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UFC's Justin Gaethje I'm 100% Down To Train The FBI ... To Kick Criminal Ass!
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Published March 1, 2025 12:50 AM PST
TMZSports.com
FBI Director Kash Patel wants UFC fighters to train his Agents ... and well there's one that is totally down! 🙋🏽 Justin Gaethje.
TMZ Sports spoke to 36-year-old Gaethje, who at the moment is a little tied up preparing for his co-main event scrap with Rafael Fiziev, who was plugged in for an injured Dan Hooker this week.
After the March 8 scrap in Las Vegas, the lightweight contender is down to help the country's top law enforcement agency in any way he can ... training personnel, or just kickin' the ass himself.
FBI Director Kash Patel Considering UFC Collab ... To Train Agents
Published February 27, 2025 12:13 PM PST | Updated February 27, 2025 1:13 PM PST
Newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel wants his org to kick some serious ass ... with reports stating he's considering bringing in UFC trainers to work with agents!!
According to Reuters, Patel suggested the idea in a video conference with supervisors on Wednesday. In the call, he proposed establishing a formal relationship with Dana White's promotion to fine-tune agents' self-defense skills.
The idea may seem a bit odd ... and that's how it's being received by at least a few agents, who said it was "surreal" and "wacky," according to the outlet.
Published February 26, 2025 10:21 AM PST
MMA fighter Sean Loeffler has been charged with sexual abuse and more in Lincoln County, Oregon ... nearly a year after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence-related charges and was given a two-year prison sentence.
Documents obtained by TMZ from Lincoln County Circuit Court show Loeffler has been formally charged with sexual abuse in the first and second degrees, plus two counts of unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree.
The indictment sets a wildly uncomfortable picture, alleging the female victim "was incapable of consent by reason of mental incapacitation or physical helplessness" and was subject to the professional coach and trainer touching her vaginal area, as well as performing oral sex on her.
MMA's Guilherme Vasconcelos Cause Of Death Revealed
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Published February 22, 2025 12:50 AM PST
Guilherme "Bomba" Vasconcelos -- an MMA fighter who competed in the UFC and Bellator, and dated Demi Lovato -- died by suicide, according to newly-released documents.
TMZ Sports obtained the case report from the October 15 incident ... which state cops were dispatched to an Illinois home around 9 AM after a woman reported finding Vasconcelos in the garage.
After reviewing security camera footage ... cops determined Vasconcelos took his own life the night prior around 11:45 PM -- and was not discovered until the following morning.
Real Xtreme Fighting Men Beat Up Models In Sanctioned Bout ... Sparks Outrage
Published February 20, 2025 6:53 AM PST | Updated February 20, 2025 10:52 AM PST
Real Xtreme Fighting
Three OnlyFans models were beaten to a pulp by two men during a sanctioned MMA bout this week ... and fight fans everywhere have been outraged by the disturbing video of the scrap.
The tilt went down during a Real Xtreme Fighting event in Romania ... and it featured a team of Alicia Bonita, Denisa Costea and Maria Adriana for some reason going against Costica Prisecaru and Sebastian Rechinu.
Clad in white tank tops and matching skirts, the trio of women wore headgear ... while the duo of males did not.
Conor McGregor Appeals Assault Verdict In Ireland
Published February 17, 2025 2:06 PM PST
Conor McGregor just formally moved to overturn the result of his recent civil assault case in Ireland.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... McGregor filed an appeal with the courts last Friday in an effort to clear himself following a jury's November ruling that he was liable for assaulting Nikita Ni Lamhain.
The case, as you know, stemmed from allegations Ni Lamhain -- AKA Nikita Hand -- made against the fighter in a lawsuit years ago. Hand claimed McGregor had sex with her against her will at a hotel ... after he picked her up from a 2018 Christmas party.
Rayna Vallandingham I'm Taekwon-Doing S.I. Swimsuit!!! ... Named 2025 Rookie
Published February 11, 2025 8:20 AM PST
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is really gonna pack a punch this year -- taekwondo champion Rayna Vallandingham was just named a rookie for the 2025 issue!!
The publication made the big reveal on Tuesday ... saying the fourth-degree black belt and actress recently got behind the lens for photographer Yu Tsai in Jamaica.
S.I. shared just one pic from the shoot ... showing Vallandingham -- who has nearly four million followers on Instagram alone -- rocking a two-piece Lybethras suit while on the beach.
