MMA

Conor McGregor's manager says the Nate Diaz trilogy fight WILL happen soon ... but first, Conor has his sights set on Charles Oliveira and the UFC lightweight belt.

TMZ Sports caught up with Audie Attar -- McGregor's longtime rep and biz partner -- at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ... and we asked who Conor will fight next if he gets a dub vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

"I think it'll be the title fight against Charles Oliveira. Oliveria is here, he's gonna be present at the fight, waiting to see who he's gonna fight next."

We also asked Audie about the fight just about every MMA fan wants to see ... the rubber match with Nate Diaz.

Of course, Diaz submitted McGregor in their first fight in March 2016. Later that year, Conor bounced back and beat Nate via decision at UFC 202.

The third fight has arguably been the most anticipated fight in the entire sport ... a matchup that Audie says will certainly go down.

"The trilogy fight is gonna happen. Conor publicly said it has to happen. And, I know both fighters intend to make it happen. I think it's just gonna happen in the near future, just not next, immediately."

Attar added ... "He wants the belt next."

We also asked Attar about a future Jake Paul fight ... a fight he says Conor and his team aren't even considering.

Stephen Thompson's beaten Jorge Masvidal and a bunch of other killers in the Octagon, but hasn't fought for a title in over 4 years ... a wait that "Wonderboy" says will soon be coming to an end.

Very, very soon.

TMZ Sports talked to the 38-year-old, #4 ranked UFC welterweight just days before he fights 34-year-old Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 ... and asked if a dub will earn him a title shot.

"I think so. I mean, fighting a guy and beating a guy who just fought for the title. He's the number 2 ranked guy in the division, are you kidding me?! I think that would be great!"

Of course, Burns lost to champion Kamaru Usman back in February ... via a 3rd round TKO.

Wonderboy says he accepts he's at the tail end of his career ... and feels like this is his last chance to become UFC champ.

"I'm 38 years old, I got a small window to kinda do what I wanna do with this and I do it because I love to fight, man."

Wonderboy says he's had big wins -- and some bad losses -- and feels like he doesn't have anything to lose in the Octagon.

"I've been knocked out, I've lost. it's not that bad, bro! It's really not. I can just go out there and fight now, you know, to the best of my ability."

Dana White says former President Donald Trump won't be able to hide from the spotlight at UFC 264, because he'll be right next to the Octagon ... where fans can loudly cheer and jeer him.

The UFC honcho joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to pump up Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's third fight ... and, in the process, he settled a debate about where Trump will sit Saturday night in Vegas.

It's the first major sporting event Trump's attending since leaving the White House -- and with all that's happened since he lost the election, it's a good bet (even in Vegas) the ex-prez will hear plenty of boos.

Dana, a longtime Trump supporter, says his pal isn't one to shy away from any heckling.

As Dana tells us ... Trump "don't care, he's not that guy, he's not hiding in a box somewhere, that's not his style." Instead, he says Trump will sit right behind him.

No doubt he'll be flanked on all sides by Secret Service, and Dana says agents have been sweeping T-Mobile Arena for a few days now to ensure Trump's safety.

Presidential sideshows aside ... the fight itself should be awesome. McGregor and Poirier have been talking tons of smack leading up to Saturday's showdown, and Dana even took a knee to the ribs during Thursday's press conference.

Conor McGregor vs. Charles Oliveira, coming soon to a UFC card ... 'cause the UFC lightweight champ says "The Notorious" will KO Dustin Poirier this weekend -- and then fight "do Bronx."

TMZ Sports caught up with 31-year-old Oliveira in Las Vegas -- only days before the highly anticipated McGregor-Poirier trilogy fight -- and we asked ... who ya got??

Here's our conversation with the champ and his translator.

Who are you picking for this fight? Who do you think is gonna win it?
Conor.

The champ is picking Conor?
Yeah, Conor Mcgregor.

By KO, submission?
By knockout.

You’re next fight, you want it to be Conor?
Yes, Conor McGregor.

This is important 'cause Dana White recently said the winner of the main event at UFC 264 will face Charles ... so he's got a lot of skin in the game.

Of course, McGregor beat Poirier when they fought in 2014 ... and DP KO'd Conor in the January 2021 rematch.

Mr. Nice Guy is officially dead and gone -- Conor McGregor just UNLEASHED an epic amount of smack talk on Dustin Poirier at their UFC 264 press conference just minutes ago ... vowing to absolutely wreck the guy as soon as they enter the Octagon on Saturday.

