MMA

MMA is the worst sport for head injuries -- even worse than football -- so says a new study.

A University of Toronto study published this month in the American Journal of Sports Medicine examined records and videos from 844 bouts, finding that about 1/3 of them end in a knockout or TKO.

The study says the head trauma rate in MMA is greater than boxing, football and hockey.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is totally down to get in the ring with the WWE's finest at WrestleMania ... but she'll only appear with her posse.

Rousey and her roommate/UFC fighter Shayna Baszler posted a video of the two mixing it up in the ring last week -- the rumor mills went wild ... and we're told she'd be stoked to wrestle a legit match at WrestleMania.

Sources close to Ronda say she's busy with movies and real fighting ... but if WWE honchos wanted to make it happen they can get the ball rolling by hiring her crew -- the Four Horsewomen -- Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke.

We're told the fighter is saying WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans next month would be out of the question ... but if the WWE is interested, she'd be down to make it happen at next year's event in SF.

Former UFC star Thiago Silva has been cleared to fight again ... not by the UFC (Dana White banned him for life) ... but by a judge, who says Silva has the right to earn his living.

As we previously reported, Silva was finally released from jail (on bail) after allegedly grabbing a gun and threatening to execute his wife and her boyfriend outside of a FL martial arts gym last month.

The judge slapped Silva with several restrictions (no drugs, booze, anger management, etc) ... but Silva's attorney Scott Saul tells us he DID allow Silva to resume training for his MMA career.

Weird, since one day he'll be learning how to manage his anger ... and the next he'll be training himself to pummel another man within an inch of his life.

We're told Silva -- who's under house arrest and wears an electronic tracking device -- has permission to train at a nearby gym. He's also allowed to visit with his attorney and his manager.

The UFC is exploding in popularity ... but the sport of boxing is still more respected than MMA ... so says former boxing champ Sugar Shane Mosely.

The 42-year-old was leaving Supper Club in Hollywood Saturday night when he explained why he thinks the UFC is still playing catch up to boxing when it comes to respect.

Shane -- who's retired -- also says he still thinks he can fight with the best in the world ... but wants to leave the sport in younger hands ... like his 23-year-old son, who's training to be just like his old man.

Pitchers are gonna think twice before throwing inside on Shane Victorino next season ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned, the Red Sox star is on a HARDCORE mixed martial arts training binge.

"The Flyin' Hawaiin" is getting into fighting shape with "UFC Fit" -- same MMA workout routine that helped UFC super stars like Johnny Hendricks and Thiago Alves get JACKED before fights.

Shane tells us, "As an athlete, I’ve taken part in a lot of training programs ... and UFC Fit takes things to a whole new level.”

Don Gold -- one of the honchos at the program -- tells us women's UFC star Ronda Rousey uses the system too ... "Mike Dolce and the UFC Fit team just recently trained Ronda for her UFC title defense and got her in the absolute best shape of her career."

Bottom line ... watch out for Shane when the benches clear next year.

Charlie Sheen should tread lightly ... 'cause Ashton Kutcher has just earned his advanced blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu -- meaning, the guy can fight.

Kutcher has been training with MMA badass Rigan Machado ... and last night in Beverly Hills, the "Two and a Half Men" star was promoted to a "two stripe blue belt" -- which means he's spent hundreds of hours on the mat learning all sorts of new techniques.

Also in the house ... UFC fighters Josh Barnett and Cub Swanson. It appears Barnett was promoted to an instructor level.

Still, Kutcher is hardly the most dangerous sitcom star -- that honor probably goes to Ed O'Neil ... who's a frickin' BLACK BELT!!!

In fact, Rorion Gracie once described Ed as "As tough as they come."

Thiago Silva has a serious cocaine problem ... so says his estranged wife who claims the drug made him paranoid ... though Thiago's lawyer tells TMZ Sports she's full of crap.

Thaysa Silva spoke with a Brazilian media outlet and said the UFC fighter's cocaine habit led to the demise of their marriage AND last week's gun-wielding showdown at a jiu-jitsu academy in Florida.

"The problem was cocaine. He always thinks he’s above the law," Thaysa said ... "He had the cocaine paranoia."

We spoke with Thiago's attorney who tells us ... "The claims are not justified" ... and notes that no cocaine was found on the scene, at Thiago's house or anywhere else connected to the fighter.

Even though they're technically still married, Thaysa says her relationship with Thiago ended more than a year ago.

"My marriage was over in December of 2012. In our relationship, I had to deal with the imbalance and aggressions. But I never went to talk to the police because I fear the reactions. Even after I was assaulted, I did not speak."

Thaysa also described the alleged encounter that went down at her house in the weeks before the arrest ... saying, "He came to my house, tore my clothes and pointed a gun at my head."

UFC legend Randy Couture says there's serious momentum in the fight to get MMA back in the Olympics ... with more than 30 COUNTRIES on board and ready to roll.

Couture was leaving an event in L.A. this weekend when he said, "I think there's 34 or 39 countries that have signed petitions" for a sport called pankration ... an ancient form of MMA.

FYI -- pankration was an olympic sport in ancient Greece. The only rules were no biting or eye-gouging.

So, when should we expect to see MMA fighters competing for the gold? Probably not any time soon ... in fact, a UFC exec recently said he thinks it's still 20 years away.

