Fights

No big layoff for Claressa Shields -- the boxing champ turned MMA sensation says the plan is to get back in the cage in 2 to 3 months!!

The 26-year-old is coming off a stunning victory in her MMA debut on Thursday -- pummeling Brittney Elkin so brutally at PFL 4, the ref stopped the fight.

Shields is still FIRED UP about the win and tells TMZ Sports ... a TON of her famous friends have been blowing up her phone to send love -- from Halle Berry to Ray Lewis, Dwight Howard and more!

But, Claressa isn't spending too much time celebrating -- she'll be back in the gym to start training for her next MMA fight in just a few weeks!!

"I have another MMA fight I believe in August or September … and [after that] we're saving the end of the year for boxing."

Why so much activity?

"I'm young and I'm hungry," Shields says ... noting she's busted her ass in boxing but never got the paychecks she believes she deserves.

Shields strongly believes the path to becoming rich is through MMA -- and says, "I believe that I'll be a millionaire sooner than we think."

The end goal isn't just money ... Shields says the goal is to become champion in both sports -- and she's convinced it'll happen in due time.

Look, Shields knows her performance could have been better -- especially when it comes to her ground game, but she's dedicated to working on her weaknesses in the gym and wants to become a well-rounded fighter.

"We got a long way to go, but I'm happy to start [my career with a win] and take care of business."

"I hope this reaches Logan Paul. You looked good [Sunday] night! You looked really in control and you look like you could do some things in this sport."

That's Shawn Porter -- former 2x welterweight world champion -- cosigning Logan's career as a pugilist ... telling the YouTube star to KEEP BOXING!!

TMZ Sports talked to 33-year-old Porter about Paul following his 8-round exhibition fight vs. Floyd Mayweather last weekend ... and the boxing star had a message for Maverick.

"You have a built-in audience! You can make this money fighting this completion, build yourself up and then when the time is right, you say, 'Yo I'm ready for a world championship title' and I think by then, everybody that has rocked with him to this point will continue to rock with him."

Porter continued ... "He'll pull fans from the boxing arena and boom, you can't be mad at dude after that! You can't be mad at the money-making after that!"

Speaking of money, Logan previously told us he expected to make at least $20 million for the Mayweather fight.

That pissed off some star fighters (see Francis Ngannou) ... so we asked Shawn if he was upset inferior fighters were making BANK.

"You can't be mad at the hustle! I cannot knock the hustle! I'm happy for them dudes, I'm happy for them to get the money the way they've been getting it."

Lamar Odom says he's not here to "play" boxing -- he's gunning to knock out Aaron Carter and embarrass the dude in front of his girlfriend.

The 41-year-old ex-NBA star is taking on the 33-year-old pop star in a 3-round exhibition Friday night at the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

Both guys have been working their asses off in the gym -- but Lamar tells TMZ Sports he could "really give a f**k" about Aaron's training program.

"I'm prepared," Lamar says ... "I don't know who he's sparring against but I know my gym is full of guys that can fight and I've been sparring with and I have a really good trainer."

"[Aaron has been] talkin' s**t but I'm gonna put him to sleep early."

Lamar says he won't predict which round he'll KO Carter -- but says, "I asked his girlfriend yesterday which round do you want to wake him up in."

THE DISRESPECT!!!

Claressa Shields -- the greatest boxer in the world -- is now undefeated in TWO sports after winning her pro MMA debut on Thursday with an incredible 3rd round stoppage!!

The 26-year-old took on Brittney Elkin at PFL 4 in New Jersey. FYI, Elkin is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jjitsu!

As the fight started, it was clear Elkin's plan was to take Shields to the ground and try to force the boxer to tap out.

Elkin's plan worked during the first 2 rounds -- smothering Shields and attempting to submit her with arm-bar attempts and other holds.

But, Shields stayed calm and repeatedly escaped danger.

Then, in Round 3 ... Shields went off!!!

Not only did she stuff Elkin's take-down attempt -- but she gained top position and unloaded on Elkin with a barrage of violent punches to the head.

It got so bad, the ref stopped the fight -- SHIELDS WINS!!

Claressa was STOKED after the victory -- and later explained her mentality going into that 3rd round.

"I may have lost these two rounds, but I'm not losing this fight," Shields said.

"She had me on the ground, but she couldn't hurt me ... Her punches didn't hurt me. She tried to get me in me an armbar and that didn't hurt me!"

Now, Shields has proven a true force to be reckoned with the cage. She obviously needs to work on her ground game, but an impressive start nonetheless!!

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn not only HATED the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul fight ... but says it seriously damaged the sport -- and now he's sounding off!!

