MMA

You know what goes horribly with a steak burrito ... STAPLES!!!

But, that's exactly what MMA announcer Jimmy Smith claims he found in his food on Tuesday when he took a bite out of a burrito he bought at a Chipotle in Delray Beach, Florida.

"I took one bite and it was something hard in there and I pulled it out of my tooth and it was 14 staples," Smith says ... "A brick of staples!"

Smith -- who's called fights for the UFC and Bellator -- says he called the restaurant and "freaked out" on the manager ... because he realizes how DANGEROUS swallowing a staple could be.

Smith also says he's LUCKY he didn't ingest the office supplies because he eats like a wild animal -- usually tearing through his food as fast as he can.

Fortunately for Smith -- and Chipotle -- Smith says it does not appear he injured his tooth or his mouth ... or suffered any other injuries from the fully loaded burrito.

Smith says the situation was escalated to Chipotle's corporate offices -- and he has already been contacted by a rep looking to make things right.

Smith says he's not looking for free food or money and does NOT plan on filing a lawsuit -- he just wants the problem corrected so nobody else chows down on 14 STAPLES!!!

"This can't happen to someone else."

UFC star Ben Askren thinks Conor McGregor's most recent retirement announcement is a bunch of BS ... telling TMZ Sports it's either a publicity stunt or a negotiating tactic.

The Notorious appeared to call it quits in a late-night tweet on Monday ... saying "I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as 'Mixed Martial Art' today."

Some people like Dana White truly believe we've seen the end of Conor ... but Askren?? Not so much.

"I think there’s no way I’m buying it," Askren says. "This isn’t first time he’s tweeted out something like this." It's true ... Conor "retired" back in 2016 too.

Askren points out the timing -- right after the negotiations with Donald Cerrone falling apart ... and says it's essentially a big game of chicken between Dana and Conor to see who will cave first.

"If you look at Dana White's response that is a negotiating tactic back. He's saying, 'okay, bye, see ya later, have a great career'. So, it was kinda a negotiating tactic back saying, 'okay, fine have a great retirement.'"

So, if neither side comes to an agreement, have we REALLY seen the last of Conor? Ben says if he was a betting man, "you’re probably putting all of your money on the fact that you will see Conor fighting sometime in the future."

Dana White says he will not offer Conor McGregor a stake in the UFC to lure the fighter out of retirement ... telling us, "That's never gonna happen."

McGregor announced his retirement on Twitter Monday night -- days after he reiterated his demands to get a slice of the UFC as a part owner instead of a fight paycheck.

White appeared on "TMZ Live" on Tuesday and said he's NOT trying to go to war with Conor -- but he ain't giving away ownership stakes either.

White says if Conor wants UFC ownership, he needs to BUY stakes in the company like everyone else.

"Listen, if you want to own a piece of the company, you have to put up the money to buy a piece of the company," White explained ... "That's how it works."

White says he was surprised by Conor's retirement tweet -- "it came out of nowhere" -- and insists he and Conor are still on good terms.

"I've never had a bad conversation with Conor McGregor since he's been in the UFC."

White is also not concerned about the state of the UFC if Conor is serious about retirement ... saying there will ALWAYS be big stars who take over when other stars leave.

12:42 PM PT -- Conor McGregor's spokesperson, Karen Kessler, has issued a statement ... referring to The NY Times report about the UFC star's arrest as a "rumor."

"This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now," Kessler said in a statement first published by ESPN.

Kessler also addresses people trying to connect Conor's retirement tweet to the report about his arrest.

"The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false."

And then, she added a shot at the UFC ...

"Should Conor fight in the future it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work and their dedication to the sport."

We should note the statement does not directly address the sexual allegations described in The NY Times report.

Conor McGregor was arrested in January as part of a sexual assault investigation stemming from an alleged incident in December at a hotel in Dublin, Ireland ... this according to The NY Times.

McGregor was released from custody and has NOT been charged with a crime, according to the report. However, The NY Times says officials are still investigating the case.

Local media in Ireland have been covering the situation for months but without naming McGregor as the suspect because of laws that prevent news outlets from naming rape suspects unless they have been convicted.

The accuser is a woman in her 20s who claims she had been hanging with friends in South Dublin before ending up at the Beacon Hotel on Dec. 10.

After the alleged sexual assault, the woman went to police and filed a report -- and was then taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated in the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, according to local reports.

Unclear if a rape kit was administered but it seems to be the standard operating procedure for women who are treated in this particular unit.

According to local reports, cops tried to obtain surveillance footage to see if they could place McGregor at the hotel at the time of the alleged incident.

When approached by the media back in December, a police spokesperson said, "[Cops] are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female which occurred in Dublin 2 in the early hours of this morning, Monday December 10th 2018."

"No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing."

