Fights

Lil Wayne is blaming an "unrelated 3rd party" for screwing up his plans to perform at the Mike Tyson fight -- telling TMZ Sports there's no bad blood between himself and Triller.

Our Weezy sources tell us the rapper cut short his Thanksgiving weekend celebration with his family in Louisiana so he could be in L.A. to perform at the fight -- and he DID actually make the trip out.

But, something went wrong on the day of the fight leading Wayne to bail on the entire event.

So, what happened?

"Unfortunately there was an unrelated 3rd party who attempted to insert themselves in the production process between Triller and Lil Wayne the night before the event and the morning of and it unfortunately caused enough of an issue that Wayne couldn’t perform," Triller said in a statement co-issued by Wayne.

The details behind the scenes are unclear -- but one source put it this way ... one of the event's producers "interfered with Triller and Lil Wayne at the last minute trying to insert themselves and ended up creating a mess and all around confusion. At a certain point, Wayne got frustrated and decided it was best to pull out of the performance. By the time Triller learned about the mess it was too late."

Wayne -- who is actually a co-owner of Triller -- said he's proud of the way the event turned out, "but was truly disappointed I was precluded from performing by the 3rd party."

Here's video which Jake Paul says PROVES he really did suffer a broken nose 3 weeks before the Nate Robinson fight ... and yeah, he looks pretty busted up.

The footage shows Paul in what appears to be a hospital exactly 20 days before the Nov. 28 fight -- bleeding from the bridge of his nose with electrodes on his chest.

Paul also posted a pic of the scar after he was cleaned up.

The 23-year-old says he sustained the injury while meditating -- "I passed out on the concrete" -- and it posed a real threat to his training in those pivotal weeks before the match.

Paul says he couldn't spar for several days -- which is a big deal going into a fight. In fact, Paul says his whole training camp came to a screeching halt for a moment.

But, Paul persevered and dominated in his fight with the ex-NBA player -- ultimately securing a violent KO in the 2nd round.

As for Jake's nose, it didn't look like Nate connected one flush shot to Paul's face during the fight.

Now, Paul says he's looking forward to his next opponent -- which he HOPES is either Conor McGregor or Dillon Danis.

Floyd Mayweather is calling on everyone to stop clowning Nate Robinson for getting knocked out this weekend ... saying, "I will never kick my brother when he’s down."

36-year-old Robinson became a meme on social media in the moments after he was KO'd in his debut boxing match against 23-year-old Jake Paul. Some of the images were straight-up mean.

Enter Floyd ... who's calling on everyone -- and specifically the Black community -- to back off the ex-NBA star.

"Nate, I’m proud of you and I will always stand behind all my brothers," Mayweather posted on social media.

"I will never kick my brother when he’s down."

Mayweather continued ... "It’s ok for people to voice their opinions on social media, but no black athletes or black entertainers, especially black NBA players should make a mockery out of you."

"We are supposed to all stand with each other through the good, bad and ugly. I’m here to uplift you and let you know we all love you and congratulate you for just making an effort."

Floyd added a "sidenote" at the end of his post -- addressing issues he's had in the past with other Black people.

"The times I’ve had issues with another brother is when they came at me first. I was just defending myself."

As for Nate, he posted on social media after the fight saying he's okay -- and thanked everyone who reached out.

RESPECT. RESPECT. RESPECT.

54-year-old Mike Tyson and 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. just fought to a DRAW -- in one of the most impressive performances by two fighters in their 50s EVER.

The showcase of skill, power, athleticism and boxing smarts was just amazing. No knockdowns. No violent knockout. But, what an incredible performance from two legends.

The fight was technically an "exhibition" -- which means it wasn't sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission and won't count on their professional records ... but it was scored for fun by three judges from the WBC (World Boxing Council), who ultimately saw it as an even fight.

"I'm good with a draw, the crowd was happy with it," Mike said after the fight.

Roy noted Tyson still hits like a truck -- but added, "We gotta do this again!"

The takeaway is this -- both guys look like 50-year-old versions of themselves ... but we mean that in the best possible way.

Roy fought smart -- working distances, angles, setting traps ... no-look jabs!

And, Mike Tyson looks like a 54-year-old version of an athlete not from this Earth ... the speed, the body movement, the power -- he's like a hurricane in short black shorts.

No knockouts in this fight ... but man, was this an impressive performance from two legends.

