Tributes have been pouring in following the death of martial arts legend and actor Richard Norton ... including from his friend Chuck Norris, who says he's "heartbroken" following Norton's death.
The 85-year-old took to social media ... where he shared several throwback photos of the two, including a pic from a fight scene they had in the movie, "The Octagon."
"The wonderful memories we shared will forever be cherished in my heart. Richard, you made me not only a better martial artist but a better person. You inspired so many, and your legacy and impact will continue to live on for generations to come," Norris wrote.
Richard Norton -- who trained A-list stars in martial arts including Ben Affleck, Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson -- died over the weekend.
The industry legend died on Saturday in Melbourne, Australia according to his wife Judy Green. In her announcement of his death on Instagram, she wrote ..."I am numb and devastated, I have no words, I have lost my everything"
She continued ... "I know there is, and will be lots of love and shock that we have lost this incredible human being" adding she's using this time to come to terms with his death.
Brandon Moreno's heading into his main event fight, not with anger or aggression ... but instead with gratitude, telling TMZ Sports he's super thankful the UFC has given him the opportunity to fight at home!
"I'm just very grateful with the company, very grateful with the UFC to keep giving me these opportunities to show my skills to my country, you know, to Mexico. So I'm just enjoying the moment. I'm just enjoying the moment," the 31-year-old former Flyweight champ told us days before the scrap against Steve Erceg.
Erceg, 29 years old, is 12-3 as a pro ... and will be across from Moreno Saturday night at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
Former MMA fighter Sean Loeffler has been sentenced to five years of supervised probation and a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to a third degree sexual abuse charge in Oregon.
A Lincoln County judge also sentenced him to five years' bench probation for an interception of communications offense. FYI ... bench probation means the court will monitor him, rather than a probation officer.
The once-promising athlete received his sentence Wednesday afternoon after pleading guilty to sexual abuse and interception of communications misdemeanors Monday.
Wyatt Hendrickson set the sports world on fire Saturday night when he defeated Gable Steveson to win the NCAA national championship ... and while the Oklahoma State wrestling product doesn't have any plans to pursue MMA or professional wrestling full-time -- he tells TMZ Sports not to rule out a future appearance!!
We caught up with the U.S. Air Force Second Lieutenant a few days after taking home the NCAA heavyweight wrestling crown ... and he said he's still riding the high of it all.
"I'm so grateful for my team and my coaches," he said. "That whole tournament, everything lined up perfectly for us to have a great turnout as a team."
Luke Rockhold believes it's a serious injustice that Cain Velasquez is back behind bars ... and now, he's urging Donald Trump to step in and help remedy the issue.
Rockhold told TMZ Sports on Tuesday he believes Velasquez's attempt to seriously hurt Harry Goularte on a Northern California roadway back in February 2022 was "somewhat justified" -- as the MMA legend believed the man had molested one of CV's close relatives.
Velasquez ended up spending one year behind bars and an additional two under house arrest after he was thrown in jail for the alleged attempted murder ... and Rockhold told us that punishment should have been enough.
Fair warning to anyone trying to get close to Ivanka Trump ... the Secret Service may not be your biggest problem, 'cause the First Daughter just flexed her skills on the mat -- thanks to a training sesh with Gisele's man!
The 43-year-old daughter of the 47th U.S. President was seen training BJJ with Joaquim Valente and his two brothers, Pedro and Gui, at their facility in south Florida.
"Jiu-Jitsu is more than a martial art. Rooted in tradition and guided by the 753 Code, it builds physical confidence, mental clarity, and emotional balance," the Valente Brothers wrote on social media, alongside a video of the workout session.
Ivanka shared the clip with her 11.2 million followers on X ... where she and the Valentes work on different techniques, from arm bars to throws.
Conor McGregor is going full send with his political ambitions ... announcing on social media he's running for president in Ireland.
The UFC superstar explained his reasoning behind the run on Thursday ... saying he wants to give the people of his country a proper voice in its future.
