MMA

Dana White revealed he recently had a meeting with Italian officials about holding the Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk fight at the historic Colosseum in Rome.

The UFC honcho provided the update during his appearance on Mike Tyson's "Hotboxin'" podcast this week ... saying he did, in fact, talk to the folks in Italy about bringing the billionaire brawl to one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

"I actually did have a meeting with the Minister of Culture's team in Italy to actually hold that fight in the Colosseum if it would happen," White said. "We're talking."

TMZ Sports broke the story back in June -- sources told us administrators in charge of the landmark location initially reached out to Zuckerberg, who then connected them with Dana's people.

The Ministry of Culture's Office claimed at the time there had been "no formal contact" between the two sides ... but we were told there were conversations that occurred, and now White is confirming it himself.

As for the fight, White believes it can rake in more than a billion dollars in revenue ... saying it's an event everyone in the world wants to see.

"Think about how big that fight is -- two of the richest, most powerful guys in the f***ing world are gonna fight on the biggest stage ever," Dana said.

"Who the f*** doesn't wanna see that fight?? ... That's the kind of fight your f***ing grandmother would watch that fight."

Errol Spence and his face are back to normal after suffering his first career loss against Terence Crawford ... 'cause the boxing star is looking good while partying it up in Ibiza!!

The 28-1 welterweight was spotted at the O Beach day club in Spain recently ... and fans who noticed Spence took a couple of pictures with the Big Fish, who appeared to be in great spirits.

It's awesome to see, considering Spence was left beaten and bloodied after taking a bunch of shots just 11 days ago.

Spence is in Spain with his longtime girlfriend Ashra Ortiz ... who shared some words of encouragement after the fight.

"You’re a soldier fr & you never quit. You got the heart of a lion & because of that your name will forever hold weight," Ortiz said on Instagram.

"They gone be talking about Errol Spence Jr. 30 years from now and that’s what makes you stand out, you are one of the greats."

Conor McGregor spared no expense for Dee Devlin's birthday this week ... putting on an epic boat party for his fiancée, while showering her with designer gifts.

The UFC superstar shared pics of his surprise bash for his lover on Tuesday -- one day before Devlin, who's pregnant with the couple's fourth child, officially turns 36 -- and you can see, the guy went absolutely all out.

McGregor strung up a ton of balloons -- some pink, some gold -- in a room on their yacht ... and then he forked over handbags and shoes that cost several thousand dollars each.

One of the gifts was a super rare Chanel purse ... which the fighter said had significant meaning to him, 'cause it represented his big feelings for her.

"Baby my love for you is as deep as the ocean!" McGregor said of the presents and the party. "Here is the limited edition ocean @chanelofficial bag, among other things you love!"

"I love you baby," he added, "happy birthday ❤️"

The lovebombing didn't stop there ... 'cause the couple and their kids eventually hit one of the boat's decks for a big cake!!

The two have been nearly inseparable since McGregor was accused of sexual misconduct at an NBA game back in June -- she traveled to New York to give him some TLC just after the allegations surfaced ... before they jetted off to France earlier this month for a vacation.

Dillon Danis first ... Le'Veon Bell next?!

If Bell had things his way, that's exactly how Logan Paul's upcoming fight schedule would work out ... 'cause the former NFL star-turned-boxer says he wants all the smoke with The Maverick in the ring soon.

Bell made his intentions known with a fiery tweet on Tuesday afternoon -- just hours after Paul revealed he's going to fight Danis on Oct. 14.

"lol you really can’t duck me forever @LoganPaul," Bell wrote. ".. at some point you're gonna have to see me in that boxing ring."

Bell -- who first stepped into the celebrity fighting world following the 2021 NFL season -- has previously had his sights set on Logan's little brother, Jake ... calling out the 26-year-old multiple times over the past couple years.

But, seems he's now turned his attention squarely toward Paul -- adding in a separate tweet that he'd "be ready" if the Danis fight falls through.

Of course, Bell's going to have to get in a long line to be Paul's next opponent ... a bunch of fighters have already requested a taste of the WWE Superstar, including Tyron Woodley, who told TMZ Sports last week he's ready for the older Paul brother after two fights with Jake.

Logan Paul is getting back in the boxing ring -- the Maverick is slated to go up against MMA fighter Dillon Danis in October.

The WWE Superstar and internet superstar announced the big news on Tuesday ... saying, "OCTOBER 14 I return to boxing after fighting Floyd Mayweather over 2 years ago."

"I doubt this little parasite will show up but if he does I’m going to erase him from existence."

Paul's hesitation is warranted -- Conor McGregor's buddy was supposed to fight KSI in January ... but backed out due to being "underprepared," according to Misfits Boxing's Mams Taylor.

