Boxing

50 Cent says there's one guy he'd love to punch in the face -- Floyd Mayweather -- but he doesn't think Floyd would ever agree to throw down.

Everyone knows the backstory ... 50 and Floyd used to be super tight -- but they've had SEVERAL falling outs over the years and it seems like the relationship is still fractured.

So, when 50 appeared on V-103's "The Morning Culture" show Friday and was asked who he'd like to square off against in a celebrity boxing match, it wasn't too shocking when the rapper dropped Floyd's name.

"I'd fight Floyd," 50 Cent said ... adding, "I don't think I can make weight though."

50 pointed out Floyd usually fights around 150 lbs -- and the 45-year-old rapper says there's just no way he can slim down to match Floyd's weight.

50 claims the last time he dropped to 150, "I looked like a homeless person."

Instead, 50 says he thinks he could fight at 180 lbs ... which is closer in weight to Floyd's next opponent, Logan Paul, who fights around 190 lbs.

Let's get serious ... everyone would watch Floyd vs. 50 -- especially since 50 has real boxing training under his belt and reportedly stays in solid shape.

Remember, the two used to be super tight -- 50 famously walked Floyd to ring when he fought Oscar De La Hoya back in the day.

But, they've since beefed about everything from Floyd's reading skills to 50's financial situation ... and the hatchet appears to be far from buried.

Jake Paul wants to knock out Ben Askren FASTER than Jorge Masvidal -- so he linked up with the UFC superstar to learn the ways of the master!

Check out Jake and Jorge training together in Miami -- where Gamebred is teaching the 24-year-old a running, punch attack ... similar to the flying knee he threw at Askren's head back in 2019.

Remember, 36-year-old Jorge knocked out Ben in 5 SECONDS at UFC 239 -- setting the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history.

Now, with Paul set to face Askren in a pro boxing match on April 17, he's decided to bring in Masvidal to his training sessions to get a little instruction from the UFC's reigning B.M.F. champion.

Check out the video ... Paul practices the running right hook several times -- and looks pretty good. At one point he tells Jorge, "I'm gonna beat your time!"

Of course, Jorge throws a more violent version of the running punch -- but that guy has been fighting for decades ... he's got a little more experience on his side!

For his part, Ben -- an accomplished MMA fighter with multiple championships under his belt -- thinks Jake Paul is in completely over his head ... and he predicts a violent ending to the YouTube star's boxing career when they clash in April.

"After I knock out Ben Askren and add him to the meme collection, what could someone say after that? What excuse will they make?"

Jake Paul is wildly confident he's going to DESTROY Ben Askren -- telling TMZ Sports the UFC fighter is just a stepping stone in his rising boxing career.

The 24-year-old says he's hungry to be taken seriously as a pro fighter -- which is why he wants to box an accomplished opponent like Askren, who's won multiple MMA championships during his fighting career.

Jake's last opponent, ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, didn't have any boxing experience ... and we all know how that went.

The issue ... Paul says Askren is underestimating his fighting abilities, and it's going to end VERY badly for the 36-year-old when they face off on April 17 at the "Triller Fight Club" main event.

"At the end of the day, this is why I took the fight because he's a legitimate pro and again, I'm a Disney channel actor YouTuber-kid."

"My ultimate goal is to fight the Nate Diazs, the Conor McGregors ... those are all MMA guys. I think people will have to take me seriously after this fight and since I do want Diaz, since I do want McGregor, since I do want these people in the UFC, this is the first step to get there."

"You can't just come into the NBA and be LeBron so I have to earn my stripes."

While Paul respects Askren's accomplishments ... he's already trying to get in his opponent's head -- telling TMZ Sports he's been DM'ing with Ben's wife and she thinks he's "handsome."

FIGHTING WORDS!!!!

As for Ben, he doesn't seem concerned ... telling TMZ Sports he plans on beating some humility into the kid when the bell rings.

Jake Paul has locked in his next boxing opponent -- and it's UFC star Ben Askren!!!

36-year-old Askren has been a pro MMA fighter since 2009 with 19 wins in 22 fights ... including a victory over legendary tough guy Robbie Lawler at UFC 235 in 2019. He became welterweight champ in both Bellator and the ONE Championship organization before joining UFC.