Of course, Conor was unusually kind to "Diamond" before their fight back in January ... showing serious respect for Poirier and acting the complete opposite of his wild self.

But, yeah, Thursday night was WAY different.

"I'm gonna go drill his head, put holes into it and take it off his shoulders," Conor said. "That's the goal here! He's done here! This is it for him! This is the end of the road."

Both guys went at each other from the jump by getting in each other's faces -- with Conor grabbing Poirier's signature hot sauce off the table and throwing it off the stage.

Conor was later asked straight-up if he has respect for Dustin ... and he didn't hold back.

"I don't give a f*** about him to be honest," McGregor said. "I don't give a rat's ass about him. He's Buster Douglas is what he is, and that's the way he's gonna go down."

"He's gonna be known for that. It was a fluke win and I'm gonna correct it on Saturday night."

As for Dustin, he had a different tone -- "I don't hate anybody up here. I'm at a different place mentally, man. Respect to him and everything he's done."

TMZ Sports got in a few questions with Conor as well ... asking when he believes he'll be a billionaire ... and ya gotta hear what he has to say.

There's a lot of history between the guys -- Conor got the win their first go-round in 2014 ... with Poirier getting the win in January.

"I was very overconfident going into [Usman] fight. I just believed, I’m going to beat this guy, and there’s nothing he can do to stop me."

That's 34-year-old UFC star Gilbert Burns admitting he thought he was gonna roll over welterweight champ Kamaru Usman when they fought in February.

That didn't happen ... and Burns was ultimately stopped via TKO in the 3rd round -- a defeat that crushed him emotionally.

"As soon as we put on those little, small gloves everyone is danger," Burns tells TMZ Sports.

"You gotta respect that, and I think I was very overconfident, and I paid the price. So, learned so much. The journey is still very alive, first step is going to be July 10th."

Of course, July 10 is UFC 264 ... the date Burns returns to the Octagon against #4 ranked fight Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson.

"Now I’m on my way back. I’m hungry as ever. I think I’m a little more mature, more disciplined."

Does 1 win get him back in title contention -- and set him up for a rematch with Usman?

Surprisingly, Burns says probably not ... he has more work to do.

A POTUS, a Biebs and a Kardashian walk into a fight -- that's what's going down at UFC 264 in Vegas this weekend ... with a massive list of celebs set to watch Conor McGregor face-off against Dustin Poirier!!!

Our UFC sources confirm ... former President Donald Trump is among huge names slated to hit up T-Mobile Arena on Saturday for the fight ... including Justin Bieber, Megan Fox, and Machine Gun Kelly.

Impressive, right?!? There's more -- Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian, Odell Beckham, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Durant and others will tune in for Conor's first fight in Vegas since January 2020, as first reported by TSN.

Of course, Dana and Trump go way back -- in UFC's early days, Trump offered White his casinos to host fights ... and the UFC honcho went on to throw his support behind #45 during his 2016 presidential campaign.

On top of that, Trump and Conor have had nothing but positive words for each other in the past ... with McGregor calling him a "phenomenal president."

The celebs in attendance are in for a highly anticipated treat -- remember, Conor handled Dustin back in 2014 ... but Poirier got his revenge earlier this year.

Belal Muhammad says he has unfinished business with Leon Edwards ... and wants to scrap only months after a (very) gross eye poke forced their fight to be stopped early.

TMZ Sports asked the 32-year-old who he wanted next after his unanimous decision victory over MMA legend Demian Maia ... and the #9 ranked UFC welterweight called out a dude he knows very well.

Leon Edwards ... the 29-year-old, #3 ranked welterweight.

"[Leon and I] literally had one round! Nothing happened in that round. There's 4 more rounds to that fight and you saw the Nate Diaz fight, dude got almost knocked out in the 5th round," Belal says.

Rewind about 100 days ... Belal and Leon's UFC Fight Night main event fight was ruled a no contest after just 5 minutes -- when Edwards accidentally jammed his finger in Muhammad's eye, scratching his cornea.

Muhammad says Edwards had an opportunity to get himself a title shot when he fought Diaz at UFC 263.

"For a guy like [Leon], you had a chance to earn your title shot against Nate Diaz, steal his fans, but you blew it because you played it a little bit safe, you didn't go for the finish."

Of course, Edwards won via unanimous decision ... but was close to being finished by the Stockton superstar during the final minute of the fight.