Paul -- 0-1 as a professional -- most recently went up against TBE in Miami back in June 2021, an exhibition fight that did not have a winner declared.

This will be Danis' boxing debut ... but he holds a 2-0 record in Bellator.

Conor seems pretty stoked for his friend's combat comeback ... saying, "Dillon Danis Returns!"

Danis' involvement is pretty interesting ... considering KSI is on the same card, fighting Tommy Fury.

KSI told us Danis was banned from Misfits Boxing after pulling out of their fight ... saying he would "slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me."

It's gotta be a bummer for Tyron Woodley, who recently told us he wanted to throw his name into consideration to be Logan's opponent.

Jake Paul's fight against Nate Diaz was on the same level as one of the most popular fights in combat sports history -- so says former boxing champ Shawn Porter, who tells TMZ Sports Saturday's event felt "just as big as" Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor!

Porter -- who was on the mic in Dallas for the big matchup -- said the vibes were off the charts throughout the Jake vs. Nate fight ... calling the experience Super Bowl-esque.

"This was just as big as Mayweather and McGregor," Porter emphatically told us on Monday.

FYI -- Floyd vs. Conor is widely reported as the second-highest-selling fight in Pay-Per-View history (behind Floyd vs. Manny Pacquiao) ... so to compare the energy at Jake vs. Nate to that is quite a compliment.

Of course, "Showtime" is no stranger to the biggest events in the sport -- whether he competed in or attended them, he's witnessed some electric crowds over the years.

But Porter said the spectator support of Diaz was second to none ... adding, "I've never heard anything like that before."

"MMA fans, man. They show up, they show out, they have a lot of fun and they are extremely loud. I was loving it."

As for the fight, Shawn gave Jake a C grade on the night, despite getting the victory ... explaining the Problem Child still has to work on finishing off his opponents after landing big punches.

Justin Gaethje is arguably the hottest fighter in the UFC right now after his highlight-reel knockout of Dustin Poirier, and that's why Conor McGregor is calling out the lightweight star on social media ... he's clout chasing, according to JG's manager.

TMZ Sports talked to Ali Abdelaziz days after his star client went home with the BMF belt, which he won during the main event of UFC 291. While people were in awe of Gaethje's fight-ending head kick, The Notorious wasn't one of them ... Conor quickly hit up Twitter and trashed Justin.

Just jealousy, according to Ali.

"Conor McGregor, he lost himself. He doesn't know who he is. He's a guy who isn't even a fighter. He's a retired fighter. He's not in the USADA program, he probably weighs almost close to 200 pounds. He just wants clout," Abdelaziz told us.

"Justin Gaethje's a gladiator. Dustin Poirier's a gladiator. Kamaru Usman, Islam, Max Holloway, all those guys are gladiators. He's not a gladiator anymore."

Speaking of Poirier, McGregor hasn't fought since breaking his leg against Diamond at UFC 264 in July 2021.

"Conor McGregor is a pretender right now," Abdelaziz said.

"He gets in fights in bars and at Grammy's, street fights. He gets in fights when he has security there to protect him."

Conor is/was supposed to fight Michael Chandler (who coached opposite him on TUF), but that fight hasn't yet been made, and reports indicate McGregor isn't in the USADA test pool yet, meaning he couldn't fight for at least 6 months.

Listening to Ali, it very much seems Conor and Justin is NOT going to happen. Question is, who will it be? Abdelaziz breaks it down.

3:07 PM PT -- Elon Musk might need more time to train and get ready for a cage match against Mark Zuckerberg -- but the Facebook founder says he's ready now.

Zuck fired back at Elon's chirping this weekend, taking to his own platform (Threads) to point out that he's all set to rumble, and at a moment's notice. He also says he suggested a date of August 26 when Elon first challenged him -- but claims EM is stonewalling.

Finally, MZ takes a jab at Elon's proposal of streaming the bout on X -- suggesting Threads would be a better place for generating actual revenue (for charity). Twitter/X has been in dire financial straits for months now.

Elon's teased the fact that he's pumping iron in preparation, but also notes ... Mark probably has him beat on stamina -- and that if they duke it out, he'd wanna end it quickly.

Elon Musk plans to make some loot for his company formally known as Twitter, because he's planning on live-streaming his highly anticipated fight with Mark Zuckerberg on X ... so he declared Sunday.

TMZ has been reporting, Zuck and Musk are both all in for mixing it up in the UFC octagon.  There were actually talks between UFC and the Italian Foreign Ministry about holding the fight at the Coliseum, but our sources say that's not going to happen.

