Boxing

Jon Jones spent his entire career in the light heavyweight division, but, not anymore ... the UFC legend is now a heavyweight, and we're seeing JJ's physique for the first time!

35-year-old Jones posed for promotional photos on March 1 ahead of his UFC 285 fight with 32-year-old former interim champ Ciryl Gane ... and you can clearly see 6'4" Jon packed on some serious size.

Jones systematically bulked up, adding muscle over the last 2+ years. When his fight with Alexander Gustafsson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last fall, Jon told the crowd he weighed 255 lbs.

It's unclear how much he tips the scales at now, but Jon previously stated he was aiming to weigh 270 lbs. heading into fight week, before cutting a few pounds to make the heavyweight limit of 265 lbs.

FYI, Jones weighed 204 lbs. for his last fight against Dominick Reyes ... which he won by unanimous decision.

Of course, Jones is the greatest LHW (205 lb.) fighter to ever step foot in an MMA cage ... but, there's a reason weight classes exist. Size matters, despite what you've heard.

As for his opponent, Gane is a bonafide heavyweight. He's 6'5", and weighed 247 lbs. for his last fight against Tai Tuivasa.

Mike Perry says Jake Paul's trainer was livid he posted a fake "script" purporting to break down what'd happen during each round of Paul vs. Fury ... telling TMZ Sports he received an angry message in his DMs.

Once Perry shared the document titled "Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Script - Revision #4 - Final" with his hundreds of thousands of followers, it went viral. The script indicated Jake would beat Tommy Fury by TKO in the 8th round of their fight.

Obviously, that's not what happened (Fury beat Paul via split decision). Still, the script played into the conspiracy theorists' narrative that Jake's fights aren't real, and that clearly ticked off his team. The timing didn't help, either. It was released just hours before the fight and caused a headache for all involved.

"It was an Instagram post I think my buddy sent me," Perry said, explaining how he wound up with the script.

"I tweeted it and it's probably my best tweet of all time, probably. It got a lot of attention. People talked a lot of trash on me for it. Whatever."

But, Mike says it wasn't just Jake's fans that were angry, but also people close to the Problem Child.

"Jake's coach wrote me and was upset about his reputation," Perry says, explaining how Paul's coach made the case they always treated the former UFC star with respect.

But, Mike doesn't see the situation the same way.

"Ya know I was thinking, well, Jake never cared about my reputation when he posted a video of what I said to him at practice, trying to coach him up and be a part of the team, and give him that work. And he put that [training footage] out there," Perry countered, referencing Jake's decision to post training footage where Paul got the best of Perry while sparring.

We asked Mike how he responded to Jake's trainer BJ Flores -- whom Perry implies was the coach who sent the message.

"I didn't really respond to his coach's messages. I didn't respond to it. I just kind of looked past it. It's part of the game."

FYI, Flores is Jake's head coach and was a respected boxer in his own right. In fact, BJ fought for a cruiserweight world title in 2016.

Despite the drama, MP says ... "I like BJ Flores," but clearly he has no regrets about posting the script.

"The script was hilarious, it was funny, I guess just a joke."

We also talked to Mike about his thoughts on the actual fight (he says he wasn't very impressed with either boxer), and whether he has any interest in fighting Jake and/or Tommy.

"I could beat either one of those guys. Maybe they're not ready for me, and someone of my experience," while making it clear he's open if fans want to see either bout.

Pro boxer Joseph "JoJo" Diaz -- a former champ who fought Devin Haney back in 2021 -- was arrested in the Los Angeles area on Monday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Jail records show Diaz was taken into custody by the Claremont Police Dept. just before 7 PM. Law enforcement sources tell us he was booked on a charge of misdemeanor child neglect.

The specific allegations against Diaz are still not clear ... but records show he was released on Tuesday afternoon.

The 30-year-old fighter holds a 32-3-1 pro record. He famously won the IBF super featherweight title back in 2020.

Diaz went on to fight Haney in 2021 -- but lost. Earlier that year, he was in talks for a match with Ryan Garcia, but they ultimately fell through.

Tommy Fury is back on his home turf -- the boxing star just touched down in London following his huge win over Jake Paul ... and he's putting his new belt on full display.

Tommy, Tyson and John made their way through the airport on Monday ... and the Furys were happy as could be, posing for pics and meeting with fans.

It's been a wild 24 hours for the Fury fam -- Tommy went 8 rounds with Jake and earned the split decision win in Saudi Arabia ... and they've been celebrating ever since.

Aside from a bandage over his right eye, Tommy looks pretty clean ... and he appears to be in good health.

