MMA

Nate Diaz is giving his fighters a helluva welcoming gift ... 'cause he hooked 'em all up with iced-out pendants to make sure everyone knows they're the "Real" deal!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the MMA legend reached out to the famous Icebox shop to get something special for the folks who joined the Real Fight Inc. promotion he launched in 2022.

We're told he ordered a total of seven two-toned pendants ... and each comes with just under 10 carats of VS diamonds and over 50 grams of gold. The pieces also come with a matching 14K gold rope chain.

Unsure which fighters will get the new bling ... but the badasses listed on Real Fight Inc., excluding Diaz, are Chris Avila, Alan Sanchez, Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos.

Diaz -- who last fought Jake Paul in August -- is taking his promotion very seriously after he left the UFC last year ... saying his goal is to focus on boxing, MMA and BJJ.

"I said when I get out, I was going to do my own promotion like Jake was doing with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)," Diaz said on Full Send.

"Well, I just jumped right in, and I felt like the business was mine the whole time."

Angela Lee has no plans of returning to the cage after recently shocking the MMA world with her retirement announcement... telling TMZ Sports her focus is now on providing mental health services to combat sports athletes!

Lee -- who retired and vacated her 115-pound ONE title at Fight Night 14 on September 30 -- launched her non-profit, Fight Story, in honor of her younger sister and MMA fighter, Victoria, who died by suicide in December 2022.

Lee also revealed she attempted to take her own life in 2017 when she purposely crashed her car.

"I wouldn't say that I have fully recovered [from my sister's death] because healing processes take some time," Lee told us, "but I have gotten a lot better with the help and support of my husband, my daughter, and also with the nonprofit organization I created in honor of her."

Angela added ... "We're hoping to acknowledge our past and our personal experience but also take steps to proactively take care of our mental health [and] physical health."

The 11-3 mixed martial, who holds the record for longest championship reign in ONE, knows about the stress/pressure MMA fighters face ... and she pointed out combat sports athletes don't get the same mental health resources as other sports.

"I wanna highlight this group of individuals because the fact is the topic of mental health or mental health support is pretty much nonexistent in the fight world," the 27-year-old said.

"I think with Fight Story," Lee said, "we have lots of plans for the programs that we wish to implement and bring to the community."

Lee told us several fighters have already reached out to help the cause ... and they're hosting two big events, including a kickoff party that's going down on December 3 in Hawaii.

Angela says she's thankful for the support she's received ... and how it keeps the memory of her sister alive.

"I feel whenever I'm doing things with Fight Story, I really feel like Victoria is with me and helping me to work on this," Lee said.

"Something we're doing together."

Bummed Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa ain't happening on Saturday?! Don't be ... 'cause UFC legend Chuck Liddell says he's actually more pumped for the fight vs. Kamaru Usman!

"I'm excited about it. That card fell apart, and I'm actually more excited about the card now [with Usman fighting Chimaev] than I was before [when Costa was fighting Khamzat]," the UFC legend told TMZ Sports this week at LAX.

Of course, both the main and co-main events of UFC 294 were lost last week ... when Charles Oliveira -- scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev -- and Paulo Costa were both forced out with injuries.

Thankfully, Alex Volkanovski and Kamaru are bonafide badasses ... and both guys agreed to travel thousands of miles and fight on less than two weeks' notice.

(We also talked to Liddell about "Dad Bods" ... hence this ⬇)

We followed up with The Iceman, asking him about the wisdom of stepping in the Octagon with an undefeated fighter on 10 days' notice.

"Kamaru Usman is always ready. He trains all the time. He stays in shape. He's a good guy. I'm excited about this fight. If he took it on 10 days' notice he thinks he's going to win."

Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of, if not the most dominant UFC fighter ever, but the retired, undefeated, former champion wants someone to actually be better than he was ... Islam Makhachev!

Of course, Makhachev is fighting Alex Volkanovski in just a few hours in the main event at UFC 294 ... and we recently spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, Islam and Khabib's manager and close friend, about their relationship.

"Khabib wants Islam to be better. That's what's beautiful about it," Ali said of Nurmagomedov's desire for his pupil to surpass his accomplishments.

Whether 31-year-old Makhachev is better in certain areas (striking, for example) is up for debate ... but when it comes to pure dominance of an opponent, Ali doesn't believe Islam's quiet on Khabib's (29-0) level just yet.

"Islam lost, Khabib never lost. Islan might be all the way technically better, but dominance, I don't think anybody can be as dominant as Khabib is. You see Henry lose, Kamaru. A lot of guys lost. Khabib never even have one blood leave his body. When you have a guy who never bled in 29 fights, it's very hard to match him. It's a very tall order to match him. It's almost impossible."

