MMA

Floyd Mayweather says his fans "shouldn't worry" about guys like Conor McGregor and Canelo Alvarez angling for a rematch ... telling TMZ Sports he's already proved he can beat ANYONE.

"Nobody can beat me! Y'all already know that," the boxing legend told us Wednesday night on his way out of TAO in Los Angeles.

"Everybody wants a rematch with me."

He's right ... earlier this week, Conor was breaking down his 2017 fight with Floyd and suggested the two will run it back in the near future saying, "A rematch will be interesting no doubt."

So, we asked Floyd how he felt about Conor's prediction -- and it wasn't exactly met with the same enthusiasm.

"Don't worry about that," Floyd told us ... while directing us to point the camera on his $18 MILLION diamond watch.

So, we switched the topic to Oscar De La Hoya -- who says a rematch with Canelo would be a $1.5 BILLION fight ... and again, Floyd didn't really seem to be interested.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah ... everybody's saying something. I don't worry about that. I already made over a billion! You already know that!"

He added, "I'm not worried about all that my man. Floyd is undefeated. Nobody can beat me. You already know that, man!"

Of course, Canelo and Floyd initially fought in 2013 -- with Floyd dominating the then-23-year-old rising star. Floyd got a $41 million guarantee for that fight, which was a record payday at the time.

Both Oscar and Canelo are now making a renewed push for a rematch ... for obvious reasons.

As for Floyd's $18 MILLION timepiece, he calls it "the one and only" ... and he bought it in 2018.

Want details? It was made by Jacob & Co. back in 2015, it features 239 emerald-cut baguette diamond stones, each weighing up to 3 carats.

Good times!

Conor McGregor wants another crack at Floyd Mayweather -- saying bluntly, "A rematch will be interesting no doubt."

The Irish superstar spent his Tuesday night breaking down some of his greatest fights -- and when the topic turned to his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, Conor believes he has what it takes to win if they run it back.

Check out Conor's comments while criticizing specific punch exchange from the fight:

"I spoiled it with the rush right hook here. The angle was made. He was in the dirt. I just had to set correctly into my feet and fire. Rushing the right hook I lost balance on my back hand. Great boxing fight! A rematch will be interesting no doubt."

Conor reportedly made around $100 MILLION for the fight -- which he lost via TKO in the 10th round. Floyd Mayweather claims he made north of $300 MILLION.

McGregor is obviously down to do it again -- but are the viewers?

Conor seems to have a ton of options -- including a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov or a 3rd fight with Nate Diaz.

The interesting thing ... Conor says fighting is now his 3RD highest source of income -- suggesting he's making more money through his Proper 12 whiskey line and another business venture.

One "Nigerian Nightmare" just gave a TON of love to another "Nigerian Nightmare" -- with ex-NFL star Christian Okoye saying Kamaru Usman's victory at UFC 235 was a proud moment for all Nigerians!

Okoye -- who earned the nickname during his football days -- was Octagon-side Saturday to watch his countryman fight Tyron Woodley for the welterweight belt in Las Vegas.

Usman was the underdog going into the fight, but Okoye decided to attend to show his support for the UFC fighter ... who also calls himself the "Nigerian Nightmare."

Ya gotta watch the clip ... Okoye is beaming with pride and tells us how Kamaru will inspire a new generation of Nigerian athletes.

It's pretty cool stuff.

As for whether Christian is willing to pass the torch and hand over the nickname for good ... that ain't happening yet.

As for Kamaru, he's always had respect for Christian -- dating back to the first time we spoke with him back in February 2018.

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. says he'll GLADLY accept Vitor Belfort's challenge -- telling TMZ Sports he's down to brawl with the ex-UFC champ ... but needs 6 weeks to prepare.

Just last week, 41-year-old Belfort -- the former UFC lightweight champ -- called out Roy during a media event for the ONE Championship MMA promotion.

"One fight I'd really love is me against Roy Jones Jr. Roy, wherever you are, I wanna come challenge you for a boxing match, but with this condition: I'm gonna be able to dirty box with you."

So, we hit up Roy to see if he was game -- and good news, the 50-year-old is ALL ABOUT THAT SMOKE!!!

"This is what I do for a living. Y'all must've forgot. That's who I am. I love a battle. I love a challenge. So, if that's what you want, that's what you get. Ain't like you gotta ask me twice."

RJJ hasn't fought in over a year (he picked up his 66th pro win in February '18) ... but says he doesn't need long to get into fighting shape.

"Well, I would like 8 weeks, cause I like to get right. I need 2 extra weeks just to make sure I can showboat. But, 6 weeks, I can whip you."

