Boxing

Conor McGregor's close friend and training partner claims the UFC superstar screwed him out of millions over his Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey ... and now, he's suing to get what he believes he deserves.

MMA fighter and boxer Artem Lobov filed the suit ... claiming he was the mastermind behind Conor's successful Irish whiskey brand. Lobov says he was promised a 5% cut of the company for his efforts ... but when McGregor and his partners sold their stake for $600 million in 2021, he was left with nothing.

Conor reportedly raked in around $150 million as a result of the deal ... and Lobov previously claimed McGregor offered him $1 million, but he declined.

Lobov's attorney, Dermot McNamara, released a statement on the lawsuit ... saying, "My client is a retired professional fighter with a master’s degree from DCU in Finance and Capital Markets."

"We have issued High Court proceedings on his behalf to enforce an agreement with Mr. McGregor regarding the Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand."

"My client was the initial creator and co-founder of the concept to launch an Irish whiskey brand associated with Mr. McGregor."

Karen J. Kessler, a spokesperson for Conor, refutes Lobov's claim ... telling TMZ Sports, "Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey was created, developed, branded and tirelessly promoted by Conor McGregor."

Dillon Danis -- a former Bellator fighter and Conor McGregor's good pal -- was punched in the eye during a wild altercation outside of a boxing event on Friday ... just minutes after he had a crazy run-in with KSI.

Here's the deal ... KSI and a bunch of other famed fighters and celeb boxers were at a hotel conference room in Austin, Texas for the weigh-ins for the YouTubers Misfits Series 3 event this weekend -- when Danis rolled up from the crowd to confront KSI.

Video shows the two traded verbal barbs -- and a flurry of threats -- before Danis knocked KSI's hat off his head and then threw a cup of cold coffee in his face.

KSI attempted to go after Danis -- but was held back. Danis, meanwhile, bolted from the area with his entourage and eventually made his way out of the hotel.

Once outside, though, former Bellator fighter Anthony Taylor yelled at Danis for going after KSI at the event ... and then repeatedly attempted to strike him.

Ultimately, Taylor threw a huge right hand that landed squarely on Danis' face.

Then all hell broke loose -- with seemingly everyone outside throwing punches. At one point, it appeared one member of Danis' entourage suffered a bloody lip from a blow to the mouth.

The fighting died down after several moments -- and peace was restored. Danis told a cameraman on the scene he was fine.

Of course, both Danis and Taylor are no strangers to these kinds of antics at fighting events. Danis was just involved in a tiff with Nate Diaz at UFC 281 ... while Taylor got into a street fight before a Floyd Mayweather celeb boxing event in Dubai earlier this month.

"Jake Paul is the next man on my hit list."

That's Tommy Fury making it crystal clear during a recent conversation with TMZ Sports ... he wants to box fellow undefeated fighter and bitter rival, 25-year-old Jake Paul.

Of course, we've been here before. The men were twice scheduled to fight ... but the bouts fell apart. But, just last weekend in Dubai, Tommy and Jake nearly came to blows after Fury boxed an exhibition match on a Floyd Mayweather fight card.

This time, Tommy tells us he's confident the two will make it all the way to the ring.

"I definitely feel like this fight will happen this time. I've said if this fight doesn't happen it'll be through no fault of my own," Tommy says.

And, Fury says he badly wants the fight.

"I want this fight more than anything because it's a chance for me to put everything that I've been hearing for the past two years to bed. And it needs to be put to bed because at the end of the day this man is not in my class, he's not in my league, and he's a YouTube fighter, that's what this man is. I'm a proper fighter. I'm from a fighting family. I have aspirations of winning world titles," Tommy tells us.

Fury's 8-0 with 4 KOs. Paul is 6-0 with 5 KOs. Jake's fought some big names in MMA, so his opponents are more recognizable. He's beaten future UFC Hall of Famers Tyron Woodley (twice) and Anderson Silva.

As for where the fight could take place, Tommy's thinking big. BIG.

