MMA

Now entering the UFC Octagon ... Mark Zuckerberg?!? Don't laugh -- the Meta billionaire just revealed he still fully intends on taking a professional MMA fight!!

Zuck doubled down on the plan during his sit-down on Joe Rogan's podcast this week ... and brutal ACL injury be damned, he hasn't given up on showing the world he can kick serious ass.

The Facebook founder -- who's usually a jiu-jitsu guy -- explained he's warmed up to the idea of branching out to different combat styles in MMA ... especially with all the strain on joints that comes with grappling.

Conor McGregor's Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship partner is sticking by his side following his civil case ... saying he will continue to work with the former UFC champ through thick and thin.

David Feldman -- founder of BKFC -- shared his reaction to McGregor's November court loss in an interview with MMA Fighting ... electing not to get into the details of the case, but making it crystal clear the results will not affect their business.

"We don't want to go into what happened but at the end of the day, we’re with him,” Feldman said.

Conor McGregor's return to the UFC Octagon has been put on the backburner ... as the combat sports legend says he's got some other business to handle first -- a boxing exhibition with Logan Paul.

Notorious dropped the bombshell news early Tuesday morning ... denying rumors he's slated to take on featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in Dana White's organization.

Instead, he says he's got his sights set on the WWE Superstar ... and it sounds like they're far along in negotiations, as McGregor claimed he's in "preliminary agreements" with the extremely wealthy Ambani family to take a boxing match with the Maverick in India.

Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin put on a united front during a night on the town ... with the UFC superstar's partner sharing snaps from a romantic date just a few weeks after the conclusion of his civil case.

The longtime couple looked inseparable in the pictures Devlin posted of the outing -- they were cozied up, holding hands and laughing at what appeared to be a dinner.

Devlin had an all-denim look for the night ... while McGregor elected for a matching green short-sleeve button-down and pants.

Colby Covington twice fought for the UFC's welterweight title ... and now the 6th ranked 170 pounder, inspired by the soon-to-be 47th President of the United States, tells TMZ Sports the comeback is on!

"I'm super excited," Covington told us, adding ... "I've been hearing some of the chatter, people saying that 'Chaos' is dead. They have no idea what's coming on Saturday night. I'm going to put the best performance in my career."

"I'm super inspired by Donald Trump taking back the White House and his work ethic. I mean, he's in three different states a day. Guy doesn't sleep. So Saturday night, I'm going to make the UFC 'Great Again.' And January 20th, when Donald Trump gets inaugurated, he's going to make America great again."

Paige VanZant's certainly on the naughty list this year ... dressing up as sexy Santa Claus alongside several other models -- with just the tiniest bikinis covering their bodies.

The OnlyFans star shared several photos ... red holiday hats and lipstick matching their bikinis as they pose by the pool.

The group of ladies spread some holiday cheer while laying out spread-eagle on several beach chairs posing seductively.

Ian Machado Garry had Shavkat Rakhmonov on his mind before he ever signed on to fight the undefeated contender ... telling TMZ Sports he told the UFC he wanted to serve as backup for the UFC 310 main event before Belal Muhammad pulled out with an injury.

TMZ Sports talked to the No. 7-ranked, 15-0 fighter just days before his title eliminator vs. 18-0 Shavkat, the No. 3-ranked challenger.

"For me, it wasn't a hard decision whatsoever. I had told UFC six weeks prior that I would be willing to be the backup for the world title fight," Garry said, explaining people were turning him down, and he just wanted a fight.

Bryce Hall is returning to the ring ... and he's fighting MMA star turned boxer, Kevin Ferguson Jr. -- son of the street fighting legend, Kimbo Slice!

TMZ Sports has learned the 25-year-old TikTok star turned fighter will throw down with the former Bellator MMA star at BKFC's KnuckleMania V event next month at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens -- both former UFC stars -- will be the main event.