But, Askren is known for his dominating wrestling skills -- not his stand-up striking game ... which is what makes this matchup interesting.

And yes, Askren also holds the record as the person who was knocked out the fastest in UFC history -- when Jorge Masvidal took him out with a flying knee in 5 seconds in 2019.

24-year-old Paul only has 2 pro boxing matches under his belt -- but both of his opponents were far from pro fighters. He famously beat up YouTuber AnEsonGib back in 2019 -- and then STARCHED ex-NBA star Nate Robinson in July 2020.

Paul has been calling for tougher opponents -- and now, Askren has answered the call ... with the two sides agreeing to throw down in an 8-round pro boxing match on April 17, according to ESPN.

Just like the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr event, the fight will be presented by Triller (under the Triller Fight Club brand) and will be available on Pay-Per-View. The location of the fight has not been finalized yet.

"I know Jake Paul is enjoying pretending he is a fighter," Askren told ESPN ... "I think on April 17 he is going to have a rude awakening to what being a fighter is really like."

"Jake has led a privileged life and doesn't really know what the meaning of being a fighter is. I'm going to put his dreams to an end."

Jake Paul also weighed in ... saying, "Ben Askren is a two-time NCAA champion, a world champion in two different global mixed martial arts organizations and has less losses on his record than Conor McGregor."

"Me, on the other hand, I started boxing two years ago and I'm still going to knock his ass out faster than Masvidal."

"These MMA guys think because they throw punches they know how to box. The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter. So now I'm giving the people what they want by taking on a 'real fighter.' After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say?"

"Thank you to Triller Fight Club for giving me the platform to once again put a man to sleep. April 17, it's lights out for Askren."

Triller has not released the full fight card but says there will be legit boxing stars fighting that night. The official card is expected to be released sometime in the next few weeks.

"This is gonna be such a one-sided ridiculous ass-whoopin', it's not even gonna be funny."

That's Dana White pulling no punches on the upcoming Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul fight ... warning to the YouTube star straight-up, YOU'RE GOING TO GET HURT.

"It's gonna be bad," White explained ... "I'm open for -- and I don't dislike any one of these kids ... but if Floyd Mayweather really shows up and goes in and fights this kid, it's gonna be an ass-whoopin' like nobody has ever seen before."

25-year-old Logan is set to fight 43-year-old Floyd on Feb. 20th in an exhibition Pay-Per-View.

Remember, Floyd is 50-0 with wins over all-time greats like Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez.

Logan is 0-1 as a pro, after losing a split-decision fight to YouTube star KSI, back in 2019.

Logan has a clear size advantage over Mayweather -- Floyd is 5'8" and last fought at 150 pounds. Logan is 6'2", 200 pounds.

But, Dana says size won't matter once they step inside the ring.

"Logan's gonna find out what speed is. Speed is power! When you get hit with sh*t that you don't see coming and when a guy like Floyd Mayweather starts putting it on you -- it's not even gonna be a fight. It's gonna be ridiculous! It's gonna be the worst ass whoopin' you've ever seen."

Here it is -- the very first footage of Lamar Odom training for his highly-anticipated celebrity boxing match ... and the dude looks like he's ready to go!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 41-year-old, 2-time NBA champion has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing to step into the ring this summer at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

While LO's opponent hasn't been announced (yet), it hasn't stalled the dude's preparations ... teaming up with big-time trainer Xavier Biggs to help him prep for the fight.

In the footage -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- Odom is seen working on his jabs ... which may seem like standard workout stuff ... until you hear the sound he makes when his gloves hit the mitts.

FYI -- Biggs is the go-to guy for stars like Kevin Hart and Usher ... so whoever's going against the former Laker has their work cut out for them. After all, have you SEEN Kevin Hart lately?!

Of course, Odom is the first NBAer to take the ring since Nate Robinson got knocked out by YouTuber Jake Paul ... and we're assuming he's hoping it ends up better for the hooper this time around.

While Celebrity Boxing's Damon Feldman has yet to make Odom's opponent official, we're getting word it's a MAJOR household name ... but who knows, after seeing this footage??

