UFC

Kamaru Usman has an opponent in mind for his next fight after Leon Edwards -- but it's not anyone in the welterweight, or even middleweight division -- the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world says he's eyeing a move to light heavyweight!

"A lot of people think I'm joking when I say [I wanna move up]. I wanted to skip -- skip middleweight and I want the light heavyweight belt because I wanna be a two-division champion," Usman told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

The 35-year-old, 170 lb. champ continued ... "One, not only am I the best in the world, but I wanna prove that I am the pound-for-pound best, so I'm gonna skip that pound-for-pound, I'm gonna take that light heavyweight belt and I'm gonna defend the belt."

There's a reason Kamaru plans to jump two divisions, and not just move up one and fight at 185 lbs. ... the middleweight champ is Israel Adesanya.

Kamaru and Izzy are tight ... and have said they'd never fight each other.

Meanwhile, Kamaru and Jiri Prochazka -- the light heavyweight champ -- not so tight.

29-year-old Prochazka, who beat Glover Teixeira for the title in June, stands 6'4" tall. He hasn't lost since 2015. Not to be outdone ... Usman hasn't been defeated since 2013.

But Usman isn't looking to abandon the division he's ruled for 3.5 years ... the Nigerian Nightmare says he's planning to defend both belts once he beats Jiri.

"I'll defend both belts so people can really understand what it means to be pound-for-pound," Kamaru says ... "Not just this fictitious stuff that they make up. When I actually go up and do it and I walk away from the sport, I'll let you decide what you wanna call me or my legacy."

We also talked to Kamaru about landing a role in the new Black Panther movie ... a project that's incredibly important to the star fighter.

"For one, I'm extremely excited because it's my first one. I knew I was gonna be in movies some point, one day, but to be in that movie, I'm extremely excited because that's a movie that transcends just being a movie star. It's a movie that stands for something, it's a movie that represents something so powerful."

And, it won't be the last film in which Usman appears ... despite the fact people have accused him of being "Hollywood."

"It's crazy 'cause people are 'oh he Hollywood now.' Of course! Ya damn right I'm Hollywood now. I wanted to be Hollywood. What's wrong? You don't want me to be Hollywood?!"

"You want me eat Little Caesars and Ramen noodles in my little shack all day every day for the rest of my life? No, I'm gonna be Hollywood, but one thing they're failing to realize is that it took work to get to this point to be Hollywood."

Usman takes on Leon Edwards for the second time (Kamaru won by unanimous decision in 2015) at UFC 278 Saturday night on ESPN+.

There was a slight breeze in Miami on Tuesday ... and it was all thanks to Jake Paul's batting practice before the Marlins game.

The Problem Child was the guest of honor at LoanDepot Park before the home team hosted the San Diego Padres ... and before his ceremonial first pitch, he took the batter's box to get in some swings.

25-year-old Paul looked confident as hell before his first swing ... even calling his shot like Babe Ruth.

But, it didn't necessarily go as planned -- Paul whiffed not only his first pitch, but also the next three that came after ... before finally hitting a grounder to third base.

Of course, Jake was clearly just having fun with it -- he even claimed afterward that the video was edited to make him look bad.

Since he wasn't able to hit a real dinger, the team gave Jake a toy bat to show off what his home run celebration would look like ... and naturally, he hit the griddy!!

Paul eventually took the mound for the first pitch ... and despite being several feet in front of the mound, it was a solid toss.

It looked like Paul had an awesome time at the game -- the dude also got to try out some smelling salts in the dugout.

"I don't give a f*** and don't be surprised they like me more out there."

😂😂😂😂😂

That's Marlon "Chito" Vera (candidly) talking about fighting former UFC champ/future Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz in his hometown of San Diego ... the main event at Saturday's UFC Fight Night.

FYI, Vera is 29 years old and ranked 5th in the bantamweight division. Cruz is 37, and the #8 ranked bantamweight.

