Boxing

Francis Ngannou knows what he wants next ... telling TMZ Sports the clear choice is a rematch with Tyson Fury!

We talked to 37-year-old Ngannou on Tuesday ... just days after his incredibly impressive performance against 35-year-old Fury, and asked one of the most coveted athletes in all combat sports who and/or what he wants now that the world's at his fingertips.

"The rematch is what I want next the most," Ngannou told us.

"As for right now I feel like there is a lot of options for me, but I want to choose wisely, and I would go for the rematch first."

Before Tyson and Francis ever threw a punch at each other, Fury already had his next fight booked vs. Oleksandr Usyk. Ngannou thinks he and Fury should settle their business (the rematch) before the boxing champs scrap.

"My best scenario in boxing is to wait for Fury. If Usyk can step out and let me fight Fury, I'll fight Fury, then I'll let them do whatever they do. I'll go back, maybe do some MMA fight and come back with some people in boxing," Francis said.

"I'm planning to fight potentially twice next year, [starting] maybe February or March."

Of course, despite losing by a split decision on the judge's scorecards, many fans believe Francis beat Tyson ... so, we asked The Predator if he plans on appealing the decision.

"Who am I gonna appeal to? [The British Boxing Commission]? I have no chance. I think that's just another way of humiliation."

Francis Ngannou sabe lo que quiere y le dicie a TMZ Sports que la opción clara es una revancha con Tyson Fury.

Hablamos con Ngannou (37), el martes, pocos días después de su impresionante actuación  contra Fury (35) y le preguntó a uno de los atletas más codiciados de todos los deportes de combate que es lo que quiere ahora que el mundo está a su alcance.

"La revancha es lo que más quiero después", nos dijo Ngannou.

"En cuanto a ahora mismo, siento que hay muchas opciones para mí, pero quiero elegir sabiamente, y yo iría primero por la revancha".

Antes de que Tyson y Francis se dieran un puñetazo, Fury ya tenía reservada su próxima pelea contra Oleksandr Usyk. Ngannou cree que él y Fury deberían arreglar sus asuntos (la revancha) antes de que los campeones de boxeo se peleen.

"Mi mejor escenario en el boxeo es esperar a Fury. Si Usyk puede retirarse y dejarme pelear con Fury, pelearé con Fury, y luego les dejaré hacer lo que hagan. Volveré, tal vez haga alguna pelea de MMA y regresaré con algunas personas en el boxeo", dijo Francis.

"Estoy planeando pelear potencialmente dos veces el próximo año, [comenzando] tal vez en febrero o marzo".

Por supuesto, a pesar de perder por decisión dividida en las tarjetas de puntuación del juez, muchos fanáticos creen que Francis venció a Tyson, así que le preguntamos a "The Predator" si planea apelar la decisión.

"¿A quién voy a apelar? [¿A la Comisión Británica de Boxeo?] No tengo ninguna posibilidad. Creo que es otra forma de humillación".

Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury, despite losing on the scorecards, totally changed how many fans view MMA fighters vs. boxers ... a little too much according to undefeated pugilist Shakur Stevenson, who has a message for any UFC stars having thoughts of stepping in the ring.

Of course, Fury edged Ngannou by split decision in Saudi Arabia on Saturday ... a fight many expected to be a cakewalk for the world's best heavyweight boxer. In reality, it was anything but ... and now some mixed martial artists are emboldened by what went down in the squared circle.

"I say if they feel that way, give it a try. I think that you got some MMA guys that want to come get in the ring with somebody like me, I would love the opportunity to beat up an MMA guy and show them that there's real levels to it," 26-year-old Stevenson told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

20-0 Shakur continued ... "I just think Tyson Fury was off that night and them [MMA] dudes need to relax and stay in their lane."

We followed up with Shakur ... asking if he had an opponent in mind.

"What's that dude's name, Sean ...?" Shakur asked.

He was talking about "Suga" Sean O'Malley, the UFC's bantamweight (135 lb.) champion.

Babcock asked Shakur if he had a message for Suga.

"Tell him we can get it in. I'm ready to lock in with him," Stevenson told us, adding ... "It's levels to this s**t. If he wants to come try his hand, I'll beat the s**t out of him."

Of course, O'Malley previously called out Gervonta "Tank" Davis ... so it's clear Sean's hunting for a big-time boxing superstar.