The only ring in Floyd Mayweather's life is of the boxing kind -- not the engagement kind.

The 43-year-old superstar is NOT engaged to Anna Monroe, despite reports to the contrary -- with an extremely well-placed Mayweather source telling us straight up it's just not true.

You may have noticed a bunch of media reports lately about Floyd's relationship with Anna -- describing them as a pretty serious couple -- but again, our source is saying it's BS.

Monroe recently posted on IG, showing off a pretty massive diamond on her ring finger ... which may have fueled the engagement rumors.

Unclear if the ring was a gift from Floyd, but we know Mayweather has a history of showering women in expensive gifts ... just ask ex-GF Doralie Medina, who got a $300,000 Rolls Royce back in 2014.

As for Anna, when we asked our Floyd source if they're even in an official dating situation, we were told, "Not even that."

Monroe has been described as the "lead dancer" at Floyd's Las Vegas strip club Girl Collection. She was featured on the Girl Collection IG page back in 2017.

Mayweather has been in several high-profile, serious relationships over the years -- and has children with multiple women including Josie Harris, who passed away in March 2020.

Conor McGregor is finally acknowledging Jake Paul's existence ... calling the YouTube-turned-fighter a "confused little kid" ... but definitely not shutting the door on a potential fight!!

Jake has been on an all-out blitz to get 'Notorious' to be his next boxing opponent in recent months ... even offering the UFC superstar $50 MILLION to make it happen.

Now, Conor is giving his response to the challenge ... and while it may initially be a huge bummer for the 24-year-old, the dream is most definitely still alive.

"That is what it is," Conor told BT Sports on Wednesday. "We'll see what happens. That's it. He seems like a confused little kid to me, to be honest."

Conor gives Jake credit for his willingness to get in the ring ... but ultimately, it sounds like Paul will be fighting someone else come April 17.

"It's not on the radar at the minute with the young lad," Conor added.

FYI -- McGregor was briefly asked about Jake's fight against Nate Robinson earlier this week and praised the money the event made. But this appears to be his first direct response to Paul's challenge for a fight.

While he may not want to fight Jake, Conor does, however, acknowledge Jake's MAJOR beef with teammate Dillon Danis ... so there's a possibility that fight may eventually happen down the road.

McGregor admits he's looking forward to checking out Jake's bro, Logan, fight Floyd Mayweather next month ... saying TBE looks a bit "fat."

Boxing star Claressa Shields says America has lots of healing to do ... but she doesn't plan to sit back and watch, telling TMZ Sports she's "absolutely" down to help President Biden.

We talked to Shields on Inauguration Day ... and asked her if she'd consider joining the Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition -- if Biden wanted her.

Her answer ... YES -- because America has a weight problem that needs to be fixed.

"Absolutely. I think that America is one the countries that has the biggest problems with obesity," Shields says.

"And that's all over the world. I think that comes from a lot of the food consumption. I think it's about teaching kids they have choices on what they eat. And what they eat will affect their bodies in the long run."

It's not far-fetched ... the 25-year-old boxer and 2x Olympic gold medalist knows Biden, and is one of the most dominant athletes in the world.

FYI, Trump's council was star-studded ... with Bill Belichick, Mariano Rivera, Herschel Walker, and Johnny Damon -- among others -- sitting on the committee.

We also asked Shields about the significance of Kamala Harris taking the oath of Vice Prez ... especially for young girls across the country.

"You can do anything you wanna do, that's what it says. Anything you wanna be, anything you wanna do. We have representation all over the board."

Shields -- who is fighting on an all-female boxing card on March 5 -- continued ... "All of us women need to come together and support each other and just make 2021, and the years to come, be better years for women."

"We’re always put on the back burner, and it’s time for us to make ourselves be put in 1st place."

Jake Paul is officially getting back in the ring ... and his opponent is none other than ...

We don't know yet.

24-year-old Paul (2-0) is fresh off his impressive bout against Nate Robinson back in November ... knocking out the ex-NBA star in the 2nd round on the massively successful Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. card.

Paul teased a HUGE announcement leading up to Wednesday ... which ended up being the fight date -- April 10.

