Jon Jones Wants Conor vs. Khabib Rematch ... 'That was a Great Fight'
Jon Jones wants to see Conor McGregor get another crack at Khabib -- telling TMZ Sports he LOVED the first fight ... and really hopes Dana White locks 'em both in for a rematch.
"I would love to see that again," Jones said after the UFC 232 press conference ... "That was a great fight."
Of course, Khabib dominated Conor during the Oct. 6 bout at UFC 229 ... ultimately submitting the Irishman in the 4th round.
But, Jones believes one fight shouldn't define an athlete -- and he's confident McGregor still has the skills to compete with the best in the world.
"Wins and losses happen when you're fighting at the level that guys like Conor and I are fighting at ... it happens and it's a big part of the game but its not a race."
"As a martial artist, one fight never defines an athlete. It's a journey. It's about how you finish the race."
Despite his excitement, Jon says he thinks Conor should probably fight someone else before rushing back after Khabib ... but ultimately, they're on a collision course.
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WWE's Becky Lynch I Wanna 'Slap the Head Off Ronda Rousey'
WWE superstar Becky Lynch is already dreaming of "WrestleMania" dominance -- telling us she's dying to "slap the head off Ronda Rousey."
Lynch was supposed to battle Rousey at "Survivor Series" back in November -- but she suffered a serious injury to her face and was pulled from the match.
But, Lynch says she still has a sense of "unfinished business" with Rousey ... and wants to settle things once and for all on April 7 at MetLife Stadium.
Despite the rivalry, Lynch praised Rousey for all that she's done for women's pro wrestling, women's judo and women's MMA ... but warns that she "just hasn't faced a real test yet!"
Meanwhile, Lynch is training her ass off -- recently hitting up Conor McGregor's famous training center in Ireland, the Straight Blast Gym ... where she worked out with Conor's trainer, John Kavanagh.
"John Kavanagh put me through the ringer," Lynch said ... "It was great."
McGregor has raved about Lynch -- praising his fellow Irish superstar publicly and telling her to call "any time you need backup."
So, will the two connect and beat some ass as the greatest Irish tag team ever? Don't rule it out ...
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Alexander Gustafsson Blasts Jon Jones 'You're Not Going to Survive This'
Alexander Gustafsson says he's "ready for war" -- telling TMZ Sports he guarantees victory over Jon Jones at UFC 232 on Saturday ... "I will dominate every round."
Alex has been cool, calm and confident despite all the drama surrounding the rematch -- and explains he wasn't surprised when Jones tested positive for PEDs again.
"This guy gets confidence by putting sh*t in his body," Alex says ... "He's always been like that, I'm not surprised."
For his part, Jones denies using steroids for the Gustafsson rematch -- and says he only tested positive for an extremely tiny amount of oral Turinabol which was still in his system from a previous incident.
As for Alex's drug tests, the Swedish superstar assures us he's no cheater -- "We're Vikings, we're always clean."
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UFC's Jon Jones Fires Back at Cormier 'Yeah, My Wife Does Have a Flat Ass!'
Jon Jones says Daniel Cormier's attack on his wife's "flat" booty doesn't faze him at all -- telling TMZ Sports ... Cormier is right!
The UFC rivals have been going back and forth on social media -- but things got crazy personal on Dec. 23 when they brought their wives into the feud.
Jones started it ... saying to Cormier, "I could slap your wife on the ass and you could literally do nothing about it. You're my bitch D.C. that will never change."
Cormier responded ... "You couldn't do sh*t you steroid abusing junkie! I swear I would never touch your wife's flat ass lol."
So, when we saw Jones after the UFC 232 press conference on Thursday, we asked if Cormier crossed the line by going after his wife's cakes.
"He said my wife got a flat ass? She DOES have a flat ass ... but I love it!
He continued, "Oh, I love it. It's nice. It's good. I love my wife's flat ass!"
The takeaway here ... Jon and Daniel finally agreed on something!!!
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Dana White Moving UFC 232 To L.A. Cost $6 Million!
2:45 PM PT -- Dana White says the decision to move UFC 232 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles cost roughly $6 million.
White says he did NOT want to cancel the fight and worked to find a venue where it could happen when problems arose in Nevada.
White says once they found out The Forum in L.A. was available, they booked it and the rest is history.
Alexander Gustafsson just went off on Jon Jones to his face -- saying the guy is a "terrible" cheater who's spewing "bullsh*t" about his positive PED test.
The two exchanged shots at the UFC 232 press conference -- Gustafsson says he's convinced Jones is a cheater, but didn't want to back out of the Dec. 29 fight because he wants to beat the guy's ass.
"I'm here to fight," Gustafsson said ... "He will eat it Saturday night."
UFC 232 was supposed to go down in Las Vegas -- but was moved to L.A. after Jones tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid.