But, that's exactly what Khabib wants for Islam ... who has a record of 24-1. His sole loss came in 2015.

Abdelaziz does think there's another fighter who is closer to Nurmagomedov's dominance ... Umar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin.

Umar is 16-0, and 4-0 in the UFC ... and the 12th ranked bantamweight.

"The guy who is closer to Khabib than anybody is Umar. I truly believe Umar is the closest to Khabib's dominance."

For Islam, the #3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the entire UFC, a win over #2 ranked Volkanovski would be another step towards fulfilling Khabib's wish.

There's only one man breathing who has been in an Octagon with Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev -- Gilbert Burns -- and now "Durinho" is breaking down the highly anticipated UFC 294 co-main event!

37-year-old Burns joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and having shared the cage with both title contenders, he told us where each man has the advantage.

For Khamzat, Burns says it's a plus he had a full camp -- even though he was training for a different opponent in Paulo Costa. Still, Usman didn't have any camp ... save for a few days before he left for Abu Dhabi.

When it comes to Kamaru, Gilbert believes his vast array of experience can't be discounted. Usman has been in virtually every situation ... and that can't be said for Chimaev (this will be his 7th UFC fight, and Kamaru's 18th in Dana's promotion).

Two of those fights came against Burns.

Kamaru and Gilbert's scrap was the main event at UFC 258 in February 2021 ... a fight Usman won by 3rd round TKO. The fight was very competitive, especially early, until KU took over, and ended things, retaining his title.

Khamzat and Gilbert fought a year and change later at UFC 273 in April 2022 ... a fight Chimaev won by unanimous decision. Despite the judge's scorecards, many believe Burns actually won the razor-close fight. It was without any doubt the first time Borz was pushed ... and while he certainly bent, he didn't break.

Burns breaks down much more about the looming fight ... touching on everything from speed and punching power to strength and ability on the ground.

Usman, who took the fight on 10 days notice, is a sizeable underdog ... around +250 at most sportsbooks (wager $100 to win $250, whereas you'd risk around $300 to win $100 on Chimaev).

Gilbert didn't exactly pick a winner -- at least not straight up -- but given his expertise, and the odds ... he had this to say.

"I think you should put a lot of money on Kamaru Usman," Burns said.

Sólo hay un hombre que ha estado en el octágono con Kamaru Usman y Khamzat Chimaev—Gilbert Burns— y ahora "Durinho" está analizando el esperado evento co principal de la UFC 294.

Burns, de 37 años de edad, se unió a Babcock en el programa de televisión de TMZ Sports (se emite todas las noches en FS1) y después de haber compartido la jaula con ambos contendientes al título, nos dijo donde está la ventaja de cada hombre.

Para Khamzat, Burns dice que es una ventaja haber tenido un tiempo de entrenamiento completo, a pesar de que estaba entrenando para un oponente diferente (Paulo Costa). Sin embargo, Usman no tuvo ningún tipo de entrenamiento, salvo unos días antes de partir hacia Abu Dhabi.

En lo que respecta a Kamaru, Gilbert cree que no se puede descartar su vasta experiencia. Usman ha estado en prácticamente todas las situaciones y eso no se puede decir de Chimaev (esta será su 7ª pelea en la UFC, y la 18ª de Kamaru en la promoción de Dana).

Dos de esas peleas fueron contra Burns.

La pelea de Kamaru y Gilbert fue el evento principal en UFC 258 en febrero de 2021. Una pelea que Usman ganó por TKO en la tercera ronda. La pelea fue muy competitiva, especialmente al principio, hasta que Kamaru tomó el control y terminó las cosas, reteniendo su título.

Khamzat y Gilbert pelearon un año y pico después en UFC 273 en abril de 2022. Una pelea que Chimaev ganó por decisión unánime. A pesar de las puntuaciones de los jueces, muchos creen que Burns en realidad ganó la pelea. Fue sin duda la primera vez que Borz fue empujado. Ciertamente, se dobló, no se rompió.

Burns desglosa mucho más sobre la inminente pelea, tocando todos los tópicos, desde la velocidad y el poder de golpe hasta la fuerza y la habilidad en el suelo.

Usman, que tomó la pelea en 10 días, es un subestimado considerable ... alrededor de +250 en la mayoría de las casas de apuestas deportivas (apuesta $ 100 para ganar $ 250, mientras que arriesgaría alrededor de $ 300 para ganar $ 100 en Chimaev).

