UFC

Hollywood stars, sports legends, and a billionaire or two had a kick-ass view for UFC 303, but none of them were at T-Mobile Arena ... instead, Vince Vaughn and a gang of other celebs partied and watched fights at a new, super cool immersive theater in L.A.

Cosm Los Angeles -- a 65,000 square foot theatre with a massive curved LED screen in Hollywood Park (next to the Rams' SoFi Stadium) -- is designed to transport fans, giving them the best seat in the house at the biggest sporting events and concerts.

Think of being in the Octagon as Alex Pereira throws punches and kicks (except you never get hit 😰). That's what it's like ... and thanks to a bunch of partnerships with leagues, promotions, and networks, Cosm will show the UFC, NBA, NHL, Premiere League soccer, USA Soccer and much more.

Brian Ortega stepped into the UFC 303 co-main event on two weeks' notice ... and some have called the decision reckless and potentially costly for the MMA star. So, why'd T-City accept the fight? TMZ Sports asked him.

"At this point it just becomes about having fun with my career. Taking the craziest fights now, and this is one of them, right?" 33-year-old Ortega told us.

"Two weeks notice, save 303, checklist. That's something that gets me excited, gives me nerves. Makes me feel alive again. Makes me feel like a young up-and-comer."

Ian Garry is a few days away from making the walk against Michael Page at UFC 303 ... and despite Venom's resume, the Irish star sounded as confident as ever during a recent convo with TMZ Sports.

26-year-old Garry previewed his upcoming match against former Bellator star, MVP ... and while many people may consider Page a legend, Ian very clearly isn't impressed with Michael's work in the cage.

In fact, when asked how he would handle MVP's unique style in the Octagon, Garry did not hold back!

Conor McGregor is keeping himself busy as he nurses the pinky toe injury that forced him out of UFC 303 ... by tracking down the latest viral sensation -- the "Hawk Tuah" girl.

A Tennessee resident Hailey Welch is believed to be the woman who took the world by storm with a street interview she participated in a few weeks ago ... and if you somehow have no idea what we're talking about, the video is provided below for your viewing pleasure.

Naturally, the silly clip spread like wildfire ... and folks rushed to get a hold of the woman's profiles.

Ryan Garcia isn't retiring ... the boxing superstar tells TMZ Sports he won't give his detractors the satisfaction. So, when his one-year suspension run ends, King Ry will be back in the squared circle!

But, until then ... he's ready to fight somewhere else besides the ring.

We ran into 25-year-old Garcia, who was out in Los Angeles Friday afternoon, where we asked Ryan about the punishment levied by the New York state athletic commission, whether he was truly retired, and if he was serious about fighting MMA.

Paige VanZant says her modeling career is so lucrative, she is no longer pursuing fighting full-time ... admitting combat sports is more like a recreational activity than a profession to her these days.

The 30-year-old fighter-turned-OnlyFans model was a rising star in UFC ... earning a 5-4 record during her time in Dana White's organization.

But, she's now making a name for herself in an entirely different industry ... and ultimately, the money she's raking in from it has led her to shift gears for good.

Robert Whittaker expected to fight Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but will instead face Ikram Aliskerov after Borz was forced out of the scrap with an illness that hospitalized him. So, much easier fight, right?!

Not so fast ... according to 33-year-old Whittaker himself!

"I am thankful for [Aliskerov] to step up to the plate to fight, and a lot of fans probably don't know how dangerous this guy is. And, in a lot of ways, this guy is more dangerous than Chimaev was, especially mentality-wise, because he has nothing to lose and only everything to gain," Robert told TMZ Sports earlier this week.

Conor McGregor is finally telling fans about the injury that forced him to pull out of his comeback fight against Michael Chandler on June 29 at UFC 303.

And ... it's a broken toe.

"We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean," 35-year-old McGregor wrote on social media.

The fight was called off just over 3 weeks before the men were set to scrap.

Taylor Wily -- an actor and former sumo wrestler best known for his recurring role on "Hawaii Five-0" -- has died.

According to an anchor for local Hawaii outlet KITV -- who described Taylor as a family friend ... Taylor died Thursday. KITV did not provide a cause of death.

Television producer Peter M. Lenkov confirmed the news on his official Instagram account ... posting a picture with Wily from behind the scenes of a television show and telling his followers he's "heartbroken.".

Dana White's ripping cancel culture, saying it's stopping people from being their true selves in public -- and he's using an interesting metaphor to make his point ... gay people.

The UFC CEO sat down with Shannon Sharpe for an episode of his "Club Shay Shay" podcast ... and, they dove into people getting "canceled" -- something White says doesn't scare him one bit.

Watch the clip ... Dana says he only cares about the opinion of a small group of people -- his family and loved ones -- and everything outside of that's just white noise. He then launches into a comparison that's raising eyebrows among some ... but ringing true for others.

Fight off, party on!

Conor McGregor showed up in public for the first time since his big UFC 303 comeback fight was called off over an undisclosed injury -- and the UFC superstar looked no worse for wear.

35-year-old McGregor attended a movie premiere at his bar, The Black Forge Inn, in Dublin on Tuesday where they screened actor John Connors' new film, "The Black Guelph."

Justin Timberlake's got a UFC superstar ready to fight for his freedom ... with Conor McGregor throwing his support behind the singer following his DWI arrest.

Notorious reacted to the "Selfish" crooner's legal troubles roughly 24 hours after the news broke on Tuesday ... and he's certainly not turning his back on Timberlake over the matter.

"Free JT," McGregor said on Wednesday ... sharing a pic of the musician's mug shot for good measure.

Conor McGregor is NOT currently receiving treatment for substance abuse, despite Chael Sonnen suggesting otherwise ... 'cause a rep for the UFC superstar tells TMZ Sports he's not in rehab.

The American Gangster dropped the bombshell allegation on his "Good Guy/Bad Guy" show with Daniel Cormier on Monday ... calling BS on Conor's claim that an injury forced him to back out of his fight against Michael Chandler.

The two hosts were discussing how both Conor and Michael have a history of promoting alcohol products ... and while Chael didn't mention the former champ-champ's name directly, it's clear that's who he was talking about.

Michael Chandler just finished his last training sesh in preparation for this hugely anticipated UFC 303 main event vs. Conor McGregor ... when Iron Mike says the dreaded phone call came in -- fight's off.

38-year-old Chandler, who has largely been quiet since Dana White announced the news late last week, is opening up about the cancelation.

"Thinking about what has transpired over the last couple of days. Obviously, you guys saw it all. Got the rug pulled out from underneath me at the last possible moment," Chandler told fans while on a nature hike.

Power slap star Sheena Bathory says she's gotten mixed reactions from some of her fans over her new BBL ... but she tells TMZ Sports she's happy with her new look -- despite what haters are saying online.

The 32-year-old got the butt work done in Florida on June 5 ... and when we spoke with her days after her big cosmetic surgery this week -- she said she's loving what she's seeing so far.

Bathory told us, though, that while she's received support and well wishes from many of her fans ... some have criticized her -- saying she looked fine previously.