Fights

Ryan Garcia says he isn't fazed by that explosive Gervonta Davis knockout -- telling TMZ Sports he's lickin' his chops to get a crack at Tank.

"I'm extremely confident I'd beat that boy down," Garcia tells us ... "He's just a big bully."

Garcia and Davis are 2 of the top young boxers in sports and it seems like it's only a matter of time before they meet in the ring.

Garcia tells us straight up he'd rather fight Tank sooner than later.

"We all know we can both knock people out. We all know we can put people to sleep that don't belong in the ring with us. But, one day we got to step up and go against someone who can also get slept. And, that’s what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get in there and give fans a fight they’ll remember for the rest of their lives."

Garcia says he gives Tank props for that monstrous 6th-round knockout of Leo Santa Cruz this past weekend -- but he's not scared 1 bit.

"It didn't even make my pulse go up."

Garcia even has a message for Davis -- "Don’t run away from the specialness. I can hit like that too. I can hit like that too."

Chicago Bears WR Javon Wims uncorked TWO massive haymakers on a Saints player mid-game ... and the whole violent affair appeared to start because of a mouthpiece jacking.

Here's the deal ... early in the 3rd quarter of the Saints-Bears game in Chicago, Wims went to block Chauncey Gardner-Johnson -- and the two got into a bit of a tussle.

The guys trash-talked each other ... and, eventually, Gardner-Johnson ripped Wims' mouthpiece right off his facemask.

Wims was taken out for the remainder of the Bears' drive after the play ... but when his squad got the ball back -- he went to exact revenge on CGJ.

Check out the video of the play -- it's WILD -- Wims tried to grab Gardner-Johnson's mouthpiece, but when he missed ... he decided to throw 2 HUGE punches instead.

Both connected with CGJ's helmet ... and it kicked off a melee between the two teams.

Ultimately, the scrum was broken up and Wims was ejected ... and now, a big-time ban could be coming soon.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday the league is mulling a possible suspension for the wideout, and given his status as a role player on the Bears' roster ... his job might be in jeopardy too.

As for Gardner-Johnson, he definitely came out on top of the fight ... his Saints won, he didn't suffer any injuries in the brawl -- and he fired away at Wims on social media after the contest.

"That man punch like a female," CGJ said, before adding, "Bra cheap shot like a fee."

26-year-old Wims was picked by the Bears in the 7th-round of the 2018 NFL Draft ... and he's played in 28 games since, catching 27 passes and scoring 4 total TDs.

One of the players ejected from that insane Florida vs. Mizzou fight is speaking out ... issuing an apology AND a warning!

Florida Gators defensive lineman Zachary Carter was one of 3 players ejected from the game for the bench-clearing brawl right before halftime.

The Gators were pissed over a violent late-hit on their QB, Kyle Trask -- and Florida head coach Dan Mullen was so heated, he ran onto the field and began screaming at Mizzou players and staff.

One thing led to another ... and before long, it was complete chaos -- with pushing, shoving, punches. Nuts.

Officials and other coaches eventually broke things up. Florida ended up winning the game in a 41-to-17 rout.

Three players were ejected -- Florida DL Zachary Carter and LB Antwaun Powell. And, Missouri LB Tre Williams.

On Sunday, the schools issued a joint statement condemning the incident.

"We believe both programs will use this moment to learn from so that future incidents like this do not happen."

Now, Carter is also speaking out through social media -- posting a statement about the incident.

"I want to apologize for getting out of character before halftime! Do not disrespect my QB or my head coach! I'm riding for my squad anyway."

As election night draws near, banks and apartment complexes from coast-to-coast are gearing up for unrest -- cautioning folks to be ready for the worst.

TMZ has learned one bank in Washington D.C. sent a letter to its customers saying it would remain open, but with boarded-up windows "due to concerns of potential unrest" before and after the election.

It also shut down its ATM for the time being, and says it will close if it feels employees are in danger.

As we've already told you ... businesses and shops in D.C. have been boarding up in anticipation of election violence, and police across the country are bracing for protests that could get out of hand.