Jones has insisted he only had trace amounts of the PED in his system -- remnants of the last time he tested positive. He's adamant the Turinabol in his system is not new.
The UFC -- along with the California State Athletic Commission and other officials -- believe Jones, which is why the fight was greenlit in CA.
During the event, Jones doubled down on his claim that he's not a cheater and will eventually be vindicated by tested organizations.
Jones says it's "hilarious" that people think PEDs are the reason for his success.
Originally Published -- 1:55 PM PT
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Wrestler Andrew Johnson 'In Pretty Good Spirits' ... Still Weighing Legal Options
Good news ... high school wrestler Andrew Johnson is doing well and in "pretty good spirits" after the haircut incident earlier this month -- but we've learned the family is still weighing their legal options.
Johnson has gone under the radar ever since the Dec. 19 wrestling match when referee Alan Maloney (who is white) told the 16-year-old black wrestler to either chop off his dreadlocks or forfeit the match.
But, a source closely connected to the family put it this way -- "Andrew is in pretty good spirits. He hopes for things to return to normal and he's looking forward to competing with his wrestling team again soon."
There are reports the family has already decided not to pursue legal action over the incident ... but sources with direct knowledge say those reports are inaccurate.
In fact, we're told the family is considering all options. One thing they want before making any decisions ... the findings of the NJ Attorney General's Division on Civil Rights. That Division is in the midst of its investigation into the incident.
Johnson's teammates at Buena Regional High School in New Jersey had a scheduled meet Thursday -- but Johnson did not participate because he's felt overwhelmed by the media attention.
Several huge stars have tried to reach out to Johnson to lend their support -- and some UFC fighters have offered to personally train him -- but it's unclear if Johnson has spoken with anyone yet.
As for the ref, sources connected to Maloney tell us he's adamant he was following the rules and race had nothing to do with the situation.
Meanwhile, NJ high school athletic officials have said Maloney will not work any events until an investigation is complete.
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MMA's Sage Northcutt Targeting Marvel Superhero Role
He's already built like a superhero ... now MMA star Sage Northcutt has a real shot at landing a role in a Marvel superhero flick!
Northcutt recently parted ways with UFC after his contract expired and signed with the ONE Championship.
Sage says he has no bad blood with UFC and praised Dana White -- but says one of the perks of his new company is ONE is sponsored by Marvel, and they're hoping to take advantage of that relationship.
"[The people at ONE] were talking about, one of the incentives for me fighting for them was getting me into movies, commercials, all sorts of stuff like that."
Acting ain't new for Sage ... he told us in the past he was working with an acting coach -- and even campaigned to play Ivan Drago's son in "Creed II."
Marvel movies are HUUUGE -- "The Avengers," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Black Panther" are just a few of their monster hits -- and a role in their movies could launch the MMA star's acting career.
"That'd be pretty sick."
Stay tuned ...
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Jermell Charlo I Wanna Fight Conor McGregor ... Boxing Or MMA!!!
Jermell Charlo says he's down to fight Conor McGregor for his next big scrap ... and tells TMZ Sports it can be boxing OR MMA!!!
"We always on standby," Charlo says ... "Especially for an MMA fight. Why not?!"
Of course ... Conor's next opponent IS up in the air after he got mauled by Khabib in October -- and Charlo's also lookin' for a fight after he takes on Tony Harrison Saturday night.
So, could it happen? Maybe ... especially 'cause Charlo seems down to sweeten the pot by steppin' out of the ring and into the Octagon.
"It's wherever he want to fight. Conor's a grown man. He knows what to do. And, he knows who to call!"
In the meantime ... Charlo's tilt with Harrison on Saturday at Barclays Center is expected to be one of the biggest of the twin's career -- and he gave us a prediction for how it'll all go down!!!
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UFC's Aljamain Sterling Offers to Train Wrestler Andrew Johnson ... 'I Commend You'
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EXCLUSIVE
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UFC star Aljamain Sterling says the haircut incident with high school wrestler Andrew Johnson is "so f*cked up" ... but he was so impressed with the kid, he wants to train him personally.
"It's so messed up on so many levels," Sterling tells TMZ Sports ... "I felt bad."
Sterling says he's spent a lot of time coaching high school wrestling and has NEVER seen a situation where an athlete was forced to cut his hair.
In fact, Sterling says if he was the coach that day, he would have pulled his team out of the gym in protest and forfeited the rest of the match.
"We're not gonna stand for no sh*t like this," Sterling says.
The good news ... Sterling trains with other huge UFC stars like Al Iaquinta and Chris Weidman with the Serra-Longo fight team in Long Island, NY -- not too far from Johnson's high school in New Jersey.
