MMA

Nate Diaz is being sued by a man in Louisiana who says the MMA legend beat him up and injured him during a street fight in New Orleans last year, TMZ Sports has learned ... a lawsuit Diaz's people believe is literally laughable.

Rodney Petersen, an amateur fighter, filed the lawsuit earlier this week in Orleans Parish ... where he's seeking damages for injuries he claims he sustained during the April 2023 brawl.

"LOL" ... was the response from Zach Rosenfield, Nate's longtime rep, when we reached out for comment.

El debut de Kayla Harrison en la UFC no podría haber sido mejor: dominó a una leyenda de las MMA, ¡y ahora la luchadora estrella nos dice a quién quiere enfrentarse a continuación!

Harrison, de 33 años, estuvo con Babcock en el programa de TV TMZ Sports (que se emite de lunes a viernes, por la noche, en FS1), donde habló de todo, desde la estrategia de Holly Holm en comparación con la suya hasta su gran pérdida de peso y su próxima oponente.

“Escuché que [la campeona de peso gallo] Raquel [Pennington] no se siente muy bien y no puede pelear. Así que si ella no puede defender el título, me encantaría pelear contra Juliana [Pena] o quien sea, no me importa. Me encantaría pelear por ese cinturón”, dijo Harrison.

Kayla Harrison's UFC debut couldn't have possibly gone any better ... she dominated an MMA legend, and now the star fighter is telling us who she wants next!

33-year-old Harrison joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where she discussed everything from Holly Holm's strategy vs. her, to her big weight cut, and her next opponent.

"I heard that [Bantamweight champion] Raquel [Pennington] is feeling a little under the weather, not able to fight. So if she can't fight for the title, I would love to fight Juliana [Pena], whoever, I don't care. I would love to fight for that belt," Harrison said.

Justin Gaethje's UFC career is chock full of big fights, but he says none more important than his UFC 300 scrap with Max Holloway!

There's that much on the line.

"This is the biggest fight of my career," 35-year-old Gaethje, the #2 ranked lightweight, told TMZ Sports of Saturday's contest, continuing, "a loss here definitely takes away those aspirations of fighting for the gold. You know, a win here definitely solidifies that."

32-year-old Holloway, who is going up to 155 for the scrap, isn't ranked at lightweight ... but is the #2-ranked featherweight.

FYI, Justin is coming off an impressive win over star Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, and Rafael Fiziev before. JG's also beaten the likes of Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza, and Cowboy Cerrone in the UFC.

Max defeated "Korean Zombie" in August, and Arnold Allen in April 2023. Mas has beaten Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Anthony Pettis, and Jose Aldo (twice).

Justin, a slight favorite Saturday, believes a dub gets him a title shot against champ Islam Makhachev.

"I think I win this fight and my goal is to fight the champion at Madison Square Garden," Gaethje says.

We also talked to Justin about fighting on the historic card. UFC 1 was in November 1993 ... and now 30 years later, Gaethje is one of the premiere fights on the stacked card.

He talked about what it means to him.

"It's just a testament to what I've done here," Gaethje said.

"My first interaction with the UFC fans at a press conference, I said 'I'm the most violent lightweight on the planet and the most exciting,' and I think I've lived up to that. I've spoken it into reality. I'm the most consistent guy. I think that's why we're kind of the people's main event, because they know they're going to get a show."

It's a busy time for the Denver Nuggets ... the defending champs, on a quest to go back-to-back, are fighting for the number one seed in the West -- but that's not going to stop the defending champs from having a UFC 300 watch party, according to star Jamal Murray!

27-year-old Murray, a huge MMA fan, joined Babcock on TMZ Sports, and chopped it up while previewing the historic card ... which is going down Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for the NBA star, Jamal won't be able to attend the fights in person at T-Mobile Arena 'cause the Nuggets play the San Antonio Spurs in Texas on Friday and the Memphis Grizzlies in Tennessee on Sunday.

But, Murray has a Plan B.

"We'll do a little watch party," Jamal said, adding, "I think we got a little conference room set up in Memphis for the fights. I mean, the cards will be going on all day. So, yeah, some great fights, man. Some great fights!"

UFC 300 is a big deal for Dana White's organization ... and as you'd expect, the card's stacked! One of the big fights is Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway. We asked Jamal about the scrap.

"Justin, Max Holloway, that's going to be a very, very interesting fight because it can go so many different ways," the former 7th overall draft pick told us.

