Daniel Cormier Blasts American Airlines Staffer 'Insane' & 'Unprofessional'

Calling Daniel Cormier PISSED at American Airlines may be an understatement ... the MMA legend ripped into the airline's staff on social media after they gave his seat away, calling the whole ordeal "insane" and "unprofessional!"

The 44-year-old former UFC double champ said the aggravating incident went down at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday.

"I am literally in the worst experience," Cormier started ... "It’s unreal how horrific @AmericanAir staff at SFO is behaving right now."

"I show up to my flight to find out my seat has been given away."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Cormier continued, saying an AA employee walked away from him and shut a door in his face.

"If that isn’t enough this [American Airlines employee] won’t even speak to me," Cormier said. "This dude walks away from me as I am speak and he slams the door in my face."

"Wouldn’t even speak a word to me and then slams the f***ing door in my face!"

The UFC Hall of Famer and current UFC broadcaster was trying to get to Las Vegas for meetings with fighters ahead of Saturday's Fight Night card.

It's not clear if Daniel got another flight, and made it to the meetings on time. We reached out to AA regarding the incident, but haven't heard back.

Mark Zuckerberg I'm Down To Fight Elon Musk ... 'Send Me Location'

A billionaire brawl between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk?!?

The wild cage match might actually happen ... 'cause the Meta CEO just clapped back at the Twitter honcho's callout by saying he's totally down to fight!!

Musk recently pitched the fight idea in response to a report claiming Zuck's company is planning to rival Twitter with a new platform of its own ... to which he replied, "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol."

Whether or not he was kidding, the Facebook co-founder got wind of Musk's tweet ... and channeled his inner Khabib Nurmagomedov by saying, "Send me location."

The response, according to The Verge, was NOT a joke ... and he's 100% serious about duking it out.

Musk, 51, already seems to have a spot in mind for the potential fight ... tweeting "Vegas Octagon" late Wednesday night.

062023_amazon_children_HULU_kal
TMZ INVESTIGATES
TMZ.com

He also teased some of his skills ... adding, "I have this great move that I call 'The Walrus,' where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing."

Musk better pray the move works, 'cause Zuck, 39, started honing his craft back during the pandemic ... and he recently competed in a jiu-jitsu tournament, where he earned a gold and silver medal.

He also claims to have finished the famous "Murph Challenge" -- a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and an additional one-mile run (all while wearing a weighted vest) -- in under 40 minutes, which is quite an accomplishment.

Controversial former kickboxer/media personality Andrew Tate is down to have Elon's back, though ... 'cause he said he wants revenge for being blocked on all Meta platforms.

Somebody get Dana White on the phone ASAP.

Conor McGregor's Fiancée Jets To NYC ... Standing By UFC Star Amid Rape Allegations

Dee Devlin is making it clear she's standing by Conor McGregor despite recent rape allegations ... jetting out to NYC this past weekend to spend a loving Father's Day with the UFC star.

McGregor shared photos of the couple's holiday celebration on his Instagram page Sunday evening ... and in the pics, you can see Devlin looked as in love with the 34-year-old as ever -- even though he was just accused of sexually assaulting a woman a week prior.

Wearing her engagement ring, Devlin was seen in the pics embracing McGregor ... and at one point, rubbing one of his feet. The two were also seen smiling ear-to-ear as they were surrounded by their three children.

"The Best Fathers Day yet!" McGregor wrote in a caption on the pics. "Happy Fathers Day, gents. God bless."

Devlin, who's yet to publicly comment on the accusations, has been dating McGregor for over a decade ... getting engaged to the fighting star back in 2020. McGregor just revealed last week they're expecting to have their fourth child later this year.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... McGregor was accused of kissing a woman without her consent, forcing her to perform oral sex, and then attempting to sodomize her during a violent attack inside of a restroom following Game 4 of the NBA Finals back on June 9 at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

061523_conor_mcgregor_kal_v4
OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM
TMZSports.com

But, Conor, through his attorney, has vehemently denied all of the allegations ... calling the woman's claims "a shakedown" attempt.

babcock mcgregor
NEW CLUB FOOTAGE

Cops say they have been investigating the claims since June 11.

