Conor McGregor I'm Boxing Manny Pacquiao ... 'In The Middle East'
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1:17 PM PT -- TMZ Sports spoke with Dana White just minutes prior to Conor's announcement that he's fighting Pacquiao ... and the UFC honcho said he had SOMETHING in the works with McGregor ... but was adamant it was not related to a fight.
Conor McGregor says he's got his next fight on deck ... and it's not in the Octagon -- it's a boxing match against Manny Pacquiao!!!
So ... is this real, or is the dude blowing major smoke??
Here's the deal -- Conor went on a mini-rant on Twitter on Friday ... posting Instagram DMs with Dana White that seemingly show he was begging for a fight prior to his retirement in June.
"I was pushing hard for the season," Conor says. "Multiple opponents, multiple dates offered throughout. All to take place back to back."
He added ... "Then when covid hit and the talk was that I would have to wait for crowds again, I walked away from the situation. I was waiting long enough at that stage."
This all came to a head after Hall of Famer Diego Sanchez said he wanted his retirement fight to be against McGregor ... which Conor seemed to be down with back in February, according to the DMs.
Nothing was able to come to fruition ... and now Conor is telling his 8.2 million Twitter followers he'll be back in the fight game ... just not for UFC.
"Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook," Conor tweeted. "I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East."
While the news is extremely exciting, it must be taken with the biggest grain of salt on the planet -- Conor has been known to use his platform to express his frustrations in the past.
It IS pretty interesting, however, that Conor recently posted footage of himself training in the ring ... so, coincidence??
White has also previously spoken on the possibility of setting up a Conor vs. Manny fight -- saying, "I don’t care about that s**t."
So ... there's that.
Story developing ...
Originally published -- 11:57 AM PT
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Amanda Nunes & Nina Ansaroff Welcome Adorable Baby Girl ... Raegan Ann Nunes
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UFC stars Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff just welcomed their 1st baby ... a precious baby girl, Raegan Ann Nunes!!
The 32-year-old women's G.O.A.T. made the announcement on social media, saying ... "Speechless ❤️ Raegan Ann Nunes 9/24/2020 7:15 am #happydaughtersday #love #mylittlefamily"
Reagan was born Thursday morning in a Florida hospital.
34-year-old Ansaroff -- the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- posted their very first family photo, and wrote ... "I am so in love! I can’t wait to show you the world! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕September 24th 2020"
So, how's the couple doing?? We just talked to Dana White -- who was preparing for UFC 253 from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi -- and he told us the new moms are ECSTATIC!
The UFC honcho -- and father of 3 -- shared a photo sent by Nunes ... along with some parenting advice for the couple.
Now, the question is ... when does Nina -- who has won 4 of her last 5 fights -- return to the Octagon?
In June, Ansaroff told us she only wanted to take off 6 months after giving birth ... while Amanda wanted her fiancee to sit out a little longer!
A quick return to the Octagon isn't impossible. Remember, Mackenzie Dern fought only 4 months after giving birth to her daughter.
Congratulations!!
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Mario Lopez Hosting Tyson Vs. Roy Jones Fight ... COVID Protocols In Place
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The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight just got a celeb host -- Mario Lopez.
We're told Lopez will be the emcee of the November 28 fight ... introducing the various fighters and tossing to musical acts throughout the evening.
In other words, it's not just a fight ... it's an event.
Sources tell us Lopez will be at the fight venue -- not hosting remotely -- and the production is already taking steps to make sure they adhere to COVID-19 regulations.
Lopez -- along with all of the fighters, trainers, production crew, etc. -- will most likely undergo rigorous testing leading up to the fight to ensure everyone is safe and healthy.
As for the musical acts, we're told producers are gunning for A-list talent and have superstars from the R&B and the hip-hop world lined up ... now it's just about finalizing the contracts.
The event is being put on by Triller -- which is looking to dethrone TikTok as the go-to place for music-driven social media -- so it's obvious why the entertainment portion of the night is so important to them.
As for Lopez, he's a hardcore combat sports fan whose been regularly training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Gym in L.A. for years.
