Boxing

Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal are moving their heated rivalry from the Octagon to the ring -- the two MMA superstars just announced they're going to duke it out once again ... this time, in a 10-round professional boxing match.

The light heavyweight fight is being dubbed "Last Man Standing" ... and will settle the score after their first fight -- for the UFC's inaugural BMF belt -- ended in controversy.

Of course, Masvidal won by TKO at UFC 244 back in 2019 ... after refs stopped the fight due to a nasty cut above Diaz's eyebrow.

A lot of fight fans felt it wasn't the right call ... so now, Diaz and Masvidal hope to give viewers the whole package.

Gamebred spoke about the fight ... and he had some harsh words for his opponent, saying, "Nate's a dead man walking."

"I can’t wait to prove that last time was no fluke. He got saved by the referee. Now we are boxing, which he says is his forte, but he’s got no shot at beating me. I’m not going to give him an inch in that ring to even breathe. If he thought our MMA match was bad, this is going to be much worse. I’m going to drown him. I want to put away any talk that him and I are the same, or that the referee saved the day."

The big event is slated to go down at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on June 1 ... and will be put on by both fighters' promotions.

Single ladies, Ryan Garcia is looking for you!

The boxing star posted a casting call video of sorts, making it clear he is on the lookout for a partner to hold him down ... this a few months after he filed for divorce from his ex.

The 24-1 super lightweight boxer, posing shirtless, announced on Instagram he was accepting applications ... with a caption claiming he's seriously looking for a loyal lady to hold him down.

"Someone who is going to be my ride or live cause we ain't dying," the 25-year-old said.

"I'm DEAD SERIOUS QUEEN WHERE YOU AT?!"

Garcia continued his pitch, explaining he needs a woman's support.

"Right now, I do need a Queen," Ryan said, "I need a friend first, to be honest. I need someone I can trust and rock with me in any situation."

We're guessing the young, talented, handsome, and wealthy Garcia won't have problems finding a girlfriend.

Of course, Ryan was previously married to Drea Celina for nearly three years ... until they split in December 2023.

You better not blink if Mike Tyson connects during his bout with Jake Paul ... 'cause Chuck Liddell tells TMZ Sports a KO is guaranteed if an Iron Mike haymaker lands.

"As soon as Tyson hits him," the UFC legend said of the upcoming boxing match, "it's over."

Liddell didn't mince any words when giving his thoughts on the superfight out at LAX this month ... saying he believes even at 57 years old, Tyson's got to be the favorite.

As for why, the Iceman made it clear he's still a huge believer in the former heavyweight champ's hands.

"The last thing to go is power," Liddell said. "Last thing to go is power."

"If he hits him, it's over."

Most betting websites feel differently -- Paul is the favorite on the majority of them. After all, he is only 27 years old and 9-1 in his career -- and he's coming off two easy victories.

But, listen to Liddell ... he seems to think there's just no chance.

"If you've seen Mike," he said, "he still hits."

As for any advice he's got for Paul ... Chuck made it short and sweet -- "Keep covered up, man."

Besar Nimani, a former boxing champion with only one loss in his career, was shot to death outside a restaurant in Germany.

Nimani was leaving the establishment in Bielefeld Saturday night around 6 PM, according to a report, when 10 shots were fired ... at least some striking Nimani, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

"One or more perpetrators approached and shot the victim," police said in a statement, adding, Nimani "died at the scene due to the great wounds he received."

Authorities are currently investigating -- a "major police operation" -- as they hunt for the person (or people) behind the shooting.

Cops have not commented on motive or the identity of any suspect(s).

Besar, an Albanian who was born in Kosovo in 1985, fled to Germany in the late '90s as the Kosovo War raged in the Southeastern European country.

And, the boxer eventually made his mark in his new country ... becoming a successful pro pugilist. In fact, Besar was 26-1 with 22 knockouts ... and once held the IBF European Super Welterweight title. Nimani retired in 2019 after winning his last fight by TKO.

Nimani's brother, Berati, paid tribute to his late sibling on social media ... "My brother Besar Nimani was killed today in an ambush in Bielefeld, Germany."

He added ... "May God join us in heaven with him. I will forever be proud of you, I love you."

Muhammad Ali won't be just a boxing Hall of Famer anymore ... in less than a month, he'll be a WWE one too!!

The wrestling org. announced Monday the legendary pugilist will be inducted into the 2024 class in April ... alongside several others, including Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano and the U.S. Express.

"Known simply as 'The Greatest,'" the WWE said in a statement revealing the news, "Ali's influence transcended sports as his work as an activist, artist, and personality established him as one of the most renowned figures in the entire world."

Ali made several appearances for the WWE in his career ... including back in June 1976, when he competed in an exhibition match against Antonio Inoki in Japan.

