Fights

Heavyweight boxer Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller says the failed drug test that forced him out of his fight against Anthony Joshua cost him around $30 MILLION!!!!

... and yeah, he still thinks about it all the time!!

Remember, Miller was the guy ORIGINALLY slated to fight AJ on June 1 at Madison Square Garden -- but when "Big Baby" failed the test, Joshua's people signed Andy Ruiz as a last-minute replacement.

And, we all know what happened next -- Ruiz beat the dog snot out of Joshua ... and now Andy is trying to lock up a $50 million rematch deal.

So, when "Big Baby" joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) -- we asked if he ever thinks to himself, "That shoulda been me!"

"It was gonna be a massacre," Miller says ... "But, sometimes God has plans for you."

Miller ain't mad at Ruiz -- in fact, it's the opposite -- the two have been good friends for years and Miller says he couldn't be happier for the boxer.

But, when we asked how much cash he thinks the drug test ultimately cost him, Miller dropped some REALLY BIG numbers ... and explained, "You know how many cheeseburgers that is just now!?!!

Don't worry, Miller says he's getting his career back on track and plans on fighting later this year as soon as his suspension is up.

Don't rule out a Justin Bieber vs. Tom Cruise fight in the UFC ... so says Dana White who tells TMZ Sports there's a very REAL chance the two could actually throw down in the Octagon.

After 25-year-old Bieber tagged the UFC president in a twitter post last week calling out 56-year-old Tom Cruise, White says he blew it off initially ... until he got some phone calls from "real guys" connected to the superstars.

Dana wouldn't say who he spoke with but was clear they're legit -- and they told Dana both Tom and Justin "really wanna do this fight and they believe that Tom Cruise would do the fight."

"I told them that if that's true -- and everybody involved really wants to do it -- we can talk."

In fact, White says if there's real interest from both stars "I'd be an IDIOT not to make this fight!"

And, to all the doubters, Dana says he didn't think there was a chance Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor would ever evolve into a real fight ... but that happened, right?!

Remember, Justin Bieber has trained with Floyd -- who once said the singer has enough fighting talent to be a pro boxer.

And, Tom Cruise was a star wrestler in high school -- and has a reputation for being one of the toughest actors in Hollywood who's been doing his own stunts for decades.

So, if they do agree to a fight ... it could be very interesting.

White adds, "That would be the easiest fight to promote in the history of my career."

After sending the tweet, Bieber said the whole thing was a joke ... but hey, people can change their minds.

Adam Silver is vouching for Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri -- saying the guy is a good dude ... but the NBA commish tells TMZ Sports he's still investigating Ujiri like he would anyone else.

Of course, Ujiri is facing some stiff allegations after shoving a cop after Game 6 of the NBA Finals ... with the officer's attorney saying his client suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

In fact, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office says it's pursuing a criminal misdemeanor battery charge against Ujiri ... saying it's set to meet with prosecutors this week.

When we got Silver out in NYC on Tuesday ... he told us he's known Ujiri for years -- but has still launched a full investigation into the allegations nonetheless.

"I've known Masai Ujiri for a long time," Silver says ... "I know he's a very decent person. But, at the same time, we of course respect law enforcement that does a great job protecting our fans in the arena."

"So, there's been an allegation here, so it's our job to look into the facts and make sure that everything's handled appropriately."

The cop who says he was attacked by Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri after Game 6 of the NBA Finals now claims he suffered a concussion during the incident ... and he's threatening to sue.

"He has a serious concussion; a templar mandibular joint injury, which is a serious jaw injury,” the officer's attorney David Mastagni told KPIX 5.

The incident went down Thursday in the moments after the Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland ... the cop says Ujiri got violent over a dispute over credentials.

Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Ray Kelly said the officer claims Ujiri struck him in the chest and head. Ujiri is being investigated for misdemeanor battery.

"It’s an unprovoked significant hit to the jaw of the law enforcement officer," Mastagni said.

Officials have told TMZ Sports they are hunting for more video of the incident -- so far, the only footage that's surfaced publicly shows the direct aftermath ... NOT the alleged blow to the face.

The officer -- whose identity has not been made public -- has not filed a lawsuit yet ... but it seems it's only a matter of time at this point.

"All options are on the table. No options are off the table," Mastagni said ... adding, "No options are being ruled out as to how to rectify the situation."

Michael Pena has played everyone from Cesar Chavez to Luis in "Ant-Man" ... but the one role you WON'T see him in is heavyweight boxing champ, Andy Ruiz.

... and why?

