MMA

54-year-old Herschel Walker says he wants to get back in the cage and for an MMA bout THIS YEAR -- and tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely down to fight Rampage Jackson.

Walker appeared on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Friday night on FS1) -- and told the guys he still has the fire and ability to compete in a real deal MMA fight.

In fact, Walker says he's already had conversations with Bellator CEO Scott Coker about fighting before the end of the year.

As for his opponent, Walker made it clear -- he wants a "worthy" adversary ... not "some bum" off the street. We brought up Rampage ... Walker said he's absolutely down.

FYI, Rampage is 38 and fighting this weekend at Bellator: Dynamite 2.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson says he missed out on kicking ass with Hugh Jackman to kick ass in the cage ... passing up a role in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" 'cause he had a fight.

We got Rampage out in L.A. -- gearing up for his fight at Bellator: Dynamite 2 on Friday -- and asked the 'A-Team' star what he thought of fellow fighter Holly Holm turning down a huge movie role to focus on her upcoming UFC fight.

QJ says Holly should definitely think twice about passing on all her silver screen chances, but admits he's had to say no too ... most notably to the 'Wolverine' movie that went on to make $373 million.

Cris "Cyborg" Justino says her black widow bite was so bad, she required hospital care ... but says she's confident she'll resume MMA training as early as next week.

As we previously reported, Cyborg was bit by the venomous spider while gardening at her L.A. home last week.

Cyborg says she didn't realize what bit her at first -- but the wound got really bad and painful ... and she finally went to the hospital when she began to feel extremely sick.

Brock Lesnar DON'T know comparisons ... that's according to UFC legend Chuck Liddell who says Lesnar should tap out on likening himself to Bo Jackson.

Liddell was out in L.A. when we asked about Brock saying his dual UFC & WWE resumes make him the "modern-day Bo Jackson."

Of course Bo DOMINATED both baseball & football for a short (but brilliant) time back in the late 80's ... so when Lesnar made the statement a lot of people scratched their heads.

Looks like Liddell was one of 'em ... pulling a total "whatchu talkin' bout Willis" to our camera guy about Lesnar's comments ... but admitting he's SUPER PUMPED for the beast's return to the octagon.

The doctors who cleared Kimbo Slice to fight at Bellator 149 in February found NO SIGNS of serious heart problems during pre-fight health exams ... this according to Bellator.

A Bellator spokesperson tells us ... Slice was not only required to pass a physical exam before his fight (as with all fighters over the age 35), he also had to pass an EKG and an EEG in order to be cleared.

Slice passed away this week -- and doctors said his heart was in such bad shape in his final days that he needed a transplant.

But Bellator says Slice would have been pulled IMMEDIATELY if there were any red flags back in February.

“If there was ANY sign that Kimbo was not healthy enough to fight, we would NOT have allowed him to fight."

Kimbo Slice was told he had been suffering from congestive heart failure in the days before his death and desperately needed a heart transplant ... this according to a hospital report.

The report -- which was given to the Broward County Medical Examiner's office -- says Slice was admitted to Northwest Medical Center on June 3rd and told he had a liver mass and congestive heart failure.

Doctors told Slice's family that he needed a heart transplant -- and appeared to be taking measures to transport him to a clinic in Cleveland on Monday night ... but he died before that could happen.

Slice was pronounced dead around 7:30 PM local time.

Also worth noting ... the report also states 42-year-old Slice did not have a history of drug use.

Ken Shamrock says his heart aches for Kimbo Slice -- saying the guy made a tremendous impact in the world of combat sports ... but never got the respect he truly deserved.

Shamrock -- who fought Slice (and lost) last year -- says Slice made one helluva splash in MMA and boxing ... but still had to battle extreme negativity from haters -- even when he won his fights.

"Even when he won a fight it seemed like he was never good enough," Shamrock says.

"When you really care about your fans and you really care about what you do then those things that come at you from a negative position ... it hurts ... especially when it comes in thousands of people with negative thoughts. It stings, it hurts."

Shamrock says he never spoke with Slice directly about it -- but says it was obvious Kimbo was affected by the negativity.

Kimbo Slice has died ... TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 42.

MMA fighter Kimbo Slice was hospitalized in Florida earlier Monday ... and multiple sources tell TMZ Sports the situation does not look good.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Slice was admitted to a hospital near his home in Coral Springs, FL.

Police are currently at his home gathering information from family members.

Kimbo -- real name Kevin Ferguson -- last fought at Bellator 149 back in February and defeated Dada 5000 -- but the victory was overturned when Slice tested positive for a banned steroid.

