MMA

Anderson Silva ain't mincing words when it comes to his message for Dana White ... telling TMZ Sports he wants a fight with Conor McGregor ASAP!!!!

"Come on, boss," Silva says ... "Give this show for the fans. Give this show for the fans of UFC."

Remember, Silva has pleaded with the UFC honcho ever since Conor said in October 2018 he'd be "interested" in scrapping with Anderson.

But, Silva tells us he's still dead serious about making the fight happen ... and he even explained to Dana why the UFC should set it up!!!

"It's good money for you, Dana. And, a good challenge for me and Conor."

Silva says the fight should take place at a 180 pounds ... which means Conor would have to go up from his normal 155-pound division -- but Anderson says it'll be worth it in the end.

"That's the good fight for me and Conor ... It's a super, super, super fight."

MMA star Kayla Harrison tells TMZ Sports she's 100% confident she could take Khabib Nurmagomedov in a judo match ... if he's man enough to step up!!!

Don't get it twisted, Kayla's not calling for a fist fight -- but if Khabib is down for a pure judo match, Kayla says she KNOWS she can win.

FYI, Harrison was a 2-time Olympic gold medalist (2012 and 2016 games) before making the switch to MMA. She's considered the most decorated American judo athlete of all time.

So, could she beat up some of the top guys in MMA???

No. Kayla knows she has a disadvantage when it comes to fighting men in mixed martial arts fight -- but she believes she's got the skill, speed and strength to beat men on the judo mat.

"Am I gonna beat Khabib? I mean I think I would beat him in a judo match. For sure. 100%. I would beat Khabib."

Of course, Khabib is known to have one of the most ferocious ground games in the UFC -- but without the ability to punch, Kayla thinks she has the advantage.

You can see Kayla put her skills on display when she takes on Larissa Pacheco in the main event at PFL1 on Thursday.

... and if Khabib's looking for some groundwork, he might wanna hit her up after the fight.

We also spoke with Kayla's manager, Ali Abdelaziz -- who also manages Khabib -- and he says he's down to set something up ... as long as the money's right!!!

Ex-UFC star Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was arrested for domestic violence Monday night after admitting he got physical during an argument with his girlfriend, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, a woman called police to report an altercation with her boyfriend, Anthony Johnson.

The woman claimed she had started to pack AJ's belongings to throw him out of the house when he forcefully picked her up -- "put her in a football hold" -- and carried her into another room.

The woman claims "she was scared due to his size and martial arts experience."

FYI, 35-year-old Johnson is a former UFC star who was 22-6 as a pro -- with wins over stars like Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader and Alexander Gustafsson.

Cops say the woman did not have any visible injuries.

When cops spoke with Johnson that night, he admitted he had grabbed the woman and carried her during the argument -- but says his intention was never to hurt her. Johnson claimed he simply didn't want to argue anymore.

Cops determined Johnson's actions warranted a domestic violence arrest -- so they took him into custody and hauled him to a nearby station where he was booked on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

Johnson retired from the UFC back in 2017 -- after losing to Daniel Cormier. His profession on the police report is listed as "body building."

UFC champ Rose Namajunas says she wouldn't rule out a superfight against Valentina Shevchenko ... but first, she's gotta get through Jessica Andrade.

Rose is the reigning UFC strawweight champ (115 lbs) after posting two amazing wins over UFC legend Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

She's gearing up for a title defense against Andrade this weekend at UFC 237 -- and despite being the champ, Rose is the betting underdog going into the fight.

"It's definitely a familiar feeling. This is not something new. I'm always the underdog. Not always, I shouldn't say that, but generally speaking," Namajunas told us.

"And, it makes sense. Andrade, when you look at her highlights, when you look at her physique, and you look what she does to girls, it's pretty intimidating."

Andrade's a beast ... but if she wins, would Rose -- who's cleaned out her division -- go up a weight class and fight the 125 lb. champ, Shevchenko?