The UFC fighter Thiago Silva would've faced next -- had he not been busted for allegedly pulling a gun on his wife -- tells TMZ Sports ... he's DEVASTATED the fight's scrapped saying "you gotta be f-ing kidding me."

Ovince St. Preux was set to square off against Silva at UFC 171 on March 15 ... but after the Brazilian fighter's insane meltdown, UFC prez Dana White permanently banned him from the Octagon.

St. Preux tells us he's bummed the match is cancelled ... but agrees with the ban, saying "I understand where Dana White is coming from, he has to protect the brand ... Plus, he's my boss."

As for why he thinks Thiago snapped ... St. Preux says "we don't know what he was going through" ... adding, "If he's having personal problems, anyone in his position might've done the same thing."

"Thiago took on the bad boy role ... and he played it well," St. Preux said, "I thought it was an act, but maybe he was being himself."

Thiago Silva's wife Thaysa told law enforcement ... the UFC fighter has a "drug problem" ... and has abused her for months, this according to documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

We've obtained documents Thaysa filed in Florida back in January seeking a restraining order against Silva -- in which she checked a box saying he has a "drug problem."

In the docs, she also detailed an alleged violent incident with Thiago and says she fears for her well-being.

"I am not safe in my own house," Thaysa wrote ... adding, "I can not live more saying 'yes' and 'forgive' everything."

"I am very afraid of him."

In the documents, filed on January 6, Thaysa did not go into detail about Thago's alleged drug problem -- but she did say Thiago got violent with her while she was in a friend's home on Jan. 5th. In broken English, Thaysa seems to explain that Thiago went on a rampage and cut up her work uniform.

She also claims, "Months ago he grabbed me and pulled me."

The restraining order was granted. But last night, Thiago confronted Thaysa in front of a martial arts studio and allegedly threatened to shoot her and her supposed lover.

Was Jon "Bones" Jones trying to DUCK Georges St-Pierre at the Super Bowl post-game bash in NYC last night??? Because it sure as hell looked that way in this clip.

It all went down outside Marquee nightclub ... GSP has no idea he's standing 3 ft. away from his fellow UFC superstar until our camera guy points him out.

What ensues is awkward, funny and confusing ... all at the same time.

It seems "Bones" was trying to signal our photog NOT to alert St-Pierre to his presence ... but our guy didn't get the hint and gave JJ up.

UFC prez Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... Brock Lesnar wants to RETURN to the Octogon ... and White says he'd LOVE to have him back.

Dana was in NYC today getting ready for UFC's Super Saturday ... and told us Brock's still bummed his fighting career ended short due to injury ... and says "he'd like to take another run" in the UFC.

The former UFC heavyweight champ left the world of MMA in 2011 ... after a string of losses that he chalked up to his battle with a potentially life threatening case of diverticulitis (a digestive disease).

Your mom's Zumba class just got HARDCORE ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned, UFC face-smasher Mark Munoz is taking up dancercise -- and we dare you to crack a joke (at least to his face).

Munoz -- who's currently ranked #7 in UFC middleweights -- hit up the LA Fit Expo on Saturday ... where he fulfilled his New Year's Resolution of (that's right) learning Zumba.

And guess what -- Mark says he loved the class so much ... he's actually considering using some of the moves in his regular MMA workout routine.

Former MMA champ Tito Ortiz has been charged with two counts of DUI ... after crashing his Porsche into a concrete median back in January, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 38-year-old fighter was arrested on January 6th ... when cops say he blew a .12 on the breathalyzer, following the 4am crash on an L.A. freeway.

As we previously reported, Ortiz had been partying at the Playboy Mansion in the hours before the incident.

If convicted, Ortiz faces up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine -- but since it's his first offense, he probably won't do any time. Instead, he'll likely only be sentenced to probation and will be required to complete an alcohol education course.

Jenna Jameson is slamming Tito Ortiz for his DUI bust ... claiming he's putting their children in danger while committing public relations suicide.

Jenna thinks Tito's arrest after crashing his Porsche proves what she's been saying all along -- that Tito's a bad dude, and told us -- "A lot of people think he's this fantastic guy ... it's just not true."

She added, "Slowly but surely he'll hang himself. Not literally, but figuratively."

Jenna also explains how Tito's arrest could lead to her snatching back custody of their 2 boys.

Georges St-Pierre cut a $737k check to his former manager -- after the woman sued the UFC champ for screwing her out of her contract ... and according to court docs, she could still be in line for a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR payday.

TMZ Sports has obtained documents filed in Clark County, NV which show GSP was sued by ex-manager Shari Spencer after the two parted ways in 2011.

According to another manager who worked with GSP, Georges' relationship with Shari ended "very badly."

Shari clearly felt she helped build GSP's career and therefore deserved a cut of his fight earnings and sponsorship cash.

The court docs show ... the judge agreed with Shari and ordered GSP to cut a check for $737,066.35 -- which the fighter paid back in April.

But there's more ... the judge also ordered GSP to pay Shari's management company the following:

-- 20% of future revenue on various UFC Pay-Per-View fights
-- 20% of royalties earned under a 2008 UFC merchandising contract
-- 5% of future revenues from sponsorships she apparently helped him earn (including Affliction and RUSHFit).

A source familiar with the case tells us ... Shari's final cut could be worth several million dollars.

GSP's had a rough year -- as we first reported, the UFC champ is already stressing out over his sick father and an unplanned pregnancy.