Boxing

Anderson Silva is back ... to boxing!!!

The 45-year-old MMA legend has signed a contract to fight 35-year-old Julio César Chávez Jr. on June 19, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Silva was released from UFC contract back in Nov. 2020 following a loss to Uriah Hall -- but he was adamant he wanted to continue his combat sports career elsewhere ... and now, he's making it happen in a boxing ring.

"When I look back at my journey, I see that nothing has been in vain," Silva says ... "I am extremely happy for the opportunity to test my boxing skills with Julio César Chávez Jr."

"I train continuously, always striving for resilience and to overcome obstacles. Fighting is my everlasting breath."

We're told the event -- titled "Tribute to the Kings" -- will take place at Jalisco Stadium in  Guadalajara, Mexico and will be available live on Pay-Per-View.

The event will also include a special exhibition match featuring Julio's legendary father, Julio César Chávez Sr. -- widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.

The 58-year-old Hall of Famer will take on Hector Camacho Jr. -- son of his former opponent Hector "Macho" Camacho, who passed away in 2012.

42-year-old Hector Jr. is also a pro boxer with a record of 58-6-1.

Julio Jr. issued a statement about the fight with Silva -- saying, "I have rededicated myself to the sport that I love and I will be ready to face anyone in the Light Heavyweight division starting with Silva"

"I will be prepared to be victorious on June 19."

The fight was put together by Keith Schoen of Schoen Entertainment along with Armando Bareno of Global Sports Streaming -- with Jorge Toscano and Saul Rios serving as the official fight promoters.

"This promises to be an epic battle between two superior fighters with a global fan base," Schoen tells us ... "Everyone associated with this Pay-Per-View promotion and fighting fans around the globe are super enthusiastic to see these two great fighters meet in the ring."

Chavez Jr. is 52-5-1 as a pro and coming off a 4th round TKO victory over Jeyson Minda in Nov. 2020.

Silva -- repped by ICM Partners and managed by Talize Sayegh -- is a former UFC Middleweight champ with wins over guys like Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and more.

The Spider has also dabbled in boxing -- he's 1-1 as a pro -- and was known during his heyday for being one of the best strikers in MMA.

A pro boxer's face swelled up in terrifying fashion after she was hit by an accidental head-butt during a fight Saturday night ... but fortunately, she says she's now recovering well.

Cheyenne Hanson, a 23-year-old German fighter, suffered the horrific battle wounds during her tilt with Alina Zaitseva in Germany ... with her face ballooning in size after the two women inadvertently clashed heads.

The post-fight pics of the damage to Hanson's face were insane ... the left side of the fighter's face BLEW UP -- and she had bruising all over.

In fact, Hanson showed off a before-and-after, side-by-side photo -- and she was damn-near unrecognizable!!!

But, Hanson on Monday revealed the swelling has gone down significantly ... though the bruising is still BAD.

Hanson was at least given a victory for her troubles ... the judges had her ahead in the fight at the time of the head-butt and awarded her the eighth win of her pro career.

Teofimo Lopez put on a boxing master class when he beat Vasyl Lomachenko ... but the 23-year-old star tells TMZ Sports it's actually him who learned from the former pound-for-pound king.

Teo and Loma don't like each other, but beef squashed now, right? Nope. Lopez had a message for the Ukrainian star ... "Thanks Loma, even though, f*** you, but thank you."

Teofimo -- who was a 3.5 to 1 underdog -- shocked the sports world when he beat Lomachenko via a unanimous decision win in October 2020 in Las Vegas.

The huge win meant Lopez was a unified lightweight champion ... and the scary part is he says he's still getting better.

"I told everyone years ago, I said, 'If you don't get me now, it'll be too late.' And I said that years ago and I'm sticking to it."

Teo says he'll soon be at a level where none of his opposition can touch him -- and that's in part because of his experience against Loma.

It's not about Lopez getting faster or stronger, he tells us ... "It's more so the opposition and the amount of knowledge I grabbed off of Lomachenko himself."

Lopez -- who's fighting undefeated George Kambosos Jr. on June 5 -- is still only in his early 20's ... but says he's already preparing for life after boxing.

