Fights

Despite offering an ultimatum early Sunday morning, Ryan Garcia's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya says he is now "optimistic" his superstar fighter and Gervonta "Tank" Davis WILL indeed fight ... and soon!

TMZ Sports talked to the boxing great at an event promoting an upcoming fight between Alexis Rocha and Anthony Young at the YouTube Theatre on Jan. 28 ... when we asked ODLH about arguably the biggest fighting in the sport, Tank vs. Ryan.

"I have a meeting literally in 2 hours with Ryan Garcia and I should look at my email right now. I should have the contract for the fight so I'm looking forward to putting that together and hopefully announcing soon," Oscar told us.

"I'm actually very optimistic now that this fight will happen April 15th. It's the biggest that could be made."

Of course, 24-year-old Garcia (23-0, 19 KO's) and 28-year-old Davis (28-0, 26 KO's), huge stars with different personalities, have been rivals for years ... and have talked about fighting for just as long.

The fight appeared close ... that is until De La Hoya threw a bit of cold water on the fight this weekend, saying he planned to move past the fight if he didn't receive a contract.

But, those concerns have clearly faded.

"Nobody is backing out. The contract is coming. I'll tell you one thing, Ryan Garcia wants to knock him out so bad. He's calling it in two rounds. I actually believe it but then again, I think about Tank Davis who is a beast. He is an animal! He's a great fighter."

"Both guys are in their prime. Both guys are undefeated. It's gonna be a great fight, and you know what, in two hours we're gonna make it happen."

FYI, we shot this clip about three hours ago ... so, lets gooooooo!!!

Gervonta Davis is going to love this ...

Mike Tyson just heaped some huge praise onto the star boxer ... saying if the 28-year-old continues fighting at the level he's currently at, he can without a doubt become a legend in the sport.

Iron Mike threw out the massive compliment in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon ... while talking with TMZ Sports about people comparing Tank to a younger version of himself.

"Tank is a great fighter," Tyson said of the comp ... before adding, "He'll be [a legend] too if he keeps fighting."

Of course, Tyson has never been shy about his affinity for Davis ... calling the 28-0 boxer "probably the greatest fighter around now" after he beat Mario Barrios in 2021.

Others in the fight world, too, have shown big love for Tank's fighting skills ... comparing him to Tyson often due to his compact frame and propensity to end fights with one punch.

The biggest fight of Davis' career could very well happen at some point this year -- as he and Ryan Garcia appear to be on a collision course.

KSI says Dillon Danis is persona non grata at all future Misfits Boxing events ... telling TMZ Sports if he ever sees the MMA fighter again, he'll "probably slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me."

As we previously reported, Danis backed out of his fight against KSI just days before the event was slated to go down in London ... with Misfits promoter Mams Taylor claiming his team told him Conor McGregor's buddy was underprepared to enter the ring.

We spoke with the 4-0-1 boxer about the whole ordeal ... and he's slamming the door on ever setting up another bout with Danis.

"No, I don't," KSI said this week. "I want him to go into irrelevancy. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. He's banned from Misfits. I don't ever want to see him anywhere near Misfits."

"I'm never gonna fight him, and if I see him, I'll probably slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me throughout this buildup."

Of course, FaZe Temper stepped up in Danis' place ... and will now face KSI at the OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday instead.

KSI says the FaZe Clan co-founder is no easy matchup ... but is confident his skills can outlast anyone in the social media circle.

Draymond Green says he's still working to repair his relationship with Jordan Poole after their violent practice altercation three months ago ... admitting their dynamic has completely changed, but it's slowly improved with time.

The Golden State Warriors forward opened up about the incident in an interview with Taylor Rooks ... saying he watched the clip over and over after TMZ Sports published it on Oct. 7, and while he knew he was in the wrong, he claims there's more to the story that he will share one day.

"Once that [video] released, I'm experiencing so many emotions," Green says. "Like, I'm upset. How the hell does this get released? Going through hell because you're just at the sole discretion of public opinion."

Green says the two players have been able to go about their business as professionals since the video was released, but points out they're not rushing to hang out off the court anytime soon.

"We go to work every day together," he says. "Our lockers are right next to each other, that never changed. We ride the same buses together, we change in the same locker room on the road together -- none of that has changed."

"Did it change our relationship, of course. Absolutely. That's still a work in progress. I'll always be willing to continue to do that work because I was wrong."

Akademiks says he's genuinely concerned for Blueface's career ... especially after his GF Chrisean Rock's admission she smacked him upside the head with a glass of Hennessy!!!

A viral clip from their reality show "Crazy in Love" showed Chrisean cleaning a gaping, bloody wound from the back of Blueface's head ... the aftermath of yet another domestic violence incident between the couple.

Ak scoured Instagram and found plenty of comments about Chrisean's antics superseding Blueface's musical potential -- a sentiment shared by people in the rapper's camp.

