Boxing

It's official -- Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. will meet again in December ... and it's all going down in Saudi Arabia!!!

There have been serious talks of a rematch ever since Ruiz shocked the world and took AJ's heavyweight title back in June ... and now Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing promotion has confirmed the fight is set for December 7.

The timing of the fight comes as no surprise ... but the location seems to come outta left field.

Of course, we talked to Ruiz last month ... and he said he wasn't gonna fight AJ on his home turf because, "I'm the champion ... We're the A-Side."

The fight -- dubbed the Clash on the Dunes -- will take place near the outskirts of the nation's capital in Diriyah.

Of course, Ruiz was a late replacement who stepped in for Jarrell Miller when "Big Baby" failed a drug test -- with Andy only getting around 6 weeks of training before the June 1 fight.

FWIW ... we spoke with legend Evander Holyfield -- who sparred with a 19-year-old Ruiz back in 2011 -- and he says he wouldn't be surprised if Ruiz won again.

Gervonta 'Tank' Davis says there's one boxer he HATES so much that if they ever fought, there would be actual STREET VIOLENCE the night of the fight.

Tank sat down with Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Angela Yee on "The Breakfast Club" when the topic turned to IBF super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer.

Farmer's been calling Tank out for months now, and the fight would be huge ... but Tank told Charlamagne the matchup would be dangerous in the ring, but out of it too.

"Somebody gonna get hurt. Outside the ring. Me and Tevin been beefing for so long."

Davis ain't lying ... as a matter of fact, the beef almost got physical at the Danny Garcia vs Shawn Porter fight until Errol Spence stepped in and separated the two.

The men are on a collision course ... both being titleholders in the 130 pound weight class, but according to Tank, that's not why things are so bitter, there's another reason.

Evander Holyfield actually traded punches with a young Andy Ruiz back in 2011 ... when Andy was only 19 ... and the "Real Deal" tells TMZ Sports he knew back then the guy was a stud.

"He's good, we sparred when I was 46 and he was 19," Holyfield said (Ruiz was actually 21 at the time).

"He showed that he was good then. I'm sure when people continue to practice, they work, they continue to get better."

The footage of the 2011 sparring session is pretty great -- the two are both in headgear, but they trade some pretty solid shots ... you can see the potential in Ruiz.

At the time, Holyfield was still an active fighter -- he beat Brian Nielsen by way of TKO in the 10th round during their May 2011 heavyweight bout. It was Evander's final pro fight.

On the other hand, Andy's pro career was just getting started at the time ... by the end of 2011, he was 13-0 and was getting a reputation as a legit threat in the boxing world.

Of course, Andy went on to upset Anthony Joshua in June 2019 to win 4 heavyweight titles ... and Holyfield says he's excited for the rematch.

So, who would win a Holyfield vs. Ruiz heavyweight fight???

Bam Margera going to rehab has a celeb boxing promoter in a tough spot -- he's looking to get back the dough he just fronted Bam to ref a high profile match.

Damon Feldman, the promoter putting on a bout featuring the infamous Bagel Boss, tells TMZ ... Bam got half of his fee up front -- a cool $2,500 -- after signing a deal last week agreeing to be a ref. The deal called for Bam to get another $2,500 after the event. Damon says he hopes Bam gets better soon, and he won't hold the "Jackass" star to his contract.

The only catch ... Feldman says he wants his money back.

As we reported ... the "Viva La Bam" star is spending the next 60-90 days in treatment, meaning he's unavailable for the September 7 event in Atlantic City. Damon says he's contacted Bam's team to get the money back, but so far, radio silence.

TMZ broke the story ... Damon and Bam agreed to the deal just before Margera went off the rails last weekend -- berating a Southwest Airlines employee and getting booted from the flight.

Keith Thurman is ready for another crack at Manny Pacquiao -- telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "I'm ready for the rematch!"

The boxing star was out at Avra in Beverly Hills -- the first time we've seen him since losing to PacMan by split decision after their July 20 war in Vegas. The fight was great.