That fight -- called "The War of the Worlds," which resulted in a 15-round draw -- was televised to nearly 33,000 fans at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.

Ali -- who died in 2016 at 74 years old -- also served a special guest referee at WrestleMania in 1984. During the main event -- which featured Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff -- Ali actually landed a punch on Piper.

El ex campeón de boxeo Andre Ward le dice a TMZ Sports que tiene una solución simple para los aparentes problemas de Ryan García: mantenerse alejado de las redes sociales y empezar a tomarse más en serio su próxima pelea con Devin Haney.

García tiene a un montón de fans preocupados, y también a Ward, por su salud mental después de publicar cosas extrañas en sus cuentas de X e Instagram durante el mes pasado.

Algunos de los mensajes incluían promesas de exponer numerosos secretos de la sociedad así como un video diciendo que algo malo le había pasado.

Ward nos dijo en Nueva York esta semana que se ha dado cuenta de todo, y está preocupado, pero cree que el boxeador de 25 años puede volver a la pista si simplemente deja de estar tan pendiente de su teléfono.

"Creo que lo primero que tiene que hacer es dejar las redes sociales", dijo Ward. "Creo que alguien a su alrededor tiene que decirle: 'Tenemos que lidiar con esto, pero no lo vamos a hacer públicamente'".

"Ya es bastante estar lidiando con ello y luchando tal y como es", continuó, "pero luego vas a dejar que todo el mundo se entere. No siempre es lo más sensato".

Al parecer, las cosas se han vuelto tan preocupantes que algunos de sus mayores partidarios lo han instado a que renuncie a su pelea del 20 de abril con Haney, pero Ward cree que se las arreglará si su entrenamiento va en sintonía.

"No es tiempo para el autocuidado, no es tiempo para el asesoramiento, es tiempo de prepararse para la guerra", dijo el hombre de 40 años.

"Estoy rezando por él y no le deseo nada más que lo mejor".

Former boxing champ Andre Ward tells TMZ Sports he's got a simple solution for Ryan Garcia's apparent woes ... stay off social media -- and start taking his upcoming fight with Devin Haney more seriously.

Garcia has a bunch of his fans -- and Ward, too -- concerned about his mental health ... after he spent a few days this past month posting some bizarre things on his X and Instagram pages.

Some of the posts included vows to expose numerous secrets about society ... as well as a video claiming something bad had happened to him.

Ward told us out in NYC this week he's noticed it all, and he's worried -- but he thinks the 25-year-old can get back on track if he simply stops hitting the send button online.

"I think the first thing is, he's got to get off social media," Ward said. "I think somebody around him gotta tell him, 'We gotta deal with this, but we not going to deal with it in the public side.'"

"It's enough to be dealing with it and struggling with it as is," he continued, "but then you gon' let the whole world in on your struggle. It's not always a wise thing to do."

Things have seemed to turn so troubling with Garcia that some of his biggest supporters have urged him to opt out of his April 20 bout with Haney ... but Ward believes he'll manage -- if his training camp goes accordingly.

"That ain't time for self-care, that's not time for counseling, that's time to get ready for war," the 40-year-old said.

"I'm praying for him and I wish him nothing but the best."

Keith Thurman is back ... and if you don't like it, oh well -- 'cause One Time says he is what boxing has been missin' and doesn't give a damn what the haters have to say!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 30-1 welterweight fighter ahead of his March 30 bout against Tim Tszyu (24-0) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It will be his 3rd fight in the last four years ... so you can understand why many don't believe Thurman will come back and be his old dominant self, but he doesn't care.

"My haters are my real motivators!" the 35-year-old said, "So keep hatin' baby and I'ma keep pushing."

"If you're not hated out here, you not doing nothing positive in life. Everyone who does something positive in life is gonna have haters. I'm a dreamer, I'm living the dream and the haters can hate all they want."

Thurman -- who fought big stars Manny Pacquaio, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter -- says his long absence is felt in boxing and plans to bring back awesomeness with his return.

"I believe boxing needs Keith Thurman. I really deliver some of the greatest entertainment on that world-class scene every time they put me in the ring," Thurman said.

Thurman also has a message for the critics who never stepped into the ring ... yet have so much to say about him and other boxers.

"We put our blood, sweat, and tears into that ring," Thurman said." We step into the fire where most people, they can sit here and they can type up and make all the comments -- they wouldn't last ONE MINUTE in the ring."

"They wouldn't last one minute. They're not about that life!"

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson may not be the only boxing stars fighting on July 20 ... legendary pugilist Antonio Tarver says he wants to settle the score with rival Bernard Hopkins at Jerry's World before Iron Mike and The Problem Child go to battle!