Jake says Snoop Dogg will be back on the mic for the event ... and is hoping to make the biggest Pay-Per-View ever.

The YouTube superstar-turned-fighter has been trash-talking guys like Conor McGregor, Bellator fighter Dillon Danis, ex-UFC star Ben Askren and more in recent weeks.

In fact, Paul made a wild video calling out McGregor back in December ... offering $50 million to make the fight happen.

But, Paul isn't ready to spill the beans on who he'll be lining up against come April ... saying he's giving Conor one last chance to sign on for the fight before he moves on to someone else.

Jake even posted vid of a banner flying across Miami on Wednesday ... which read, "Conor McGregor is scared of Jake Paul."

Triller's first event had huge names like Wiz Khalifa, Snoop, French Montana and more ... so it's safe to say it'll be another crazy party this time around.

Jose Canseco is putting a fight with Logan Paul on the backburner -- for now -- 'cause the ex-MLB slugger has agreed to a boxing match with Barstool Sports intern Billy Football!!

Remember, Jose has called out the oldest Paul bro for months, saying he wants to get violent payback after his daughter, Josie, and Logan's split "left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

But, TMZ Sports has now confirmed, Jose has 100% agreed to get in the ring with the "Pardon My Take" podcast contributor first ... with the 2 slated to face off during Barstool's "Rough 'N Rowdy" boxing event during Super Bowl weekend.

PMT first reported the news on Wednesday's episode of the podcast ... saying the paperwork has been signed and the fight will officially go down on Feb. 5 in West Virginia.

"There's a very good chance he dies in the ring," Billy said ... "I would commit manslaughter, I wouldn’t commit murder."

"For the record, I have no intent to kill him."

So, how'd we get here?? PMT co-host Big Cat says he initially wanted to fight Canseco 2 years ago ... but now that time has passed, he offered his intern in return -- and Jose accepted!!

We spoke with Jose ... who says the fight is just a warmup for the guy he REALLY wants.

"Logan Paul, I am coming for you after I wreck this guy," Canseco told us.

Of course, Jose has a little bit of fighting history under his belt -- he famously fought 7'2" South Korean MMA star, Hong-man Choi, back in 2009.

Jake Paul is making good on his promise to move out of Los Angeles to focus on boxing ... he just put his Calabasas crib up for sale.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... Jake wants $7 mil for his 3.5-acre estate, which gets you 8 bedrooms and 15,045 square feet.

The mansion is decked out with a three-story entryway and spiral staircase ... plus an office, theater, wet bar and gym.

Of course, there's the obligatory Cali pool and spa with some pretty cool accents ... 2 waterfalls, a grilling area and patios with sweeping views of the canyon.

So, what to do if you want to replicate Aaron Spelling's mega-mansion but only have 15,000 feet of living space? Well, there's enough land to build a second, massive structure. And, there will be plenty of room to park ... the driveway can handle 20 cars.

As we reported ... the YouTube star and undefeated boxer announced last month he was fleeing the distractions of L.A. to focus on becoming a boxing champ. Jake's eying Miami for the move ... it's a good town for boxers.

Jake's former neighbors will be looking forward to a new occupant ... he was pretty famous for pissing off folks with his wild parties and YouTube shoots.

TMZ broke the story ... the property was the scene of an FBI raid last year, when agents in armored trucks stormed in with a search warrant and ended up seizing some weapons. It's unclear what's come of that.

"Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" stars Josh and Matt Altman have the listing ... they repped Jake back in 2017 when he bought the property.

Lamar Odom is back ... but the 2x-NBA champion isn't returning to the hardwood -- he's fighting!!

TMZ Sports has learned that the 41-year-old ex-NBA star has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing ... and will step into the ring on June 12 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

The 6'10" Odom doesn't currently have an opponent ... but CB creator Damon Feldman tells us he's working on a big-name celeb to duke it out with Lamar.

Of course, Odom is no stranger to fighting ... he literally fought for his life after collapsing at Dennis Hof's Nevada brothel back in 2015.

Lamar attempted a basketball comeback ... and was briefly part of Ice Cube's Big3 League.