30-year-old Thurman was in pretty good spirits considering he's still nursing the first loss of his pro career ... but says he REFUSES to cry about it because, "I got paid!"

Thurman says he's got nothing but respect for 40-year-old Pacquaio -- and was super impressed by his skills in the ring -- but claims the judges got it WRONG on the scorecards.

"I still think the fight was nothing more than a draw," Keith tells TMZ Sports ... "I don't really think that he won the fight."

Keith says fans in the Philippines LOVE him now because he gave PacMan a REAL championship fight -- unlike Floyd Mayweather and Adrien Broner.

He also knows there's big money in a PacMan rematch and tells us he's willing to fly over to the Philippines to meet Manny in person so they can hash out a new fight contract.

Boxing star Andre Berto is in pretty good spirits for a guy who suffered a major arm injury!

The 2-time former welterweight champ was in L.A. on Saturday -- the same day he was supposed to be in Brooklyn to fight Miguel Cruz ... if not for tearing his bicep during training camp.

Long story short, Berto says he was sparring and threw a solid left hook when he felt something pop. Next thing he knew, the docs had him undergo an MRI where the test showed his bicep had torn "completely off the bone."

Yeesh.

35-year-old Berto underwent surgery -- and was sporting a massive medical brace on his arm while eating lunch at il Pastaio with a lady friend.

Gervonta Davis says he's ready, willing and able to get in the ring with Vasyl Lomachenko -- and even gave message to the boxing superstar, "I think it's time."

Tank is coming off a ferocious 2nd round victory over Ricardo Nunez -- improving his record to an impressive 22-0.

Davis has generated a LOT of hype over the years, but fans are still waiting for him to get in the ring with a true top-flight opponent ... which brings us to Loma.

31-year-old Lomachenko -- the unified lightweight champ -- is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He's 13-1 and hasn't lost since 2014.

Just like Davis, Lomachenko fights around 130 pounds ... so, fans would LOVE to see the two stars face off.

So, when we spoke with Davis about it ... Gervonta told us he's all the way down to scrap.

"Of course [I'm interested in the Loma fight]. Just as a boxing fan, ya know, top guys fighting each other. Definitely looking for that. Maybe the beginning of 2020."

Davis is only 24 -- but he tells TMZ Sports he's "old enough to take on the challenge."

"I think I have enough skills. I’m maturing as a fighter, as a person. I think it’s time."

And, his message to Vasyl ...

"Just keep winning and someday we will get in there. We will get in there for sure."

Andy Ruiz tells TMZ Sports ... he'll begin his training camp for the Anthony Joshua rematch in just 2 WEEKS -- which means he's clearly planning on fighting AJ in December.

The reason this is interesting is because the two sides are still trying to hammer out some important details for the rematch ... most importantly, LOCATION.

Joshua wants the fight in the UK, but Ruiz says there's no way in hell he's letting that happen.

While they sort that out, Ruiz says he's going to focus on getting his body right -- which means he'll be taking it easy when it comes to his Snickers obsession.

Don't get it twisted, Ruiz is NOT looking to get shredded for the fight -- in fact, he told Joe Rogan he wants to be on the heavy side so he can carry Joshua's weight in the ring.

But, before the diet starts, Andy tells us he's still living that good life ... crushing steak and sushi at TAO restaurant in Los Angeles -- and if you see that big smile on his face, he's lovin' it!

As for the training camp, Ruiz told Rogan he doesn't plan on changing too much from the way he trained for the first Joshua fight ... lots of sprinting and cardio work ... he'll just up the intensity the second time around.

IBF welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. is coming after Floyd Mayweather's title as most iced-out fighter alive ... 'cause the boxing star just copped an incredible "Man Down" chain for $400k!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the undefeated stud wanted to immortalize his signature slogan in diamonds and spared no expenses to get the job done.