We asked Roy if he had a message for Vitor ... and did he ever.

"I got nothing but the utmost respect for you. You were a helluva MMA fighter. You one of the best of all time. But, when it comes to boxing, this is what I do. I'm the ruler. I'm the king of this thing. Ya understand me?"

"Since Muhammad Ali is not on Earth anymore, I don't think there's nothing ever on this Earth as bad as I am with these hands."

Be careful what you wish for ... you just might get it.

Tyron Woodley says he'll DEFINITELY avenge his loss to Kamaru Usman and win back his UFC championship belt -- and believes he's STILL the greatest welterweight of all time.

Despite taking his first L since 2014 on Saturday night, Woodley was in pretty good spirits on Sunday at the L.A. release party for his new album, "Chaos Theory."

"You can't have a bad night in the Octagon," Woodley explained ... "Everybody knows that wasn't characteristic Tyron Woodley."

Woodley gave props to Usman for defeating him at UFC 235 -- but Tyron says he knows where he went wrong in his preparation for the fight ... and won't make the same mistakes again.

Usman is now expected to fight Colby Covington in his first title defense -- but Tyron says he's already hungry for a rematch.

As for his legacy, Tyron doesn't think the loss to Usman can take away from what he's already accomplished in his MMA career ... with big victories over guys like Robbie Lawler, Kelvin Gastelum, Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson.

UFC rising star Johnny Walker says he's honored Jon Jones wants to fight him down the line -- telling TMZ Sports he's "not scared" to get into the Octagon with the greatest of all time.

Just last week, Jones named Walker as one of the guys he's eyeing to fight in his pursuit of 50 MMA wins.

So, we asked Walker for his thoughts on being on Jones' list -- and the 26-year-old was stoked!!!

"It feels so exciting," Walker told us ... "I feel proud about myself. People start to know me now, this is my dream come true."

Walker says he needs a few more fights under his belt before he's ready to take on a legend like Jones -- but he's definitely not afraid of the challenge.

"I need to beat [3 or 4 more guys] and this will give me more experience and I'll be ready for Jon Jones."

Of course, Walker is coming off of a sensational knockout performance against Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235 -- but suffered a shoulder injury while doing his worm celebration dance.

The good news ... Walker says he can move his arm but admits his shoulder is still "in a little bit of pain."

"I have to go to hospital to check everything," Walker says.

Walker believes he dislocated his shoulder -- but feels it popped back in ... and "aligned to the right place."

Daniel Cormier wasn't interested in watching Jon Jones fight Anthony Smith in person on Saturday ... he had other things on his mind -- like taking his family to Disneyland!!!

Despite the crazy feud between the two, DC tells us he wasn't going to let Jones dictate his weekend -- and instead opted to take his wife and kids to the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, CA -- 260 miles from the Jones fight in Vegas.

There was a good reason for the trip ... DC's daughter, Marquita, turned 7 years old and the UFC champ wanted to do something special for her birthday.

Of course, while Cormier was enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth, Jones put a beating on Anthony Smith at UFC 235 ... boosting his official record to an impressive 24-1-1.

Jones doesn't acknowledge his 1 loss -- because it was due to a disqualification from an illegal elbow in a fight he was otherwise dominating.

It was almost deja vu for Jones this weekend -- he hit Smith with an illegal knee and was THIIIS close to being DQ'd again ... but Smith took the honorable path out and opted to continue the fight.

Jones won in a unanimous decision.

Cormier -- the reigning UFC heavyweight champ -- and Dana White say he's gunning to set up a 3rd fight with Jones before he hangs it up for good.

DC lost the first time he fought Jones and was KO'd in the rematch -- but that 2nd loss was later ruled a "no contest" because Jones tested positive for a banned substance.

So, will DC agree to one last brawl with his arch enemy?

UFC's new welterweight champ, Kamaru Usman, just can't wait to get a piece of Colby Covington -- so much so, in fact, that they almost came to blows inside a casino.

The two MMA fighters faced off (again) Sunday at the Palm Casino Resort in Vegas -- just a day after Kamaru man-handled former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley ... and was announced to fight Colby next by UFC prez Dana White.

It's also less than 24 hours after Kamaru and Colby nearly got into it just after Saturday night's UFC event. As he was leaving the Octagon, Kamaru came straight at Colby ... who was sitting nearby in the crowd rockin' a MAGA hat and his belt.

They were broken up and escorted away, but this time around ... there weren't as many security guards on hand to keep them separated near the A.Y.C.E. buffet in the Palm. The scene is pretty tense, as there were women and children around.

