MMA's Jordan Johnson Big Plans for $1 Million Prize!!! ... I'm Buyin' a Kia!

Jordan Johnson
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY
TMZSports.com

What would you do if someone handed you a check for $1 MILLION!?!?!? New Ferrari? Big ass mansion? Pet tiger?

MMA fighter Jordan Johnson has MUCH different plans if he wins the big PFL $1 million prize fight on New Year's Eve ... dude says he wants a Kia!

The 31-year-old light heavyweight fought his way into the championship match against Emiliano Sordi -- where the winner takes home that 7-figure payday. Not bad.

Johnson says he ain't trying to count his chickens before they hatch ... but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't given some thought about how to spend the money.

"Ya know, I'm not gonna make any crazy purchases, but maybe a new car is something we've kinda been talking about."

And the dream ride?!

"I love Kias. We've been talking about the Telluride. But, I just saw the Stinger for the first time the other day. Most people laugh about this, 'You have a million dollar payday and you want to go buy a Kia?'"

Don't laugh ... the 2020 Telluride MSRP's for about $32k, and was named SUV of the Year by Motor Trend.

Sure, it doesn't go 200 MPH ... but do $300k sports cars hold 8 passengers and have an ungodly amount of cupholders? Nope.

Gotta respect the fiscal responsibility.

Canelo Alvarez Down To Box UFC's Jorge Masvidal ... 'Why Not?!'

Canelo Alvarez
'Why Not?!'
TMZSports.com

Forget Conor McGregor ... Canelo Alvarez says he's down to fight UFC star Jorge Masvidal next -- telling TMZ Sports, "Why not?!"

... Of course, in boxing only.

Masvidal famously called out Canelo shortly after beating Nate Diaz for the 'BMF' belt back in November ... and when we asked Alvarez out in L.A. this month if he'd be up for the fight, the boxing superstar told us he's down.

"For business, why not?!" Canelo says.

Neither guy has an opponent lined up for their next fight ... so could it actually happen??

Seems there's a chance ... the first big, MMA-boxing crossover was HUGE -- with Floyd Mayweather and McGregor making SERIOUS bank for getting in the ring back in 2017.

And, Canelo DEFINITELY appears pretty intrigued by that.

As for if the Masvidal fight falls through ... Canelo says he'd be up for a rematch with Mayweather next -- telling us, "I was very young and experienced at the time and now I'm a different fighter. It will be a totally different result."

Either way, we'd pay to see both scraps ... so MAKE 'EM HAPPEN!!

UFC's Nina Ansaroff I Will Train During Pregnancy ... Baby Won't Stop Me!!!

amanda-nunes-kal
ONE STEP AT A TIME
TMZSports.com

You think a fetus can derail UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff's MMA training!?!?!

Well, it can ... but Nina tells TMZ Sports she ain't exactly putting her career on hold when she gets pregnant with Amanda Nunes' baby.

Of course, Amanda ain't the only world-class fighter in the relationship -- 34-year-old Nina is the #5 ranked strawweight contender in the UFC. She's a killer.

But, with the two decided to expand their family in 2020 -- and Nina being the designated baby carrier -- we asked the two how it will affect her career in the Octagon.

"I’m taking a year off," Ansaroff says ... but when she returns, Nina says she plans on moving up a weight class and competing in the 125-lb flyweight division.

"I’m gonna be training throughout my pregnancy. I’m gonna stay in shape. I’m not gonna, ya know, just like not do anything and jump in."

David Arquette Returning to Wrestling Ring It's Gonna Be a NYE Bar Brawl!!!

David Arquette
2020'S MY YEAR
TMZSports.com

You can take David Arquette out of the wrestling ring ... but you can't take the wrestler outta David Arquette ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's BACK for another brawl!!!

It's no secret the actor loves to get his ass beat ... remember when he got in a nasty, bloody beatdown back in 2018?? He went on to continue to get his ass beat repeatedly in 2019.