Spence hit up Iceman Nick to make the custom piece ... and the specs are incredible:

The pendant (worth around $150k on its own) is made with 55 carats of VS1 diamonds on white and rose gold while the infinity link Cuban chain (valued around $250k) has 60 carats of VS1 diamonds on 1000 grams of rose gold.

Add that all up and you get a whoppin' $400k!!

The piece is insane ... and Nick agrees, saying, "In 20 years of making custom jewelry for celebrities, this may be my most beautiful piece."

You've probably seen Nick's work before. He's worked with huge names from 6ix9ine to Lonzo Ball to French Montana.

Evander Holyfield's days of being the best boxing Holyfield are numbered ... that's because his kid, Evan, says he's gonna be better than his dad ever was, and dad's totally cool with that.

In case you don't remember, Evander Holyfield is one of the single greatest boxers of all time. A Hall of Famer, and a Top 10 pound-for-pound fighter according to Boxrec.com.

Evan is 21 and just turned pro, but told us he's not at all daunted by his father's legacy ... in fact he believes it's his birthright to eclipse that legacy.

"My dad always tells me every generation gets better. It's pretty much easy to believe, number one it's in the bible, and the bible don't tell no lies."

Evan isn't some Holyfield-come-lately to boxing trying to make a name off his dad's legacy ... kid has over 80 amateur fights and trains with legendary trainer Maurice "Termite" Watkins.

Despite that experience, Holyfield tells us the decision to go pro was a family one ... with his dad finally giving him the green light to chase the money and the dream.

"He's been to plenty of my fights. He really gave me the go-ahead to turn pro, and that means a lot coming from him."

As far as opponents go the kid isn't calling anyone out just yet ... but he does have a dream match up in mind, and just like dad he's aiming BIG.

"Canelo really seems to be that guy to get a fight with. If you beat that guy Canelo then you're the man, and that's the mission to be the man."

Pro boxer Jose Benavidez was arrested this weekend for alleged street racing in Arizona.

Benavidez -- who fights as a welterweight -- was busted Saturday night in Maricopa County, where he was taken in and booked for one count of misdemeanor racing/exhibition of speed and one count of driving with a suspended or revoked license (also a misdemeanor).

Benavidez is no longer in custody as of Sunday afternoon, but he stuck around long enough to pose for this mug. The exact circumstances around his arrest remain unclear, but we're working on getting more info. What we do know is that the Arizona Department of Public Safety -- which has state troopers -- is the agency that picked him up.

The guy is a rising star in the world of boxing -- he recently fought and lost to Terrence Crawford, who's a megastar. Crawford retained the welterweight belt after knocking out Benavidez in the 12th round, this following tons of trash talking from Mexican-American fighter.

He reportedly suffered a leg injury about a week ago, and postponed a fight he had scheduled with Luis Collazo on August 17. It was postponed for October of this year.

Adrien Broner thinks Maxim Dadashev's death from in-ring injuries was tragic ... but the star boxer tells TMZ Sports nothing about the sport has to change going forward.

"Hell nah," Broner says ... "Ain't nothing got to change."

Dadashev -- a 28-year-old Russian junior welterweight contender -- took repeated punches to the face and head during his fight last Friday night with Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias.

After his trainer threw in the towel to stop the bout ... Dadashev collapsed and was rushed to the hospital -- where he later died Tuesday from brain injuries suffered during the fight.

Broner tells us the tragedy was eye-opening ... and says people need to start appreciating him more now because "it only take one shot and we can die."

But, as far as putting in measures to prevent that from happening in the future, Broner says that's unnecessary for boxing.

"It's a part about growing up," Broner says ... "Who your teacher is. What he taught you. 'Cause when I grew up, my coach, Mike Stafford, the first thing he taught me was defense."

"And that's why my career is still lasting as long as it is."

As for whether Dadashev's corner let him down by not stopping the fight sooner ... Broner says their actions were fine by him.

Undefeated boxing superstar Claressa Shields is convinced she'd make MILLIONS from a superfight with UFC champ Amanda Nunes ... but it ain't about the money.