"Because I'd have to gain a lot of weight, my wife would kill me!"

Don't get it twisted, Pena has a ton of respect for Ruiz and thinks he has a great story to tell ... but Ruiz is 270 lbs -- and Pena is wayyyyy smaller.

Of course, Ruiz shot to superstardom by knocking out undefeated heavyweight superstar Anthony Joshua -- despite being a HEAVY betting underdog.

What's interesting ... Pena -- who's been in a TON of movies -- says he doesn't think Ruiz's story is ready for the big screen yet because he'd like to see the guy win a few more fights first.

So, who SHOULD play the new champ?

Jake Paul says he ain't just talk when it comes to fighting celebrities -- telling TMZ Sports he'll throw hands with ANY famous person who wants smoke ... as long as they "pull up" to his house.

Of course, Jake's brother, Logan Paul, DID fight a guy who showed up to his L.A. home looking for a scrap recently -- an Ivan Drago wannabe who got the CRAP beat out of him in Logan's backyard.

Now, with celebrities like Justin Bieber calling out Tom Cruise for an MMA fight (even though he later backed down) ... we asked Jake if he's serious about some celebrity fighting action.

"I will box anybody," Jake said outside Bootsy Bellows in Hollywood ... "I'll box anyone."

Jake wasn't kidding -- telling us he'd even take on pro fighters like Deontay Wilder ... if Wilder was actually serious about that fight (which he never would because he's a pro).

In fact, Jake says he doubts anyone will actually take him up on his offer -- "When it's actually time, no one's gonna pull up."

4:36 PM PT -- Blac Chyna is firing back at her baby daddy, Rob Kardashian, after he had his attorney sent a letter instructing her that their daughter, Dream, absolutely CANNOT appear on her new reality show, "The Real Blac Chyna" ... while taking some swipes at his own family at the same time.

She posted a lengthy statement Saturday, saying in part ... "Had Rob contacted me directly rather than through his attorney Marty Singer, Rob would have learned about Dream participation in the show."

She goes on to say that Dream was never going to be part of her show, and that she would never subject the kid to "long hours" on set. Further, she says she'd never let Dream be in the presence of the real drama that Chyna and her mom experienced while filming.

Chyna writes, "It is very unfortunate that Rob could not simply have an adult conversation with me 'the mother of his child,' Dream Kardashian, appearing on my show."

Then come the shots at the Kardashian family as a whole. Chyna went on to criticize the fact that Rob and co. have featured Dream on their own reality show, allegedly without ever consulting Chyna and seeing if she was good with it.

BC gets pretty nasty with her critique, writing ... "I also would have pointed out to Rob the hypocrisy of his family's insistence that Dream appear on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' in the family's desperate attempt to boost the dismal ratings for their stale and contrived show, without my approval, including an entire scene being Dream's birthday party, again without my consent."

Chyna finished her thoughts by saying, "My show is about my life and my kids are a huge part of my life. It's really sad that everything I do to better myself or my family the same people have something to say to stop or hinder it."

Rob Kardashian's pumping the brakes on his 2-year-old daughter becoming a big TV star ... or at the very least he's making sure it doesn't happen on Blac Chyna's new reality show.

Rob's lawyer, legal pit bull Marty Singer, fired off a threatening letter to Chyna, telling her their daughter, 2-year-old Dream, CANNOT appear on her show, "The Real Blac Chyna," without Rob's consent, and he will NOT give consent.

As we reported, Rob and Chyna share 50/50 joint custody, and Singer says there's no way Dream's mother can turn a TV camera on Dream without Rob being on board.

According to the letter, Chyna sent Rob an appearance release for Dream to appear on the series, and he's not gonna sign.

We're told Rob has several reasons for withholding consent. He's seen all the drama with Chyna ... most recently, getting into a crazy fight with her former hairdresser while Dream was in the house and an explosive fight with her mom. We're told Rob feels her life is way too tumultuous and a reality show would just exacerbate the situation.

Beyond that, Rob's had his own experience with reality shows, and for the most part, the experience wasn't good. He doesn't want his daughter subjected to the long hours, the lights and the drama.

The letter ends with a threat to the network that's airing the show ... "Should The Zeus Network proceed with releasing any episodes of the Series or related materials containing Dream's likeness, it will be acting at its own peril and exposing itself to significant liability."

Ronda Rousey put female UFC fighters on the map ... and that's exactly what Mikaela Mayer says she's gonna do for female boxing.

Mikaela is a 28-year-old undefeated boxer (10-0) -- who's signed with legendary promoter Bob Arum -- and she's fighting Lizbeth Crespo Saturday in Vegas.