But, DA ain't afraid to get back to business ... telling us he's got an epic "bar wrestling" fight going down on New Year's Eve to end his year on a high note!!

111718_david_arquette_kal 11/17/18
BLOODY BUT UNBOWED
@GIFSkull

"I'm ready for some 2020," Arquette says. "I'm sick of this 2019. 2019 was bad. I almost died twice in 2019."

Like we said ... dude REALLY gets his ass kicked.

But, this time around he says he's facing off against Joey Ryan and Colt Cabana ... and his tag team partner is RJ City. So ... maybe this time he'll deliver the beating??

We also asked Arquette about his old foe Dave Bautista ... and he has some kind words for the guy!!

UFC's Kamaru Usman Gunning to Be the Next 'Bachelor' ... I'm Dead Serious!!!

Kamaru Usman
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
TMZSports.com

UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman says he's got BIG things lined up for 2020 -- not just in the Octagon -- in fact, he wants to be the next 'Bachelor.'

... and yeah, HE'S SERIOUS!!!

The 32-year-old fighter had a huge year in 2019 -- not only defeating Tyron Woodley to win the welterweight belt but also beating the hell out of Colby Covington in a jaw-breaking performance at UFC 245.

So, how do you top that in 2020? Kamaru's got a plan ...

"I'm gonna blow it out of the water," Usman says ... suggesting he could try his hand at acting or broadcasting.

As for "The Bachelor," Usman first floated the idea back in October ... but now hopes his high-profile win over Colby will help him get on the show!

"Hopefully they were watching and they decided we need to pull the trigger on this!"

UFC's Derrick Lewis Destroys Trash-Talking Boxer ... In Wild Gym Fight

Derrick Lewis
ENOUGH TALKIN'

This was no Mayweather vs. McGregor ...

UFC superstar Derrick Lewis told a boxer to PUT UP OR SHUT UP during an argument about MMA vs. boxing ... and the results did not go well for DL's opponent.

The 34-year-old heavyweight says he was working out in the gym on Wednesday, when the other man said, "He will knock me out because I’m a MMA fighter."

Lewis, not one for boring debates, told the guy to strap on the gloves and get in the ring ... and the rest -- well, just watch.

Lewis beats the guy up so badly, he almost punched him THROUGH THE ROPES!

Of course, Lewis -- aka "The Black Beast" -- is known as one of the toughest dudes in all of combat sports ... beating guys like Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, Travis Browne and Roy Nelson.

Think he's gonna back down from some no-name boxer in a gym fight?!?!?

UFC's Mackenzie Dern Xmas Time Is Bikini Time ... At Least In Brazil!

Here's UFC star Mackenzie Dern showing her holiday spirit ... rocking a tiny bikini in Brazil, where it's 80 degrees and sunny in the middle of December!

The 26-year-old jiu-jitsu champion is coming off an impressive fight against Amanda Ribas -- who she fought in October, just 4 months after Dern gave birth to her daughter, Moa.

Dern lost the scrap, but the fact she was able to get back into fighting shape in just 124 days -- and fought Ribas all the way to a decision after three 5-minute rounds is pretty damn amazing!

Now, Dern is back home in Brazil where she's getting in some quality beach time with her family -- including longtime boyfriend Wesley Santos, a pro surfer.

No word on when Dern will return to the Octagon and fight again -- but she's been back in the gym and we're told she's planning on taking a fight in early 2020.

Until then ... happy holidays, everyone!

UFC's Kamaru Usman Warns Conor McGregor ... I'll Kill You If We Fight

Kamaru Usman
YOU DON'T WANT THIS
TMZSports.com

"He must want to die."

That's UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman reacting to Conor McGregor after the Irishman suggested the two could fight down the line.

After Kamaru broke Colby Covington's jaw and spirit at UFC 245 on Saturday, Conor tweeted out "145. 155. 170" ... and since he's won belts at 145 and 155, the insinuation is that he wants a crack at Kamaru's title.