Sterling says he's already reaching out to Johnson to figure out a way to train together -- and hopes he can help the kid grow from this experience ... through some friendly combat.
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UFC's Tyron Woodley Blasts High School Wrestling Ref ... Fire His Racist Ass!
UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley is FIRED UP over the high school wrestling ref who made a black kid cut his dreadlocks before a match ... and he's calling for NJ officials to FIRE HIS ASS.
Before dominating the UFC, Tyron was an All-American wrestler at the Univ. of Missouri ... and before that, he was a FORCE in the high school wrestling community.
Tyron tells TMZ Sports ... the ref, Alan Maloney, should have been fired years ago when he reportedly made a racist comment to an African-American man back in 2016.
Epitome of a team player ⬇️
@MikeFrankelSNJ
A referee wouldn't allow Andrew Johnson of Buena @brhschiefs to wrestle with a cover over his dreadlocks. It was either an impromptu haircut, or a forfeit. Johnson chose the haircut, then won by sudden victory in OT to help spark Buena to a win. pic.twitter.com/f6JidKNKoI
Woodley's bigger issue is he's sick of people with a history of racist behavior being allowed to have positions of authority. And, that includes police officers.
As for the recent incident with high school wrestler Andrew Johnson, Tyron thinks the way the high school wrestling community handles hair maintenance ... specifically with black athletes ... is ridiculous.
Bottom line, Tyron is proud of Johnson for blocking out the B.S. and winning his match -- but enough is enough.
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UFC's Rachael Ostovich Attack Recording Surfaces 'I'm Going to F**king Murder You'
A shocking recording of the Rachael Ostovich domestic violence incident has surfaced -- in which her MMA fighter husband allegedly screams, "I'm going to f**king murder you."
A neighbor used a cell phone to record the scene on Nov. 27 -- when Arnold Berdon allegedly brutalized Ostovich during an argument at their home in Hawaii.
The footage is mostly dark -- but you can definitely hear voices.
In the video, obtained by Hawaii News Now, you can hear a male voice make several threats ... including, "I’m going to murder you. I’m going to f**king murder you."'
At the end of the 9-minute video, you can see a nude female jump off the lanai and try to escape.
We broke the story ... Berdon was arrested and charged with 2nd-degree assault.
Ostovich suffered serious injuries to her face, head and body -- and pulled out of her January fight against Paige VanZant.
Ostovich later got a second opinion from another doctor who cleared her to fight -- so it's now back on.
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Conor McGregor Dolly Attack was Giant Publicity Stunt ... Lawsuit Claims
8:22 AM PT -- McGregor’s spokesperson Karen Kessler tells TMZ Sports …"This complaint is a routine but sad attempt to grab publicity in a case that should have been resolved months ago. We are pleased that Chiesa’s quick recovery allows him to continue fighting."
UFC fighter Michael Chiesa claims Conor McGregor's steel dolly attack was a publicity stunt intended to hype his fight with Khabib ... and now he wants ALL of Conor's UFC 229 profits.
Long story short ... Chiesa (who was injured in the bus attack) claims NY law bars people from profiting from criminal activity and requires them to turn over ill-gotten gains to their victims. It's called the Son of Sam law.
In new court docs filed by Chiesa, the UFC fighter argues the April 5 dolly incident drove up interest in UFC 229 and boosted sales of Conor's Proper 12 whiskey brand, so all profits should be handed over.
It's not a small number -- Conor publicly stated he expected to make $50 MILLION for the Oct. 6 fight against Khabib ... plus MILLIONS more from the sales of Proper 12.
Here's how Chiesa spells it out in his lawsuit ...
"By his own admission, [McGregor] engaged in the aforementioned conduct and acts with the premeditated intent and purpose of inflicting severe personal injuries and/or murdering Nurmagomedov, and sought to promote his brand and profit from his criminal activity."
He also cited Conor's UFC 229 press conference ... when McGregor reflected on the bus incident and said Khabib would be "dead" if he had stepped off that bus that day.
Chiesa was a passenger on the bus and suffered cuts to his face when he was struck by shattered glass.
Chiesa claims he was unable to compete in his scheduled fight against Anthony Pettis at UFC 223 that weekend -- and lost an even BIGGER opportunity to fight Khabib when Max Holloway pulled out of the main event.
In his docs, Chiesa claims the UFC had reached out to him about filling in for Holloway in the title match at UFC 223, but Chiesa says his injuries prevented him from taking the fight.
Chiesa says he suffered from depression following the ordeal -- and claims his inability to fight at UFC 223 hurt his overall standing in the UFC.
Chiesa claims Conor deliberately created "havoc, mayhem and injury" that resulted in his injuries.
For his part, Conor has previously said Chiesa should NOT be able to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress because he wasn't the intended target.
