MMA

Justin Bieber doesn't believe for a second Tom Cruise is half the badass he seems to be in his movies -- and he's out to prove it in the Octagon.

We can only assume Justin was watching a 'Mission: Impossible' or "Jack Reacher" flick this weekend when he said enough is enough ... and called out Cruise.

Bieber not only challenged Cruise to an MMA brawl, but he pulled that schoolyard bully move, saying ... "Tom if you don't take this fight your [sic] scared and you will never live it down."

Now, we'd laugh this off as just a joke, except for the fact, he tagged UFC honcho Dana White -- and then Conor McGregor chimed in ... saying he'll host the fight IF Tom has "the sprouts to fight, like he does in the movies."

Something about this doesn't seem like a fair fight, although we're not sure who's the favorite.

Remember, Justin actually has boxing skills. His pal Floyd Mayweather Jr. has even vouched for him in the ring.

Then, there's age: Justin is 25, Tom is 56 (going on 57). JB's also about 2 inches taller than TC, and probably has a longer reach too.

Then again, Tom has experience AND ... he jumps out of tall buildings!!! That's gotta count for something, but apparently not for bookies.

Yes, BetOnline is already taking wagers, and has Bieber as the 2 to 1 fave over Cruise.

Dana White is GUARANTEEING Lorenzo Fertitta will eventually own an NFL team ... and he's telling TMZ Sports he wants to be a partner with the guy when he makes that purchase!!!

"I'm very interested," White says.

Of course, Fertitta -- the ex-UFC boss who sold his shares in the fight company back in 2016 -- just confirmed to us a few days ago he's desperately trying to buy an NFL squad.

Even though no team is available at the moment -- and no current owners look to be in any hurry to put up a for sale sign -- Dana is promising Fertitta will own a team someday.

"He is absolutely, positively going to be an NFL owner," White says.

As for how Fertitta will do when that happens ... White -- who's still very tight with Lorenzo -- says his ex-business partner will be a PERFECT fit.

"He will be an incredible owner. You know, they owned casinos, they're incredible owners. They owned the UFC, they were incredible owners. They’ll be amazing NFL owners."

Ex-UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta is ready to be the boss man once again ... telling TMZ Sports he's officially gunning to buy an NFL team!

"Always wanted to do that," Fertitta says.

Lorenzo and his brother Frank sold their shares of the UFC back in 2016 as part of that $4 BILLION deal with WME-IMG ... and he tells us he's now trying to invest some of those profits into a pro football team in the very near future.

The problem for Lorenzo ... he says he just can't find somebody willing to sell their squad!!!

"Right now, there's no opportunities."

As for which team Lorenzo ultimately wants to buy -- he says he's not picky ... telling us, "I love football so much it doesn’t matter. I'd do anywhere.”

Rener Gracie is MMA royalty -- a member of the legendary Gracie family which created Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

But, he's also a fashion designer -- and he tells TMZ Sports his business went CRAZY a few weeks ago when he made a deal on "Shark Tank."

Rener is the creator of Quikflip -- which started as a hoodie that transforms into a wearable backpack.

The 35-year-old martial artist was a hit on "Shark Tank" -- and ended up making a $500,000 deal with Lori Grenier.

Now, Rener says the exposure from the show has resulted in a MASSIVE sales increase -- and coupled with his new famous and powerful business partner, he's ready to take over.

Conor McGregor WILL make his return to the Octagon in 2019 -- despite that whole "retirement" thing -- this according to Dana White.

"Conor is a competitor, man. He loves to fight. This is his passion in life," White tells TMZ Sports.

So, who's the opponent?? That's the tricky part.

Dana says he wants to see how the fights at UFC 238 this weekend shake out before announcing an opponent for Conor.

Remember, one of the most important fights of the weekend is Tony Ferguson vs. Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone ... both of whom want a crack at McGregor.

Dana tells us he knows Conor's goal is to get his rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov ... but Khabib's already committed to fighting Dustin Poirier in September.

"We gotta see how everything plays out," Dana says.

The one thing White would ABSOLUTELY commit to -- Conor will fight in the Octagon before the end of the year.

It's a big deal considering back in March, Conor had said he was retiring from MMA to focus on his whiskey business.

He later said he WOULD fight again if Dana offered him an ownership stake in the UFC -- something Dana has said he simply WILL NOT do.

Dana White says he personally sat down with Tony Ferguson to evaluate him to make sure he's mentally okay to get back in the Octagon ... but only AFTER Tony was already cleared by doctors.

Tony is set to fight Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 238 this weekend -- his first fight since his Oct. 2018 victory over Anthony Pettis.

In the days, weeks and months after the Pettis fight, Ferguson had some major issues at home -- his wife, Cristina, called cops several times because Tony was having manic episodes and acting erratically.

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

Tony was never arrested or charged with a crime -- but his wife made it clear TF needed professional mental help ... which he ultimately got.

In fact, Tony is PROUD of the work he's done with his psychologist and feels he's in a healthy place.

"He's done all the right things it takes to make us feel comfortable that he's good to go," White tells TMZ Sports.