So, we asked Kamaru about a possible scrap with McGregor -- and Usman didn't hold back.

"You saw what Khabib did to him," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "Like, oh my god. It wouldn’t even be fair if I fought Conor."

"Much respect to Conor for what he’s done for this sport and transcended it, but nah, this is not what you want."

"Sit down, little man! Sit down! Learn to walk before you can run because I would hurt that guy."

So, who DOES Kamaru want to fight? Georges St-Pierre.

"If I had to choose, of course, I want Georges ... I want GSP."

Of course, St-Pierre officially retired from MMA earlier this year ... but there are rumblings he's down for one last scrap if the situation is right.

Kamaru says he has tremendous respect for GSP, but if the two get into the Octagon together, Usman tells us, "I think I'll finish him."

And, if you're still reveling in Usman's victory over Colby and wanna see Kamaru talk even more trash ... watch the clip below.

Kamaru says he's super proud for shutting Colby's mouth -- and get this, he explains why he still wants to take the UFC belt to the White House to meet Donald Trump.

Kamaru Usman Covington
IT'S NOT OVER
TMZSports.com

Andre Berto Clowns Floyd Over 'Circus Fights' ... Let's Rematch Instead!!!

Andre Berto
ROUND TWO
TMZ.com

Floyd Mayweather vs. a UFC star is nothing more than a "circus fight" -- according to pro boxer Andre Berto who says he's ready to step up if Floyd wants a REAL challenge in 2020.

Of course, Berto -- a former welterweight champ -- fought Floyd back in 2017 ... just a few months after Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao.

Berto lost the fight ... but tells TMZ Sports he knows what he did wrong and things would go MUCH differently if they fought a second time.

"It was hard to catch him the first time," Berto says ... noting he would "let his hands go" a lot more in the rematch.

As we previously reported, Floyd is looking for TWO boxing matches in 2020 -- one against a pro boxer and another against a UFC star.

Berto thinks Floyd is too afraid to take on a legit contender -- explaining, "I doubt he's gonna come in and fight any of these other hungry champions out there."

"He might come back for one of these circus acts."

Berto says taking on an MMA fighter is nothing more than a "money play" -- "He's just making sure he's still getting paid."

Tito Ortiz Signs Handcuffs for Border Patrol ... Promotes Trump 2020

Tito Ortiz
PLEASIN' THE CROWD

Tito Ortiz got the ultimate rock star treatment at a U.S. Border Patrol station in Texas ... where agents lined up to take pics ... and even asked him to sign their handcuffs.

... all while sporting a Trump 2020 campaign shirt.

Tito's in McAllen, TX -- about 3 miles from the Mexico border -- for his big Combate Americas fight on Saturday with Alberto El Patron.

And, with Ortiz being a very outspoken fan of Trump's immigration policies, he decided to meet with the people in charge of patrolling the area ... and they LOVED him!!!

Check out the video ... Ortiz took pics with everyone, signed autographs and even gave a motivational speech about overcoming adversity.

Meanwhile, his opponent Alberto El Patron -- who hates Trump -- went a different promotional route this week ... choking out a POTUS impersonator on a Spanish language TV show.

Alberto Del Rio
PRACTICING FOR TITO
TMZSports.com

As we previously reported, Tito is tight with the Trump family and recently had lunch in NYC with Donald's sons, Eric and Don Jr.

Dana White Floyd and I Have Handshake Deal ... Gunning for 2020 Fight

Dana White says the fight deal he made with Floyd Mayweather was entirely constructed and sealed at the Clippers game last month ...and says they're targeting a Sept. 2020 fight date.

"He and I did a deal right there in our seats on the court," the UFC honcho told Rich Eisen ... "We shook hands and we have a deal."

White didn't reveal any details about Floyd's potential opponent -- but later told Jim Rome he's hoping to sit down with Floyd's business partner, Al Haymon, in March to get a fight booked for Sept.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, Mayweather is actually trying to book TWO comeback fights in 2020 ... both boxing matches.

