Fights

Deontay Wilder is considered by many the HARDEST PUNCHER of all time ... but Tyson Fury says that's BS, 'cause he's faced someone who hits harder.

TMZ Sports talked to 31-year-old Fury Thursday afternoon, days before his rematch with Wilder ... and we asked about the Bronze Bombers legendary power.

"I'm not so sure [Wilder's the hardest puncher ever], I'm not so sure. He hit me with his best shots, I got back up again. I think Wladimir Klitschko was a massive puncher. Probably a bigger puncher than Deontay Wilder."

W. Klitschko was a beast in the ring ... known for his great knockout power. Fury and Klitschko fought in October 2015 ... and Tyson won by unanimous decision. It was WK's first loss in a decade.

Wladimir finished his career 64-5 ... with 53 KO's.

As for 42-0-1 Wilder, he's got 41 wins by knockout ... KO'ing all but 2 of his opponents.

When Fury and Wilder fought last year, Deontay knocked Tyson down twice ... but Fury somehow managed to get back to his feet. The bout ended in a draw.

The 2 massive heavyweights settle their beef Saturday night in Vegas ... and Fury says it's gonna be him doing the knocking out.

"I think the judges can do a good job, and will do a good job. But, I'm going out there anyway to knock him out," Tyson says.

What was supposed to be a display of sportsmanship turned into an all-out BRAWL at a college basketball game in Texas ... when things got violent in the post-game handshake line!

Prairie View A&M had just defeated the Jackson State Tigers in a home game in Waller County -- but things had been chippy between the teams during regulation.

Things finally exploded in the handshake line when Jackson State's Dontelius Ross took exception with PV's Darius Williams ... who appeared to have bumped Ross during the handshakes.

Ross was PISSED and immediately tried running after Williams, but his teammates and a police officer used all of their might to hold him back.

But it didn't end there ... another fight broke out on the opposite side of the court involving other players and, again, officials raced on to the court to break it up.

It doesn't appear anyone was injured in the fracas -- but you can bet there will repercussions ... most likely suspensions to come soon.

Crazy night.

H.S. hockey players in Illinois turned themselves into human missiles over the weekend, launching their bodies at each other in a wild brawl ... and footage of the fight is insane.

Evanston's varsity squad was facing off with Lake Forest on Saturday at a local college rink in the Chicago area ... when a fight broke out and escalated IN A HURRY.

You can see in the video ... there's pushing and shoving. At one point, a Lake Forest player LAUNCHED himself into an Evanston player ... who crashed head first into the boards.

Later in the fight, ANOTHER Lake Forest player did the same thing ... violently throwing his body at the pile and sending two Evanston players crashing to the ice.

In another angle of the scrap ... you can see the massive magnitude of the brawl -- with haymakers, wrestling and pulling going down all over the rink.

Eventually, order was restored ... but it's unclear if any injuries were suffered. It's also unclear what started the melee. We reached out to reps from both programs, but so far, no word back yet.

In a bulletin post on Evanston's website Tuesday ... an official wrote, "Dear All - please do not share photos or videos from last weekend's game."

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend's been hauled off to jail again for allegedly putting hands on her -- this time in Wyoming ... on Valentine's Day.

The ex-"Nashville" star's BF, Brian Hickerson, was arrested around 2:30 AM on Valentine's Day, after the couple had a fight and he struck her "with a closed fist on the right side of her face" ... according to cops.

The Teton County Sheriff's Office was notified of a disturbance at a private residence in Jackson. The caller said an intoxicated male was locked out of the home because he punched his girlfriend in the face.

When deputies arrived, they found Brian in the driveway, and according to docs obtained by TMZ ... he allegedly told them Hayden was in the house "saying he beat the f*** out of me." Cops say he avoided answering if he had punched Hayden, but claimed he hired a private chef to stick around so he "wouldn't be accused of bulls**t."

Cops talked to the chef on the phone, and he said he left a little after 1 AM -- but claims he witnessed the couple arguing earlier in the night.

According to the docs, Hayden told cops she and Brian were in their bedroom when he started throwing her around and punched her. Cops say her face was red and swollen, and she also had a scrape and swelling on her left hand -- which she believed came from Hickerson's watch during the altercation.

The deputies heard enough to book Hickerson for domestic battery. He was also hit with a second charge of interfering with a police officer for allegedly refusing to identify himself.

