Fights

"You want to see a guy who's wiling to die in that Octagon? I think that's Tony and I."

That's UFC fighter Beneil Dariush telling TMZ Sports that he and Tony Ferguson are ready to sacrifice their lives in order to earn a victory at UFC 262.

Yeah ... heavy stuff.

We talked to the 32-year-old, #9 ranked Iranian-American fighter -- the co-main event Saturday night in Houston -- about the biggest fight of his life ... and what both men are ready to risk.

"I think two guys who are willing to go out there, if we have to leave in pieces, we'll leave in pieces, but we love the victory," Dariush says.

"I think that's one of the similarities that Tony and I have and I think that's one of the reasons why everybody should watch the fight.

FYI, Beneil is on a 6-fight win streak ... meanwhile 37-year-old Ferguson is in the midst of a 2-fight losing streak (Gaethje & Oliveira).

Regardless, Tony is still considered one of the most dangerous dudes in the lightweight division.

So, how does Dariush get the dub against El Cucuy?

"I think it can go all three ways. Knockout, submission or decision Whatever it is, I gotta stay one step ahead of him."

This is an incredible video!!!

UFC star Michael Chandler is fighting in the biggest bout of his life at UFC 262 on Saturday night ... and TMZ Sports spoke to his ex-college teammates for some last-minute encouragement before competing for the lightweight title!!!

Oh, and should we mention those ex-teammates are Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley?!?!?

The superstar Missouri Tigers wrestling alums shared some final thoughts with us before their friend takes the Octagon against Charles Oliveira in Houston.

"I think his first performance with the UFC was outstanding,  Askren tells us. "Hey man, he's not a newbie. I think he's been in the game just as long as we have so go out there, fight hard, have fun and enjoy your moment."

Woodley -- who considers himself a "big brother" to Chandler also had some kind words for the guy .... saying, "He's always talked about wanting to be the best, the best in the world, wants to be best and have the glory and have the fame and have all these things."

"I know he's got that Tiger style. I'm sending love out to him, peace and prayers and he represents us when he goes out there. Not just to wrestle, not just the OG fighters but just that pedigree of people that did it the right way and worked hard."

And, if you checked out the video ... you can tell just how much the soundbites meant to Chandler.

"Man, it's pretty emotional because when I think about Tyron and I think about Ben and I just think about being a Mizzou Tiger, I think about where I came from," Chandler tells us.

"I think about walking on to the University of Missouri. I was the lowest guy on the totem pole. I was the guy that didn't really truly believe that ridiculous success was something that I can achieve."

"I worked hard, you can ask Tyron -- Tyron was a 5th-year senior, Ben was a 3rd or 4th year when I came in, they already had the accolades, they already had the mindset, they had the achievements and I looked to those guys like they were gods."

He continued ... "Like, they were the guys that I wanted to emulate. They immediately became my big brothers, they immediately instilled in me most of the time to know that, Michael, you can be an All-American, you can be a national champion and I just think back to the little guy from the little town that was taught to do little things that I was and because of guys like Tyron, because of guys like Ben,"

Of course, Michael DID achieve all those goals ... becoming an All-American wrestler at the Division I level ... and getting a bid to the NCAA Championships 3 out of 4 seasons as a starter.

Chandler says no matter what happens Saturday night, it just goes to show how the Mizzou fam is a strong bond.

"It's not about me getting to the top. It's about Tyron Woodley, who wanted to see me at the top with him. It's about Ben Askren who wanted to see me a the top with him. Two of the greatest to ever grace Mizzou wrestling. Two of the greatest to ever compete in mixed martial arts and they wanted to bring other people up with them."

Floyd Mayweather says the Logan Paul fight was supposed to go down in Dubai -- but the org. he teamed up with to put on the event dropped the ball ... and now his company is suing for more than $120 MILLION!!

TMZ Sports obtained the lawsuit, filed by Mayweather Promotions, alleging a company called PAC Entertainment Worldwide approached them about hosting the event in Dubai at an undisclosed date in 2021.