His latest business venture ... liquor. Teo partnered with One With Life tequila ... all in the hopes of securing his family's financial future.

Stipe Miocic wants to box Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury, but not even the greatest UFC heavyweight of all-time is willing to step in the ring with Mike Tyson ... despite Iron Mike being 54 years old.

38-year-old Miocic tells TMZ Sports he's intrigued by a matchup with 32-year-old Fury and 31-year-old Joshua ... the 2 baddest heavyweight fighters in the world.

"I would love [a boxing match w/ Fury or Joshua]. It would be just a different — get out of my comfort zone. Plus it’s a fight, anything can happen and I know I can make something happen.

First, he's gotta deal with arguably the most intimidating guy to ever fight in the UFC ... 34-year-old Francis Ngannou.

"I just got a task at hand right now. I gotta worry about [Francis], that’s all I care about. But, I’d love to dip my toe into that ring.

The only downside ... Fury and Joshua might be tied up with each other. The boxers inked a 2-fight deal that'll likely see them fight in the summer with a rematch in the winter.

But, there's another, slightly older, heavyweight fighter who's looking for an opponent ... Mike Tyson.

Remember, Mike's fight with longtime rival, 58-year-old Evander Holyfield, fell apart this week over money for a trilogy fight.

So, we asked Stipe about fighting Mike -- who ended his 15-year layoff when he boxed Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 -- anddd, that's smoke Miocic doesn't want.

"That I will pass on. I will pass on that one," Stipe says.

"That dude looked exactly the same when he fought Roy Jones Jr. as he did when he was 20 years old so, no, I’m good. I love Mike Tyson. I think he’s awesome."

UFC rising star Sean O'Malley says he's all about doing a crossover boxing match with superstar Ryan Garcia -- but first, he's gotta smash Thomas Almeida.

O'Malley -- who's developing into one of the best strikers in the UFC -- is taking on Almeida at UFC 260 on Saturday night in what's shaping up to be an AWESOME fight.

The 26-year-old is 12-1 and coming off his first pro loss after suffering an injury during his fight with Marlon Vera at UFC 252 ... and he's looking to make a statement when he returns to the Octagon.

But, Sean has big career plans -- and says if he ever gets the opportunity to do a crossover into boxing like Conor McGregor and Ben Askren, he's confident he would wreck shop.

"I feel like I have really good boxing," O'Malley tells TMZ Sports ... "I started off boxing [and] if the money's there, I would love to fight someone like King Ryan, Ryan Garcia. That dude's a stud."

Sean says he's got his priorities in line -- he knows he's got to EARN that opportunity by dominating in the Octagon first.

Jake Paul and Ben Askren finally came face-to-face ahead of their April 17 boxing match … and the level of trash talk was through the roof!!

Ben said he could literally “do a homicide” to Jake if he felt like it.

Jake called Ben a "p***y ass bitch."

Then, Jake FaceTimed Jorge Masvidal — who famously KO’d Ben in 5 seconds — to join in on the fun!!

Yeah, it was bananas!!

Of course, the two guys have been going back and forth on social media for months ... and their first face-to-face definitely lived up to the hype.

The smack talk even got physical after both fighters squared up against each other for their face-off ... with Ben shoving Jake's face.

Jake tried to go after Ben in retaliation ... but the folks working the event quickly brought the mayhem to a halt.

Paul and Askren meet in the ring for the Triller Fight Club on April 17 ... an event packed with fights and musical guests like Justin Bieber and Doja Cat.

It's gonna be a party!!

Oscar De La Hoya -- who's 48-years-old -- just confirmed he's returning to the boxing ring ... and will fight on July 3rd.

"July 3rd, I'm making my comeback," Oscar announced during a news conference for the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight.

Oscar then dropped his mic and walked off the stage without naming his opponent.

The fight will take place under Snoop Dogg's Fight Club banner -- which is teamed up with Triller, the social media platform behind the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event.

Oscar hasn't had a pro fight since December 2008, when he lost to Manny Pacquiao -- but he's been talking about a comeback fight for months.

In fact, Oscar told ESPN back in August 2020 that he was starting to train and spar again in the hopes of getting back in the ring.

Oscar finished his legendary career with a 39-6 record when he hung up the gloves back in '08 -- with wins over superstars like Arturo Gatti, Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker.