Ronda Rousey Tears Up During Call W/ Daughter ... On 'Stars On Mars'

Ronda Rousey was brought back to earth for an emotional moment during her time on "Mars" ... with the UFC legend breaking down in tears during a video conversation with her daughter.

Ronda and other big names were completely separated from the real world for weeks as they competed on the Fox show, "Stars on Mars" ... and in the latest episode of the series, all the remaining contestants appear to be struggling with their living conditions.

In an emotional clip, Ronda is shown FaceTiming with her 1-year-old, La'akea, and her husband, Travis Browne ... and she can't help but cry as she looks at her daughter's smiling face.

"Hi, my beautiful angel!!" Ronda said ... with Travis replying, "We love ya."

Ex-NFL star Richard Sherman also shared his issues with being away from his loved ones ... admitting he felt like he was experiencing "space madness."

Lance Armstrong said the competition is no joke ... adding, "The long game here is brutal. The mental side of this is torture."

The whole episode airs Monday night at 8 PM ... and for those with big hearts, get a box of tissues ready.

Conor McGregor, Accuser Together At Club After Alleged Rape ... New Video Shows

061623-conor-mcgregor-and-accuser-kal
BACK IN THE CLUB
TMZSports.com

The woman who accused Conor McGregor of rape was seen on video with the UFC star at a club table just minutes after she says the sexual assault happened.

The footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, was shot at around 12:40 a.m. on June 10 inside the Kaseya Center in Miami ... roughly half an hour or so after the woman claims he attacked her inside of a bathroom following Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

In the clips, you can see McGregor and the woman appearing to exchange words while holding drinks ... before Conor eventually leaves the area.

According to the woman's attorney, Ariel Mitchell, the video shows her client and McGregor were "visibly awkwardly interacting with each other" -- something she alleges the two were not doing prior to their restroom encounter.

"My client has always stated that there would be video of before and after, and in those videos she emphasized that the difference in the interactions between them would be visibly noticeable," Mitchell said in a statement to TMZ Sports. "This again is another video that supports what my client has been saying and supports what she told the police since the inception of this incident."

McGregor's attorney, meanwhile, says the footage shows what he's been claiming all along ... that the allegations are false.

"While the claimant's story has changed yet again," Barbara R. Llanes said in a statement, "our account of the evening has never changed. This video only reinforces our position. We look forward to the swift conclusion of the investigation."

061523_conor_mcgregor_flex_kal
ANOTHER VIDEO WITH ALLEGED VICTIM
TMZSports.com

Previous video that we obtained showed McGregor and the woman had been interacting at the club throughout the evening. In one vid, he was seen flexing with her as music blared. In another, the 34-year-old was seen grabbing the woman by her hand and leading her into a bathroom.

061523_conor_mcgregor_kal_v4
OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM
TMZSports.com

The woman has claimed while inside of the restroom ... Conor kissed her without her consent, forced her to perform oral sex, and attempted to sodomize her.

McGregor has been adamant that the woman's claims are "no more than a shakedown."

As for cops, the Miami PD has been investigating the allegations since Sunday.

UFC's Jared Cannonier I Quit Smoking Weed ... For My Fight W/ Vettori!

061423-jared-cannonier-kal
BEST SHAPE EVER
TMZSports.com

UFC star Jared Cannonier is turning over a new leaf -- literally -- telling TMZ Sports he's quit smoking weed for his upcoming main event fight with Marvin Vettori.

We talked to the 39-year-old "Killa Gorilla" just days before his UFC Fight Night scrap, going down Saturday night in Las Vegas, when Jared revealed the change in his lifestyle.

"For this camp I have abstained from smoking marijuana, so the clarity is there," Cannonier told us, explaining ... "More mental clarity for me. There is a physical aspect to it. You are putting foreign substances into you [body], especially your lungs."

