Fights

You're looking at "Iranian Hulk" Sajad Gharibi -- a powerlifter who's become a social media sensation -- and he's about to try his hand in MMA.

The good news ... UFC star Brian Ortega is offering up some advice for the massive 27-year-old -- but that advice comes with a serious warning!

Long story short ... Ortega is 100% confident he would destroy Gharibi in a fight -- despite weighing roughly 250 POUNDS less!!!!

"I would just gas him out, piss him off," Ortega tells TMZ Sports.

For the record, Ortega is 5'8", 145 ... Gharibi (from the info we've found) is 6'2", 385.

"Of course, you're gonna see me just get mauled up like a damn little chihuahua in the beginning," Ortega says ... "but just when I ride that wave out, it's a done deal man. He'll gas out and he'll be mine."

Gharibi says he's dead serious about taking a real MMA fight -- telling reporter Chamatkar Sandhu he's already accepted a fight against a Brazilian opponent.

"Platinum" Mike Perry HATES Colby Covington -- telling TMZ Sports he FANTASIZES about torturing the UFC fighter ... in one of the most sick, twisted and awesome rants we've seen in a while!!!

"I want to grab him and stick my thumb in his eye and bite his ears off and rip his face apart and rip his head from his neck," Perry says.

"And, if this much pain and suffering and hatred is inside of me, I will, I can, and I'm capable."

Let that sink in.

Perry is coming off a pretty impressive win over "Cowboy" Alex Oliveira this weekend -- so we asked Mike who he wants to fight next.

Obviously, Mike says he's got a mission to destroy Colby -- but if he doesn't get that fight, he wants Darren Till.

Either way, the 27-year-old says he's peaking right now and feels he can beat ANYONE the UFC throws in the Octagon.

50 Cent is an excellent debt collector ... he says Hollywood producer Randall Emmett paid back a $1 million loan in full, meeting 50's self-imposed deadline.

Fiddy says Randall squared up his debts Monday, and the rapper decided he's going to stop annihilating Emmett on social media ... but not before getting one last shot in.

As we reported ... 50 went nuclear on Randall over the weekend, threatening physical violence if Emmett didn't pay back a million-dollar loan, and setting a Monday deadline to get his money back.

Fiddy wasn't afraid to get down and dirty to get his cash ... comparing Randall to Harvey Weinstein and drudging up old clips of Emmett's fiancee, "Vanderpump Rules" star Lala Kent, mocking her for admitting Randall gifted her a Range Rover after the first time the couple had sex.

50 also posted screenshots of texts with Randall -- a fellow executive producer on "Power" -- calling him a "f***ing loser."

Scottish pop band Chvrches says it's being threatened with gun violence and rape after ripping Marshmello's collab with Chris Brown ... but they say the reaction kinda proves their point.

Chrvches recently slammed Marshmello for working with CB and Tyga, saying they had big problems with the DJ partnering up with artists who the band says are "predators and abusers" of women ... and now the lead singer says she's getting death threats for speaking out.

Lauren Mayberry went on a long rant before Chvrches kicked off its headlining set Saturday night at the Fortress Festival in Texas ... explaining why the band went after Chris in the first place, and why she thinks it's "morally dubious" for musicians to work with artists who have a history of violence.

As you know ... Brown pled guilty to felony assault of Rihanna back in 2009, and he's the subject of an ongoing lawsuit over an alleged rape in Paris.

The back-and-forth beef between Chvrches and Brown started Thursday, when the band called out Marshmello for producing a track with CB and Tyga called "Light it Up." Chvrches and Marshmello recently worked on a song together.

Brown fired back on Instagram, calling the band a "BUNCH OF LOSERS" and wishing they "walked in front of a speeding bus full of mental patients."

Offset's looking a lot like UFC champ Conor McGregor -- and not in a good way -- after slapping the crap out of a fan's phone ... and the fan says he's getting the police involved.

18-year-old Junior Gibbons says he was at a Target in Sandy Springs, GA on Monday when he saw the rapper buying a baby stroller. Gibbons took out his phone to record a selfie video, but when he asked, "What up, Offset?" ... he didn't get the response he wanted.

Instead, he says he ended up with a cracked phone.

After his phone slammed to the ground, Junior claims Offset told him to get that "f***in' phone out of my face" ... and then walked out of the store.

Junior tells us he went to the cops and filed a police report Friday, but says his family just wants Offset to pay to replace the phone.

You'll recall, McGregor had a very similar incident last month outside Liv Nightclub in Miami. He was eventually charged with robbery and criminal mischief, and his trial's set to begin next month.

We've reached out to Offset ... no word back, so far.

Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis ... get ready -- 'cause Greg Hardy says he's coming!!!

"They're not in my mind," the ex-NFL star says of the UFC heavyweight beasts ... "They're in my sights, brother. They're locked in."

Of course, Hardy ain't sure exactly when those fights will go down ... he tells TMZ Sports, after being DQ'd in his first-ever UFC fight -- he's got a lot to learn before he steps in the Octagon with the superstars.

