TMZ.com Home

Fight Island officially opens on July 11 -- and Dana White is telling TMZ Sports who will have the honor of breaking in the new venue!

"The first fight that we're looking at is Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway," White says.

Of course, the two fought back in Dec. 2019 -- with Volkanovski beating Max by unanimous decision.

Now, Max gets a shot at redemption on Fight Island ... which has also been revealed as Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Other fights taking place ... Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo and Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas.

White also says Kamaru Usman will fight Gilbert Burns.

White says the UFC is working on locking in more fights for Fight Island ... including Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Shogun Rua and Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till.

White says there are more fights in the works.

As for the safety issue re: COVID-19, White says there will be "Lots of testing, lots of quarantining and lots of fighting."

UFC has also "secured" its own airline -- "We're going too be flying guys in from all over the place on our own airline."

There's more ... we also asked about Conor McGregor and if White truly believes the Irishman will stay retired from combat sports,

"I honestly don't know," White said ... ""but that kid's got a ton of money."

White says he found out McGregor is likely making a fortune in his liquor deal with Proper No. 12 -- and adds, "The minute you even start thinking about retiring, you should retire."

White tells us he understands fighters can fall in and out of love with the sport -- and the pandemic isn't helping.

One of the accused ex-cops in George Floyd's murder case needs financial assistance, and believe it or not, he's hoping the public will lend a hand as he tries to mount his legal defense ... which is that he claims he tried to do the right thing.

The family of Thomas Lane is soliciting donations via a website they've set up. His bail's been set at a million bucks ... and if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison.

Lane, along with the 2 other ex-officers beside Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting 2nd-degree murder, and aiding and abetting 2nd-degree manslaughter.

Through their website -- which reads more like a resume -- Lane's family tries pleading his case, arguing Lane did everything he had the power and authority to do to save George's life on May 25. They point out Lane suggested rolling him on his side ... which they -- and prosecutors -- say Chauvin refused to do.

However, Lane was also involved in pinning George on the ground. The vast majority of America, and several law enforcement veterans, think he and his comrades should have removed Chauvin.

Anyway, the family says Lane called for the ambulance prior to George losing consciousness, and when it arrived Lane "did not hesitate to jump into the Ambulance where he started performing CPR to try and save George Floyd’s life."

They say chain of command is the only thing that stopped him from doing more. Lane's defense attorney offered that same explanation last week during arraignment.

On top of that, they note he was brand new on the job ... just 4 days on the streets.

The attorney for one of the cops charged with aiding and abetting in the murder of George Floyd made a shocking, ridiculous claim -- that the civilian bystanders who watched Floyd die should have intervened. But, that argument will backfire in spectacular fashion.

Earl Gray, the lawyer for fired officer and current defendant Thomas Lane, told Chris Cuomo on CNN Monday night ... if the bystanders were so outraged they should have stepped in. Cuomo was indignant ... the notion bystanders would intervene against four armed police officers is outrageous.

Think about it though ... what Gray is conceding is that there was clear excessive force -- otherwise, why would he advocate for civilian intervention? If there is clear excessive force -- which there was -- then his client would have a greater duty than any civilian to stop it. To yank Derek Chauvin off George Floyd ... and that's precisely the reason Thomas Lane was charged.

The husband of the Phoenix "Karen" -- who went viral for making a racist comment to a woman, and getting a slap in return -- is explaining his wife's behavior and offering a tearful apology.

Bob Harrian appealed directly to Karina Rodriguez -- the woman who slapped his wife, Tamara, in the gas station altercation -- during an interview with FOX10, saying, "I'm just so sorry that this happened. You never walked into that store thinking something like this was going to happen. I understand, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what she said."

Bob didn't excuse Tamara's racist rant, but explained ... "I just have to tell you this -- it's her mental illness. A year ago she would never have done, never have even thought of that."

He claims his wife's actions are the result of a break-in at their home last year, and says she's developed paranoia and signs of fabrication. He hopes the slap video will be enough to convince Tamara to finally seek treatment for her issues.

A disgusting, bloody pig head on a spike was left in front of an L.A. police station ... now cops are trying to find out who left it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the swine skull was discovered outside the LAPD's infamous Rampart station Saturday afternoon, and though the message is hardly subtle ... it's unclear if the gesture was intended as a serious threat.