Likewise, an apartment complex in L.A. -- with 5 separate buildings -- sent a notice to its hundreds of residents, saying there would be an increase in security "in an abundance of caution" over potential election chaos.

The complex says it will also be cracking down to make sure only residents and their guests are able to get onto the grounds. It's warning everyone to be on alert for strangers.

There are plans to board up businesses across the country, including on Bev Hills' famed Rodeo Drive.

Like it or not, Floyd Mayweather is a genius -- and played the "game of boxing" better than anyone else in the history of the sport ... changing it forever, so says Max Kellerman.

There will always be an argument about who's the best pure boxer of all time -- Floyd? Muhammad Ali? Joe Louis? -- but when it comes to the business side of the sport, Max tells us there's only one name in the conversation.

"He retired undefeated. He made hundreds of millions of dollars. He never took a bad beating. He has a very good point that he's the best ever at playing the boxing game," the "First Take" star told us in NYC.

"Boxing, at its core, is basically fans and networks exploiting fighters. And, what Floyd and [his business partner] Al Haymon did is they flipped the paradigm around. They said 'No no, you're not gonna exploit us' -- in fact, the fighters, in this case, Floyd, are gonna exploit the fans and networks. 'I know you wanna see us in the maximum kinda risk situation but in fact, I wanna put myself in the minimum risk, maximum reward situation.'"

Max points out Floyd navigated his career masterfully with 3 main factors -- "The timing of when he picked the opponents, his boxing style and then, of course, his own excellence."

Think about it ... Floyd has some incredible names on his resume -- from Canelo Alvarez to Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao even Conor McGregor.

We also asked Max -- a boxing savant -- about the upcoming Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz fight ... and if he thinks Ryan Garcia would have a shot against Teofimo Lopez.

"I was Boosie at one time."

That's Mike Tyson explaining why he felt compelled to confront rapper Boosie Badazz over his history of homophobic comments ... saying he knows what it's like to go from ignorant to enlightened.

Tyson got right to the point with Boosie during a recent taping of his podcast, "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" ... condemning Boosie's offensive comments about Dwyane Wade's child Zaya, who recently came out as a transgender girl.

During the podcast, Tyson pressed Boosie on where his hate was stemming from -- wondering if Boosie's aggression comes from his own insecurities about his sexuality.

It was a powerful moment that seemed to have resonated with Boosie ... and Tyson has been cheered for the way he handled it.

But, Tyson tells "TMZ Live" the conversation probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for his daughter -- who passionately told the boxing legend why Boosie needed to be set straight.

"My daughter," Tyson said ... "She flew all the way from New York City to Los Angeles, California where I'm at just to be there because she thought Boosie was so disrespectful she had to confront him."

Yeah, you read that right -- Tyson's daughter wanted to be the one to go after Boosie, but Mike wouldn't allow it.

Instead, Mike listened to what his daughter had to say and ultimately believed she made some solid points.

Mike said his daughter argued that Boosie's comments have been "disrespectful to the community" -- and she was so passionate about confronting him, Mike was concerned things would go off the rails.

"But, he conducted himself like a gentleman," Tyson said about Boosie ... "It went okay. It didn't go like I anticipated it to go. My daughter has a lot of courage and stuff."

Now, Tyson says he's rooting for Boosie to grow from their conversation and "win the fight over those demons."

There's more ... Tyson also explained to Harvey and Charles why he decided to make a boxing comeback and why he predicts "PAIN" for his upcoming opponent Roy Jones Jr. when they clash at Staples Center on Nov. 28.

The woman who was arrested at an Ohio Applebee's over a high chair conflict was given ample opportunity to avoid it ... based on police body cam footage anyway.

As we reported ... Shannel Malcolm got into it with restaurant staffers after she claimed she was denied 2 high chairs for her twin babies. Welcome to 2020, where cops get called over high chairs, and the video shows Shannel's absolute disbelief once she saw the officers.

At first, she's not all that interested in explaining her side of the story. Instead, she whipped out her phone, and as we reported ... live streamed the incident.

The officer did speak to an employee who explained they were following the law by not allowing Shannel to have high chairs at her booth because it would be dangerous to her kids.