After his fighting career, Oscar became a successful promoter -- who's repped stars like Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia under his Golden Boy Promotions banner.

Clearly, Oscar is inspired by guys like Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., who came out of retirement for an incredible return to the ring back in Nov. 2020.

The Tyson vs. Roy Jones fight was also produced by Triller -- which seems to be the connective tissue through all of these events.

Live from Atlanta ... it's Pete Davidson!!!

... who's officially signed on to join Snoop Dogg's commentary team for the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed the "Saturday Night Live" star will be a part of the broadcast team for the very first Triller Fight Club 2021 event on April 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

We're told he'll be working the event alongside Snoop, Mario Lopez, supermodel Taylor Hill, and social media stars Dixie and Charli D’Amelio.

The play-by-play announcers are seasoned veterans when it comes to boxing -- Ray Flores, Al Bernstein and Mike Coppinger.

Snoop was the breakout star during the first Triller boxing event featuring Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. -- he was in the broadcast booth calling the action and was HILARIOUS!

Remember, he was busting out church hymns as Jake put a hurtin' on Nate Robinson on the undercard.

So, add Pete Davidson to the mix!?! That's gonna be awesome.

As we previously reported, the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren already has a stacked musical lineup featuring superstars like Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo, Major Lazer and the debut of Snoop's new rap supergroup Mt. Westmore (which features Snoop, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40).

The main event will be an 8-round sanctioned professional boxing match featuring undefeated 24-year-old Jake Paul (2-0) going up against decorated MMA star Ben Askren, who's 36.

Askren has guaranteed victory over Jake -- saying he's never stepped in the ring against a REAL accomplished fighter.

Jake vows to wipe the floor with Askren -- saying the guy's striking ability is straight trash.

Whoa!! That was fast!!

54-year-old Mike Tyson has announced he will be fighting 58-year-old Evander Holyfield on May 29 -- despite Holyfield's camp saying negotiations were dead just 24 hours ago!!

"I just want everybody to know the fight is on with me and Holyfield," Tyson said during an IG Live session with Haute Living.

"Holyfield's a humble man I know that and he's a man of God but I'm God's man. Listen, I'm going to be successful May 29."

We're reaching out to Holyfield's camp right now to confirm he's in ... so stay tuned on that.

Remember, it was just yesterday that Evander's manager issued a statement saying talks had "fallen apart" between the two sides.

"We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time," Kris Lawrence said.

The two sides were honing in on a May 29 fight date at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The dispute came down to money -- Holyfield's camp says Team Tyson wanted a huge cut ... and even turned down a $25 million guarantee.

So, how did they get it all worked out? We're working on it.

Evander and Mike last fought in 1997 ... and it ended with Tyson biting a chunk out of Evander's ear. Holyfield's last pro fight was in 2011, when he earned a TKO victory over Brian Nielsen.

Boxing superstar Gervonta Davis just got socked with 14 criminal charges stemming from a Nov. 2020 hit-and-run crash that injured FOUR people -- and now he's facing more than 7 YEARS in prison.

The undefeated knockout artist is suspected of being the driver of the 2020 Lamborghini Urus which allegedly blew through a red light and slammed into a Toyota on Nov. 5 ... just days after Gervonta's huge knockout win over Leo Santa Cruz.

Davis -- who turned 26 on Nov. 7 -- was reportedly celebrating his birthday at a nearby nightclub in South Baltimore before the incident.

Now, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office announced it's moving forward with 14 counts against Davis, including 4 counts of "failure to immediately return and remain at scene of accident involving bodily injury."

He's also facing charges for failure to report an accident, driving on a suspended/revoked license, failure to stop at a red light and more.

If convicted of all charges, Davis faces a potential maximum of 7 YEARS and 55 days in prison.

Prosecutors say they've obtained surveillance footage from a nearby store that shows the Lamborghini "collide directly into the store’s fence and the driver, was allegedly identified by witnesses as Gervonta Davis."

And, what's worse ... officials say witnesses say Davis and his passenger were seen gathering items from the Lambo and moving them to a getaway car that drove them away from the crash scene.

Officials say they have footage that backs that up too!

