Boxing

Anthony Pettis and Nate Diaz have beef... BUT, AP says that doesn't mean he won't spark a J with Diaz after they fight.

Their relationship is icy -- there's been bad blood between the fighters for awhile -- and they're gonna duke it out Saturday night at UFC 241.

"We're not cool. Me and Nate are not cool," Pettis tells TMZ Sports ... "I mean we never had any kind of relationship other than him throwing his middle fingers up at me. So, you do that to me, then I'm assuming we have a problem."

So, yeah, they ain't friends ... which made Pettis' answer to, "Would you smoke with Nate after the fight?" surprising.

"F**k yeah. Hell yeah. Honestly after this fight is done, there's no beef," he says, "I'm gonna settle it in the Octagon, and if we spark one up, we spark one up."

It could happen.

Diaz isn't shy about his love for weed, and even lit up a joint (it's unclear if it was marijuana or CBD) at his open workout on Wednesday.

Pettis loved it.

"That's dope, that's dope. Hell yeah. I support that. I smoke weed too."

UFC star Paige VanZant tells TMZ Sports she is officially BACK after multiple surgeries on her broken arm ... saying she's been cleared to start training again.

.... And, her first opponent was a TMZ staffer!!!

PVZ stopped by the office to break the great news ... telling us after that 2 arm breaks and 3 surgeries since January 2018, she finally got the green light to get back in the Octagon.

It's been a tough time for Paige .. who initially suffered the injury against Jessica Rose-Clark at Fight Night 124.

Paige tells us she's gunning to take her next fight before 2020 hits ... but doesn't have any particular opponents in mind.

VanZant -- who has 12 career fights -- tells us she wants to keep fighting for years to come ... saying she won't consider herself a "professional fighter" until she has 20 fights under her belt.

That's important 'cause she has a lot of opportunities outside the Octagon ... she's already been in the S.I. Swimsuit Issue and on "Dancing With The Stars."

But, enough business talk ... we know there's a lot of folks out there who wanna see a TMZ staffer get choked out ... and luckily, we got our in-house crash test dummy, Lucas, willing to step up for the task.

Khabib Nurmagomedov tells TMZ Sports Conor McGregor should be arrested and thrown behind bars for socking an elderly man in the face.

You've seen the video by now ... The Notorious uncorked a vicious straight left to the temple of a man in a Dublin pub -- all because the dude rejected a shot of Conor's whiskey.

We talked to Khabib -- who's prepping for his massive UFC 242 fight against Dustin Poirier -- and he went off on his archnemesis.

"These people, they have to go to jail. I told you, this guy have no class. No respect," Nurmagomedov tells us.

"This is very bad for sport. Some things he doing good for sport, but right now he without his mind. He lose his mind. It's crazy."

"Government have to smash him. This is my opinion. 'Cause I'm really, really mad about this video. I don't understand how you can punch old man."

This is just the latest in a string of violent incidents involving McGregor ... and The Eagle wonders what mayhem Conor could cause next.

Legendary musician today ... the next Don King tomorrow?!?!

It sure sounds like Usher is considering that route ... 'cause when we got him out at Avery Sparrow's pre-Ryan Garcia fight event -- he told us he's dead serious about possibly getting in the boxing business!

"I'm obviously here for a reason," Usher says ... "Who knows? I may be bitten by the bug."

Usher's had some history with the sport ... he famously played Sugar Ray Leonard in "Hands of Stone" back in 2016 -- and he's close with Sparrow and his boxing family.

But, the 40-year-old tells us he's inspired by what Al Haymon and Jay-Z have done transitioning into representatives for sports stars ... and he says he might just follow suit!

"Who knows? It could be great promise there."

Usher ain't a stranger to running a sports biz ... remember, the guy is a minority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So, could boxing promoting seriously be next??

"Playing in this space could be fun ..."

Tyson Fury tells TMZ Sports nobody likes Anthony Joshua anymore ... and it's all because "he got knocked out by a fat guy!"

The Gypsy King hilariously clowned AJ to our camera guy out in NYC on Tuesday ... saying after Joshua took that infamous L to Andy Ruiz in June -- he lost ALL of his clout.

"Everyone's like, 'This guy who's ripped got knocked out by this little fat guy,'" Fury says. "And now, nobody likes him anymore."

The clip is laugh out loud funny, Tyson is seriously a character ... but he also keeps it real with us when he tells us all the juice in his rematch with Deontay Wilder will be squeezed out if either ends up losing like Joshua in their upcoming fights.