Tyson was turning heads going through the airport, too ... but his hot pink luggage might be responsible for that.

After the fight, Tommy said he was eager to spend time with Molly-Mae Hague and their newborn daughter, Bambi ... and now that he's back home, we're sure some much-needed R&R is on the horizon.

As for Jake, he's bummed about the loss ... but he can wipe his tears with the $30 million he claimed to make off the fight.

Shawn Porter had the best seat in the house for Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury -- he called the fight -- and the former 2x welterweight world champion tells us the judges screwed up ... The Problem Child won!

"I did not agree with the decision. I thought that Jake Paul pulled it out," Porter told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1), before knocking the overzealous referee's impact on the fight/scoring.

"Definitely hard to score the fight when you have a referee in there trying to control the action a little bit more than I personally felt he should've been."

Of course, 26-year-old Paul lost by split decision to 23-year-old Fury. One of the judges had Jake winning, 75-74. But, the two other judges both saw it the same way, with Fury winning on their scorecards, 76-73.

"Overall, I thought both guys did a fantastic job in terms of handling the moment, handling the ring itself, and everything that came along with it. But, overall, I thought Jake pulled it out," Porter said.

Tommy and Jake have both been criticized for not being real boxers (whatever that means) ... but Shawn says this was nothing besides a great night for the sport.

"This was a 50/50 back-and-forth match, ya just gotta appreciate it, man. Ya gotta appreciate boxing. It really was true boxing, the art."

We also asked Shawn -- who only lost four fights in his great career -- what advice he'd give Jake as he attempts to get over the first loss of his career.

"Go home, go back to Puerto Rico, get with your family, friends, people that love you, keep them around you right now, and just really decompress and get some space away from boxing right now."

Porter also talked about the hate Jake's surely receiving after the loss, advising him to steer clear of the haters.

"Boxing is a very vicious sport especially if you're misunderstood in the sport, you get a lot of people coming after you, and I'm sure he's been used to that for some time now, but exhaust yourself more? Take some time away from it all and just be with family and friends."

Now, Jake and Tommy will hammer out an agreement for a rematch ... but Shawn says we may actually see more than two fights.

Tommy Fury went from using his hands to using his pipes after beating Jake Paul on Sunday ... singing his heart out with his brother, Tyson, in the locker room to celebrate the huge win.

TNT was the happiest guy in the world after going 8 rounds with the Problem Child in Saudi Arabia ... and the man of the hour received a hero's welcome after exiting the ring.

"There's only one Tommy Fury," the crowd chanted as Tommy entered the room. "Walking along, singing a song, walking in a Fury wonderland."

Tyson couldn't have been more proud of his brother ... smiling from ear to ear as Tommy walked in with his new belt draped over his shoulder.

Tommy has all the bragging rights, but Jake has made it clear he's not riding off into the sunset ... and a rematch seems inevitable.

Jake took his first loss with respect ... thanking his fans for their support and praising the event.

"S*** happens, I guess," Jake said after the fight. "This is still the best job in the world."

Erin Blanchfield isn't looking to prove herself worthy of a title fight ... she straight up believes she's a superior fighter to Valentina Shevchenko, telling TMZ Sports she plans to dethrone the current champ.

"[Valentina] can be taken down, she can be controlled on the ground and I think my jiu-jitsu is even better. I know I could fight with her anywhere. I'm confident in my striking and my wrestling and my jitsu," 23-year-old Blanchfield, fresh off an impressive 2nd round submission win over Jessica Andrade, told us this week.

The #3 ranked UFC flyweight then continued ... "I think just putting my whole game together, I think I'm more well-rounded in that sense where I can put it all together better and that I'll find that win whenever I can."

We asked Erin if she believes she's done enough to secure a fight for the belt.

"Oh, definitely. I think I've proved myself after this last weekend and I definitely want that title shot next."

Blanchfield vs. Shevchenko is the fight so many fans want to see, but Valentina has business to take care of beforehand. The 34-year-old champion is fighting 29-year-old Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 on March 4 ... where she's a heavy favorite (-600).

FYI, Shevchenko only has 3 losses in her entire career ... and 2 were to Amanda Nunes (some fans feel VS won 1 of the fights). Valentina hasn't lost since 2017 (and hasn't lost to anyone not named Nunes since 2010!). Blanchfield only has one loss on her ledger (in 2019) ... and has an 11-1 record in MMA (5-0 in UFC).

Erin tells us she's rooting for Shevchenko because a loss would almost certainly guarantee a rematch of the 285 scrap between the women, and EB isn't trying to wait. Not to mention, she'd like to be the woman to dethrone the future Hall of Famer.