And, because it's potentially a 25-minute scrap, Jared wants to be ready in the event he doesn't get an early stoppage.

"This is a 5-round fight, so I want to be able to push the pace for 5 hard rounds, make it 5 hard rounds for him, but just another 5 rounds for me," Cannonier told us.

"I want to push the pace, be powerful throughout the whole thing, if it goes 5 rounds. That's a big if, 'cause I plan on putting it on him start to finish. I don't see him lasting long. Mentally,  physically, I feel like I'm in a much better place than I was in my last camp, so I'm ready to go!"

The fight has title implications, too. JC is ranked 4, while Marvin is the 3rd ranked middleweight.

Alex Periera is ranked 1, but is moving up the light heavyweight, so he's out of the mix at 185 pounds. Robert Whittaker (who is fighting Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290 next month) is ranked 2nd. Israel Adesanya is the reigning champ.

With a win, Cannonier believes this puts him "right at the doorstep" of a title fight.

061423-marvin-vettori-kal
BETTER ALL-AROUND
TMZSports.com

We also talked to 29-year-old Vettori, who, you guessed it, isn't exactly on the same page when it comes to how he sees the fight going.

"Me being young, and me being hungrier, the more the fight goes on, the more [Jared's] gonna struggle. And, I might catch him early, too. I heard he wants to come out like crazy, I welcome that. Please, bring it, 'cause damn sure you're not gonna get me out of there!"

As for what happens after a win over Jared, Marvin tells us he isn't sweating the future.

"I always felt it inside, I always knew a trilogy with Adesanya is gonna happen. So, I'm not even stressing about it. My whole focus is to go out and look amazing in front of Cannonier and the rest will fall into place."

Fight goes down Saturday in Vegas!

Conor McGregor Video From NBA Arena ... Shows Bathroom Interaction With Rape Accuser

061523_conor_mcgregor_kal_v4
OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM
TMZSports.com
UPDATE

5:02 AM PT -- Conor McGregor's attorney, Barbara R. Llanes, Gelber Schachter & Greenberg, P.A., tells TMZ Sports ... "After the video was released by TMZ, the claimant’s lawyer now has changed her story. Mr. McGregor welcomes the investigation, which he firmly believes will show the claims against him are false. After not responding to the demand for money made by claimant’s counsel, she turned to the media to apply pressure. This is no more than a shakedown."

TMZ Sports has obtained video that shows Conor McGregor taking his rape accuser by the hand and leading her into a bathroom ... where she says he sexually assaulted her.

The footage was shot inside the Kaseya Center in Miami at around midnight on June 10 ... just after the Nuggets had beaten the Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9.

In the video, you can see McGregor -- wearing a black tee -- leaving a restroom area to speak with a woman in a white shirt. After appearing to exchange words with the woman, Conor grabs her by her hand and makes a path for her to go with him inside of a bathroom.

A few seconds later -- the restroom door shuts, without anyone else appearing to go inside. The footage then ends.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... earlier this week the accuser's lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, sent a demand letter claiming NBA and Miami Heat security "physically forced" the accuser into the restroom, where McGregor proceeded to rape her while security refused to let her exit or allow her friend to come into the bathroom with her.

However, the video does not appear to show anyone forcing her into the restroom with Conor (he is instead leading her by the hand), but three men who seem like security guards do assemble in front of the door in a manner that would prevent anyone from entering or exiting.

According to Mitchell ... McGregor's accuser and the UFC star had been partying together at a club inside of the NBA arena just minutes before our video was taken.

At one point during their nightclub celebration, Mitchell tells us her client took a selfie video with Conor.

061523_conor_mcgregor_flex_kal
ANOTHER VIDEO WITH ALLEGED VICTIM
TMZSports.com

Mitchell says, though, their partying was halted when McGregor said he had to use the restroom -- but shortly after he got up, a man in a Denver Nuggets jersey walked up to her and told her, "Conor told me to come get you."

