Fights

O.J. Simpson has belatedly fired back at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas ... suing the hotel claiming it defamed him by banning him in 2017 after falsely accusing him of being drunk and disruptive.

The incident in question went down just weeks after Simpson was released from prison. Simpson -- who had been frequenting the hotel in the days prior -- allegedly got into an altercation on Nov. 8 at Clique Bar after flying into a drunken rage.

Sources told us ... glasses were broken during the melee and the ex-NFL star was eventually told to leave, given a trespass notice and told to never come back.

But, in his lawsuit, Simpson is adamant he was NOT drunk, he was NOT belligerent and did NOT break any glasses. In fact, he says earlier in the evening a manager at the steakhouse in the hotel actually thanked him for being a gracious guest.

O.J. says when he was leaving for the night ... someone from the hotel handed him a trespass notice and repeatedly said it was private property and he was not welcome back ... ever.

Simpson says he was shocked by the move, claiming he was never involved in an incident that night that could warrant a permanent ban.

Simpson says his parole officer saw our story and visited him at his residence the next day and gave him a drug and alcohol test ... which both turned up clean.

Simpson claims the PO also went to the Cosmo to investigate and told Simpson there was no evidence he did anything that would violate his parole.

In fact, in his suit, Simpson refers to himself as a "model parolee with perfect performance."

Reality is ... Simpson is WELCOMED at many famous spots all over town and regularly poses for pics and signs autographs. In a way, he's become a draw.

Shortly after the incident, Simpson spoke on camera and he said he had no clue what happened.

Simpson was released from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, after spending years behind bars for an armed robbery conviction.

Since he's been out, O.J. has been a regular on Vegas golf courses and fancy restaurants. He's also joined social media where he often talks about fantasy football topics.

KSI vs. Justin Bieber?

Maybe ... because the YouTube superstar tells TMZ Sports he's 100% down and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, says it all comes down to getting the money right.

KSI, Hearn and boxing champ Billy Joe Saunders sat down for a special TMZ Sports roundtable ... and talked about their fighting futures -- and that's when Bieber came up.

"I don't know what weight Justin Bieber can get up to but I think that's a natural fight," Hearn joked.

KSI laughed and told us he's certain he would beat the pop star -- but that's when Hearn started telling us he thinks there's a legit chance the two could end up in the ring together.

"It's only about money and actually ambition of actually achieving something different," Hearn said. "People love boxing."

We know Bieber loves the sport -- he used to train with Floyd Mayweather. Plus, JB was ringside when his pal Lil Za took an amateur fight in 2015.

In fact, KSI says he's expecting Bieber to be in the house on the weekend when he fights Logan Paul (Nov. 9 on DAZN) ... so maybe a chance at some early negotiations?

There's a lot of good stuff in the video ...

-- Eddie Hearn says he's projecting more than 2 MILLION buys/views for KSI vs. Logan Paul.

-- Hearn says KSI will earn 7-figures, but wouldn't get any more specific about his pay.

-- KSI explains why the hatred for Paul is real and why he thinks Logan will move to MMA after he loses on Saturday.

-- We asked Billy Joe Saunders (the reigning WBO super middleweight champ) if he was upset or jealous to be fighting on KSI's undercard, considering his decorated boxing career. You gotta hear his answer.

So much for a BMF2 ...

Seems Nate Diaz has changed his mind about running it back with Jorge Masvidal -- saying, "F*ck a rematch."

Remember, Diaz lost the first-ever Bad Mother F*cker match at Madison Square Garden on Saturday ... when the doctor stopped the fight after the 3rd round due to bad cuts on Nate's face.

At the time, both Nate and Jorge declared a rematch WOULD happen -- with Nate saying, "I would love to run it back. That's the only thing I want to do."

But, Diaz has had a change of heart ... and posted the update on IG on Wednesday night.

"F*ck a rematch this shit was over before it started. I’m goin on out on tour. Peace out fight game."

Jon Jones says he's FINALLY decided on his next opponent -- revealing his sights are now set on Dominick Reyes instead of Corey Anderson ... and he's looking to make a statement.

"Just finished a coaches meeting studying Dominick and Cory‘s careers. Established Dominicks definitely the more dangerous fighter. Beating his ass next."

Jones had been debating between the two UFC fighters after they both SHOWED OUT in recent fights -- Reyes KO'd Chris Weidman and Anderson beat up Johnny Walker.