"I'm more about the legacy of it," Sheilds said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show ... "To say that you actually beat the greatest MMA fighter."

The 24-year-old boxer is seemingly unstoppable ... she's 9-0 as a pro with TWO Olympic gold medals. Meanwhile, Nunes has destroyed the greatest female MMA fighters ever -- from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.

The fight is starting to pick up some serious momentum ... earlier this month, Dana White told TMZ Sports he's open to the idea of letting Nunes cross over into the boxing ring (a la Conor McGregor) after she takes care of some UFC business.

And, Shields says her manager is also on board -- not just because of the money but because the event would be huge for female combat sports.

The boxing world is dealing with its second tragedy in one week -- 23-year-old fighter Hugo Santillan died in Argentina on Thursday after suffering injuries during his fight over the weekend.

Santillan fought Eduardo Javier Abreu for the WBC Latino Silver lightweight title in Buenos Aires on Saturday. The bout ended in a draw after 10 violent rounds -- but it was clear something was wrong.

Santillan collapsed in the ring as the announcer presented the results of the fight ... and doctors rushed to give him oxygen. He was stretchered out of the venue and taken to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for a clot in his brain.

The boxer went into cardiorespiratory failure twice before ultimately succumbing to his injuries.

The doctor who treated Santillan issued a statement ... saying, "Upon admission to the hospital, he had successive kidney failure and he did not come out of his coma."

"He had swelling of his brain and he never recovered consciousness. The swelling continued to worsen and it affected the functioning of the rest of his organs."

The super lightweight succumbed to his injuries on Thursday ... just 2 days after 28-year-old boxer Maxim Dadashev died from injuries he suffered during his fight on Friday.

"We join Hugo’s family and friends in grief, support and wish prompt resignation," the World Boxing Council said in a statement.

Santillan had a 19-6-2 record as a pro ... with 8 KOs.

The boxing world is reeling from the two tragedies ... earlier this week, Gennady Golovkin told us Maxim's death wasn't only tragic on a personal level, but was also terrible for the sport of boxing.

It's been a full week since UFC fighter Thiago Santos had surgery on BOTH of his knees following his main event fight against Jon Jones ... and Santos says he's in so much pain, he fears using the bathroom.

Santos put up one hell of a fight against Jones on July 6 -- going 5 rounds with the champ despite severe ligament damage to both of his knees.

In left knee, Santos tore his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus. He also suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee.

Santos underwent double knee surgery last Wednesday ... and while he's already back in the gym trying to exercise (beast!) ... he admits he's in a ton of pain.

"I must admit, these days are tough, filled with a lot of pain," Santos said.

"I can’t sleep or eat properly due to the medications. I even fear using the bathroom because the walk there is a battle. Thank God the pain is subsiding."

He noted in a video message that he's "very happy" -- but it's clear he's struggling.

The good news, the honchos at he UFC -- including Dana White -- were impressed with his performance against Jones, especially now that we all know he was fighting with such severe injuries.

Good news for Manny Pacquiao ... Adrien Broner says Floyd Mayweather will ABSOLUTELY agree to a rematch soon!!!

Bad news for Manny? "Floyd going to f**k buddy up," Broner says.

Manny-Floyd rematch talks have been swirling since the second the final bell rang after Pacquiao's somewhat surprising win over Keith Thurman last Saturday.

In fact, Floyd and Manny have already begun beefing on social media ... trading serious barbs on Instagram and Twitter on Tuesday.

Broner says the rematch is definitely going to happen ... telling us when we got him out at Tao in L.A., "They'll fight again. That's why they doing all this cappin'. They'll fight again."

But, the stud boxer sees bad news for Manny in the rematch, saying, "Floyd going to beat his ass again ... Floyd going to f**k him up again and they both going to retire."

Of course, Broner just fought Manny and lost back in January ... so he's clearly got some insight into the fight -- and he says he has no doubts Floyd will repeat the beating he put on Pacquiao back in 2015 in the run back.