"My client was under the belief they were leaving and going to the Four Seasons Hotel, as Conor had previously asked her to join him at his hotel room," Mitchell said in a statement.

"The man with the braids then stopped at the door of the bathroom, when Conor grabbed my client (as seen in the video). My client believed they were leaving, but instead Conor took her into the restroom."

It's alleged McGregor then sexually assaulted the woman.

"My client remembers having no less than six drinks that night and has admitted the parts she recalls," Mitchell said. "My client did not even recall who led her into the restroom until seeing this video."

McGregor has denied the accusations against him ... with his reps saying in a statement on Thursday, "The allegations are false. Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated."

We reached out for further comment from McGregor regarding the new video, but have not heard back yet.

Cops, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Thursday ... they have been investigating the allegations since June 11 -- and a probe remains ongoing.

McGregor had been at the arena earlier in the night participating in some of the game's entertainment -- punching a mascot as part of a break-in-the-action skit.

061523_conor_mcgregor_club_kal
CONOR IN THE CLUB
TMZSports.com

New video shows McGregor was also partying in the venue's nightclub with other patrons at halftime of the game as well ... looking like he was having a great time with a drink in his hand.

Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PT

Conor McGregor Accused Of Raping Woman At NBA Finals Game ... He Denies Allegations

UPDATE

12:46 PM PT -- The Miami Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports it has been investigating the allegations since Sunday -- and the probe remains ongoing.

Conor McGregor has been accused of raping a woman at Game 4 of the NBA Finals earlier this month ... but the UFC star says the allegations are not true.

According to demand letters, authored by attorney Ariel Mitchell, that were sent to McGregor, the NBA and the Miami Heat this week ... the incident happened just after the Nuggets had won, 108-95, on June 9 at the Kaseya Center in Florida.

McGregor played a big part in the entertainment at the game -- he sat in courtside seats  and even participated in a halftime skit where he punched a Heat mascot multiple times while promoting his Tidl Sport recovery spray.

But, according to the letters, obtained by TMZ Sports, at one point later on during the evening ... he "violently" sexually assaulted a woman inside of a men's bathroom.

In the letters, Mitchell claims that NBA and Heat security helped separate the woman from her friend ... and then forced her into a restroom that McGregor and his security guard were already inside of.

In the letters, Mitchell says "security refused to let [the woman] exit or allow anyone else, including her friend, inside the bathroom." The lawyer then claims McGregor emerged from inside of a handicap stall "and shoved his tongue in the victim's mouth and aggressively kissed her."

According to the letters, the woman was able to get McGregor off of her by telling him she had to urinate ... but then McGregor allegedly forced her to have oral sex with him.

McGregor, 34, is then accused of grabbing the woman and pinning her against the wall ... before attempting to sodomize her.

Mitchell says in the letters the woman was able to elbow McGregor repeatedly -- which gave her a window to escape. However, she allegedly fled in such a hurry, she left her purse -- which Mitchell says McGregor's security guards "held hostage" until she pleaded with them for its return.

According to the letters, the woman finally got away from it all ... and went on to report the assault to local authorities on Sunday morning. Mitchell tells us an officer then encouraged the woman to seek out an attorney.

In the letters, which were sent following the woman's meeting with cops, Mitchell said the woman is seeking settlements with the NBA, the Heat, and McGregor in lieu of litigation.

Reps for McGregor, however, said in a statement Thursday morning the "allegations are false."

"Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated," they added.

The Heat released a statement Thursday afternoon saying the org. is aware of the allegations and is "conducting a full investigation" into the matter. The NBA added in a statement of its own, "We are aware of the allegations and are working with the team to gather more information."

The UFC also addressed the alleged incident ... saying it, too, is aware of the claims and is working on getting more information.

mcgregor ed
SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS

"UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making any additional statements."

Originally Published -- 9:41 AM PT

Conor McGregor, Dee Devlin We're Having Another Baby!!! ... Child #4

Conor McGregor and his fiancée, Dee Devlin, are adding to their family -- the UFC superstar just announced the couple is expecting their fourth child together!!