Both men have been calling for a fight with Jon for a while -- with Reyes telling us Jones was ducking him.

"I got these hands. I got this heart. I'm Mexican. He's never fought a Mexican. I'm tough as s**t and I'm never gonna stop!"

32-year-old Jones tweeted that he just wasn't interested in 29-year-old Reyes ... but clearly, something's changed.

Recently Dana White told us Reyes was the fight to make but the deal wasn't done yet.

Now, it seems Jones is laser-focused on Reyes ... and barring an injury, this one looks like it'll happen soon.

So, where does this leave Corey Anderson? Great question ... dude's been on a tear lately and recently cracked the Top 5 rankings in the UFC's light heavyweight division.

UFC star Francis Ngannou is finally responding to Tyson Fury -- telling TMZ Sports if Fury is serious about competing in MMA, Francis is "200% down!"

Remember, Fury -- one of the top heavyweight boxers on the planet -- says he's dead serious about trying his luck in the Octagon ... and plans to train with Conor McGregor.

Fury also said he's eyeing Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou and possible opponents.

So, we reached out to Francis to see if he was game -- and man, HE'S ALL IN!!!

In fact, the 6'4", 258-pound heavyweight says he'll make a 2-fight deal with Tyson -- if Fury agrees to meet him in the Octagon, he'll do a SECOND match in the boxing ring.

Ngannou tells us ... long before he became an MMA fighter, he had dreams of becoming a boxing champ -- and he believes he has the skill set to compete with a champ like Fury.

Ngannou says he's already instructed his management team to reach out to Fury to see if there's a way to make it happen ... and thinks the UFC would be on board.

We recently spoke to UFC honcho Dana White who told us he's a huge Fury fan and would love to get in business with him ... but advised Tyson to focus on boxing instead of trying to transition to MMA.

But, if there was a 2-fight deal including a boxing match, you gotta wonder if White -- who's launching a boxing promotion in 2020 -- would be more open to getting a deal done.

Ngannou has already gotten some pointers on how to fight Fury from Mike Tyson -- and Francis says Iron Mike has offered to train him if Fury accepts the fight.

Popeyes' wildly popular chicken sandwich will remain on menus nationwide, despite the chaos it's causing at several locations ... including a fatal stabbing.

A rep for the fried chicken fast-food chain tells TMZ the sandwich is still available ... meaning it's not being pulled in the wake of scattered mayhem erupting across the country since its return to the menu this week.

As we've reported ... fights have broken out all over the place as customers are heading to Popeyes in droves to wait in long lines for a taste of the chicken sandwich, and one altercation in Prince George's County, Maryland Monday night left a 28-year-old dead from a stab wound.

A Popeyes spokesperson tells us the Maryland incident "is a tragedy and we are saddened to hear about this senseless act of violence," adding ... "We, along with the franchisee, are fully cooperating with local authorities and actively working to gather more information."

Some other violent incidents include a rowdy kitchen brawl in Edgewood, Maryland (above) ... and a drive-thru beatdown in Ellenton, Florida (below). But, there are many, many more examples online.

The chicken chain says the safety of its employees and customers is always a priority, and franchisees have worked to boost staffing during this craze to be ready to serve guests quickly and safely.

It adds that most Popeyes restaurants are franchised and "additional onsite security matters are handled by the franchisees."

So, there you have it -- Popeyes customers can expect long lines and potential fights to continue ... 'cause the delicious chicken sandwich isn't going anywhere.

Fights have erupted all over the place with the reintroduction of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and one altercation left a 28-year-old man dead.

The man waiting in line at Popeyes in Prince George's County, Maryland Monday night was involved in an altercation when either someone cut in front of him or he cut in front of someone else. They started fighting and it ended outside the chicken joint with the 28-year-old getting stabbed. He died at the hospital.

The video (above) is of another fight ... this one in Edgewood, Maryland. You see people going nuts in the video ... all over the sandwich which has become the biggest thing since the cronut.

And, there have been other fights around the country where people seemed to be competing rather than just standing in line for a chicken sandwich. The video (above) is in Ellenton, Florida, where some guys in the drive-thru got into a wild fistfight.

UFC star Kevin Lee says he's not ready to sit back and enjoy his VIOLENT victory over Gregor Gillespie ... he wants another fight ASAP, and he's looking for a big-name opponent.

27-year-old Lee -- the #10 ranked lightweight -- says he wants to fight again as early as December ... and he's naming some of the biggest names in the sport.