55-year-old Tarver -- a multiple-time world champion -- joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show on Friday (airs nightly on FS1) where he threw out the challenge to The Executioner.

"If they want to put two other old guys on the undercard, I got a name in mind too, so we can all have fun with this," The Magic Man said.

Naturally, we asked ... who?!

"Everybody knows I got a bone to pick with Bernard Hopkins, ya know what I mean? He's a vegan, so he always stays in shape. So maybe we can support this big fight!"

Of course, Tarver and Hopkins famously fought in Atlantic City in June 2006 ... a fight Antonio was heavily favored to win.

But, that's not how it went inside the squared circle -- Bernard dominated the fight.

Antonio is looking for some revenge nearly two decades later.

FYI, Hopkins last fought professionally when he faced Joe Smith Jr. in December 2016. Tarver's last bout was in August 2015 against Steve Cunningham. Together the two legends have over 100 pro fights.

We also talked to Tarver about Jake and Mike ... and while many people have made the case that a near-60-year-old couldn't beat a guy in his mid-20s, that's certainly NOT how Antonio sees things.

Anthony Joshua dropped Francis Ngannou three times inside two rounds ... including a massive right hand that left The Predator out on the canvas!

The 34-year-old former 2x heavyweight champion was sharp from the very start of the bout ... putting 37-year-old Francis down in the first round with a hard straight right. Ngannou returned to his feet and even landed a hard punch towards the end of the round.

In the second, AJ again knocked Francis down ... but the former UFC champ beat the count, and the round continued.

But, just a short time later, Anthony uncorked a devastating right that landed flush to Francis' face, bending him backward (similar to the way Ngannou stopped Stipe Miocic), and immediately prompting the referee to stop the fight.

No count needed.

Ngannou, as doctors and medical professionals rushed in, remained down on the canvas for a couple of minutes ... and was even given oxygen.

Thankfully, Francis eventually got back on his feet, and appeared to be okay.

Despite less than 6 minutes of fighting, AJ encouraged Francis, who pushed Tyson Fury to the brink last year, to stick with boxing.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has worked with many of the biggest and best in the sport, called the KO punch one of the "most destructive knockouts" he'd ever seen.

57-year-old Mike Tyson will beat 27-year-old Jake Paul, according to future UFC Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley ... and the 30-year age difference doesn't mean squat!

If anyone knows anything about fighting Jake, it's T-Wood ... who twice boxed The Problem Child in August and December 2021. Tyron's also been around fighting at the highest level for well over a decade.

So, when co-host Evan Rosenblum asked Woodley on their "Real Shhh Right Quick" show who'd win the July 20th scrap, Tyron responded like this.

"I mean I've been in the ring twice with Jake, and I don't want to get in the ring once with f***ing Mike," Woodley said.

Tyson's no doubt one of the scariest men to ever step foot in a ring, but he's nearly 60 years old, while Jake's in his athletic prime ... but Tyron thinks experience trumps age in this circumstance.

"The age is not a factor. That's a wash. Experience level is obviously going to go to Mike Tyson."

And, Woodley's being consistent ... he says if Paul can defeat Iron Mike, he deserves a hell of a lot of credit.

"If Jake Paul beats Mike, I don't give a f*** if he's 70, you're gonna have to put at last an ounce of respect on his name," Tyron said.

"Mike Tyson right now off muscle memory alone could step on the wrong eggshell and let off a combination that could kill most people. He has a power and ability to shift organs in your body if he hits you with the right force. So I think he forgot more technique than Jake Paul has ever learned in his life."

FYI, Mike last fought in November 2020 ... an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. It was scored a draw. His last professional fight was in 2005. As for Jake, he last beat Ryan Bourland by TKO on March 2 ... a few months after knocking out Andre August. He's 9-1 as a pro.

Evan made the point ... it could be a bad look for Jake, who has aspirations of being a boxing champion, if he were to get beat by an older Tyson.

T-Wood didn't agree.

"If he gets knocked out by Mike Tyson at 58, 59, 60, 71, he would join the other 99% of the regular motherf***ers on Earth, that's what I say."

Although Jake wanted no part of Mike in 2020 when we talked to him, Paul's opinion changed a couple of years later. In 2022, as The Problem Child was promoting his scrap with Anderson Silva, reporter Blake Beasley asked JP which legend he'd like to box ... his answer? Iron Mike!

Jake Paul has come a LONG way in the sport of boxing ... 'cause what he once considered impossible has just become his next challenge -- Mike Tyson.

TMZ Sports took a peek into our Problem Child interview archives after his fight against the legend was announced on Thursday ... and it's fascinating to see the dude's growth in just a short amount of time.

When we spoke with Jake back in 2020, we asked if he'd step foot in the ring with a boxing legend like Tyson or Evander Holyfield ... and his response was an emphatic rejection.