Back in 2003, Slice became an Internet sensation for his backyard fighting videos -- destroying several opponents in unsanctioned street fights. He later signed a deal to fight in the UFC.

MMA legend Wanderlei Silva says he was hit by a car while riding his bike earlier Wednesday -- but it doesn't appear the injuries are life threatening.

Someone posted a statement confirming the accident on Wanderlei's official Twitter page ... saying Silva was biking home from a training session when he was hit.

According to the statement, Silva will require surgery on his shoulder ... but the extent of the damage is unclear. No word on where Silva was at the time of the accident, or if any arrests have been made.

Good news for Conor McGregor ... Freddie Roach says he's absolutely down to train him as a boxer.

Bad news for Conor McGregor ... Freddie says CM needs 3 YEARS before he'll be ready to fight Floyd.

Roach -- widely regarded as the best boxing trainer in the world -- was talking with "Fight Hub TV" when he said he got a call from someone (presumably from Conor's camp) asking to train the UFC star.

Freddie insists he's up for the challenge ... but says if Conor thinks he can hang with Mayweather, he's out of his Irish mind.

"I'd have to train him for at leat 3 years to get him ready for Mayweather," Roach said.

MMA powerhouse Gabi Garcia got some new chest ink in Brazil -- but they wouldn't let go under the needle without covering up her lady parts first.

Check out the video of Gabi's tat artist in action ... followed by the final product.

FYI, Gabi's a fighting legend in Brazil -- she's a member of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Hall of Fame ... and she's racked up a 2-0 record in the Rizin Fighting Federation.

She's also a protege of Anderson "Spider" Silva ... who says she hits like a ton of bricks.

#Beast

The death of former MMA fighter Blas Avena -- who last fought War Machine at Bellator 96 -- is being investigated as a suicide ... Las Vegas Metro Police tell TMZ Sports.

32-year-old Avena was found dead around 11:36 AM Wednesday morning in his Las Vegas apartment.

A spokesman for the LVMPD tells us, "Arriving police and medical personnel located an adult male who was pronounced deceased at the scene. As of now, the death is being investigated as a suicide."

MMA fighter Jordan Parsons has died ... days after he was struck by a Range Rover in a hit and run incident in Florida. He was 25.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a dear member of the Bellator family, Jordan Parsons," Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said in a statement.

Parsons was 11-2 as an MMA fighter -- and was a part of the famed Blackzilians training group with stars like Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Rashad Evans.

"Jordan was an exceptional athlete and a rising star in the sport. But more importantly, he was an exceptional young man," Coker added.

"Jordan was hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, and a pleasure to be around. He represented all the reasons we love this sport. It is a terribly tragic loss and our thought and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates."

Parsons was struck by the car while crossing a street early Sunday morning. Officials believe Parsons may have been wearing headphones and was unable to hear the car approaching.

Cops are still looking for the driver of the car that hit Parsons and have vowed to prosecute that person to the fullest extent of the law.

UFC star Nick Diaz says training with Jean-Claude Van Damme this weekend was a dream come true -- especially since JCVD helped grow his love for fighting back when he was a kid.

Both Nick and his bro Nate Diaz hooked up with the action legend for a clinic in leg strikes -- so, we hit up Nick to find out what exactly went down when the 3 got into the gym.

Check out the clip ... Nick was clearly stoked to train with the guy and says things went so well, he plans to do it again soon.

But the funniest part ... watch how quickly Nick shut down the question when we tried to ask about his brother and Conor McGregor. Dude wasn't havin' it.

The MMA fighter who was struck by a car and lost his leg in a hit and run accident may have been wearing headphones that drowned out the sound of the car approaching ... officials say.

The story is absolutely heartbreaking ... 25-year-old Jordan Parsons was crossing a street in Florida early Sunday morning when he was struck by a Range Rover Sport and left with "extreme injuries."

Officials say the RR hit Parsons and fled from the scene -- leaving him with a severe leg wound.

Emergency responders raced to the scene and applied pressure to the leg in hopes to save it -- but the wound proved too severe and it was amputated at a nearby hospital.

Officials say it's unclear who had the right of way -- Parsons or the Range Rover.

Still, the driver should NOT have fled -- and now cops are offering a $1,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest.

Parsons -- who trained with superstars like Rumble Johnson and Rashad Evans -- is still in a coma, according to Evans and a GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for his medical bills.

1:28 PM PT -- The Delray Beach Police Department released a picture of the mirror that fell off the Range Rover at the scene of the crash.