So far, McGregor has not commented on the allegations.

30-year-old Conor McGregor is no stranger to the law -- he was convicted of throwing a steel dolly at a UFC bus last year.

He was also in an Irish court last year over a 2017 speeding incident.

Seems Colin Farrell is taking Conor McGregor at his word -- saying he supports his fellow Irishman's decision to retire from MMA ... and wishes him well in his future outside the Octagon.

Farrell was leaving "Good Morning America" where he was promoting the new "Dumbo" flick when we asked if he REALLY believes we've seen the last of The Notorious in the UFC.

"Everyone can do what they want, man," Farrell said ... "Everyone's gotta follow their hearts."

Colin's been a huge McGregor supporter for years -- raving about Conor back in 2015 as one of the most "phenomenal" athletes on the planet ... and saying he's brought great pride to Ireland.

Not everyone is buying Conor's retirement statement he posted on Twitter late Monday night -- some people believe it's all a negotiating tactic to pressure Dana White into giving him an ownership stake in the UFC.

Stop us if you've heard this one before ... Conor McGregor just tweeted that he's retiring from MMA forever.

Yeah, just like he did in 2016.

It happened in the middle of the night ... McGregor tweeted:

"Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as 'Mixed Martial Art' today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!"

Is he serious? UFC honcho Dana White thinks so ... telling ESPN, "He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it. It totally makes sense. If I was him I would retire too."

White added, "He's retiring from fighting. Not from working. The Whiskey will keep him busy and I'm sure he has other things he's working on."

"He has been so fun to watch!!! He has accomplished incredible things in this sport. I am so happy for him and I look forward to seeing him be as successful outside of the octagon as he was in it."

The issue ... McGregor was on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" -- which aired Monday night -- and he told Fallon he was in active negotiations with the UFC to fight in July.

So, what went sideways between the time he taped the show and his retirement tweet??

We're trying to figure it out ...

McGregor has tweeted about retiring before ... back in April 2016, he wrote, "I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya's later."

Of course, he didn't REALLY retire -- he went on to fight Nate Diaz (and won) a few months later.

The difference between now and then -- Proper 12.

Conor's Irish whiskey company is reportedly doing REALLY well. Conor and Dana White have said the UFC star is making a fortune off liquor sales.

Of course, just a few days ago ... McGregor was telling fans how much he LOVES fighting and how he's got big fighting plans in his future ... including rematches with Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

So, has Conor had a change of heart??? Or, is this all one big joke?

We'll find out ...

Oh, and Khabib -- who beat Conor in October -- has also weighed in with a statement of his own.

"There can be only one king in the jungle," Khabib said ... "Only one."

Forget the trilogy with Conor McGregor ... Nate Diaz wants a crack at Khabib.

Just days after TMZ Sports posted footage of Conor saying he "owes" Nate a 3rd fight out of respect -- Nate seems to be poopooing the idea ... and is now setting his sights on The Eagle.

"Kabibs hiding scared cause I slapped the sh*t out of him," Nate posted ... "Conor already got his ass beat twice."

"Where the f*ck you at kabib?"

Nate and Conor fought TWICE back in 2016. Nate won the first fight, choking McGregor out in the 2nd round.

When they ran it back a few months later, Conor won a majority decision after 5 bloody rounds. Some people, including Nate, believe the judges blew the decision.

The fans have been calling for a rubbermatch ever since -- and Conor finally addressed the issue in Chicago ... while standing on top of a bar.

"He fought me, he beat me. He gave me a rematch at the exact same weight, there was no hesitation, that's a true fighter right there," McGregor said.

"I have nothing but respect ... I owe him the trilogy now and the trilogy will happen."

Diaz made $10 MILLION for the 2nd fight -- so you 'd think he'd be motivated for a 3rd scrap.

But, he feels the Khabib fight is a higher priority.

Diaz has talked about slapping Khabib and embarrassing Conor before -- telling TMZ Sports in August 2018, "I whipped one's ass and I slapped the f*ck out of the other one so they're both my little bitches."

Diaz then told us about an incident in which he smacked Khabib in the face in front of "all his Russian friends" and they "didn't do sh*t."

Of course, Nate was supposed to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 230 back in November -- but Poirier pulled out after suffering an injury.

Diaz just issued a statement to him as well -- "Ps porier is a pussy."

TMZ Sports has obtained a 911 call made by Tony Ferguson's wife during an incident in February -- and the way she handled the call may have saved Tony's life ... and the lives of several cops.

As we've previously reported, Tony's wife, Cristina, called police to their Santa Ana, California home several times over the past couple months when the UFC star was having manic episodes and acting erratically.

Cristina has made it clear she loves Tony and wants him to get treatment -- but during a Feb. 16 incident, things got to a point where she was scared and needed police to intervene.

