Fights

Dana White says as long as Jon Jones is around, Henry Cejudo can't be the greatest UFC fighter of all time.

"There's no doubt the guy has broken a lot of records. He's accomplished a lot here. But, to go out there and start saying, 'Hey, I should be on the Mount Rushmore' when you've been retired for 3 years, and when you retired, in my opinion, sort of early," White told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Dana continued ... "Listen, you beat Aljo, there are still a few fights out there for him to really cement himself as one of the greatest of all time."

Of course, Cejudo -- who is making his return to the Octagon after three years away -- recently told us he'd be on the Mount Rushmore of fighters if he defeated the current 135 lb. champ, Aljamain Sterling ... saying he'd join Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson, and Jones.

But, that's not the ceiling for Henry ... who went on to tell us he believed he could become the greatest of all time with several key wins, starting with Aljo, then rival "Suga" Sean O'Malley, before going up to fight 145 lb. king, Alex Volkanovski.

With that, Triple C would be Quadruple C ... a feat never before accomplished.

Dana told us he agreed Henry would have a place on Rushmore if he were to beat Sterling at UFC 288, and then O'Malley and Volk ... but he still wouldn't see him as the best ever as long as Bones Jones is still walking around.

"While I agree he would be on the Mt. Rushmore, still tough to call himself the G.O.A.T. while Jon Jones still exists."

First things first, Cejudo has to beat Sterling.

Also fighting at UFC 288 in the co-main event are top ranked welterweights Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad ... two guys Dana tells us he has a "ton of respect for," especially considering both guys stepped up on short notice.

There's much more talk with the UFC honcho ... including whether Gilbert or Belal can do enough to jump Colby Covington, and earn a title fight vs. Leon Edwards.

Speaking of, we also talked to Burns and Muhammad about the title eliminator ... arguably the biggest fight in both guys lives.

"Unfinished business."

That's what boxing star Rolly Romero says he has with Gervonta "Tank" Davis ... after losing to the undefeated superstar in May 2022 by 6th round knockout.

TMZ Sports talked to 28-year-old Romero, 14-1 (the only loss being Tank), ahead of his mandatory fight with Ismael Barroso (24-3-2, 22 KOs) on May 13 on Showtime ... a fight Rolly knows he needs to win in order to earn the chance to run things back with Davis.

Of course, Davis is coming off an impressive win over Ryan Garcia ... and many fans, fellow fighters, and experts believe Gervonta is now the face of the sport.

Rolly believes the fight would be very different in a rematch.

"Oh, of course [it'd be a different outcome]. I get to be in my actual weight class this time," Romero told us.

The 2022 scrap was fought at 135 lbs. ... but Romero's weight class is 140 lbs. A big difference, especially for smaller fighters like Tank and Rolly.

"If you're a casual, you wouldn't understand. But, 5 pounds make a world... 1 pound makes a world of difference."

Romero hasn't fought since Davis ... and was originally supposed to fight WBA champ Alberto Puello -- before he was popped for performance-enhancing drugs (Rolly calls him a "piece of s**t" for the PEDs) in the lead-up to the fight. Barroso stepped up on short notice.

We also talked to Rolly about preparing for a new opponent with limited time.

Trinity Fatu -- formerly known as Naomi in WWE -- is officially making her return to the wrestling ring, but the squared circle isn't the end goal ... 'cause the wrestling superstar wants to act on stage in a Broadway play!

"Before I became a wrestler," Trinity told TMZ Sports' Mojo Muhtadi, "My dream was to be on Broadway. I love theatre. To dance since I was 8 years old. I sing. That was always an aspiration and dream of mine."

Fatu says along the way, she fell in love with wrestling ... and being the superstar she is, it dominated her life.

"Once you get the wrestling bug, it kind of takes over your whole everything, and that's what happened. So, literally, the last 13 years has been all about wrestling and I kind of got away from it, but it's always been in the back of my mind as something, if I ever had the opportunity, I'd do it."

Trinity says now that she's in a different place (no longer with WWE), she again focusing on making her ultimate dream a reality.

"Now that I am where I am in my life, I've definitely been pursuing it. Going to New York as much as I can, taking dance classes, taking acting classes, and just really trying to learn more about the craft. Broadway, Off-Broadway, I just want to be in it."