"The defendant and the unidentified female passenger were captured on camera leaving from the scene in the Camaro," prosecutors say.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby says four people were hospitalized as a result of the crash ... but they're expected to be okay.

"Fortunately, the victims in this case were able to survive this alleged hit and run collision with recoverable injuries despite the potential for a far worst scenario," Mosby said.

"My office will continue to do our part to hold reckless drivers accountable when their harmful actions put innocent lives in jeopardy."

Davis -- who was Floyd Mayweather's protege -- is considered one of the top boxers in the sport at the moment ... racking up an impressive 24-0 record as a pro with victories over guys like Yuriorkis Gamboa and José Pedraza.

But, outside the ring, he's had a ton of legal problems ...

Remember, Davis was arrested back in February 2020 for roughing up his ex-girlfriend at a celebrity basketball game in an incident captured on video.

He was also arrested for assault back in 2017 after allegedly punching a friend. The charge was later dropped.

Welp, sounds like Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield is dead ... Evander's camp says negotiations for a 3rd fight between the boxing legends have fallen apart.

"We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson’s people declined all offers,” Kris Lawrence said.

"We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time."

As we previously reported, 54-year-old Tyson announced on his podcast last week that he'll be returning to the ring on May 29 in a massive event at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Tyson didn't name his opponent -- but all signs pointed to his old nemesis, 58-year-old Evander Holyfield.

Now, Evander's camp confirms the two sides were in serious talks -- "intense negotiations for several months" -- but the deal ultimately went south.

"Team Holyfield sincerely believed a deal was imminent, especially after the Hard Rock threw its support behind the project, and there were multiple other offers conveyed to Team Tyson," Holyfield's camp said in a statement.

"However, Team Tyson’s demands recently became untenable, and not what Mike Tyson had originally agreed on in direct conversations with Holyfield."

Our sources tell us ... Evander claims he personally spoke with Mike on the phone early on in negotiations and they agreed to a 50/50 split on profit.

But, things changed ... with Evander's camp claiming Team Tyson simply wanted a bigger cut.

Holyfield's team says they tried to make a deal in which Tyson would get a guaranteed $25 mil for the fight -- but Mike turned it down.

Now, it seems both sides are at loggerheads -- and willing to walk away from the deal.

Our sources on the Holyfield side tell us Evander still wants to fight -- if Mike's people will come back to the table with a better offer.

So, there's still hope ... but right now, it's not looking good.

Aaron Carter beat Shaq, but could be in big trouble when he boxes Lamar Odom ... 'cause the ex-NBA star sent his opponent to the canvas in a recent sparring sesh, and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

As we previously reported, AC and LO are training non-stop for their Celebrity Boxing fight on June 12 in Atlantic City ... proving they're serious as hell about the bout.

We're told Odom has been hittin' the mitts with Barry Young at Decatur Boxing in ATL this week ... and it's obvious Lamar's putting in the work -- he even knocked the guy down at one point!!

Remember, we obtained a vid last week of Carter going HAM in the gym ... working with MMA fighter Jesse Strader.

Now, we'll keep it a buck -- these guys aren't gonna be Tyson Fury overnight ... but it's obvious they've got a passion for kickin' ass, and it looks like they'll be ready to go at it come June.

Both guys have guaranteed a victory ... but only one will come away with the dub.

Mike Tyson is coming back ... again!!!

The 54-year-old fighter has confirmed he's got another HUGE boxing match lined up for the end of May at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami ... but the big question, who's the opponent?!?

Mike made the announcement while talking with Canelo Alvarez and UFC star Henry Cejudo on his "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" podcast ... saying he's looking at a May 29 fight date.

Mike didn't expand on the details -- but we already know Tyson has been eyeing a long-awaited rematch with Evander Holyfield.

In fact, Tyson has previously told us he'd be down to run it back with Evander -- as long as the two can raise a bunch of money for charity in the process.

We recently spoke with 58-year-old Evander Holyfield in December who told us "it looks like" the fight with Mike was going to happen.

The guy's been training like a maniac lately -- so, it would make sense.

Evander and Mike last fought in 1997 ... and it ended with Tyson biting a chunk out of Evander's ear. Holyfield's last pro fight was in 2011, when he earned a TKO victory over Brian Nielsen.

