MMA

Derrick Lewis is fighting Daniel Cormier at MSG for the UFC heavyweight championship ... but it wouldn't have been possible if he didn't spend over 3 years in prison.

"I think about my past and stuff like that," Lewis tells TMZ Sports.

"I believe that if I didn't go through stuff that I went through in my past, I wouldn't be as successful like I am now here today."

Back when he was in college, Lewis was sent to prison for 3 and a half years after violating probation stemming from a case where he beat the hell out of a Ku Klux Klan member who had a shotgun.

After prison, Lewis got work as a tow truck driver ... before being convinced to take up MMA.

Saturday night, he's fighting to become the baddest man on the planet.

"I'm an optimistic guy. But, I never imagined this was possible," Lewis told us.

Jon Jones swears he's a changed man ... and that means NO MORE PENIS ENHANCEMENT PILLS!!

The UFC superstar was asked to reflect on what he's learned during his 15-month suspension ... and that's when someone in the crowd shouted, "No more dick pills!"

Remember, Jones was busted for an illegal substance before UFC 200 back in 2016 -- and blamed it on sexual enhancement pills.

Jones later explained, "I have taken sex pills several times throughout my adult life .... highly recommend it, guys. f*cking great. It’s awesome."

So, when the heckler brought it up at the UFC 232 media event in New York on Friday afternoon, Jones actually AGREED with the guy ... saying, "No more dick pills. I'm good. More foreplay!!"

Jones eventually answered the original question -- explaining that during his suspension, he learned how to put God and family first.

There's more ... Jones also said he still wants a Brock Lesnar fight ... and he's not thinking about making a 3rd fight with Daniel Cormier.

Derek Brunson says he knows Jon Jones ... 'cause he's trained with Bones for years, and Israel Adesanya ain't no Jones.

Brunson -- the #6 ranked UFC middleweight -- is fighting Adesanya at UFC 230 this weekend ... and he told us Israel's got some talent ... but the Jon Jones comparisons are ridiculous.

"People forget, I trained with Jon Jones for years. So, I know what it's like. And, this guy don't have the wrestling pedigree. He's not Jon Jones, at all. He don't have the strength."

"I feel very good about this match up. He got a lot of hype behind him. I'm gonna put that to rest."

BTW, if you're wondering why Derek keeps lookin' away from the camera ... he was playing a video game.

"I'm playing Fortnite ... I ain't worried about ya, Israel."

Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's really sad about the arrest of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar -- saying, "He's a great dude and it's unfortunate."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Bonnar was subdued by concerned citizens in Nevada on Sunday after he was driving like a maniac 10 miles off the Vegas Strip.

When the Highway Patrol arrived, Bonnar was passed out in the front seat of his car -- and reeked of booze. He was booked on a felony DUI charge and the video of the arrest was very disturbing.

"I'm obviously sad about it because he's a guy that I care about," Dana said ... noting that he was a key part of the very first season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

"Bums me out."

We also asked Dana about the long-awaited return of Jon Jones -- who's scheduled to fight at UFC 232 in December against Alexander Gustafsson.

Dana says he just spoke with Jones the other day and he sounds focused and ready to go. Dana says he understands the concerns surrounding JJ based on his previous outside-the-Octagon problems but feels like his head is in the right place this time around.

As for Nate Diaz, we asked if he's working on scheduling another fight for him since Dustin Poirier pulled out of their scheduled UFC 230 bout with an injury.

UFC star Jimmie Rivera says he's dying to fight Cody Garbrandt -- if "No Love" would just get his balls back from Urijah Faber's purse.

Rivera is a stud -- he's the #5 ranked bantamweight who once had a crazy 20-fight win streak with victories over guys like UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.

Now, Rivera is trying to claw his way back into a title shot and knows he's probably gotta go through Cody for a chance to face champ T.J. Dillashaw.

"You know, what's on my list is Cody," Jimmie says ... "If he finally answers my tweets or gets his balls from Urijah Faber's purse, we can make a fight happen early next year and I can whoop his ass and give him his 3rd loss and end his career just I like did Faber."

Rivera fought -- and beat -- Faber back in 2016, the 2nd to last fight of Faber's career.

Now, Garbrandt trains with Faber -- the two are very close friends.

Cops have released video of Stephen Bonnar's DUI arrest -- when he was taken down by a group of concerned citizens -- and the footage is crazy and scary at the same time.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the UFC Hall of Famer was driving like a maniac on a Nevada highway on Sunday afternoon, roughly 10 miles from the Vegas Strip.

When the Highway Patrol arrived to the scene, Bonnar was so drunk that he was passed out in the front seat. The officer dragged the 41-year-old out of his car and a group of citizens helped restrain him on the ground.

At least one of the citizens was carrying a gun.

As cops tried to place handcuffs on him, Bonnar woke up and began to resist.

One member of the group tells Bonnar, "You picked the wrong group of guys, dude."

With help from the citizens, cops eventually got him cuffed and transported him to a nearby station where he was booked for 3rd-degree felony DUI.