Shakur fits that bill to a T.

O'Malley is under contract with the UFC, but Dana White has shown he's willing to make big, crossover fights. Look no further than Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

As for the Fury and Ngannou fight, Shakur says regardless of what Fury says, he doesn't believe Tyson trained 3 months for Francis.

"I don't believe the fact that he says he trained for 12 weeks. He didn't look like he trained. Didn't look like he threw too many punches. He usually throws punches. He seemed real hesitant, and I don't know how good of shape he was in," Stevenson said.

"Usually I'm a big fan of Tyson Fury. That night he didn't look too good."

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya's breaking down Francis Ngannou's odds of beating Tyson Fury in the boxing ring Saturday night ... putting his chance squarely at "ZERO," flat out telling us it ain't happening!

TMZ Sports was chatting with ODLH -- as he was promoting boxing star Ryan Garcia's upcoming return to the ring -- when we asked him about today's fight in Saudi Arabia ... pitting The Predator, MMA's most feared striker, vs. The Gypsy King, the best heavyweight boxer in the world.

"I think I have a better chance at beating Tiger Woods in golf," Oscar told us ... not mincing a single word.

We followed up ... no chance at all?!

"Zero," De La Hoya responded.

"I'll tell you one thing about Tyson Fury and Ngannou. It's gonna be entertaining, while it lasts I believe. Tyson Fury, you have to realize, he went in there against [Deontay] Wilder. He goes in there vs. Wladimir Klitschko, so he's a fighter all his life inside the boxing ring."

Despite clearly seeing no way the former UFC champ can win, Oscar still gave him credit for accepting the bout.

"Ngannou, I commend him for even trying this. I take my hat off to him for even trying this. He's gonna make a s***load of money. I just think when Tyson Fury gets his number and his rhythm, he's gonna play with him and probably knock him out."

FYI, Francis last fought in January 2022 -- a UFC contest -- against heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane. Ngannou won by unanimous decision. Tyson last fought and beat Derek Chisora by TKO in December 2022.

Fury is regarded as not just the best heavyweight boxer of his era, but of of the greatest ever, period. Meanwhile, Ngannou, a striker who puts fear in his opponents, has never boxed professionally.

Bottom line, there might not be anyone out there who knows boxing better than De La Hoya ... but as they say, there's a reason they play the game, or in this case, have the fight.

Dillon Danis says his hundreds of social media posts about Logan Paul's fiancée, Nina Agdal, were meant to be taken as a joke ... claiming he was only playing the role of "bad guy" to promote his recent boxing match.

The former Bellator MMA fighter spells it all out in court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which he says his incessant trolling of the WWE Superstar and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model was clearly "parody, satire, comedy, farce or opinions" to draw interest to the Oct. 14 event.

In fact, Danis denies even having a real "feud" with Logan, who beat him in the Misfits boxing match via disqualification.

As we previously reported, Nina filed her complaint back in September ... saying Danis' actions caused "humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational harm," and accusing him of posting her explicit images without her consent.

Danis denies the claims ... saying anyone with internet would be able to access plenty of nude and semi-nude pictures of Agdal from her personal social media accounts.

As for his defense, Danis says his comments about Agdal are protected by the First Amendment ... as they're simply his opinion.

Danis is ready to defend himself in court ... and he's demanding a jury trial.

Dillon Danis dice que sus cientos de publicaciones en las redes sociales sobre la prometida de Logan Paul, Nina Agdal, estaban destinadas a ser tomadas como una broma ... afirmando que solo estaba jugando el papel de "chico malo" para promover su reciente pelea de boxeo.

El ex luchador de Bellator MMA lo explica todo en documentos judiciales obtenidos por TMZ Sports, en los que dice que su incesante troleo hacia la Superestrella de la WWE y la modelo de trajes de baño de Sports Illustrated eran claramente "parodia, sátira, comedia y una farsa" para atraer el interés al evento del 14 de octubre.

De hecho, Danis niega incluso tener una verdadera "enemistad" con Logan, que le venció en el combate de boxeo Misfits por descalificación.

Como informamos anteriormente, Nina presentó su denuncia en septiembre, diciendo que las acciones de Danis causaron "humillación, angustia emocional y daño a su reputación", además, lo acusó de publicar imágenes explícitas sin su consentimiento.

