Boxing

UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal is calling 2020 "The Year of the Lottery" -- telling TMZ Sports he's actively trying to line up fights with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.

"2019 was cool," Masvidal says ... "But, if you like violence, 2020 will be a very powerful year. We’ve got a lot of options. I've got a lot of lottery tickets in my hand."

Masvidal -- who demolished Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019 -- says his goal is to fight Conor in April or May ... and then take a boxing match with Floyd in November.

As we previously reported, Mayweather has a handshake deal with UFC president Dana White to box an MMA fighter in 2020 and we're told he's eyeing fighters with top stand-up striking talent.

Masvidal obviously has those skills and firmly believes he's the frontrunner for that fight.

"I can box my ass off," Masvidal says ... "Not saying I’m a better boxer than Mayweather, but man, I’m gonna be in there with bad intentions trying to hurt him."

The last UFC fighter to take on Floyd was Conor McGregor who famously gassed around the 8th round with the ref ultimately stopping the fight in Round 10.

"I'm a well-conditioned athlete that’s not gonna fade," Masvidal says ... "I'm not gonna fade in the 8th or 9th round. I’m gonna be there for the whole night."

Jorge -- who's calling the big Tito Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron fight for Combate Americas on Saturday -- also had a message for Floyd ...

"If you’re looking for a fight, I’m right here. If you’re looking for an easy paycheck, go back to Japan and beat up those little guys."

Masvidal says he understands why Floyd would be interested in someone like Khabib Nurmagomedov ... it's easy money for Floyd ... but if he REALLY wants a challenge, he'll sign the contract with Jorge.

The video is great ... Jorge knows Floyd is obviously much more experienced than him in the boxing ring, but he truly believes he can get the best of Mayweather and spells out his case on camera.

Think about it ... if Jorge's plans come to fruition, he can make LIFE-CHANGING money in 2020.

The Conor fight alone is big money ... and a Floyd fight could earn him more around $100 MIL.

22-year-old boxer Evan Holyfield's favorite fighter is NOT his legendary father, Evander Holyfield ... it's Filipino star Manny Pacquiao.

Yes ... NOT his dad a.k.a. George Foreman/Mike Tyson (twice) slayin' Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield.

TMZ Sports talked to the younger Holyfield -- who's dominated his first 2 professional fights -- and asked, who's your favorite boxer?

"Manny Pacquiao. I love Manny Pacquiao. Besides my dad, of course. I'm gonna take some stuff from him, but Manny Pacquiao. I watch that man before I go to sleep, I watch that man when I wake up, when I get bored."

"Manny Pacquiao's my guy. I watched all his movies. I stole so much stuff from Manny Pacquiao, it's ridiculous."

Suffice it to say, Evan likes Manny ... and is super pumped about the prospect of having some face time with his hero in the future.

"I haven't had a chance to meet Manny yet, but I'm sure if I was ever to meet Manny, I don't know what I would do."

"I don't fan out when it comes to celebrities because my dads had me around a lot of them, but someone like him, ain't no telling what would happen."

Doc Gooden just couldn't wait 'til March to get a piece of his celeb boxing match opponent -- attacking Catfish Cooley at a press event -- and TMZ Sports has the video!!

The 54-year-old MLB legend and 29-year-old "Nitro Comedy Tour" star are set to square up for real March 7 at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.

The duo met up for a press event Chima Steakhouse in Philly on Wednesday and started trading verbal jabs before Catfish said something that REALLY pissed Doc off -- he brought up that epic brawl from 1990.

"I'm 5'5" and we're in Philly, but I ain't Pat Combs, brother!!" Catfish says as Gooden springs at the comedian!!!

"You be ready March 7, I'm coming for you!!" Catfish says.

As we previously reported, Doc says the fight is a good way to stay focused on his health and sobriety.

Cooley, on the other hand, doesn't have much experience as an athlete ... but he can squat 605 pounds, so there's that.

Floyd Mayweather is proving he's still in prime shape -- strip club shape, at least -- for his big comeback ... by getting right back in the strip club and throwing an INSANE amount of money!!

Of course, the 42-year-old boxing superstar announced he's returning to the fight game in 2020 ... and if his moves are as sharp as his throwing, his future opponents better watch out.

Money -- with endless stacks of $100 bills in hand --- made his presence known at G5ive in Miami on Tuesday night ... letting the cash fly as the dancers put on a show.

Floyd showed off at least 5(!!!) stacks of hundos before kicking off his thunderstorm ... but it's unclear if that's what he was throwing. Regardless, there were a BUNCH of bills on that stage by the time he was done.

The Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua rematch will have TONS of action -- but it will NOT have scantily clad women flashing giant cards between rounds.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... promoters have decided NOT to include ring girls at the Dec. 7 event, out of respect for local culture in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has a strict dress code when it comes to women -- though the country is easing back on restrictions ... especially when it comes to foreigners.