"If I had my pick, it would be somebody like Conor," Lee says ... also mentioning guys like Anthony Pettis, Tony Ferguson and, of course, the champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Lee knows he's gotta wait for his title shot -- but he's willing to put in the work and take out whoever the UFC puts in front of him to climb his way to the top.

But, for now, Lee says he's happy he was able to earn such an impressive victory over an undefeated 13-0 opponent at one of the biggest UFC events of all time!

"The President was in the building! The President was watching the fight and I guarantee you he remembered me after that night," Lee said.

He's probably right ... Lee's crushing head kick KO earned him "Performance of the Night" honors, which comes with a $50,000 bonus!

Remember, Lee fought Ferguson back in Oct. 2017 -- and lost via submission in the 3rd-round. It was a pretty solid fight.

UFC star Corey Anderson says his utter destruction of Johnny Walker at UFC 244 proves he's more than worthy of a Jon Jones fight and he's got a message for Bones -- "Just sign the dotted line."

Anderson was phenomenal against Walker at Madison Square Garden on Saturday -- earning a 1st round stoppage against an impressive opponent many have hailed as the next big thing in MMA.

"I made magic happen, I guess you could say," Corey tells TMZ Sports ... "Everybody was dick riding him saying he was the one."

"He let it get to his head and he looked past me. I had to go out there and show him."

Now, Anderson says he's 100% confident he deserves a title shot -- with 4 big victories in a row over guys like Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi.

Plus, Anderson says he's been trying to get a fight with top challenges like Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith, but they keep coming up with excuses.

So, the next logical opponent -- according to Anderson -- is the champ Jon Jones.

"I beat the one they wanted to fight Jon Jones next ... I proved my point and I proved my worth."

Corey says he's sick of the smack talk, he's sick of the games -- he just wants to fight already.

UFC star Johnny Walker was still walking around NYC with his head held high after losing to Corey Anderson at UFC 244 ... telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "I'll be back!"

The 27-year-old Brazilian -- one of the hottest rising stars in MMA -- took a beating Saturday night, with the ref stopping the fight in the 1st round.

When our photog saw 6'5", 205-pound Walker strolling around Manhattan the next day, Johnny didn't seem fazed at all.

"I'm good, I'm good," Walker said with a smirk ... "I'm ready to go again. I'm ready to fight as soon as possible."

Walker said he's expecting a 45-day medical suspension to allow his eye to heal up -- but he's excited to show people he can come back from a loss like a champ.

"My eye's okay. I'll be back in either January or February."

Walker says he realizes the mistakes he made during the Anderson fight -- he hesitated and thought too much during the scrap -- and says it won't happen again.

"[Saturday] is no 'lose' ... just one lesson," Walker said.

The UFC is honing in on the next opponent for Jon Jones -- with Dana White telling TMZ Sports they're looking at undefeated Dominick Reyes as "the fight that makes sense."

Reyes -- who KO'd Chris Weidman in the 1st round of their Oct. 12 fight -- is 12-0 as a pro and currently ranked #4 in the lightweight division. He's also defeated guys like Jared Cannonier, Volkan Oezdemir and Ovince Saint Preux.

In fact, when we spoke with Reyes AFTER the Weidman fight -- he was begging the UFC to give him a crack at the G.O.A.T.

"I got these hands. I got this heart. I'm Mexican. He's never fought a Mexican. I'm tough as s**t and I'm never gonna stop!"

Well, good news for Reyes ... seems like Dana White is on board.

"The fight that makes sense for Jon Jones is Dominick Reyes," White said.

"He just came off an impressive win over Weidman, a lot of people saw it, pulled good ratings on TV. It's the fight to make."

Jon has been trashing Reyes on social media ... saying things like, "Feel like I have nothing to gain by beating Dominic. I’ve actually felt that way about my last two opponents. I want a super fight."

He also directed this at Reyes, too -- "Many have talk s**t, all have fallen. You will do the same."

Jones has said he wants to fight Francis Ngannou, but White says that's not happening any time soon. When asked if a 2020 clash is a possibility, Dana said, "I don't know."

As for Ngannou, he's been publicly asking for a fight -- and Dana says they've got some cool stuff planned for him in 2020 ... including a fight in France!!!

The Doc is in ...

Dwight Gooden has signed a contract to participate in a Celebrity Boxing match on March 7 in Atlantic City, TMZ Sports has learned.