When we last spoke with Hayden in November, she told us everything was well between Brian and her -- intimating they'd moved past his felony domestic violence arrest earlier in 2019.

We broke the story ... the couple allegedly got into an altercation at their L.A. home that left red marks on Hayden's body, and police arrested Brian for it. However, the case was later dismissed for not being able to secure a "material witness" -- AKA, Hayden.

Hickerson was also involved in a domestic incident in late 2018 ... with his father. Hayden was there for that one too. She's been dating Brian for about a year and a half.

Ryan Garcia was still TURNT ALL THE WAY UP at his victory party following his KO of Francisco Fonseca ... telling the crowd, "How about that f**king left hook?!"

Just hours after the 21-year-old boxing superstar put together another highlight-reel performance, Garcia and his crew celebrated at a house party in Orange County.

Garcia -- who barely broke a sweat -- grabbed the mic and thanked everybody in the crowd for supporting him in his meteoric rise to boxing stardom ... saying, "This is a team effort."

He also talked about the crazy work ethic that helped him become the WBC silver lightweight champ -- saying, he busts his ass "every f**king day!"

Garcia is 20-0 with 17 knockouts ... and his last 2 fights have lasted a grand total of 2 minutes and 58 seconds!

So, what's next for Garcia? His promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, says he's already reserved the Staples Center for a fight with former world champion Jorge Linares.

After that ... Garcia has said he wants everyone from Gervonta "Tank" Davis to Devin Haney.

Two members of Machine Gun Kelly's crew are still feeling the sting over their involvement in a 2018 brawl ... 'cause they just got indicted by a grand jury.

MGK crew members Brandon Allen and John Cappelletty have each been slapped with 2 counts of felony aggravated battery for unleashing a can of whoop-ass on the actor Gabriel "G-Rod" Rodriguez ... this according to the Fulton County D.A.'s Office.

The case had been under misdemeanor review by the Fulton County Solicitor General's Office but it got kicked up to the D.A.'s Office for felony review ... and clearly the D.A. felt felony charges could be warranted and got the case to a grand jury.

If convicted, the crew members face up to 20 years in prison.

TMZ broke the story ... Allen and Cappelletty were busted back in October but G-Rod didn't just want justice against them. He also sued MGK claiming the rapper's the one who ordered the attack.

Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis have BADDD BLOOD, so it's shocking the star boxer told us he does NOT want Tank locked up for domestic violence ... but only 'cause Garcia can't put his hands on Davis in jail.

Remember, Davis was arrested for domestic violence last week ... days after a video appearing to show Tank grab his baby mama by the neck went viral.

Gervonta is facing up to a year behind bars, if convicted.

TMZ Sports talked to Davis' rival, Garcia about the situation ... and the 21-year-old undefeated boxer weighed in on the viral video and arrest.

"I just see that he's not focused. Right now he's not focused. He's not being a disciplined type of person. For you to get angry like that. To do that in front of people is just crazy."

Garcia continued ... "I think he needs to get right back on focus cause we need to fight. So, I need him to get right back on track. I need him to stay focused in the gym. I want him in the gym so we can fight."

We asked Garcia if that meant he was rooting for Tank to make things right with the mother of his child so he could avoid jail.

"100 percent. I was like just crossing my fingers. Like, 'don't go to jail. Stay focused. Continue on to your next fight and let's get it on.'"

Speaking of next fights ... before Garcia can box Davis, he's got a big bout with 26-year-old Francisco Fonseca Friday night on DAZN.

If Garcia beats Fonseca -- who's 25-2-2 -- he could fight Tank later this year ... as long as Davis is a free man.

The Ohio H.S. basketball player who had her hair pulled and hit her head during a game suffered a severe concussion and may not step on the court again ... this according to the player's dad.

As we previously reported ... the incident went down during the first quarter of the Bellevue and Norwalk basketball game on Saturday ... when a Lady Red senior guard grabbed and pulled her defender's hair after attempting a 3-pointer.

The Bellevue player was not called for a foul during the game ... but was later suspended one game for her actions.

Now, the Norwalk player's dad is speaking out on the incident ... saying his daughter is still recovering with a severe concussion and needs a brain scan to make sure there isn't any internal bleeding. He claims his daughter is experiencing neck pain, a headache and blurred vision.