And, to think Tyson hasn't fought in 15 years -- combined with all of the issues he's had since the last time he stepped in the ring -- it's just mind-blowing.

"Man, I'm proud of both of these brothers tonight," Snoop Dogg said during the 7th round.

By the way, Snoop was AWESOME as a fight announcer -- adding humor and excitement to the whole event.

After the fight, Mike and Roy showed nothing but love and respect to each other.

Jake Paul just DESTROYED Nate Robinson -- knocking the ex-NBA star out cold with a devastating right cross that sent Nate crashing to the mat.

Wow.

23-year-old Jake was in control the entire fight Saturday night -- knocking Nate down once in the 1st round -- and twice in the 2nd.

But, there was no getting up from knockdown #3 -- Paul hit him with a nuclear bomb right on the button.

36-year-old Nate eventually got up -- but the former NBA star needed some help off the canvas.

Paul only landed 8 punches in the fight ... but he made 'em all count.

Snoop Dogg was announcing the fight and cautioned other athletes looking to get in the boxing game -- "You don't play boxing."

After the fight, Paul praised Nate during a post-fight interview with Jim Gray ... "He was better than I expected ... I wanted to say thank you to Nate."

"It takes a lot of balls to step in the ring and I don't want to take anything away from that."

After the fight, Nate called out Conor McGregor -- telling Jim Gray he wants to stay in boxing for a long, long time.

If Jake Paul wants to put the camera down and retire from YouTube, he's got a serious future as a fighter ... so says boxer J'Leon Love, who tells TMZ Sports the social media star can actually hang with the big dogs of the sport.

"He can make it," Love tells us. "He already has made it because he has the push of the fans. the skill set is there."

Of course, the 24-3-1 super-middleweight has been helping JP train for his highly anticipated fight with Nate Robinson this weekend ... and Love admits he was first caught off-guard by Paul's skills.

"I was like, 'Damn, okay. hold on. You've done this before,'" Love tells us.

And, get this -- Love says Paul has been sparring with real-deal undefeated champs in training ... and the dude's been able to hold his own.

"He is becoming more and more polished every day," Love added. "He has definitely a long road in the boxing game, but he's on his way for sure."

Love raves about Paul's work ethic, willingness to learn, and how serious he takes the craft ... and thinks he's improved immensely since his first two fights.

"I wish you guys could see what we see in the gym."

Aaron Carter is ready to rumble ... and he wants to beat the crap outta any boy band-type singer willing to step in the ring with him!!!

The singer has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman, who tells TMZ ... Aaron's planning to fight in April or May in Los Angeles, once the coronavirus pandemic slows down.

Aaron's opponent is still up in the air, but we're told his dream match would be against Justin Bieber. We get it ... that would get the most headlines, but for lots of reasons, it's highly unlikely.

If the Biebs ain't down, we're told Aaron's ready to fight anyone else of his ilk -- a singer ready to put his hands to the test.

Aaron's got some experience in this arena ... he fought his brother, Nick Carter, back on their old reality show, "House of Carters."

What was UFC star Brandon Moreno doing when he received the biggest phone call of his life???

Eating a DELICIOUS burger ... of course.

Here's the deal ... 26-year-old Moreno -- the #1 contender in the UFC's flyweight division -- got a big 1st round win against Brandon Royval at UFC 255 last Saturday night.

Moreno -- who had to weigh in at 125 lbs. -- wanted to blow off some steam after the fight ... so naturally, he went to grab a cheeseburger.

Enter the biggest opportunity of Moreno's career ... when his manager called him and said Dana White had just offered him a title fight against 32-year-old champ, Deiveson Figueiredo.

The catch??

The fight is December 12 at UFC 256 ... ONLY 14 days from today.

Moreno tells us ... “I was eating some burger from Shake Shack, and then my manager called me and said, ‘I’m with the matchmaker now. Do you wanna fight December 12?’"

"I said, ‘Man, this is really, really close to the fight.’ I talked with my head coach, and he said, ‘Man you are ready. You don’t have any injuries from the fight. So let's go. This is the opportunity of your life.’ So I take it. I’m ready. I’m so ready!”

BTW, Figueiredo ALSO fought on Saturday ... submitting Alex Perez in the 1st round.

Moreno -- without hesitation -- said yes to the fight ... but he has to weigh 125 lbs. in a few weeks. So, did he finish the burger??

Damn straight!

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. just ripped off their shirts and showed off their incredible physiques at the weigh-in for their big fight ... and man, these guys are ripped!