Cops say Bonnar reeked of booze. Medical staff also responded to the scene and determined nothing was medically abnormal, he was just drunk.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a bigger star than Conor McGregor -- so says his manager -- and therefore deserves MORE MONEY than Conor ... which he why he wants at least $50 mil for his next fight.

We spoke with Ali Abdelaziz who argues Khabib has become a "global superstar" -- who's met with some of the most powerful leaders in the world.

Ali says Khabib's reach is bigger than ever -- and he wants UFC to come to the table with a paycheck that reflects how big of a star he's become.

"Come on, man! You have a guy meeting with Putin, [President of Turkey] Erdogan. And, the other guy selling liquor on the corner store. It's not even in the f**king same planet."

Ali says Khabib would consider a rematch with McGregor if the price is right -- but, this time, Conor will get an even worse beating.

"I really want to see [Conor] drink his own blood," Ali says ... "He talked a lot of sh*t. He didn't back it up. Embarrassed himself in front of his whole beautiful country of Ireland, his father, his mother, his wife."

Daniel Cormier says Brock Lesnar better not try to pull any cage-storming antics at UFC 230 ... because he ain't gonna be so nice this time around.

D.C. fights Derrick Lewis at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night -- and if Cormier wins, it sets up a possible superfight with Lesnar ... a fight they've been unofficially promoting for months.

Remember, after Cormier beat Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title at UFC 226 back in July, Brock walked into the cage and shoved Daniel HARD -- and threatened to beat his ass if they ever fought.

"Brock Lesnar can come ringside," Daniel tells TMZ Sports ... "but he better not come in there because this time, it might be problem for him."

Might be tough for Brock considering he's headlining the "WWE Crown Jewel" event in Saudi Arabia on Friday night ... but it's theoretically possible for him to make it to MSG in time for D.C.'s fight.

As for Lewis, Cormier says he respects him as a fighter -- but at the end of the day, he's gonna beat Derrick's ass.

We also spoke with D.C. about a possible 3rd fight with Jon Jones and who he thinks Ben Askren should face when he makes his UFC debut.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... if Floyd Mayweather is serious about fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov, it ain't gonna be a boxing match -- it's the Octagon or nothing!

Floyd has said he's 70% certain the two sides will get a deal done to box -- he expects to make a 9-FIGURE CHECK if it comes to fruition.

But, when we saw Dana at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills over the weekend, he had an ultimatum for Floyd.

"Listen, if Mayweather wants to fight, come fight. You fight in the UFC. We're not boxing him. We did that once. That's over."

Of course, Dana's referring to Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor -- which clocked in at the 2nd highest pay-per-view fight of all time. But, apparently, Dana's not down for a second bite of that apple.

"You wanna fight? You come fight ... a REAL fight."

Mayweather has previously teased that he was training for an MMA fight -- but it doesn't seem like he ever followed through with it.

UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley has offered to personally train Floyd and said he truly believes the 41-year-old could have real success in the Octagon.

As for Khabib, White says his next UFC is pretty obvious ... he's gunning for Tony Ferguson, as long as they can overcome a few obstacles.

1:22 PM PT -- Cops say Bonnar was speeding down I-15 in a red Cadillac CTS in excess of 90 MPH around 1:15 PM.

Witnesses say he was driving like a maniac. By the time the Highway Patrol responded to the scene, citizens had already surrounded the vehicle and physically restrained Bonnar, who appeared incoherent.

As cops tried to place handcuffs on him, Bonnar woke up and began to resist. With help from the citizens, cops eventually got him cuffed and transported him to a nearby station where he was booked for 3rd-degree felony DUI.

Cops say Bonnar reeked of booze. Medical staff also responded to the scene and determined nothing was medically abnormal, he was just drunk.

UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar was arrested for DUI on Sunday -- after a group of concerned citizens (one armed with a gun) corralled him after an apparent car crash in Nevada.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... witnesses claim the 41-year-old was driving erratically and feared he would hurt someone.

Somehow, a group of concerned citizens wrangled Bonnar to the ground and kept him at bay until law enforcement arrived.

One he was taken into official custody he was booked for DUI, resisting arrest and unsafe driving. Bail was set at $22,000.

Bonnar is a UFC legend -- he fought Forrest Griffin in the finale of the very first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" back in 2005 -- a fight that's regarded as one of the best and most important in UFC history.

Bonnar lost that fight, but got a UFC contract out of the deal and went on to have a pretty solid career -- fighting guys like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

Dana White says he wishes nothing but the best for Demetrious Johnson now that he's leaving UFC for another MMA promotion -- and tells TMZ Sports he hopes DJ finally gets the respect he deserves from fans.

The UFC worked out a trade with ONE Championship -- in which Johnson will leave UFC and in exchange, ONE has sent over their welterweight champion Ben Askren.

Johnson was a beast during his UFC run -- breaking the record for the most title defenses -- but he was never the pay-per-view draw a fighter of his caliber could have been.

We asked White how DJ would be remembered in the UFC -- and he told us, "I feel like he never really got the love and respect he deserved from the fans."

