Boxing

Ring rust is real -- and Chuck Liddell is living proof ... so says Oscar De La Hoya.

The head of Golden Boy Promotions -- which put on the Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 -- was in a pretty great mood after the fight on Saturday ... telling us, "Tito looked amazing!"

Of course, Ortiz floored Liddell with a brutal 1st-round knockout in Chuck's first MMA bout in 8 years.

"Chuck's timing was off," Oscar said ... "That's 8 years of inactivity."

Oscar wasn't buying the criticism that Chuck shouldn't have been in the cage in the first place -- he thinks Liddell was ready -- but Tito's game is on another level.

So, what's next for Oscar? He's dead set on moving forward with another MMA fight and told TMZ Sports he's looking to sign big fighters ASAP, as long as they're a free agent.

Wanna feel broke as hell?

Floyd Mayweather spent an ungodly amount of money on jewelry during an L.A. shopping spree last week ... dropping $5.3 MILLION on new chains and bracelets, TMZ Sports has learned.

The champ hit up jeweler to the stars Peter Marco at his shop in Beverly Hills on Nov. 14 ... and went HAM. Here's the breakdown:

-- One 30-carat pear-shaped, fancy yellow VVS ring for $2.3 MILLION.

-- One 3-4.5 ct. diamond bracelet for another $2.5 MILLION

-- One 2-pound yellow gold Cuban necklace and 3 watches for a combined $500k

Add all that up ... and you got a whoppin' $5.3 mil.

How'd Mayweather pay for all of the stuff? He wrote checks! (Hey, can't pay for everything in cash!)

Of course, Floyd ain't shy about his insane purchases ... remember his $18 MILLION watch ... and his $2 MILLION car fleet ... and oh yeah, his $10 MILLION ring and chain combo.

Makes ya kinda wish you became an undefeated international boxing superstar, huh?

Floyd is still lining up big money events for himself -- he claims he'll make a fortune for fighting Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan on New Year's Eve.

Plus, Floyd told us he'll make a 9-FIGURE payday if he can come to terms with Khabib Nurmagomedov for a boxing superfight in 2019.

Forget Drago's kid ... Michael B. Jordan had a totally different opponent in "Creed II," because his trainer says the real fight was a body battle between MBJ and the original Creed, Carl Weathers.

MBJ is otherworldly jacked for the new flick, and when we talked to his trainer, Corey Calliet, he says even though Mike has been pumped up for a while now, he took it to a new level for the sequel.

"He's never looked like that ever in his life. He's never even imagined he could look like that."

We then had to ask the big question ... in a father (Apollo) versus son (Adonis) battle of the bodies, who wins?

Here's where we remind you prisoners of the moment to remember that Carl Weathers was ABSOLUTELY JACKED, but Corey says it doesn't even matter, Mike got him, and that was the plan.

"I promise you. I put Carl Weathers to sleep."

We'd never talk to Action Jackson like that ... so you guys make up your own minds.

Heavyweight boxing contender Dominic Breazeale says he's still VERY pissed off about his violent hotel altercation with Deontay Wilder last year ... and desperately wants a shot to get revenge in the ring.

Remember, Dominic and Deontay were involved in a crazy brawl in a hotel lobby in Alabama in 2017 ... with Brazil saying he was blindsided by a mob of 20 people who attacked him in front of his wife and kids.

Brazil pointed the finger at Wilder -- and said the "cowardly attack" will "not go unpunished."

Now, Dominic is one step closer to making his wish come true ... because if Wilder beats Tyson Fury, he MUST fight Dominic in order to keep his WBC title.

Dominic tells us he's been thinking about the fight with Deontay every single day of his life -- and says he's been dreaming of bashing the guy's face in ever since the altercation.

In fact, Dominic says he'll fight Wilder in the street or an MMA cage if need be -- he just wants to fight, and says it'll be a "bloodbath."

As for Wilder, he's been talking A LOT of trash about Dominic -- promising to "cripple" him if they ever fight and warning him to spend time with his family while he's still able-bodied.

If they do fight, Dominic says he hopes to schedule the bout for Spring 2019.

Floyd Mayweather was right to back out of his MMA fight with Tenshin Nasukawa ... 'cause the kid's the Michael Jordan of kickboxing and Floyd woulda got his ass beat -- so says a RIZIN star.

TMZ Sports spoke with Daron Cruickshank -- who was set to be on the same fight card as Floyd and Tenshin in their NYE tilt in Tokyo -- and he tells us Tenshin's no joke on the mat.

"He's like the Michael Jordan, over there, of kickboxing," Cruickshank says.

Of course ... Floyd bailed on the fight initially in part because he thought it was understood it would be solely a boxing match.

But ... Mayweather says the fight might be back on now that he's made sure it'll be hands ONLY.