Danis niega las afirmaciones, diciendo que cualquier persona con Internet sería capaz de acceder a un montón de fotos de desnudos y semidesnudos de Agdal desde sus cuentas personales de redes sociales.

En cuanto a su defensa, Danis dice que sus comentarios sobre Agdal están protegidos por la Primera Enmienda, ya que son simplemente su opinión.

No, Jake Paul was NOT doing bumps of cocaine in the ring after his brother Logan's boxing match last weekend ... so says the Problem Child himself, who's combating the allegations with comedy.

The 26-year-old internet superstar and pugilist was spotted on camera touching his nose as he stood behind his older bro following his win over Dillon Danis in Manchester ... with many going to social media to accuse him of sniffing the booger sugar in plain sight.

Paul addressed it all in his most recent YouTube video ... poking fun at the wild claims by surrounding himself with Coca-Cola cans and tossing a white powder in the air like LeBron James.

"Y'all want some Coke?" Paul asked his friends as he pretended to be drugged out.

After laughing it off, Paul got serious ... saying his gesture was the result of being a sweaty guy -- even zooming in on his nose to show how moist his skin gets from "five minutes of existing."

On top of that, his involvement in the post-fight scuffle certainly didn't help his perspiration problem.

"This is the thing, is I go to brawl in the ring to save my f***ing brother," Paul added. "Forty grown men around me, everyone's huffing and puffing, I'm yelling, 'You bitch, you're lucky I didn't kill you.' and I'm literally drenched in sweat."

"I come out, everyone knows I'm the most sweatiest person in the world. So I get into the ring to like, go be there for my brother and s***, and I put my hat on and I'm literally sweating down my face, so I'm just like this, trying to get the sweat off of my f***ing face."

Paul's girlfriend, Jutta Leerdam, backed her man ... saying she's seen first-hand how seriously he takes care of his body -- and all the haters need to quit trying to create a false image of him.

Jake Paul has zero interest in getting in the boxing ring with Nate Diaz again -- saying if the ex-UFC star wants to take another stab at beating his ass ... he'll have to meet him in an MMA cage.

The Problem Child's Most Valuable Promotions just issued an official response to Diaz's public request for a boxing sequel on Monday ... slamming the door on his hopes of avenging his loss back in August.

"For the record: Jake Paul will not be boxing Nate Diaz again," MVP said on X.

The promotion also stated both Paul and Diaz have received an offer to rematch in the Professional Fighters League ... and while the former Disney star has accepted, his former opponent has not.

Remember, Paul -- who is signed to PFL for his MMA career -- told TMZ Sports back in September he was willing to cough up $10 million to get Diaz in the SmartCage ... but Diaz "ducked" the opportunity.

Diaz responded to Paul's comments ... saying, "Here’s your Mma fight bitch your (sic) easy af we can box or fight mma at ⁦@RealFightINC⁩ no problem f*** PFL and f*** u p***y 👊🏼."

Paul has since announced he will enter the boxing ring again in December ... but his opponent has not been revealed.

Anthony Joshua is going all Aaron Rodgers ... the heavyweight boxing star is in the midst of a four-day darkness retreat with little to no technology!

AJ recently revealed his plan to Men's Health Magazine ... telling them he was beginning the retreat all by his lonesome starting October 16.

"Four days in the dark," Joshua said in the interview. "Alone with your mind."

"By October 20th, I will be one of the coolest people, coming out after sitting for four days in the dark."

The 34-year-old explained the process ... there's no internet access whatsoever and he just hopes to have a decent bed after paying $2k (chump change to him).

"There is a door, they open the door, slide in your food on a tray, you eat. You don’t see them," AJ said.

"No phone. No TV. No radio. No audiobooks. Nothing."

Joshua -- who won his 26th fight against Robert Helenius in August -- said he's looking forward to the interesting experience with the intention of gaining more character.

Obviously, Anthony isn't the first athlete to do this. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent the internet into a frenzy when he did the same thing earlier this year ... as he was contemplating his NFL future.

Nate Diaz is letting Jake Paul know his calendar is WIDE OPEN on December 15 ... and what better time for a rematch, according to the MMA superstar from Stockton!