But, that doesn't mean the pro wrestling star is giving up on kicking ass in the ring. In fact, Trinity will make her highly-anticipated return with Impact Wrestling on Thursday.

Naturally, her best friend Mercedes Moné -- who was just over in Japan competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) -- traveled back to the United States to support her.

Remember, Trinity and Moné were suspended indefinitely after they walked out of "Monday Night Raw" last May and were stripped of their women's tag team titles, effectively ending their WWE careers.

The Impact match airs tonight, but was already taped ... and the 35-year-old former 2x-Smackdown Women's Champion admitted she felt pressure in her debut match, especially after Tamina and CM Punk surprised her at the show.

However, their support gave her the confidence to overcome her fears after the long layoff.

"It was everything," Trinity said.

"It gave me that extra boost I needed to follow through and really do it. I was so scared. Mercedes being there. She was there with me the entire weekend. Helping me pick out my outfits."

Trinity's back in the ring, and hopefully, will grace a Broadway stage sometime soon!

Nick and Aaron Carter's mom ended up in jail after allegedly arguing with her husband over their television's remote control.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Jane Schneck was arrested Friday night after drinking with an adult family member and getting into a verbal altercation that turned physical.

We're told Jane was listening to music so loudly on the TV, her hubby couldn't go to sleep ... and they had a confrontation over the remote.

Our sources say Jane grabbed his wrist, because he had whipped out his phone to record what was happening. We're told he didn't like how Jane touched him, so he called police.

When cops got to Jane's Florida home, we're told officers watched his cell phone video and decided they'd seen enough to arrest Jane for battery.

Online records show Jane was booked early Saturday morning. She eventually posted a $100 bond, and was released from custody that evening.

Meanwhile, we're told her husband was not injured and didn't want to go to the hospital.

Trey Songz is now off the hook for his alleged bowling alley beatdown last year -- because we've learned the most serious charges have been dropped.

Songz pled guilty Tuesday to a single disorderly conduct violation in connection with the incident ... while prosecutors agreed to dismiss the 10 original charges against him, which included assault and aggravated harassment.

As part of the plea deal, Trey now has to complete 12 anger management classes by August, and sources close to the case tell us he's already gotten a head start on them.

As we reported, Trey was accused in October of punching a woman repeatedly in the face in a NY bowling alley bathroom, with the woman claiming he also dragged her by her hair.

Another man also claimed the singer punched him in the eye during the incident. Songz turned himself in to police a few weeks later.

Trey’s attorney, Mitchell Schuster, tells TMZ, “We appreciate the New York law enforcement and the District Attorney's office for their comprehensive investigation and careful consideration of all evidence, which ultimately confirmed what we had known all along and resulted in the District Attorney’s office choosing not to pursue any of the original charges against our client.”

Henry Cejudo believes he's one win away from securing a spot as one of the greatest four fighters in MMA -- joining legends Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva -- and all that's left to do is beat champion Aljamain Sterling.

36-year-old Triple C joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where he talked about his return to the Octagon after 3 years away, and what a win would mean for his legacy.

"I think that puts me on the Mount Rushmore of MMA. I'm probably not better than Demetrious or Jon Jones or Anderson Silva, but I think that puts me at number four," Henry said.

"I think that puts me in a league, I'm a two-division champ, Olympic champ. I come back three years later, I do believe in my heart that I am the greatest combat athlete of all time, just by my resume, just by my accolades, but I think this fight right here puts me on Mount Rushmore."

Of course, Henry hasn't fought since he beat the legendary Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. He was in the midst of a 6-fight win streak, including dubs over Mighty Mouse, Marlon Moraes, and T.J. Dillashaw.

FYI, Cejudo won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling back in 2008 in Beijing.

Now, Henry will look to earn that spot on Mt. Rushmore ... with a win over bantamweight Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 on May 6.

If he gets past Aljo, Henry says he'd like to fight rival "dirty Q-tip Ronald Meth-Donald" 'Suga' Sean O'Malley.

Once he does all that, Cejudo believes there is a path to becoming the greatest ever, period. In order to do that, he believes he needs to beat current pound-for-pound king Alex Volkanovski for a third belt ... which has never been done before.