Check out the clip -- it's hard to tell who the initial aggressor was, but it looks like Kamaru's camp, including UFC manager Ali Abdelaziz, really tries to go in and attack Colby -- who circles back to get closer to Kamaru as punches are thrown by Ali ... but don't really connect.

Later in the video, you hear Colby tell someone on the phone that he just got swung on by Ali.

Eyewitnesses tell us more security showed up just in time before things got really out of control, and both men were escorted out of the building. We're told cops weren't called for this altercation.

If there's one thing Jon Jones knows, it's that Las Vegas LOVES a winner, and he got mad amounts of love inside one nightclub ... hours after he defended his title in UFC 235.

The light heavyweight champ celebrated his victory over Anthony Smith at On The Record -- the speakeasy inside Park MGM -- and was swarmed by fans and friends, raising glass after glass of champagne to him.

Jones was looking pretty pristine after going 5 rounds in the Octagon ... and he probably took more selfies inside the club than he did shots to the face during the bout.

Jon told TMZ Sports he wants to rattle off 50 straight wins -- a la Floyd Mayweather -- and Saturday night was a great launching point ... he won by unanimous decision.

Ex-NBA player Royce White says he's already taken real steps to make his UFC dream come true -- telling TMZ Sports he's reached out to Dana White's team in the hopes of getting a real fight in the Octagon.

We spoke with the 6'8", 260-pounder to find out how he's transitioning from the court to the mat -- and why the 28-year-old believes he can be dominant.

"One thing I am is a supreme athlete, one of the best athletes in the world," White says.

"And, not just because I was drafted int the NBA or because I'm a good basketball player. But because, even for a basketball player, I was one of the most athletic, unique, talented, skilled, composed, skilled athletes in that realm."

Royce also says when it comes to throwing punches, he has an advantage over virtually every person who's ever stepped in the cage.

"I have one of the top 10 biggest sets of hands in the history of the NBA."

That fact checks out -- look it up.

As we previously reported, White was balling out in Canada -- but believes he can be a great MMA fighter and he's already been training with a top MMA coach out in Minnesota.

White says his goal is to become the UFC heavyweight champ -- and he knows he's got his work cut out for him ... with fighters like Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic and maybe Jon Jones looking to stand in his way.

G.O.A.T. vs. G.O.A.T?!?!?

It's possible ... with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson telling TMZ Sports he's down for a 3-round boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

First off, DJ says Floyd is the one guy he would NEVER bet against in a fight -- "because he's just that good."

So, the respect is there.

But, now that Floyd's in the exhibition business -- where he's taking 3-round fights in Japan for roughly $10 mil-a-pop -- would Johnson be interested in testing his boxing skills against the best ever?

"Absolutely, I'll step in there and fight Floyd," 32-year-old Johnson said ... "3 rounds? Just boxing? I'll do that. It'll be fun! I feel like I'll do fine."

And, this isn't one of those hypothetical matchups either -- because as Johnson put it, "I think for Floyd Mayweather if it makes money sense, I think he would do anything."

Mayweather has already proven to be a big draw in Asia -- and with Johnson now fighting in Japan, his popularity is expected to skyrocket there too.

And, if DJ wins his March 31 fight against Yuya Wakamatsu at "ONE Championship: A New Era" -- it'll only help to create interest.

You're probably not reading this because you're still staring at Sage Northcutt and Eddie Alvarez's irresistible washboard abs ... so, we'll wait.

...

...

... Okay, ready?

HOLY CRAP, LOOK AT THESE GUYS!!! Sage and Eddie were out promoting ONE Championship in L.A. earlier this week ... when our camera guy was thirsty for some 6-packs.

The fighters happily oblige to show off their hard-earned bods ... but when we tried to pin them up against each other for an epic ab-off, say "new vs. experienced" ... they refused.

So, we'll take matters into our own hands -- on your left, you have the 23-year-old Northcutt (new) ... and on the right, you have the 35-year-old Underground King (experienced).

Check out what each guy has to say about each other (they're too damn nice for their own good).

WHO HAS THE BEST ABS!?!?! WE MUST KNOW.

Jon Jones says he's gunning to fight 4 TIMES in 2019 -- and wants to keep that pace as long as he can -- telling TMZ Sports he's already got some high-profile opponents in mind.

Israel Adesanya. Johnny Walker. Thiago Santos.

Yeah, Jones says he's down to fight 'em all ... right after he takes care of Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on Saturday.

Of course, people have been comparing Israel Adesanya to Jones ... saying the 29-year-old has a similar physique, fight style and fight IQ.