Gilbert no eligió exactamente a un ganador, al menos no directamente, pero dada su experiencia y las probabilidades dijo lo siguiente.

"Creo que deberías apostar mucho dinero por Kamaru Usman", dijo Burns.

Nate Diaz is letting Jake Paul know his calendar is WIDE OPEN on December 15 ... and what better time for a rematch, according to the MMA superstar from Stockton!

The Problem Child announced he was returning to the ring in mid-December, but didn't name an opponent. 38-year-old Diaz clearly wants the fight ... and even went as far to post a flyer promoting the fight.

"Rematch December," Diaz said in the IG caption. "You ain’t got nobody to fight."

"So I’ll beat your ass Dec 15th."

Of course, the men fought in August ... a fight Nate lost by unanimous decision. Paul knocked Diaz down in the fight, but overall, it was an entertaining fight.

Still, reaction seems mixed over the idea of a second scrap. But, there are some notable MMA fighters who seem eager to watch the guys go at it again, including Anthony Pettis, Roy Nelson, and BJ Penn.

"Easy money 💰!!!!!!," Penn wrote in the comments, "Nate will hurt him when they step in the ring again."

Paul did respond to Diaz's offer on Thursday, instead suggesting he fight Derek from Betr, who has clashed with Nate in the past.

Alex Volkanovski was literally holding his adorable newborn Reign when he got the call -- Charles Oliveira was out and Islam Makhachev needed an opponent -- and the 145 lb. champ almost instantly knew it was time for daddy to go to work!

Volkanovski joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1) on Wednesday ... where Alex "The Great" talked about the phone call he received late last week from his manager.

"I think I might've had Reign, my newest addition to my family, my newborn Reign," Alex said ... "I might've been holding her, and [my manager] gets on the phone and says, 'Mate, you wouldn't believe it.' And I'm like, 'What's up?' Did not cross my mind one bit. I'm thinking it's for something else. He goes, 'It's looking like Charles isn't going to make it and they need someone.'"

Volkanovski was obviously shocked ... and after conferring with his coach, Joe Lopez, and wife Emma, the decision was clear -- we've got a fight in less than two weeks, and it's going down halfway across the world.

Of course, Makhachev was originally scheduled to fight Oliveira -- a rematch of UFC 280 (Islam won by 2nd round submission).

In some ways, Volkanovski, who lost by unanimous decision to Islam in February (although many people think he actually won), believes the lack of a training camp could actually be beneficial.

"I'm feeling good. I'm excited. That's one thing that I've taken out of all this whole thing, obviously, it's crazy. But man, it's gonna be fun. I don't think I've ever been this excited for a fight.

"Obviously you get excited, but you go through camp, and camp can be exhausting. Mentally and physically exhausting thinking about the fight the whole time. Now I don't have time for that. As soon as I heard about it I had a smile on my face and it hasn't gone away even until now."

Alex Volkanovski estaba literalmente sosteniendo a su adorable bebé (Reign) cuando recibió la llamada. Charles Oliveira estaba fuera e Islam Makhachev necesitaba un oponente, ¡y el campeón de 145 libras casi al instante supo que era hora de que papá fuera a trabajar!

Volkanovski se unió a Michael Babcock en el programa de televisión "TMZ Sports" (se emite diariamente en FS1) el miércoles, donde Alex "The Great" habló sobre la llamada telefónica que recibió a finales de la semana pasada de su manager.

"Creo que estaba sosteniendo a Reign, mi pequeña bebé, que es la última integrante de la familia", dijo Alex: "Podría haber estado sosteniéndola, cuando mi manager se pone al teléfono y dice: "Amigo, no te lo creerías". Y yo: "¿Qué pasa? No se me pasó por la cabeza. Pensaba que era para otra cosa. Me dice: 'Parece que Charles no va a conseguirlo y necesitan a alguien'".

Volkanovski estaba obviamente conmocionado y después de consultar con su entrenador, Joe López, y su esposa Emma, la decisión estaba clara, tenemos una pelea en menos de dos semanas.

Por supuesto, Makhachev estaba programado originalmente para luchar contra Oliveira, una revancha de UFC 280 (Islam ganó por sumisión 2ª ronda).

En cierto modo, Volkanovski, que perdió por decisión unánime contra Islam en febrero (aunque mucha gente cree que en realidad ganó), cree que la falta de tiempo para entrenar podría incluso ser beneficiosa.

"Me siento bien. Estoy emocionado. Eso es algo que he sacado de todo este asunto, obviamente, es una locura. Pero tío, va a ser divertido. Creo que nunca he estado tan emocionado por una pelea".