Mike Perry wants a BIG fight ... a big fight against Conor McGregor.

Just days after 31-year-old Perry defeated former UFC champ Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41 in Colorado, and then came face-to-face with "The Notorious," the former UFC star from Florida tells TMZ Sports he's looking to put a whoopin' on the biggest star in combat sports.

"I think a fight [with Conor] looks very entertaining. The build-up. The s*** talk," Mike says, before explaining, despite residing in different promotions, the fight could really happen.

"You know he's still in with the UFC. Let's hope he beats Michael Chandler, then we can really make the biggest fight date in the world, 'Platinum' Mike Perry vs. 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor."

Perry says if the world didn't know he was a badass in the ring before Saturday night, they do now after forcing Rockhold to give up after sustaining an injury during the bout.

"Luke helped with this. The world knows he was a serious threat. A very strong competitor. A 2x world champion and I made it look easy."

(We also talked to Perry about the fight with Rockhold.)

If Conor doesn't work out, Mike has a couple other opponents in mind.

"Tommy Fury is interesting. Logan Paul. These are good popular fights. Possible fights as well."

But, McGregor is the fight, as far as MP's concerned. We asked him if he had a message for Conor.

"Conor, 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor vs. 'Platinum' Mike Perry is the only fight to make. It is the number one fight in the world. All the fans want it. We'll throw hands, Southpaw vs. Orthodox. Big power punchers. I'm the better boxer, and that's no disrespect on you mate," Platinum Perry said.

Conor McGregor stole the show Saturday night at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ... and the spirits clearly moved him.

Conor was on hand to watch Mike Perry defeat Luke Rockhold, who threw in the towel after his teeth got messed up in the brawl.

Conor, who was sipping, then swigging, his Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, toasted the crowd at the 1stBank Center and the crowd ate it up.

But McGregor wasn't done ... Perry invited him into the ring and they faked a face-off. That's when the Irish champ grabbed Perry's BKFC belt ... a move that would ordinarily have triggered another fight, except this one was for s**** and giggles. They stared each other down, WWE style, and that was that.

As for Conor ... he's been sidelined with an injury for 2 years, but he's expected to fight Michael Chandler soon.

Jorge Masvidal, from one bad motherf***** to the next, is coming to the defense of one-time opponent Nate Diaz, telling TMZ Sports the charges against the UFC legend are crap ... 'cause fighters need to be able to defend themselves too!

Gamebred recently joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where they chopped it up about everything from his friendship with Donald Trump, whether he'd ever run for political office, his very own fight promotion, Gamebred Promotions, and the Diaz incident in New Orleans.

"There's nothing wrong [with defending yourself]," Masvidal said.

Of course, defending himself is exactly what Diaz says he was doing. Still, authorities opted to charge him with second-degree assault. Nate flew to NOLA on Thursday, where he turned himself in, before bonding out and taking a PJ back to Stockton. Diaz is adamant he was not the aggressor and simply was acting in self-defense.

"When it's you against somebody you have no idea if he's got a knife in his pocket, if he's gonna f******* pepper spray you then kick you in the nuts," Jorge explained, adding ... "Obviously this guy's not in the right mind if he's attacking a pro fighter. I just don't like it that people think because we're pro fighters that we're not able to defend ourselves."

"No, we have to defend ourselves. It's a cold world out there."

FYI, Jorge beat Nate for the BMF belt at UFC 244 in November 2019.

We also talked to Gamebred about politics ... with 80-year-old President Joe Biden recently announcing he'll run for reelection in 2024. Jorge has a relationship with Trump and believes the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction under the current POTUS.

"We the people say that please, you're not doing a service for us, you're doing a disservice. You're destroying this country. I don't care about your skin color, your ethnicity, your freakin' religious views. Where we were out 2 to 3 years ago was better for everybody."

Masvidal has gotten more involved in politics, and while he may not be a traditional candidate (stiff, phony, etc.), we asked Gamebred if he had any interest in running for office in the future.

"If you don't like the constitution and you're coming with all this crazy s*** now to try and destroy this country, I can't f*** you, man. But me running personally? No. But I'll def endorse those who I think are actually coming to get it and being a patriot."