"Absolutely f**king horrendous," Hearn told iFL TV, "I'm allowed to give my opinion. It was absolute dog s**t."

Hearn famously runs Matchroom Boxing -- and reps some of the biggest names in the sport including Anthony Joshua, Devin Haney, Gennady Golovkin and more.

And, while some industry bigwigs applauded Logan vs. Floyd for drawing attention to the sport and possibly bringing in new younger fans ... Hearn thinks it was an atrocity.

"It was just sad, it was sad. None of it ever made sense."

Hearn says he doesn't blame Floyd -- applauding the guy for making a fortune for an easy night's work -- but thinks the event left a bad taste in the fan's mouths.

Hearn says part of the blame is on the promoters and other industry professionals who aren't producing great fighters and great events.

"If we don’t make good fights, you’re going to see more and more of this," Hearn explained.

Cops are searching for 2 brash, and slightly bruised, jerks who robbed a UPS driver in broad daylight -- and another driver's dash cam captured the whole incident, including the suspects' comical getaway.

The attack went down last week in San Francisco's busy downtown area, where one suspect -- wearing a face-covering -- hopped out of a car and started throwing a flurry of punches at a UPS driver named Minh.

Minh told KPIX-TV the attacker first swiped a package from his cart, and when he tried to retrieve it things turned violent. Although he tried his best to fend off the punches, he says he got hit in the face and lost 2 teeth ... in addition to suffering a black eye.

The guy who was punching Minh ended up dropping the package, and attempting to jump into his buddy's car -- but as they tried to speed away, the puncher fell HARD out of the moving vehicle!!!

That's the only awesome part of this video. Well, that and the fact the suspects' license plate is clearly visible.

No arrests made yet, but armed with this video, you'd think it's just a matter of time before cops track down these tools.

Dana White told TMZ Sports Kim Kardashian vs. Amanda Nunes would be the biggest event in the history of MMA ... leading Nunes to ask Kim K -- WANNA FIGHT?!

Clearly, Amanda is just joking around ... as she would clearly murder any non-fighter -- male or female -- who stepped foot in the Octagon against her.

But, that didn't stop Nunes from hitting Kim on social media ... and c'mon, you'd pay good money to watch that fight!

Nunes is one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time -- and is currently on a 12-fight win streak with victories over killers like Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko and Cris Cyborg.

Amanda hasn't lost since 2014.

Max Kellerman -- one of the leading experts in boxing -- says he's genuinely intrigued by the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight.

... and if Jake can knock out the former UFC star, he'll be legitimately impressed.

"That's an interesting fight. It's an interesting event," the ESPN star told us out in NYC.

24-year-old Jake and 39-year-old Woodley are set to throw down in August -- in what will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of Paul's short career.

So far, Paul has knocked out two pro athletes -- Nate Robinson and Ben Askren -- but hasn't faced an opponent known for being a true striker.

... until now.

Woodley fought his way to the top of the UFC's welterweight division in 2016 -- knocking out Robbie Lawler to win the belt.

But, he's lost his last 4 fights -- leading some to believe he's washed.

"I don't care how faded Woodley is … if Jake Paul knocks out Tyron Woodley, he did something," Kellerman explained.

"Woodley can strike. So, we're not gonna confuse it with a title fight in boxing ... but okay, I'll be impressed."

Jake has promised to KO Woodley in 2 rounds. Woodley's response? "HAHAHHAHA."

We'll see who's right ...

Mike Tyson says he was shockingly impressed with Logan Paul's performance against Floyd Mayweather on Sunday ... and thinks he's actually ready to take on a pro fighter in a sanctioned bout!!

In fact, Mike has a fighter in mind -- 37-year-old Swedish pro boxer Badou Jack, a former 2 division champ with victories over guys like Marcus Browne, Adonis Stevenson, Jean Pascal, and most recently, Dervin Colina.

Jack is a legit contender who is still pursuing titles ... and Mike thinks he'd be a good test for LP ... if he's serious about continuing his boxing career.

"I'm trying to get Logan Paul to fight Badou Jack," the champ said on IG Live with former boxer Zab Judah on Monday.

"I wanna see what he says about that."

Jack "The Ripper" is a beast -- he's 6'2" with a 30-3-3 record (14 wins by knockout) ... and previously held the WBC super-middleweight title.

So he's WAY more experienced than the YouTuber-turned-fighter ... but Tyson says that's the type of fighter Paul needs to be into ... and Judah agrees.

"Yeah, that's a real fight now. He fights Badou Jack, Logan Paul is gonna be in a big fight," Judah says.