"I bring what people want to see, I bring what they like and it's the fire," Chito told us, adding ... "Maybe, in the beginning, they might be a little going for him but crowds love me, dude."

Chito has won three fights in a row, including beating Frankie Edgar (November 2021) and Rob Font (April 2022), and believes the Cruz fight is a chance to put the world on notice.

"It's a great opportunity to shine. It's a great opportunity to show the world what's up. It's a great opportunity to just let the UFC know I'm the next guy coming out for that belt and I can say all the crazy s*** I want but at the end of the day, I gotta get there and win and I'm prepared for that."

There's much more in the video with Vera!

We also talked to Dom -- who believes he's on the path to once again being champ -- and he couldn't be more pumped to continue that journey in front of his hometown fans.

"Well, it's incredible. San Diego, you know, we've been known a lot for saying we can't get that world championship -- baseball, football, all these sports. You've had a two-time world champion that was born here that has been representing that state for a long time."

"I'm here! I'm the champion of San Diego!"

Add AJ McKee to the list of people who want to beat up former kickboxing champ and internet star Andrew Tate, with the Bellator star telling TMZ Sports, "I wanna put my fist in his mouth!"

35-year-old Tate -- one of the most polarizing people on the internet -- has become a staple on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok ... with his often very controversial takes.

Enter McKee, the 18-1 MMA star says he's tired of Tate popping up on his stream, 'cause the guy rubs him the wrong way.

"There's nothing really up with us. I'm just tired of hearing and seeing and -- like bro, every time I get on Instagram, I see him in my feed. It's annoying! He's always talking. He tries to project himself as this macho, just this OG guy."

And, AJ isn't sweating the significant size difference.

"I'm a 155-pounder now, you're a kickboxer, cool. We can step in the boxing ring and box. I'd love that. I mean, I can't find a boxing match at the moment so I mean, if I gotta jump three weight classes up there, I'm fine with that," McKee says.

AJ clearly takes umbrage with Tate's views on men and women, telling us "[Tate's] rude as s**t. It's like you're a misogynist towards women. It's like bro, how do you feel about your mother, ya idiot! She's the reason why you're on the planet. You talk that way about your mother?"

Now, 6'1", 200-ish lb. Tate isn't any ordinary internet star ... he was a legit, professional fighter. A kickboxing champion. He also beat Luke Barnatt in an MMA fight in 2010. Luke went on to fight in the UFC.

AJ says he's not doing this for notoriety -- he just wants to show off his talents -- and he's down to do it in an MMA cage or boxing ring.

"I ain't chasing clout. I'm looking for opportunities to showcase my skills in any and every area like boxing. I mean, I ain't trying to kickbox with him, he's a big boy, but we can definitely throw some hands. We can definitely do some MMA if he wants to kick."

As for McKee's skills ... he's simply one of the best fighters in the world. He was the 145 lb. Bellator champ ... and only lost his belt after a controversial decision loss vs. fellow star Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. It's the only time AJ's ever been defeated.

Tate's already been rumored to be a future boxing opponent for Jake Paul ... but if that doesn't happen, AJ's ready to go.

McKee left us with this message to Tate.

Colby Covington doesn't only win in the Octagon -- he wins at the card table, too -- recently competing in two high-level poker tourney's in Florida, winning over $70k!!

It all went down at the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open this week in Hollywood, FL. 34-year-old Colby entered a tournament -- the largest in the state's history with over 7,700 entrants -- and astonishingly, playing against many professional players, made the final table, finishing 7th!

For his troubles, CC won $48,298.

After the incredible performance, Covington said he "wanted to come back and prove that wasn’t just a fluke," saying he wanted to show he "could play with the best players in the world.”

That's exactly what the #1 ranked UFC welterweight did ... 'cause days later, Colby entered another tourney, Event 22, at the casino. There were 84 entrants. The game was pot limit Omaha 8.

And he won (!!) ... taking home $25,875 for first place. Altogether, with the prize money from both tournaments, Colby took how $74,143.

