvili if 37-year-old Cejudo should retire after his second straight defeat.

Ian Machado Garry hasn't forgotten what Sean Strickland and Colby Covington said about his family last year ... and the welterweight star has revenge on his mind!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 26-year-old fighter as he prepares to return to the Octagon against Geoff Neal at UFC 298 for the first time since finding himself in the middle of one of the biggest and most controversial storylines in all MMA last year.

While he's focused on Geoff, Ian isn't trying to hide who he wants next.

"It's Colby Covington. I'm not looking for anyone else. I'm getting him. I'm gonna get him. I'm gonna retire him from the UFC. I'm gonna rid him and his f***ing nonsense from the organization and the whole world will be a better place because of it."

We followed up, asking if Machado wanted Covington even more so than Sean Strickland.

"I'll get both of them eventually, but right now the goal is to go for Colby. Sean Strickland, I'll get in time. God will give me that. I believe God will place that very firmly in my path, 'Off you go kid, enjoy!'"

As for how he handled the drama -- which saw his relationship with his wife put under a microscope -- Ian told us the following.

"I mean the truth is I didn't handle it well at the start. The truth is I didn't, it was very emotional. Very stressful, because I've never had a vicious onslaught of violent attacks on my family or my wife, and it was all based on absolute bulls*** and lies."

Ian went on to explain why he's still upset to this day, saying he doesn't "think that most people know the truth, and that's annoying, that's irritating."

Garry added ... ["Strickland] had no f***ing clue what he was talking about, didn't have any facts or any knowledge on the situation at all. Hears someone's opinion on it which is completely false and then elevates it to a point at which now everyone is attacking my wife, and it's just absolute utter nonsense."

Drama aside, we also talked to Ian about his matchup with Geoff, and his desire to co-main event a Conor McGregor card.

We also talked to UFC star Mackenzie Dern (#7), who is fighting #3 ranked strawweight Amanda Lemos on the UFC 298 card ... as she looks to bounce back from a defeat at the hands of Jéssica Andrade in November.

Dern is getting in the Octagon with another killer ... but if she gets a dub, she believes she could be next in line for a much-coveted title fight!

UFC fighter Sedriques Dumas -- who just recently scored an impressive win at UFC 294 -- was arrested on Tuesday in Florida following a tense confrontation with police.

According to Escambia County jail records, the 28-year-old was booked on a charge of battery at around 6:13 AM.

Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available ... although video posted to Dumas' Facebook page late Monday night/early Tuesday morning appears to show him getting into a verbal argument with several law enforcement officers just hours before he was thrown behind bars.

In the footage, it looks like Dumas was clearly upset with at least one member of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office ... who had told him they had been called out over "a disturbance."

Dumas repeatedly asked the officers questions before he told one, "I'm beyond f***ing pissed ... I'm just walking to blow off steam and she want to come at me and tell me I'm disrupting?"

The mixed martial artist and the police then went back and forth for several minutes ... before one of the officers told Dumas they had received a call regarding a woman who had said "her boyfriend was banging on the door and ringing the doorbell."

Ultimately, the video ended after it appears the officers put Dumas in handcuffs.

Dumas most recently fought on Oct. 21, 2023 in Abu Dhabi ... where he beat Abu Azaitar by unanimous decision.

The Super Bowl may not be the most star-studded sporting event in Vegas these next few days ... 'cause Dana White's Power Slap 6 Friday night in Sin City had some of the biggest stars in the world, including Tom Brady and Travis Scott!

And we've got a bunch of pics and video from the event.

It wasn't just TB 12 and La Flame in the building ... Charles Barkley, Pat McAfee, Johnny Manziel, Taylor Lewan, Bert Kreischer, IShowSpeed, billionaire Michael Rubin, and a bunch of others were also there for the festivities -- and judging by the stars, it slapped.

Friday night marked the first event White held outside of the UFC's own Apex center ... going down at the Durango Resort, marking a big step forward for the young org.