"I definitely want Valentina to win. I wanna be the one to take that belt from her. She's been a super dominant champ, she's very skilled and having that prestige of taking a belt from someone like Valentina is definitely what I want."

As for how she thinks a fight with the current champ would go ... Blanchfield sees herself winning by any means necessary.

Gervonta Davis has found himself in hot water once again -- the boxing star is now being accused of punching an NYC parking lot attendant in the chest during a heated altercation in March 2022 ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Arturo Jimenez claims he just started his shift at the Edison Park Fast garage around 11 AM on March 8 ... when Tank approached him and asked for the keys to his Cadillac Escalade.

Jimenez says he was working with another customer at the time and had no idea Tank had already asked a different attendant to go fetch his whip ... and Davis grew upset, saying "stop f***ing playing with me."

The worker says Tank then punched him in the chest ... causing "multiple bodily injuries."

The lawsuit states Jimenez's coworker saw the whole incident ... and brought him into the garage office to keep Tank from hurting him even more.

While inside the office, Jimenez claims Tank was visibly pissed, shouting and cursing at them ... demanding his keys, but refusing to pay his parking fee.

After a while, the lawsuit says Tank eventually caved in and paid his fee before driving away from the scene.

Jimenez says he reported the incident to NYPD a day later.

He is suing for unspecified damages ... claiming he was unable to work and has racked up medical bills due to the injuries.

It's yet another troubling accusation made against Davis, who has had a growing list of run-ins with the law recently.

Floyd Mayweather is fighting this weekend, but the boxing legend didn't seem too fazed about the bout on Thursday ... partying it up with Jamie Foxx to celebrate his birthday!!

TBE welcomed all his friends to Restaurant Ours in London to honor his 46th trip around the sun ... and the bash had a ton of booze, an incredible cake -- and of course, huge tributes to the man of the hour.

Foxx looked like the life of the party ... showing off his dance moves while sporting a fancy purple suit.

Mayweather was spotted wearing a Clueless-esque yellow plaid outfit ... posing with a massive bottle of bubbly -- but remember, the guy doesn't drink, so we're assuming it was just for a photo op.

Actor Evan Ross, celeb jeweler Johnny Dang and designer Ozwald Boateng were in attendance ... as well as a ton of beautiful women, including model Ivana Knoll, who documented the rager on her social media page.

The event went down just 48 hours before Floyd is set to enter the ring with reality TV star and former Bellator fighter Aaron Chalmers at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday ... and it sure seems like he's feeling good before the exhibition bout.

Here's a new one -- boxing star Conor Benn has been cleared of doping allegations stemming from failed drug tests last year ... after officials determined the popped sample was due to eating too many eggs!!

The 21-0 (14 KOs) fighter vowed to clear his name after clomiphene was found in his urine three days before his October fight against Chris Eubank Jr. ... which ultimately led to the event being postponed.

FYI, clomiphene is a fertility drug ... but it can elevate testosterone levels while burning fat in men.

After a thorough investigation, the World Boxing Council announced Wednesday the British boxer has been cleared of doping ... after the organization concluded his egg-heavy diet "raised a reasonable explanation for the Adverse Finding."

The WBC also reinstated Benn in the rankings ... as officials found zero evidence his actions were intentional.

"The WBC Nutrition Committee will work with Mr. Benn’s team to design a nutrition program geared to avoid the risk of a future adverse finding caused by nutritional factors," the org. said in its statement.

Jake Paul just went scorched earth on Tommy Fury -- dropping a 90-second video straight-up ripping his opponent to shreds ahead of their boxing match ... and it's intense as hell.

The Problem Child posted the clip to his social media on Wednesday ... just four days before he's set to enter the ring with TNT in Saudi Arabia.

"Tommy, I hope you've enjoyed these last few moments of your career," Jake said. "This is it, you're going to be retired from boxing after this. You're going to be disowned by your family. You're going to go back to your mother's maiden name. There's nothing else that can save you. It's just me and you -- mano a mano."

Jake even name-dropped Tommy's new baby girl, Bambi, in the clip ... saying she won't be able to save him from getting his ass beat on Feb. 26.

"So, all that cute little motivation about having a child and fighting for her, all that s*** goes out the window when I'm coming to take your f***ing head off, decapitate you," Paul added.

"I'm a mean, angry person deep down and I'm gonna take out all of it on your f***ing face, and there's nothing you can do to f***ing beat me."

Jake says beating Fury is for the "higher benevolent good of the universe" ... and Fury only has four rounds before he's "f***ed."