"Look, I'm confident, but I'm not stupid." Paul -- who had two fights under his belt at the time -- told us. "I would not go into the ring with them. Nah, no chance."

Remember, this was before Jake's viral knockouts of Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley and impressive wins over Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva ... when he was just a "silly YouTube kid" who wanted to handle his long list of celebrity enemies through boxing matches.

Now, he's one of the most famous fighters on the planet, a successful promoter and envisions becoming a world champion ... and will go head-to-head with Iron Mike in a massive event at AT&T Stadium in July.

He's accomplished way more than he ever expected ... 'cause in that same interview, he told us his goal in boxing was simply to prove that he's a "legitimate fighter" and to "earn people's respect."

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Andy Cohen is firing back at Leah McSweeney after she claimed in a lawsuit that he encouraged cocaine use and created a toxic work environment on the "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" set.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the movie "Rust," was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Paula Abdul fired back at "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, bringing up receipts of text messages showing sexual harassment. This comes after Lythgoe's legal response included emails from Paula in which Nigel says gave off a friendly and loving vibe between the two.

Plus ... Jake Paul is set to fight boxing legend Mike Tyson in a match that will air on Netflix in July! Paul, 27, says the boxing match with Tyson, 57, will be the "biggest fight in history."

Jake Paul is taking on a true G.O.A.T. in his next boxing match ... 'cause the Problem Child is fighting Mike freakin' Tyson!!

The huge event was announced just minutes ago ... with the YouTuber-turned-fighter saying his bout against the 57-year-old former heavyweight champion will be the "biggest fight in history."

"It's crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson's undercard," 27-year-old Jake said on Thursday. "Now, less than four years later, I'm stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing's most notorious fighters and biggest icons."

The fight will air on Netflix ... and will take place July 20 at AT&T Stadium -- the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jake (9-1) is fresh off two first-round knockout victories ... most recently easily defeating Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico this past weekend.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champ in history at just 20 years old, defeating Trevor Berbick in brutal fashion in 1986.

He's is widely regarded as one of the hardest-hitting and most-feared pugilists to ever put on a pair of gloves ... earning a 50-6 record. His last professional fight was in 2005 against Kevin McBride.

He's remained busy in recent years ... taking an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, a card that also featured Jake's fight against the ex-NBA star, which helped take his in-ring career to new heights.

Jake and Tyson have a bit of history -- they became friends over the years, and just two years ago, Mike said he would fight Paul for $1 billion.

Worth noting -- Jake weighed in at 199 pounds for the Bourland fight ... and Tyson is reportedly listed at 220.

Paul added ... "Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you're team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you're not going to want to miss this event."

No word on whether this is a pro or exhibition bout ... but either way, they're promising fireworks.

Ryan García prometió que no va a seguir con sus extraños post en redes sociales y que desde ahora no hablará de nada más que no sea boxeo porque estará muy concentrado en su pelea con Devin Haney.

TMZ Sports obtuvo otra declaración de video de King Ryan el miércoles, y aunque dice que ha recuperado el acceso a su cuenta de Instagram, dice que dejará de compartir contenidos que no tengan que ver con "boxeo, deportes y su pelea".

El clip llega poco después de que García hiciera comentarios preocupantes en X, en los que afirmó exponer numerosos secretos sobre la sociedad, entre otros temas controvertidos.

García reconoce que ha compartido "algunas cosas bastante intensas" en sus redes y aunque entiende por qué lo ha hecho, dice que de ahora en adelante solo hablará estrictamente sobre su carrera, o al menos, hasta después de la pelea.

"Eso es lo único de lo que voy a hablar y estoy entrenando para esta pelea", añadió.

García agregó que tiene "muchos guerreros", incluyendo al empresario y podcaster Patrick Bet-David, quien lo está ayudando y que estará listo para el 20 de abril.

Ryan Garcia is promising to put an end to his bizarre social media activity ... claiming he's no longer going to talk about any topics outside of boxing -- 'cause he's laser-focused on his fight with Devin Haney.

TMZ Sports obtained another video statement from King Ryan on Wednesday ... and this time around, he says he's regained access to his Instagram account, but will hold off on posting any content outside of "boxing, sports and my fight."

The clip comes shortly after Garcia made concerning comments on X ... in which he claimed to expose numerous secrets about society, among other controversial topics.

Garcia acknowledges he's shared "some pretty intense things" on his pages, and while he understands the true meaning behind it all ... he will strictly talk about his career -- at least, it seems, until after the fight.

"That's the only thing I'm gonna be talking about and I'm training for this fight," he added.

Garcia added he has "many warriors" -- including entrepreneur and podcast host Patrick Bet-David -- helping him out during camp ... and he'll be ready to go April 20.