Mayweather Promotions claims PAC claimed to have "numerous business contacts in Dubai" and "had the financial wherewithal and capability to host a fight of this magnitude."

Most importantly, Mayweather Promotions says PAC "presented financial projections estimating the fight could generate guaranteed amounts for each participant, plus result in the promoters earning more than $100 million in profits after covering all purses and expenses."

Mayweather Promotions admits it was impressed with the pitch and claims it ultimately signed a deal requiring PAC to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of $110 MILLION on a "prescribed payment schedule."

Mayweather Promotions claims the 1st payment of $30 million was due on March 25, 2021 -- but the money never came.

Mayweather Promotions claims the missed payment triggered a clause allowing MP to terminate the deal while still requiring PAC to fork up the full $110 million.

In the suit, Mayweather Promotions claims they were left scrambling to make new fight plans -- and ultimately worked out a deal to move the fight to Miami on June 6.

Mayweather Promotions is suing for breach of contract -- and demanding at least $122.6 million in damages.

Doug Kiker, the garbage man who brought Katy Perry to tears on "American Idol," is in police custody after cops in Alabama say he was involved in a domestic violence incident.

Mobile Police lieutenant Matthew James tells TMZ ... Kiker was busted Thursday for misdemeanor domestic violence (harassment) and he's now sitting in jail on $1,000 bond.

We're told officers responded to a report of domestic violence Thursday night allegedly involving Kiker and an adult woman and she's the one who called 911. The nature of their relationship is unclear.

Cops say responding officers investigated and determined there was probable cause to arrest Kiker ... and he was hauled off to jail, where he posed for this mug shot.

Just when it appeared Antonio Brown's legal troubles were behind him ... he's now being sued again, this time for allegedly assaulting a moving truck driver, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the lawsuit, Anton Tumanov claims he was the moving company driver that initially accused Brown in February 2020 of assaulting him during a violent encounter outside of the NFL star's mansion in Hollywood, Fla.

In the docs, Tumanov says he was hired to move some of Brown's belongings from California to Florida ... but he claims when he arrived at Brown's home on Feb. 11, the receiver snapped.

Tumanov says after a dispute over payment ... Brown and his trainer, Glenn Holt, beat the hell out of him, damaging his truck and other people's belongings in his truck in the process.

Tumanov reported the incident to police, and in his 911 call, you can hear he told dispatch he thought Brown was "high."

32-year-old Brown was eventually arrested and hit with 3 criminal charges for his alleged role in the incident ... though he later cut a deal with prosecutors in June 2020 to put the case behind him.

Brown agreed to probation and other stipulations, including community service hours and an anger management course, to have the case dropped.

According to Tumanov's suit, he's now suing Brown AND Holt for damages in excess of $30,000.

As we previously reported, Brown had appeared to have cleared up all of his legal issues in recent months, including settling a civil lawsuit with his rape accuser, Britney Taylor.

Chris Weidman is simply not a human being ... 'cause the UFC star is up and WALKING just 3 WEEKS after suffering his horrific leg injury!!

Yeah ... the dude is pretty much a damn superhero at this point.

The 36-year-old former middleweight shared an incredible recovery update on Thursday ... showing his ability to walk on the same leg he snapped while attempting a kick on Uriah Hall just 17 seconds into their fight at UFC 261 on April 24.

Weidman underwent successful surgery to repair the damage a few days later ... and was told he wouldn't be able to walk on his leg for at least 8 weeks.

But, he's been busting his ass nonstop during recovery ... and proved he only needed a 1/4 of the time to start putting pressure on his leg!! INSANE!!

The video is wild -- Weidman uses crutches to slowly walk, but is clearly putting a bit of weight on his wrapped right leg.

"We are moving!! #progress #recovery #theallamerican," Weidman said on Instagram.

The All-American has made great strides in such a short amount of time -- even using an anti-gravity treadmill to help his progress.

It's a great sign for Weidman -- after all, his training partner/friend Stephen Thompson said the ex-champ WILL return to fighting when he's recovered.

