Fights & Feuds

Khabib Nurmagomedov met with another world leader this week -- the Head of Dagestan -- and it sounds like he's staying retired.

Khabib sat down with Sergei Melikov, the acting Head of the Dagestan Republic -- who praised Khabib for bringing a "great victory to our people" with his UFC 254 win over Justin Gaethje.

"Khabib, you became the pride of not just your family and your people but the pride of Dagestan," Melikov said in an interview captured by RT Sport.

"Dagestan takes your victory as its own and celebrates it as its own win."

Of course, Khabib announced his retirement from MMA in the moments after the fight -- and even left his gloves in the octagon in a symbolic gesture.

UFC president Dana White recently said he's been talking to Khabib about returning for one last fight -- but when Khabib was talking with Melikov, he didn't sound like a man contemplating a comeback.

Khabib said fighting after the death of his father was difficult -- "The emotions in this fight were completely different. Everything was completely different without my father."

"I was offered the fight [with Gaethje] right after everything happened. I had the decision to accept it or turn it down -- nobody knew about this -- or retire."

"Or I could come back, fight and then retire. Now I tell the people close to me that aren’t happy with me retiring that even if I fought 10 more times, I’d still have to face that decision."

"This decision could come up when I’m 32, 34, 35. It’s a hard decision because I’ve been fighting all my life. I’ve been on the mats for as long as I remember. It’s difficult to leave and do something else. People can’t understand it, but what can you do?”

So, what will Khabib do? His father wanted him to retire with a 30-0 record. He currently sits at 29-0.

A group of Donald Trump supporters are up in arms about the mail-in ballot counting process in Detroit ... and they're trying like hell to disrupt it.

A frenzy's been whipped up by several Republican vote challengers at the TCF Convention Center, where workers are trying to tally thousands of absentee votes for Detroiters while having to deal with the madness.

Cops are keeping many of the aggressive challengers at bay due to the counting area being at capacity, but that's not stopping them from banging on the windows and chanting, "STOP THE COUNT! STOP THE COUNT!"

The pro-Trump challengers are apparently claiming they are being kept out, but Democratic challengers are as well. Under the state's election rules ... each group is allowed to have 134 challenges.

As you may know ... the President and his campaign have been making baseless claims about voter fraud in multiple states that carry significant importance to the winner of the election, and clearly, it's sparked outrage among his supporters in Detroit.

A woman was accosted and harassed by a bevy of Trump supporters ... and her pleas to cops to do something -- after someone allegedly sprayed bear mace at her -- seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Erika Harris recorded her run-in with the pro-President Trump group Sunday night in Bakersfield, CA ... where she says several of their vehicles blocked her from leaving a parking lot.

As you can see, the angry crowd approached her car and demanded she get out while calling her vulgar names. You even hear one man call her the n-word.

As Harris got outside of her vehicle, she was confronted by a woman who appeared to try to take her phone. Another man appeared to be armed, but took off his weapons and gear ... as he told her to "come get it."

At one point in the video, a man's seen spraying something into her car. She accuses him of spraying her and others with bear mace. When officers showed up, Harris told them about the mace, but none seemed eager to help. One said no crime was committed, and after a sardonic exchange ... simply walked away.

Harris claims the pro-Trump folks have been protesting in her town for the past month, and she decided to set up a Black Lives Matter counter-protest nearby.

Anderson Silva has some business advice for Conor McGregor -- forget about a rematch with Khabib ... and focus on getting a deal done with Manny Pacquiao!!

Remember, Silva and Conor had publicly floated the idea of fighting each other over the past year -- with Silva even consulting with doctors about cutting weight for a possible throw down.

But, 45-year-old Silva says it became clear it wasn't going to happen and he moved on -- he's now fighting Uriah Hall on Halloween night in what could be the last fight of his Hall of Fame career.

As for Conor, Silva tells TMZ Sports ... McGregor should seriously reconsider getting back in the boxing ring, since he made a life-changing paycheck from his 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather.

"I think for Conor right now, the best fight is with Manny Pacquiao," Silva says.

"For business, I think the best fight for Conor is to take the fight with Manny Pacquiao."

Silva says Conor obviously needs more training -- but he thinks it's a very interesting fight that people would love to watch.

As for his fight with Hall -- it's dangerous. 36-year-old Hall is on a 2-fight win streak and has previously defeated tough guys like Thiago Santos and Gegard Mousasi.

Silva has said this is most likely his last fight -- but nothing's set in stone. In other words, if he mops the floor with Hall, you might see him back in the octagon one last time.

If he does retire, he's a lock for the HOF -- widely regarded as one of the best of all time ... defeating legends like Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Stephan Bonnar and more.