We asked Belal what he'd say to Leon if he were watching the interview.

Not every boxing superstar hates Logan and Jake Paul ... 'cause heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tells TMZ Sports the two brothers have been AWESOME for the sport!!!

Remember, Canelo Alvarez felt the exact opposite when he spoke to us about the YouTubers-turned-fighters back in December 2020 ... saying they were being "disrespectful" to boxing.

But, the Gypsy King couldn't be more kind about Logan and Jake ... saying, "I've been pretty impressed with the Pauls -- both of them -- to be fair, they've been a good breath of fresh air to the boxing scene."

"Fantastic, guys. Well done if you're watching."

After all, both brothers have been able to put on a show -- Logan just went 8 rounds with Floyd freakin' Mayweather ... and Jake most recently KO'd former UFC star Ben Askren.

Very kind words coming from the 30-0-1 fighter, but don't get it twisted -- Fury thinks his little brother, Tommy will completely wreck Jake if they ever get in the ring together.

"I think Tommy knocks him out cold. I think [Jake's] a decent fighter for sure. But, I know Tommy's a dynamite puncher."

Tommy has been going back and forth with Jake for months ... and even told us back in April he thinks Paul is a "massive p***y."

Jake's busy prepping for his fight with Tyron Woodley ... but it's clear Tyson wants his brother to get a piece next.

Rashad Evans knows what it's like to be locked in a cage with Jon Jones ... and that's why Suga says Bones will continue his legacy of DOMINANCE when he fights a heavyweight.

Of course, Jones relinquished his UFC light heavyweight title last summer ... and decided to bulk up and move to the heavyweight division.

TMZ Sports talked to Evans -- a UFC Hall of Famer -- about Jon's transition to the bigger weight class.

"Jon Jones is a phenomenal athlete, he's a phenomenal fighter, and his IQ inside the Octagon can't be surpassed by anybody. So, I expect him to carry that to the heavyweight division," Rashad says.

When it comes to this topic, there's no one better to talk to. Rashad fought at LHW and HW, and lost a 5 round unanimous decision to JJ in 2012.

Now, don't get it twisted ... Evans says there will be some differences that could present Jones with minor issues in the cage.

"The things that I may think may give him some problems, the fact that these guys are big and they do hit harder, but for the most part I mean this is the great Jon Jones. Jon Jones can make an adjustment to anything."

Of course, Jon and the UFC haven't been able to work out a deal to make the Jones vs. Francis Ngannou super fight ... a fight that could be one of the biggest in the history of the organization.

"I would say a good percentage of professional wrestlers, maybe 69% to be exact, wanna be The Rock by the time it's all said and done."

That's Dean Muhtadi (formerly known as Mojo Rawley in WWE) -- telling TMZ Sports he's getting into acting -- in a way only he could.

Muhtadi landed a role in the upcoming action flick called, "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" -- starring Henry Golding -- that's set to be released on July 23.

(Muhtadi's fighting the guy with the chain in the trailer above.)

Dean -- who says he plans on getting back into pro wrestling in the future -- also had a cup of coffee with the Green Bay Packers ... and Muhtadi says acting in action scenes are super hard, physically.

"I'm not gonna lie. I felt like I just had a pay-per-view match or a big football game. But, man, what a blast we had," Dean tells us.

"Henry was absolutely unbelievable, great guy to work with, very down to the Earth, humble guy."

'Snake Eyes' was Dean's first big-time acting gig ... but he doesn't plan on it being his last.

"It was such a cool experience. I'm looking forward to more in the future."

So ... watch your back, Dwayne!!!

"Kamaru can fight a can, a Monster can, a Coca-Cola bottle. It doesn't matter. He smashed everybody. Violated everybody. Nobody deserve nothing."

That's Kamaru Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, answering the question ... who's next for the UFC welterweight champ??

The 34-year-old Usman has run thru almost all his competition at 170 lbs.

Colby Covington, TKO, 2019
Jorge Masvidal, Unanimous Decision, 2019
Gilbert Burns, TKO, 2021
Jorge Masvidal (again), KO, 2021

Ali did throw out a name -- a big name -- as a possible opponent for the Nigerian Nightmare.

Nate Diaz.

"At least Nate brings something to the table. The only thing Colby brings to the table is a broken jaw. He humiliated him."

Of course, Diaz is arguably the most beloved fighter in the UFC ... but he's lost his last 2 fights (including to Leon Edwards), so we asked Ali if Nate really deserved to fight for the belt.