The father makes it clear the player and her family have reached out and apologized for the incident, and have plans to meet face-to-face.

The dad says his daughter -- despite her condition -- does not want the Bellevue player's career ruined because of the hair-pulling ... as she has committed to play Div. 1 ball at Kent State next season.

The player released a statement of her own on Twitter, saying "My intentions were never to hurt anyone."

More trouble for former UFC star BJ Penn ... the fighting legend is reportedly under police investigation for DUI after crashing his truck in Hawaii last week.

Police in Hilo tell Big Island Now, Penn was driving a black Toyota Tacoma pickup at around 7 PM on Feb. 7 when it crashed along a main highway.

Cops say a 911 caller indicated 41-year-old Penn had been speeding ... and say the crash was gnarly, with the truck losing control and flipping into an area near a mall.

TMZ Sports has learned Penn was taken to the hospital after the accident ... but we're told he's okay and was released shortly after.

Puna Patrol Cpt. Ken Quiocho says the investigation into Penn for possible drunk driving remains open.

It's the latest in a string of recent issues for Penn ... who was at the center of TWO street fights in Hawaii the last couple months. Most recently, he got knocked out in a slug-fest outside the Lava Shack on the Big Island in a fight captured on video.

Things have gotten so bad for Penn, at least optically, UFC honcho Dana White said he will never allow Penn to fight again in his league.

"What I saw in that video was sad," White said of the footage of Penn brawling in the Hawaii streets ... "And, I love the kid and I hope he gets his life together."

"If BJ Penn needed me, all he needs to do is pick up the phone and ask."

Dwight Gooden's got a real-deal boxing match coming up, and he clearly ain't taking his opponent lightly ... 'cause the MLB legend hit up the UFC Performance Institute in Vegas for a hardcore training sesh.

The 55-year-old NY Mets legend is facing 29-year-old "Nitro Comedy Tour" star Catfish Cooley -- who's gone viral on YouTube for his redneck comedy -- on March 7 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City.

Gooden -- a 4x All-Star and 3x World Series Champ -- recently hit up the PI ... and worked on his striking with his coaches.

This will be Doc's first fight ... but not the first time he's been inside the squared circle.

Back in 2019, Doc reffed a celeb fight that featured Dustin Diamond ... aka Screech from "Saved By The Bell."

As for the tale of the tape, Catfish squats over 600 pounds and is 36 years younger than Doc ... but he's also 10 inches shorter, and not an all-time legendary athlete.

These guys try to kill each other in just over 3 weeks.

Corey Anderson has zero love for Jon Jones, but he's pumped the UFC star beat Dominick Reyes ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports now he'll be the first to take down the MMA legend.

Anderson -- the #5 ranked UFC light heavyweight -- is taking on Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 167 on Saturday ... and if Corey wins, there's a great chance the prize is Jon.

We talked to Anderson about Jones vs. Reyes ... and the LHW title contender says he totally understands why a lot of people think Jon lost, but he's happy as hell he got the W.

"While I was watching I was like, 'Man, I could lose the opportunity to be the one that beats Jon.'"

Anderson continued ... "At the end, I’m happy that Jon got the win because I get to be the one to dethrone him. I knew if Dom would’ve won, they would do the rematch. And I'd have to wait for that."

FYI -- Jon's one and only (controversial) loss came against Matt Hamill in 2009 ... when he was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows. Jones was dominating the fight.

Corey says he believes Dom exposed Jon ... and when he eventually faces the champ, he'll hand him an even more severe beating.

"Like I said when I saw it going on, my mindset was, 'yeah, I knew he was beatable.' I was the one who always said, 'I know I can beat Jon.' I know ways to beat him, I see the holes. I see what you gotta do to beat him, and Dom went out there, did pretty much a lot of it."

Rapper Yella Beezy is being accused of opening a can of whoop-ass on a guy tied to another rapper with whom Beezy's got serious beef.

Brandon Rainwater is suing Yella claiming he and his crew beat him to a pulp outside the hotspot strip club, V Live in Dallas ... this according to docs obtained by TMZ. We're told the alleged beatdown left Rainwater with a dislocated hip.

Surveillance video taken across the street from the club appears to show the fight in progress.

In docs, Rainwater claims he showed up to the club last month but when he tried getting inside he was told by security to wait. Rainwater manages Dallas-based rapper Mo3 ... who has a history of beefing with Yella. Anyway, Rainwater claims a security guard approached him with a gun in his left hand and Yella standing behind him.

