UFC

Dricus Du Plessis isn't only traveling thousands of miles for his first title defense, but he's headed straight into Israel Adesanya's backyard. So, is the middleweight champ pissed off?!

Nope ... in fact, he tells us he would've preferred to fight in Izzy's own gym!

"I'm extremely happy," Du Plessis told TMZ Sports. "If I had it my way, I would have done it in Auckland, where he's from."

Israel Adesanya was an emotional rollercoaster while exchanging trash talk with Dricus du Plessis ... going from calling his opponent a "f***ing pig" to breaking down in tears moments later.

The intense back-and-forth went down during the UFC 305 press conference in Australia ... when the Last Stylebender was asked if he would take his middleweight championship back to Africa if he were to win this weekend, to which DDP (21-2) chimed in with a jab about his childhood -- referencing how Adesanya's family had domestic servants.

"Are you taking the servants with you when you're going back?" the South African fighter asked. "Are you taking the servants with you if you're going back?"

Michael Chandler's Christmas wish is to put his fist through Conor McGregor's face on the UFC's December card -- and while Santa Claus can't help here -- Dana White can, and Iron Mike desperately hopes he books the long-awaited fight as UFC 310's main event!

TMZ Sports talked to 38-year-old Chandler on Wednesday ... and asked the #6 ranked lightweight for his reaction to White recently declaring McGregor (and therefore Michael) would NOT be fighting in 2024.

"If [Conor and I] can fight in December, let's do it. I'm in. But the fact of the matter is I've stayed ready since I left training camp for that June 29 fight and I am staying ready to take a fight. Any fight, if this fight doesn't look like it's happening in December," Chandler told us.

Former mixed martial artist Lumumba Sayers -- who once fought ex-UFC star Derek Brunson inside a cage -- was arrested for murder over the weekend ... after he allegedly shot and killed a man to avenge his son's death.

The Commerce City Police Department says the incident happened at around 5 PM on Saturday during a children's birthday party at a Commerce City, Colo. park.

According to the arrest affidavit, obtained by Denver7, Sayers is accused of walking up to 28-year-old Malcolm Watson and shooting him in the head. The docs state witnesses told cops Sayers may have thought Watson had been a friend of a man he believed to be somehow involved in the 2023 death of Sayers' son.

Israel Adesanya's returning to the Octagon for a scrap with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 ... and the former champ is now breaking down exactly where his beef stands with the current middleweight title holder.

"It's not personal, I just want him to take accountability for his remarks," Izzy recently told TMZ Sports ... just days before his August 17 main event.

Said "remarks" go back to when Du Plessis -- who was born in South Africa -- said he was gunning to become the first "real African" champion in the UFC ... something Adesanya (born in Nigeria before ultimately moving to New Zealand for a better educational opportunity) took serious umbrage over.

Belal Muhammad already has an idea who he may fight in his first bout as defending UFC champion ... telling TMZ Sports it could be all-time welterweight great, Kamaru Usman, or up-and-comer, Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Muhammad joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the guys talked about everything from what it felt like to finally achieve his dream, to who is on his shortlist for his first fight as the division's king.

"It's been epic," Belal said ... "for me to go down to enemy territory, his home soil in front of his people, that were booing me the whole week, to go out there and dominate them the way I dominated them, it felt so good!"

Khabib Nurmagomedov is arguably the greatest ever to grace an MMA cage, so with Deiveson Figueiredo training with the undefeated former UFC champion ahead of his fight with Marlon Vera, we asked "Chito" if he was concerned with the Brazilian star's secret weapon.

"I don't give two f***s who he trains with," 31-year-old Chito bluntly told TMZ Sports (let's be real, if you've followed Vera, you could've guessed his answer.)

36-year-old Figueiredo reportedly spent time training with The Eagle on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi ... the location of Saturday's UFC on ABC card.

Belal Muhammad is set to take part in his first title match as a member of the UFC ... and the No. 2-ranked welterweight tells TMZ Sports he's ready to play spoiler for the hometown fighter, Leon Edwards.

The 36-year-old Muhammad spoke with us just days before he makes the walk in the biggest fight of his UFC career at UFC 304 in London ... and while it took longer than he thought it would, he's excited the moment has finally arrived.

"This is the fight I've been waiting for the last three years," Muhammad said. "To get this rematch, to get this title shot, it's taken forever, but it's all worth it. The long road, the long wait. I think that once I get to fight night, I'm gonna know the reasons why I had to wait."

