Boxing

Former UFC star Ben Askren was deeply emotional as he addressed his serious health battle for the first time ... saying the experience was almost like watching his own funeral.

The 40-year-old shared a video from his hospital bed on Wednesday ... revealing he doesn't remember anything that happened in the entire month of June -- but after reading his wife's journal, he understands what he went through was nothing short of a movie.

Askren said he "only died four times" as he dealt with severe pneumonia ... a condition that ultimately required a double lung transplant.

TikTok star Bryce Hall is making the move into the Hollywood big leagues with his first theatrical film release ... a moment he says 50 Cent tried to hold hostage -- to no avail!!!

We caught up with Bryce outside Sweet Butter Kitchen in L.A. on Monday, and he was stoked for the release this week of horror flick "Skillhouse" ... staking his claim as "First TikToker With a Feature Film."

Watch the clip -- Bryce says he hopes to see A-list movie stars "doing the dances on the red carpet" at his premiere, after he's gone to a bunch of theirs in the past.

If Jake Paul wants a shot at taking one of Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez's belts, the boxing star tells TMZ Sports he's down to let him try ... though he's promising there's no way El Gallo comes out on top.

The potential Jake vs. Zurdo fight has been brewing for a few days now ... after Paul was seen trash-talking the WBA cruiserweight champ following his big win on the Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. card late last month.

Paul -- who cropped up in the WBA rankings after his win over Chavez Jr. -- went face-to-face with Ramirez in front of a throng of boxing reporters ... and called him straight up "slow."

If a Manny Pacquiao biopic ever got a green light, the legendary boxer knows exactly who he'd want to be in charge of the project ... telling TMZ Sports that job belongs to Mark Wahlberg!!

We caught up with Pac-Man at a recent training session for his upcoming bout against Mario Barrios in a few weeks ... and considering he's had quite the eventful 46 years on earth so far, we asked what a movie about his success would look like -- and who he'd trust with sharing his story.

"Mark Wahlberg, he always watched my training camp here in Wildcard, he knows almost all my life stories."

2:35 PM PT -- Fox 11 LA obtained video of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s ICE arrest in Studio City, CA Wednesday.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., days after sharing the ring with Jake Paul, is locked in a jail cell ... after ICE agents arrested the former champ over a warrant in Mexico for alleged weapons trafficking and connections to a cartel.

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security tell TMZ Sports that 39-year-old Chavez Jr., the son of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., was detained Thursday in Studio City over an active warrant out of our neighbors to the south.

The warrant, according to the U.S. gov, stems from Chavez's alleged involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

Jake Paul is now the No. 14 cruiserweight in the WBA rankings ... and you know who's pissed about that?? The guy who was the No. 14 cruiserweight heading into this week -- 20-0 fighter Craig Parker.

TMZ Sports spoke with the now-No. 15-ranked boxer about the development ... and he said, quite frankly, it's "disgusting news to me" because in his opinion, he hasn't paid his dues.

"For him just to take a position that guys like me that struggled to find ways to the gym and ... it's a long road to be where we're at. And for him to just be No. 14, it was just like a slap in the face."

Love him or hate him, Jake Paul is one of the best fighters alive -- at least that's what one boxing organization is saying ... with El Gallo earning a No. 14 rank in his weight class.

The World Boxing Association dropped its updated list late Monday night ... and sure enough, Paul crept into the cruiserweight standings after handling former champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. over the weekend.

It's not all that surprising ... as WBA President Gilberto Mendoza said prior to the bout Paul would hit the rankings if he secured a victory -- which will now make him eligible for a shot at the belt.

A sanctioned matchup between Adrian Peterson and his poker rival is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality ... as TMZ Sports has learned the NFL legend and his opponent have just received an offer to settle their differences in an actual ring.

Damon Feldman, the founder of Celebrity Boxing, tells TMZ Sports ... he wants to make a real scrap between Peterson and Joe "Baby Joe" Castaneda happen after he saw the two go at it over cards at social club in Houston, Texas in May.