"I feel like this is a Wembley [Arena] fight. I feel like it could do 80,000 very comfortably. If you ask anybody walking down the street on Saturday night do you wanna go watch Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury at Wembley, everybody's gonna say yes. I believe it's a massive pay-per-view fight."

FYI, Wembley is a huge stadium in London with a capacity around 90K for boxing matches.

If/when the fight happens ... Fury would advise you not to arrive late, because he's planning for a short night's work.

"This fight does not go the distance. There's no chance in hell cause I won't let it go to the distance. I am not gonna get in the ring and look to outpoint Jake Paul. I'm gonna be in that ring looking to take his head off with every punch."

Then came the prediction.

Ric Flair came up with a convenient way to get everyone high on his signature weed ... by using his own ganja blower to get smoke in fans' faces!!

The WWE legend threw on one of his famous robes and got the party started in a recent video ... saying, "Ric Flair Drip go Wooooooooooo!!"

The Nature Boy then used the weed blower (if that's what it's called) to blow potent smoke in the faces of those around him ... and you can tell the 73-year-old was having the time of his life.

"Let’s Wake Up To Ric Flair 💧! See You Soon Vegas! WOOOOO!," the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion captioned the video.

As you know, Ric joined his friend, Mike Tyson, in the cannabis business earlier this year, with the former heavyweight boxer collaborating with Naitch on his "Ric Flair Drip" line.

In September, the two icons linked up for an epic toking sesh ... smoking blunts after attending a cannabis conference in Chicago.

According to Benzinga, Ric's cannabis line includes many products that pay homage to Flair's fondness of flowers, vape cartridges, sweets, pre-rolls, and flower jars.

Flair is taking his brand to Sin City next ... and it appears the Hall of Famer isn't coming empty-handed.

Hasim Rahman Jr. has found a new opponent ... former NFL star turned UFC fighter turned boxer Greg Hardy is stepping in last minute to save the main event after Vitor Belfort was forced to pull out after getting sick, it was announced Tuesday.

DAZN broke the news this morning ... announcing Rahman will square off against the ex-Panthers defensive end in just four days.

“I’m excited, man, this is my chance to show that I belong in the boxing world,” Hardy said.

“I know plenty about the Rahman name as boxers, and I know he was preparing for Vitor, but I’m definitely confident and prepared to show people I can box.”

Hasim and Vitor were originally set to go toe-to-toe on Nov.19 in Austin, TX ... but the bout was called off after the Brazilian mixed martial artist contracted COVID-19.

Rahman will have his hands full with Hardy ... who aside from being huge (Greg would have to cut to make the 265 lb. limit as a UFC fighter), also hits like a truck.

But, Hasim's also dangerous. The 31-year-old boxer -- whose dad was a heavyweight champ -- has a pro record of 12-1 (6 knockouts).

Of course, Rahman Jr.'s been one of the fighters feuding with Jake Paul of late. The men were scheduled to fight, but the bout fell apart weeks before. Hasim has been adamant the Problem Child's ducking him.

Jake Paul wants to settle his feud with Tommy Fury once and for all ... saying he'll fight TNT in the U.K. in February -- or he's moving on forever.

The Problem Child announced his plans in a message to Fury's promoter on Tuesday ... saying, "Dear @FrankWarren, I agree to fight Tommy in Manchester or London in Feb. I’ll come to his country, no more running."

The fight has been cursed since the very beginning -- it was scrapped twice due to issues on Fury's side ... including an injury and trouble getting access to the United States.

The beef reached new heights after Tommy's exhibition fight on Sunday ... when the two jawed back and forth -- and John Fury even ripped his own shirt off and taunted Jake.

After the incident, John told reporters Jake agreed to finally fight Tommy ... and JP followed through on his promise.

Paul -- who's fresh off an impressive win over Anderson Silva -- wants ink to paper ASAP ... saying Fury's team can either agree to the fight in the next week, or lose their opportunity forever.

"Since John is adamant we’ve agreed, I am giving u 7 days to present a signed contract by Tommy or I’m moving on," Jake tweeted.

Tommy has yet to respond.