White added, "I don't know if he was always thrilled being here, so hopefully, he's a lot happier where he's headed now."

As for Ben Askren -- who's undefeated, 18-0 as a pro fighter -- everyone wants to know who he'll get first in the UFC.

"We're still working on it," White says ... noting, "He's definitely gonna fight somebody in the Top 5."

So, who's in the Top 5 in the UFC's welterweight division -- guys like Colby Covington, Darren Till, Rafael dos Anjos, Stephen Thompson and Robbie Lawler.

Tyron Woodley is the UFC's welterweight champ -- but he and Askren are good buddies and it seems like they're not looking to fight each other anytime soon.

Derrick Lewis says he's in the best shape of his life -- he's been training 3 hours a day to go the distance with Daniel Cormier ... and predicts a KO in the last few seconds of the 5th round!

Of course, Lewis famously said his cardio was terrible after his last second victory over Alexander Volkov earlier this month (he also complained his balls were hot) ... but he's been kicking his own ass in the gym and looks super leaned out.

"I'm training 3 hours a day instead of 30 minutes," Lewis tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm prepared to go 5 rounds."

Lewis and Cormier will square off for the UFC heavyweight title on Nov. 3 at UFC 230 -- and even thought Derrick's the heavy underdog, he's advising everyone to BET MONEY ON HIM!!

"I'm the underdog just about every fight," Lewis says ... "Whoever betting on me, I'm making you money!"

So, what's next for Derrick if he wins?

UFC badass Anthony Smith wants to fight Jon Jones ... and says he's 100% sure he can take out the all-time UFC great.

Smith -- who's DESTROYED his last two opponents, Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans -- fights Volkan Oezdemir Saturday on FS1, but tells us after that fight he's got his sights on a much, much bigger face off, and that's with Jones.

"Once I go through Volkan and do what I think I'm gonna do to him. I'm gonna stomp my foot in the ground and stake my claim."

His claim -- he feels -- is to be the #1 light heavyweight in the world ... and in order to do that he's gotta go through Jones, something he says only he can do.

"I'm not afraid of Jon Jones. And, there's probably not that many people in the division that can say that," Smith tells us ... "I'm 100% not afraid of Jon Jones. And, I really believe deep down in my soul that I can beat him."

Of course, Jones has some work to do first too ... he's got a fight against badass Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in December -- his first fight since July 2017.

This could get awesome.

Dana White will eventually change his mind and sign Logan Paul to a UFC fight contract ... at least, Tyron Woodley is convinced that's how it'll go down!

Remember, White crapped all over the idea of Paul getting into the Octagon -- saying the YouTube superstar would get hurt fighting with the trained killers in the UFC.

But, on "The Hollywood Beatdown" this week, Tyron says he watched Logan's boxing match -- and feels the same way as Joe Rogan -- that Paul has some real fighting talent.

Tyron also points out that Dana, to his credit, has reversed course when it comes to UFC policy in the past -- remember when he said women would never fight?

There's more ... Tyron also explains why he probably WON'T fight Ben Askren in the UFC -- but tells us why the newest UFC superstar could cause some REAL problems for guys like Georges St-Pierre.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has just approved a motion to release HALF of Khabib Nurmagomedov's $2 million purse from UFC 229 immediately.

The other $1 million will be held until Khabib's next hearing in front of the commission on Dec. 10 -- where the board will decide Khabib's ultimate punishment for the melee at the Oct. 6 incident.

Board members said during the hearing that they felt the $1 million they're still holding will cover all expenses related to the incident and is substantial enough to keep Khabib interested in the hearing.

Translation -- it's too much money for Khabib to blow off the commission.

NSAC officials noted that Khabib made roughly $5 to $6 million from the UFC 229 fight. It's interesting, considering Conor McGregor said he expected to make around $50 mil.

They also said had the board had access to additional video from the UFC 229 melee, they would have held Conor McGregor's purse as well.

As it stands now, both are due to appear in front of the Commission -- in person -- in December after the investigation is complete.

Joe Rogan doesn't think Logan Paul is a joke -- he watched the YouTube star's boxing match and thinks he has more fighting talent that at least one guy who's fought in the UFC ... CM Punk.

First off, Rogan says Punk is a real nice guy and he doesn't mean any disrespect -- but when it comes to his 2 fights in the UFC, Joe realized CM just doesn't have the raw talent it takes to win.

In fact, Joe -- on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast -- said Punk's brief stint in the UFC was a "nightmare" ... especially since he fought a guy like Mickey Gall who's "f**king good."

As for Logan, Joe heard Dana White slam the door on the possibility of Paul fighting in the UFC because he'd get hurt -- and says, "You had f**king CM Punk fight! This guy's way better than him."

Joe says he was impressed with Logan's striking skills and wrestling background -- and while he's no Canelo Alvarez, the guy clearly has some level of talent.

Joe isn't really campaigning for Dana to book Logan a fight -- he's just making the point that it wouldn't be the craziest thing the UFC has ever done.