MMA

Soulja Boy heard Aaron Carter call him out loud and clear ... firing back at the pop star with some fighting words of his own ... saying, "I'll beat the candy out his pockets!!"

But, it isn't just talk ... TMZ Sports has learned there is a legit offer on the table for both guys to step in the ring and duke it out!!

Of course, the "That's How I Beat Shaq" crooner told us last week he'd be down to step in the ring again ... saying he'd rip the rapper apart.

33-year-old AC added he felt 31-year-old Soulja would never respond ... claiming he feels threatened by all his success and wouldn't want to be embarrassed with a big L.

But the "Pretty Boy Swag" MC wasted no time clapping back at Carter on social media ... and yeah, the dude went OFF.

Sources close to the situation tell us Celebrity Boxing has reached out to Soulja in hopes of making a deal happen ... but so far, he hasn't responded.

Remember, AC accepted a challenge against Lamar Odom earlier this year ... but came up short and got knocked out in the 2nd round.

Soulja has flirted with taking boxing matches in the past -- he almost entered the ring with Chris Brown in 2017 ... and more recently, went back and forth with Jake Paul.

A gruesome leg injury will NOT end Conor McGregor's fighting career ... so says the UFC superstar himself, who announced Sunday he's gunning for a 2022 return to the Octagon.

Just about a month removed from having serious surgery to repair a broken leg ... Conor told fans during a social media Q&A he's still trying to fight again.

"I'm improving rapidly!" McGregor said. "Working with the best team money can buy! I'll be back in no time, lock loaded!"

If his actions in L.A. since his surgery are any indication ... it ain't hard to see Conor making that goal an easy reality.

McGregor has been out and about all over the city post-surgery ... crutching around hotspots, hanging with Justin Bieber, putting weight on his leg, and appearing to be in great spirits.

In fact, just a few days ago, he ensured TMZ Sports his recovery was going to be an epic one.

Conor also started a bit of a tiff with Kamaru Usman during his social media sesh with fans on Sunday night ... suggesting he'd "spark" the welterweight champ if he returned to the octagon at 170 pounds.

"I fight for the 170lb title I will spark him too," Conor wrote.

Usman, though, fired back Monday morning ... saying, "Spark who?? You must be talking about that pipe you’ve been smoking. Unlike you, if I'm gonna talk shit ill @ U. Now be quiet before I call Poirier or Khabib or Diaz to finish you again."

Between Usman, Dustin Poirier and everyone in between, it sure seems like Conor will have no shortage of potential opponents when he does make his return to the UFC.

Don't count on Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva grabbin' a beer after their upcoming boxing match ... 'cause the UFC legend says he's lost ALL RESPECT for Spider after contentious contract negotiations.

46-year-old Ortiz broke down the beef when TMZ Sports talked to him at RVCA Training Centre in Costa Mesa, CA ... explaining how Silva demanded the fight go down at 195 pounds -- 10 pounds under the weight he last fought.

"He wants me down to 195. He's fought at 205 over 6 times in his career and he wants me down to 195. So, it shows that he's afraid of my power."

That's an issue 'cause it means Ortiz has to cut extra weight and deplete his body before the fight -- and frankly, that ticks Tito off.

"I lost respect for the guy man. He's one of the best in the world in mixed martial arts, but I have no respect to him."

The 2 legends are fighting September 11 on Triller ... a card that also includes Oscar de la Hoya and Vitor Belfort.

Silva is coming off a big time win in the ring over former boxing champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. ... a fight that shocked many experts.

But, don't count on the impressive performance scaring Ortiz ... he's veryyyy confident he's gonna whoop Silva's ass.

"Am I the toughest fighter? I'm way tougher than him, 100%. Am I gonna make it vicious? Am I gonna make it just a blood fight? Yes. I hope he's ready for a dogfight. That's what it's gonna be. It's gonna be a dogfight."

"I ain't in here for an exhibition. I'm not here for pitter patter, you know, do a dance. I'm here to fight. I'm a fighter."

We also talked to Tito's boxing coach, Jason Parillo -- one of the best trainers in the sport -- who told us the key to beating Silva.

Vicente Luque is surging in the rankings ... and now the rising UFC star is going big name hunting -- calling out none other than Nate Diaz.

TMZ Sports talked to 29-year-old Luque -- fresh off his 1st round submission dub over top 5 fighter, Michael Chiesa -- and we asked, who's next!?!

"I do want to wait and see what's gonna happen with [Usman-Covington], with the title fight. Maybe I can get in there, maybe I can jump the line and fight for the title," Vicente says.