Blueface's manager Wack 100 recently confronted Chrisean on the show ⁠... telling her Blueface hasn't carved out a hit since they've been running amok.

That's harsh, but true -- he hasn't made the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist since 2019!!! 😩

Ak also shared a personal conversation he had with Offset about having a smaller profile than his wife, Cardi B ... and the Migos rapper allegedly told him the pressure helps his own hustle.

TMZ Hip Hop recently learned Cardi and Offset have a McDonald's Super Bowl commercial on the horizon ... indicative of their synergy as a couple and business people.

Kevin Lee says Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz ain't happening, but there's another MMA star who is down to book a fight with "The Problem Child" -- "The Motown Phenom" himself tells TMZ Sports he wants to fight JP!

"If Jake Paul is serious about [MMA] and if he really wants to fight. If he wants to have that respect, he wants to have that attention, he wants people to take him seriously, he's going to have to fight a serious fighter," 30-year-old Lee told us in the aftermath of Jake signing with PFL (Professional Fighters League).

"He's going to have somebody for real, for real. I'm the best option for that. I'm in my prime. I've fought the whose-who of MMA. I've fought six different world champions."

FYI, Kevin's fought everyone from Charles Oliveira, Edson Barboza, Tony Ferguson and Rafael dos Anjos, among a bunch of other top-line guys.

After announcing the signing, 25-year-old Jake, 6-0 as a professional boxer, issued a challenge to Diaz -- a boxing match followed by an MMA fight -- against the combat sports superstar from Stockton, CA.

It's not that Kevin doesn't like Jake vs. Nate ... he's actually into the fight.

"Nate Diaz is a good fight. I'll give him that, but there's two problems with the Nate Diaz fight. Nate Diaz ain't going to take that fight, let's be honest. They're going to go back and forth for months and years," Kevin said, explaining Diaz would first need to sign with PFL, which Lee says will not happen.

Kevin says if they make it happen, that's great for them ... but if Jake wants to fight a top-of-the-line MMA fighter in the near future, Lee's the guy.

"If he makes the Nate Diaz fight happen, great but I don't see that happening within the next year or so and if he wants to fight this year then he should fight somebody that's on the roster and already making it happen. Nate Diaz is a good fight, though. I ain't hating."

We asked Lee, who says he's on the verge of signing with PFL, whether he had a message for Paul.

"Let's make it happen. Be a man. Put your money where your mouth is. Step in there. You might lose. You're going to lose. It's going to happen but I'm gonna shake your hand afterward and let's make some money."

Bryce Hall seems to have put his boxing skills to the test in Sin City, punching a nightclub security guard in the head, and it's all on video -- an incident that could land him in some legal trouble.

TMZ obtained the footage, shot Friday night in Las Vegas outside XS nightclub at the Wynn, showing the TikTok star getting physical with security -- including a punch to the side of the guy's head.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LVMPD responded to a call from XS and police ended up citing Bryce with two counts of battery and one count of trespassing, all misdemeanors. We're told the case will be submitted to the District Attorney.

As for what sparked the fight ... we're told Bryce and a friend were kicked out of the club during a Calvin Harris performance after being invited up to the DJ booth.

In the video, you see Bryce throw the punch ... and it then takes four security guards to take him to the ground.

Remember ... Bryce is famous for his TikTok account, but he's also boxed before ... getting destroyed in a June 2021 boxing match against fellow social media star Austin McBroom.

Bryce use to live in Los Angeles, but bought a house in Las Vegas in 2022. He also attended and posted at the AVN awards over the weekend.

Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman says he was way out of character when he punched Saints star Marcus Davenport during Sunday's game ... and for that, he's apologizing.

The altercation went down after the defensive end tackled Foreman in the third quarter of the Panthers vs. Saints game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

After the tackle, Foreman pushed Davenport ... who responded by smacking the 26-year-old's helmet.

This pissed D'Onta off to the point where he ended up throwing a right hook ... and the punch landed directly in Davenport's facemask. Both players were then ejected from the game.

Foreman -- who signed a one-year contract with Carolina in March -- apologized on Monday for his behavior ... saying his actions "were totally out of my character."

"To the organization, my teammates, and our amazing fans, I sincerely and truly apologize for my actions in yesterday's game and not being available," Foreman said.

"I am deeply regretful of everything that happened and assure you it will never happen again. I absolutely love being a Panther and wholeheartedly look forward to this journey together."

Foreman wasn't the only NFL star to put out an apology today ... Packers star Quay Walker tweeted an "I'm sorry" statement after the rookie shoved a Detroit Lions trainer on the field.

No, Clipper Darrell ain't on his way to becoming Celtic Darrell after being punched at a game earlier this month ... the L.A. superfan tells TMZ Sports he's still in love with the Clippers -- even if he's still ailing from the knockout blow.