"Baby Slice" last fought in April 2023 with Misfits Boxing ... losing via second-round TKO to Okemka Jibunor.

Kai Asakura is fighting for the flyweight title in the main event of UFC 310 -- his first-ever bout in the United States -- and the Japanese MMA star says there's one special person he'd love to see Octagon-side ... Shohei Ohtani!

TMZ Sports recently chopped it up with 31-year-old Asakura before his UFC debut -- a title bout vs. Alexandre Pantoja going down December 10 in Las Vegas -- and the 21-4 fighter hopes the newly minted World Series champ can squeeze in a trip to Sin City.

"I have never met [Ohtani]," Asakura told us through a translator. "But I'd love him to come and watch my fight."

Dakota Ditcheva is one win away from being crowned the promotions flyweight champion -- and from stacking a million bucks -- so, what's the plan if she emerges victorious Friday night?!

Shopping spree!!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 26-year-old ahead of the big PFL Championship card on November 29 in Saudi Arabia, with the English-born fighter saying she already has plans for the $1 million prize.

Conor McGregor might've lost his gig as the face of Proper No. 12, but his business corner isn't completely empty ... with one company telling TMZ Sports the results of the recent civil case will have zero impact on its relationship with the UFC superstar.

McGregor has racked up countless endorsement deals throughout his career ... including a deal with Swedish fitness brand Boxbollen, a product that promotes exercise at home.

We spoke with Boxbollen co-founder Jacob Eriksson days after a jury found McGregor liable for assaulting Nikita Ni Lamhain in 2018 ... and he said while the company takes these matters seriously, it's not abandoning the Irish athlete.

Dee Devlin just went scorched earth on Conor McGregor's sexual assault accuser ... lighting her up in a series of Instagram posts on Tuesday afternoon.

In the IG Stories, the UFC superstar's longtime partner called Nikita Ni Lamhain -- who just won her civil case against McGregor in Ireland last week -- a liar ... and said straight up, "My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world."

Devlin claimed that back in 2018, prior to Ni Lamhain's suit against McGregor, Ni Lamhain would send "messages and pictures of herself over and over to my man" ... despite knowing he was in a committed relationship.

Conor McGregor is being dumped by the whiskey empire he helped build -- with Proper No. 12 telling TMZ Sports the UFC superstar will no longer be part of its marketing campaign following his civil case.

A spokesperson for Proximo Spirits tells us ... "Since 2021, Proximo Spirits has been the 100% owner of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey. Going forward, we do not plan to use Mr. McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand."

The news comes on the heels of a jury finding McGregor liable for the assault of Nikita Ni Lamhain ... who accused him of raping her in 2018.

Conor McGregor is owning up to his past mistakes after his civil case ... sharing his remorse for cheating on his longtime partner, Dee Devlin -- but reaffirming his actions six years ago were entirely consensual.

The UFC superstar released yet another statement on the results of the month-long case ... this time, he admitted he's far from perfect and never should have entertained Nikita Ni Lamhain's "outreaches" following a 2018 Christmas party.

"I should have shut the party down," McGregor said. "I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me."

The developers of the super popular "Hitman" video game franchise are severing ties with Conor McGregor in wake of his civil assault case loss last week.

IO Interactive -- which put the controversial UFC superstar in its "Hitman" universe via an update earlier this year -- wrote in a post on X that it will begin removing all of its McGregor-related content this week.

"In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor," "Hitman" officials said, "IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately."

Jon Jones is NOT the most dangerous heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, despite dominating Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 ... according to Francis Ngannou, who says that distinction belongs to him!

TMZ Sports spoke with the former UFC heavyweight champ turned PFL MMA and boxing star following Bones return to the Octagon on Saturday at Madison Square Garden ... and we asked him, promotion aside, whether JJ was the best out there.

"You can't deny what [Jon] has done as a heavyweight," Ngannou said, "but I personally cannot classify him as the best heavyweight of all time. C'mon, man."