Fearing trouble was about to go down, Rainwater claims he ran out of there but Yella and his crew chased him down and beat him up. Rainwater claims after the dust settled, Yella and his crew headed back to the club's parking lot and bragged about the alleged assault.

Rainwater says he was taken to the hospital that night and is undergoing physical therapy following the assault. He's also suing V Live for inadequate security. He's suing for assault and claims he's owed up to $1 million in damages.

Jon Jones LOVED the first fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov -- but tells TMZ Sports if they run it back, expect another long night for the Irishman.

It's no secret Conor desperately wants a second crack at Khabib after he tapped out at UFC 229 back in Oct. 2018. Khabib recently said he has no interest in giving that "idiot" a rematch.

But, chances are it's more likely to happen than not -- so we asked Jon Jones who he'd pick if they do it again.

"If I would put my money on it, I'm definitely going with Khabib," Jones said ... "For sure."

"I think the cards are always kind of in Khabib's hands. But, Conor definitely has a chance."

Jon says he believes wrestlers typically have the advantage since they can dictate if the fight goes to the mat or not -- and obviously, Khabib has the superior ground game.

Dance it out before you punch it out!!!

That's what UFC stars Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero did on Friday when they came face to face at a media event in Houston!!!

The two middleweights are set to throw down at UFC 248 on March 7 -- so tensions were high when they both took the stage for a stare-down.

There was trash talk. There were mean mugs. And, then -- out of nowhere -- there was a dance battle!!!

Adesanya busted out some cool moves -- but Yoel busted out a full BACK HANDSPRING!!!

Just as Israel was getting ready to respond with another round of moves, Dana White got involved and chilled them both out ... 'cause nobody wants to see an injury!!!

Israel has become one of the most entertaining fighters in all of MMA -- remember, he busted out a choreographed dance routine during his walk out to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 back in October.

The dance only makes us think ... HOW GREAT IS THE UFC 248 WALK OUT GONNA BE?!?

UFC rising star Katlyn Chookagian says she's gonna whoop Valentina Shevchenko and snatch her belt ... and after that, she's got her eye on Amanda Nunes.

TMZ Sports talked to 31-year-old Chookagian (13-2) last week in NYC ... and the #1 ranked UFC strawweight (125 lbs.) laid out her blueprint for taking over women's MMA.

Step 1 ... beat Shevchenko at UFC 247 this weekend, which would be massive considering Valentina hasn't lost a fight since her war with Nunes in 2017.

"Obviously I'm gonna hear, 'And new!'" KC says.

"No matter where it goes, I'm better than her standing and on the ground. So wherever it goes, I'm gonna be dominant."

Katlyn also says she's down to move up a weight class and fight Amanda Nunes next ... in what could be a chance to be the UFC's next "champ champ."

"The good thing is that I fought at 135 [lbs.]. I fought there before and I won. I feel comfortable."

"125 [lbs.], I feel like a killer, and I feel bigger. But, I fought [at 135 lbs.] before and I'm comfortable there. Win this fight, I would definitely consider going up."

Nunes is widely regarded as the greatest female MMA fighter EVER -- with wins over legends like  Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Valentina Shevchenko, Miesha Tate and Holly Holm.

But, Chookagian ain't scared -- saying if Nunes is still the champ, she's down to scrap.

A high school basketball coach in New Jersey was violently attacked in front of his own school in a disturbing incident caught on video ... and now, cops say it was his own players who delivered the beating.

Police say at around 9 PM ET Tuesday, they responded to a call at Malcolm X Shabazz H.S. in Newark, N.J. regarding an assault of a school employee. Multiple reports identify the victim as a coach on the basketball team.

You can see in video of the alleged incident ... the victim was kicked and punched REPEATEDLY by at least four people.

Cops say after they saw the footage ... they identified the attackers as members of the school's basketball team -- but wouldn't release the names of the suspects because they're all minors.

Police say the teens jumped the man after they got off the team bus upon returning from a road game ... but they say the victim declined medical attention when they arrived.

Now, cops say a criminal investigation is underway.

"Our detectives are investigating this incident to identify and to appropriately charge those individuals involved," Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose says ...

"Those found to have participated in this senseless act of violence will face criminal charges."