But, it clearly wasn't about the money for Colby, who described winning as a “surreal feeling.”

“It’s been a long journey to finally get a trophy here at Seminole Hard Rock. This is my home casino, and I love playing here,” Covington added.

Covington said his strategy in the tournament was to stay away from Phil Hui, a 3-time WSOP bracelet winner who has reportedly earned over $3.6 million during poker tournaments alone.

"He’s a great player, one of the greatest players in the game today," Covington said.

"I know he’s a specialist in high-low, so I wanted to navigate around him and wait to pick really good spots where I felt comfortable with getting the high and the low.”

Newly crowned interim UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno tells TMZ Sports his highly anticipated 4th fight with champ Deiveson Figueiredo -- where they'll unify the belts -- is the biggest fight in the history of the 125 lb. division.

And, it's not even really up for debate.

We talked to the 28-year-old fighter on Wednesday, and asked him about the significance of the fight.

"Man, tell me another example [of a bigger fight], please. The 4 fights between Figueiredo and I is the biggest one, easily. Tell me the second place," Brandon told us.

It's hard to think of a more anticipated fight. Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo fought twice ... and Cejudo's win over Mighty Mouse in 2018 was improbable and thrilling. But, as legendary as both fighters are, Brandon and Deiveson's rivalry is just different.

In fact, just a few years ago, the division was in jeopardy of being scrapped altogether. Now, it features arguably the best current rivalry in MMA.

Speaking of those fights, Brandon and Deiveson already fought three times ... each man has one win. The first and third fights were incredibly close.

UFC 256, Dec. 2020, Draw
UFC 263, Jun 2021, Moreno won, submission via rear naked choke
UFC 270, Jan 2022, Figueiredo won, unanimous decision

Fast forward to last Saturday in Dallas, TX. After Moreno defeated Kai Kara-France with a perfectly placed liver kick to capture the interim title, Brandon and Deiveson came face-to-face in the Octagon.

But, despite a lot of s**t talk in the past, the men kept it respectful ... and that's the way BM says it'll stay.

"I understand I had the opportunity to make more drama, but it's not my way. I understand the business I'm in, I'm trying to entertain the people, but I'm entertaining people with my fight. I'm done with the drama, with all the bad feelings."

Notorious is going Hollywood -- UFC superstar Conor McGregor will be making his acting debut in a remake of the '80s classic movie, "Road House" ... starring alongside huge names like Jake Gyllenhaal!!

The project is set to be a reimagining of the Patrick Swayze-led 1989 flick ... with Gyllenhaal playing a UFC fighter-turned-bar bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the former featherweight and lightweight champ will have a part in the Prime Video project, which will be his first feature film.

Of course, 34-year-old McGregor has a ton of business ventures out of the Octagon ... but we're told the new career move does not mean he's done competing.

"Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of 'Road House', a beloved classic," Conor's rep, Karen J. Kessler, tells us.

"While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire."

"He is eager to get started filming."

Deadline reports the project -- directed by Doug Liman -- will also star Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier ... as well as other notable actors.

The outlet says McGregor got wind of the interest in having him involved ... and after checking out the original, he took a meeting with producer Joel Silver.

McGregor apparently loved what he heard about the vision for the flick ... and quickly signed on to show off his acting chops.

It's become quite a natural transition for UFC fighters to make it in Hollywood -- as we recently reported, Kamaru Usman will be in the new "Black Panther" movie this November ... and Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, and more have also made it to the silver screen.

If Jake Paul can't fight Hasim Rahman Jr. on August 6, there's someone else willing to step in the ring in his place -- Hasim Rahman Sr.!!

That's right ... the 49-year-old, 2x heavyweight champion tells TMZ Sports he's down to fill in for Jr. and box the Problem Child.

Oh, and for good measure, he says he'll fight Logan, too ... same night.