Jon Jones is the official UFC heavyweight champion ... but not in the eyes of Curtis Blaydes -- who tells TMZ Sports he views interim champ Tom Aspinall as the real title holder.

We caught up with "Razor" as he prepares to square off with Aspinall for the second time in his career later Saturday at UFC 304 ... and he said there's not much doubt in his mind, he's going up against the real No. 1 in Dana White's heavyweight division.

"I view it as Aspinall [and not Jon Jones]," Blaydes said when asked who's the real heavyweight champion. "I do. I think Aspinall had to beat a harder opponent in order to get the belt. Ciryl Gane is a very skilled heavyweight, but he has an obvious hole in his game, the wrestling. He doesn't have any of it. Jon, smartly, went after that hole. Easy W."

While Paddy Pimblett is viewed as the next big thing in the UFC ... Bobby "King" Green isn't all that impressed -- telling TMZ Sports he's just "another guy" who he's hoping to knock out later Saturday.

We caught up with Green just hours before he throws down with "The Baddy" at UFC 304 ... and while the scrap is in Pimblett's home country of England ... Green says, so far, he's been getting love!

"I didn't know I was international," he said, "but they've been giving me a lot of love, too. And a lot of it is his people been telling me to kick his ass!"

Ronda Rousey is ready for round 2!!!

The former UFC champion and WWE Superstar announced Thursday she's pregnant with her second child ... sharing the big news while speaking at a San Diego Comic-Con panel to promote her new graphic novel, "Expecting the Unexpected."

"Did anyone notice that I'm very pregnant right now? Yeah, I'm just as pregnant as 'Mom' is in the majority of the comic," Rousey jokingly said to the crowd in attendance.

Jake Paul outlasted "Platinum" Mike Perry on Saturday ... defeating the Bare Knuckle FC and former UFC fighter via sixth-round TKO.

Jake handled Mike for the majority of the bout ... knocking Perry down in the first two rounds. He appeared gassed as the match went on, before ultimately catching a second wind and taking care of business.

Jake ended up getting the victory in the 6th ... and shortly after his hand was raised, he called out yet another UFC fighter -- Alex Pereira.

Tennis great Nick Kyrgios is bent out of shape that certain people -- AKA the "Hawk Tuah" chick -- are not getting famous the old-fashioned way.

Kyrgios was exercised over Haliey Welch's appearance at Jake Paul's fight against Mike Perry.

Haliey got quite the reaction, and to that Nick said, "No correlation between fame and actually being decent at something anymore," punctuating his criticism with a laughing emoji.

The UFC will host the first-ever live sporting event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, but, there are only 10 fights. So, who gets a spot?? Well, 19-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. said earlier this week one should be reserved for him!

TMZ Sports talked to the rising star -- prior to reports he made the cut for the Noche UFC event going down on September 14 -- and he pleaded his case for why he should be involved.

"My manager is talking with the UFC right now, and I think the possibility is high," Rosas Jr. said of landing the coveted spot.

8:57 AM PT -- Trump is taking advantage of Hulk's viral moment ... 'cause the former president's campaign is now selling the same cutoff the wrestling legend rocked on stage!!

Folks can cop the merch with a donation of $35 or more ... and we take it it'll be a hot item with the MAGA crowd following the memorable performance.

The Republican National Convention stage looked more like a wrestling ring Thursday night -- at least for a few minutes -- as Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt and fired up the crowd with an impassioned pro-Donald Trump speech.

The WWE-style moments all went down at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee ... about an hour or so before Trump formally accepted the GOP's nomination for President.

Hulk, who said he committed to speaking at the event following Saturday's attempt on Trump's life, repeatedly praised the former Prez ... all while speaking as if he were in the center of a squared circle at WrestleMania.

Jake Paul's latest fight bet offer was immediately rejected ... with "Platinum" Mike Perry refusing to agree to get a "W" face tattoo if he loses on Saturday night.

El Gallo -- who's known to put wild, sometimes permanent, wagers on the line with his boxing opponents -- laid out the terms of his proposition at Thursday's press conference ... saying if he ends up getting his second career L, he'll rematch Perry in Bare Knuckle FC. But if Jake wins, Perry would have to sport his men's care brand logo on his mug for the rest of his life.

The crowd let out a collective cheer ... and Perry responded by trashing the fans in attendance before slamming the door on the bet.