It's worth noting -- Tommy is expecting his first child with fellow "Love Island" star Molly-Mae Hague around the time of the proposed fight ... but Jake claims Fury's camp has assured there won't be any issues this time around.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are teaming up once again ... but this time, it's not in the boxing ring -- the two legends are releasing a cannabis gummy collection together!!

Iron Mike has become quite the weed businessman with his Tyson 2.0 brand in recent years ... and went viral when he released his "Mike Bites" edibles, which are a reference to the time he infamously took a chunk out of Real Deal's ear during their infamous 1997 bout.

Tyson is now including Holyfield in the money-making opportunity ... joining forces with his former nemesis to create a new line called "Holy Ears."

The ear-shaped gummies -- which are "Cherry Pie Punch" flavored -- have Holyfield's stamp of approval ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he took one and was knocked out!!

"It put me to sleep!" Evander tells us ... adding he thinks the finished product is "great."

Holyfield says he was honored when Mike called and pitched the idea ... and considering the benefits of cannabis, he couldn't pass on the opportunity to help the cause.

Tyson's partner, Chad Bronstein, says the product will drop next week ... and both THC and Delta 8 versions will be available all over the country.

Tyson gives credit to his wife for coming up with the idea for "Holy Ears" ... and admitted it wouldn't be right to release the new collection without Evander on board.

Tyson Fury -- one of the toughest fighters on the planet -- is showing off his softer side by releasing a cover of one of his favorite songs ... and it's for a really good cause!!

The heavyweight boxer just delivered his own rendition of Neil Diamond's 1969 classic hit, "Sweet Caroline" ... and we gotta admit, it's solid!!

The 34-year-old -- along with background singers -- hit every note on the track ... including the iconic chorus, "Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good!"

But, Fury wasn't just showing off his pipes for the heck of it -- the profits earned from this single will go toward Talk Club, a charity that focuses on men's mental health.

Fury has been vocal about his struggles with the same cause ... and previously said he hopes he can be an example for those dealing with similar issues.

No word on what the O.G. crooner thinks of the cover ... but we know Don McLean was thrilled when the 32-0 boxer performed "American Pie" after his rematch win against Deontay Wilder.

McLean told TMZ Sports at the time ... "I would say he's the #1 bar room singer."

Jake Paul might have to get ready for a rematch ... but we're not talking Tyron Woodley or Anderson Silva -- his first-ever opponent tells TMZ Sports he'd love to have another shot at the Problem Child!!

Internet superstar Deji goes up against the one and only Floyd Mayweather Sunday in an exhibition in Saudi Arabia ... and he spoke with us about his preparations for The Best Ever -- as well as potential future matchups.

Deji says he's treating the fight 100% seriously as he gears up for the bout ... but at the same time, he doesn't want to psyche himself out before stepping in the ring.

As far as his boxing game goes, Deji tells us he isn't just in it for a huge paycheck -- he wants the viewers to see how much he's improved his game since going up against Jake in 2018.

Remember, Jake ended up beating Deji via stoppage in his first boxing match ... and Paul went on to beat NBAer Nate Robinson and a number of UFC stars.

Deji says he'd love to avenge his loss to Jake in due time ... telling us it's something he'll always want to do, but he may need to add a bit more to his record before going up against Jake again.

For Sunday's fight, Deji knows there'll be a ton of big names -- including Jake -- who would be checking out how much he's improved over the years.

Tommy Fury, returning to the squared circle this weekend in Dubai, has a message for rival Jake Paul -- who is expected to be ringside -- you better not step foot in the ring, or else.

23-year-old Fury, a perfect 8-0 as a pro boxer, is the co-main event on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Deji card ... going down Saturday from Dubai (DAZN PPV). Tommy's taking on Paul Bamba, an American fighter from NYC, who enters the ring with a 5-2 record.

Speaking of entering the ring ... that's something Fury warns Jake he should NOT do.