The former champ champ shared the big update on "LIVE With Kelly And Mark" Wednesday ... and he says they couldn't be more excited for the new baby.

34-year-old McGregor was talking about raising his three other kids -- Conor Jr. (6), Croia Mairead (4) and Rian (2) -- when he spilled the beans on the growing family.

061423_conor_mcgregor_baby_kal
ANOTHER ON THE WAY
ABC

"We've also got another on the way ... so there's a lot going on," Conor said with a big smile.

Conor says the family still has a few more weeks before finding out about the baby's gender ... and it's clear he can't wait to get the news.

Conor and Dee have been together for about 15 years ... and were engaged in 2020.

If the baby ends up following in daddy's footsteps, they'll have a sparring partner nearby ... 'cause Conor says Junior is already starting to perfect his moves!!

Congrats to the McGregor family!!

Conor McGregor I 'Wasn't Impressed' W/ Mayweather's Performance ... Against John Gotti III

061423_conor_mcgregor_kal
NOT MUCH OF A FIGHT
TMZSports.com

Conor McGregor tuned in to Floyd Mayweather's exhibition fight vs. John Gotti III, but the UFC superstar "wasn't that impressed" with the boxing legend, saying he "enjoyed the brawl afterward more" than the actual bout!

TMZ Sports caught up with 34-year-old McGregor Wednesday morning in NYC ... when we asked Conor for his thoughts on Mayweather vs. Gotti III.

"I wasn’t that impressed, to be honest with you, wasn't impressed," Conor said.

The former double champ added ... "I don’t know where [Floyd's] at. There’s no meaning behind it. He’s just here and there. There’s no meaning behind the bouts. There’s nothing to it. I enjoyed the brawl afterward more than I did the actual bout."

Of course, Floyd retired from fighting professionally in 2017, leaving with a perfect 50-0 record. Since, he's taken several exhibition bouts, fighting everyone from Logan Paul to the Gotti, grandson of one of the most infamous mobsters ever.

floyd mayweather brawl
CHAOS IN THE ARENA
TMZSports.com

The Gotti fight lasted 6 rounds before referee Kenny Bayless disqualified John for repeatedly grabbing Floyd ... and that's when the real action started, with a melee ensuing in the ring and in several other places at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL.

Conor expressed support for John after the fight, tweeting ... "I back the Gotti's. The war is on."

Mayweather clearly intends to return to the ring, and Conor has an opponent in mind. Himself, in a rematch of their 2017 super fight.

"We'll have a go if he wants!"

Stay tuned.

Conor McGregor Heat Mascot's Doing 'Good' ... After Game 4 Punch

061323_conor_mcgregor_kal
JUST PLAYIN' AROUND
BACKGRID

The Miami Heat may have lost the NBA Finals, but there's at least some good news for the organization -- Conor McGregor says Burnie the mascot is A-OK after getting his bell rung at the hands of the UFC superstar!

"The mascot is good. It was a skit, and all is well," the 34-year-old former champ said Tuesday in NYC.

"I spent a lot of time with him afterward, we talked it out, everything is great. It was all part of the show!"

Remember, McGregor participated in what was supposed to be a fun, friendly routine with Burnie during game 4 of the Finals in Miami on Friday, when things took a turn for the worse for the furry creature.

Conor was promoting his Tidl Sport recovery spray ... when Burnie -- wearing oversized boxing gloves -- squared up with McGregor.

That was all The Notorious needed to see ... and he smashed Burnie with one of his vicious patented left hooks. The mascot went down to the ground before McGregor hit him with a brutal ground-and-pound strike to the head.

Unfortunately, Conor hits hard, as the guy in the Burnie costume found out, resulting in a reported trip to the hospital.

But, by Conor's account, he escaped serious injury and is okay.

See ya next year, Burnie ... and stay away from Conor, just in case.