There's much more ... while Masvidal says he still feels very comfortable with his decision to lay down his gloves after UFC 287, he's in no way leaving the fight game.

In fact, Jorge has big plans for Gamebred Promotions ... coming off an awesome Gamebred Boxing card that featured the legendary Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis. Jose Aldo and Jeremy Stephens also boxed ... along with Vitor Belfort defeating "Jacare" Souza.

Stacked.

And, Street Jesus says he's in the process of making even bigger moves, putting together massive events.

As for whether he'd fight under his own banner, the answer is ... maybe.

"I would definitely like to get a boxing match in there, I'm not ruling that out, but as of right now I'm just focusing on promoting."

Chance the Rapper and his wife Kirsten have had fans fearing they're heading toward a split for the last couple of weeks ... but that couldn't be further from the truth.

A rep for the Grammy winner acknowledges there's been some drama involving videos of Chance and twerking dancers, but summed it up by telling TMZ Hip Hop ... "Everyone has their moments, but they're all good."

If you recall, it was Chance's 30th birthday celebration during Jamaica Carnival on April 16 that got us to this point. He was all smiles in a viral video of a woman grinding on his lap.

Kirsten later posted a cryptic Maya Angelou quote about married people failing to grow up, and Chance fanned the flames by rapping about his love for twerking on Vic Mensa's newest song.

Chance opted not to face his internet critics head-on, and instead, posted a Bill Burr stand-up clip about the complexities of marriage, and how guys are typically a step behind women!

Chance and Kirsten tied the knot back in 2019, and he frequently shouts out his wife, and his love for her, in his songs.

Mike Tyson was a BEAST in his day, but he would've been an even bigger problem in the ring if he'd used psychedelics in his prime, so says the legend himself!

The 56-year-old recently joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) and spoke all about his experience with the drugs ... and he made it clear he wishes he would've done hallucinogens when he was competing for titles back in the day.

Tyson said they help alter his mind and perception and affect cognitive processes in a way that has really changed him for the better ... all things he could've used in his 20s.

"Psychedelics is an enhancement more than a de-enhancement," he told us. "It allows you to go in that realm of just comfortability, relaxness, and prepare to reach your highest level. It's just an amazing feeling."

Tyson loves psychedelics so much that he used them during a recent training session and told us that if he had used them in the 1980s and '90s, he would've been a far superior pugilist (amazing when you consider Mike's one of the most dominant fighters of all-time).

In fact, Tyson recommends all athletes should try mushrooms or weed, saying he's living proof that they work.

"I'm capable of talking to everybody in the sporting world because that's basically where it's needed," Tyson said.

The hits keep coming for Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock ... because a few days after getting into a fistfight with a bandmate, cops say he was driving drunk.

Shifty was arrested for driving under the influence early Tuesday morning in South Carolina.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops in Myrtle Beach say they were told to be on the lookout for a black SUV with California plates swerving in and out of lanes.

Police say they then got a call about a driver falling asleep behind the wheel of a black SUV at a red light. When they found the black SUV, cops say Shifty was driving and showing signs of being impaired.

Once they pulled him over, the officers say he was lethargic, slurred his words and bombed a field sobriety test. Shifty, who's publicly battled addiction for years, was arrested and charged with DUI.

As we reported, Crazy Town was in Myrtle Beach last weekend for a show, but the lowlight turned out to be Shifty and fellow bandmate Bobby Reeves brawling on video.

Mike Perry and Luke Rockhold are taking off the gloves ... the MMA stars are fighting bare-knuckled, and Platinum believes the former UFC champion is underestimating him in a big way!

"I do think he is in for a rude awakening because I don't think he thinks I have what it takes [to beat him]. I think he thinks so highly of himself that he's just too big for me," 31-year-old Perry told TMZ Sports this week.

FYI, Luke has a few-inch height advantage, and likely a few pounds on Mike, too.

Perry continued ... "I'm looking to be ferocious and jump all over him quickly. Bareknuckle is not like normal boxing where the fight really starts around the 6th round. These are 5 to 6, 2-minute rounds."

In other words ... except violence as soon as the bell sounds.

"I'm gonna try to cut him up a lot and make him quit," adding ... "I'm gonna try to hurt him badly, quickly."

Platinum, 2-0 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (one of those wins came against Michael "Venom" Page), also plans to give Luke a new nickname.

"Luke Out-Cold."

And, Perry and Rockhold aren't the only big names on the BKFC 41 card ... 'cause former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes are also fighting.

We also talked to Mendes ahead of what is his second bare-knuckle scrap (Chad won a fight last February), but Alvarez is certainly a step up in competition.

This time around, Chad tells us he has a secret weapon to reduce cuts ... a side effect when bare-knuckle boxing.

His secret ... pickle juice! 🥒

Former NFL safety William Moore is admitting to shooting at a woman's car during an altercation at a Georgia park last weekend ... but he claims he was actually the victim in the case.

The ex-Atlanta Falcons defensive back was arrested on Sunday in Lawrenceville ... after a woman told cops he shot at her car following a playground dispute that her 9-year-old niece had with Moore's young daughter.

According to a police report, the woman alleged Moore got so angry over the situation, he opened fire on her ride while her niece and her son were in the back seat. Moore was ultimately taken into custody ... and booked on several charges, including aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.

But, on Friday, Moore's attorney said in a statement to TMZ Sports the former football player only fired his gun because he was concerned the woman was trying to ram her car into his, potentially causing injury to him and his family.

"William took his two young children and his dog to the park to play," Matthew D. Crosby said. "After watching an older and larger female child assault his daughter, he attempted to speak to the lady that was with the girl to address the child’s behavior."

"William parked his car, got out and approached her driver’s side window to talk. She responded by putting her car in reverse and slamming it into William’s car right where his young son was sitting."

Crosby continued, "It was not until she pulled forward and was preparing to crash into his car again that he produced his gun. William was terrified that his children would be seriously hurt or killed if he did not act immediately. So, he shot at her car’s tire and away from the occupants, attempting to disable her vehicle and prevent further deadly threats to his children."

Crosby went on to say that Moore "adamantly denies the charges and looks forward to his day in court to give his side of the story."

Terrifying moment during an independent wrestling match last weekend ... a wrestler accidentally set himself on fire while trying to perform a stunt -- and suffered significant burns to his face and body in the process.

It all happened at XPW Wrestling's deathmatch event in Pomona, Calif. on April 22 ... when MASADA was attempting to blow a fireball at his opponent.

Video of the match -- a no-holds-barred contest where weapons are allowed -- shows MASADA grabbed a flaming torch, poured a substance in his mouth ... and then tried to blow the liquid and the ensuing flames at his counterpart.

The problem? The stunt somehow went awry ... and the fire went everywhere, swarming MASADA's entire upper body.

In footage of the match, you can see the flames engulfed the wrestler's face, chest and shoulders for several moments before they were mercifully extinguished.

Somehow, MASADA ended up finishing the contest ... but he raced to the hospital immediately afterward, and was diagnosed with first- and second-degree burns all over his body.

The 41-year-old told TMZ Sports on Friday he's still in the burn unit at a nearby medical facility recovering ... adding, "My face is healing up fast, just the rest is going to take a while."

As for what happened during the fire mishap, MASADA told us, "I've done that spot a lot when I wrestled in Japan, but it was rushed and I think being outside had something to do with it."

MASADA expects to be out of the squared circle for a bit ... but he said there are no plans to hang up his wrestling boots anytime soon despite it all.

James Harden didn't exactly use at least one of his days off between NBA playoff series for relaxation ... TMZ Sports has learned the 76ers star was involved in a dispute with a man outside of a Las Vegas hotel and casino earlier this week.

According to video we obtained, Harden was at an entrance to the Flamingo on the Strip at around 1:25 AM on Monday -- just two days after Philadelphia won its opening-round playoff series over the Nets in Brooklyn -- when he got into an argument.

The footage shows the Sixers point guard yelled at the man ... before he tapped the guy's chest and smacked his face.

Our sources tell us the man in the video is a member of Harden's crew ... and after the exchange, the two went about their night as if nothing happened.

It's unclear what all kick-started the confrontation -- but witnesses told us once Harden noticed people were watching nearby ... the basketball player and the man he was quarreling with headed inside of the building together.

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. spokesperson tells us officers were not called to the scene ... saying on Wednesday, "We have had no incidents involving James Harden reported to the LVMPD."