Jon Jones In Super Bowl Ad Taking On U.S. Healthcare System ... Most Important Fight Of Career
Published February 7, 2025 9:00 AM PST
Power To The Patients
Turns out Jon Jones' next bout isn't against Alex PereiraOR Tom Aspinall ... the UFC heavyweight champ is picking a fight against a far more powerful entity -- the American healthcare system!
TMZ Sports has an early look at a Super Bowl commercial starring Bones -- slated to run during Sunday's Chiefs vs. Eagles game -- where he takes aim at the industry.
Power to the Patients
"Thanks for joining me today. This next fight for me is a personal one, but it's not just for me. It's for every American who's ever been bullied, robbed, or deceived. It's arguably the most important fight of my career. My next opponent will be the American healthcare system," Jones says in the commercial.
Chael Sonnen I'm Running For Oregon Governor!
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Published February 2, 2025 12:15 AM PST
TMZSports.com
Governor Chael P. Sonnen... coming shortly to the Oregon state capitol building?!
Hell yes, if you ask the MMA legend, who matter-of-factly told TMZ Sports this week ... "I will be governor soon!"
47-year-old Sonnen was born and raised in Oregon -- where he lives to this day.
MMA's Bryce Mitchell Calls Hitler A 'Good Guy' Dana White Slams Comments
Published January 30, 2025 10:50 AM PST | Updated January 30, 2025 2:15 PM PST
12:30 PM PT -- Mitchell's boss, UFC honcho Dana White, unloaded on his comments at a Power Slap press conference just now ... in which he labeled the fighter "probably one of the dumbest human beings."
"We've obviously reached out to Bryce and when we read what he said and let him know what we feel about it, we are beyond disgusted," White said.
Power Slap
He went on to say Mitchell apologized ... but when asked about a potential punishment, White said it's free speech.
"That's the beautiful thing about this business," he continued. "For all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television."
UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell complimented Hitler and denied the Holocaust in a wildly offensive podcast episode, saying the former Nazi leader simply attempted to "purify" Germany from the "greedy Jews."
Conor McGregor Fires Up BYU Student Section ... Go Cougars!!!
Published January 29, 2025 9:01 AM PST
If the BYU crowd was extra loud Tuesday night, thank Conor McGregor for the raucous atmosphere ... The Notorious was in the house as the school's hoops team beat Baylor, and he had the student section FIRED UP!
Mystic Mac was courtside for the Cougars game vs. the Bears at the J. Willard Marriott Center ... and it sounds like McGregor had a blast!
"I've always wondered what the college game would be like, and I am very, very, very impressed," McGregor said.
Jon Jones Trump Personally Invited Me ... To Inauguration!
Published January 20, 2025 8:04 AM PST
BACKGRID
Dana White and Joe Rogan won't be the only UFC representatives at the presidential inauguration on Monday ... Jon Jones will also be in attendance after receiving a personal invite from Donald Trump!
"Donald and Dana White have become pretty good friends, and it's a really cool time to be in the UFC, being American, being a champion, getting an invite from the president. It's quite a big deal," the UFC heavyweight title holder said after touching down in the D.C. area.
To anyone who criticizes his attendance at the historic event, Bones says this:
Frontier Airlines Khabib Ignored Our Flight Attendant ... MMA Legend Denies!
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Published January 13, 2025 2:49 PM PST
Frontier Airlines is adamant they were NOT in the wrong when they booted UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov off a flight this weekend ... claiming the 29-0 fighter ignored a flight attendant's instructions before takeoff.
But, TMZ Sports just spoke to someone close to Khabib, who says that's simply false.
First, Frontier's side of things. The airline says Khabib -- who was seated in an exit row -- failed to indicate he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency.
Mark Zuckerberg Dead Serious About MMA Fight!!!
Published January 10, 2025 12:12 PM PST | Updated January 10, 2025 1:04 PM PST
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 Joe Rogan Experience
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 BKFC Partner Voices Support ... Loyalty Over Everything
Published January 3, 2025 7:28 AM PST | Updated January 3, 2025 8:30 AM PST
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.
MAY 2024
"We don't want to go into what happened but at the end of the day, we’re with him,” Feldman said.
Conor McGregor I'm Gonna Fight Logan Paul ... Before UFC Return
Published December 17, 2024 6:26 AM PST | Updated December 17, 2024 1:35 PM PST
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.