We broke the story ... the iconic NBA fan -- real name Darrell Bailey -- was left unconscious after a Crypto.com Arena security guard socked him in the face following a dispute at the Clippers' game against Boston back on Dec. 12.

Darrell told us at the time he was left in a load of pain -- and he actually had to be taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Many wondered if the situation would sour his feelings on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the guys on the hardwood -- but the 55-year-old told us this week he ain't going anywhere ... even if the experience he had with the arena staffer was traumatic.

"I look forward to returning to Crypto.com Arena to root for my 2023 NBA Championship Clippers!" he said. "Let's Go Clippers Let's Go!!!"

Darrell did add he's still hurting from the punch -- saying he's continuing to receive medical care for his ailments. But, he did appear to be in better spirits.

"What happened that night came as a complete shock, and it left me heartbroken," he said. "I'm still dealing with the emotional and physical aftermath of being assaulted and knocked unconscious by the AEG security guard. I'd like to thank the fans, athletes, the Clippers organization, and AEG for their love and support and for reaching out to me to check on my health and well-being."

"I'd ask that my privacy be respected while I continue treatment for my injuries."

Big Show recognizes Mercedes Mone -- formerly known as Sasha Banks -- is a unique talent ... and tells TMZ Sports any wrestling promotion that signs her is getting a superstar.

We asked Show about the rumors that Mercedes could sign with AEW ... on the heels of her debut with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and he seemed receptive to the idea.

"I think she'd be a tremendous asset to any company," said Show at LAX on Thursday. "She's a star and has an incredible fan following. Any company would be glad to have her."

"For a long time, everyone got spoiled because there was one company to work for. Now there are multiple viable companies again to work for."

Show -- real name Paul Wight -- spent 22 years with the WWE before joining AEW as a wrestler and a commentator ... which is why he sees the value in wrestlers having options these days.

"It gives talents an opportunity to express themselves and create the deals they want to make," Show said. "It gives a chance for someone stagnant in one company to reinvent themselves."

Ultimately, Show believes the advent of multiple wrestling companies -- and those companies flourishing -- is a good thing ... and wrestlers like Mercedes should take advantage of it.

Shawne Merriman's bringing back Lights Out Xtreme Fighting -- after more than a year of being dormant -- and the former NFL star and promotion founder tells us won't rule out taking a fight!

"I'm not opposed to [fighting]," the former Pro Bowler told Babcock and Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1), saying "I would fight the right former athlete, another guy in the WWE, something that people would pay to see in Lights Out."

The 38-year-old former NFL star continued ... "They got my Instagram. They got my number. If anybody really thinking about it and it's a good fight and people wanna see it, come on and step in Lights Out. I got no problem!"

Of course, Shawne wouldn't be the first former football player to transition to fighting. Former NFL star Greg Hardy, who had no combat sports background, fought in the UFC.

Matt Mitrione, former Giants, 49ers and Vikings defensive lineman, was a UFC and Bellator star. Matt beat heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko, amongst a bunch of other top fighters. Not to mention Brock Lesnar ... and the list goes on and on.

6'4" Merriman would have had the best football career (though Hardy was dominant on the gridiron, too) of all players if he fought. Shawne played around 265 lbs. and was an athletic freak. He ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and put up 25 reps of 225 lbs. before he was drafted 12th overall in 2005.

Merriman, a huge MMA fan, founded Lights Out (his nickname during his playing days) in 2019. They've had 7 events -- all taking place in southern California -- with the last going down in December 2021.

But, the promotion is back ... "Lights Out Xtreme Fighting 8: The Return" goes down on Saturday in Riverside, CA. The event preliminaries will stream at 6 p.m. PST and the main event will stream live at 7 p.m. PST on Fubo Sports as well as the network's Instagram, Twitter and YouTube plus on Shawne Merriman’s social channels

Merriman says he's signed some super-talented fighters and his only hope is they don't leave for Bellator or UFC.

"I know Scott Coker and [Dana White], I've been around this space for a long time. They all know I have a big appetite for growing and being big in the space but ultimately, it's about giving guys, these fighters more eyeballs. Giving them a platform to fight."

"UFC, Bellator, great organizations. They're actually what made me get into the fight game and watch from the beginning. With Lights Out, I think we have an opportunity to come in here and give these fighters an opportunity to go and take care of their families, be legends in the sport, be champions in the sport," Merriman says.

The House of Representatives started looking like a UFC fight Friday night, when a congressman had to be physically restrained from attacking one of his colleagues.

It went down late Friday night after the 14th vote for Speaker of the House ... where Kevin McCarthy again failed to get the required number of votes.

Rep Mike Rogers (Republican, Alabama), a McCarthy supporter, was watching Matt Gaetz ... who in part spearheaded the opposition to McCarthy and voted no.