But, he says guys like Stipe and The Black Beast are still the goal ... telling us, "When I go there and I do fight these guys -- hopefully soon enough when I do elevate and graduate -- it's going to be Goliath vs. Goliath."

Hardy's first step in that plan? A bout with Dmitrii Smoliakov in the co-main event of Saturday night's ESPN+ Fight Night 150.

Greg says he's more prepared for this UFC tilt than his first one -- the one he lost after he illegally kneed Allen Crowder back in January.

Hardy tells us he was "overwhelmed" by the stage in that fight ... but he's learned from it -- and says he's ready to kick some ass Saturday!!!

The woman Remy Ma allegedly punched at a concert in NYC wants the venue and police to preserve surveillance footage of the incident ... a sure sign she's about to sue the rapper.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Brittney Taylor filed legal docs this week asking the Irving Plaza and NYPD to hold on to video, photographs, investigative reports and all other evidence in connection to her alleged altercation with Remy ... during the Pretty Lou's Benefit Concert on April 16.

As we reported, Taylor claims Remy punched her in the right eye after the 2 had an argument in the backstage area. Brittney went to the hospital for treatment and filed a police report.

So far, there have been no arrests or charges filed, and sources close to Remy say there's no validity to the story.

Taylor's sticking to it, though. According to the legal docs ... she says she suffered serious personal injuries and believes there's surveillance of the incident.

The man Conor McGregor boxed in an exhibition match in Ireland last week tells TMZ Sports ... Conor started off the fight with the WORST cheap shot he's ever seen ... and we got the video!!!

"It was the cheapest shot I ever caught in me life, man," Michael McGrane tells us.

Here's the deal ... McGrane took on McGregor in a 4-round fight in Dublin on Friday, April 19. Conor is in the red trunks, Michael is sporting blue.

When officials rang the bell to start the match, McGrane says he expected Conor to touch gloves ... but instead, the UFC superstar unleashed a left hook that caught him flush in the eye.

"You're meant to go back to your corner, but Conor never went back to his corner," McGrane says ... "Conor leaped at me with a left hook."

You can see the damage McGrane says he took from the shot -- still visible days after the fight.

"Conor McGregor hit me a cheap shot in his own hometown!!!"

McGrane says he got no help from the ref that day -- because even the official was obviously rooting for Conor.

"The ref was on his side. There's no way I would have won that fight unless I knocked him out."

By the way, we're told the fight ended in a DRAW.

Despite the controversy, McGrane says he's greatly appreciative of the opportunity to fight someone as HUGE as Conor McGregor and hopes the experience will make him better in the long run.

McGrane -- an electrician by trade -- says he's hoping to give up the electric game to focus on boxing full-time because he thinks he has potential to be a world champ!!!

Canelo Alvarez has some BIG fans in his corner -- LeBron James and Maverick Carter -- and to show their support, they just hooked the boxer up with some SUPER HOT kicks!!!

LeBron's business partner just took a trip to Canelo's training camp in San Diego where Alvarez is gearing up to fight Daniel Jacobs on May 4. And, you better believe he didn't come empty-handed.

Carter presented Canelo with a pair of the new LeBron 16 "Martin" shoes -- which have already become some of the most coveted shoes on the market.

"You like sneakers?" Carter asks ... "These just came out. Very special."

Canelo is stoked -- and tells Carter to give his thanks to LeBron.

As we previously reported, Bron and Carter are producing a docuseries on the fight for DAZN called "40 Days" which premieres Tuesday night ... and will show how Canelo is preparing for the bout.

The series also features Canelo's promoter Oscar De La Hoya -- but if he wants a pair of LeBrons, he's gonna have to pay for 'em!!!

Amir Khan quit in the ring ... and he needs to man the hell up and apologize to boxing fans, so says boxing legend Roy Jones Jr.

Khan bowed out in the 6th round of his fight with Terence Crawford this weekend after getting hit below the belt ... insisting he was seriously hurt, and couldn't continue.

But, fans felt cheated by the ending ... and they were pissed.

And, they damn sure should be, according to Roy ... who says Khan flat out waved the white flag.

"Amir Khan quit."

Jones Jr. -- a multiple time world champ across 4 weight classes -- says he would NEVER quit inside the ring.

"When I go in the ring. Carry me out. I don't wanna go out on my feet if I lost. Carry me out. I rather give it all, or get it all taken away from me."

Still, RJJ says all ain't lost for Khan -- a fighter he likes and respects -- as long as he gets real about what happened.

"Amir, I love you as a fighter. I respect you since you were an amateur fighter. You went up 2 weight classes, took on Canelo. You did a lot of beautiful things to show that you have courage," Jones Jr. says.

"This time you were in a no-win situation, and you refused to continue," Jones tells us ... "You stopped at a time we know you could've given more. You didn't give it to us, the fans, your all."