Former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis has also told us he's down to scrap with Mike ... but only "if the people want it."

Mike last fought 52-year-old Roy Jones Jr. back in November and both men put on one hell of a show -- showing off incredible agility, power and stamina during their 8-round exhibition.

But, when we spoke with Roy just a few weeks ago, even RJJ was convinced Holyfield would be Mike's next opponent.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for Conor McGregor ... and the UFC superstar is celebrating his St. Paddy's Day with some epic boozin' and dancin'!!

32-year-old McGregor and his fiancee, Dee Devlin, honored the patron saint of Ireland from the comfort of his own at-home bar ... which is complete with Guinness and Heineken ON DRAFT!!!

Conor kicked things off with an Irish jig to Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" blaring in the background ... all while holding a pint in his hands!!

Things then made it to the bar, where McGregor propped his feet up and continued to down some liquid goodness ... we're sure he had some of his signature Proper 12 whiskey in the mix.

"Tis’ the month of the Irish and I’m having my feet up and celebrating every last damn second of it," Conor said Wednesday. "For we will rise and then rise again! As you will never. And I mean NEVER beat Ireland!"

"Up the Irish ☘️ Happy Paddy’s Day everyone, enjoy it all month with me!"

Enjoy the big day, Conor ... and remember to mix some water in there at some point.

Justin Bieber. Snoop Dogg. Saweetie. The Black Keys. Doja Cat. Diplo.

No, that's not the new lineup for Coachella ... that's the list of music guests slated to perform at the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight next month!!

Triller just announced the stacked roster for its first-ever Fight Club on April 17 ... in hopes of turning the boxing match into a party for the ages.

The lineup is nuts ... and will also feature the debut performance of Snoop's rap supergroup, Mt. Westmore, with Ice Cube, E-40 and Too $hort.

Of course, Triller put on a hell of a show for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight in November ... with performances by Wiz Khalifa, French Montana, Swae Lee and more.

Now, the video app is looking to top that ... enlisting the Biebs to draw more viewers to the big event, which will be directed by Emmy winner Bert Marcus.

"This event is more like making a tentpole movie than a boxing match," Triller's Ryan Kavanaugh said Wednesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"By bringing in the creative genius Bert Marcus and pairing his unique story-telling vision with his unmatched shooting style, the Fight Club event is going shock and awe people."

"We are giving the world something that has never been seen or done before."

Bieber is currently one of the hottest names in music ... with his highly-anticipated album, "Justice," dropping later this week.

Paul is clearly stoked to have the "Hold On" crooner in attendance ... saying, "Justin I love you. We’re breaking PPV records April 17th. Belieb that!"

Marvin Hagler's wife is calling BS on unfounded conspiracy theories suggesting the boxer's death was caused by the COVID vaccine -- saying it's simply "nonsense."

"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler -- one of the greatest boxers of all time -- died on Saturday at his home in New Hampshire. He was 66.

Around the time of his death, Hagler's former rival Tommy Hearns floated a theory about Hagler's health in an IG post on his verified page.

"He’s in ICU fighting the after effects of the vaccine!” Hearns said in a post that has since been deleted.

Now, Hagler's wife Kay is firing back -- saying she was WITH Marvin all the way to the end and can personally confirm his death had nothing to do with the COVID vaccine.

"I am the only person that know how things went not even his family know all the details and I do NOT accept to read some stupid comment without knowing really what happen," Kay said in a Facebook post.

"For sure wasn't the vaccine that caused his death. My baby left in peace with his usually smile and now is not the time to talk nonsense."

Kay also notes how Marvin "hated funerals" and "therefore there will be no funerals or church celebrations."

"He wants to be remembered with a happy smile but I would be happy if each of you can light a candle for him."

Hagler's official cause of death has still not been released and likely won't be for weeks, possibly months.

Kay adds, "Thank you for your love, [Marvin] loved people so much, he loved you all he was happy when he read your comments he was a special person the most beautiful person i had ever met in all my life."

Hagler was 62–3–2 in his storied career -- with wins over legends like Roberto Duran, Alan Minter and, of course, Tommy Hearns.