Rogers eyeballed Gaetz having a chitchat with McCarthy, and apparently saw Gaetz mouth the word "committee." It's unclear exactly what the 2 were talking about, but Gaetz was serving on the House Armed Services Committee, which Rogers chairs. It apparently looked like McCarthy and Gaetz reached some sort of agreement.

We're guessing -- but seems like a good guess -- Rogers was worried McCarthy was going to give the chairmanship to Gaetz in return for his vote, and that set Rogers off.

C-SPAN got shots of Rogers losing it, walking to the row in which Gaetz was sitting and then fully lunging at him. Other reps tried to thwart an attack by grabbing Rogers by the chin and shoulders ... holding him back.

Rogers then screamed at Gaetz, "I won't forget this!"

Danielle Reyna -- the mother of USMNT player Gio Reyna -- is admitting she's the individual who notified U.S. Soccer about a 1991 domestic violence incident involving Gregg Berhalter.

As we previously reported, Berhalter claims someone outside the organization was attempting to get him fired by exposing an altercation from when he was an 18-year-old college freshman ... in which he kicked his now-wife, Rosalind, after an argument.

Danielle -- who's married to ex-Team USA captain Claudio Reyna -- says she told U.S. Soccer about the incident because she was unhappy with how Berhalter spoke about her son following the World Cup.

Shortly after USA was eliminated, Berhalter said he was close to sending a player home for his actions on and off the field ... and although he never named Gio, it was clear who he was talking about.

Danielle released a statement on Wednesday ... saying, "I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."

Danielle -- who played for the USWNT in 1993 -- also claims Berhalter is making his 1991 incident out to be less serious than it actually was.

"Without going into detail, the statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question," she added. "Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed."

Danielle wasn't the only one pissed -- Claudio also released a statement to ESPN ... saying he spoke with U.S. Soccer officials about how Berhalter was handling his son, but denies making any sort of demands.

"While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son's World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie [Stewart] and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so," Claudio said Wednesday.

FYI -- Gio barely played during the World Cup ... despite expectations he would play a big role in America's run.

U.S. Soccer is investigating the Berhalter incident ... as well as "potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization."

Dillon Danis and KSI will NOT be facing off in the ring -- at least not next weekend -- the MMA fighter has allegedly pulled out of their boxing match just 10 days before the event was slated to go down.

The two were supposed to scrap at OVO Arena Wembley on Jan. 14 ... which would have been Danis' first competition since 2019.

But according to Misfit Boxing's Mams Taylor, folks who doubted Danis would actually go through with the fight were right to be skeptical.

"The real reason is, from what they said to me, is that he's underprepared, he has no coach, he might be struggling with weight," Taylor said on Wednesday.

"For someone who cares about his reputation as much as he does, or what people think of him, I didn't think that this would be something, despite many people saying the opposite. Like, 'Look, he's not going to show up to the fight.'"

"They were right."

KSI isn't giving up on the whole event, though ... as he just tweeted, "The show must go on. I’m still fighting January 14th."

90 Day Fiancé star Biniyam Shibre hopes Dana White is listening ... the TV star and amateur fighter tells TMZ Sports he wants to turn pro -- and the UFC is his dream!

"It's not about money. It's not about my dream. It's my goal. I love this sport. I wanna do it," Biniyam said when we asked if he wanted to fight professionally.

For the time being, 32-year-old Biniyam -- who with his partner Ariela Weinberg, starred on the reality show -- is an amateur fighter with a 4-0 record. None of Shibre's fights have gotten out of the 2nd round.

In fact, he ended his last fight with Jorge Masvidal-type quickness ... knocking out his opponent with a perfectly placed kick just 6 seconds into the scrap.

Shibre says the ultimate goal is Dana White's promotion, telling us ... "UFC is very interesting to me. I'm not a UFC fighter, but every time I wear a UFC T-shirt, because it'd be a dream come true."

Bini says people ask him if he's a UFC fighter ... to which he responds, "I'm not, but I'm trying. It's my dream."

We also talked to the 90 Day Fiancé star about exposing the sport to his home country of Ethiopia ... where Bini believes there's a bunch of undiscovered talent.

Of course, some of the best fighters in the world -- like Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman -- come from Africa.

Customers at a Texas Waffle House were treated to their own private WrestleMania over the holiday -- as fists and chairs flew between customers and some employees.

The video is insane, starting with some type of verbal argument between a female customer and restaurant staffer. The employee is seen throwing a plate from behind the counter and then all hell breaks loose -- with the customer jumping up on the counter and falling on employees.

From there, punches are thrown -- including several from one of the employees that connect with the original customer's head.

Finally, things seem to get under control, but only for a few seconds.

In what's probably the most insane part of the video, the employee catches a chair thrown by one of the customers in midair.