A Padres fan looked more like Canelo Alvarez in the stands at Coors Field on Wednesday night ... dropping a Rockies supporter with a VICIOUS haymaker -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

The violent act all went down in the 6th inning of Colorado's second game of a doubleheader against San Diego ... when for some reason, a man in a Padres jersey attacked another fan.

You can see in the footage -- captured during what appears to be the Rockies' broadcast of the game -- the guy walked up to the other man and launched a huge, right hand.

The clip shows the punch landed flush ... and the guy appeared to be out cold on his feet -- flopping over and falling to the ground.

Other fans in the area rushed to the puncher to restrain him ... and cops eventually arrived on the scene.

A spokesperson for the Denver Police Dept., though, tells TMZ Sports no arrests were made ... explaining, "The person who threw the first punch, was contacted by police. However, the person struck did not want to press charges."

The game went on despite the action in the stands ... with the Rockies winning in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in extra innings.

Lamar Odom is looking GOOOOOOOD ... new sparring footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows the ex-NBA star is really getting the hang of boxing ahead of his bout with Aaron Carter.

The 41-year-old has been training like a mad man for his June 11 Celebrity Boxing tilt against the pop singer at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City ... and it's clear the former hooper has hands!!

Check out the footage ... Odom -- who by the way is looking svelte and in shape -- is stringing together combos and moving around the canvas like a pro.

The power might not be there just yet -- but, hey, it's still a month away from fight night!!

As for Aaron, he's been taking the scrap seriously too ... getting in training sessions constantly and hitting the mitts as well.

In fact, we've also obtained some clips from one of Carter's recent sparring sessions ... and he ain't looking half bad either!!

We know ... it's not exactly Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury here -- but the event is still shaping up to be some must-see TV.

Plus, we're told Ice-T will be on the broadcast providing color commentary!!

Just hours after knocking out his opponent at Bellator 258 on Friday ... Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was arrested -- and cops say it's all 'cause the MMA star is an identity thief.

According to police records, Johnson had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from an incident in 2019 in which he allegedly used someone's credit card without their permission to purchase a flight.

Cops say Johnson illegally bought a round-trip ticket from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Newark, NJ with the card.

So, when 37-year-old Johnson was in Connecticut on Friday for his fight at Mohegan Sun Arena against Jose Augusto -- cops nabbed him shortly after he scored the big knockout victory.

Records show New Canaan Police Dept officers put Johnson in custody at the arena and then transported him to headquarters for processing -- where he took a mug shot.

Johnson was booked on several charges, including identity theft, and was later released on $500 bond. He's due in court in June for a hearing in the case.

Rumble's fight against Augusto was his first pro bout since 2017 -- and it was an impressive win for him, considering the long layoff and the fact that he was knocked down in the 1st round.

Prior to the arrest, Johnson had been looking to become a big star in Bellator after a long and successful career with the UFC that included wins over guys like Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira.

Logan Paul took on FOUR members of the Gronkowski family while training for his upcoming match against Floyd Mayweather ... and claims he handled all of 'em!

But, there's no beef -- it's all love -- and Logan and Rob Gronkowski spelled out the whole situation to TMZ Sports.

Rob didn't actually fight because of that whole football thing he's got going ... which probably makes Tom Brady and the Bucs happy.

But, all 4 of his brothers -- Glenn, Dan, Chris and Gordie -- laced up the gloves to go a few rounds with Paul back in April ... and it seems Rob was genuinely impressed!

"I was the official referee," Rob tells us ... "and good thing I was the official referee. My referring skills were pretty legit, 12 out of 10!"

The Gronks were trained up by two legendary fighters -- Winky Wright and Antonio Tarver ... and Logan says his main focus point was avoiding getting rocked!

"They're massive," Logan tells us ... "I'm f**king 6'2", 200 pounds and I go in there and all of Rob's brothers are towering over me! They're all taller than me vertically, they're all wider than me horizontally. These are huge humans! "

"Honestly, I walked in and I was like. 'Alright, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna kick their ass but I cannot get hit obviously.' They don't know how to box but they got some power and if they hit me, that could be it, man!"