MM says that female boxing ain't anywhere near where it should be when it comes to fan interest ... but that's about to change -- and she's pointing at the UFC as proof it can happen.

There was once a time when Dana White said women would never fight in the UFC ... then Ronda came along, and a bunch of armbars later, female fights are every bit as popular as the guys.

See Amanda Nunes, Cyborg, Valentina Shevchenko ... the list goes on and on.

So, we asked Mikaela if she could be the Rowdy Ronda of female boxing?

"Yeah, how she broke down those walls and made women's MMA, a market for women's MMA, yeah, I absolutely see myself doing that for women's boxing."

The sport seems ready to explode with killers like Mikaela, Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields putting a serious ass-whooping on people in big time fights.

"I feel like we all have a duty to show the world and prove to the world that we can be competitive," Mikaela says ... "That we can put on good shows, that we can sell."

Daniel Cormier says his upcoming title defense against Stipe Miocic could be his last hurrah in the UFC Octagon ... telling TMZ Sports, "I don't anticipate fighting much past this."

Remember, DC had always said he would retire on his 40th birthday -- but that came and went in March ... with Cormier breaking his vow to take on a second fight with Stipe.

Now that the rematch is set for August 17 in Anaheim, we asked Cormier if he's still thinking about retirement.

"I always said that I was gonna fight [until I was 40]. I couldn't make that one so, if I hold true to what I was saying, then this would be the final one."

Of course, Cormier can always change his mind -- especially if the fight checks are big enough -- but one thing's for sure ... he ain't gonna be doing this for much longer.

Meantime, Cormier says he's already started training for Stipe -- because he knows Miocic is looking for some violent revenge after getting knocked out in the first round at UFC 226 back in 2018.

"I truly believe he's gonna be a better version of himself," Cormier says ... "I think it'll be a much more difficult fight."

Pro wrestling superstar Jon Moxley -- formally known as Dean Ambrose -- is hours away from making his return to the U.S. indie circuit ... and the dude is FIRED UP!!

"I feel like I'm 18 again," Moxley tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm just so excited, just chomping at the bit to get back in the ring!"

Moxley was a HUGE star for years with WWE -- a former world champion who was 1/3 of The Shield, along with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

But, his WWE contract expired earlier this year -- so he decided to pursue other options using the "Jon Moxley" moniker he created before his WWE days.

Moxley recently wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling -- his first post-WWE match -- and crushed it. And now, he's taking his talents back to the U.S. where he has an event Friday night for Northeast Wrestling in Connecticut.

"I'm so excited ... I could wrestle 'til I'm 100 ... stem cell research, you never know!"

Next up for Moxley is a match against Joey Janela at AEW's Fyter Fest later this month. And after that, it's Kenny Omega at AEW's massive All Out event in August.

Check out the video ... Moxley thanks his fans for sticking with him through his wrestling journey -- vows to put on great shows.

A boxing champ wants to beat the hell out of Conor McGregor both in the ring AND the Octagon ... with Regis Prograis saying, "I'ma hurt your ass!"

... and it's all 'cause of Mark Wahlberg.

Here's the deal ... Conor called out Mark on social media Sunday saying he wanted to "slap the ears off" the actor and take his UFC shares.

Well, 30-year-old Prograis -- the 24-0 WBA light-welterweight champ who's currently managed by Wahlberg -- heard the challenge ... and now, he's issuing a threat right back at the UFC superstar.

"Don't call out no actors, dawg," Regis says ... "Call out a real world champion. I'ma hurt your ass!"

Regis says he wants a two-fight deal with Conor -- one in the ring and one in the Octagon -- and he's promising he'll win both.

"I'll fight you in the ring first, and I'm definitely going to whoop your ass. Then, I'm going to fight you in the Octagon, and whoop your ass in there!"

The tale of the tape is interesting ... Regis fights at 5'8" and around 140 pounds, while Conor comes in at 5'9", 150ish pounds.

So, will it go down??? Stay tuned ...

Tyson Fury says he NEVER signed a contract for a rematch with Deontay Wilder -- saying the Bronze Bomber is simply lying about the deal because "he sucks."

Remember, on May 31 ... Wilder put out a video promoting Wilder vs. Fury II -- and said on social media, "All contracts have been signed." Deontay also spoke with TMZ Sports about the rematch.

So, when we spoke with Fury on Thursday we were shocked when he called BS on Wilder's claims.

"I've signed nothing," Fury says ... "Not that I'm aware of unless someone signed it for me, which is illegal."