"That's a whole different fight. You fight that guy, Badou is gonna give you a fight. Badou coming to fight! That's all Badou do is fight!"

Logan Paul came out swingin' ... but in the end, Floyd Mayweather is just too good.

There was no "official" winner in Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather -- but we didn't need judges to see the domination after it went the distance, a full 8 rounds.

26-year-old Logan came out strong Sunday night -- and even landed a handful of serious power shots.

But, 44-year-old Floyd ate everything Logan had -- and began to really open up in round 3 in front of a fired-up crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

From then on ... it was pure Mayweather domination.

Logan looked like he started to gas in round 3 ... Mayweather looked fast, strong and confident all the way to the end.

Hell, Mayweather probably could've fought another 10 rounds if he wanted to.

The fight was an exhibition -- so there is no "official" winner ... but everyone knows Floyd gets the "W."

Floyd praised Logan after the fight -- "He was better than I thought he was."

Mayweather says Paul would have his work cut out for him against real heavyweights -- but called Logan a "good guy" and admitted, "I had fun."

Logan was equally respectful -- saying, "Floyd Mayweather, it was an honor ... this is one of the greatest moments of my life."

"This is the coolest thing ever, I'm happy I made it out ... he's tough to hit.

He then teased a rematch -- "Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul 2?"

Props to Logan though ... he did pretty well for a guy with an 0-1 pro boxing record.

Mayweather's ring entrance included TWO rap performances. First up, Migos ... followed by Moneybagg Yo.

His ring entrance outfit looked like it was made of GATOR SKIN.

Logan walked out with a super-rare (and expensive) Pokemon card hanging around his neck.

The crowd was packed with stars -- from Fat Joe to Paul Pierce, Ryan Garcia, Antonio Brown, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, Evander Holyfield, Matt Barnes and more.

Before the fight, Floyd told TMZ Sports he expected to make between $50 and $100 MILLION for the fight ... and had already spent some of the money on brand new cars for his close friends and family members.

Roy Jones Jr. -- one of the greatest fighters ever -- says he believes Jake Paul has a REAL shot to beat Tyron Woodley.

... but only if he fights like Mike Tyson.

Here's the deal ... Jake famously KO'd Nate Robinson on the undercard of Roy's big comeback fight with "Iron" Mike back in 2020 -- so, he knows the kid has real power.

But, Roy's also very familiar with Tyron's accomplished MMA career -- and knows Woodley has legit striking ability.

So, who's gonna win? That all depends ... here's Roy's breakdown.

"Early, Jake is gonna be the issue because Jake can probably punch. I know he can punch -- and he's probably gonna be a little bit bigger [than Tyron]."

"But as the fight goes on, if Woodley gets comfortable, he's probably gonna take [Jake] out."

"Woodley definitely has the ring experience ... he'll definitely take him out if it goes long."

For his part, Jake has predicted a 2nd round KO over Woodley.

Tyron responded to Jake this way ... "HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA."

If a big part of boxing is showmanship, the Logan Paul/Floyd Mayweather fight is world-class.

Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather hopped on the scales Saturday ... and the weigh-in was a well-produced, splashy show, featuring music, commentary, a huge crowd and lots of smack talk.

The weigh-in went down in Miami ... the prelude to the pay-per-view match which goes down Sunday night in Miami Gardens.

Logan Paul weighed in at 189.5 pounds ... barely under the maximum of 190. Mayweather came under the 160 lb limit at 155. There's also a 6-inch height difference in favor of Logan.

Logan entered to “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N' Roses. He said his presence “proves this sh*t is a simulation.” And then, he went on ... “None of it’s real. The aliens are coming in June. Just be ready. Tomorrow, I break the f***ing simulation and beat the greatest boxer in the history of the planet.”

As for Floyd ... his message is simple as he yawned at Paul's presence ...“Height don’t win fights,” he said. “Weight don’t win fights. Fighting wins fights, and at the end of the day, I can fight.”

The fight has drawn massive interest, both inside and outside the boxing world, thanks in big part to Logan's showmanship. Check out the video he dropped Saturday night ... fueling even more interest in the fight.

It's pretty crazy ... Mayweather's 50-0, and Paul is 0-1, so it seems ridiculous on its face.  But, boxing is full of surprises, so ya never know.

Mayweather says he's gonna pocket $100 mil from the fight.

Buff Bagwell has a message for all his fans that are worried about the former wrestling superstar following his recent arrest ... thank you for the concern, but I’m doing fantastic!!

... and Buff proved it by showing off his jacked body.

