UFC

Tracy Cortez pulled out all the stops to ensure she made weight for her upcoming main event fight with Rose Namajunas ... cutting off inches of her hair to come in under the 126 lb. limit!

Talk about dedication!

The 30-year-old fighter hit the scales Friday morning in Denver, CO ... with only the scale standing between her and Thug Rose, who are headlining Saturday's Fight Night card. The problem for Cortez ... she was about a pound overweight, and time was running out.

Donald Trump is set to officially receive the Republican nomination next week at the party's National Convention in Milwaukee ... and we now know who will introduce the former President -- longtime friend and UFC CEO Dana White!

The Wall Street Journal broke the news on Thursday, reporting the UFC honcho will make his third consecutive appearance at the RNC, serving as the co-main event for one of the biggest nights in politics.

Of course, Dana and Donald go back years.

Shawn Porter had the best seat in the house for Nate Diaz's scrap with Jorge Masvidal on Saturday, with the former boxing champ saying the Stockton star trained hard for the fight, as opposed to when he lost to Jake Paul a few months back!

"[Diaz was] the same fighter, but more prepared. The same fighter, but really ready to fight," Porter, who called the fight for Fanmio, told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

Shawn continued ... "They said Nate didn't really train for the fight with Jake Paul. He didn't take it as serious as he should have. And it showed."

It appears Conor McGregor is inching closer to his UFC return ... 'cause the MMA superstar shared a bunch of sparring snapshots to his Instagram on Monday -- and if they're in fact recent, fans might not have to wait much longer to see him in action.

Notorious -- who backed out of his UFC 303 matchup with Michael Chandler last month due to a toe injury -- added two separate workout posts to his profile over the past 24 hours ... showing him having his way against his partner.

Conor appears to move around the canvas with no issue as he lands kicks and punches ... even to the point where he gets blood on his glove.

The Ice Man's got an iced-out truck ... and he ain't afraid to show it off!!!

Check out the ride Chuck Liddell pulled up in at LAX earlier last week -- it's a custom 2005 H2 Hummer -- and he tells TMZ Sports it's an absolute blast to drive!!

The UFC legend says he actually first got it as a gift from Dana White for taking part in the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter" show years ago -- but, just recently, he had it a bit redone by a custom car shop.

Dan Ige was planning on watching UFC 303 like the rest of us ... on the couch. But before the main card kicked off ... he found himself walking into the arena to take a fight against Diego Lopes on four hours notice -- and he tells TMZ Sports he would do it all over again!

We spoke with the 32-year-old fighter days after he saved the day for the UFC on its marquee card for International Fight Week. Ige said he is still riding the high of the entire saga.

"The last 24 hours have been an emotional roller coaster," he said. "I was preparing for a night in three weeks. Then, just getting the call on four hours notice and making that walk on such a huge event, saving the card, UFC 303 as the co-main event. 19,000 fans in the arena, getting a standing ovation. What a moment, what an opportunity."

Hollywood stars, sports legends, and a billionaire or two had a kick-ass view for UFC 303, but none of them were at T-Mobile Arena ... instead, Vince Vaughn and a gang of other celebs partied and watched fights at a new, super cool immersive theater in L.A.

Cosm Los Angeles -- a 65,000 square foot theatre with a massive curved LED screen in Hollywood Park (next to the Rams' SoFi Stadium) -- is designed to transport fans, giving them the best seat in the house at the biggest sporting events and concerts.

Think of being in the Octagon as Alex Pereira throws punches and kicks (except you never get hit 😰). That's what it's like ... and thanks to a bunch of partnerships with leagues, promotions, and networks, Cosm will show the UFC, NBA, NHL, Premiere League soccer, USA Soccer and much more.

Brian Ortega stepped into the UFC 303 co-main event on two weeks' notice ... and some have called the decision reckless and potentially costly for the MMA star. So, why'd T-City accept the fight? TMZ Sports asked him.