54-year-old Tyson and 51-year-old Roy both look amazing for their age -- really, for ANY age -- as they gear up to fight on Saturday night.

Tyson weighed in at 220.4 pounds. Jones Jr. was 210.

Both men appeared calm and focused -- and told TMZ Sports they plan on spending their Friday night relaxing and watching karate movies to get in the right headspace.

Jake Paul also put on a show at the weigh-in -- dressing up like a Super Saiyan from "Dragon Ball Z" ... and warning his opponent Nate Robinson to not let his kids watch the fight, because it will scar them for years to come.

36-year-old Nate is a former NBA star and 3-time NBA Slam Dunk contest champion. He said he's fighting 23-year-old Paul to prove he's still an elite athlete.

Earlier in the day, Roy Jones Jr. told us his pre-fight meal plans -- and why he's so excited to get back in the ring.

Funny moment with Mike Tyson when he was asked about his famous quote, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

So, what happens when Mike gets punched in the mouth?

"We'll go to Plan B -- I'll punch him back!"

The fight is set to go down Saturday night at Staples Center in L.A. -- the weigh-in took place at a nearby hotel.

Everyone at the weigh-in site was required to undergo COVID testing -- including our TMZ photog, who was also mask'd up and keeping his distance.

As we previously reported, both Mike and 51-year-old Roy have made it abundantly clear they will be trying to take each other out from the opening bell of their 8 round exhibition (available on PPV via cable and satellite, and PPV streaming at Triller).

The event is going to be insane -- with performances from huge stars like Lil Wayne, French Montana, YG, Wiz Khalifa and more.

No turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, green bean casserole or pumpkin pie will be consumed by Jake Paul on Turkey Day ... 'cause the social media star tells TMZ Sports he's too busy cutting weight for his big fight against Nate Robinson!!!

The YouTuber-turned-boxer gave us an inside look at what his Thanksgiving is gonna look like -- and considering he's 2 days from his bout with the ex-NBA star on the Tyson vs. Jones Jr. card, it's not so fun.

"We're going into the bubble on Thanksgiving," Paul tells us. "I'm just gonna be watching people eat."

That SUCKS ... but Paul -- whose goal weight is 189 for the event -- says it was even worse for his fight against AnEsonGib in January, which made him miss out on all the fun surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's AND his birthday.

"So, only having to give up one holiday for this fight is not bad at all."

Jake gave an inside look on talks between his brother, Logan, and Floyd Mayweather ... but won't say 100% it's gonna go down.

Here's a pretty solid betting tip for all you boxing (and gambling) fans ...

Ryan Garcia says he's "100% sure" he'll knock out Luke Campbell in the first 3 rounds of their January fight ... adding, "I'm very, very, very sure of that."

King Ryan talked all sorts of trash about his opponent on Kevin Hart's "Cold As Balls" YouTube series ... explaining why he believes the fight could propel him to global stardom.

In fact, the 22-year-old told Hart it's downright "the biggest fight of my life so far."

"This is going to put me on, you know, that level where I get that respect," Garcia said. "I think this fight will solidify me as probably one of the best in the world right now."

Ryan is clearly oozing confidence over the upcoming fight ... and perhaps rightfully so, the dude is now 20-0 after knocking out Francisco Fonseca in the 1st round of his last tilt in February.

There's more ... Ryan also talked about his friendship with Canelo Alvarez -- and how they're still on great terms despite Canelo's messy split with promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who still reps Ryan.

"We’ve got the best relationship," Garcia said of Canelo. "We might not have the same language -- he speaks Spanish -- but, man, we get along so good."

Oscar has previously told TMZ Sports he thinks he can bring Ryan a $700 MILLION fight contract one day ... so yeah, no need to burn that bridge, right!?

MMA star Kayla Harrison didn't just beat her opponent to a bloody pulp this weekend -- she got blood splatter everywhere ... even in her own mouth!

Harrison absolutely DOMINATED Courtney King at Invicta FC 43 on Friday night -- with the ref ultimately stopping the fight in the 2nd round.

But, good God, THE BLOODY CARNAGE!!

Harrison busted up King's face so bad, she looked like Darth Maul at the end of the fight.

So, what was going through Kayla's mind as she was soaked in her opponent's blood?

"I was surprised by how much blood there was and that the doctor didn't stop it because I was literally slipping in blood," Harrison tells TMZ Sports ... "It was like a slip n' slide in there. It was disgusting!"