TMZ Sports talked to 51-year-old Bagwell -- only days after the ex-WCW star was booked for hit & run, open container, providing false info to police and other charges in Georgia -- and we straight up asked ... are you OK??

"Dude, I'm 245. I look absolutely incredible. I'm in the best shape of my life. I feel better than I've ever felt in my entire left," Bagwell says.

Buff later continued ... "As you can see, if I'm in shape, Buff Bagwell is not hurting."

If you weren't a '90s pro wrestling fan and aren't familiar with Bagwell ... he was one of World Wrestling Championships (WCW) biggest stars for a decade.

"I just don't understand why everybody's worrying. I just think, honest to God brother, I really, really am thankful for them reaching out with their prayers and I thank everybody for that," Buff says.

"I just want to say I'm fine, thank you for your prayers. Without the wrestling fans, there is no Buff."

First Logan Paul ... then Jake Paul?!

Floyd Mayweather tells TMZ Sports ... Logan's little bro is "probably" his next opponent, after he takes on Logan on Sunday.

... and why?? MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!

Check this out ... 44-year-old Floyd says he expects to make between $50 and $100 MILLION for the 8 round exhibition against Logan and believes he can pull similar figures against Jake.

In fact, Floyd tells us he's already raked in somewhere around $30 million for the Logan fight -- and that's in guaranteed cash before he even throws a punch.

Depending on the PPV numbers, Floyd says he can hit the 9-figure mark.

Floyd bragged that he changed the game with the first boxing/MMA crossover when he pulled $350 MILLION for the 2017 fight against Conor McGregor.

Regarding Logan, Floyd says he's aware people think it's a no-win situation for him ... but he doesn't care.

"To me, it's a win-win but I'm in a no-win because if I knock him out fast in the 1st round, they're gonna be like 'Aw man this wasn't worth it.' If I let it go a few rounds and drag it out, they're gonna be like 'Aw man, he let a YouTuber hang in it for a few rounds'. But, it is what it is. We're gonna have some fun Sunday."

As for Floyd's future, Mayweather says nothing is set in stone -- but "After Logan, probably Jake. We don't know. We will see."

Floyd and Jake definitely don't like each other -- remember, Jake stole Floyd's hat at a media event in May ... and Floyd was so pissed, he threatened to kill the 24-year-old.

But, before that can happen, Jake is set to fight ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley ... someone Floyd wants to sign to a boxing contract.

"I would love Tyron Woodley to come to Mayweather Promotions, well Mayweather Boxing gym -- and I would love to sign Tyron Woodley so he can be fighting other fighters in the sport of boxing."

"Not on a high, high level but on the same level as what Jake Paul is doing because Jake Paul is fighting a bunch of nobodies. So, why can't Tyron Woodley do that and I sign him?!"

Floyd also says he wants to help train Tyron for the Jake fight.

Dan Ige always wanted to be a champion ... but now the UFC fighter says he’s got a little extra motivation to beat the "Korean Zombie’s" ass -- his newborn baby boy, Bam.

TMZ Sports talked to the 29-year-old, 8th ranked UFC Featherweight star -- who's taking on Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night on June 19 -- and we asked if the birth of his newborn changed the way he approached fighting.

FYI, Dan's wife, Savannah, gave birth to Bam Alexander Ige at the beginning of April.

"Yeah, for sure," Ige says ... "I've always been a pretty motivated guy. I was never a guy to look for that type of external motivation to push me. I've always had that internal drive but definitely having a little external motivation doesn't hurt at all."

"50K" Ige continued ... "Having my son and my family and my wife and everyone just kinda adds to that fuel and yeah, now it's not just about me anymore."

"It's about my son, it's about making sure he has a good life and he's set and he's secure, making sure my family is secure, so it's definitely a driving factor when I go to training every day or when I'm tired."

As for the fight ... Dan -- who's 15-3 as a pro and has beaten beasts like Edson Barboza -- believe's a win over the 4th ranked Zombie will put him in a prime position to make a run at the 145-pound title.

Zayn Malik got into a heated confrontation with a man outside a Manhattan bar in which a homophobic slur got thrown around ... and Zayn ended up shirtless.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Zayn was smoking a cig outside Amsterdam Billiards Club in the East Village after 2 AM when a group of guys came out of Little Sister Lounge next door and an altercation ensued.

We're told the guy in the video going after Zayn tried to pick a fight ... and tempers were definitely flaring, as you can see.

In any event, the guy lunged at the former One Direction star, and allegedly called Zayn the homophobic f-word ... and Zayn hurled back some insults.

Though the argument came very close to a physical confrontation, we're told no punches were ever thrown and police were not involved.