Sources close to Floyd tell us ... he wants to fight a respected pro boxer (we're told he's seriously considering Manny Pacquiao) plus another match with a UFC fighter.

Floyd has previously called out Khabib Nurmagomedov, but it's unclear if that's his intended target on the UFC side of things.

Of course, we know Conor McGregor is VERY interested in a rematch ... but we don't know if the feeling is mutual.

Aniah Blanchard Murder Suspect Erupts In Court ... 'Y'all Have No Proof!'

The man accused of abducting and murdering Aniah Blanchard went off in court Wednesday -- telling the judge, "Y'all have no video, no audio of me shooting anyone!"

Ibraheem Yazeed appeared with his attorney in an Alabama courtroom Wednesday to face capital murder charges in the death of Blanchard, step-daughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.  Prosecutors have said they're pursuing the death penalty.

Yazeed was initially charged with 1st-degree kidnapping -- and when he appeared in court for the new, more serious charge ... he was not happy.

"I got rights too," Yazeed told the judge.

"Y'all have no video, no audio of me shooting anyone, that’s why I’m trying to see how y’all going to bind me over on hearsay. But y’all aren’t presenting no evidence."

Officials have video showing Yazeed at the same gas station where Blanchard was last seen before her disappearance.

A witness also claims Yazeed forced Blanchard into her car -- which was later found covered in blood.

Cops believe Yazeed ultimately shot Blanchard to death and then hid her body in a wooded area.

Officials say there is a NEW witness who saw Yazeed with a gun tucked into his shorts while in possession of Blanchar's car.

Officials say the witness claimed Yazeed had admitted to shooting a girl and that the girl had "went for the gun" before he murdered her.

Aniah Blanchard
ANIAH AT CHEVRON ON OCT. 23

In other words, Aniah fought back.

It seems this new witness -- unnamed in the court doc to protect the person's identity -- was the key to finding Blanchard's body.

Two other people have also been charged in this case -- but prosecutors say they believe Yazeed acted alone in killing Blanchard.

UFC's Brian Ortega Suffers Torn ACL Out of Korean Zombie Fight

UFC star Brian Ortega says he suffered a partially torn ACL in his knee during training and has pulled out from his Dec. 21 fight against Chan Sung Jung, aka the Korean Zombie.

"I tore my ACL in training and I won't be fighting in Korea," Ortega just revealed.

"Thankfully it was only a partial tear so I'm already rehabbing it and the plan is to be back to 100% in 2-3 months."

Ortega says he strongly considered fighting through the pain because he didn't want to let anyone down -- but ultimately doctors advised him to call the whole thing off.

"I didn't want to let down the fans, the Zombie and the UFC so I strongly considered pushing through it and fighting anyways, but according to the doctors, the risk of a full rupture in the fight was high and that would put me out for up to a year."

"Sorry guys I gotta take care of this right now, but I'll make it up to all of you 2020 I promise."

Ortega hasn't fought at all in 2019 after a violent clash with Max Holloway in Dec. 2018.

The 28-year-old fan favorite is still considered one of the top contenders in the featherweight division -- currently ranked #2 behind Alexander Volkanovski and the champ, Max Holloway.

We're big fans of Ortega at TMZ Sports, where he regularly comes into our office and chokes out various staff members!

Get well soon, bro.

Canelo Alvarez Mocks Mayweather ... Enjoy the MMA Guys!!!

Canelo Alvarez
FLOYD'S NOT A THREAT
TMZSports.com

Canelo Alvarez thinks the Floyd Mayweather comeback is HILARIOUS -- saying there's no way Floyd would ever consider a rematch because he's too focused on MMA guys.

The boxing superstar was leaving Matsuhisa sushi in Hollywood in great spirits when we asked how he felt about 42-year-old Floyd wanting TWO fights in 2020.

"He's not gonna fight with me," a smirking Canelo told us ... "He's gonna take on MMA fighters!"