The reason Khabib Nurmagomedov agreed to fight Dustin Poirier in Sept. instead of a rematch with Conor McGregor is simple ... "McGregor didn't beg enough."

... this according to Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

Of course, the REAL reason is that Khabib vs. Dustin is for the unified UFC lightweight title -- which was a huge priority to Dana White -- but hey, who doesn't love a little smack talk?!

So, when will the Khabib vs. Conor fight actually happen? Maybe never.

Ali says he doesn't believe McGregor ever wants to fight again -- saying Conor's more concerned with being an "Instagram model" these days than fighting for a UFC title.

Ali also says the UFC is stacked with talent -- from Khabib to Tony Ferguson to Poirier -- and they don't need Conor anymore.

So, if Conor really does want a second crack at Khabib, what needs to happen?

"Get maybe 2 or 3 wins," Ali says ... "Then get on his knees and beg!"

Rashad Evans routinely dealt ass whoopin's to MMA legends like Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz -- but who's the absolute toughest dude he fought?

Jon "Bones" Jones.

And, it ain't even close ... "Suga" Rashad -- the latest member of the UFC's 2019 Hall of Fame class -- tells TMZ Sports.

"Without a doubt, Jon Jones. When it comes down to it, I think that Jon Jones is the best in history."

"When he's inside the cage, he's dynamic. He's got some skill. But, I would say technically speaking, he's probably the best fighter."

Evans is a legend and he faced some of the greatest MMA fighters ever ... but he says there was something different about Jones -- who beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 145 in 2012.

"When you fight guys that good, you feel like after the fight is over, there's another level that I need to get to. You don't feel like, 'aw man, I had a bad day.' You just feel, 'man, I need to get to another level to be able to beat this guy.'"

So, Jones it the best fighter ... but who hit Rashad the hardest? The guy who landed the bomb will surprise you.

UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz still gets goosebumps when he sees other great athletes ... in fact, he TOTALLY fanboy'd when he saw Tiger Woods -- and it was all caught on video.

Tiger was hosting his annual Tiger Jam charity poker tournament at the MGM Grand in Vegas over the weekend ... when Tito started chatting up the golf legend.

At one point, Ortiz whipped out 2 passes from the 2019 Masters tournament -- which Tiger famously won -- and asked him to sign.

Tiger obliged and even posed for pics with Ortiz.

Afterward, Tito explained the connection ... saying he made his UFC debut in Augusta back in 1997, the same year Tiger won the Masters for the first time.

Tito also says he went back to Georgia in April and watched Tiger win again -- and clearly feels a connection with the guy.

FYI, Tito is 44 and Tiger is 43.

UFC star Tyron Woodley says he's very confident he'll be ready to fight again this summer -- despite having a jacked up right hand -- and he's already working with the UFC to book a date.

The former UFC welterweight champ recently pulled out of his June 29 bout with Robbie Lawler -- explaining on this week's 'Hollywood Beatdown' that his hand simply isn't ready to go.

Woodley says he consulted with a top hand specialist who diagnosed him with chronic arthritis in his joint ... which is a problem going into a fist fight with a stand-up striker like Lawler.

The good news ... Tyron says he's eyeing an August date to get back in the Octagon, but there's a catch ... he only wants to fight in a state where he'll be cleared to get a cortisone shot 10 days before the bout.

As for an opponent, Tyron says he'll fight anyone as long as it gets him on the right path for a title shot ... because he's obsessed with getting his belt back.

There's a lot more ... Tyron also weighs in on the disturbing face injury suffered by his friend, Sage Northcutt and tells us if he thinks Sage will ever be able to get back to 100%.

Chuck Liddell now realizes the video he made to congratulate a man for coming out of the closet after 40 years was most likely a homophobic prank ... and the UFC legend is really upset about it.

Here's the backstory ... Chuck is one of the celebrities who works with Cameo, a company where people can pay celebs to make custom video messages for fans.

Someone named L-Dogg asked Chuck to make a video congratulating "Timmy" for going public with his sexuality ... and Chuck, believing it was a legitimate request, obliged.

The original video features Chuck delivering a heartfelt message to Timmy -- and saying he wishes Timmy would have been able to come out earlier in life.

But, now it seems pretty obvious L-Dogg was just using Chuck as part of a homophobic joke.

"If this is someone messing with somebody, that's messed up," Liddell told us at LAX.

"I assumed it was a guy who was actually coming out after 40 years."

Bottom line ... Chuck says he doesn't want to be used to make jokes in bad taste.

If Conor McGregor wants another crack at a top flight boxer, Keith Thurman says he's ALL THE WAY DOWN -- telling the Irishman straight up, "Box me, baby!!"

Of course, Thurman -- the WBA super welterweight champ -- is gearing up to face Manny Pacquaio on July 20 ... but says he's heard about Conor's desire to get back in the ring and wants that fight!

"You know you make more money in the boxing ring anyway. Box me, Conor!"

Thurman's not kidding ... he watched the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight back in 2017 and sees major holes in Conor's fight game.