"I think Max is going to have to pull out all the tools to beat Gaethje, whereas Gaethje, he can more stand in the pocket and rely on his chin and his punches to win the fight at that weight. Whereas Max is going to have to be more technical and probably get some ground control, more knees, you know, just a little more tighter."

AEW aired footage of the physical altercation that led to CM Punk's firing from the promotion in 2023 on Wednesday ... showing the wrestling superstar shove and seemingly choke Jack Perry after a heated exchange.

The video was part of the AEW Dynamite event this week as part of the Young Bucks' current storyline against tag team FTR ... with YB claiming the incident was possibly orchestrated by their opponents --- blurring the lines between a real backstage incident with their ongoing TV feud.

The clip shows Punk approaching Perry backstage at the All-In event in London back in September ... and the two got on a passionate back-and-forth before things got violent.

Punk pushed Perry away from him ... and then proceeded to wrap his arms around his neck area.

The two needed to be separated by multiple bystanders ... and eventually, Punk stormed away from the scene.

It all stemmed from a previous incident at AEW's show, Collision -- when, according to Punk, Perry was hellbent on using real glass for a spot.

It led to a confrontation between them ... and then Perry went ahead and used real glass in a spot -- and told the camera, "Cry me a river," which Punk took as shade.

Punk -- who is back with WWE following his boot from AEW -- explained his side of the scuffle in an interview last week ... claiming he didn't feel like it was a fireable offense since he didn't punch Perry, just "choked somebody a little bit."

MMA star Rachael Ostovich ain't lettin' a bun in the oven keep her from getting in a violent workout ... hitting the punching bag while in the third trimester of her pregnancy!!

The 1-0 BKFC fighter and former UFC talent posted a clip of her recent gym session on Tuesday ... rocking a one-piece athleisure 'fit as she threw some jabs at a new addition to her fitness setup.

"Third trimester ain’t stopping me," Ostovich said on Instagram. "lol I'm sure Miss. Dovey Girl is having the time of her life in there."

Ostovich -- who announced her pregnancy with a nude photoshoot on February 25 -- even shared some fighting tips ... saying attacking her new water punching bag bare-handed helps build tolerance for when it comes to hitting a real human, which she happens to do a lot with her day job.

4/8 8 AM PT -- Jones is further clearing the air regarding his interaction with the drug tester ... saying he was NOT arrested over the incident.

"I must admit, it's disappointing to have to clarify these things again, but I understand that I may be an easy target given some of my past issues," Jones said. "It's important to set the record straight and make sure the truth is told."

Jones reiterated he was upset when the tester showed up to his home ... and he was "caught off guard" as he was taking a nap at the time. Jones admitted to using profanity after growing frustrated with the administrator's "unprofessionalism and protocol," but other than that ... he claims he did nothing wrong.

"It's unfortunate that false news has been spread without proper fact-checking," he added. "I want to assure you that I will vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations. The truth is, the incident simply did not occur."

UFC champion Jon Jones is adamantly denying any wrongdoing after a drug tester showed up at his place unannounced ... saying the whole interaction was as cordial as could be.

Jones -- a 36-year-old fighter -- claims he was at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend ... when out of nowhere, a UFC-certified official showed up to test his blood while he was celebrating a birthday.

In a police report filed by the alleged tester, Jones is accused of grabbing the official's phone and threatening to kill her ... but he says there's video to prove there was no bad blood.

Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill are technically the headliners of UFC 300 ... but, they're NOT "The People's Main Event!"

No, that title belongs to Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje, according to "Blessed" himself, who says fight fans can look forward to VIOLENCE!!

TMZ Sports spoke to the 32-year-old ... where the former featherweight champion previewed the highly anticipated scrap.

Sean O'Malley's proving it pays to be one of the UFC's biggest stars ... especially when you've got friends like Adin Ross, who just hooked the MMA champ up with a custom "Suga" candy paint low rider!

The streamer surprised the bantamweight title holder weeks after Sean defended his belt against 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299, his 18th win as a professional.

When it came time to gift O'Malley the whip, he was in pure shock when he removed the blindfold, revealing the hot pink 1975 Chevy Caprice, and he (justifiedly) went crazy!

"No way!" O'Malley yelled. "What?! Bro! Haha! That's crazy!"