"Let's take that to the ring," Feldman said in a video message to the guys. "You can't just battle it out on the street anymore -- let's take it to celebrity boxing."

3:16 PM PT -- A judge just granted the temporary restraining order against Devin Haney and now both sides are now due in court for a hearing on the matter on July 22. Additionally, the judge ordered Haney to have no visitation with his daughter, Khrome, "until further order of the court."

The mother of Devin Haney's months-old daughter is seeking a domestic violence restraining order against the star boxer ... alleging he once pushed her to the ground while she was pregnant.

Court documents TMZ Sports has obtained show Leena Sayed filed for the DVRO last week ... over allegations Haney abused her on multiple occasions throughout the past year and a half.

She wrote in the restraining order request that it all started in February 2024 -- roughly a year after she and Haney first met. She claimed during a dispute in their Las Vegas home, he punched her in the stomach and then kicked her out of the house.

What's something Justin Bieber and Jake Paul have in common? The two will always stand on business ... and the boxer got his message across by referencing the singer's viral rant toward the paparazzi following his victory against Julio César Chávez Jr.

Paul shared his own version of Bieber's tirade from the comfort of his private jet Sunday afternoon ... with the 28-year-old calling out the people still hating on his boxing career.

"I'm f***ing always standing on business," he said. "It's not clocking to you."

Ben Askren has undergone double lung transplant surgery ... and following the procedure, his wife shared she's now full of optimism about his future.

Amy Askren wrote on her Facebook page early Monday morning that amid a fierce battle with pneumonia, Ben was able to find a donor and obtain a new set of lungs.

The surgery seemed successful, but given the way the whole medical situation with Ben has turned so fast over the last few weeks, Amy cautioned, "so much can change so quickly."

Lamont Roach Jr. has some advice for Gervonta Davis if they ever rematch ... chill with the hair grease!!

TMZ Sports recently caught up with the lightweight boxing contender at Fanatics Fest in NYC  ... when we asked about the status of his fight with Tank after their controversial first scrap.

You may recall, the fight ended in a majority draw (meaning Tank kept his title), though many fans felt Lamont won outright.

The son of late boxing star Tommy Morrison is proving power ain't a trait that skips a generation ... after Kenzie Morrison dominated his bareknuckle boxing opp last weekend -- and now he's calling out one of the biggest names in the sport!

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Morrison, a 22-1-2 pugilist who just won his first BKFC scrap after putting Alex Davis down and out in just 63 seconds.

With a win under his belt, Kenzie's hoping to lure a big-name fighter into the squared circle -- Jake Paul!

Here's the chance to live like a Golden Boy -- Oscar De La Hoya is putting his Las Vegas area mansion on the market ... and speaking of gold, you're gonna need a lot of it if you're interested in snagging the pad!!

TMZ Sports is told the former boxing champion is open to parting ways with his beautiful property, which he purchased back in 2022.

The home is in a guarded and gated community in Henderson ... and comes with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a 270-degree view of the entire Las Vegas skyline.

Julius "Juju" Ballo is determined to prove he's not just a Team USA amateur boxer with 614k Instagram followers ... telling TMZ Sports he will light up the ring like fireworks at his pro debut next month.

Ballo -- who won the USA National Championships in 2021 and 2022 -- will face 2-0 Brandon Ayala at Madison Square Garden on July 26 ... the first professional fight of his boxing career.

"I'm blessed," the 22-year-old said, "and excited to put on a great performance for the fans."

Former UFC star Ben Askren is still deep in the throes of a battle with pneumonia, his family said on Thursday morning.

In a message to TMZ Sports, Askren's loved ones confirmed the 40-year-old is "definitely still fighting" for his life.

They added, "He is alive and any rumor he has died is completely false."

Amy, Askren's wife, revealed back on June 7 that Ben had been hospitalized after he had "developed severe pneumonia." She indicated the situation was dire -- writing on her Facebook page Ben was "unable to respond to anything at this time."