Applebee's told TMZ ... 2 high chairs in a booth created a fire safety hazard, so they offered to seat her at a different table. They claim Shannel refused and got aggressive with a pregnant host -- and that's why they called police.

As for why she got arrested? Well, watch the video to see what happened after the officer kicked her out of the restaurant.

Shannel was jawing with other patrons, and totally defiant when the cop tried to let her go with a ticket. That's when the handcuffs came out and, as we told you ... she got arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. say they're both on the same page about their upcoming "exhibition" fight -- it's not a game, they're going for blood.

The two boxing legends just addressed the media for their big Nov. 28 fight at Staples Center in L.A. (available through PPV on Triller) and clapped back hard at the suggestion it will be a friendly show.

"We got Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. -- and I'm coming to fight," Tyson said Thursday ... "I hope [Roy is] coming to fight and that's all you need to know."

The issue is, the head of the California State Athletic Commission has said the guys will be going EASY on each other and WON'T be headhunting.

Here's what CSAC executive director Andy Foster told Yahoo Sports -- "This isn’t a situation where they’re going out there to try to take each other’s heads off. They’re just going to be in there moving around the ring and letting fans see these legends."

On Thursday, Roy assured the media that's just not the case.

"The last guy who did an exhibition with Mike got dropped in the 1st round. And if you don’t know that, there’s something wrong with you," Roy said.

Roy was referencing Mike's 2006 exhibition with former heavyweight boxer Corey "T-Rex" Sanders. Tyson was clearly goofing around and not trying to kill the guy.

This time, Roy says the fight will be competitive.

"Who goes in the ring with the great, legendary Mike Tyson and thinks, 'Oh, this is an exhibition?! 12-ounce gloves, no headgear? Really? This is an exhibition? Come on, bruh. Be for real."

Mike says he's been training like a maniac -- yeah, we've seen the videos -- and he's getting his killer mentality back.

In fact, Mike says he's not staying with his family at the moment because "there's no way to live with me. They'd kick me out of the house."

Logan Paul walked so Bryce Hall could run ... 'cause the TikTok star says he's willing to take his beef to the cage and fight his nemesis Thomas Petrou in an MMA match!!

A bit of a history lesson for those not up to speed on TikTok drama -- Hall and Petrou are in opposing content creator "houses" ... with Bryce being a member of Sway House and Thomas being a founder of the Hype House.

Their affiliations have led to some serious quarrels along the way ... and the dudes have pretty much hated each other ever since.

Since Hall is already no stranger to getting into public scuffles -- see here and here -- we had to ask if the 21-year-old would ever go the YouTube super-fight route a la Paul vs. KSI ... and the dude says he's down!!

Remember, the Logan and KSI fights have been a HUGE success in bringing new eyes to boxing -- and their second fight filled up the Staples Center in Nov. 2019.

A TikTok fight could have a similar effect -- Hall has 14.6 million followers on the platform ... and an additional 6.6 milli on IG.

(Petrou has 7.7 mil. on TikTok and 2.2 mil. on IG).

So, when we asked Hall who he'd love to beat the crap out of in a real-deal fight ... dude didn't hesitate.

"Thomas!" Hall said outside Craig's late Tuesday night.

As for what kinda fight it would be ... Hall says he wants to beat Thomas up MMA style!!

Jon Jones believes he's the GREATEST fighter of all time -- not Khabib Nurmagomedov -- and he's spelling it out in a new video.

"I’m talking to all you Khabib fans out there," Jones said ... "15 world titles to your guy's 4??? And, you guys are really talking about who’s the best fighter ever? You guys are joking, right?"

"15 to 4. Are you guys’ kidding me?"

What Jones is saying is he's 15 title fights for either an undisputed or interim title -- though it's worth noting, his victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 was overturned due to a failed drug test.

Khabib has won 4 title fights in his career -- defeating Al Iaquinta, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Not a bad resume ... but Jones says his 8 title defenses blow that out of the water.