During the call, Cristina says she needs help -- but warns police that Tony is a professional fighter. She notes, "I don't want no cops to get injured."

The operator responds, "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

Of course, Tony is not just a pro UFC fighter, he's one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world ... currently, the #1 ranked contender in the UFC's lightweight division.

When cops arrived to Ferguson's home, officers used the information from the call to help diffuse the situation ... and according to the police report, Tony told officers he would seek help.

Unfortunately, cops were called back to the house a few days later -- but the good news, Tony has since agreed to get serious about treatment and appears to be doing better.

In fact, just last week, Tony posted on social media that he's seen a psychologist and that it "went well."

Colby Covington better watch his mouth around Todd Gurley ... 'cause Kamaru Usman tells TMZ Sports the NFL superstar would whoop his ass if they ever scrapped!!!

"Todd Gurley would maul him," Usman says ... "He would maul him. He'd maul him."

Of course, Kamaru's talking about this 'cause he says he saw the Rams RB get into a spat with Covington seconds before his championship fight with Tyron Woodley at UFC 235.

So, we had to ask ... who'd win if Gurley and Covington were NOT separated that night?!

His answer -- Gurley ... and he ain't just sayin' that 'cause he HATES Covington ...

"These running backs, they have low centers of gravity, big butts, strong legs. All they have to do is -- it's not going to take them long, once they learn the technique, they're throwing hammers."

"So, yeah, I think he could take him."

The tale of the tape IS interesting ... Gurley outweighs Covington by over 60 pounds and is two inches taller -- so, is Kamaru right??

CM Punk ain't lettin' his 2 UFC ass-whoopings stop him from training to fight ... 'cause his teammate and UFC star, Anthony Pettis, says Punk is STILL hitting the gym hard.

TMZ Sports talked to Pettis -- the former UFC lightweight champ who's moving up to welterweight to fight #2-ranked Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson on Saturday at Fight Night 148 -- about his Roufusport gym mate's fighting future.

"He is still training. I don't know what his plan is. I know he's doing some movies and a couple other things, but I'm not sure if he plans on fighting again or what. But, I know he's still training ... That dude's a hard worker."

Remember, Punk was dominated and choked out by Mickey Gall in September 2016 ... before returning to face Mike "The Truth" Jackson.

Punk lost to Jackson via a unanimous decision ... but looked like a much-improved fighter.

Pettis says he respects the hell outta CM Punk ... even with an 0-2 record.

"Not many people in the world can do what he did. I mean, it's on the biggest stage, and he fought some good guys too. It's not like he was fighting scrubs. He's fighting good guys in the UFC."

"He's training with killers. He's training with me, Woodley. He comes in day and day, and he's getting his butt kicked, and coming back, showing up, so I give him props, man. No matter what, he did it."

We also talked to Wonderboy -- who hasn't fought in 10 months after sustaining an injury fighting Darren Till -- about exactly how he plans to become champ by the end of 2019.

Frank Shamrock says he didn't mean to hurt the dog he tied to a truck and left at an airport ... telling TMZ Sports, "I know what I did was wrong, but there was no way out of it."

As we previously reported, the UFC legend is under investigation after cops say he abandoned a dog at Dallas Love Field Airport ... leaving it tethered to the bed of a pickup truck for 5 days.

Now, Shamrock is explaining to us why he did it ... saying, "I had no other solution to solve that problem."

The former fighter tells us his mother is ailing, and when he traveled to Texas earlier this month to take care of her ... he realized she was in no condition to own dogs anymore.

Shamrock says he tried his best to find new homes for the animals ... but just could not find a place for Zelda.

"I called everybody in Dallas, I tried everything humanly possible to get care for the dog, to let people know that we could not take the dog."

Shamrock says his search for a new home for Zelda lasted up until just minutes before he had to board a plane back home ... so he decided the best thing to do was to tie her up with food and water and call security to come get her.

The problem? Security never found her, and she was stuck in the pickup bed for 5 days before police officers rescued her.

Now, Frank tells us he's heartbroken over the whole ordeal ... mostly because he can't believe people at the airport let her stay in the truck for that long without getting her.

"The dog stayed there for five days. I can't believe that," Shamrock said through tears ... "That wasn't what I was intending. I thought they would come get it."

Frank is now under investigation by the Dallas Police Department, who tell us they are expecting to file a charge of Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals -- a Class A Misdemeanor -- against the former fighter.

Shamrock says he'll accept any charges, telling us, "I take responsibility for what has happened."

As for Zelda, a spokesperson for the SPCA of Texas tells us she's doing just fine since the incident -- and has received "a ton of TLC" and care while she's been in the organization's custody.

The spokesperson also tells us they expect to put Zelda up for adoption within the next few days.