Daron says that's a smart move by Money ... saying Floyd woulda gotten SMOKED if they allowed Tenshin's feet to get involved.

"If they did a kickboxing match, I think Tenshin would win. If they did a regular kickboxing match, Tenshin would win."

"But, in a boxing match, I don't think he would stand a chance."

Luckily for all of us ... it looks like we might get to see it go down after all -- 'cause Floyd says, "We're gonna make it happen."

Manny Pacquiao has put an expiration date on his boxing career -- telling TMZ Sports the plan is to fight until 2021 ... and then hang up the gloves for good.

Manny -- who turns 40 next month -- has a big fight coming up against Adrien Broner in January. Since there aren't a lot of guys fighting into their 40s, we asked if he would retire if he lost the fight.

Of course, Manny is super confident and told us losing ain't an option -- but either way, he plans on fighting for 3 more years before moving on to the next phase of his life.

So, what's next for Manny? He's got options.

Not only is he a politician back home in the Philippines ... he also dabbles in music and basketball. Remember, the guy owns his own hoops LEAGUE in his country.

In fact, we spotted PacMan out on the court in Los Angeles where he hit the winning shot during a pickup game at Pan Pacific Park on Wednesday. He ain't exactly Allen Iverson, but he's got some game. Some.

Khabib Nurmagomedov only has 1 fight left on his UFC contract -- and if that final UFC fight is not a bout with Floyd Mayweather -- he'll schedule it himself when he becomes a free agent.

This is the plan according to Khabib's manager Ali Abdelaziz who says Khabib is still deadly serious about taking on Floyd in the BOXING ring.

Remember, Dana White slammed the door on Khabib boxing Floyd, while he's still under contract with the UFC ... claiming if Floyd wants a piece of the Eagle, it'll be in the Octagon.

Ali tells TMZ Sports ... Khabib will respect Dana's wishes while he's under contract, but, once his deal is up, they're willing to contact Floyd directly and hash out a deal for a 2019 fight date.

If Floyd does agree to an MMA fight, Ali warns the guy to save up for life insurance -- "because he’s not going to be walking anymore. He’s going to be drinking water [through a] straw."

Ali claims he isn't trying to go around Dana -- he wants to work with the UFC -- but clearly feels there's too much money at stake to blow off a potential Mayweather fight.

Floyd previously told us a fight with Khabib would "definitely" score him a 9-figure paycheck -- and Khabib's side would be significant too.

Michael B. Jordan's mouth might've written a check that his ass can't cash ... 'cause Roy Jones Jr. says he heard MBJ say he could beat Roy, and now he wants him to prove it in the ring.

In case you missed it ... we got Mike leaving Avenue nightclub in Hollywood Saturday, and asked if he if there are any real boxers he thinks he could beat with his 'Creed' fight training.

Jordan pulled Roy Jones Jr.'s name out of the sky ... saying the 49-year-old has slowed down just enough for him to beat him. We spoke to Roy, and not only does he disagree, but he's also anxious to prove it.

"If Michael B wants this real, contact Roy Jones Jr. and we'll make it happen."

Roy, who's still an active fighter, says he gives less than a damn about the age difference -- MBJ is 31 -- because his 30-plus years of ring expertise will be the difference.

"I know he can't beat me still. I know he's probably in better condition because he's younger ... but I'm an old school vet."

BTW -- this is not talk. Roy Jones Jr. wants to fight Michael B. Jordan. For real. Roy says the fight would be a perfect promotion for the movie, which comes out this week, although the fight would have to wait a little bit.

"[I'd] probably need, for him, about four or five weeks."

Dana White wants to put Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in the Octagon and lock the door ... but DC's people don't want him to fight "Bones" -- they want him to retire.

TMZ Sports talked to the UFC honcho outside the Montage in L.A. ... and asked him for the lowdown on the DC and Brock Lesnar fight.

Dana told us he ain't sure if the Lesnar fight will happen ... but he does have a massive fight in mind.

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier III.

"I'd obviously like to see Jones and Cormier fight again at heavyweight," White tells us ... "Cormier's team wants him to retire now. They want him to retire right now. I hope we can get 3 more fights out of him."

Remember, DC's repeatedly said he's gonna retire on his 40th birthday -- but that's still 4 months away -- and walking away before was seemingly never an option ... 'til now.

We also talked to Dana about Yair Rodriguez's INSANE last-second KO of the Korean Zombie ... and White says there's never been a better finish -- in MMA, boxing or anywhere else people hit each other.

"I think it's the best knockout in combat sports history. All of combat sports."

David Arquette vows his incredibly bloody deathmatch was his last, but he's never going to take his foot off the gas.

We got David Saturday in L.A. ... a day after his brutal Game Changer Wrestling fight against Nick FN Gage. David kinda looked worse for wear, after Nick smashed a light tube against his face. Check out the huge scab on the side of his neck.