CA's entourage added a little more commentary -- with a female friend saying Floyd "couldn't handle" a fight with Canelo.

His male pal was blunter, saying, "Canelo will kill him!"

For his part, Floyd is still working on nailing down his two opponents -- a boxer and an MMA fighter -- and we're told he's got his sites set on Manny Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Canelo's coming off a violent knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev as he fights his way through his 11 fight, 5-year, $365 MILLION contract.

Unclear what's next for Canelo -- but he's said in the past he would LOVE a rematch with Floyd, who has the ONLY victory over Alvarez in his pro boxing career.

The two fought back in 2013 -- when Canelo was only 23 -- and he lost by majority decision. After the fight, Canelo said he simply couldn't catch Mayweather.

But, Canelo's a lot faster now ...

Rampage Jackson Dead Serious About Boxing Match ... Anyone Except Deontay!!!

MMA legend Rampage Jackson says he's VERY interested in taking a PRO BOXING match before he retires ... and he'll fight anyone -- except Deontay Wilder!
THAT'S A SMART MAN
TMZSports.com

MMA legend Rampage Jackson says he's VERY interested in taking a PRO BOXING match before he retires ... and he'll fight anyone -- except Deontay Wilder!

In fact, the 41-year-old former UFC heavyweight champ tells us, "I asked Dana White a long time ago, way before Conor McGregor even was around, let me do some boxing!"

Rampage -- who parted ways with UFC in 2013 -- says he was told back in the day there just wasn't anyone for him to box, so the idea was shut down.

But, he insists, "I still wanna fight a boxing match before I retire."

Rampage's stand-up game is legendary -- he famously KO'd Chuck Liddell in 2007 and Wanderlei Silva in 2008 ... and several other guys along the way.

And, with Floyd Mayweather gunning for a UFC crossover, we asked Rampage if he had a particular opponent in mind.

"I'd fight anybody but Deontay Wilder," Rampage says ... "He's too tall!"

Rampage says there's one way he'd make an exception -- "Unless they give me $100 mil. Then I'll fight him! I'm not gonna lie, I keep it real!"

We get it ... Wilder just destroyed Luis Ortiz and widely considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history!

"I'll fight him if they give me $100 mil and we do one boxing match and then one MMA match."

But, don't count on it going down any time soon -- as Rampage explains, "I don't like fighting them long, tall dudes. I gotta take them down!"

In the meantime, Rampage is gearing up to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator & Risin: Japan on Dec. 29 in Japan ... and the takeaway is he doesn't plan on retiring any time soon!

Floyd Mayweather Gunning for 2 Fights In 2020 ... Including UFC Crossover

Floyd Mayweather doesn't want to be a 1-and-done in 2020 -- our sources tell us he's targeting TWO fights next year ... one against a pro-boxer and another against a UFC star.

Nothing is set in stone yet ... it's all being worked out and the situation is very fluid. But, for now, we're being told one name that's being seriously considered is Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd has been interested in a rematch for years and he feels the time is right -- especially with Manny being healthy and coming off a great victory over Keith Thurman.

It's also worth noting that Manny is no longer repped by Bob Arum and is now a part of Al Haymon's promotion. Hayman famously works closely with Mayweather.

As for the UFC component, we're told Floyd wants another boxing match with a UFC star, preferably someone who has impressed with stand-up striking skills.

Floyd has already teased a UFC crossover after hanging with Dana White at the Clippers game on Nov. 20 ... unclear if they spoke about potential opponents.

Conor McGregor has expressed interest in a rematch and has spelled out why he thinks he will be successful a second time around.

Floyd also called out Khabib in 2018 -- but he's notorious for his ground game ... so based on what we're being told, he's not the priority.

As for dates, we're told Floyd wants to fight in May and again in Sept. -- and he's even thrown out the possibility of fighting at the new Raiders stadium in Las Vegas.

Again, it's all very fluid and could change with the wind ... but for now, we're told this is the starting point.