#Legend

Andre Abram -- the Black man who was told "This is a no n***er zone" by a man named Paul Ng -- says he's dealing with difficult mental aftershock from the incident going viral ... but he's not holding any grudges.

Abram tells TMZ ... last week's confrontation with Ng in Scottsdale was extremely upsetting for him, and he's having a tough time reliving it over and over as the media replays it.

Abram says he's using breathing and relaxation techniques to stay calm, but admits it's been emotionally taxing. He says he has a strong support system of friends and family ... and he won't hesitate to seek more help if needed.

As for Ng ... Andre says he forgives the guy for his actions, but stresses that he needs to understand what he did was wrong and unacceptable.

As we first reported ... Ng was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for his interaction with Abram. He allegedly told cops he was looking out for his community and suspected Abram and his friend of casing the area. In actuality, they were recording an episode of Abram's podcast.

Tony Ferguson does NOT believe Khabib Nurmagomedov is retiring for good -- claiming the Dagestani will return to the octagon one day ... and Tony can't wait.

"You’re gonna miss it like [Conor McGregor]," Ferguson said on Submission Radio ... "He’s going to be back. So, I’ll be f*cking ready."

Khabib announced his retirement after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 -- saying he can't bring himself to fight again after the death of his father.

But Tony -- who was booked to fight Khabib on multiple occasions only to have the fights fall apart due to various issues -- claims he saw Khabib's retirement announcement coming from a mile away.

"I completely called it out," Ferguson said ... "I called it out on my post. You guys can see that. I called he was gonna retire."

Ferguson says Khabib's manager Ali Abdelaziz "did his job" by steering Khabib into fights with guys like Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje instead of him because "he kept his client safe."

"He kept [Khabib] away from very dangerous opponents. I mean, that’s what an agent and a manager is supposed to do. Although, he is a piece of sh*t, but I have to say, he did the smart thing. I mean, he avoided me at all f*cking costs."

Ferguson continued, "I mean, the Russians, they avoided me at all fucking costs. That’s f*cking awesome. So, you know what, I did my job. They ran. F*ckin’ Dagestani ran with his tail between his legs. But you know what, he’s off in the sunset."

Ferguson did offer Khabib "props" for handling his "family business" -- but predicts he will unretire just like Conor McGregor so they can finally settle things in the octagon once and for all.

For his part, Khabib says he's dead serious about retirement -- promising his mother he would stop fighting after the Gaethje victory.

Three Miami University football players have been hit with criminal charges ... after cops say they were involved in a MASSIVE brawl at a fraternity house that was caught on video.

According to the Oxford Police Dept. in Ohio, 19-year-old TE James Bomba, 19-year-old WR Dimitri Mitsopoulos and 18-year-old DB Terrell Rush were all charged Tuesday.

Cops say they played at least some role in an Oct. 3 melee at the Theta Chi fraternity house near the Oxford, Ohio campus that left several people hospitalized.

In video of the brawl -- released shortly after the incident -- you can see the fighting was widespread ... with people tackling each other and throwing wild haymakers.

Cops said after the fracas was broken up ... a few people were hospitalized -- and one person claiming to have witnessed it all told WLWT5 that somebody was hit in the eye with a golf club and suffered a broken orbital.

Police say Bomba was ultimately charged with assault and criminal trespass; Mistopoulos was hit with 2 counts of assault, 2 counts of criminal trespass and 1 count of disorderly conduct; while Rush was charged with trespass.

The University said in a statement to WLWT5 that all 3 players have been suspended from the team indefinitely ... and they could face further school punishment going forward.

"With the OPD criminal investigation concluded, Miami has begun its investigation into the incident," school officials said. "Miami University holds its students to high standards of conduct and will not tolerate violence."

"Students who engage in misconduct face student disciplinary action up to and including suspension or dismissal."

The Miami Univ. football team is slated to open its season on Nov. 4 against Ball State.

As for what led up to the attack, several fraternity members told WLWT5 there was an incident at the house the previous night -- when members told an uninvited guest to leave.

The fraternity members believe the people who showed up the next day to fight were connected to that uninvited guest and may have been looking for revenge.

The fraternity members say some of the attackers showed up to the house wearing masks, hoodies and gloves.

Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court is bringing out heated reactions -- pro and against -- which spilled onto the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Tons of protesters -- including some dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale" -- showed up Monday night on Capitol Hill to rail against the third SCOTUS Justice nominated by President Trump.

Check out the video ... things were pretty tense as one man -- not wearing a mask -- is getting into an argument that quickly turns heated. Another man with a bullhorn interjected, but that only amped up the rage. Police responded to separate the angry parties.