We're told the department's looking into it further and reviewing surveillance footage in the area. Cops are also being advised to maintain a low profile right now while off-duty ... in order to avoid confrontations with a public that's heated about police practices. Cops are well aware that's why hundreds of thousands, in L.A. alone, have been marching.

As you know ... there have been several incidents of violence involving cops the past 2 weeks during the unrest over George Floyd's death, systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S.

Some of the more alarming incidents include a Chicago cop charging and punching a guy, cops in Buffalo pushing an elderly man to the ground and a vehicle running over an NYPD officer.

It's worth noting ... LAPD's Rampart Division made national headlines for a massive police corruption scandal in the late '90s with officers implicated in police brutality, drug deals and even bank robberies.

Harry Potter himself is shutting down his own creator's views on gender identity and trans people, and his message about equality is pretty magical.

Daniel Radcliffe responded to J.K. Rowling's controversial thoughts about the subject through an essay on The Trevor Project -- an org that advocates for suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community -- and begged J.K. (he calls her Jo) to have a change of heart.

He wrote, "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I."

He went on to cite alarming stats about discrimination against trans youth and non-binary people, writing, "It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm."

ICYMI ... J.K. caught a ton of flak this weekend for nitpicking the phrase "people who menstruate" which she came across in a NYT headline. Her feeling is ... only women menstruate, so when talking about that -- we supposedly oughta just refer to them.

The Internet fired back at her, pointing out trans men and others who don't identify with traditional gender identities ... can also menstruate. J.K. doubled and tripled down, refusing to cede ground and pissing off many Potter fans in the process.

Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker are still going strong -- hitting up the most expensive sushi spot in town Monday ... just weeks before Devin has to get back to work!

The two rolled through Nobu in Malibu and left in the same SUV -- roughly one month after they were spotted on a road trip together in Arizona.

They both looked really good. In fact, Kendall walked out of the restaurant like she was strutting down a fashion runway.

But, here's the twist ... with the NBA announcing its plan to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida starting on July 31, it seems they'll have a forced separation.

Devin's Phoenix Suns will be included in the NBA's 22-team plan -- in which players and staff will essentially live in a bubble environment as they play out the rest of the season and playoffs.

Teams are expected to arrive in mid-July.

Only essential people will be allowed in the bubble -- players, staff, coaches and family members. Everyone will be required to undergo thorough COVID-19 testing.

Since Kendall isn't family, it's likely she won't be allowed inside ... and if the Suns catch fire, they could be in the bubble until mid-October!

The good news for Kendall ... there's a very low chance they'll even make the playoff portion of the bubble much less the Finals.

Former "America's Got Talent" champ Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. says he had a much different experience on set than Gabrielle Union ... but there's one thing that's still bothering him.

Landau -- who won season 6 of 'AGT' -- tells TMZ ... he didn't experience any overt racism or discrimination on the show like Gabrielle claims, but he's bummed out because even though he won, he never got asked back on the show.

While Landau isn't certain why 'AGT' gave him the cold shoulder ... he does wonder if it has anything to do with what went down in Vegas after he was crowned.

Landau thought things were going swimmingly, his residency shows seemed packed, but the shot callers apparently saw it differently ... and he tells us what led to his early Sin City exit. He suspects that's playing a role in the radio silence with the show.

The dude's got a good attitude about everything though ... joking about his last song on the show, Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

Landau isn't the only winner who hasn't gotten asked back though ... there's Kevin Skinner, Neal Boyd (who died in 2018) and the Olate Dogs too.

Reche Caldwell will be laid to rest on June 20 in Tampa, Florida ... the ex-NFL wide receiver's mother tells TMZ Sports.

The service will take place at First Baptist Church of West Tampa -- with the viewing taking place the day before.

We spoke with Deborah Caldwell who tells us the family has been flooded with calls from family and friends offering love and support in the wake of Reche's death.

They're also well aware -- and very appreciative -- of the notes on social media from Reche's ex-teammates like Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Bill Belichick and others.

When asked what fans could do to help out ... Deborah told us Reche has a 13-year-old son who plans to go to college one day. She's hoping to set up a college fund so people can donate if they wish. We'll update this post once that has been done.

As we previously reported, Reche -- a 2nd-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft -- was shot and killed outside of his home in Tampa on Saturday night.

Cops are investigating -- and have said the shooting does not appear to be a random act of violence.