But, #4 ranked Luque knows that's likely a long shot ... so he's got some names in mind in the event he doesn't fight for the strap.

"Leon Edwards could be a guy, you know, a rematch against him could be something that would interest me. Also, a super fight against a guy like Nate Diaz, which I've called out a couple of times. That also would be a fight that would interest me."

Vicente lost to Leon via unanimous decision back in 2017 ... but has been on a tear of late -- coming off wins over Chiesa (submission), Tyron Woodley (submission), Randy Brown (KO), Niko Price (TKO).

Of course, Diaz just fought Edwards himself -- losing via unanimous decision -- but not before almost KO'ing Leon in the last round of the June fight.

There's another option ... serve as the backup fighter in case of injury or illness for Usman vs. Covington -- a fight that doesn't yet have a date.

"I think that would be something interesting. Even if I'm not, you know, officially a backup, I do plan to stay ready. And, possibly, you know if something, I hope nothing happens, but if something happens, I can step in there and save the day."

Bottom line ... Vicente Luques' a problem in the welterweight division.

Khetag Pliev literally had his FINGER TWISTED & RIPPED from the rest of his body 135 days ago during an MMA fight ... and now the crazy tough fighter is stepping back into the cage.

Remember, 37-year-old Pliev's fight against Devin Goodale was ruled a no contest after it was discovered that the digit had been severed sometime during the bout. For minutes, no one could locate Pliev's left ring finger.

Thankfully, the mangled finger was discovered tucked away in his glove ... and Khetag -- who has a 5-1 record -- was taken to a hospital where the finger was reattached.

And, good news, he says the finger is in working order.

So, MMA career dunzo, right? Nope.

Pliev is fighting Nah-Shon Burrell Saturday night at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 99 ... and when we talked to the 37-year-old fighter, it's clear he isn't the least bit concerned about the injury.

In fact, he promised a 1st round knockout.

UFC fighter Jordan Williams whooped a dude's ass with violent knee strikes after he says the guy tried to steal his whip -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

The 30-year-old MMA star says it all went down on Wednesday ... when he claims a man tried to steal his ride right out of a convenience store parking lot.

Williams says the scene was captured on surveillance video ... claiming you can see in the footage a man got into his car while he was inside the store and then tried to drive off.

The video appears to show Williams confronting the guy before he got too far, though ... with the footage showing him ripping the man from the ride while kneeing him in the face.

In the clip, you see the man appears to run off while holding his head.

Williams says he could have made things even more violent ... writing on his social media page, "Wish I would of hit him with the trip after the clinch work when I tossed him out of the whip and finish off with some ground and pound."

"But," he added, "I'll settle with getting my car back."

Unclear if Williams went to the police over the incident, we're working on it.

Williams added in his social media post that the whole thing taught him he ALWAYS needs to lock his doors ... saying, "Needless to say my lesson was learned and I hope so was his."

Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou -- interim champ vs. champ -- will unify the UFC's heavyweight title in the near future ... and when the 2 goliaths fight, "Bon Gamin" wants it to go down in France.

Both fighters have a strong connection to the country. 31-year-old Gane was born in La Roche-sur-Yon, France. 34-year-old Ngannou moved to the country as a 22-year-old ... traveling to Paris to start his MMA career.

So, when TMZ Sports talked to Gane -- fresh off his dominating victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 -- we asked him if there's been talk of holding the event in Ciryl's home country.

"Yes, a lot of people talk about [the fight in France]. Yes this is possible, and I hope, hopefully, this is going to be in my country," Gane says.

"I think for the debut of the UFC, probably it will be a great fight for starting this, and it will be a big success for sure. We have a lot of fun and friends, and big potential."

There's a good reason there hasn't been a UFC fight in France ... the sport was illegal in the country until last year. But, now it's not ... and it's clear Gane thinks now is a perfect time to bring the promotion to the country.

We also asked the 10-0 fighter about his newfound fame ... and whether he plans on following fighters like Randy Couture and Michael Bisping into the acting world.

Francis Ngannou says Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane is a great fight ... but what it's not?? A title fight, 'cause there's already an undisputed UFC heavyweight champ -- and it's him.

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Ngannou on Friday ... ahead of tonight's interim heavyweight title fight between Lewis and Gane at UFC 265.

"It's just a contender fight. It's not an interim or whatever them guys are talking about. It's a contender fight. They're fighting for the #1 spot contender. It's not a title fight for me."

FYI, 36-year-old Lewis is the #2 ranked heavyweight ... and 31-year-old Gane #3.

So, not for an interim title in "The Predator's" mind ... but that doesn't mean Francis doesn't think it's a kickass matchup.

"I think it's a good fight. I like the fight. I like the styles. Opposite sides. It can be a fun fight."

Of course, "The Black Beast" has crazyyyy power (he's KO'd 20 MMA opponents) ...while Gane is an incredible athlete for a man his size, and has great fundamentals.

The winner will presumably face Ngannou sometime in the near future.

We asked Francis if he had a message for the rest of the division ... and he left us with this.

Conor McGregor ain't letting gnarly leg surgery keep him away from a good meal ... the UFC star hit an L.A. hotspot for dinner Thursday night, and vowed to TMZ Sports afterward, he's on his way to a big recovery!

The 33-year-old -- who broke his leg during his fight with Dustin Poirier on July 10 -- was in great spirits while crutching around Craig's in West Hollywood.

You can see in the footage, he was moving pretty well despite having major surgery less than a month ago ... getting around a mob of people and into a car without much assistance at all.

As for the recovery the process, McGregor said it's all "doing good, doing good."

"Three weeks, three days -- it's been good," said Conor, who was feeling so well he even signed some autographs for fans. "It's been good."

McGregor also promised to make an epic comeback from the brutal leg procedure ... telling us, "It's going to be some recovery. It's going to be some recovery!"

As we previously reported, McGregor went under the knife for nearly 4 hours last month and needed a rod, plate and screws to fix the damage he suffered during his fight with Poirier.

But, McGregor has looked great in the days since the operation ... hanging with Justin Bieber, getting in lift sessions at the gym and now crushing some good food at one of L.A.'s best eateries.

"I’ve abandoned all hope, so you should too. [Khabib's] done. Believe me, I threw the kitchen sink at this kid, tried to get him to stick around and I think he’s done."

That's UFC president Dana White completely shutting the door on a Khabib return, telling TMZ Sports despite rumors swirling the undefeated fighter misses the sport, it simply ain't happening.

"I think he’s sliding into this coach’s role. You know, he went undefeated in his career and retired undefeated, and now he’s undefeated as a coach too. So, the guy has had nothing but success, he continues to be successful, and I think he’s moving on to that next chapter of his life."

But, Khabib's longtime coach, Javier Mendez, recently said his 29-0 fighter missed the competition.

But, last week Nurmagomedov straight-up told us an Octagon return ain't happening, saying ... "No. No. No. No. No."

It's only been 24 days since Conor McGregor shattered his left leg during the Dustin Poirier trilogy fight ... but The Notorious is already standing on the busted limb.

TMZ Sports has obtained a photo of McGregor outside of a Beverly Hills hotel ... rocking a walking boot, standing while chatting with a friend.

We're told shortly after the photo was taken, McGregor sat on his scooter and rode into the hotel gym -- where he put himself through a workout.

It's pretty damn impressive ... considering the injury only happened at UFC 264 on July 10.

Of course, Conor broke his left tibia and fibula ... and required a titanium rod, plate and screws to hold his shattered leg together.

Since the surgery the day after the fight, we've seen Conor do everything from working out to jamming out at a Justin Bieber concert (the 2 men also chilled together poolside).

To compare, Tiger Woods -- who also broke his tibia and fibula (amongst other injuries to the leg) in a February 23 car crash -- was still using crutches 155 days after his accident.

UFC star Sean O'Malley just brought the meaning of self-love to a whole 'notha level ... by getting a tattoo of himself on his neck!!!

The heavily tatted bantamweight fighter decided to add to his ink collection this week ... hitting up tattoo shop The California Dream in North Hollywood.

Romeo Lacoste -- owner of the shop -- posted photos of himself workin' on the 26-year-old on Instagram ... immortalizing his jump shot celebration after knocking out Thomas Almeida in March at UFC 260.

The piece is as detailed as it gets -- it even includes O'Malley's body art ... which means it's tats on tats!!!

"VICTORY Tattoo!! for @sugaseanmma 💪🏻💪🏻 ", Lacoste said on IG, "Had the pleasure of knocking this piece out (no pun intended) 😂."

"Thanks for coming in and the good time. More to come soon!"

We believe it -- just 2 weeks ago, O'Malley let rapper 6ix9ine tat his '69' logo on his right shoulder -- with the help from Tatu Panda.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired FOR REAL ... so says the UFC superstar himself, who tells TMZ Sports there's absolutely no plans of a comeback in the works.

The 32-year-old laid down his gloves after beating Justin Gaethje in 2020 ... but given that he's still in the prime of his career, many believed he'd eventually make his way back to the UFC Octagon.

In fact, his longtime coach, Javier Mendez, recently told Betway Insider that Khabib "misses" fighting, adding, "I guess you could say he wants to fight again."

But, when we got Nurmagomedov out at Catch in Los Angeles over the weekend ... he emphasized over and over and over again that he's done.

"No," Khabib said when asked if he'd return. "No. No. No. No. No."

Khabib is clearly keeping his promise to his mother ... agreeing to never fight again following the tragic death of his dad (and coach), Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Besides, The Eagle is obviously enjoying his post-fighting career as an MMA coach ... telling us he just flat-out loves it when his fighters win their matches.

Conor McGregor's healing process just got a lot more fun -- the dude is hobbling his way around Universal Studios while he's on the mend ... and looks to be having a helluva time.

The wounded UFC star was out and about Friday at Universal Studios in L.A., and he wasn't just standing idly by watching his kids and whatnot have a blast -- the guy was straight-up getting on rides as well.

Check out this video we got of CMG at the theme park, where at one point he was boarding "The Secret Life of Pets" ride ... limping his way over with the help of his crutches, and eventually plopping himself down. Not bad for a guy with a broken leg!

This just shows that despite being seriously injured, Conor is still living his best life and isn't letting the rubber bone moment put a damper on his plans outside the Octagon.

Besides this Universal trip, he's been cutting loose -- as much as he can, anyway -- with rehab stints alongside MLB players, poolside bro seshes with pop stars ... all while lugging himself to wherever he needs to go with the help of his trusty crutches.

It looks like he's also gotten some updated footwear too ... rocking a boot at the park instead of just the bandaging he's been wearing of late.

Pretty incredible considering just how gruesome the break was at the time. It speaks to Conor's toughness -- and at this rate, we kind of expect him back sooner rather than later.

🚨🚨 MAJOR BEEF ALERT 🚨🚨

A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull -- Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix finalists -- do NOT like each other, and it all goes back to ... an autograph?!

"I actually asked [Pitbull] to sign a newspaper," A.J. tells TMZ Sports.

But, instead of just signing the paper ... Pitbull had other ideas, and McKee is PISSED.

"He done crossed my whole face out, picture out. So, I'm f****** him up for that like. Like I lost a lot of respect for him because of that."

And, McKee says he thinks Pitbull's shook.

"I'm in his head so f*****g heavy!"

A.J. and Patricio are the last 2 men standing in a tournament that started with 16 of the best 145-pound fighters in Bellator.

McKee has never lost ... winning all 17 of his Bellator fights -- many of them with ease.

Meanwhile, Pitbull is a legend. He's 32-4 and has wins over Michael Chandler and Juan Archuleta -- to name a few. Patricio is also a double champ ... holding the 145 and 155 lb. titles.

The featherweight title's on the line, but arguably more important is the million-dollar prize!!

We asked McKee what he was gonna do with the cash ... and let's just say this isn't the 1st time he's thought about the 7-figure check being deposited in his bank account.

"Oh, I spent it already bro. It’s spent already. I’m paying off my dad's house. I'm buying a [Porsche] GT 2RS. I need a Porsche in my driveway, man."

FYI, A.J.'s dad is Antonio McKee -- a veteran MMA fighter.

The championship fight goes down Saturday night ... personal beef, a title, and a million dollars are all that's on the line.

"If I killed somebody in the ring, it'd f****ing make me very happy."

That savage statement came courtesy of 30-year-old, UFC middleweight contender, Sean Strickland ... who's fighting #8 ranked fighter, Uriah Hall.

TMZ Sports recently talked to the 30-3 Strickland and asked him if 36-year-old Hall would be off his mental game after Chris Weidman's horrific leg injury during Uriah's last fight.

Sean's response, hell no. Fighters fight ... and that's when he said he wants to murder an opponent in the Octagon.

Really, we asked ... you mean that?

"Oh, I love it. Absolutely. But, I'm okay, I accept that. Like, if Uriah hits me and maybe I have a brain aneurysm and die, you'll hear me saying, 'I’m okay, that's a good death,' Strickland told us.

"We’re all going to die sometime. You know, might as well end in a good way. We’re all going to the same place, man. It's either gonna be then or now. Just enjoy it."

😬😬😬😬😬

BTW, we also talked to Uriah Hall about Strickland (the men obviously have history) ... and it's clear the UFC star has his sights set on champion Israel Adesanya.