"I have the opportunity to combine my passions for boxing with hosting is truly a career milestone, and for it to be at such a legendary event, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it," Lopez said in a statement to TMZ Sports.
As we previously reported, the card is pretty stacked ... besides Tyson and Jones Jr., Jake Paul and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson are also fighting.
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Mike Tyson Down To Fight Anthony Joshua ... In Charity Boxing Match
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54-year-old Mike Tyson says he would fight 30-year-old, 6'6", 240 lb. heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, RIGHT NOW ... as long as the money went to charity!!
Some background ... Rafael Cordero, Mike's legendary trainer recently told us that Tyson -- who last fought in 2005 -- could hang with beasts like Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Tyson Fury.
So, when "Iron Mike" joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show to talk about his HUGE Legends Only League fight with Roy Jones Jr. on November 28 ... we asked him if his next opponent might be a boxer in his prime.
Someone like ... IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua?
"Listen, I'm very interested. If doing that means we can have a bigger charity exponent, well so be it, I'm down to do that, too."
Seriously??
"I would love to [fight Joshua]. That would be mind-blowing."
That's not all ... Mike also talks about voting for the first time this November in the presidential election, and what would've happened if he chose MMA, rather than boxing back in the day.
Full interview airs tonight on FS1 at 9pm PT / 12am ET on FS1!
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UFC's Khamzat Chimaev I'll Fight Israel Adesanya or Costa This Wkend On Fight Island
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Khamzat Chimaev SMASHED another opponent just 4 days ago ... but the UFC phenom says he's ready to fly to Fight Island and fight Israel Adesanya or Paulo Costa for the title.
TMZ Sports talked to Chimaev ... and asked if he'd fight Adesanya or Costa this weekend in Abu Dhabi if either of the men were unable to participate in the UFC 253 main event.
One punch.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 20, 2020 @barstoolsports
Night night.
Khamzat Chimaev is a PROBLEM. pic.twitter.com/3gDwT9WMJm
That might sound crazy ... until you consider the 26-year-old undefeated fighter fought and won twice -- only 10 days apart -- back in July.
Khamzat's answer? Well, you probably already know.
"Yes, 100%, I'm ready," Chimaev said.
"Of course, 100%, for the title, I'm always ready. I would be so happy to be given the chance to jump in there. 100% gonna take this."
Chimaev -- who has been hit a grand total of 2 times during his 3 UFC fights -- also laid out his hit list ... the guys he wouldn't mind beating down while he pursues the UFC strap.
"My dream is title, but I can fight with everybody. Demian Maia, Jorge Masvidal, Diaz brothers, Conor McGregor, everybody, everybody, I can smash everybody. Doesn't matter."
Then, Khamzat threw one more dagger at The Notorious ... the guy who once called him "rat lip."
"People talk about him, Khabib smashed him, brother. Already, everybody knows what I'm about. [Conor's] not on my level. Khabib showed that to everybody."
"It's gonna be the same. I take him down and smash his face."
😲😲😲😲😲😲😲
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KSI Calls BS On Floyd Vs. Logan Paul Fight ... 'Why Would He Fight The Loser?!?'
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YouTube superstar and boxer KSI says there's no way in hell Floyd Mayweather is gonna fight Logan Paul ... asking straight-up, "Why the f**k would Mayweather say 'yes' to this?"
As we previously reported, 43-year-old Mayweather has been approached with an offer to take on 25-year-old Paul in an exhibition match ... but a deal has NOT been made.
KSI -- who beat LP in a controversial rematch at Staples Center last November -- called BS on the fight ever coming to fruition on Tuesday ... saying, "This is cap, it's cap."
"It's not happening. Why the f**k would Mayweather say 'yes' to this? Why would he fight the loser of me and Logan?"
KSI goes on to point out he draws massive crowds everywhere he goes ... and would perform much better in the ring against a 50-0 legend.
"I'm the bigger draw when it comes to boxing, because I defeated the one who started it -- Joe Weller -- and defeated Logan Paul himself. So, why would Mayweather want to fight the second best, when he can just easily fight the best?"
As for Logan, he was super quiet with us last week about the possibility of fighting Floyd ... but he definitely seems down to make it happen.