"I'm not bothered if [Jake's] at ringside, anyone's at ringside. KSI, Jake Paul, whoever's there, I'm not interested cause my full focus is on Paul Bamba and when I beat Paul Bamba and I come through him, then I'll revert my attention to them at ringside. But until then, it's Paul Bamba, he's got my full attention on Sunday night."

"But, if they are there, better not get into the ring after the fight 'cause I'll be nice and warmed up, put it that way," Fury cautioned.

As for the fight ... Tommy says Bamba isn't much of a threat to him.

"Paul Bamba presents a challenge in he's southpaw. But apart from that, that's pretty much it."

"I mean he's knocked a few people out at super middleweight. He's not the biggest light heavyweight that's out there. At the end of the day I've been sparring southpaws this whole camp. I been sparring the best southpaw in the world in Tyson, so there's not a lot that I'm not prepared for."

Of course, Tommy's brother is Tyson Fury ... the best heavyweight fighter in the world, and one of the greatest ever.

"I been sparring Tyson, I been sparring heavyweights, middleweights for speed, I've covered every box, so on fight night, there's no good building it up in the head about something it's not. It's another day in the gym because I've sparred better people than this man."

And, Fury tells us he's pumped to fight on the same card as 50-0 Mayweather ... who's boxing KSI's brother in an exhibition.

A Jake Paul vs. Andrew Tate fight might actually happen ... the two came face-to-face and are negotiating terms for a fight, according to The Problem Child.

Paul -- an undefeated cruiserweight boxer -- and the former kickboxing champ met up at the PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani's Kamani Club in Dubai on Thursday.

You can see the shirtless fighters face-off in front of a boxing ring in Paul's social media post ... with the caption, "Negotiations."

It's a fight that's been talked about for a long time. In fact, Tate -- a controversial influencer -- offered Jake $3 million to fight back in 2021 ... but Jake had other opponents in mind at the time.

But, during a recent episode of brother Logan Paul's "Impaulsive" podcast, Jake claimed the 76-9 kickboxer -- who also had a short stint in MMA -- doesn't really want to fight him, or Logan.

"I don't think he gets in the ring with one of us," Jake said in August.

"It's too big of a risk for him. He's 'alpha male,' right? That's his whole entire thing."

Paul added, "And when he loses -- he will lose to either one of us he fights -- his whole schtick and all the women will be like, 'Yeah!' and his whole schtick goes out the window."

The Problem Child also ripped Tate for his catchphrase.

"He runs with this whole thing like 'what color is your Bugatti?'," Paul said, "Andrew, it's not cool to tell kids that they need a Buggati to be cool."

Former boxing champ Jose Zepeda -- who owns a career 35-2-2 record -- was arrested in Los Angeles on Tuesday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to police, officers responded to a battery call in Baldwin Park ... and following an investigation, arrested Zepeda.

Per a Baldwin Park Police Dept. spokesperson, the 33-year-old was eventually issued a citation ... and the case has since been kicked over to prosecutors for review.

Further details surrounding the allegations were not made immediately available.

The arrest couldn't come at a worse time for Zepeda -- he's slated to fight Regis Prograis in a title fight in less than three weeks on Nov. 26.

It's unclear if the fight could be in jeopardy over Tuesday's incident.

Zepeda has held several belts in his career ... most recently winning the WBC Silver light welterweight title in Oct. 2020. He's currently on a five-fight win streak, which includes a win over Josue Vargas in his last match on Oct. 30, 2021.

If any haters are still out there doubting Jake Paul ... boxing champ Lawrence Okolie clearly believes they need to drop that opinion ASAP -- praising the guy as the real deal in the ring following a sparring sesh with the former YouTuber on Wednesday.

Okolie and Paul traded blows at PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani's Kamani Club in Dubai ... getting in work so intensely, they were drenched in sweat.

And, afterward, Okolie said Paul is no joke with the gloves.

"He's better than most boxers," the WBO cruiserweight world champ said, according to boxing reporter Michael Benson. "People just hate because of his influencer background."

Of course, many boxing fans have discredited Paul, despite his 6-0 record ... simply because none of his victories have come against actual boxers.