And, here's where things really get gross ...

Harrison said she has a habit of licking her lips -- even during the fight -- and admits, "I licked my lips and I was like 'Oh God, I just tasted blood!'"

"So gross! So GROSS!"

We asked Kayla if she ever felt bad for Courtney during the fight -- and yeah, turns out she's a human being!

"Yeah, of course! There's two Kaylas. There's the Kayla that's like 'This is barbaric! Oh my god, I don't wanna punch her anymore' like, 'I don't wanna do this' ... and there's the part that's like, 'No this is my job. This is what I was meant to do -- hit her harder!'"

"I have no plans to continue fighting."

That's Khabib Nurmagomedov saying pretty matter of factly he will NOT return to the octagon ... despite UFC boss Dana White suggesting otherwise.

"There will always be rumors about my comeback," Khabib said this week ... "because Dana White or other promoters who could replace him in the future will always want me to fight."

He's right -- Khabib is one of the biggest combat sports stars in the world ... dominating everyone from Conor McGregor to Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

But, Khabib has insisted he's lost the desire to compete again and wants to focus on his career outside the octagon.

"Of course, I am in my prime and there’s still tons of money I could earn, but I had a different goal," Khabib says.

"And, as for money -- from now on we will earn it somewhere else."

Dana White has been saying for weeks -- and again during an interview we shot on Thursday -- that he strongly believes Khabib will come back for a 30th fight. He's even considering opponents for Khabib.

But, Khabib insists he's done for good -- saying there's nobody else out there for him to fight.

In-N-Out Burger has made its way to Colorado, but instead of enjoying double-doubles and milkshakes ... many Aurora residents are dealing with chaos and a 12-hour wait!!!

A brand new location for the fast-food chain -- which is a favorite on the west coast -- opened Friday in the Denver suburb, and it seems demand is way too high to satisfy everyone's appetite.

The Aurora Police Dept. alerted everyone midday that the wait to get grub is 12 HOURS ... and traffic is severely bogged down in the area. The police are warning folks the restaurant will likely close before they make it to the window, and strongly encouraging them to eat elsewhere.

What's worse -- the long line of cars is apparently making hangry people get out and go "animal style" ... as a major brawl broke out in which it appears one dude loses his pants.

So, if you're currently waiting in this In-N-Out line, take it from us here in California -- the food's worth the wait ... but it CAN wait 'til tomorrow.

Anderson Silva is retired -- but he's still under contract with the UFC despite reports to the contrary, according to Dana White.

The UFC boss tells TMZ Sports ... the promotion did not and has not agreed to part ways with the 45-year-old after his last fight against Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 31.

Silva reportedly still has 1 fight left on his UFC deal -- but MMA Fighting reports the two sides agreed to part ways after Anderson's 4th-round loss to Hall.

UFC boss Dana White says that's just not the case -- explaining that Silva remains under contract, so if he wants to fight again, he's bound to the UFC.

But, Dana says Anderson is "retired" -- so, there's not a real expectation that he will fight in the UFC ever again.

Silva (34-11) is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time -- with victories over stars like Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Stephan Bonnar, Dan Henderson and more.

He set the record for longest win streak in UFC history with 16 in a row (from 2006 to 2013) and is a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame.

But, he's only won 1 of his last 9 fights and it's become clear his best days are behind him.

There was a buzz Anderson could jump to Bellator -- but CEO Scott Coker recently shot that down saying the promotion was happy with its current roster.

Conor McGregor is officially returning to the Octagon in 2021 -- he and Dustin Poirier have signed their contracts to fight at UFC 257, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The two sides had reached a verbal agreement a while back -- with Dana White saying he was confident the UFC would be able to make a deal. But now, McGregor says the paperwork is done.

The rematch of their 2014 brawl will go down on January 23, possibly at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Conor says they will fight at lightweight (155 pounds).

McGregor commented about the upcoming fight on social media recently -- saying, "I look forward to the fresh test Dustin will bring since our first bout, while also showcasing my own incredibly deep cache of weaponry."

"Whatever tool is needed on the night will be pulled from the duffel."

McGregor has also pledged to make a donation to Dustin's charity, The Good Fight Foundation, which provides resources to underprivileged youth in Poirier's home state of Louisiana.

Conor and Dustin first clashed at UFC 178 in 2014 -- with McGregor stopping Poirier in the 1st round.