We're also told if the fight goes down, it will likely take months. We're surmising from what we're hearing Elon needs more time to train ... something Zuck has been doing for a long time.

Despite their height and weight disparity -- Zuck's 5'7" and 150 lbs, while Musk towers over him at 6'2" weighing 230 -- M.Z. had a big edge when it comes to stamina.

The more these guys jawbone back and forth, the more likely it is they'll fight, because neither one is prone to blinking.

Stay tuned.

Some spectators at the Jake Paul/Nate Diaz fight wanted a piece of the action, because not one but several crazy brawls erupted after the match.

It's unclear why people were fighting, although the simple explanation is they were just looking for a brawl. It's kinda like projection ... they all wanted to be Jake, so they took a swing at it.

Doesn't seem anyone was seriously hurt, and they all got their money's worth. Jake won by unanimous decision.

As for the fan fights ... people trashed the brawlers on social, calling it embarrassing.

BTW ... Jake chose to fight Nate over a rematch with Tommy Fury, whom he lost to a few months back by decision.

Conor McGregor took his growing family out to the beaches of the South of France this week ... and the UFC superstar was clearly excited for his baby on the way -- kissing his partner's tummy during the outing!!

The Notorious and Dee Devlin threw on their bathing suits and soaked up the sun during their getaway ... chowing down on some food, running in the water and taking selfies.

Conor also showed his love for his unborn fourth child ... rubbing all over Dee's stomach and hugging her.

As we previously reported, Conor revealed back in June his partner is pregnant again ... and he couldn't be more excited about the new addition.

The whole family appeared to be in great spirits at the beach ... despite the recent controversy surrounding the former champion outside the Octagon.

As we previously reported, Conor was accused of raping a woman at the Miami Heat NBA Finals game in June ... which is still under investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Conor was also spotted rushing out of a funeral in Ireland last month ... although details surrounding the incident remain unclear.

Themba Gorimbo's days of living in the gym are over -- the UFC fighter now has his own place to call home ... thanks to an incredible gesture from his idol, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The movie superstar and WWE legend surprised Themba at his gym in an emotional meetup last week ... holding up on a promise he made after hearing the mixed-martial artist's story about fighting with just 7 dollars to his name.

But, as it turns out, their interaction at the gym was just the beginning of their special time together ... 'cause Themba's hero had something else up his sleeve (even though he wasn't wearing any).

Here's how it went down -- The Rock initially said they were going to meet up with his friend, Jay, at his apartment in Miami ... but once they got to the pad, Themba would soon find out there was no "Jay."

After walking around and seeing framed family photos all over the place ... Themba quickly realized he was standing inside his new apartment!!

"I was so moved by your story," The Rock told Gorimbo. "When I found out you were sleeping on the couch in the gym ... now there's no more couch sleeping. This is your house. Welcome home!"

"Now you can bring your kids here, man, your family. This place is yours. You don't have to think about anything. The only thing you think about is your family, getting them over here, getting them with you, training, and becoming a champion."

Themba was overcome with emotion ... thanking Johnson for the act of kindness.

The violence simply couldn't wait for Saturday night -- the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz press conference ended in an all-out brawl involving both fighters' security ... with multiple punches thrown.

The chaos went down minutes ago in Dallas ... shortly after Jake and Nate jawed back and forth in their last media event prior to their big fight at the American Airlines Center.

Something happened on stage as Nate and Jake faced off ... and a huge scuffle ensued.

It appears Nate was exchanging words with Jake's manager, Nakisa Bidarian ... when Paul's security intervened.

In footage from the incident, you can see punches thrown ... but thankfully, the scrap was handled rather quickly -- and both boxers appeared to steer clear of it.

Jake and Nate unleashed on each other earlier in the event ... with Paul saying, "I'm going to bend him over and f*** him like a cowboy."

"I'm gonna ball on his face, like Luka Doncic dropping 40 on his face. Knock him out, Luka Doncic on his head ass."

There were also some homophobic comments made ... with Diaz referring to Paul as the f-word during a heated exchange with a member of Betr Media.

The real fight goes down in just two days ... getcha popcorn ready.

Kamaru Usman says he's wanted to fight Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson for some time ... and with both men in need of an opponent, the former UFC welterweight champion has an idea -- fight each other!!

"I've done everything there is to do. The only guy that, to be honest, that even make sense right now is Wonderboy, 'cause he needs an opponent," 36-year-old Usman told TMZ Sports on Tuesday.

"Wonderboy's been around for so long, and he's just that name to where it's always a good fight."

40-year-old Thompson, a mainstay at the top of the 170 lb. division for years, has one of the most unique styles in all MMA (Kempo) ... and that's a challenge that excites Usman.