As we reported ... Barrett was sworn in as the 115th Supreme Court justice in a ceremony at the White House. During her speech, she promised to carry out her duties independently from the presidency, congress and her own private beliefs.

But, it's clear protesters are not confident ACB will keep her religious views out of her decision-making while on the highest court in the land ... hence the protesters dressed as 'Handmaid's Tale' characters.

Wendell Pierce might be singing the blues soon, because he's NOT been tapped to play B.B. King in an upcoming film as he's proclaimed ... according to King's estate anyway.

Pierce -- known for his roles on "The Wire" and "Treme" -- made his announcement Monday, saying ... "We are official. Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great, BB King. Humbled."

Something doesn't add up though, because Vassal Benford -- chairman of B.B.'s estate -- tells TMZ ... they're furious Pierce announced he's the lead in the biopic. Benford claims Pierce has not been named by the estate or King's family members to play him, and in fact ... he says other actors are being considered, like Kenan Thompson.

Benford insists there's no official news about who's playing B.B. unless it comes from the estate, and he adds ... "I think Mr. Pierce misspoke."

To further muddy the waters ... Michael Zanetis -- producer and co-writer of the B.B project, which is titled "The Thrill is On" -- tells us King's estate has known about this film for years and has never had a problem with anything until now.

Zanetis claims Wendell has been under contract for the role of B.B. since 2009, and there's nobody better to play him. He adds that King's grandson, Eric Mitchell, has been an executive producer on this film since 2012 and fully supports the story.

Finally, he claims B.B. himself gave him his blessing to make the movie before he died in 2015.

So, it's even stranger Pierce tweeted out a clarification this week, saying ... "The Estate of BB King has requested I clarify the film THE THRILL IS ON is not a biopic in the traditional sense. It is a dramatized version of a real-life friendship story."

Zanetis confirms with us the film is a docudrama -- not a biopic.

Regardless, Zanetis claims the estate is trying to suppress him ... and tells us that goes against everything B.B. King stands for.

Bubba Wallace is taking the high road after a famous helmet artist -- who worked with Bubba in the past -- blasted the NASCAR driver on social media for bringing politics to the sport.

The artist is Jason Beam -- one of the top helmet designers in racing. He's worked with stars like Jimmie Johnson to Kyle Busch and more.

Beam's also pretty outspoken -- and when Richard Petty Motorsports announced they have officially named a new driver to take over the #43 car (now that Bubba has left the team), Beam went after Bubba publicly.

"RPM will actually have a wheelman behind the wheel and not a political statement looking for attention," Beam posted on Twitter.

A fan responds to Beam saying -- "So is this your final position? Cuz I remember a lot of flip flopping when you started getting called out by drivers."

That's when things escalated ... big time.

"I never once flip flopped," Beam said ... "F*ck Bubba and F*ck the BLM movement and F*ck anyone who wants to censor opinions and let politics get in the way of business relationships."

"You can quote me all you want, that’s my stance and has been from the get go."

Bubba saw the tweets and decided to respond -- expressing his disappointment with the artist.

"Can usually let the BS roll off but when it’s somebody I’ve met personally and was genuinely excited to have my first few lids painted by him .. hits different."

Bubba then explained why he left Richard Petty Motorsports to join Michael Jordan's new racing team.

"I ultimately left bc I just wanted a different look. No hard feelings just a personal feeling."

Wallace had this final message for Beam -- "Damn dude. Roger that."

As for the new Richard Petty driver -- RPM announced 24-year-old Erik Jones will take over the #43 car.

"Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said.

"At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in – including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume."

Donald Trump and Barack Obama are taking the gloves off ... Trump just ripped Obama after his blistering rebuke of Trump's presidency.

The Prez went nuts on Obama during Wednesday's rally in North Carolina, and it sure seems like he watched Barry tear into him during a fiery speech in Philadelphia.

No one gets under Trump's skin like Obama, so it's no surprise he fired back at the former president ... Trump says he's actually glad Obama's hitting the campaign trail and finally stumping for Joe Biden.

Trump told his supporters a story about learning Obama was campaigning for Biden, and he claims he told his aides it's a blessing in disguise because nobody campaigned harder for Hillary Clinton than Obama, and look how that turned out.

Trump's definitely been holding this grudge for years -- pointing out Obama got it all wrong in 2016 by telling people Trump wouldn't run, wouldn't win the nomination and wouldn't win the White House.

Trump was extra smug ... and he said the only person more unhappy than Hillary on Election Night 2016 was Obama.

Sorry, Loma -- kiss your hopes for a rematch goodbye!

... because Teofimo Lopez tells TMZ Sports he has no interest in running it back with Vasyl Lomachenko after kicking his ass on Saturday.