"The only person that could possibly come back and challenge my record and what I’ve done in the UFC is possibly Georges St-Pierre. He would have to come back and win 2 championship fights to tie me, and I’m not even retired yet! I’m 33 years old. I’ve got a whole 'nother chapter to go through.”

Oh, there's more -- Jones continued ...

"And, all you guys who are going with this, 'He’s more dominant' argument, [Khabib] just recently started fighting elite-level competition. Could you imagine me against the #10 ranked guy?”

Jones has a solid point there ... look at his resume -- Ryan Bader, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustafsson (twice!), Daniel Cormier (twice!) and many, many more.

And, Jones beat these guys in their primes.

Yes, Jones technically has a loss on his record -- a 2009 defeat against Matt Hamill -- but he was disqualified for an illegal elbow in a fight Jones was dominating. Most people don't really count it against him.

If Justin Gaethje is serious about fighting again in 6 weeks, Michael Chandler tells TMZ Sports he's all the way down to make that happen!!

Chandler -- who just signed with UFC after dominating Bellator for the past decade -- was the official "alternate" for the Gaethje vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight on Fight Island this past weekend ... and says he's already in shape for a 5-round main event.

So, when Justin took the mic after his loss to Khabib on Saturday and said he's ready to go again in the next 2 months ... Chandler says his ears perked up.

"That's a fight that I'd love for myself and for the fans," Chandler told us from the airport shortly after touching back down in the US.

"It's a fight that scares me, it's a fight that gets me excited. It's a fight that -- it gets your juices flowing. If you're a mixed martial arts fan, a UFC fan, you wanna see us step into the cage together.

Chandler believes his role as the alternate for the lightweight championship fight at UFC 254 should make him the number 1 contender to fight for the vacant lightweight belt ... now that Khabib has retired.

Conor McGregor has returned the gym ... seemingly preparing to return to the Octagon in January to take on Dustin Poirier.

The 32-year-old UFC superstar was doing some boxing drills (he appears to be at Straight Blast Gym in Ireland) ... trying to get himself ready to fight for the first time since January, when he destroyed Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

As we previously reported, both Conor and Dustin have publicly agreed to fight on January 23rd -- but Dana White recently told us the contracts have not been officially signed.

That said, White says he's confident the McGregor vs. Poirier will happen because "In the history of dealing with Conor McGregor, Conor McGregor has never come out publicly and said, 'I accept this fight' and then not fought and turned down a fight. So, I expect the fight to go on."

The only wrinkle ... Justin Gaethje called out Conor after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov this past weekend -- suggesting the Irishman should bail on the Poirier fight and fight him instead.

So, what will Conor do? For now, just train.

There's been a ton of drama in Conor's life since his last fight -- including criminal allegations in Corsica, where he's accused of attempted sexual assault.

Before that, he announced his retirement from the sport of MMA -- claiming he didn't have the fire anymore ... but no one believed him.

Now, McGregor has seemingly changed his tune -- even posting on IG that he's "still committed" despite being worth "half a billi."

NBA YoungBoy and his crew allegedly beat the crap out of a man in the garage of a studio ... this according to law enforcement.

A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas tells TMZ ... a sheriff's task force investigated the rapper and several of his cohorts for allegedly assaulting a man at a studio in Katy, Texas.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man and his girlfriend headed to a studio to work with YoungBoy on October 5. We're told when the couple arrived, security told them no women were allowed in the studio. The GF left, and that's when things allegedly went south.

Our sources say the man went into the garage at the studio and that's when he claims YoungBoy and his crew pounced on him, put a bag over his head and proceeded to beat the crap out of him ... allegedly kicking and punching him before pistol-whipping him.

According to our sources, the guy said he caught a glimpse of YoungBoy when the bag was removed. Then there's this ... the man claims he saw a body bag in the room and when he asked why it was there ... he told officers they responded they were going to put him in it.

At this point, our sources say NBA YoungBoy then FaceTimed his manager and said, "I got him here." We're told the man claimed the manager told NBA to release him because he just beat a case and didn’t need more legal trouble.

Our sources say someone was then ordered to drop off the alleged victim in front of his house. Once there, the alleged victim was driven to the hospital by his mom and GF.