"His style is very, very difficult to fight. He's just one of those names, he's in my era, that I never really got to fight."

Of course, Wonderboy was supposed to fight Michel Pereira at UFC 291 on Saturday ... but the fight was scrapped after the Brazilian fighter missed weight, tipping the scale at 173 lbs.

Some fans and others around the sport have criticized Wonderboy for not fighting, despite the fact he cut and made weight, and Pereira didn't. Kamaru says those people are full of crap.

"I know everyone is crucifying [Wonderboy] for not taking that fight. But why? I don't understand that. Why?" Usman asked.

"People are like, 'He's a bitch.' 'He's scared.' 'He didn't want to take the fight.' Why? We signed on a contract, and [Pereira] said he was going to make this weight. He decided not to make this weight, and [Thompson] told him, 'Ok, I need you to go back and make this weight.' And if he's not going to try, why is that [Wonderboy's] fault? No, absolutely not [his] fault. People need to stop that."

"Wonderboy did his job. He came in there, he made weight, he trained for the fight. What more could you ask of him?"

There's much more ... we also talked to the future UFC Hall of Famer about his close friend and gym-mate Justin Gaethje's incredible KO win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, with the BMF belt on the line.

Kamaru talks about why the win was so important for his squad/coaches.

Mark Zuckerberg's training so hard for a potential MMA fight with Elon Musk that he's eating 4,000 calories EVERY DAY to avoid widening the huge size difference between the billionaires!

Zuck's been busting his ass training with some of the best UFC fighters in the world ... and even recently disclosed he installed an Octagon on his lawn!

In order to maintain his already slight stature, MZ revealed his McDonald's order on Threads, and it's a hefty amount of food for a 145-lb. guy.

"20 nuggets, a quarter pounder, large fries, Oreo McFlurry, apple pie, and maybe some side cheeseburgers for later?" Zuck said.

Assuming Zuck got two cheeseburgers "for later" (vet move), the Mickey D's alone is over 2,300 calories.

UFC fighter Mike David didn't totally agree with the nutritional choice.

"You’re in camp! No McDonalds 😂" the 10-2, 30-year-old MMA fighter wrote to Mark.

Good luck getting Zuck to stay away from the Golden Arches ... the Meta CEO responded soon after, justifying his diet choices.

"Not cutting weight so I need ~4000 calories a day to offset all the activity. And it's so delicious..." Zuckerberg explained.

Translation, Mark doesn't have to lose weight in order to fight. In fact, it's the opposite. It would behoove him to gain weight, 'cause Musk tips the scales around 230 lbs., and if the guys were to step foot in the Octagon today, Zuckerberg would be at an ~85 lb. disadvantage.

Zuck's huge caloric intake shows how hard he's been training. Just last month, he was working out with UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Volkanovski. A gang of other fighters have also offered to help.

Ask and you shall receive!!

Mike Tyson is granting Francis Ngannou's wish ... officially joining the former UFC champion's team to help him train for his upcoming boxing match against Tyson Fury.

Remember, Francis told TMZ Sports last month he would love to work with Iron Mike leading up to his October 28 bout against Fury (33-0) ... saying, "I think getting some advice or some training from Mike Tyson would be good."

"I also think of somebody like Lennox Lewis, which could be good."

Well, it's happening ... 'cause Michael Benson of talkSPORT confirmed on Thursday the legendary heavyweight champ will be part of Ngannou's training camp and be in his corner for his fight in Saudi Arabia.

Tyson actually gave Ngannou tips on how to beat Fury in the past -- after he appeared on the Hotboxin' podcast, Mike showed the 36-year-old how to throw a body shot on the 6-foot-9 beast.

Mark Zuckerberg's preparation for a potential fight with Elon Musk might just relegate him to sleeping on the couch ... because the billionaire revealed Wednesday his decision to build an Octagon at his home has really ticked off his wife.

Zuck got the fighting arena installed in his backyard this week ... and when he pointed it out to his significant other, Priscilla Chan, he appeared to think she'd be stoked about him being able to now grapple just a few feet from his living room.

"It looks awesome," he said over text to Chan ... adding, "We have plenty of yard space!" when he noticed she wasn't exactly thrilled over it.

That's when, however, she dropped a bomb on him ... saying, "I have been working on that grass for two years."

Seems Zuck knows he now needs to at least consider getting rid of his new training toy ... because he posted a poll asking his followers whether he should "Keep the octagon" or "Save the grass."

For now, the masses believe he should say bye-bye to the sod ... 'cause, after all, dude might be fighting Musk in just a matter of months.