Logan says Rob's youngest bro, Glenn -- who played fullback in the NFL -- has some legit skills and even connected with a quick jab ... but ultimately, Paul proved to be the superior fighter.

Logan tells us he plans to release all of the sparring footage later this week.

Again, the session was super friendly -- and the guys are all joking about it now ... but Logan says he thinks Rob could have a real future in fighting if he commits to it after his NFL career wraps up.

"Anyone with Rob's height and size and power ... if he just dedicated himself to it then yeah!"

Michael Chandler REALLY hopes Conor McGregor can return to his old, dominant self ... not just because he loves a comeback story, but also he knows it would be HUGE for his bank account.

Chandler is currently the #4 ranked UFC lightweight -- and he's fighting #3 ranked Charles Oliveira Saturday night at UFC 262.

If he wins that fight, Chandler will likely get the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor ... and he's fired up about the whole situation.

"They’re #1 & #1A in my book," Chandler says ... "I’ll be watching, keenly, to see who my next opponent is."

Chandler says he has a ton of respect for Poirier but admits, "I want to see Conor come back, man. There’s nothing better than when a guy as big as Conor McGregor, falls short, loses and is able to pull himself back and win. It’s a huge story, it’s a huge storyline."

Of course, Conor was one of the most feared fighters in the UFC around 2015, 2016 ... but lost some of his momentum after taking L's to Floyd Mayweather in 2017 and Khabib in 2018.

McGregor was also knocked out by Dustin Poirier in January 2021 -- leaving some to wonder if Conor's best days are behind him.

But, Chandler says a McGregor victory over Poirier would be huge for the sport -- and could also set up a very lucrative fight for himself.

"Obviously, the athlete in me wants to fight the winner of [Poirier vs. McGregor], the businessman in me wants to fight Conor of course, but all of it hinges upon me having a phenomenal performance on May 15."

As for his current opponent, Charles Oliveira, Chandler knows how dangerous he is.

"Charles Olivera has cut his teeth in this UFC lightweight division over the last couple of years. 8-0 in his last 8 fights. [He has the] most submission wins in UFC history," Chandler says ... "He’s dangerous every single place."

“I guarantee you I’m the best striker [in the UFC] and a much better striker than Max Holloway. I just need my chance to prove it."

That's UFC rising star Giga Chikadze officially throwing down the gauntlet ... challenging the featherweight G.O.A.T. to a scrap when talking to TMZ Sports.

Chikadze's stock is soaring after the 32-year-old put Cub Swanson away with a BRUTAL liver kick only 63 seconds into their co-main event fight last weekend.

Giga -- 13-2 (8 KO's) -- is now the #10 ranked featherweight ... so we asked him to name his dream fight.

“For sure Max Holloway.”

Why Blessed? He's the definition of a problem inside the Octagon.

"His fight against Calvin Kattar, I watched that fight and it was probably one of the best performances I’ve seen in a featherweight division," Giga says.

"Every time he was doing some crazy boxing combo I said, 'Man, I wanna fight him!'"

Of course, Holloway didn't just dominate Kattar (he landed a record 445 significant strikes) ... he's beaten Jose Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis and Jeremy Stephens -- to name a few.

Despite his ridiculous resume, Chikadze isn't afraid to say he has better hands (and legs) than the former champion ... and a fight with Max would be over inside 10 minutes.

“It doesn’t matter if it's gonna be a 3-round fight, 5-round fight ... I only give [Holloway] 2 [rounds]. That’s the max.”

"9 fights into my career, I believe that I'm going to be the greatest."

That's 30-year-old MMA star Kayla Harrison predicting that she -- NOT Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg or anyone else -- will go down as the best mixed martial arts fighter ever.

TMZ Sports talked to Harrison -- a 2x PFL tourney winner who's undefeated in the cage -- after DOMINATING Mariana Morais at PFL 3 ... where she won by TKO in only 83 seconds.