"Obviamente, te emocionas, pero pasas por el período de entrenamiento, y eso puede ser agotador. Mental y físicamente agotador, pensando en la pelea todo el tiempo. Ahora no tengo tiempo para eso. En cuanto me enteré, se me dibujó una sonrisa en la cara y no se me ha borrado hasta ahora".

Logan Paul is closing the Dillon Danis chapter of his life ... saying he's no longer considering taking an MMA match with his nemesis after easily handling him in the ring.

Remember, Paul initially said back in September he was down to scrap in Danis' territory if the former Bellator fighter showed up to their Oct. 14 fight ... and the two shook hands on it to seal the deal.

Now, Maverick is backpedaling on his promise ... saying an MMA rematch is not gonna happen -- even though he's confident he'd "beat his ass."

"No, and you know why?" Logan said on his "Impaulsive" podcast. "I said I would if he gave me his whole purse, which is not gonna happen, obviously."

"Bro, he doesn't deserve the platform," he continued. "We saw what kind of person he is. I walked into the arena to boos, I left to cheers. No one likes that dirty fight s***, bro. You came to box, like, respect the sport. Respect me as an opponent. Back up your words. Are you a man?"

"You can't talk that much s*** for three months. You can't try to ruin someone's life and then come in there with that kind of performance."

Paul is referring to the incessant social media attack Danis unloaded leading up to the fight ... something that led to his fiancée, Nina Agdal, filing a lawsuit and restraining order against him.

Many believe Danis didn't put his money where his mouth was ... and for that reason, Logan's out on dealing with the guy in the future.

Conor McGregor will not face criminal charges over the interaction he had with a woman at an NBA Finals game earlier this summer ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a closeout memo we obtained ... prosecutors said there was "insufficient evidence" as well as "contradicting and/or no corroborating witnesses" to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that McGregor sexually assaulted a woman during a bathroom meetup at the Nuggets vs. Heat game in Miami on June 9.

In the doc, prosecutors wrote they viewed CCTV footage from the Kaseya Center on the night of the incident ... and it showed McGregor and his accuser did go into a men's restroom together for approximately five minutes. They wrote it also showed that after the two left the lavatory, they were seen together in a club inside the NBA arena until they went their separate ways at around 12:40 AM.

Prosecutors added, however, that when they interviewed an attendant who was in the same bathroom ... he told them that while he did see the UFC star and his accuser go into a stall together, he "did not hear any signs of distress or sounds that would corroborate that whatever was occurring was not consensual."

Officials also said they spoke with McGregor's accuser's friend ... who told them the alleged victim never mentioned that Conor had attacked her. In fact, prosecutors wrote in the document that the accuser's friend said the woman had called her mother that same night "to tell her she had met" McGregor.

Prosecutors also wrote in the memo that when the woman initially attempted to make the claim against McGregor to cops ... she asked detectives if they believed the 35-year-old fighter "would like to 'settle' or 'pay her off' if she did not pursue charges."

"In light of the above facts and circumstances," prosecutors wrote in the memo, "the State would not be able to satisfy its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

Barbara Llanes of Gelber Schachter & Greenberg, an attorney for McGregor, said in a statement to TMZ Sports on Tuesday she was "pleased" with the conclusion.

Canelo Alvarez still doesn't consider Conor McGregor a legitimate threat in the boxing ring ... doubling down and saying he can whoop the UFC superstar with just one hand!

The undisputed super middleweight champion's proclamation came shortly after the Notorious name-dropped him yet again on Tuesday ... when Conor claimed he fared far better in his fight against Floyd Mayweather than Canelo did in his own matchup with TBE.

"One of the greatest performances in Professional Boxing this was," McGregor said of footage of the Floyd vs. Canelo footage. "I landed more shots on Floyd than Canelo. I’d love another go."

FYI, McGregor landed 111 shots on Mayweather in 2017. Canelo, however, landed 117 -- 31% power punches -- during his fight with Floyd in 2013.

The 60-2-2 boxer caught the sneak diss in Conor's pitch to Floyd ... and clapped back with his own shot.

"I just need one hand with you," Alvarez said, "and I don’t need to throw so many punches 🤣."

This isn't the first time Canelo has promised a victorious one-handed victory over McGregor ... he made a similar statement after Conor said he'd fight him back in May.

"I saw [John] Ryder, I’m a southpaw, Ryder was a southpaw, Billy Joe [Saunders] was a southpaw, I’ve seen methods, I’ve seen things I’d do," McGregor said.