Texas actor Billy Forester is best known for playing the wish-granting ghost, Flabber -- who helps the kids defeat Magnavore from the comfort of the Hillhurst Mansion -- in the '90s children's action show, 'BeetleBorgs.'

Billy Forester's bulbous blue ghoul wasn't the only wacky character on the series ... he was cast alongside Herbie Baez, who played Roland and the Green Hunter Beetleborg, Wesley Barker, who played Drew and the Blue Stinger Beetleborg ... and of course, Blake Torney as the mummy, Mums.

Forester is also known for his role as Jeremiah in "BloodHounds, INC."

Monday's memorial proved even more historic after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo declared Tuesday, June 9 George Floyd Day throughout their area.

The people of Houston are paying their respects to George Floyd in his hometown -- a public viewing will be followed by his final memorial service ... and TMZ's streaming it live.

The ceremony is being held at the Fountain of Praise Church. The public will have a chance to see George's casket ahead of the memorial service.

This marks the third of four memorials that have been planned and carried out for George -- you'll recall, he was honored in Minneapolis last week (where he was killed) and then again in North Carolina (his birth state) over the weekend. Now, he'll be remembered in H-Town, where he grew up.

The man's death has touched millions of people around the world -- having sparked international protests and demonstrations in his name ... and could lead to the dismantling of Minneapolis' police department ... and possibly other cities as well.

The cops involved in his killing have been criminally charged -- namely, Derek Chauvin ... who's facing second-degree murder for having his knee on George's neck for nearly 9 minutes. The other 3 officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, have also been charged with felonies, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Rest in Peace, George.

Reese Witherspoon is taking some legal heat for a dress giveaway to teachers during the early days of the pandemic, and the lawsuit reads like the ultimate case of no good deed goes unpunished.

Three women are putting together a class-action lawsuit against Reese and her Draper James clothing company for their highly-publicized offer on Instagram in early April, which stated ... "Dear Teachers: We want to say thank you. During quarantine we see you working harder than every to educate our children. To show our gratitude, Draper James would like to give teachers a free dress."

According to the suit, the offer required participants to provide their personal information to the fashion line -- including contact information and sensitive education employment ID info -- within 3 days, and then all "winners" who accepted the offer would be notified by April 7.

Now, we should say the IG post clearly stated the offer was valid "while supplies last." However, the plaintiffs say the offer didn't make it clear Draper James only had 250 dresses to give away.

So instead, according to the lawsuit, the nearly 1 million teachers who provided their personal info were entered into a lottery with a slim chance of winning ... when they all believed they were getting free dresses.

The women suing point out that the total cost of the 250 dresses to be given away would only come out to an "estimated paltry $12,500 in actual cost" to Reese and her company ... "at a time when other individuals of [Reese] Witherspoon's renown were offering millions of dollars to COVID-19 victims."

Translation: Yes, you were charitable, but we wanted you to be WAY more charitable. Wow.

The lawsuit alleges Reese and her company also benefited from the publicity of the giveaway -- including shout-outs on "Today" and "Good Morning America."

Draper James' attorney Theane Evangelis tells TMZ ... "This lawsuit is an unjust attempt to exploit Draper James' good intentions to honor the teacher community by gifting hundreds of free dresses. The fact that supplies were limited, such that a free dress could not be provided to every teacher who responded, was disclosed and is no basis for a lawsuit."

She continues, "Draper James looks forward to defending this case, to continuing its efforts to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions made by teachers during this time of need, and to being vindicated in court."

First order of business for the newly "retired" Conor McGregor?!?

Hittin' the waters for a badass jetski sesh!!

The (former?) UFC superstar was spotted out off the coast of Dalkey in Dublin fresh off his 3rd retirement announcement in 4 years on Monday ... pretty much re-enacting that iconic scene from Netflix's "Tiger King."

You know what we're talking about. All that's missing is the "Eye Of The Tiger" playing in the background.

Conor was spotted making waves on a neon jetski ... circling around an expensive-looking yacht. Smell like retirement, or just another day in the life of being a rich guy??

Now, who knows if McGregor is REALLY done fighting ... but the dude is definitely playing the part -- he's even out here eating big ass brownies.

If he's trying to send a message, he's already got Floyd Mayweather's attention ... who said Notorious is "quitting."

Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters has died ... TMZ has learned.