However, the hooper has turned his attention to pugilism (temporarily, at least) ... and we're told he's fully committed to busting his ass in the boxing gym ahead of his upcoming fight.

It's worth noting, the last time a basketball player stepped in the ring, he got ROCKED (sorry, Nate).

So, goes without saying, Lamar hopes history doesn't repeat itself!!

"I don't know who's gonna get in there with him because I'm saying, he intimidating. He's a big guy, you already know he got big arms and stuff like that. He's got good range."

That's Evander Holyfield -- one of the greatest boxers of all-time -- speaking glowingly about 36-year-old, ex-NFL star Brandon Marshall's skills in the boxing ring.

Marshall -- a 6x Pro Bowler -- last played ball with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 ... and took up boxing last year.

BM -- who previously called out top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua -- went down to 58-year-old Holyfield's gym in Florida ... and the 2 men got in a boxing workout.

Obviously, Marshall's a helluva athlete ... but we've recently seen that being strong, or jumping high doesn't always translate to being able to throw hands (sorry, Nate).

But, The Real Deal says Marshall's the real deal in the ring.

"Brandon, ya know, he looks good balance-wise. We weren't really sparring but he got good balance and hey, he look like he could be a good fighter."

Holyfield even compared the 6'4", 230 lb. former football player to arguably the greatest knockout artist of this generation -- The Bronze Bomber.

"[Brandon] pretty much got the same reach as the heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder," Evander says.

If Jake Paul wants to run his mouth and call his older brother a "fake fighter" ... Logan has a simple solution -- "Let's box!!!"

Remember, Jake recently gave his thoughts to TMZ Sports about Logan's upcoming exhibition against Floyd Mayweather ... saying "It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout."

Logan is finally reacting to his lil' bro's comments ... and while he mostly takes the high road, he also makes it clear he'll put Jake in his place in the ring.

"I fully support Jake," Paul says. "Whatever drama he wants to stir or create, it really doesn’t bother me. Like, 'Oh, you’re a fake boxer.' Okay. Let’s box, because Jake is the kid that gets beat up by my sparring partners. That's that kid."

Logan admits Jake may have said the comments just to raise hell and get attention ... but either way, he's unaffected by the criticism he's received leading up to the fight against TBE -- even if it's coming from his own brother.

"I've become like rubber sheet metal, dude. In this fight, everyone’s saying a lot of things. And, for good reason. I’m fighting Floyd f**king Mayweather. So I’ve literally become immune to [everything], I’ve heard it all."

One of the biggest critics has been superstar Canelo Alvarez, who told us it was a "lack of respect" for pros to go up against YouTubers in the ring.

"I know y'all scared and sh*t, but let's just make the fight happen for the fans. Let's just do that. Don't overprice yourselves. If y'all believe y'all the best and y'all think that y'all can take this, then let's make the fight happen! Man, don't be p**** about it!"

That's 23-year-old boxing champ Teofimo Lopez throwing down the gauntlet to rivals Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney ... 3 of the sport's youngest, most-talented stars.

TMZ Sports talked to the undefeated, lightweight champ about his next move ... as he plots his return just months after dethroning pound-for-pound king, Vasyl Lomachenko.

"Our goal is to shoot for three fights this year whether it's my mandatory [boxer George Kambosos], Garcia, Haney, Tank Davis, those guys at 135 lbs., that's where our goal is."

22-year-old Garcia (21-0, 18 KO's) beat Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell Saturday night ... and then demanded a fight with 26-year-old Davis (21-0, 20 KO's), telling us he'll knock out Tank inside 2 rounds.

Why isn't anyone calling out Lopez?? Teo says it's fear.

"It's because they're scared! It's really what it comes down to. They're scared."

Unbeaten Tank Davis, scared?

"Yeah, he is [scared]. He is. He's not scared of the opposition he's facing right now because it's light work. I mean he knocked out a 122 pounder [Leo Santa Cruz]. C'mon yo! I can do the same sh*t and I can do it better, in a better fashion," Teofimo says.

"But hey, I take my hat off to [Davis], he's doing his thing and I congratulate all of them. Haney, Garcia, Tank. But, when it comes to it man, I'm the king of the division. I'm the kingpin!"