So, why would Wilder make that public statement? Fury has a theory ...

"Cause he sucks, that's why ... and he's trying to get some fame off of my back."

We're reaching out to Wilder to get his side of the story.

Meanwhile, Fury is gearing up for his next match against 24-0 German heavyweight Tom Schwarz -- a 25-year-old phenom who happens to be 6'5" and 241 pounds.

Fury is a HEAVY favorite in the June 15 fight on ESPN+ but Tyson tells us Schwarz has a shot to be the next Andy Ruiz ... the underdog who shocked the world by upsetting undefeated Anthony Joshua.

Fury says Schwarz is no bum -- and he would never underestimate the guy.

"We've all seen the best heavyweights in the world get chinned now and again don't we?"

"[Wladimir Klitschko] was the best heavyweight in the world until I spanked him all over Germany."

Of course, Klitschko was a heavy favorite when he fought Fury back in 2015 -- but Tyson came out victorious ... ending Wlad's decade-long reign as heavyweight champ.

6/12 4:13 PM PT -- The hearing just went down in L.A. ... and Avenatti is now officially in the clear. He just tweeted, "Today I attended the hearing in the matter relating to the allegations of Ms. Miniutti. At the conclusion of that hearing, I was again informed that NO CHARGES will be filed against me. As I predicted long ago, I was not charged because I did nothing wrong."

Michael Avenatti will not be charged with any crime in connection with his domestic violence arrest.

The L.A. City Attorney just announced it will hold an informal hearing in which the alleged victim, Mareli Miniutti, and Avenatti will appear separately and talk about what happened back in November, when the woman claimed he got violent with her ... something Avenatti denies.

The City Attorney says the woman "will be advised of services available to her." As for Avenatti, the City Attorney says "The suspect will be informed that although we decline to file charges at this time, this matter remains open and we may file charges at any time prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations."

As we reported, the L.A. County D.A. declined to file felony charges.

Mareli also got a temporary restraining order against Avenatti ... a hearing on that matter has been postponed until next month.

Justin Bieber wasn't serious about taking on Tom Cruise in a fight, or maybe he's simply changed his mind ... because he says Tom would kick his ass!

JB played it cool for the paps in L.A. Wednesday as he was leaving Hailey's fashion line office, telling them he was just goofing around when he randomly challenged the 56-year-old actor to an MMA fight and asked Dana White to make it happen.

He says he had just seen an interview with Cruise so he was on his mind, and decided to tweet out the bizarre challenge ... but it was all just a goof.

However, the Biebs says if it hypothetically were to happen, he'd have to get into shape ... because everyone knows Tom doesn't mess around.

And, he's got dad strength.

Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor is a LOSER who doesn't deserve a rematch ... 'cause he ain't won a real fight in years.

Khabib and Dustin Poirier were in London promoting their UFC 242 match ... when The Eagle was asked about a rematch with McGregor -- and let's just say, if that's the fight Conor wants, it's not lookin' promising.

"Last 3 years he has only 1 victory in amateur boxing. How he deserve a rematch?" ... Khabib said.

"He tap. He beg me, 'please don't kill me.' And now he talk about rematch. Tony Ferguson on the line. People who have win streak on the line. Not the guy who don't win nothing last 3 years."

FYI -- Conor's last professional win was in November 2016 (942 days ago, to be exact) ... when he KO'd Eddie Alvarez.

The lightweight champ was also asked if he regretted the post-fight melee following the McGregor fight ... when he hopped the Octagon fence, jumped into the stands, and tried to fight Conor's friend, Dillon Danis.

Not only doesn't Khabib have any regrets ... he says he'd do it all over again if the opportunity presented itself.

"If I have chance 1 more time I'm gonna do this 1 more time, maybe 100 time. Doesn't matter."

Cowboy Cerrone says that nasty injury he suffered at UFC 238 is not as bad as it looks ... 'cause he has NO broken bones in his eye and says he's "in good health."

Cerrone took a controversial L at the hands of Tony Ferguson on Saturday ... losing by TKO after the 2nd round. It was an EPIC, bloody battle before the doctor forced the fight to end due to Cerrone's eye being swollen shut.

After the fight, Cerrone went straight to the hospital and didn't talk to media ... and Dana White told reporters he had a broken right orbital bone.

Donald gave his first health update on Tuesday ... and the good news is that it's not as bad as everyone initially suspected.

"Thanks for all the message and concerns," Cowboy says. "Only air was in my eye. No broken bones nor cracked or broken orbital."