So, David says -- we're not sure if he's serious -- the only rematch he'll have with Nick will be in a UFC Octagon.

As for David just sitting back and becoming a spectator in life ... well, he scoffed at the notion. He's always been a fighter and never a couch potato.

If Farrah Abraham gets in a boxing ring with Kailyn Lowry she's gonna get DESTROYED ... at least that's what one "Teen Mom OG" star is predicting.

We got Cory Wharton -- he's Cheyenne Floyd's baby daddy -- at LAX Friday and had to ask him about the potential celebrity boxing match between the 'Teen Mom' stars. TMZ broke the story ... Damon Feldman's willing to forgive Farrah for backing out of her first fight IF she gets in the ring with Kailyn.

Cory's prediction might be a surprise to everyone but him ... dude says he used to train her and she's got fast hands. And, get this ... he says he's willing to be part of the undercard and he's already got an opponent in mind.

Jermell & Jermall Charlo say two of boxing's biggest stars are two of boxing's biggest COWARDS ... claiming both GGG & Canelo Alvarez are SCARED OF THE SMOKE the Charlo's bring.

Jermell fights at 154 ... Jermall fights at 160, and they say Canelo and GGG are doing everything in their power NOT to have to fight the twins.

"They moved up from the weight classes, I think Canelo at 168, but he's got a manager and a promoter and they know where we're at."

BTW ... the call-outs didn't end in the boxing ring, because we then asked the bros if they are willing to jump into the world of MMA -- something more and more fighters are doing -- and they are SUPER DOWN.

"I would, I'd fight wherever the money at."

FYI -- when they say "I" they basically mean "we," because they look exactly alike, finishing each other's sentences and stuff ... it's actually kinda cute.

Michael B. Jordan is itching to step into the ring with former heavyweight champ Roy Jones Jr. ... because his insane training regimen for "Creed II" has Michael feeling unstoppable.

We got MBJ out Friday night in Los Angeles ... and he tells our photog he's been working out hard for the upcoming movie, so he's ready to throw down with one of his favorite boxers.

David Arquette was bloody, mangled and nearly tortured Friday night in a wrestling match ... and there was NOTHING FAKE about it.

David was in a 'deathmatch' -- that's the name and not really an understatement -- at a Game Changer Wrestling event that went down at The Hi Hat.

The actor-turned-wrestler was up against Nick FN Gage and it was just brutal. Gage broke a light tube over Arquette's head. You see David grab his neck as blood pours from the area. Shockingly, the fight continues.

Toward the end, it looks like David gives up, climbing out of the ring, but then the 47-year-old hops back in as he bleeds profusely. Gage stomps on him, but David fires back by smacking Gage with a chair. It didn't take long ... David gets pinned.

After the match, David told his fans he needed a few stitches and he was fine.

Mikey Garcia's HUGE upcoming fight with Errol Spence will be way better than Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather's 2015 fight ... and Garcia is telling us why.

Little background first ... Manny and Floyd had been dancing around each other for years, with fans clamoring for the two men to get in the ring and make the biggest fight in the sport.

The results in the ring were kinda meh ... and when we talked to Garcia in L.A. at an event for Premier Boxing and FOX Sports he said his long-awaited face off with Errol Spence won't let fans down.

"I didn't want to wait 'til the end of our careers. I'm doing it in our primes. Mayweather and Pacquiao should've fought 6 years before it happened. I'm fighting a guy at his prime. He's fighting in my prime. That's the kinda fight we wanna give the fans."

Both men are undefeated champs -- with 51 KO's between them -- so many people in the boxing world say the fight is gonna be an all-time great bout when it sparks off March 16 at Jerry's World in Dallas.

BTW -- Floyd and Manny are talking about possibly getting in the ring again ... so if anyone is looking for something to help them to sleep, set your DVR's.

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, move over.... there's a new superfight on the way.

The matchup? Cris Cyborg -- arguably the greatest female UFC fighter ever -- against Cecilia Braekhus -- arguably the greatest female boxer ever.

If you like combat sports, you're well aware Cyborg's a badass ... but so is Braekhus. She's undefeated at 34-0 and has been the undisputed welterweight champ since 2014.

TMZ Sports talked to Cecilia -- who'll be the 1st woman to headline an HBO boxing card on December 8 -- Thursday night after the Lakers game and she gave us the 411 on the dream fight with Cyborg.

"[Cyborg's] very interested in doing a boxing match. We want to do the female version of a Mayweather-McGregor."

Braekhus says this ain't a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream.

"It's gonna happen."

But, does Cris have any chance to beat a champion boxer?

Braekhus' answer might surprise you.

Earlier this year ... we talked to Cyborg about the prospects of fighting Braekhus.