After the fight, Harrison sent a message to the MMA world ... saying, "If anyone thinks they can step to me they can come get in the cage. From now on, I'm the baddest woman, in this room and in any room."

Of course, only 1 person can be the baddest ... and if it's Kayla, that means it's not the current (widely accepted) G.W.O.A.T., Nunes -- the UFC's bantamweight and featherweight champ.

But, was Harrison -- who is also a 2x Olympic gold medalist -- calling out Nunes?! Kayla says definitely not.

"It's not personal. It's not directed at Amanda [Nunes]. It's not directed at Claressa [Shields]. It's not directed at Cyborg. This is about me and my belief in myself."

FYI, Harrison and Nunes are super cool with each other ... and even train at the same gym -- American Top Team -- in Florida.

Why'd Kayla make the bold proclamation ... well, she says she got tired of being politically correct.

"I think I just realized that it’s time to stop being this golden girl or like this miss congeniality. I truly believe that what I said I feel is the truth. So why wouldn’t I say it."

There's more -- after her fight, Harrison took a jab at "YouTuber idiots" who think they can fight ... so we asked the combat sports star about Jake Paul.

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders are fighting in front of a MASSIVE crowd Saturday night, but promoter Eddie Hearn says you should NOT worry about Covid ... 'cause there are precautions in place to keep fans safe.

The fight's going down May 8 at AT&T Stadium in Texas -- where there are no restrictions -- and will likely be the most attended event in America since the pandemic struck early last year.

"We're gonna be just under 70,000. So it's gonna be incredible," Hearn says ... "I think I remember seeing Canelo box Liam Smith and it was about 40,000 people there and the atmosphere was just absolutely insane. This is gonna be a very, very special atmosphere."

Some people have said packing the building with fans is a bad idea ... so we asked Eddie to address the situation.

"We're not the first in terms of big numbers returning to Texas. All sports now have been bringing crowds back. You've seen no spikes because of that," Hearn says.

"There will be masks worn, mandatory, on Saturday night. I've noticed, to be honest with you, as a Brit coming into states that have opened up like Texas and Florida, people aren't going out there care-free and just ignoring rules."

"People are actually being sensible and they will be Saturday night, and everyone will have a safe night."

This should be good ...

Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather are going to stand face-to-face in Miami on Thursday in an event to promote their upcoming boxing match ... and you KNOW it's gonna be a spectacle.

It's all going down at 12 PM PT -- and we'll live stream the whole thing here.

Logan has been extremely confident he'll be able to bang with one of the greatest pugilists of all time. Expect to hear a lot from him.

Floyd -- who's 50-0 as a pro fighter -- is also a master trash talker who famously verbally sparred with Conor McGregor for months leading up to their big fight in 2017.

So, when Floyd and Logan -- two masters of promotion -- get together, you know it's gonna get crazy.

The two are set to throw down at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 6. Ex-NFL star Chad Ochocinco has agreed to fight on the undercard, though his opponent has not been confirmed yet.

Chad is also expected to be at the media event on Thursday -- so plan to hear from him as well.

Logan is 0-1 as a pro boxer -- losing his first sanctioned bout to YouTube star KSI in a controversial decision.

His younger brother, Jake Paul, on the other hand, is 3-0 as a pro ... coming off an impressive knockout victory over UFC fighter Ben Askren.

If Quavo and Saweetie weren't broken up, they might be celebrating together -- neither of them will face criminal charges for their elevator altercation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the case was referred to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, which declined to file charges. We're told, based on the evidence -- surveillance video of the then-couple in a physical confrontation -- there was no likelihood of a conviction for either party.

Remember, we'd been told the cops wanted to talk to both Saweetie and Quavo to get more info on what went down before and after the video, but we now know that never happened.

The exes were clearly looking to put the situation behind them, and, at least publicly, it didn't seem like either was holding a grudge over the fight. Quavo said, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

Saweetie said something to the same effect ... while also indicating this was far from the last straw in their relationship, noting there were other "hurdles" before they split.