"I've trained a lot with Valentina. Definitely, the training sessions, the way she trains, she's an animal. Of course, I'd love to test myself against her."

The issue? They're friends ... but Thug Rose ain't above punching her buddies.

"She's also my friend too, so that would kinda be strange. But, it's whatever, like I've fought friends before multiple times."

Conor McGregor spent his Monday training his ass off in his MMA gym in Ireland -- and sources connected to the UFC star tell us he's "ready to fight right now."

Conor had a sparring session with Hans Molenkamp -- who created the MMA equipment company, Triumph, and runs the Monster Energy combat program. He's also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who trains with some of the best fighters in the world.

Hans and Conor have been tight for years -- so, when Hans touched down in Ireland, Conor invited him to Straight Blast Gym for a workout.

Our sources at the gym tell us ... Conor looked sharp in sparring sessions -- even cracking Hans in the face with that legendary left (you can see it in the video).

We're told Conor is training like he's getting ready for a fight -- and he's been talking about how badly he wants the rematch with Khabib.

One source extremely close to McGregor put it this way -- "He's ready to fight now. He's in training. Everything needs to line up correctly ... opponent, place and of course, money."

Conor was called out this weekend by UFC legend Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone -- McGregor has yet to respond.

Sylvester Stallone says Conor McGregor "absolutely" deserves an ownership stake in the UFC -- and he's willing to work with the Irishman to make it happen.

Now, how serious is Stallone? Hard to tell ... but we do know Sly really does care about the guy and thinks he's a special fighter.

We also know Conor is dead serious about his demands for shares in the UFC -- despite Dana White repeatedly saying it ain't gonna happen.

Back in 2016, Mark Wahlberg made a very REAL offer to Conor -- saying he'd sell him some of his ownership ... but Conor needed to "cut the check."

Just this week, Conan O'Brien joked that Conor would need to fight him for his piece of the UFC.

But, Conor ain't kidding around -- making his demands clear back in March.

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

9:40 AM PT -- CoCo's in trouble ... 'cause Conor's taken notice, saying he's totally down for a fight ... and even threw Mark Wahlberg into the mix as well!!!

"Challenge accepted Conan!" Conor tweeted. "I'll whoop you and Walhberg (sic) in the same night."

"Double shares for the Double Champ!"

If Conor McGregor REALLY wants a piece of the UFC, he's gonna have to get through Conan O'Brien first!!

CoCo was leaving UCLA on Wednesday after participating in a college signing day event with Michelle Obama when we brought up the fact he happens to be a minority owner of the UFC.

And, with Conor making so much noise about wanting an ownership stake in the company, we asked Conan if he would follow Mark Wahlberg's lead and offer to sell Conor a piece of his share.

"I will fight him for his [share]," Conan joked ... "If he can take me in the Octagon!"

O'Brien continued to tease ... saying he'd have to look at the paperwork before making any serious deal with Conor.

Look, he's obviously joking the whole way through -- but Conor wasn't kidding when he demanded ownership.

In fact, Conor still isn't signed on to take another fight in the Octagon after retiring via social media earlier this year.

Brock Lesnar was submitted to official PED testing just WEEKS before he told Dana White he was retiring from MMA for good, TMZ Sports has learned.

We spoke with a rep for the United States Anti-Doping Agency which performs all of the testings on UFC fighters and confirmed Lesnar has not only been in the testing pool, but submitted 9 samples over the past year.

In fact, Lesnar submitted two tests in 2019 -- once in the 1st quarter (January through March) and at least once in April.

USADA confirms Lesnar was tested once between April 1 and April 18. We're checking to see if he was tested after April 18.

USADA would not disclose the results of Lesnar's recent tests.

Lesnar has had problems with USADA in the past -- he tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene after his UFC 200 victory over Mark Hunt. That victory was later overturned and Lesnar was suspended for a year because of the positive test.

Of course, the UFC had been gunning to book Lesnar for a title fight with heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier.