The former MLB star -- who has recently been dealing with substance abuse issues -- has decided that getting physically active again could be the best thing for him ... so he's agreed to box.

54-year-old Gooden has been working with Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman for months -- in fact, Doc was the guest referee for Dustin Diamond's (Screech) last fight back in Sept.

But now, he'll get back in the ring as a competitor ... though CB is still working on locking up an opponent for the baseball star.

Celebrity Boxing has had some issues lately with stars like Lenny Dykstra and the Angry Bagel Boss Guy dropping out at the last minute -- but we're told Doc is fully committed.

No fake beef to sell a fight here ... Sergey Kovalev tells TMZ Sports he flat out admires Canelo Alvarez ... and is a HUGE fan of the superstar boxer.

But, for those thirsting for blood, don't sweat it ... Kovalev says he's gonna try his damndest to beat Canelo's ass when they fight Saturday night in Vegas.

Kovalev surprised boxing fans when he fanboy'd out during a backstage meeting with Canelo at a promotional event for their November 2nd mega-fight on DAZN ... even asking Alvarez to take a selfie.

Some people clowned Sergey for the selfie move, but The Krusher says he doesn't feel the need to create fake beef just to sell tickets.

“I like his boxing style," Sergey tells us ... "He’s a great champion, really, and I follow him for like all of my career from 2011 when I met with him. Because I saw how he sparred with Gennady Golovkin, and after this, I started to follow him."

As much as Kovalev likes Canelo, he was clear that once they're across from each other on Saturday, he's out for blood ... 'til the final bell rings.

"Inside the ring, we will be like the athletes. We will be like athletes, like boxers. Boxers should punch each other and after the fight, we will be friends again. This is just the sport."

The love ain't only one-sided ... we also spoke to Canelo, who was super complimentary of Kovalev.

The set of "Madam Secretary" damn near turned into a WWE Royal Rumble ... after a background actor's hangry side got the best of him.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops on the show's set in Whippany, NJ broke up a fight Friday between a craft services employee and a background actor. We're told there were several hundred background actors filming a scene where Téa Leoni gives a speech.

When they went to break, a horde of extras swarmed the snacks/coffee table. It was at this point, law enforcement sources tell us, an actor cut the line and was told by a female craft services staffer to get to the back.

Sources say the actor pushed the female employee, and that's when her husband -- who also works craft services -- flew in like a bat outta hell and socked the background actor in the face.

We're told the actor landed on the snack-filled table, and then the husband got on top of him and punched him several more times in the face ... leaving him bloodied. Our sources say cops had to peel the employee off the actor, who was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries.

Evander Holyfield's 22-year-old son is less than 24 hours away from making his pro-boxing debut on the undercard of Canelo vs. Kovalev ... and you better believe the Real Deal flew in to watch it go down in person.

Evan Holyfield is taking on Nick Winstead on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Vegas ... and says it's the opportunity he's been waiting for his entire life!

"It feels like Christmas right now!" Evan says ... "I'm not nervous, I'm excited!"

Evan's been fighting at the amateur level for 10 years -- logging 80 fights before getting a shot at the pro level ... and he can't wait to show the world what he's made of.

Of course, Evan's dad is one of the best of ALL TIME -- so he's had a pretty great mentor to guide him along his boxing journey.

In fact, Evan says Evander is already in Vegas and they had lunch this week to talk about strategy and get ready for the fight.

Evan says his dad is also excited for him -- "He knows what skills I have and all about the hard work I put in."

"I'm just ready to showcase what I have to do."

Oh and get this ... back in July Evan told us his dream match up would be against Canelo. So, consider this an audition for a possible match up!!!

Good luck!!!

Here it is ... the official "Baddest Mother F**ker" belt!!!

UFC honcho Dana White just revealed the new "BMF" belt which will go to the winner of the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal main event fight at UFC 244 on Saturday.

White had the belt custom made for this fight after Nate said the bout would determine the real baddest mofo in combat sports.

Dana says the belt cost around $50,000 to make -- and it's engraved with the words, "Baddest Motherf**ker."

White has previously said the belt is a one-time thing for this specific fight -- but there are a bunch of fighters who have said they'd love to get a crack at it ... so we may not see the last of it after Saturday.

As far as the fight goes, Diaz is the #7 ranked welterweight and Masvidal is #3. The current champ in that division is Kamaru Usman.

As we previously reported, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be at the fight to give the belt to the winner. President Donald Trump and Patriots owner Robert Kraft are also expected to attend.