"How about this?" Hasim says, "If somebody would sanction this, I will fight Jake and Logan back to back. We can go eight rounds a piece. Neither one of them will make eight rounds but we can sanction for eight rounds and I promise you, if I don't knock Jake and Logan out, they win."

Of course, Jake and Jr. were set to box Saturday at MSG ... but the fight was scrapped after Paul accused Rahman of ignoring their contractually agreed-upon weight limit.

Now, let's be honest ... two fights in one night ain't happening, but you get Hasim's point. He isn't all that impressed with what he's seen in the ring from the Paul bros.

In 2001, Rahman Sr. shocked the sports world when he knocked out one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever, champ Lennox Lewis ... becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

Throughout his career, Hasim racked up a 50-9-2 record with 41 KO's. He retired in 2014.

We also asked Rahman about the possibility Jake and his son could still fight another time ... and Hasim had a suggestion for ensuring the terms of the contract are followed.

"If the public demands it, both sides can put up a million dollars in escrow. That way we can be sure that ain't nobody gonna not make weight. If somebody miss weight, whatever the contractual demands are, they will be met or somebody gonna lose their million dollars."

So will it be Hasim Rahman Sr.? Rahman Jr.? Tommy Fury? Someone else? Stay tuned.

Tyron Woodley was in Ireland last week -- but he wasn't hanging out with Conor McGregor at the Guinness factory -- the future UFC Hall of Famer asked for his girlfriend's hand in marriage, and she said YES!!

Woodley shared footage from the magical moment on his social media page Tuesday ... showing the former welterweight champion, down on one knee, in front of his GF, Kia, with the Dublin Castle -- which opened over 800 years ago in 1204 -- in the background.

"Kia, I love you," Woodley said while holding a beautiful (and very large) diamond ring, continuing, "I want to spend forever with you."

Kia became very emotional, replying, "Oh my god. Yes! Hell yes! Oh my God!"

The 40-year-old star also penned a sweet love note to his wife-to-be.

"I've met my match! Found my person❤️. Snatched this Gem off the market," Woodley said in the video caption.

"And put the 'Fight of the Night' on her finger💍!!!"

"I'm Crazy over you Kia. Thankful for you. Grateful God brought you to me," Woodley said.

"You are my best friend. You are my everything. Let's show em how it's done! #ForeverKT #TheRealestLove"

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz is going down in September, and many fans and experts alike have said the UFC is serving up the MMA legend on a platter for an ass-whooping of epic proportions ... something Dana White says is nonsense.

White joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where the UFC President was asked about those criticizing the fairness of the fight.

"Well, the people that are saying that obviously didn't read when Nate said, 'I asked for this fight'. It's true and he also asked for Francis Ngannou. So, if I was putting him out to get slaughtered, Francis Ngannou would probably be the fight to give him."

Fighters like Daniel Cormier and Josh Thomson have expressed concern over the fairness of the matchup. D.C. said he thinks the fighters are at different points in their career, making this a "mismatch."

JT went a little harder, saying on his podcast with Big John ... "The UFC knows what they're doing, this happens all the time. When you're on your way out, they give you the toughest, hardest fight they know stylistically it does not match with you. Chimaev is the worst matchup he could potentially get."

Here's how the men -- fighting at UFC 279 on September 10 -- stack up against each other.

37-year-old Diaz is arguably the most beloved fighter in the entire UFC. Throughout his legendary career, Nate has beaten fighters like Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

However, Nate lost his last two fights ... Jorge Masvidal (November 2019) and Leon Edwards (June 2021).

As for 28-year-old Khamzat, he's undefeated ... 11-0 professionally, and 5-0 in the UFC. Chimaev has risen to stardom arguably faster than anyone else in the history of the promotion.

The knock on Khamzat was the level of competition ... but that subsided when he beat Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision in April 2022. It was the first time Borz was tested.

In December, we asked Diaz about the prospects of fighting Chimaev (they've gone back and forth for months), and he wasn't feeling it at the time.