Lesnar famously stormed the Octagon back in July 2018 and shoved Cormier in what appeared to be an obvious publicity stunt to drive interest in the fight.

Both Dana White and Cormier have talked openly about wanting to make the fight happen.

But this week, White told ESPN the Lesnar fight is off because Brock informed him he is retiring from MMA.

Legendary announcer Bruce Buffer was front and center when the UFC made 12 Make-A-Wish dreams come true ... and he says it's a moment he'll remember for the rest of his life!!

Dana White and his org teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant 12 Las Vegas kids their biggest dreams on Monday -- from trips to Disneyland and Disney World to Europe and more!!

TMZ Sports spoke with "The Veteran Voice of the Octagon" -- who used his famous chops for the big reveal to the kids ... and he says it was one of the most emotional experiences of his life.

Buffer revealed it was a local record for Make-A-Wish giveaways ... and admits it was tough not to get emotional during the touching event.

"It was a beautiful event. It was great to see those kids," Buffer says.

UFC star Al Iaquinta wants to prove he's worthy of another fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov -- saying he's convinced he can beat the Dagestani if he gets more than 1 day to prepare.

Remember, Al stepped as a last-minute replacement for Max Holloway at UFC 223 in April 2018 ... and survived all 5 rounds with Khabib, despite zero preparation for one of the scariest guys in MMA.

Since that fight, Al beat up Kevin Lee and has lined up a big fight with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at 'UFC Fight Night' on May 4.

Al tells TMZ Sports he wants to make a statement in the Cowboy fight to show everyone he's the real deal -- and deserves a second crack at Khabib.

"I fought Khabib not only on a day's notice but also after fighting 90 seconds in 3 years," Iaquinta says ... "So it was short notice and a huge layoff."

Al -- the #4 ranked lightweight in the UFC -- says he knows he needs to have a "great performance" against Cowboy ... and seems more motivated than ever.

We spoke with Al after the first fight with Khabib and even though he was bruised up, he never lacked confidence.

As for Khabib, Dana White has said his next fight will be against interim champ Dustin Poirier -- and they're gunning for a Sept. fight date.

But as Al knows ... if Dustin gets hurt and Dana needs a replacement, he could be the guy who gets the call.

You're looking at "Iranian Hulk" Sajad Gharibi -- a powerlifter who's become a social media sensation -- and he's about to try his hand in MMA.

The good news ... UFC star Brian Ortega is offering up some advice for the massive 27-year-old -- but that advice comes with a serious warning!

Long story short ... Ortega is 100% confident he would destroy Gharibi in a fight -- despite weighing roughly 250 POUNDS less!!!!

"I would just gas him out, piss him off," Ortega tells TMZ Sports.

For the record, Ortega is 5'8", 145 ... Gharibi (from the info we've found) is 6'2", 385.

"Of course, you're gonna see me just get mauled up like a damn little chihuahua in the beginning," Ortega says ... "but just when I ride that wave out, it's a done deal man. He'll gas out and he'll be mine."

Gharibi says he's dead serious about taking a real MMA fight -- telling reporter Chamatkar Sandhu he's already accepted a fight against a Brazilian opponent.

Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis ... get ready -- 'cause Greg Hardy says he's coming!!!

"They're not in my mind," the ex-NFL star says of the UFC heavyweight beasts ... "They're in my sights, brother. They're locked in."

Of course, Hardy ain't sure exactly when those fights will go down ... he tells TMZ Sports, after being DQ'd in his first-ever UFC fight -- he's got a lot to learn before he steps in the Octagon with the superstars.

But, he says guys like Stipe and The Black Beast are still the goal ... telling us, "When I go there and I do fight these guys -- hopefully soon enough when I do elevate and graduate -- it's going to be Goliath vs. Goliath."

Hardy's first step in that plan? A bout with Dmitrii Smoliakov in the co-main event of Saturday night's ESPN+ Fight Night 150.