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UFC's Khamzat Chimaev Would Put Conor McGregor In A Wheelchair Says Manager Ali Abdelaziz
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"Khamzat would put Conor McGregor in a wheelchair, and he would drink from a straw for the rest of his life."
That's Khamzat Chimaev's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, detailing what would happen to McGregor if he ever stepped in the Octagon with the UFC's hottest fighter.
Chimaev only needed 17 seconds to brutally KO Gerald Meerschaert Saturday night in Vegas ... his 3rd win in 66 days. In 3 fights, KC's been hit a grand total of 3 times.
17 seconds win with one punch!
— Ross Edmonds (@RosssEdmonds) September 20, 2020 @RosssEdmonds
Khamzat Chimaev is a big problem for the division!😳 @KChimaev @ufc pic.twitter.com/p8stqfYI9z
TMZ Sports talked to Abdelaziz about Chimaev's next opponent ... and it's crystal clear he thinks it'd be a TERRIBLE idea for McGregor to fight him.
"I'm not looking for Khamzat to fight a mentally unstable fighter. Conor McGregor is mentally unstable. I wish him the best of luck," Abdelaziz tells us.
"Khamzat would kill him. He would really kill him."
Of course, McGregor previously talked smack to Chimaev, calling him "rat lip" ... in a Tweet Conor later deleted.
So, who's next then?
Abdelaziz says he doesn't believe Demian Maia stands a chance in hell of beating Khamzat ... so he'd rather see him scrap with Jorge Masvidal or Nate Diaz.
Though, AA says they don't stand a chance, either.
"Nate Diaz, Masvidal, some of these guys, I think he'd mop the floor with them too. I think he'll beat the shit out of these guys. These guys are a little bit older, they're veterans, they're great fighters, but I think they're levels to this."
Scary.
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Vegas Road Rage Roadside Brawl!!! With Bats & Chain Swinging
Here's why getting out of your car in a traffic incident should be limited to seeing if the other party's okay -- anything beyond that and you might find yourself fending off a baseball bat!!
Check out this wild brawl that recently went down in Vegas near the Palace Station Hotel and Casino -- where a couple of young'ns faced off with an older trio ... which ended with the latter taking out potentially lethal weapons and using 'em on the fly.
It's unclear what sparked the confrontation, but obviously tensions were running high. Before anyone started swinging, the people recording cracked some jokes and tried lightening the mood ... but it was too late. The other two foes on the other side of the car started going at it.
That prompted the young guy in black to try to help, which then caused the other man in red to square off with him. It basically became a 2-on-2 type fight, with the lady (who was rolling with the older gents) serving as ref ... and occasionally getting some licks of her own in as well.
At one point, s*** really hit the fan when the older guys brought out a bat from their car and started swinging on the two 20-somethings. It looks like he landed at least one blow on a person ... and a couple to a car. The woman also used a chain as a weapon ... and the whole thing just got really out of hand.
Cops say they're looking into the incident.
Luckily, it doesn't appear anyone was seriously hurt in the brouhaha -- but still ... not pretty.
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DaBaby Sued Over Bev Hills Beatdown
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12/19/19
DaBaby's Christmas time scuffle at an L.A.-area hotel is coming back to haunt him nearly a year later -- the guy he roughed up on camera is taking him to court over it.
The guy's name is Cristofher Pocasangre, and he just filed suit against DaBaby claiming his recorded confrontation from December 2019 amounts to assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress and a litany of other actions he now wants a judge to weigh in on.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Pocasangre says he was working at a Marriott hotel near Bev Hills when he learned DB was on site and asked him for a pic. DaBaby said no, and Pocasangre admits he snapped a selfie anyway with the rapper in the background -- something DaBaby confirmed himself at the time, and offered as justification for getting physical.
Now, get this ... Pocasangre claims DaBaby told him to delete the photo, which Pocasangre says he actually did right on the spot. That apparently wasn't enough for DB, though. Pocasangre claims, in docs obtained by TMZ, DaBaby followed him in and assaulted him.