Mike Tyson says Conor McGregor needs to quit talkin' UFC ownership and focus on what made him a superstar to begin with ... telling TMZ Sports the fighter should do just that -- FIGHT!!!

As we previously reported ... The Notorious demanded a piece of the UFC in a rant at a Chicago bar last week ... following up on what he's been saying for YEARS.

"Give me my rightful shares in the UFC company. That’s all I ask," Conor said at the time.

Tyson says Conor's WRONG ... 'cause ownership is a whole different kinda game ... and Mike seems to think McGregor should get his money the ol' fashioned way -- by kickin' ass.

Tyron Woodley is calling out Conor McGregor because he feels it's the only fight that makes sense for BOTH guys ... and he's "dead ass serious."

"I want to fight Conor," Tyron said on "The Hollywood Beatdown."

"I'll fight him in Ireland. I'll fight him in the f*cking back alley of a White Castle ... want to go to Russia? Want to go to the TMZ newsroom?"

"Quit being a bitch ... let's fight."

So, why would Conor take that fight?

Woodley points out that both guys are coming off losses in world title fights -- and since they're close in weight, it makes sense for them to battle while they wait for their shot to get their belts back.

Of course, Conor has said he wants fights with Nate Diaz and Cowboy Cerrone in addition to a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov ... but Tyron says none of those fights are happening any time soon.

"Looks like we dangling around Conor ... come get this smoke."

Woodley's last fight was 3 weeks ago when he lost the welterweight belt to Kamaru Usman, who seems to be on a collision course to fight Colby Covington next.

Tyron says it doesn't make sense to refight other contenders he already washed in the welterweight division ... so Conor is the next best thing to a rematch with Usman.

In fact, Tyron says he's healthy and hungry and ready to fight right now ... as long as Dana White can get Conor to sign a contract.

Tyron and Conor have had beef before -- when they got into an altercation behind-the-scenes at the UFC 205 press conference back in 2016.

UFC's Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson says it's "disappointing" his friend, T.J. Dillashaw, tested positive for a banned substance ... saying, "He doesn't seem like the type of guy who would do that."

Dillashaw has already relinquished the UFC bantamweight championship after officials say he failed a PED test following his January fight against Henry Cejudo.

And, while officials aren't identifying the substance they allegedly found in Dillashaw's system, Thompson says the situation is a reminder to fighters to be very careful what they put in their systems.

"I know T.J. We've hung out a lot. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who would do that," Thompson says.

"But, that goes to show man, you gotta check everything that you take."

It's obvious Thompson doesn't think Dillashaw intentionally cheated -- and says he hopes T.J. can "get this thing worked out."

For now, T.J. has been suspended 1 year by the New York State Athletic Commission. Dillashaw says he's conducting his own investigation to find out what went wrong.

Ronda Rousey giving a big middle finger to her employer is exactly what she shoulda done ... so says The Miz, who tells TMZ Sports her anti-wrestling rant was MONEY.

Rousey went scorched earth on WWE in a "non-scripted" tirade earlier this month ... saying "Wrestling is scripted. It’s made up. It’s not real. None of those bitches can f*cking touch me. The end.”

She also went off on fans, her coworkers, people from Ohio ... basically anyone she could think of, Ronda put in a metaphorical body bag.

The whole rant was crazy ... and some people think Ronda went TOO far ... but The Miz says it was perfect.

"She's making noise, she's making headlines and you're talking about her, so everything's working about it," The Miz says ... adding that it's great hype leading into the year's biggest event.

"It's WrestleMania season. You do whatever you have to do to get people watching ... right now, she's doing exactly that."

The Miz says all signs point to Ronda being part of the main event at WrestleMania 35 ... and the rant certainly helped generate buzz.

Aljamain Sterling WANTS ALL THE SMOKE ... telling TMZ Sports he deserves first crack at T.J. Dillashaw's vacated UFC bantamweight title -- and FLEXING at his competition.

"It's obviously unfortunate for [T.J.]. But, his misfortunes are now my fortunes," Funkmaster says.

Of course, Dillashaw announced he gave up the title Wednesday morning after testing positive for a banned substance following his January fight (and loss) with flyweight champ Henry Cejudo.

As for talk that Henry should get the shot to come up in weight and fight for T.J.'s belt ... Sterling says simply, "F*ck Henry. Stay your ass at 125!"

Aljo -- who's only 29 years old and has won 5 of his last 6 UFC fights -- says he's been training like a maniac and has proven to be a worthy contender.

Sterling is also dead serious about a rematch with Marlon Moraes -- who knocked out Sterling during a Dec. 2017 fight by way of a DEVASTATING knee to the head.

Moraes is currently the #1 ranked bantamweight -- and Sterling is #3 -- which is why Aljo is stating his case to Dana White to let them battle it out for the belt.