"At this point it just becomes about having fun with my career. Taking the craziest fights now, and this is one of them, right?" 33-year-old Ortega told us.

"Two weeks notice, save 303, checklist. That's something that gets me excited, gives me nerves. Makes me feel alive again. Makes me feel like a young up-and-comer."

Ian Garry is a few days away from making the walk against Michael Page at UFC 303 ... and despite Venom's resume, the Irish star sounded as confident as ever during a recent convo with TMZ Sports.

26-year-old Garry previewed his upcoming match against former Bellator star, MVP ... and while many people may consider Page a legend, Ian very clearly isn't impressed with Michael's work in the cage.

In fact, when asked how he would handle MVP's unique style in the Octagon, Garry did not hold back!

Conor McGregor is keeping himself busy as he nurses the pinky toe injury that forced him out of UFC 303 ... by tracking down the latest viral sensation -- the "Hawk Tuah" girl.

A Tennessee resident Haliey Welch is believed to be the woman who took the world by storm with a street interview she participated in a few weeks ago ... and if you somehow have no idea what we're talking about, the video is provided below for your viewing pleasure.

Naturally, the silly clip spread like wildfire ... and folks rushed to get a hold of the woman's profiles.

Ryan Garcia isn't retiring ... the boxing superstar tells TMZ Sports he won't give his detractors the satisfaction. So, when his one-year suspension run ends, King Ry will be back in the squared circle!

But, until then ... he's ready to fight somewhere else besides the ring.

We ran into 25-year-old Garcia, who was out in Los Angeles Friday afternoon, where we asked Ryan about the punishment levied by the New York state athletic commission, whether he was truly retired, and if he was serious about fighting MMA.

Paige VanZant says her modeling career is so lucrative, she is no longer pursuing fighting full-time ... admitting combat sports is more like a recreational activity than a profession to her these days.

The 30-year-old fighter-turned-OnlyFans model was a rising star in UFC ... earning a 5-4 record during her time in Dana White's organization.

But, she's now making a name for herself in an entirely different industry ... and ultimately, the money she's raking in from it has led her to shift gears for good.

Robert Whittaker expected to fight Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but will instead face Ikram Aliskerov after Borz was forced out of the scrap with an illness that hospitalized him. So, much easier fight, right?!

Not so fast ... according to 33-year-old Whittaker himself!

"I am thankful for [Aliskerov] to step up to the plate to fight, and a lot of fans probably don't know how dangerous this guy is. And, in a lot of ways, this guy is more dangerous than Chimaev was, especially mentality-wise, because he has nothing to lose and only everything to gain," Robert told TMZ Sports earlier this week.

Conor McGregor is finally telling fans about the injury that forced him to pull out of his comeback fight against Michael Chandler on June 29 at UFC 303.

And ... it's a broken toe.

"We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean," 35-year-old McGregor wrote on social media.

The fight was called off just over 3 weeks before the men were set to scrap.

Taylor Wily -- an actor and former sumo wrestler best known for his recurring role on "Hawaii Five-0" -- has died.

According to an anchor for local Hawaii outlet KITV -- who described Taylor as a family friend ... Taylor died Thursday. KITV did not provide a cause of death.

Television producer Peter M. Lenkov confirmed the news on his official Instagram account ... posting a picture with Wily from behind the scenes of a television show and telling his followers he's "heartbroken.".

Dana White's ripping cancel culture, saying it's stopping people from being their true selves in public -- and he's using an interesting metaphor to make his point ... gay people.

The UFC CEO sat down with Shannon Sharpe for an episode of his "Club Shay Shay" podcast ... and, they dove into people getting "canceled" -- something White says doesn't scare him one bit.

Watch the clip ... Dana says he only cares about the opinion of a small group of people -- his family and loved ones -- and everything outside of that's just white noise. He then launches into a comparison that's raising eyebrows among some ... but ringing true for others.