The Internet-famous Easter Bunny vigilante says he sprung into action without thinking twice about the fact he was rocking a furry suit ... because he'd spotted a damsel in distress.

The hero-bunny is Antoine McDonald and he tells TMZ ... he saw a guy spit on a woman Sunday outside the Underground Public House bar in downtown Orlando. Antoine says he saw it from across the street and quickly ran over to help her.

It all happened so fast, Antoine says he didn't even have time to unzip his suit or even bother to look for cars as he scrambled to get across the street and to the woman's defense. The video of him -- fully furred out -- going HAM has, naturally, gone viral. When's the last time you saw an Easter bunny open a can of whoop-ass??

The video of Antoine breaking down the brawl is almost as entertaining as the fight itself. Our fave parts? When the boxing bunny went from throwing haymakers to shadow boxing ... much to the crowd's delight.

Also, you gotta see Antoine revealing what cops told him immediately after they broke up the fight. Amazingly, nobody got arrested.

Terence Crawford tells TMZ Sports ... Amir Khan was SMART to quit in the 6th round -- because the beating was only gonna get WORSE for the fighter.

We spoke with "Bud" about that smackdown he put on Khan on Saturday -- in a fight where Khan quit after taking an accidental low blow.

Crawford says Amir essentially "took the easy way out" -- because Terence was finally starting to open up and the beating was only going to get worse.

"I honestly feel like [Amir's trainer] stopped him before anything bad happened to him."

Crawford says Amir will have to live with his decision to quit for years because it's "something people will talk about for ages."

We also spoke with Crawford about the next big fight ... a potential matchup with superstar Errol Spence.

EVERYONE wants to see it -- but a behind-the-scenes feud between Crawford's promoter Bob Arum and Errol's promoter Al Haymon could prevent the fight from going down.

Crawford says he hopes everybody can be "adults" about the situation -- and if they are, he's confident the fight can get made.

#FingersCrossed

Getchya popcorn ready for the biggest boxing match in women's history ... 'cause Cecilia Braekhus tells TMZ Sports she's down for a superfight with Claressa Shields!!!

"I wanna be in a ring with that," Braekhus says.

Of course, Cecilia and Claressa are considered the two best female boxers on the planet -- Cecilia is 35-0 while Claressa is 9-0 -- and Cecilia says she's willing to duke it out in the ring to see who's No. 1.

The only problem??? The two are in totally different weight classes -- Claressa has about 13 pounds on Cecilia -- but Braekhus tells us she'll come up in weight if Claressa will go down.

"It's three weight divisions between us," Cecilia says ... "So, that issue needs to be resolved."

The good news??? Claressa says she's willing to meet Cecilia in the middle ... 'cause she just told us this week she'll fight the boxing superstar at 154!!!

So ... LET'S GET IT ON!!!!!

Paging Floyd Mayweather ... Conor McGregor is boxing again!!!

The UFC superstar competed in an exhibition match late Friday night at his OG gym in Crumlin, Ireland. Sure, Conor's wearing headgear so already you know it's basically a sparring sesh. But, he looked great and, in typical Conor fashion, he showboated throughout the match.

Check out the video ... Conor squares off against amateur Michael McGrane, reportedly an electrician who competes in Dublin. The Irishmen put on a show for the packed crowd with a four-round bout.

McGrane was no match for Conor, obviously ... as the superstar smothered his opponent with jabs while deftly switching stances -- from Orthodox to Southpaw -- throughout the match. He did a great job cutting the ring too.

The match was reportedly a secret ... cause McGrane was listed on the "Good Friday Show" card but his opponent was marked as "A. Another." After the fight ... McGregor mugged for the cameras with fans while showing off his Proper 12 whiskey.

The event helped raise money for the boxing club ... with the money going to help young fighters cover their travel expenses as they set out to compete throughout the year.

Boxing superstar Terence Crawford says he's confident Claressa Shields wouldn't just hold her own in a boxing match with Conor McGregor ... "she would do well!!!"

Of course, Shields sent shockwaves through the boxing world when she called out several MALE fighters by name ... Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter and Gennady Golovkin.

Crawford says Shields is a BEAST -- but he's not super confident she'd beat a top-level pro male fighter.

A lesser pro -- like Conor McGregor, perhaps? Crawford's got some thoughts ...

Remember that insane video of Amir Khan chugging a protein shake and then juggling the bottle in midair with punches???

Yeah ... dude says it was 100 percent real -- telling TMZ Sports it took AN HOUR of practicing before he got it right!!!

The trick is wild ... Khan tosses a plastic bottle in the air, hits it just right so it stays spinning ... and then he keeps it in the air with punch after punch until he's bored with it.

Khan tells us the trick ain't easy to do ... saying, "I was standing there for about an hour until I got it right!!"

In fact, Amir says it's SO difficult, he's only been able to do it twice since!!!

As for his upcoming mega-fight with Terence Crawford on Saturday night ... Khan says he's feeling extra motivated to get the win because he's such a huge underdog.