But, the promoters for Ruiz vs. Joshua II aren't trying to push boundaries or ruffle feathers ... so they've decided to scrap the ring girls from the event to avoid controversy.

As we previously reported, WWE was faced with a similar decision when they held their "Crown Jewel" event in Riyadh earlier this year ... and ultimately decided their female wrestlers would wear more modest costumes instead of the usual revealing, sexy attire.

WWE honcho Stephanie McMahon explained it this way ... "We need to be respectful of the cultures in the countries we perform in."

The event went off without a hitch -- and the people behind Ruiz vs. Joshua II are hoping for the same result.

Floyd Mayweather's mixed up in another one-sided fight, but he wasn't the one throwing punches ... some guy in his crew delivered this beatdown.

The champion boxer was involved in an incident at a Las Vegas mall on Thanksgiving eve that resulted in a fan getting thumped by a presumed member of his security team ... as you can see on surveillance footage, obtained by TMZ Sports.

We're told Floyd was exiting the House of Hoops store with his girlfriend and his crew when an employee working at one of the kiosks nearby approached for a photo. The employee, Juan Calderon, tells TMZ ... he was trying to get a pic for a coworker who felt weird asking, but Floyd shot him down.

Calderon says Mayweather was rude about the rejection, so he let Floyd and his group know that he thought they were "acting like d**ks."

One of Floyd's boys allegedly confronted Calderon about the comments, and Juan tells us he told the guy Floyd should take photos with his fans. Juan says the guy tried to smooth things over and shake his hand ... but he refused.

That may have been a bad move because Calderon tells us another crew member noticed he was still looking Floyd's way ... so he then approached to confront Juan about his insults.

The apparent bodyguard can be seen in the mall footage wearing a TMT shirt walking next to Floyd and is later seen throwing at least a couple punches at Calderon. Juan says the guy unloaded on him, landing 3-5 blows before leaving.

Calderon says Floyd was right there when the attack went down. Juan tells us he went to the hospital for a CT scan afterward ... which fortunately revealed no brain injury.

He also says he filed a police report, and law enforcement confirms it responded to a call for a simple battery incident at the mall on Wednesday night around 9:30 PM.

He's 44-years-old ... but Tito Ortiz says his fight game is BETTER than ever -- and he wants to prove it against Jon Jones.

"I think I could beat Jon Jones," Tito tells TMZ Sports ... "I think I got a good chance. I really do think I got a good chance."

Tito has been training his ass off for his Dec. 7 MMA clash with ex-WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio and says he finally feels healthy, clear-minded and strong.

Of course, Jones is only 32 and hasn't really lost a fight since turning pro -- he's widely considered one of the greatest UFC fighters ever!

But, Ortiz says Jones ruined his shot at being the G.O.A.T. -- "He tarnished his career so many times, so much stuff he did in and out of the cage. Bums me out because I love the guy, man."

As for the critics who say Tito's too old hang with a guy like Jones, Tito has a message for them too ...

"Come to my camp. Come train with me. Come wrestle with me. Come do Jiu-Jitsu with me. Watch me weight train, watch my biking ... I'm doing amazing, my mind's in the right place."

There's A LOT more in the raw video (see below) ... Tito talks about his issues with Dana White and why he's down to squash the beef with the UFC once and for all.

He also talks about his rivalry with Chuck Liddell, his upcoming movie with Bruce Willis ... and his dreams of becoming a WWE superstar down the road!

"George, Mike Tyson hits so hard!!"

That was the WARNING Muhammad Ali gave to George Foreman around 1987 ... when a 40-year-old Foreman was considering a boxing comeback after a 10-year hiatus.

"George, that Mike Tyson can hit! That's punching power there!"

Foreman tells the whole story to TMZ Sports ... explaining how Muhammad was like his "big brother" and tried to advise him to stay away from Tyson, who was DESTROYING people at the time.

"It was like a warning, 'Don't do that George!'"

Of course, Foreman DID make his comeback and went on a 23-FIGHT WIN STREAK ... crushing just about everyone until he faced Evander Holyfield in 1991.

In fact, 45-year-old George beat Michael Moorer for the WBA and IBF Heavyweight title in 1994 -- while Tyson was still in prison.

We asked George what would have happened if Tyson and Muhammad Ali ever squared off ... and ya gotta hear his answer to that too!!!

There's more ... Foreman also breaks down the upcoming Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua rematch and tells us why it would be very wise for Anthony Joshua to do some film study of Ali vs. Spinks II, the epic fight from 1978.

You're looking at the new "Rocky" -- actress Ryan Destiny who's been tapped to star in the new movie about Claressa Shields, the BADDEST FEMALE BOXER ALIVE!!!