"Try to offer me a fight with a rookie? I'm cool. Got 4 fights in the UFC. Don't talk my name," Diaz told us.

Clearly, Nate had a change of heart.

The fight vs. Khamzat is reportedly the last on Nate's contract, so we asked Dana if he planned to resign the superstar from Stockton.

"I don't know. We'll see what happens. We'll see how this whole thing plays out. I told him, me and hi0m met here, you know Nate's been with us for a long time and I like Nate. I said, 'Nate, do whatever you wanna do kid. Go do whatever you wanna do.'"

The bottom line ... Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev are fighting in less than 45 days, and fans are pumped!

Brandon Moreno says when he defeats Kai Kara-France at UFC 277, he will be the "real flyweight champ" ... despite the fact Deiveson Figueiredo says the men are fighting for a "plastic belt."

"Man, I just wanna say this, the moment Dana White puts that belt on my body, I'm the real flyweight champion of the world," 28-year-old Moreno recently told us.

"I don't know nothing about interim or whatever because I'm doing everything right. I'm training every single day, I'm eating well, I'm putting all my sacrifices to get that title back. The other guy is a bunch of excuses. He don't wanna fight and I was able and ready to fight and I'm doing that. I'm doing my job so that's why when Dana White gives me that belt, that's it."

The Moreno-Kara-France fight is in fact for the interim title ... but it's clear, interim or not, Brandon believes this fight will crown the best 125-pound fighter in the world.

And, 29-year-old Kai, the #2 ranked contender agrees.

We talked to KK-F this week, and he straight-up said he's fighting the better opponent.

"Brandon won that last fight [with Deiveson]. I thought he did enough, so in my eyes, I'm fighting the better guy, but you know me and Figueiredo will square up eventually. It's something that's inevitable. Once I get past Brandon, then we can square off against each other and unify this belt."

Moreno and Figueiredo have previously fought three times. The first fight was a draw. The second fight, Brandon won by submission, earning him the undisputed flyweight title.

The third clash was very close. DF won by unanimous decision, but many fans (and Kai) believe the judges screwed up.

Amanda Nunes is considered by almost everyone to be the greatest female fighter of all time... so, that begs the question, what's Julianna Pena if she defeats the G.O.A.T. for a second time?! We asked her.

"I don't know anybody else in this division or the sport that has been able to have the resume that Amanda has made so it's definitely worthy of being called the greatest of all time. But, now that I'm here, I am also being worthy of being called the G.O.A.T slayer."

32-year-old Pena and 34-year-old Nunes are the main event at UFC 277 Saturday night in Dallas ... a rematch of their UFC 269 scrap, won via rear naked choke by Julianna in the 2nd round.

Nunes vowed this fight will be different ... and Pena's taking her at her word, telling us she's prepared for the best version of Amanda inside the Octagon.

"She said in the countdown that she didn't hit me with the best shots and she didn't hit me with everything that she had, so I would assume she's gonna try to hit me with everything she has," Pena says, adding "I just think that I am ready for the biggest, strongest, scariest Amanda Nunes that we've ever seen."

As far as Julianna's legacy, she says she simply wants to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever fight in a cage.

"You know the moral of the story for me is that I wanna be recognized as one of the greatest in sports and in sports history for women's MMA. I want to cement my legacy by getting this win and I wanna be able to to go down in the Hall of Fame and the UFC Hall of Fame."

"That's always been my goal is to be in the UFC Hall of Fame. If beating Amanda Nunes gets me in the Hall of Fame, then you can definitely consider me one of the greatest female fighters of all time. Absolutely."

Kamaru Usman is going from passionate Black Panther fan to acting in one of the blockbuster franchise's films -- 'cause the UFC welterweight champ has landed a role in "Wakanda Forever!!!"

35-year-old Usman is a huge fan of the comic book superhero ... and dating back to 2018, has shown interest in being a part of upcoming flicks.

TMZ Sports has confirmed that dream is becoming a reality ... with "The Nigerian Nightmare" securing a role in the flick coming out this November.