"I know he’s waning, I’d fight Canelo no f***ing problem. Out straight. No problem."

Of course, the betting odds would be in favor of Alvarez in a fight -- he just retained his belts against Jermell Charlo last month, while McGregor hasn't had any action since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

Rey Mysterio heard Logan Paul call him out after beating up Dillon Danis on Saturday ... and now the WWE Superstar is intent on making the YouTuber-turned-fighter pay in front of the world!

TMZ Sports ran into Rey Monday afternoon in NYC (he's hard to miss with the luchador mask!) ... and we had to ask him about Paul's in-ring trash talk.

"I'm looking to shut him up in a way," 48-year-old Mysterio told us without hesitation.

"He said he has his eyesight on something and someone, it's me and the U.S. title. So let's go! I've only been doing this for 34 years. I don't think he was even born before that happened."

Of course, after 28-year-old Logan beat Danis, he called out the pro wrestling legend ... "Rey Mysterio, I already beat you once, brother, and I'm coming for that U.S. Championship. Let's go!"

FYI, Mysterio has been the United States Champion since mid-August.

Rey and Logan have some history. In fact, Paul and The Miz defeated Mysterio and his son Dominik at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

Thankfully, it doesn't sound like we're going to have to wait long until the men are back in the squared circle together.

"I'm hoping to see [Logan] there this Friday [on SmackDown]," Mysterio told us, adding, "I don't know if it'll go down right then and there [on SmackDown], but we will plan a date."

Despite the bad blood, even Rey couldn't help but admit Logan's pretty awesome in the ring.

"I have seen his growth inside the ring and he picks up very fast," Mysterio said, adding, "He's good. I'm not gonna lie. But I don't think he's better than Rey Mysterio."

Jake Paul is climbing back into the squared circle in less than two months ... we just don't know who The Problem Child is fighting!

26-year-old Paul, who last fought Nate Diaz in August, is preparing to lace up the boxing gloves once again for his next professional bout in mid-December.

"8 fights in the boxing game and I'm already its biggest name. I’ve proved that I can headline the biggest global events and defy the odds. PPV after PPV after PPV, and I’m just getting started," Paul said while announcing his return.

"My mission is to be a world champion and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there. December 15th is the next step on my journey, and I promise you’re not going to want to miss it.”

Jake's opponent is not yet known.

Of course, JP beat Nate by unanimous decision ... bringing his record to 7-1. His lone loss was by split decision to Tommy Fury in February.

Paul has made it clear he wants to rematch Fury ... but Tommy just fought KSI on Saturday, and although he didn't take much damage (neither did JJ), it'd be tough to imagine him turning around in 60 days.

A man in Australia was forced to put up his dukes against a buff kangaroo that was holding his dog hostage ... catching the whole thing on camera.

The down-under beatdown took place between the 'roo and Mildura resident Mick Moloney ... who took a swing at the animal, and got knocked in return -- his camera took a tumble into the water, but his dog was safe from the scary situation.

Mick told ABC Radio Melbourne Afternoons he was stretching near the river over the weekend when he noticed his pup, Hatchi, was nowhere to be found.

He soon found his answer, though -- first noticing the kangaroo staring at him in the river, then his dog came up from the water, yelping as water gushed out of its mouth.

Mick claims Hatchi was in a headlock and knew he had to go save his doggo ... but admitted the kangaroo looked "jacked," adding, "I was like 'this thing's just got out of jail' or something."

He says it was pretty strong -- but he slapped the marsupial across the head and got into a tussle in the water. Mick admits it looked like it was gonna kick him, too ... but he splashed some water in its face while he bolted to the shore where his dog was safe.

"I'm feeling better than ever, honestly. I would say I got a little bored with the UFC. Maybe a little complacent."

That's a 39-year-old, rejuvenated Derek Brunson ... fresh off signing a multi-fight deal with the PFL after a decade-plus-long career with the UFC.

Brunson has tons of great things to say about his old promotion, but he's also pumped for a fresh start.

"Now being with a new organization, I got that hunger, that motivation back, and I'm feeling really good. I haven't ran in like 5 years. I just started back running, I'm excited to see what we can do here."

FYI, Brunson lost his last two UFC fights ... against two of the best in the middleweight division, Dricus Du Plessis and Jared Cannonier. Before the losses, Derek won five in a row including wins over Darren Till, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Kevin Holland.

Brunson's set to compete in the PFL's million-dollar tourney ... a journey he'll begin on November 24. It won't be easy ... he's fighting 2x champ Ray Cooper III.