We talked to Dana backstage during the event (while he wasn't rubbing shoulders with Tom and Travis) ... and asked him about the night.

"This is the first time ever selling tickets. We sold VIP packages. It was a good night," White said with a big smile on his face.

As for the action on the mats, the main event, Manny Muniz vs. Christopher Thomas, was a barn burner ... and the scrap DW was most looking forward to.

"Muniz has never been knocked out, and Chris Thomas knocks everybody out," White told us.

Manny ended up beating Chris by knockout in the 5th round.

We also talked to UFC legend Chuck Liddell at the event ... and while it's clear he likes watching, it doesn't sound like he's going to be coming out of retirement to compete at Power Slap 7.

Jax Taylor was also in the house ... and the former "Vanderpump Rules" star told us how he became a slap-fighting fan.

Taylor says he initially saw highlights on Instagram, so he messaged Power Slap ... which led to an invite from Dana.

Kayla Harrison's opening up on all things UFC ... from her practice runs making 135 lbs. in the lead-up to her huge scrap with Holly Holm to whether she still has an interest in meeting Amanda Nunes in an Octagon!

33-year-old Harrison chopped it up with TMZ Sports ... weeks after she rocked the MMA world, moving from PFL to Dana White's promotion.

The 2x Olympic gold medalist and 2x PFL champion will fight 42-year-old Holm on the stacked UFC 300 card on April 13. We asked Kayla about signing with the UFC, and her thoughts on her legendary opponent.

"It's been amazing. Honestly, my life is so good. I really do feel like everything is happening at the right time and the right place with the right people," Harrison said.

"To be going to the Olympics of MMA on UFC 300 against Holly Holm, a legend in the sport. I'm so excited, I'm so amped. This is the s**t that gets me going, and yeah, I'm ready!"

When UFC 300 rolls around, it won't be happening at 145 or 155 lbs. ... no, Harrison is fighting at bantamweight. We asked her if she fears being able to make the weight.

"Listen there's this giant misconception about my weight, and I think people think I walk around at like 180 lbs. or something. The reality is I was fighting at 155 lbs. and I was walking into the cage at maybe 160 lbs. I don't get much bigger than 160."

Kayla continued ... "I was always the smaller fighter and usually the less experienced fighter. I don't believe in weight cutting, but now I'm going to do what everybody does and I'm gonna be in the cage and I'm gonna be the bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced fighter."

"Is it gonna suck? Yeah. I'm not gonna enjoy dieting, but it's a chosen sacrifice."

Harrison has long said she wants to be the G.O.A.T. ... a title Amanda Nunes currently lays claim to. We asked KH if she still has visions of fighting Nunes in the future.

"Listen, Amanda is the greatest of all time. That's a fact. So, of course, I would love for that to happen," Kayla told us.

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you.t a lot to prove. I've got a lot to do. I've got my work boots on. I'm in the gym, I'm hungry, I'm staying humble, but of course!"

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you."

The Lioness is still technically retired ... though it sounds like she could be gearing up for a comeback.

Retired or not, first things first ... Holly Holm, and Kayla has her hands full.

Former UFC champion Jamahal Hill was offered a plea deal in his domestic violence case, TMZ Sports has learned.

Prosecutors extended the deal to Hill earlier this month, according to court documents. As part of the proposed agreement, Hill would plead guilty to one charge of domestic violence ... in exchange for the dismissal of the aggravated domestic violence charge they had initially hit him with following his arrest in November.

Hill is expected to make a decision on the offer by a court hearing in March.

We reached out to Hill's attorney for comment ... though so far, no word back yet.

We broke the story ... Hill was arrested back on Nov. 27 after his brother, James Hill Jr., told police the MMA fighter roughed him up at his Kent, Michigan home following a series of arguments the two had gotten into over Thanksgiving weekend.

Cops say James told them Jamahal "sucker punched" him with a closed fist -- before hitting him a second time. Police said in court documents James sustained a swollen face during the altercation -- adding that he was also "missing a front tooth that he stated got broke when Jamahal assaulted him."