In surveillance video of the altercation, you see what appears to be DaBaby violently shoving the guy up against the wall and sitting him down as he looms over him. Again, DaBaby tried defending himself when this surfaced by saying he was protecting his daughter, whom he says was with him during this incident, and whose identity he was trying to shield.
In a since-deleted IG video of him explaining this, DaBaby also made it seem like Pocasangre did NOT comply with his demand for the pic to be deleted.
At any rate, the guy's suing to get major damages from both DB as well as his management and entertainment company.
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Mike Tyson Could hang w/ Fury, Joshua & Wilder ... Says legendary Trainer
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54-year-old Mike Tyson is still an elite fighter who could give the greatest heavyweights in the world a serious run for their money -- so says Iron Mike's legendary trainer.
TMZ Sports talked to Rafael Cordero -- owner of SoCal's Kings MMA, regarded as one of the best combat sport coaches -- about Mike ... who's fighting Roy Jones Jr. in November.
Cordero -- who says Tyson is training 6 to 8 hours a day -- told us Mike is actually better than he was decades ago when he was heavyweight champ of the world ... so we asked, could he put up a fight against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder?
"I believe Mike can do it. If he put his mind, he wanna fight for the belt one day, why not? Who say it's impossible to do?" Rafael says.
"He's fighting every single day in the gym and I believe the best still to come. Why not? If one day he want to prove, he put his techniques to the test, why not [fight for] for the belt?"
FYI, 32-year-old, 6'9", 30-0-1 Fury, 30-year-old, 6'6", 24-1 Joshua, and 34-year-old, 6'7", 42-1-1 Wilder are considered the 3 top heavyweights in the world.
We also asked Cordero about training video that appears to show Mike blasting RC in his face with a right hook ... and how it felt to be hit with a flush power punch from Tyson.
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Sylvester Stallone Warns Roy Jones Jr. ... 'Mike Tyson Is A Wrecking Ball!!!'
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Roy Jones Jr., listen up ... here's some sage boxing advice from Rocky himself -- DON'T GET HIT BY MIKE TYSON!!!!
TMZ Sports got Sylvester Stallone leaving Fia in Santa Monica this week ... and when we asked about RJJ's chances in his November exhibition with Iron Mike -- Sly didn't love them.
In fact, Stallone seemed straight-up concerned for Roy!!!
"Well, let's put it this way," Stallone said. "What do you think is going to work? A 22 against a 45???"
Sly added, "Roy Jones is a great, great fighter, but it's just a matter of physics."
Stallone says his advice for Roy when it comes to hanging with Mike in the ring is simple ... "Keep moving!"
"You're talking about, I mean -- everyone knows it. Mike Tyson is a wrecking ball."
The fight is scheduled for Nov. 28 ... and, if you're listening to Sly, that means there's still plenty of time for Roy to not go through with this!!
By the way, when it comes to the rumored Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather fight ... Stallone says he loves LP's guts -- but he clearly doesn't think that scrap should happen either.
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Dana White Haven't Heard from Brock Lesnar 'Just Don't See Him Coming Back'
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Bad news for Brock Lesnar fans ... Dana White says the former UFC champ has NOT taken him up on his offer to put together a fight with Jon Jones.
And, Dana says he doesn't expect it'll ever happen.
Remember, White previously told us he would be down to make a fight between the ex-heavyweight champ and Jones if both guys really wanted it to happen.
Dana even invited Brock to call him so they could talk out a deal.
So, when we spoke with White we had to ask if Brock has reached out -- and unfortunately, it was crickets.
"Not a word," White tells TMZ Sports.
"The guy has had a long killer career. He actually came in and became a UFC heavyweight champ and the guy's made a lot of money. I just don't see him coming back over here again at his age."
White says he would love for Brock to call just so they can talk anyway -- "I'd love to hear how he's doing and how his family is, stuff like that."
But, White says, "I think that's gonna be the extent of the conversation with him."
As for Jon Jones, he's moving up from light heavyweight to the heavyweight division -- but when we asked Dana if there is a fight on the horizon ... again, crickets.
"Nope. Nothing. He's out doing his thing and ya know -- nothing."
If Brock really decides to walk away forever ... it was a pretty solid career -- he beat Randy Couture for the heavyweight belt in 2008 -- and defended against guys like Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.