The biggest issue?? The proposed EU Migration Pact ... which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering McGregor used his recent visit with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss his problems with immigration.
Undefeated MMA fighter Dustin Lampros has made a name for himself in the cage, but he's also fighting to get child predators off the streets -- and he's telling TMZ Sports the wildest interactions he's had while trying to make that happen.
We caught up with 9-0 Lampros ahead of his Shamrock FC title fight on March 22 ... and he opened up on how he started his meaningful side gig with a friend two years ago to make a difference in his hometown.
"When he exposed it to me and brought me into that world, I instantly felt motivated to do something," he said. "I looked at him right away and said, 'Let's do it, let's help down here in the community.'"
FBI Director Kash Patel wants UFC fighters to train his Agents ... and well there's one that is totally down! 🙋🏽 Justin Gaethje.
TMZ Sports spoke to 36-year-old Gaethje, who at the moment is a little tied up preparing for his co-main event scrap with Rafael Fiziev, who was plugged in for an injured Dan Hooker this week.
After the March 8 scrap in Las Vegas, the lightweight contender is down to help the country's top law enforcement agency in any way he can ... training personnel, or just kickin' the ass himself.
Newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel wants his org to kick some serious ass ... with reports stating he's considering bringing in UFC trainers to work with agents!!
According to Reuters, Patel suggested the idea in a video conference with supervisors on Wednesday. In the call, he proposed establishing a formal relationship with Dana White's promotion to fine-tune agents' self-defense skills.
The idea may seem a bit odd ... and that's how it's being received by at least a few agents, who said it was "surreal" and "wacky," according to the outlet.
MMA fighter Sean Loeffler has been charged with sexual abuse and more in Lincoln County, Oregon ... nearly a year after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence-related charges and was given a two-year prison sentence.
Documents obtained by TMZ from Lincoln County Circuit Court show Loeffler has been formally charged with sexual abuse in the first and second degrees, plus two counts of unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree.
The indictment sets a wildly uncomfortable picture, alleging the female victim "was incapable of consent by reason of mental incapacitation or physical helplessness" and was subject to the professional coach and trainer touching her vaginal area, as well as performing oral sex on her.
Guilherme "Bomba" Vasconcelos -- an MMA fighter who competed in the UFC and Bellator, and dated Demi Lovato -- died by suicide, according to newly-released documents.
TMZ Sports obtained the case report from the October 15 incident ... which state cops were dispatched to an Illinois home around 9 AM after a woman reported finding Vasconcelos in the garage.
After reviewing security camera footage ... cops determined Vasconcelos took his own life the night prior around 11:45 PM -- and was not discovered until the following morning.
Three OnlyFans models were beaten to a pulp by two men during a sanctioned MMA bout this week ... and fight fans everywhere have been outraged by the disturbing video of the scrap.
The tilt went down during a Real Xtreme Fighting event in Romania ... and it featured a team of Alicia Bonita, Denisa Costea and Maria Adriana for some reason going against Costica Prisecaru and Sebastian Rechinu.
Clad in white tank tops and matching skirts, the trio of women wore headgear ... while the duo of males did not.
Conor McGregor just formally moved to overturn the result of his recent civil assault case in Ireland.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... McGregor filed an appeal with the courts last Friday in an effort to clear himself following a jury's November ruling that he was liable for assaulting Nikita Ni Lamhain.
The case, as you know, stemmed from allegations Ni Lamhain -- AKA Nikita Hand -- made against the fighter in a lawsuit years ago. Hand claimed McGregor had sex with her against her will at a hotel ... after he picked her up from a 2018 Christmas party.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is really gonna pack a punch this year -- taekwondo champion Rayna Vallandingham was just named a rookie for the 2025 issue!!
The publication made the big reveal on Tuesday ... saying the fourth-degree black belt and actress recently got behind the lens for photographer Yu Tsai in Jamaica.
S.I. shared just one pic from the shoot ... showing Vallandingham -- who has nearly four million followers on Instagram alone -- rocking a two-piece Lybethras suit while on the beach.