"It kills the rematch because people are not interested in beaten fighters," Fury says. "That's what we saw with AJ versus Ruiz."

Tyson added, "It's the cliche of the world: Everybody loves a winner. And, when you're no longer a winner, you don't get no more p***y!"

Fury is set to square up with Otto Wallin on Sept. 14, while Wilder will fight Luis Ortiz in a rematch of their own in November.

The Wilder-Fury run back is set for Feb. 22, 2020 ... and Fury tells us to get pumped for it, because it's "the biggest fight on earth!!"

Who the hell wants a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao rematch? Sugar Ray Leonard does ... and according to the boxing legend, so do fight fans.

TMZ Sports talked to Leonard -- one of the greatest fighters of all-time -- from the Cedric The Entertainer Celebrity Golf Classic in Camarillo, CA ... and we asked him if MayPac 2 should really be a thing.

Leonard's answer ... most definitely, yes.

"It'd be a great fight. Put it this way, it should be done."

"People will watch it."

Remember, Floyd and Manny's 2015 fight -- billed as the "Fight of the Century" -- was considered by most a major disappointment ... but MP later revealed he was battling a serious shoulder injury that held him back during the fight.

Manny -- who's now 40 years old -- beat previously undefeated fighter Keith Thurman last month ... and looked great during the match.

Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach, haven't been shy about wanting a rematch ... and if Sugar Ray's right, fans are willing to pay to watch it again.

Lenny Dykstra is fighting Bagel Boss Guy ... yes, the baseball legend inked a deal to box the guy who lost his mind in a NY bagel shop.

We broke the story, Bagel Boss Guy -- aka Chris Morgan -- signed a deal to fight in Damon Feldman's Celebrity Boxing promotion ... only question was, who was he gonna fight?

Now we know ... 56-year-old 3x-MLB All-Star and World Series champ Lenny Dykstra.

We're told Lenny agreed to a deal and signed the contract on Friday (he'll be paid a fixed amount of money for the fight) ... and will begin training immediately for the September 7 bout in Atlantic City, NJ.

Sources close to Lenny tell us he ain't worried about the lack of time to prepare ... and is very confident he's gonna beat the hell outta BB Guy.

If he does ... it won't be cause Bagel Boss ain't training hard for the scrap.

Morgan recently went to one of the best MMA gyms in the country ... and training with UFC superstars Al Iaquinta and Chris Weidman.

In fact, Iaquinta told us Morgan possessed some natural ability as a fighter.

Dykstra vs. Bagel Boss.

Former boxing star Clifford Etienne is passing time during his 105-year prison sentence by giving his prison mates fresh cuts ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Etienne is a former heavyweight contender and had fights with huge names like Mike Tyson and Francois Botha ... before he found himself in a bit of legal trouble.

In 2006, Etienne was found guilty of robbing a check cashing business, attempting to shoot a police officer and carjacking. He was eventually sentenced to 105 years behind bars.

Despite the long sentence, the 49-year-old appears to be in great spirits -- spending his time painting and cutting hair for his prison mates ... as well as responding to his pen pals.

In a letter, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Etienne says "I am still healthy, and I look forward to a better future."

"I paint and cut hair almost every day ... I do watch TV sometimes ... mostly news and sports."

Etienne also talks about his living situation, as well as reflects on his boxing career.

The fighter is remaining extremely positive about his future, saying, "I will get out of here" ... even if the legal odds aren't in his favor.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would be wasting their time if they actually rematched their 2015 snooze fest ... 'cause boxing star Keith Thurman says not a damn soul wants to see it.

Thurman is Pacquiao's last opponent, having just lost a close decision to Manny last month. Some believe that victory for Pacman set up a potential mega-rematch with the Money Man.

Keith is NOT one of them ... when we got him out at Avra in Beverly Hills, he completely crapped on the idea of the two stars running it back.

"At the end to the day, nobody wants to see it."

We're not sure he's wrong ... the first fight between the two men made boatloads of cash, but, to be honest, wasn't very memorable.

Despite that, Floyd has been posting workout videos lately, a signal to some that he's keen on making a comeback, and there's not a bigger money fight out there than a Manny rematch (sorry, Conor).

As far as Thurman goes, he's been open about wanting to fight Manny again, a rematch that would be in serious jeopardy if Floyd got there first.

Plus ... he thinks his fight with Manny was better.

"Real fight fans know, it ain't gonna be more exciting then what Keith Thurman just did."

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."