The Problem Child announced he was returning to the ring in mid-December, but didn't name an opponent. 38-year-old Diaz clearly wants the fight ... and even went as far to post a flyer promoting the fight.

"Rematch December," Diaz said in the IG caption. "You ain’t got nobody to fight."

"So I’ll beat your ass Dec 15th."

Of course, the men fought in August ... a fight Nate lost by unanimous decision. Paul knocked Diaz down in the fight, but overall, it was an entertaining fight.

Still, reaction seems mixed over the idea of a second scrap. But, there are some notable MMA fighters who seem eager to watch the guys go at it again, including Anthony Pettis, Roy Nelson, and BJ Penn.

"Easy money 💰!!!!!!," Penn wrote in the comments, "Nate will hurt him when they step in the ring again."

Paul did respond to Diaz's offer on Thursday, instead suggesting he fight Derek from Betr, who has clashed with Nate in the past.

Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam are going stronger than ever after 6 months together ... and the Olympic speed skater celebrated the milestone by posting a touching tribute to the Problem Child.

The 24-year-old Dutch athlete shared the shoutout to her man on TikTok ... showing the lovely couple's highlights over their past half-year -- including bae-cations, hugging, kissing and being silly together.

"6 months ago you asked me to be your girlfriend," Leerdam wrote in the video. "The best time of my life. I feel so blessed with everything you are."

"Thank you for being more than I could ever dream of. For your big heart, for all your love and effort, and for being you. I love you Jakey."

Jake's fans made it clear they love seeing see how happy Jutta makes him ... with one supporter saying in her comments, "You bring out the best in him! He deserves you."

Another said, "This a whole different Jake Paul and I like it."

Remember, Paul confirmed he was dating the 2017 World Junior Champ with an IG post in April ... officially giving love another shot after breaking up with longtime girlfriend Julia Rose.

He's been head over heels for Jutta ever since ... recently saying on his brother Logan's "Impaulsive" podcast she's the "purest soul" he's ever met.

"Pretty f***in' incredible of a woman, and I'm very happy with her. I'm in love," Paul said. "Deeply in love, it's so cool, bro. It's crazy how life works, man."

Logan Paul is closing the Dillon Danis chapter of his life ... saying he's no longer considering taking an MMA match with his nemesis after easily handling him in the ring.

Remember, Paul initially said back in September he was down to scrap in Danis' territory if the former Bellator fighter showed up to their Oct. 14 fight ... and the two shook hands on it to seal the deal.

Now, Maverick is backpedaling on his promise ... saying an MMA rematch is not gonna happen -- even though he's confident he'd "beat his ass."

"No, and you know why?" Logan said on his "Impaulsive" podcast. "I said I would if he gave me his whole purse, which is not gonna happen, obviously."

"Bro, he doesn't deserve the platform," he continued. "We saw what kind of person he is. I walked into the arena to boos, I left to cheers. No one likes that dirty fight s***, bro. You came to box, like, respect the sport. Respect me as an opponent. Back up your words. Are you a man?"

"You can't talk that much s*** for three months. You can't try to ruin someone's life and then come in there with that kind of performance."

Paul is referring to the incessant social media attack Danis unloaded leading up to the fight ... something that led to his fiancée, Nina Agdal, filing a lawsuit and restraining order against him.

Many believe Danis didn't put his money where his mouth was ... and for that reason, Logan's out on dealing with the guy in the future.

Canelo Alvarez still doesn't consider Conor McGregor a legitimate threat in the boxing ring ... doubling down and saying he can whoop the UFC superstar with just one hand!

The undisputed super middleweight champion's proclamation came shortly after the Notorious name-dropped him yet again on Tuesday ... when Conor claimed he fared far better in his fight against Floyd Mayweather than Canelo did in his own matchup with TBE.

"One of the greatest performances in Professional Boxing this was," McGregor said of footage of the Floyd vs. Canelo footage. "I landed more shots on Floyd than Canelo. I’d love another go."

FYI, McGregor landed 111 shots on Mayweather in 2017. Canelo, however, landed 117 -- 31% power punches -- during his fight with Floyd in 2013.

The 60-2-2 boxer caught the sneak diss in Conor's pitch to Floyd ... and clapped back with his own shot.

"I just need one hand with you," Alvarez said, "and I don’t need to throw so many punches 🤣."