Destiny is playing the undefeated champ in "Flint Strong" -- a true story about how in 2012, Shields became the first woman EVER to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.

Destiny is FIRED UP for the role and tells TMZ Sports she's already tapped one of the premier boxing coaches in Hollywood to train her up.

"Rob Sale, who is an amazing boxing trainer -- he trained [Michael B. Jordan] for 'Creed,' he's gonna be training me."

It ain't gonna be easy ... Destiny -- who starred in FOX's musical drama, "Star" -- doesn't have a boxing background and admits she's more of a lover than a fighter.

But, she's athletic ... and it's clear in our video, she's ready to put in the work!!!

Of course, 24-year-old Claressa is arguably the most dominant woman in combat sports -- she's 9-0 as a pro-boxer and recently began training in MMA in hopes of a superfight with Amanda Nunes.

And the Grammy goes to ... not Oscar De La Hoya.

The boxing legend and Golden Boy honcho decided to show off his pipes with a rendition of the classic Ritchie Valens hit, "La Bamba" ... and TMZ Sports has the hilarious video!!!

We're told ODLH had some time to kill at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino after the Cancio and Alvarado fight over the weekend ... so he took the stage in the Twelfth Floor Lounge and told the guitarists to start jammin'.

Look, no one's expecting Oscar to have the voice of an angel ... but the dude put his heart into the damn thing and it looks like he's having the time of his life.

Aniah Blanchard's mom was surrounded by friends and family at a vigil in Alabama on Tuesday where she shared memories of the 19-year-old and told the crowd, "She was my heart."

Officials believe Blanchard -- stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris -- was abducted at a Chevron station in Auburn on Oct. 23rd.

Investigators found remains earlier this week that are believed to be Aniah's -- and while officials are still working to confirm, her mother Angela Harris is already starting to mourn.

"Just her laughter and her smile, that’s what I'm going to miss the most," Harris told ABC33 ... "Just her happiness because she made life better for all of us."

"She's never gonna have my grandbabies that I wanted her to have or see her get married."

Aniah's closest friends hugged Angela at the vigil as she told the girls, "She loved y'all so much."

So far, three men have been arrested in connection with Blanchard's abduction -- but Harris says she feels a strong sense of guilt about the whole thing.

“Maybe not even anything I could have done, but I should have prepared her just a little bit better for things she might have come into contact with."

Officials believe Blanchard was forced into a vehicle by Ibraheem Yazeed -- who was seen at the gas station the night of the abduction. Cops tracked him down and arrested him in Florida.

Harris says she hopes other families will learn from this situation to help better protect their children.

"It can happen to you, it can happen to your family. So from tonight on, go home make a plan, get some things together, talk to your kids so we can prevent this and start fighting back for this evil that’s in this world."

Canelo Alvarez thinks the Floyd Mayweather comeback is HILARIOUS -- saying there's no way Floyd would ever consider a rematch because he's too focused on MMA guys.

The boxing superstar was leaving Matsuhisa sushi in Hollywood in great spirits when we asked how he felt about 42-year-old Floyd wanting TWO fights in 2020.

"He's not gonna fight with me," a smirking Canelo told us ... "He's gonna take on MMA fighters!"

CA's entourage added a little more commentary -- with a female friend saying Floyd "couldn't handle" a fight with Canelo.

His male pal was blunter, saying, "Canelo will kill him!"

For his part, Floyd is still working on nailing down his two opponents -- a boxer and an MMA fighter -- and we're told he's got his sites set on Manny Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Canelo's coming off a violent knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev as he fights his way through his 11 fight, 5-year, $365 MILLION contract.

Unclear what's next for Canelo -- but he's said in the past he would LOVE a rematch with Floyd, who has the ONLY victory over Alvarez in his pro boxing career.

The two fought back in 2013 -- when Canelo was only 23 -- and he lost by majority decision. After the fight, Canelo said he simply couldn't catch Mayweather.

"I am the hardest-hitting puncher in boxing history, period."

Deontay Wilder says his right hand is the most devastating weapon in the history of combat sports -- more dangerous than Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, you name it.

... And to everyone who disagrees, Wilder has a simple message -- "Let [the past] go!"

The Bronze Bomber is coming off a ferocious 7th round knockout of Luis Ortiz -- where he cracked LO with a right cross that knocked him into next week.

But, Wilder says it's not the hardest shot he's landed ... he thought he KILLED a guy in a 2016 fight.

"Man, I think the [Artur Szpilka] fight still tops it. Just the way that he landed and I really didn't see him breathing ... at all. I didn't see him start breathing until his GF came over and he finally woke up."