The rant is part of Jake's new episode of "BS With Jake Paul" ... which dropped on Thursday, ahead of their big fight press conference.

Of course, Tyson Fury's little bro has also shared his own bit of smack talk leading up to the fight ... telling TMZ Sports Jake will need an ambulance after he's done with him.

Forget cards and fruit baskets ... Jake Paul just thanked a mogul in Dubai for letting him use his gym this month with a way better gift -- a Man City jersey personally signed by superstar Erling Haaland!!

The YouTuber-turned-boxer brought the "thank you" present out to Umar Kamani at The Kamani Club this week ... after the PrettyLittleThing founder opened up his gym's doors to allow the 6-0 boxer to train for this weekend's Tommy Fury fight.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Paul got the No. 9, blue jersey signed by Haaland himself -- before framing it and handing it over to Kamani.

Of course, the gift was super meaningful -- as Kamani is known to be a huge Man City fan.

The 34-year-old appreciated the gift ... thanking Paul and wishing him good luck against Fury in a social media post.

"A great camp from #TeamPaul at @thekamaniclub over the last few weeks," the post read, "wishing you the best of luck in your upcoming fight."

Francis Ngannou has a boxing legend giving him at least a chance in a fight against Tyson Fury ... with Mike Tyson telling TMZ Sports believes "anything is possible" if the two heavyweights face off in an epic matchup.

Ngannou, who recently became a combat free agent after spending more than 8 years with UFC, told us last month he's been in contact with Fury's camp about making a fight happen with the Gypsy King.

Of course, Ngannou is one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the game, but it would be his first professional boxing fight ... and going up against Fury would be a huge task for anyone, let alone a rookie pugilist.

Tyson showed a bit of optimism for The Predator when we caught up with him in LA ... giving us a simple, yet hopeful response to his chances in the ring.

Fury might already have his next opponent lined up with Oleksandr Usyk, but it's clear both sides are serious about putting ink to paper sometime soon.

X-Pac, member of the legendary "New World Order" faction says Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and formerly Sami Zayn's "The Bloodline" is "right up there" with NWO ... and he understands why fans compare the two groups.

We spoke to Pac, real name Sean Waltman, about the comparisons being made between the factions, and he admitted "the magnitude is similar" between the two groups and the impact they've had on wrestling.

Of course, many wrestling fans believe The Bloodline storyline is one of, if not the greatest, in WWE history.

As for NWO, it originally started out as a group in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. Their goal was to take over WCW by any means necessary, destroying everything in their path.

In 1996, Waltman joined NWO in WCW, becoming the group's sixth member. The WWE inducted NWO into its Hall of Fame in 2020, bestowing the honor on Waltman, Nash, Hall, and Hogan.

NWO will be featured on the season premiere of A&E's docuseries "Biography: WWE Legends" on February 19 ... and Waltman's pumped for the show, which will examine how the group changed the sports entertainment landscape.

"It's nice to have been a part of something that people want to see tv shows made about it, Pac said. "It feels really freaking good."

Former NFL player, Greg Hardy started his new career in the boxing ring Friday night ... but he wound up getting his ass whooped.

Hardy was duking it out with Josh Watson in the "Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship: Knucklemania 3" and, by the second round, he was eating the canvas.

Hardy's nightmare started at the end of the first round when he got punched so hard by Watson, he went flying into the ropes, nearly crumbling to the ground.

Then, in the second round, Watson landed a crushing left hook that put Hardy flat on his back. He tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't as the ref counted him out.

Last year, Hardy signed with BKFC, which promotes boxing without gloves. He previously had a deal with the UFC, but his contract was not renewed.

Sorry, ladies -- Jake Paul is already moving on from Julia Rose ... the Problem Child is spending his Valentine's Day on a romantic date.

... with a pair of boxing gloves!!!

The 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer poked some fun at his love life by sharing a hilarious photo shoot on Tuesday ... showing him wining and dining some Everlast mitts.

"Happy Valentines Day from me n' mine🥊🤍🖤," Jake captioned the post. "I love you babe💘"

Of course, Jake and Julia were off and on for years ... but seemingly ended things for good sometime around December 2022, when Paul posted a pic with a flower in his mouth, saying, "Picked the wrong Rose."

It's unclear when they actually officially called it quits, 'cause Julia was present for Jake's win over ex-UFC champion Anderson Silva in October. They've since unfollowed each other on Instagram ... and ya know what that means.

Paul has guaranteed a win in his big fight against Tommy Fury on Feb. 26 ... so we're assuming he's too focused on the bout to worry about his dating life.