Paul, though, has tried to fight real boxers in the past few months ... setting up matches with both Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. But, both bouts fell through before the first-round bell could sound.

Boxing star Aidos Yerbossynuly is currently in a medically-induced coma ... after the super middleweight was brutally knocked out in his first career loss on Saturday.

The 30-year-old went down in the final round of his Premier Boxing Champions bout against Cuban boxer David Morrell at the Minneapolis Armory in Minnesota.

In video from the event, the Kazakh boxer (17-1, 11 KOs) is shown attempting to dodge Morrell's punches when he was struck with a fierce right hook, knocking him down to the ground.

As Morrell (8-0, 7 KOs) celebrated in the ring, Yerbossynuly tried to stand up on his own ... but needed assistance from referee Tony Weeks, who then waved off the fight.

Yerbossynuly was clearly not okay ... falling backwards into the ropes.

He was taken to a nearby hospital after the loss -- the first of his 7-year boxing career -- and was put into a medically-induced coma following surgery on a subdural hematoma.

Morrell went to Twitter after the sad update on Yerbossynuly's condition ... saying even though he got the win, he's focusing on Aidos' recovery.

"It is a great moment for me but at the same time super hard for others," Morrell said.

"Let's pray for a super fast recovery and ponta for Aidos," he added. "God bless you and be with you."

Other boxers sent Aidos well wishes as well ... including Muhammad Ali's boxing grandson Nico Ali Walsh who wrote, "Please send many prayers to my Muslim brother Aidos Yerbossynuly for a speedy recovery."

A Premier Boxing Champions spokesperson said they are working with Aidos' team and TGB Promotions to monitor Yerbossynuly's situation.

Hasim Rahman Jr. isn't buying the hype surrounding Jake Paul ... telling TMZ Sports the Problem Child is not the hard-hitter people think he is -- calling him a "whole b****."

"A lot of people expect the right hand of Jake Paul to be this devastating punch," Hasim says. "I try to tell people he can't punch, but don't listen to me."

Remember, Hasim and Jake were supposed to cut the trash talk and fight for real on Aug. 6 ... but the bout was canceled due to a weight issue (although Rahman believes Jake purposely scrapped it out of fear).

Paul ended up taking on Anderson Silva -- and WINNING -- on Oct. 29 ... and Rahman tells us Spider committed the blunder of squaring up, a common mistake MMA fighters commit since they aren't used to boxing.

"He didn't hurt him when he knocked him down," Hasim says. "Anderson became square which means his legs were parallel, and he had no balance to catch himself from being hit."

"I think if he landed that same punch and Andersons not square," he added. "I highly doubt Anderson would've went down."

"Saying that, from the beginning, I think that Jake never really wanted to be in the ring with me," Rahman tells us. "I think he's a duck," he added.

Despite all that happened with Paul, Rahman tells us his focus is on his upcoming fight on Nov. 19 against Vitor Belfort in Texas -- and not on Jake, or his older brother, Logan, who he calls a "bigger b****."

"These guys have let the internet convince them in their minds that they are who they aren't," Rahman says. "We call them keyboard warriors. We still waiting on Logan to get a win."

"If Logan can go ahead and actually win a fight, we'll be in good business but until then, they really just keyboard warriors to me."

Boxing star Shakur Stevenson is back in the public eye for the first time since Takeoff's tragic murder ... but he did not speak about the events that went down that night.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Shakur was standing inches away from the Migos rapper just moments before he was fatally shot twice in Houston.

Stevenson went silent on social media in the days following the shooting -- aside from a tweet honoring his friend, saying, "R.I.P Takeoff 🙏🏾"

On Thursday, Shakur returned to his usual routine by joining the "Spit Bucket Podcast" to talk boxing ... and he seemed pretty composed throughout the interview.

The topic of Takeoff was not brought up ... probably for a couple reasons.

One, there is an active investigation into what went down that night ... and there may not be much Shakur can get really discuss at this time.

The other -- the incident literally happened just days ago ... and it's understandable to consider Shakur isn't mentally ready to talk about it.