Jon's clearly aware of all the talk out there and says he's "got a feeling me and him will eventually fight each other."

"I'd be excited for that challenge."

Israel is on a pretty impressive run of his own -- he's 16-0 -- with big wins over guys like Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares.

He's also on track to fight Kelvin Gastelum for the UFC interim middleweight title at UFC 236 on April 13.

As for Johnny Walker, he's on an 8-fight win streak and has been creating all sorts of buzz for himself after a big victory over Justin Ledet at UFC Fight Night on February 2.

"My job is to knock 'em down as they come," Jones tells TMZ Sports ... "My job is just to be like a brick wall."

Jones says he feels bad for missing so much time due to outside-the-Octagon issues -- and wants to repay the fans by fighting as much as possible over the next few years ... 3 to 4 fights a year.

UFC legend Matt Hughes is adamant he NEVER physically abused his wife and nephew -- and claims they're all making up false allegations to drive him out of their lives.

Long story short ... Hughes says he's "not the same person" since his accident -- when a train slammed into his truck in 2017, resulting in a serious brain injury.

"Since my train accident in June of 2017, my life has been changed forever. Some days have been absolute hell," Hughes says.

"The challenges and battles that I have faced have been far greater than anything I ever took on in a cage ... everyday I continue to try to be as normal as someone with a brain injury can be."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Matt's wife and nephew both obtained restraining orders against him, claiming he's gotten violent and they're scared for their safety.

In fact, Matt's wife claims he attacked her on multiple occasions and threatened to shoot her.

Matt responded to those allegations in a statement posted to social media -- saying the accusations are false.

"Unfortunately, my marriage was not perfect long before the accident, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER would I, or have I, physically hurt those who I care about most."

"I do not resent those who are trying to hurt me and paint me out to be a monster through these false accusations."

Matt says he also believes his family members are trying to rid him from their lives because he's become a burden due to his brain injury.

Jon Jones tells TMZ Sports he wants to be the first MMA fighter to finish his career with a 50-0 record -- becoming the Floyd Mayweather of the sport -- and he's 100% confident he can do it.

First things first ... we know Jones already has 1 loss on his record, but it's because Jon was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows in a fight he was otherwise dominating. Clearly, Jones doesn't consider that an official loss.

Instead, Jon views himself as unbeaten in the Octagon with a 24-0 record (instead of 23-1) -- and says he plans to chalk up another 26 victories ... starting with Anthony Smith on Saturday at UFC 235.

After that, Jones says he realizes he's on a collision course with Daniel Cormier ... but says it's unlikely they will fight at heavyweight unless the bag is gigantic.

"[The UFC] can convince me to fight Daniel Cormier," Jones says ... "We give the fans what they want to see."

As far as that 50 win mark, Jon explained it this way -- "I think 50-0 would be a really great number ... no one's ever done it. That puts you up there with Mayweather and some of the all-time greats in boxing."

"I'm 31 years old and I believe the best is yet to come."

Jones says he's got the best team around him that he's ever had and says he feels great.

While Jones is considered by many to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time, it ain't gonna be easy to get to 50-0.

Daniel Cormier better watch out ... there's a new guy comin' for the UFC heavyweight belt -- ex-NBA player Royce White!!

The 6'8", 260-pounder announced he's now transitioning to MMA and even has a full-time coach in Minnesota.

In his new book "MMA x NBA," the 27-year-old says he's dead serious about becoming a pro fighter -- and he's got some BIG goals.

“I’m coming for the UFC Heavyweight Crown,” RW told The Last Renaissance.

He's even hooked up with famed MMA coach Greg Nelson -- who has trained UFC stars like Brock Lesnar.

It's an interesting move for White who's been making headlines for years -- both for his athletic talent and his fight with the NBA and Houston Rockets over the way they deal with mental health issues.

White's story is pretty well-known ... after dominating at Iowa State, he was selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft ... but didn't make his NBA debut until 2014 due to a dispute with the Houston Rockets over his mental health condition.

White was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in grade school -- he's openly talked about how the condition affects many facets of his life, especially flying.

Royce was drafted by the Rockets and immediately became openly outspoken for mental health awareness in the NBA, a stance he believes strained his relationship with league officials.

After a short stint with the Sacramento Kings, White picked up his basketball career in the National Basketball League of Canada, where he was league MVP in 2017.

But, if White is serious about getting a UFC contract, it seems he's leaving basketball for good ... with UFC honcho Dana White having talked about the insane commitment it takes to fight with the best in the world.