Julianna Pena Amanda Nunes Is A 'Coward!' ... Who's 'Dead To Me'

juilanna pena
SHE DODGED A BULLET
TMZSports.com

"Coward!"

That's Julianna Pena's reaction to Amanda Nunes' retiring inside the Octagon after UFC 289 ... walking away from the sport before the two UFC stars got a chance to fight for a third and deciding time.

The former bantamweight champ joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where she viscerally reacted to Nunes' retirement.

"There's unfinished business and listen, the reality is that Amanda retired. She had a great career, but let's call a spade a spade. She's a coward. From the very beginning, the UFC told me that she didn't want to fight me and that's why it took so long for them to make the trilogy," Amanda told us.

Of course, 35-year-old Nunes easily handled Irene Aldana, scoring a decisive and unanimous 5-round decision Saturday night in Vancouver ... before she laid down her gloves in the center of the cage.

Remember, 33-year-old Pena defeated Nunes at UFC 269 in December 2021, in turn taking her bantamweight title. The women rematched at UFC 277 in July 2022 ... a fight Amanda won by unanimous decision (though, if you watch the video, the fight wasn't without controversy).

The Venezuelan Vixen and Lioness were supposed to settle their score once and for all at 289 ... but Julianna was forced to drop out after suffering a serious rib injury.

"We're 1-1, it's tied up and the fact that she walked away like this, it's unfortunate but personally, congratulations. Professionally, what the heck is that?"

Now, the expectation is Pena will fight Raquel Pennington or another top contender ... but, Amanda doesn't think Julianna will ever be champ again, and she said as much during her post-fight presser.

Pena believes Nunes is simply taking a shot at her.

"[Amanda] knows what can happen. She knows that she lost her belt to me and she knows that I'm a threat. She's gonna do everything and anything that she can to discredit me to say that I'm not good or that I'm never gonna be champion."

061223-julianna-pena-kal
BIG BOO

Julianna says she's not been left to "carry the whole division" by herself ... and she doesn't plan to sit around and dream about what a trilogy could've been like. It's onward and upward for the former champ.

"At this point, [Amanda's] dead to me. You retired, good, go, ride off into the sunset, have a good time. We gotta keep s*** pushing around here, so let's keep this division open and alive and things are gonna be exciting!"

But, with that said ... Pena did leave open the possibility for a future fight.

"Congratulations. Have a good time, but I know at the end of the day a fighter, especially when they're still young, is gonna have a hard time walking away from this sport. When she's ready to come back, I'll be here."

Marshawn Lynch Challenges Ronda Rousey To Wrestle ... On 'Stars On Mars!!!'

Ever dream of seeing an NFL great go up against a UFC legend/WWE Superstar in a fight??

Consider your wish granted ... 'cause Marshawn Lynch challenged Ronda Rousey to a wrestling match on the latest episode of Fox's new celebrity reality show, "Stars On Mars" -- and by the looks of it, things got intense!!

The wild moment went down when the crew members found out they're in need of a new base commander ... and Beast Mode, the self-appointed leader of the bunch, decided he's not giving up his role without a fight. Literally.

"You know what? I'mma make this simple," the Super Bowl champ said as he made his way to an open area ... making it clear he was prepping for a throw-down.

"Yeah, I throw hands, baby," he added.

But, bad news struck for the former Seattle Seahawk ... 'cause the former UFC champ volunteered to be his opponent.

"You wanna fight for base commander? All right!!" Ronda said as she made her way to the makeshift fight arena.

So, who wins?? We won't know until the whole episode airs at 8 PM ... but some contestants were certain Ronda was gonna come out on top.

Popcorn. Get it ready.

BKFC Founder David Feldman We're In Talks For A Reality Show ... And Major TV Deal

053023_david_feldman_kal
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
TMZSports.com

BKFC just celebrated their 5-year anniversary -- and for a promotion that was once a pariah -- President David Feldman says they've got big things coming, including a reality show, setting them up to become the second biggest combat sports org. in the world.

