MMA

Jason "Mayhem" Miller, troubled ex-MMA fighter, was arrested for felony domestic violence in L.A. ... after allegedly getting physical with a woman, TMZ Sports has learned.

40-year-old Miller was taken to jail ... and his bail has been set at a whopping $1.385 million.

He is still currently in custody.

Our law enforcement sources tell us cops in the San Fernando Valley received an emergency call before 3 AM Friday morning ... made by a female who was screaming on the phone.

Police -- lights and sirens blaring -- raced to the scene code 3 ... and found the female caller with visible marks on her face and neck.

At that point, cops *attempted* to arrest Miller inside the home ... but, he didn't cooperate.

A struggle ensued, and LAPD tased him.

Finally, police were able to cuff Miller ... and he was taken to the hospital to be checked out by doctors.

Miller was ultimately booked for felony domestic violence.

It's not the first time Mayhem's lived up to his name ... he's got a (very long) rap sheet.

In 2011, Miller was arrested for allegedly putting his sister in a headlock ... and refusing to release her.

Then in 2012, he was arrested for allegedly going into a church and spraying a fire extinguisher, before getting buck naked.

In 2015, Jason was locked up for allegedly trying to use a ceramic tile as a weapon against cops ... before being tased and arrested.

UFC fighter Daniel Rodriguez is fresh off a win over Kevin Lee ... but the L.A. native doesn't plan on sitting back and chilling -- he wants to fight, and he's got a name in mind.

TMZ Sports talked to the 34-year-old fighter who just cracked the welterweight division top 15 (he's ranked #15) ... and asked him who's next on the hit list, if he could call his shot.

"I think Belal Muhammad, I think like #9. I'm on the fast track," Rodriguez says.

And, D-Rod isn't concerned about being taken down by Belal ... 'cause he strongly believes his stand-up game is superior.

"At the end of the day, the fight starts on the feet, and that's my world."

FYI, 33-year-old Muhammad is coming off a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia in June.

Of course, Daniel is also coming off a big dub ... against Lee, who's no slouch. KL's beaten the likes of Edson Barboza, Michael Chiesa and Gregor Gillespie.

Most importantly, D-Rod -- who's fought 7 times in the last 18 months (6-1 during that time) -- says he wants to remain active, and anyone ranked above him can get it.

And, he doesn't plan on slowing down the breakneck pace ... 'cause Rodriguez says Kamaru Usman's belt is within his grasp.

Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes have held UFC titles in 2 divisions ... but a 3-division champ -- that's never been done -- at least not yet.

That's exactly what 28-year-old UFC star Darren Till tells TMZ Sports he's trying to do.

"For me, I’m chasing something totally different. I want to be great. I'm on a path to greatness and I'm a top contender. I want to be a champion in two divisions, maybe three. I know it sounds like I’m dreaming, but I’ve got to dream. That’s me."

18-3 Till, the #9-ranked UFC Middleweight (185 lbs.), has wins over big-name opponents like Kelvin Gastelum, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Stephen Thompson.

DT has a big fight this weekend against #5-ranked Derek Brunson. The winner, with an impressive performance, could find themselves in prime position for a title fight against Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker (they're likely fighting in early 2022).

That's 1 division ... but there'd still be 2 left to conquer, Welterweight (170 lbs.) and Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.). A 35 pound difference is HUGE ... but Till, who's 6'0" tall, believes he can shed the pounds.

"I believe [I can do it]. I know I can do one last hoorah at 170 [lbs.] against the champ Kamaru Usman, and 205, but who knows. I’ve always dreamed of being a two-weight division world champion in the UFC."

"I know three is a stretch and I know I need to rack up a lot of wins but I'm a young kid dreaming."

In fact, Darren used to fight at welterweight ... but dropping the lbs. was brutal.

But, he thinks he can make the weight ... and when it comes to the actual fighting, Till doesn't think there are many people more dangerous in the Octagon.

The 1st step towards ruling 3 divisions starts this Saturday at UFC Fight Night.

Stay tuned ...

"Finally, you know my name. You see what I've done to Edson Barboza. It took me just 2.5 rounds, and if you step inside the Octagon with me, I'm sure I will finish you in 2 [rounds]."

That's rising UFC star Giga Chikadze -- 7-0 in the UFC (14-2 overall) -- throwing down the gauntlet ... right at the feet of featherweight G.O.A.T. Max Holloway.

33-year-old Chikadze knows a little something about beating legends ... he rather easily handled Barboza at UFC Fight Night on Saturday -- and is now the 8th ranked fighter in the division.

Giga -- who has called out 29-year-old Max before -- believes Blessed has been dismissive of him in the past ... and Chikadze is ready to prove he's more than a worthy opponent.

"Guess what, I'm not just a kicker guy, I kick the s**t out of the people, I mention this. I want to face him inside the Octagon and tell him what's up."

However, there's an issue ... Max has a fight scheduled against Yair Rodriguez in November at UFC.

Bottom line, Giga wants to fight Holloway, and prove it's him who is actually the best in the division.

"If [Max] thinks he's the best 145'er, that time has gone, now is a different time," Chikadze says.

Olympic wrestling champ Gable Steveson CAN beat Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou in a UFC Octagon ... all he needs is a few years of MMA training, according to Henry Cejudo.

If anyone knows what it takes to make it as a wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist, it's Cejudo. Henry won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling (just like Steveson) in 2008 ... and then became a 2 weight class champion in the UFC.

So, when TMZ Sports talked to Triple C, we asked how Gable would fare in the UFC.

"I do believe, like within the next couple of years, he could beat a guy like Jon Jones or even Francis Ngannou. He's like, he's the biggest threat because of his wrestling pace, which is extremely scary," Cejudo told us.

But, Henry made it clear, Gable couldn't just walk into an Octagon right now, without any training, and beat 2 of the biggest men on the planet.

"He's a real heavyweight. But, right now, if you were to put him in there right now, Jon Jones would hurt him. Francis Ngannou would hurt him," Cejudo says.

"And I've been there before when I first fought Demetrious Johnson. And I, you know, I had already had stand up and whatnot, and I got knocked out at 2 minutes and 36 seconds. So, you do have to respect the game."

FYI, Henry started his UFC career 4-0 ... before facing the champ, Mighty Mouse. Johnson beat Cejudo at UFC 197 in 2016 via TKO. Years later, in 2018, HC won a rematch against DJ -- becoming flyweight champion.

Of course, 21-year-old Steveson -- who just won a gold medal -- has options on top of options.

WWE is reportedly interested in the wrestling star (GS will be at Summer Slam this weekend). Gable also says he's been hit up by multiple NFL teams. And, then there's the UFC.

Dana White recently told us he planned to meet with Steveson this weekend in Las Vegas ... to discuss potentially signing him to a deal.

There's more ... we also talked to Cejudo about his fighting future -- and while taking shots at Alex Volkanovski and T.J. Dillashaw -- Henry gave us the latest on whether he'll ever fight again.

Jared Cannonier -- the #3 ranked UFC middleweight -- believes his next fight could be for the 185 lb. title against Israel Adesanya, that is IF he can secure a dominating win over Kelvin Gastelum Saturday night.

TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Cannonier ahead of his UFC Fight Night scrap with Gastelum ... and we asked him if he believed beating Kelvin could catapult him past Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa in the rankings -- and set him up for a fight with Izzy.

"It definitely can, given the state of the division. You know, there’s only one clear-cut contender outside of Robert, you know, well there’s two. You know, me, Paulo, and then all the other up-and-coming guys," Jared says.

Cannonier continued ... "But, so you know, that top 3. Me, Paulo, and Robert. So, winning over Kelvin, I’m sure a dominant win over Kelvin, would definitely send that message, 'Hey give this guy a title shot.'"

JC is a beast in the Octagon ... with wins over the legendary Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson.

We also talked to 29-year-old Gastelum -- the #9 ranked middleweight (Kelvin doesn't agree with his ranking) -- and he also believes a win over Cannonier would put him right back in title contention.

One of the most INSANE cards ever created -- featuring signatures from eight sports legends including Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather -- has just hit the auction block, and it could sell for the price of a brand-new car!!

The piece is wild -- it's got autographs from McGregor, Mayweather, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Errol Spence Jr., Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Chloe Kim on it ... and Leaf Trading Cards says it's the only one of its kind ever created.

TMZ Sports has learned bidding on the card at Goldin Auctions just began this week -- and we're told the expectation is for it to ultimately sell later this month for somewhere around $20,000!!

And, given the names on the piece -- and how Giannis' star has absolutely exploded this summer -- seems like a pretty great price to us.

As for how the card was obtained ... we're told someone actually pulled it in a box break -- which, yeah, talk about great luck.

The card was given an 8 grade by Beckett ... with a perfect 10 for its sharp corners.

Gable Steveson could be one step closer to signing with the UFC ... 'cause Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's planning to meet with the Olympic wrestling superstar this weekend in Vegas.

21-year-old Steveson was one of the breakout stars at the 2020 Olympics ... and has expressed interest in everything from the NFL, to WWE, to the UFC.

So, we asked the UFC prez if he had interest in Steveson ... and that's when White revealed he planned to link up with the gold medalist.

"[Gable] will be in town this weekend, and I think we're gonna hook up and talk."

Steveson -- who recently got an offer to train from WWE superstar Seth Rollins -- is gonna be in Sin City for SummerSlam.

FYI, Gable is a BEAST on the mats. He won the NCAA title this year at the University of Minnesota, as well as the championship at the Pan American Games. Gable hasn't lost a single match in 2 years.

But, just 'cause Dana's meeting Gable, doesn't mean a signing is guaranteed.

"Obviously there's a lot of work for him to do before he could make it to the UFC, but we'll see what happens."

If Steveson does ultimately sign a deal with the UFC ... fellow Olympic gold medalist turned UFC double champ Henry Cejudo recently told us he believes Gable -- with 2 or 3 years training -- could beat top heavyweights like Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

Either of those fights would be HUGE. But, first step is White and Steveson's Vegas meeting.

Dana White says The Ultimate Fighter 29 finalist, Tresean Gore -- the man many expected to win the show AND a UFC contract -- is OUT of the finale fight after suffering a knee injury.

The UFC prez broke the news while talking to TMZ Sports ... announcing 27-year-old Gore was recently injured, forcing him out of the scrap.

"Bryan Battle versus Tresean Gore. Nobody knows this yet, TMZ is breaking it. Tresean Gore is injured. It looks like his meniscus," White says.

Gore, a 3-0 fighter out of Georgia, arrived at the show unbeaten ... and has been super impressive ever since.

In fact, many thought Tresean was going to win the finale fight vs. Battle on August 28 at UFC Vegas 35 ... and the UFC deal that comes along with winning the show.

"I think a lot of people figured that this kid could win it. You know, obviously a great fight with him and Bryan Battle. Gore is out, probably gonna be out for 6 months. Now, Bryan Battle will be facing Gilbert Urbina."

FYI, 25-year-old, 6-1 Urbina lost to Tresean in the semifinals ... via a 2nd-round knockout.

Bad news for Gore ... but there's a silver lining.

Dana says Tresean will "100%" get a shot on a future UFC card ... once his knee heals.

"Brutal for this poor kid, you know? But, what we’ll do is when Tresean Gore is healthy, does he fight Bryan Battle if Bryan wins the fighter? You know, I don’t know. We’ll see how this thing plays out. But, yeah, Gore is out."

Speaking of middleweights and TUF, we also talked to Dana about Kelvin Gastelum's fight with Jared Cannonier Saturday night at UFC Fight Night ... a matchup White predicts will be a "badass fight."

Kayla Harrison says she'll be the biggest free agent in MMA history in mere months ... and the current PFL star tells us she's looking for big fights and "life-changing money" wherever she signs next.

With only a few fights left on her Professional Fighters League deal, we talked to 31-year-old, undefeated (10-0) Harrison about her future in the sport.

"I worked hard my whole life to hopefully become one of the biggest free agents in the history of the sport," Harrison says.

"Obviously, if PFL comes to the table and, you know, has a good game plan, talks about life-changing money, or has a ton of new talent in the pool, then that’s something that, you know, we’re going to talk about."

Harrison clearly wants big fights against top competition ... namely Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes.

"I’m not here to be second best," Kayla says, later continuing ... "And, right now I feel like those two females who are my weight, are ahead of me. So, you know, when the time is right, and hopefully the stars align and everything works out, I get to fight, you know, Cyborg preferably."

We also asked Kayla -- who'll presumably have every organization from PFL, Bellator, ONE and UFC recruiting her -- whether she thinks she'll be the most coveted free agent in the history of the sport.

"Thus far in the history of the sport, I think I will be. But, again, I have to go do my job, you know, I have to go out, I have to dominate, I have to put on a hell of a show and make it so that everyone wants to tune in and see what Kayla Harrison is up to on Thursday nights."

FYI, PFL fights typically go down on Thursdays.

Halle Berry is getting dragged into the legal ring by a former UFC fighter ... Cat Zingano is suing, claiming Halle offered her a movie role but was ultimately snubbed.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Cat claims she met with Halle back in July, 2019 to talk about a movie HB was directing, "Bruised," and says Halle told her she was perfect for the project.

Cat claims Halle told her to keep her schedule clear because film production was on the horizon, but she says the UFC came calling soon thereafter with a big fight offer.

In the docs, Cat claims she talked to Halle about the fight offer and claims Halle advised she pass on the fight if she wanted to be in the film, citing liability concerns from the movie's insurer.

Cat claims she agonized over the decision -- the movie versus the big fight -- and says she ultimately turned down the fight.  She says the UFC then released her from her contract.

According to the suit, Cat claims she looped Halle in on her decision not to fight and her subsequent release from the UFC, and says she was shocked and dismayed when Halle told her she could no longer be involved in the movie because she was no longer fighting in the UFC. She claims she was told the movie could only work with UFC fighters.

Cat -- who's currently a Bellator fighter -- claims Halle has cut off all communications from her. She's suing for damages, claiming she relied on Halle’s promise and ended up getting screwed.

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.