"For what? F*ck him," Lopez tells us ... "I won fair and square."

He certainly did -- Lopez dominated the first half of the fight and ended things with a stellar 12th round, despite a furious comeback attempt from Loma.

After the fight, Lopez says Loma and his camp weren't exactly gracious in defeat.

"I went up to him and I said good fight. I grabbed his father, I said safe travels … pretty much saying goodbye to them because I knew I won."

"But he didn’t want to give me back that same gesture -- instead he just started laughing like, 'What am I doing here?' So, I was like whatever, I did my part. The fighting's done, I whooped your ass … you cut me, head-butted me and sh*t but it's fine."

Lopez says Loma blew off the post-fight press conference and refused to talk with media -- telling us, "That just shows what kind of champion he really is."

So, what's next for the 23-year-old champion?

"I'm the king now," Lopez said ... "I've always been the king. I was just the underground king. Now, I've been crowned."

We asked Teofimo if he has any interest in fighting rising stars like Ryan Garcia and others now that he's in the driver's seat -- and ya gotta hear his answer.

Tory Lanez says he still considers Megan Thee Stallion a friend despite her claim he shot her ... but Meg doesn't sound too friendly.

The rapper proclaimed his innocence for the first time on video Tuesday, hopping on Instagram Live to defend himself against Megan's accusations, and he really raised eyebrows when he said, in his book, they're still pals.

The friendship sounds like news to Meg ... she says Tory is "genuinely crazy."

It's not like they can hang out as friends anymore anyways ... Tory was ordered to stay the hell away from MTS after a hearing on his felony assault charge in connection with the shooting.

Tory's now calling the shooting a "debacle" and says the only people who really know what happened are him and Meg. Seems he's forgetting Meg's friend and his chauffeur were also there when a gun went off during an argument.

Fly, fists, fly??

Here's video of Eagles fans throwing violent haymakers at each other while breaking every COVID-19 protocol in the book during Philly's loss to Baltimore on Sunday.

Unclear what prompted the massive brawl in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly ... but the fight was INSANE.

A man in a Carson Wentz jersey climbed down about 10 rows of seats to get to another man ... and he let the punches go as soon as he got in striking range.

The two traded blows for a few seconds ... when suddenly ANOTHER man came into the melee and started throwing bombs of his own!

Other fans were eventually able to break up the scrum ... and, fortunately, despite the violence, nobody appeared to be too injured.

The Eagles had JUST been given the green light to allow a very limited number of people to attend Sunday's game ... and protocols stated fans were supposed to stay in their pods, wear masks and social distance at all times.

But, Philly is gonna Philly ... even in a pandemic. Let's just be happy no police horses were punched in the face this time.

Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall says allegations he punched a former player and choked a former coach are FALSE.

It's all part of a new statement Marshall released Wednesday professing his innocence in the wake of an investigation into his allegedly hostile conduct over the years.

As we previously reported, ex-Shockers player Shaq Morris told Stadium that Marshall socked him in the face TWICE for committing a foul during a 2015 practice,

Stadium reported several former players corroborated the incident.

Morris also told Stadium that Marshall also choked assistant coach Kyle Lindsted during a practice in the 2016-17 season.

Now, Marshall is speaking out ... saying the allegations are just not true -- and asserts that he's the victim of attempted character assassination.

"In response to the allegations put forward in the media, I simply state unequivocally that I have never physically struck a player or colleague," Marshall says ... "Allegations claiming otherwise are false."

He added, "It is important that the investigation conclude its work without outside influence. An unrelenting character assassination by a member of the media that repeatedly targets me and my family threatens to undermine the impartiality of the investigation."

"I am devoted to my team and the entire Shocker community. I value my players and believe in their potential."

"If there is any question of my love for my team, it’s my responsibility to do a better job of demonstrating my commitment. I am humbled and proud to serve this university and our community."

Joe Biden lawn signs are triggering people in certain parts of the country ... like this woman who threatened to sue her neighbor in an epic meltdown captured on video.

Home security footage shows the lady storming up to her neighbor's front door, ringing the doorbell twice and demanding to talk. When the other woman inside says she can't come to the door, the lady breaks out the neighborhood bylaws. Oh, snap!

Her angrily stated argument ... posting a political sign in the front lawn is against neighborhood rules, and she's threatening legal action if her neighbor doesn't "take this Harris, Biden s*** down!!!"

She doesn't stop there ... she claims she was gonna have the neighbor sell her house, but is gonna find someone else to do it instead.

After citing the alleged bylaw infraction again, the lady storms away and walks over the lawn right past the Biden sign.