Of course, the movie will be an emotional one ... after T'Challa himself, Chadwick Boseman, tragically passed away in 2020 due to colon cancer.

The teaser for the "Black Panther" sequel was released this past weekend ... with fans of the franchise praising the short clip.

No word on how significant Usman's role will be ... but regardless, it's an amazing experience for the 20-1-0 superstar.

Before the flick hits theaters, Usman will be facing off against Leon Edwards in August ... so it's an action-packed end to 2022 for him to say the least.

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are reportedly "very close" to inking a deal to once again meet in the boxing ring, and Dana White has a thought -- "BULLS**T!"

TMZ Sports talked to the UFC President on Tuesday, and asked about a report out of the UK stating the two megastars were all but set to rematch in the near future.

"It's total bullshit!" White told us, adding, "That story came from a paper called The Daily Mirror which is a tabloid in Europe. It's total bulls**t!"

(Note: The Sun first reported the story. Daily Mail and The Mirror -- two separate outlets -- published stories referencing the initial Sun report.)

And, Dana's more than a spectator ... he's an interested party. Conor is under contract with the UFC ... meaning if he wants to box Floyd, the UFC honcho must be involved. Clearly, White -- who has a good relationship with Mayweather -- says it ain't happening ... at least not now.

Of course, Conor and Floyd boxed in August 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ... in what was one of the most promoted and talked about fights in the history of combat sports.

Mayweather, 49-0 in the ring at the time, won by TKO in the 10th round. It was McGregor's first time in a professional boxing match.

Since, Floyd retired after winning his 50th pro fight ... but he's still taken exhibition bouts against guys like Logan Paul.

As for Conor, he broke his leg last summer fighting Dustin Poirier, and while he's getting close to being fully recovered, he isn't there yet.

We also talked to Dana about a highly anticipated rematch that we definitely know is happening this weekend at UFC 276 ... Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena II!

The Venezuelan Vixen forced The Lioness to tap in the 2nd round of their UFC 269 title fight ... and White believes the rematch isn't only one of the biggest fights in the history of women's MMA, but will have major ramifications on both their legacies.

We also chopped it up about Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France fighting for the flyweight interim title ... and Dana gives us his pick for a sleeper fight.

UFC 277 goes down Saturday night from Dallas, TX on ESPN+.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Curtis Blaydes has one of the best wrestling pedigrees in the UFC's heavyweight division, but Tom Aspinall flat out says he's "happy to go to the ground" when the top 10 big men clash on Saturday.

TMZ Sports talked to 29-year-old Aspinall -- the #6 ranked heavyweight -- ahead of his fight with 31-year-old, #4 ranked Blaydes, at UFC Fight Night.

"I'm happy to go to the ground if he wants to. I've been a lifetime grappling, I've been grappling since I was a child so, I'm easy," Tom says, continuing ... "If he wants to take me down, let's do it. You wanna grapple a little but, we'll have a little wrestle if he wants to. If he wanna do a bunch of kicking we'll do that as well. Whatever he wants to do."

It's surprising to hear Aspinall -- who's in the midst of an 8-fight win streak -- say he's down to wrestle (sure, he could just be talking) ... but Curtis was a wrestling champ in high school, and then in junior college at Harper College.

Maybe it's because Aspinall is headed into the fight with an unfair advantage ... the crowd.

See, the fight's going down at The O2 Arena in London ... and Tom happens to be from Manchester.

"I feel like with those fans I got superpowers. I'm super, super sharp. The fans like that, they can make you or break you. They can put so much pressure on ya or they can light a fire under you. For me, it definitely does the second one. I feel amazing in there and I can't wait to do it again."

We also talked to Blaydes, who's won two in a row (Rozenstruik and Daukaus), and he isn't worried about anything ... and certainly not the crowd.

"It doesn't matter. I don't know if the fans know or not but I can't hear what you're saying when you're screaming at me."