We're told the man suffered cuts and abrasions to his face plus bruises to his legs but no life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement is still looking into a possible motive for the alleged beatdown. So far there have been no arrests.

Another pro-Trump parade is going down this weekend -- only now, in NYC ... where a group identifying as Jews are showing their MAGA support, and bringing things to a boiling point with counter-protesters.

An event being dubbed "Jews for Trump" kicked off Sunday in Manhattan, where a massive convoy of cars and trucks waving Trump 2020 and American flags were caravanning through the downtown area ... flanked by both cops who were protecting them, and anti-fascist protesters who were chirping from the sidelines. Some folks wearing Proud Boys garb were also there in the mix among the Trump crowd -- eventually, all the groups clashed.

It's hard to say what exactly is sparking the violence, but it's happening nonetheless. Here's one video in which a counter-protester takes a Trump flag out of one of the parading vehicles, which is parked momentarily. As that squabble seems to simmer down, another one pops up across the way -- where two NYPD officers are wrestling someone to the ground.

Not too long after, utter chaos breaks out as people start to square up and swing on each other. Some folks are trying to break it up, others are jumping in -- it's almost impossible to differentiate at times.

At one point, a counter-protester comes up behind one of the 'Jews for Trump' dudes and taps him in the head before trying to run away. As he's fleeing, he gets kicked in the leg and topples to the ground, with his head hitting the pavement hard. And, seconds later ... even more brawls break out in an adjacent section. Like we said, complete pandemonium.

Some people on the ground claim the cops are definitely team Trump here, because some of the officers are arresting counter-protesters at the behest of the MAGA crew ... who are apparently being safeguarded by those same cops using bikes to maintain crowd control.

This jives with what was just in the streets of NYC earlier this weekend -- namely, an NYPD squad car saying "Trump 2020" over its built-in loudspeaker ... which is a violation of police policy.

Mike Tyson's next opponent ain't Roy Jones, Jr. -- it's your EARDRUMS -- 'cause the boxing legend has officially made his EDM debut ... and the song is a BANGER!!!

The 54-year-old is preparing for his huge fight against 51-year-old RJJ on November 28 ... and took it upon himself to get pumped up for the huge event by getting on the mic!!

Tyson hooked up with LA-based group Tiki Lau for the collab ... coming up with the perfectly-titled track, "Mike Tyson."

Iron Mike is heard saying some intense lines throughout the track ... like, "I've been the wildest, I've been the craziest, I've been the outrageous, the vicious, the most destructive fighter."

There's more ... "An international warlord that'll strip your heart out ... and guess what?? I'M MIKE TYSON!!!"

Now, this ain't the first time Tyson has shown off his pipes ... remember this?!?!

There are rumblings Iron Mike could use the track as his walk-out song for the Jones fight next month ... so is an RJJ track in the works?!

Khabib Nurmagomedov just RETIRED FROM MMA -- after choking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

Wow.

Khabib essentially said he doesn't want to continue in the sport without his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who passed away earlier this year after a bout with COVID-19.

Gaethje proved dangerous -- throwing bombs as the lightweight champ -- but ultimately, Khabib's ground game was too strong ... and he caught Justin in a triangle choke in the 2nd round. Gaethje was rendered unconscious but came to moments later. He's fine.

Afterward, Khabib broke down in the Octagon sobbing ... overcome with emotion in his first fight since the passing of his father.

Justin and Khabib embraced after the fight -- nothing but respect between these two.

"God give me everything," Khabib said in the post fight interview ... "This is my last fight. Ain't no way I come here without my father."

32-year-old Khabib ends his career 29-0 -- defeating superstars like Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Gaethje and more.

Khabib says he's thought long and hard about his career -- and is certain his decision to retire will stand. It's not a publicity stunt.

In fact, Khabib left his gloves in the center of the Octagon -- a tradition from fighters to symbolize the end of their career.

Next stopgap UFC Hall of Fame ... he'll go down in MMA history as one of the greatest of all time.

Conor McGregor posted a respectful message to Khabib after the fight -- saying, "Good performance. I will carry on. Respect and condolences on your father again also."