Greg says he's more prepared for this UFC tilt than his first one -- the one he lost after he illegally kneed Allen Crowder back in January.

Hardy tells us he was "overwhelmed" by the stage in that fight ... but he's learned from it -- and says he's ready to kick some ass Saturday!!!

The Uber driver accused of killing former UFC fighter Rodrigo de Lima during an altercation in Brazil on Sunday has been fired by the rideshare company ... an Uber spokesperson tells TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old MMA fighter was a passenger in an Uber in Belem, Brazil with friends when he allegedly got into a verbal altercation with the driver.

The driver, later identified as Jefferson Roger Maciel, reportedly kicked Rodrigo out the car -- and despite initially driving away from the scene, turned around and smashed into Rodrigo from behind.

Rodrigo died from his injuries. He's survived by a wife and 2 young children.

A rep fro Uber confirmed Maciel was working for them at the time of the incident.

Uber says allegations are "horrible" -- adding, "As soon as we learned of this incident we immediately removed the driver’s access to the app and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."

On Monday, cops said they were still searching for Maciel -- no word if they've located him yet.

De Lima was 9-3-1 as a pro -- and earned the nickname "Monstro" (which means monster) -- due to his fighting style.

A former UFC fighter was hit by a car and killed in Brazil after officials say he got into an argument with his rideshare driver.

The fighter is 26-year-old Rodrigo de Lima -- who fought Neil Magny in 2014 and Efrain Escudero in 2015 during his stint in the UFC. He lost both of those fights.

Rodrigo was a passenger in a car in Belem, Brazil when he got into an argument with the driver. According to reports, the driver stopped the car and booted de Lima from the vehicle.

Once outside the car, the driver allegedly drove away from the scene -- then turned around and struck de Lima from behind, killing the fighter.

There are reports the driver was working for Uber at the time of the incident. We've called Uber to confirm but so far, no word back.

Officials are currently on the hunt for the driver. De Lima is survived by his wife and two young children.

De Lima was 9-3-1 as a pro -- and earned the nickname "Monstro" (which means monster) -- due to his fighting style.

A Brazilian MMA fighter says she was forced to stop a sexy beach photoshoot this month -- when she saw some creepo rear-naked chokin' his own chicken while watching her from the bushes.

Oh, and then she proceeded to BEAT HIS ASS!!

The woman is Joyce Vieira -- a 27-year-old amateur fighter and swimsuit enthusiast from Brazil. Her IG page is FIRE.

Vieira claims she was posing for pics with her photog crew when noticed a guy watching her nearby -- and when she approached him, Joyce claims his penis was out and it was obvious he was pleasuring himself.

Vieira reportedly told Brazilian news outlets the guy was making noises and groaning -- and when she told him to cut it out he replied, "Why? You don't like it? Come here!"

So, she punched him.

Vieira reportedly filed a police report -- and when cops spoke with the alleged whackjob, he claimed he was NOT doing the ol' 5-knuckle shuffle ... but rather innocently peeing in the bushes.

The case is reportedly still open and cops are continuing the investigation.

TMZ Sports has obtained police body cam footage showing Conor McGregor being handcuffed and arrested at a private home by Miami Beach PD over the cell phone smashing incident.

The footage was shot on March 11 ... hours after Conor got into it with Ahmed Abdirzak outside the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami.

As we previously reported, McGregor went after Abdirzak around 5:21 AM -- snatching the guy's phone and then stomping it multiple times. McGregor eventually left the premises with Abdirzak's phone.

Abdirzak filed a police report and the Miami Beach PD tracked down McGregor at a private residence nearby -- eventually arresting him just before 10 AM.

In the footage, McGregor is cooperative and quiet as cops instruct him to place his hands behind his back while they place him in handcuffs and put him into a squad car to be transported to jail.

McGregor has since been charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. If convicted on all counts, Conor faces up to 6 years in prison.

Conor has pled not guilty on all charges. A trial is scheduled to begin in May.