O'Malley took the car for a spin straight away ... moments after he secured the keys and got a tutorial on how to raise and lower the ride with the hydraulic suspension.

The car's sick ... from the deep, rich, metallic paint to the chromed-out suspension.

Of course, the low rider -- from the High Class Car Club in Glendale -- fits O'Malley's personality perfectly ... as he's known for his vibrant hair color and style.

Ross -- who went forward with the gift despite receiving an ass whoopin' in the cage during a sparring sesh earlier in the day -- also said he has an Audemars Piguet luxury watch for Sean.

Jake Gyllenhaal y Conor McGregor podrían ser el próximo dúo dinámico de Hollywood, porque su reboot de "Road House" acaba de hacer historia con 50 millones de visitas desde su debut, un nuevo récord para Prime Video.

Los números fueron compartidos una semana después del estreno de la película, y los funcionarios aseguran que fue todo un éxito.

50 millones es una cifra récord para el debut de una película en Prime Video y McGregor estaba emocionado por el logro.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor might be the next dynamic duo in Hollywood ... 'cause their "Road House" reimagining just made history with 50 million views since its debut -- a new record for Prime Video.

The numbers were shared just over a week after the action flick premiered on the streaming giant ... with officials saying it attracted a ton of eyeballs.

50 million is a record-breaking number for a movie debut on Prime Video ... and McGregor was thrilled over the accomplishment.

Ex-MMA star Mark Coleman is getting the royal treatment after heroically saving his parents from a house fire last month ... with Dana White's organization hooking him up with tickets to UFC 300!!

The former heavyweight champion shared the exciting news on Tuesday ... saying he and his daughters will be present when the big event goes down in Las Vegas next weekend.

Coleman was clearly pumped over the gesture ... showing off some punches as he exercised during his video announcement.

59-year-old Coleman even joked he would be a backup fighter on the card ... adding he can't wait to check out Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje duke it out for the "BMF" belt, as well as the main event fights between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill and Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan.

Holloway spoke out in support of Coleman on Monday ... saying the UFC legend should present the belt after the fight, as he's the REAL BMF for risking everything for his loved ones.

As we previously reported, Coleman has been on the road to recovery following the life-threatening tragedy ... but has shown great signs of improvement, even returning to the gym just days later.

Jake Gyllenhaal's new flick, "Road House," packs one helluva punch ... but Key West's Mayor ain't too thrilled with how their sunny paradise has been portrayed on-screen.

Teri Johnston, the mayor of Key West, tells TMZ ... while she hasn't caught the film, she's not pleased with its rowdy, drug-filled, and crime-ridden portrayal of the Florida Keys ... saying that might've been The Keys in the '70s and '80s, but it's a whole new ball game in 2024!

Mayor Johnston lays down the facts ... telling us 90% of Key West residents are transplants  -- representing a diverse mix of environmentalists, artists, business owners, teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

Quite possibly one of the grossest injuries in combat sports history went down over the weekend ... when a Muay Thai fighter had his nose completely wrecked during a bout -- and yeah, the video is disgusting.

The gruesome incident went down between Por Tor Thor Petchrungruang and Shayan Heydari in Thailand ... when the latter was rocked with a vicious uppercut in the second round of the contest.

Heydari's nose practically went sideways ... and it was immediately clear the thing was broken.

News confirmed! Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is finally happening!

Days after The Notorious told reporters he would fight Iron Mike this summer, 37-year-old Chandler joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and we asked him if McGregor was being truthful, or just blowing smoke.

"I've got the official announcement. It's happening this summer," Chandler said, adding, "I can't tell you the actual date, but it's happening this summer!"

We followed up ... so it's official?!

"We have an agreement. We are fighting this summer."

Ears, meet music.

Of course, the Michael and Conor fight has been in the works forever ... going back to mid-2023 when the men coached opposite one another on "The Ultimate Fighter."

So, Conor the coach has been relatively active ... but not necessarily the fighter. That's because in addition to shooting the highly anticipated "Road House" remake (which dropped yesterday on Prime), McGregor was also healing up.

Remember, McGregor gruesomely broke his lower leg during his UFC 264 scrap with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. That was his last fight.

As for Chandler, he too last faced Poirier ... in November 2022.

Bottom line, both guys are ready to get back in the Octagon ... and although the date isn't publicly known, it's not that far off (check out the clip -- we also talk about which weight class the fight will be contested in.)