"It was like something in the movies and I actually had to witness it with my own eyes and it was amazing to see that. That one, I really felt it. Ortiz, I didn't feel the punch."

Next up for Wilder is the rematch with Tyson Fury, who just said he has the "Kryptonite" for Deontay's right hand.

"I mean, if him getting up off his back is the 'Kryptonite' than Lord have mercy! Have mercy upon him the 2nd time because he won't get up. Because I'm gonna get him again."

Wilder continued, "These fighters have to be perfect for me for 12 rounds and that's 36 minutes! 36 minutes you gotta be perfect!"

As for George Foreman, who told TMZ Sports he thinks Mike Tyson hits harder than Deontay ... Wilder says his critics need to stop living in the past!

Wilder also says he knows Iron Mike has been praising him in private, but he's ready for Mike to shower him with compliments in public!

"I had some people sitting by Mike (at my fight). Mike gave me some praises, which I wish he would have said in public. Behind closed doors is cute and s**t but out in public?! Just express yourself!"

"I don't know what the deal is with the old generation, new generation. Like, the old is the past, bro -- let it go!"

There's more ... Wilder also gave us the lowdown on his AMAZING ring-walk costume ... telling us it cost a fortune, but it was worth every penny!

"We wanted to go into a modern-day king, like knight ... It was like the outfit represented the old and the new. The old me turning into the new me. The past is the past, welcome to the future."

So, price?

"The outfit was like $16k ... but its a write-off."

Wilder says he's already working on his NEXT costume ... and he wants it to be even more impressive!

George Foreman is a fan of Deontay Wilder -- but tells TMZ Sports when it comes to pure knockout power, he's just not Mike Tyson.

The 70-year-old boxing legend is still a hardcore fan of the sport -- and while he's super impressed with Wilder's run, he's simply not ready to put Deontay in the pantheon with the all-time greats.

"He’s good but he hasn’t approached Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson. No, he hasn’t approached that kind of recognition yet. No way," Foreman says.

Despite big wins over guys like Luis Ortiz and Dominic Breazeale, Foreman says Wilder still needs a signature win over a top-tier opponent to get the respect he craves.

"For me, he has to have a performance like Mike Tyson did over Trevor Berbick. Boy, when I saw that, I was down visiting Vegas, and I thought, ‘This guy is a nightmare!'"

In case you need a refresher, Tyson's 1986 victory over Berbick is one of the most violent EVER -- he dominated the WBC heavyweight champ for 2 rounds before finally putting him down.

Foreman says Wilder definitely has all-time great potential ... but he's "gotta fight more title defenses and especially no rematches. Rematches don’t count. Unless they’ve beaten you or something, ya know. Rematches don’t count!"

There is one exception ... Tyson Fury. George can't wait for that rematch!

Evander Holyfield's 22-year-old son is beginning to look like The Real Deal as a boxer -- he just destroyed his 2nd opponent in just 3 weeks ... and the video is solid.

Evan "Yung Holy" Holyfield took on Henry Mendez in Houston on Saturday night and ended the fight with a brutal body shot in the 3rd round ... moving his pro record to 2-0.

Evander was in the crowd that night and was obviously impressed with his son's handiwork.

As we previously reported, Evan made his pro fight debut just 3 weeks prior -- dismantling Nick Winstead in just 16 seconds into the 1st round of their Nov. 2 bout (on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev fight).

Evan (who fights at junior middleweight, 154 lbs) has told TMZ Sports ... he's out to prove he can scrap with best in the world -- and he's off to a pretty good start.

MMA legend Rampage Jackson says he's VERY interested in taking a PRO BOXING match before he retires ... and he'll fight anyone -- except Deontay Wilder!

In fact, the 41-year-old former UFC heavyweight champ tells us, "I asked Dana White a long time ago, way before Conor McGregor even was around, let me do some boxing!"

Rampage -- who parted ways with UFC in 2013 -- says he was told back in the day there just wasn't anyone for him to box, so the idea was shut down.

But, he insists, "I still wanna fight a boxing match before I retire."

Rampage's stand-up game is legendary -- he famously KO'd Chuck Liddell in 2007 and Wanderlei Silva in 2008 ... and several other guys along the way.

And, with Floyd Mayweather gunning for a UFC crossover, we asked Rampage if he had a particular opponent in mind.

"I'd fight anybody but Deontay Wilder," Rampage says ... "He's too tall!"

Rampage says there's one way he'd make an exception -- "Unless they give me $100 mil. Then I'll fight him! I'm not gonna lie, I keep it real!"

We get it ... Wilder just destroyed Luis Ortiz and widely considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history!

"I'll fight him if they give me $100 mil and we do one boxing match and then one MMA match."

But, don't count on it going down any time soon -- as Rampage explains, "I don't like fighting them long, tall dudes. I gotta take them down!"