The Grammy-winning Motown artist, who was originally part of the popular quartet group of sisters in the '70s, died this morning. Her sister, Anita, tells TMZ, "It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”

Bonnie was one of the OG Pointer Sisters -- which started out as a duo, with her as one of the leads -- but eventually left the group in the mid-1970s to pursue a successful solo career. She's perhaps best known for her cover of "Heaven Must Have Sent You."

Anita continues, "Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day, we never had a fight in our life, I already miss her and I will see her again one day."

Bonnie had a prolific recording career under Motown Records -- which signed her after she left TPS -- cranking out 3 full albums and producing a number of singles too. Her disco rendition of 'Heaven' peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

While she was with the Pointer Sisters, she earned a Grammy award for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group in the country category, no less, for their crossover hit "Fairytale."

After Bonnie went solo, they continued to rack up accolades and hits with the remaining members.

She got hitched to Motown exec Jeffrey Bowen and remained married for several years until they called it quits in the early 2000s.

Another one of the sisters, June, died in 2006 from cancer.

Bonnie is survived by 2 sisters. She was 69.

Josh Groban's been getting sexually harassed and now threatened with a pop-in at his new home by a woman he says he canceled a date with nearly a decade ago ... so he claims in new legal docs.

The swooning singer just got a temporary restraining order against the obsessed female fan, who he claims has been incessantly sending him texts, emails and direct messages since 2011 ... along with contacting his family members and his current girlfriend in recent years.

Some of the alleged messages -- from as recently as May -- are very sexual and graphic in nature, including one saying ... "I came at approximately 7:09 PM this evening with the thought of your d**k between my t**s and your warmness against my ribcage." It gets even more graphic, but we'll spare ya ... this isn't Penthouse Forum.

Another DM to Josh last month allegedly referred to his relationship with his GF. It said, "You wanna try honoring the home we're going to have children in by not f**king other women in it."

Also, on May 26, the woman allegedly sent DMs to Josh claiming she went to his house with the intention of dropping off gifts. One said, "Put on a little bit of makeup in case I got caught, also wore pants with a hole in the crotch for the same reasons."

Josh says he met the woman through a mutual Facebook friend in 2011, and they began flirting and made plans to meet in person ... but he called it off because he was sick. He claims immediately following the missed meeting she wouldn't give up and kept pestering him, so he told her they could never meet.

Groban claims until this year, she's limited her efforts to public places where he's staying or performing, and he's had to have his security intercept her at various locations and have her removed.

According to the docs ... Josh claims things intensified big time in February 2020, especially after she found out online that he bought a new home in L.A. and told him she knew where he lives. This resulted in sending her a cease and desist letter to lay off ... to no avail.

He claims she even sent a package to his home in early May that consisted of a small skull, a flower, and a book with handwritten notes in it that were sexual in nature and made it clear she would never stop.

Joe Exotic says he's at the end of his rope, and might not be around much longer if he doesn't get some immediate help from President Trump ... or Cardi B ... or Kim Kardashian.

TMZ's obtained a letter penned by the imprisoned 'Tiger King' star this week to his "Supporters, Fans, Loves Ones." He opens by saying the pandemic's over, so he's asking POTUS to grant him a miracle and free him ... but it's pretty bleak from there.

Joe says, "My soul is dead" and he's struggling to keep hope in what he describes as some pretty miserable conditions behind bars. He also claims he's being tormented by people sending him info about his husband, Dillon Passage, living it up on the outs and partying without him. Joe also says Dillon's gone radio silent on him.

On top of all this, Exotic claims he's not getting treatment and meds for his health conditions, and he makes a dark prediction -- "I'll be dead in 2-3 months."

Joe compares his prison sentence to death row, makes it clear he feels abandoned ... and takes some shots at people he believes took advantage of him and stabbed him in the back.

There are some more questionable parts to the letter too -- including racial comments suggesting he'd get treated better if he were a different color ... and saying George Floyd's message got lost with the rioting. Oh, and there's a Michael Jackson song reference too.

In the end, Exotic maintains his innocence ... and tosses a final Hail Mary to Cardi and Kim in hopes they'll catch it and help him out. The Cardi ship may have already sailed, though.

Of course, Joe still has a legal team working hard to get a pardon from Trump, but if this letter's to be believed ... the clock's ticking.