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Jon Jones to Daniel Cormier 'I'll Donate $100k If You Fight Me'
Jon Jones REALLY wants a 3rd crack at Daniel Cormier -- and he's willing to write a fat ass check to get DC back in the Octagon.
"Fight me one more time and prove you’re actually the champ champ. I’ll donate $100,000 to a charity in San Diego if you accept," Jones wrote to Cormier on Twitter.
Of course, the two have fought twice -- with Jones winning both fights ... only to have the 2nd victory overturned in the wake of a positive PED test.
Jones is finally cleared to return to the UFC after serving his suspension -- he'll fight Alexander Gustafsson for the light heavyweight title at UFC 232 on Dec. 29.
But, Jones is already thinking past Gustafsson, trying to bail Cormier.
"Conor McGregor was an actual double Champ, the whole world knows your claim is a freaking joke. You’re more than welcome to be my first title defense."
Jones also took umbrage with comments Cormier recently made to Jim Rome -- when he questioned JJ's explanation that he only had a "pinch of salt" worth of steroids in his system during their 2nd fight.
"Daddys baby still out there whining," Jones said ... "What proud 'double Champion' just vacates his belt because someone else returns to the sport?"
Cormier says he's retiring from MMA in March -- on his 40th birthday -- so if Jones wants the fight, they gotta make this thing come together fast.
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UFC's Amanda Nunes Cyborg Fight Is Bigger Than Rousey ... I'll Beat Her Ass Too!
UFC superstar Amanda Nunes says her upcoming fight against Cris Cyborg is the biggest fight of her career -- even bigger than her destruction of Ronda Rousey.
Amanda and Cyborg are set to clash at UFC 232 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas in a championship bout for the women's featherweight title.
Nunes has won 7 fights in a row, Cyborg's on a 20-fight win streak -- they're widely considered two of the greatest fighters in women's MMA history.
And, when we saw Nunes out in NYC, she was downright giddy -- telling us how excited she is to get into the Octagon and square up against Cyborg.
Of course, Nunes famously destroyed Ronda Rousey in Dec. 2016 in Ronda's last ever UFC fight. Since then, she's defeated Valentina Shevchenko and Raquel Pennington.
Amanda has big plans after the Cyborg fight -- she's engaged to fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff -- who's on a 4-win streak of her own after a victory over Claudia Gadelha earlier this month.
The two are so stoked to the knot, they're even extending an invitation to Cyborg to attend the wedding!
"Anyone can come! It's a happy day."
Congrats!
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Anderson Silva I Want to Kick Conor McGregor's Ass ... I Think He's Scared Though
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EXCLUSIVE
- 158 shares
Conor McGregor is too freakin' chicken to step into the ring with Anderson Silva, at least that's what Anderson Silva thinks, saying he'd love to fight Conor, but doubting Conor wants any part of him.
Conor has said back in October that he'd be interested in fighting Silva, saying he was willing to bulk up a little to get into the Octagon with Spider and duke it out.
Since then, Conor has taken a beating at the hands of Khabib, but when we got Silva out, he said he doesn't care about that, telling our guy he still wants the fight.
"I say let’s go do it. 180 is the perfect weight for me, I think it's good for McGregor, and let’s go do it because that’s amazing. That’s for the fans."
One problem ... Anderson isn't sure Conor still wants it, and is using the s-word as the reason why.
"It’s close to happening you know, but McGregor, come on, man. Let’s go do this. Don’t run, man, don’t run. You scared? I don’t believe that you're scared, let’s go."
Here's the thing ... the fight kinda makes sense now. Conor might want to take a tune-up before a Khabib rematch, and who better to fight than a much older opponent with a huge name?
Unless of course, McGregor thinks the Spider can still bite ... ball is in your court, Notorious One.
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Conor McGregor Charges Dropped In Ireland ... Over July Incident
Conor McGregor wins again ...
The UFC superstar appeared in an Irish court Monday morning to deal with charges stemming from a July 10, 2018 incident when he was pulled over by cops in Dublin.
Unclear why McGregor was initially pulled over, but during the stop officials say McGregor failed to produce a valid driver's license and proof of insurance ... so he was cited and ordered to appear in court.
The good news for the 30-year-old ... Conor was able to get his ducks in a row and presented all the documentation he needed during the Dec. 17 hearing -- so the charges were dropped.
McGregor's court appearance was a big event in Dublin -- he rolled up to court in a blacked out BMW surrounded by a team of bodyguards ... while wearing one of his trademark slick suits.
Conor reportedly didn't have much to say inside the courtroom other than, "Thank you, Judge."
Conor's no stranger to the Irish legal system -- he appeared in court just last month to deal with a 2017 speeding charge. He got a 6-month driving ban in that incident.
And, of course in the U.S., he had that whole steel dolly incident -- but essentially got a slap on the wrist.