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UFC's Kamaru Usman Breaks Down Woodley Vs. Covington ... I Beat 'em Both!!!
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Who better to analyze the Tyron Woodley vs. Colby Covington fight than the only guy who beat 'em both -- Kamaru Usman!!
So, here's the reigning UFC welterweight champ telling TMZ Sports why this fight could be epic ... while not wearing a shirt.
Don't hate. Be honest -- if you were shredded like this dude, you'd do interviews without your shirt on, too.
Funny moment when he's reflecting on his match with Colby -- telling us, "What a jaw-breaking performance that was, wasn't it?"
Get it?! Because he broke Colby's jaw! Good times ...
But, we digress ... besides breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of both fighters, Kamaru also reveals he'll be in the building at the UFC Apex center in Las Vegas for Saturday night's big fight!
"If any one of these guys wanna get flippant at the mouth, ya know I'll be right there front and center. So they can say it to my face."
You pumped yet!?
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ONE MMA Fighter Lands Vicious 6-Second KO ... Insane Right Hand!!!
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Don't blink or you'll miss this ...
A fighter in ONE Championship just knocked out his opponent with a VICIOUS right hand ... and it all went down in JUST SIX SECONDS!!!!
The knockout artist is Capitan Petchyindee Academy -- a newly signed ONE fighter -- and, man, did he make an impression early!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Just a few ticks into his first ONE bout at "A NEW BREED III" in Bangkok ... Capitan fired off a straight right that knocked the daylights out of Petchtanong Petchfergus.
The punch was SUPER violent ... it caught Petchtanong right on the jaw -- and in a flash, the dude was starched down on the mat!!!
According to ONE ... it's the fastest knockout EVER in its Super Series.
And, don't worry, Petchtanong was able to get up off the mat and walk away from the ring under his own power.
Somewhere, Jorge Masvidal is tippin' his cap!!
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Tory Lanez Sued You Beat the Crap Out of Me In LIV Nightclub Attack!!!
More legal trouble for Tory Lanez ... this time it's a man claiming the rapper went on a menacing attack in one of Miami's hottest nightclubs.
Christopher Harty is suing, claiming Tory and his security detail -- or other members of his crew -- beat him to a pulp while at LIV Nightclub. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Harty says he was in the club in November 2019 when things went south. He claims Tory started to verbally antagonize him, and that the trash talk eventually escalated to Tory taking a swing at him and landing a punch.
Harty claims Tory's security detail or crew also joined in ... punching, kicking and beating him. The suit includes a 5-second video that shows a ruckus but it's hard to make out if Tory's part of the melee.
He never says what triggered the initial verbal exchange -- but claims the physical beatdown left him with blunt force trauma to his head, neck, chest and back and multiple contusions and bruises to his body. He's suing Tory for unspecified damages.
This comes as Tory is already in hot water with the L.A. County D.A. over allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion ... and for gun possession.
We've reached out to Tory for comment, so far no word back.
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Cleveland Browns Fans Brawl In Stands at 'TNF' Despite COVID Social Distancing
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Browns fans gonna Browns ... even during a pandemic!
Check out this footage of a brawl in the stands at the Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on Thursday night ... where the combatants don't seem to care about COVID-19.
first fan fight of the year. of course it’s cleveland in the midst of a pandemic 🙂
— gabb 🌟 (@gabbgoudy) September 18, 2020 @gabbgoudy
📹: @Andrewgarson_ pic.twitter.com/4DzpfSS8Nx
Unclear what started the incident at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland ... but you can clearly see security working like hell to try and break things up as quickly as possible.
The silver lining ... everyone seemed to be wearing masks! So, at least there's that!
Only 6,000 fans were allowed into the stadium to watch the game due to social distancing policies in place -- and all 6,000 reportedly had to sign a "health promise" saying they would not enter the facility if they were sick.
The "pledge" also says fans will wear masks, social distance, etc. Wonder if it said anything about fighting?!
The good news ... the Browns players seemed to channel that fighting spirit on the field -- defeating the Bengals in a 35 to 30 victory.
Congrats?