"Masvidal didn't deserve it too. Masvidal, he brought something to the table. He brought entertainment, excitement. People believed Masvidal was one of the baddest dudes on the planet," Ali says.

"But, in reality, he was not. He got beat at his own game, knocked out cold. Slept. He was slept. No disrespect to nobody."

Abdelaziz says regardless of who it is ... Kamaru's opponents have no hope of beating him.

"I most definitely can knock Logan Paul out, without a doubt."

That's "Suga" Rashad Evans throwing down the gauntlet ... challenging 26-year-old YouTube star turned pugilist Logan Paul to a BOXING match.

41-year-old Evans -- inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019 -- hasn't fought since taking an L to Anthony Smith at UFC 225 in June 2018.

But, in case you forgot ... Suga's beat Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen (still undefeated), Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping and Tito Ortiz -- just to name a few.

Back to Logan ... rumors have been swirling that a fight between LP and Evans could be in the works -- and Rashad says he's 100% down to scrap.

"I don't know what [Logan's] looking for, for his next match. But, I'm gonna tell you right now what he needs. What he needs is a taste of 'Suga.'"

Of course, Paul is only a few weeks removed from his exhibition fight with 44-year-old Floyd Mayweather ... a bout that went the full 8 rounds.

Mayweather wasn't able to drop Logan -- who was about 50 lbs. heavier than Floyd -- something Evans says will NOT be the case if they fight.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

UFC legend Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne just announced their baby's gender on Tuesday ... sharing the big news with a Pokémon-themed reveal.

The badass couple first put out word they were expecting the "baddest baby on the planet" back in April ... with a September 22 due date.

Of course, Rousey is a massive Pokémon nerd ... so it was only fitting to channel the game when making the gender news public.

"Our gender reveal is finally here," Rousey said on YouTube. "We didn’t want to do anything that would set hundreds of acres ablaze or thousands even."

"Some people are idiots," she added. "We didn’t want to do that. So, we’re keeping it simple. We’re keeping it safe. We’re keeping it Browsey Acres-style."

Remember, Ronda is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time ... and went on to have a wildly successful career with WWE until she left in 2019 to focus on starting a family.

So, will the baby girl follow in mom's footsteps and bring the bantamweight belt back to the Rousey name?? Guess we'll find out in 2041 or so.

UFC fighter Justin Jaynes bet his entire $25K fight purse on himself and LOST ... so, instant regret, right??

Nope ... 31-year-old JJ tells TMZ Sports he'd do it all over again -- and that's exactly what he wants to do.

"I really don’t have any regrets man. I live a high risk, high reward kind of lifestyle."

Of course, Justin famously gambled his fight check ... and ended up losing a 3-round split decision to 34-year-old Charles Rosa at UFC Vegas 30.

And now, he wants that cash back -- and he's willing to fight Rosa again.

"F*** it, let’s run it back, double or nothing," Jaynes says.

"I need to get my money back anyways man. It’s just one of those things, like I said I trained very, very, very hard. It was my motivation, there was a lot on the line going into this fight."

Even with the hit to his bank account (which sucked) ... Justin says he can still support his family -- and that's what really matters.

"It didn’t feel great, but it’s not going to put me in a position to where I can’t take care of myself," Jaynes says.

MMA fighter Joe Schilling -- who last fought professionally in 2019 for Bellator -- knocked out a man at a bar with a vicious combo of punches ... and the violent incident was all caught on video.

It's unclear when and where the barrage went down -- we're working on it -- but Schilling confirmed on his social media page Monday he was the puncher.

In his post, Schilling claimed he acted simply out of self defense ... writing he believed the whole situation was "life threatening" for him.

The footage from the scene, meanwhile, is intense ... you can see in the clip, when a man in a shirt and tie appeared to inadvertently block Schilling on his way through a walkway at the bar -- things got heated.

Schilling seemed to move the man out of the way ... and when the man appeared to say something in response, the 37-year-old fighter turned around.

Seconds later, Schilling can be seen in the footage unloading at least four punches on the guy's face ... sending him crashing to the ground.

Schilling seemed to comment on the situation further in his Instagram stories later Monday morning ... writing, "If you think I'm going to be the guy to calm everything down you got me f***ed up."

He added, "I'm here for the show."

It's unclear if law enforcement was involved.

We've reached out to Schilling for comment, but so far, no word back yet.