"[In boxing], the advantage is do you have skills with the left? Do you have skills with the right? Do you have footwork? And, one thing [Conor] doesn't have is conditioning! He does not have conditioning. He is not ready for these championship fights."

"Floyd walked him down and beat him like he was playing 'Fight Night!'"

Thurman continued ... "He wanna talk that trash?! He wants to think actually got hands? Come on, man."

McGregor recently told Tony Robbins he wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather because he's learned so much from the first fight and KNOWS he could get a win.

Sage Northcutt is on the mend ... and he's giving a positive update on his health after undergoing surgery on facial fractures he suffered when he got his ass knocked out in his ONE Championship debut.

The ex-UFC posted this picture from his hospital bed in Singapore on Wednesday night ... thanking all his fans for their prayers and letting everyone know he's recovering and getting better, day by day.

Sage looks to be in good spirits, given the circumstances ... he's giving two big thumbs up, and doing his best to smile -- which has gotta be difficult when you have surgery to fix 8 FRACTURES!!!

Check out that shiner under Sage's left eye ... that's gonna last a while.

As you know ... Sage's debut was a disaster. The 23-year-old got his face punched out by Cosmo Alexandre, crumbling to the canvas with a thunderous face plant 29 seconds into the match.

Sage went under the knife over the weekend ... and his coach, Urijah Faber, told us the fighter's injuries were way worse than originally thought because Sage also shattered his cheek into 30 different pieces.

Conor McGregor says he wants another crack at Floyd Mayweather -- and with all that he's learned from their first fight, McGregor says he's 100% confident he would get that WIN!

"I would like to rematch him under boxing rules, again," McGregor said to Tony Robbins during a recent interview ... "and I believe I would win."

"Actually, there I go again with that fake humbleness ... I KNOW I WOULD WIN!"

Yeah, you can hear it in his voice ... McGregor really wants this.

Of course, Conor first fought Floyd back in August 2017 -- with Floyd beating on Conor so badly in the 10th round, the referee stopped the fight.

But, Conor didn't see the bout as a one-sided massacre ... he thinks he was WINNING early on.

"When I went into the fight in the early rounds I was WHOOPING him in the early rounds," Conor said ... "I went back to my corner after the 1st round and I said, 'This is easy!'"

But, Conor says Floyd switched up his style -- going from a "back-footed," defensive approach to a more aggressive "Mexican style."

Conor says the switch shows how talented Floyd is ... but now Conor says he can prepare better for that alternative style and crush Floyd in a rematch.

"He never fought like that in his entire career, but he was forced to fight that way because he was getting beaten," Conor said.

"The approach caught me off guard. I was not prepared for it, I was not used to it ... and he walked me down and end up getting the stoppage."

Conor says Floyd originally agreed to fight McGregor in an MMA match after the boxing event -- but Conor says, "I haven't heard from him since!"

Floyd has been taking exhibition fights ever since racking up his 50th pro victory ... but will a rematch with Conor pique his interest in a comeback?

MMA fighter Josh Copeland pled guilty to felony 2nd-degree assault in his domestic violence case -- stemming from allegations he punched his wife in the face during a heated altercation.

As we previously reported, Copeland -- 6'1", 265 lbs -- was arrested in Colorado on Feb. 2 after his wife told police he hit her so hard, her face was bloodied and bruised when cops arrived.

The woman had admitted she slapped Copeland in the face multiple times during the altercation -- but said he took things to another level of violence ... and then stole her phone so she couldn't call for help.

Copeland was originally hit with 4 criminal charges including felony assault, domestic violence, obstruction of telephone and child abuse (because the altercation allegedly took place in front of their son).

But now, a court official tells TMZ Sports ... Copeland appeared in court on Tuesday and cut a plea deal with prosecutors.

Long story short ... Copeland pled guilty to 2nd and 3rd-degree assault and in exchange, the other charges were dropped.

As for the sentence, Copeland was given 2 years probation -- and the judge noted he could be locked up if he doesn't stay out of trouble for the next 24 months.

Copeland is allowed to travel for work (he's a pro-MMA fighter) -- but he'll have to check in with the court in 2021 to make sure he's kept his nose clean.

Copeland is 18 and 6 as a pro-MMA fighter -- and even had a stint in the UFC in 2014 and 2015.

Sage Northcutt's fight injuries were worse than initially reported -- he didn't just suffer 8 fractures in his face, but his cheek shattered into 30 different pieces ... according to his coach, Urijah Faber.

As we previously reported, Northcutt suffered major damage Friday when he was knocked out by Cosmo Alexandre during his ONE Championship debut in Singapore ... and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

"Dude got his face blasted, man," Faber said ... "His cheek shattered like an eggshell."

Faber says Northcutt described the pain as "40 times worse than any pain I've ever felt."

Sage went under the knife over the weekend -- requiring doctors to access the wound through 4 entry points ... including his hairline, mouth and eye.

You gotta listen to Faber describe the procedure -- it's gnarly.

The good news ... Sage is in good spirits and he's already talking about setting up his next fight.