This isn't the first time Canelo has promised a victorious one-handed victory over McGregor ... he made a similar statement after Conor said he'd fight him back in May.

"I saw [John] Ryder, I’m a southpaw, Ryder was a southpaw, Billy Joe [Saunders] was a southpaw, I’ve seen methods, I’ve seen things I’d do," McGregor said.

"I know he’s waning, I’d fight Canelo no f***ing problem. Out straight. No problem."

Of course, the betting odds would be in favor of Alvarez in a fight -- he just retained his belts against Jermell Charlo last month, while McGregor hasn't had any action since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

Days after sending his private jet to Israel to deliver thousands of pounds of supplies, Floyd Mayweather spent time on a video call with some of the IDF special forces soldiers who received some of the goods.

Mayweather, from Los Angeles, spoke to the Israeli Defense Force's Yahalom Unit -- a special forces anti-terrorism unit -- on Monday, and gave the soldiers a bit of an inspirational pep talk ... as they fight for their country.

"We only want peace in Israel. Thank you for standing up for your country," Floyd told the soldiers, who were wearing custom TMT x Israel hats, along with their IDF uniforms, weapons slung, and faces covered to protect their identity.

We're told the call lasted several minutes.

We broke the story ... Floyd's "Air Mayweather" jet delivered over 5,000 lbs. of supplies on Saturday, and judging by the video, at least some of the items have been doled out, and the unit was clearly grateful.

"Floyd, how are you doing? We are here from the special forces unit, Yahalom. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts during those dark times and thank you very much. We love you," one of the soldiers told Mayweather.

Mayweather also attended a pro-Israeli march in Century City on Sunday ... where he walked shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of supporters. He's also posted support for Israel on social media on multiple occasions.

Mayweather's video call was set up by his friend Jona Rechnitz and philanthropist Nachman Rosenberg.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are taking their on-field chemistry to a completely new sport -- the Kansas City Chiefs superstars are teaming up as investors in the Alpine Formula One team ... part of a massive, $210 million investment!!

Otro Capital announced a star-studded list of sports superstars that are joining its partnership with Alpine on Tuesday ... which includes the pair of two-time Super Bowl winners, golfer Rory McIlroy, boxer Anthony Joshua and soccer players Trent Alexander-Arnold and Juan Mata.

Otro said it hopes the addition of popular athletes from all different parts of the sports world will bring new fans to Alpine ... and help in areas like media, tickets and merch.

Mahomes spoke about the business move ... saying, "I've always had a passion for all sports. The opportunity to lead an investor group with Travis in Alpine F1 alongside Otro Capital was one I couldn’t pass up."

"It's an exciting time for the sport and this is an opportunity to bring our shared values to the world stage. I’m looking forward to being a part of its growth."

Kelce added ... "I am thrilled to lead an investor group and join forces with Patrick and the team at Otro Capital on this exciting venture with Alpine F1. Our shared passion for excellence and innovation forms the cornerstone of this partnership."

"It’s about being able to contribute to a sport that demands precision, teamwork, and relentless pursuit of success. I am looking forward to this new chapter and can’t wait to see what we achieve together."

Alpine -- which also has financial backing from actors Ryan Reynolds, Michael B. Jordan and Rob McElhenney through Maximum Effort Investments -- is currently sixth in the constructor standings thanks to drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly ... so it'll be interesting to see if the Chiefs duo's success can rub off on them.

Jake Paul is climbing back into the squared circle in less than two months ... we just don't know who The Problem Child is fighting!

26-year-old Paul, who last fought Nate Diaz in August, is preparing to lace up the boxing gloves once again for his next professional bout in mid-December.

"8 fights in the boxing game and I'm already its biggest name. I’ve proved that I can headline the biggest global events and defy the odds. PPV after PPV after PPV, and I’m just getting started," Paul said while announcing his return.

"My mission is to be a world champion and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there. December 15th is the next step on my journey, and I promise you’re not going to want to miss it.”

Jake's opponent is not yet known.

Of course, JP beat Nate by unanimous decision ... bringing his record to 7-1. His lone loss was by split decision to Tommy Fury in February.

Paul has made it clear he wants to rematch Fury ... but Tommy just fought KSI on Saturday, and although he didn't take much damage (neither did JJ), it'd be tough to imagine him turning around in 60 days.