"We're in talks with two major networks right now. I think we're going to get a network deal, and I think that's going to really blow us up. We already have four or five buyers on it," the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship CEO told us.

"We're going to have a reality show end of '23, beginning of '24, and a major TV deal," Feldman said, adding ... "I really certainly think in three to four years from now, we're in the number two spot in combat sports. I really mean that."

BKFC has recently put on some big fights ... namely Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold (that's when Conor McGregor came into the ring afterward) and Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes.

Like the early days of MMA, bare knuckle boxing was once shunned by many states, accused of being too brutal. But, the sport has been much more widely accepted over the last couple of years, with BKFC having put on more than 50 events in 12 different states, and 4 countries.

"A lot of people ask what's my toughest obstacle that I had to overcome with BKFC, and it was just changing people's perception on it. The perception on it was, a backyard street fight, a bar fight. Anything but that. We have the best combat sports athletes in the world," Feldman told us.

As for the smoothest part, David says ... "it's just relatable to everybody. Everybody in the world has either watched at some point or another or been in a bare-knuckle fight in their life. Everybody kind of knows what it is. So because of that, it helped us transition, I believe."

Feldman says they now have their eyes on several big boxing stars who they'd like to lure to BKFC. David believes bare-knuckle boxing is a true "middle ground" between boxing and MMA ... potentially setting up fights that'd draw massive fan interest.

"Our backs have been in the corner plenty of times. We fought our way out, and we feel like we're a major player in combat sports five years into this thing!"

Conor McGregor Punch to Heat Mascot Sent Person Inside to Hospital: Report

Conor McGregor punched the Miami Heat's mascot last night, and while it all seemed to be in good (planned) fun ... it actually ended up hurting the dude inside, per a new report.

According to The Athletic ... the man who was playing "Burnie" during Friday's game was sent to the ER after taking a couple of closed-fist dings to the dome ... courtesy of Conor, who was playing along in a clearly orchestrated sketch.

You see, the whole thing was designed to plug CMG's new pain relief spray -- TIDL Sport --which he actually used during the comedy bit. The mascot got socked, went down ... and then got socked again before being dragged away by staffers. Conor was spraying it on the way out.

Unfortunately ... while Conor might've thought Burnie was just hamming it up for the crowd -- the person wearing the costume was legitimately injured. The Athletic says the Burnie dude was treated at the hospital, and then released with pain medication ... and was OK.

So, no real harm or foul all things considered ... and it certainly doesn't sound like anyone in the league or with the Heat is mad at Conor. It's just one of those things -- a battle wound if you will.

Conor hasn't responded to the story just yet.

UFC Star Israel Adesanya Makes Logan Paul Tap Out!!! ... Intense Sparring Sesh

060623_paul_adesanya_kal
WRESTLIN' LESSON

Israel Adesanya just earned the first submission win of his career ... 'cause the UFC star made Logan Paul tap out during a fierce training session!!

The Maverick has been working out with Izzy, the middleweight champion, and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in Puerto Rico this week ... where the two champs have been helping the YouTuber-turned-boxer work on his MMA skills.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

By the looks of it, it's been a humbling experience for Logan ... but what do you expect when he's going up against two of the baddest dudes in combat sports?!?

In video of one of the workouts, Logan is on top of Izzy, fighting like hell as Adesanya methodically put him in a Triangle choke, forcing the WWE Superstar to tap.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Logan seemed pretty satisfied with the attempt, though ... saying, "I almost made it out!" with a big smile on his face.

It's been quite the crash course for Paul, who says Israel -- who's more known for his incredibly precise striking than ground game -- has been helping him learn how to kick as well.

Paul Bros on UFC AUGUST 2018
LISTEN UP, DANA!
TMZSports.com

Logan -- a decorated high school wrestler -- has expressed interest in MMA in the past ... and his brother, Jake, recently signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Who knows ... a bit more training with these guys and maybe Dana White picks up the phone?!

Old news is old news!
Be First!

Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser!