MMA

Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury, despite losing on the scorecards, totally changed how many fans view MMA fighters vs. boxers ... a little too much according to undefeated pugilist Shakur Stevenson, who has a message for any UFC stars having thoughts of stepping in the ring.

Of course, Fury edged Ngannou by split decision in Saudi Arabia on Saturday ... a fight many expected to be a cakewalk for the world's best heavyweight boxer. In reality, it was anything but ... and now some mixed martial artists are emboldened by what went down in the squared circle.

"I say if they feel that way, give it a try. I think that you got some MMA guys that want to come get in the ring with somebody like me, I would love the opportunity to beat up an MMA guy and show them that there's real levels to it," 26-year-old Stevenson told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

20-0 Shakur continued ... "I just think Tyson Fury was off that night and them [MMA] dudes need to relax and stay in their lane."

We followed up with Shakur ... asking if he had an opponent in mind.

"What's that dude's name, Sean ...?" Shakur asked.

He was talking about "Suga" Sean O'Malley, the UFC's bantamweight (135 lb.) champion.

Babcock asked Shakur if he had a message for Suga.

"Tell him we can get it in. I'm ready to lock in with him," Stevenson told us, adding ... "It's levels to this s**t. If he wants to come try his hand, I'll beat the s**t out of him."

Of course, O'Malley previously called out Gervonta "Tank" Davis ... so it's clear Sean's hunting for a big-time boxing superstar.

Shakur fits that bill to a T.

O'Malley is under contract with the UFC, but Dana White has shown he's willing to make big, crossover fights. Look no further than Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

As for the Fury and Ngannou fight, Shakur says regardless of what Fury says, he doesn't believe Tyson trained 3 months for Francis.

"I don't believe the fact that he says he trained for 12 weeks. He didn't look like he trained. Didn't look like he threw too many punches. He usually throws punches. He seemed real hesitant, and I don't know how good of shape he was in," Stevenson said.

"Usually I'm a big fan of Tyson Fury. That night he didn't look too good."

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya's breaking down Francis Ngannou's odds of beating Tyson Fury in the boxing ring Saturday night ... putting his chance squarely at "ZERO," flat out telling us it ain't happening!

TMZ Sports was chatting with ODLH -- as he was promoting boxing star Ryan Garcia's upcoming return to the ring -- when we asked him about today's fight in Saudi Arabia ... pitting The Predator, MMA's most feared striker, vs. The Gypsy King, the best heavyweight boxer in the world.

"I think I have a better chance at beating Tiger Woods in golf," Oscar told us ... not mincing a single word.

We followed up ... no chance at all?!

"Zero," De La Hoya responded.

"I'll tell you one thing about Tyson Fury and Ngannou. It's gonna be entertaining, while it lasts I believe. Tyson Fury, you have to realize, he went in there against [Deontay] Wilder. He goes in there vs. Wladimir Klitschko, so he's a fighter all his life inside the boxing ring."

Despite clearly seeing no way the former UFC champ can win, Oscar still gave him credit for accepting the bout.

"Ngannou, I commend him for even trying this. I take my hat off to him for even trying this. He's gonna make a s***load of money. I just think when Tyson Fury gets his number and his rhythm, he's gonna play with him and probably knock him out."

FYI, Francis last fought in January 2022 -- a UFC contest -- against heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane. Ngannou won by unanimous decision. Tyson last fought and beat Derek Chisora by TKO in December 2022.

Fury is regarded as not just the best heavyweight boxer of his era, but of of the greatest ever, period. Meanwhile, Ngannou, a striker who puts fear in his opponents, has never boxed professionally.

Bottom line, there might not be anyone out there who knows boxing better than De La Hoya ... but as they say, there's a reason they play the game, or in this case, have the fight.

Justin Gaethje is manifesting a title shot.

The #2 ranked lightweight, despite being ranked a spot below Charles Oliveira, probably has the strongest case for the next crack at the 155 lb. belt ... and the UFC superstar tells us he's preparing to fight Islam Makhachev in early 2024!

"No, I haven't had any conversations yet [with the UFC about fighting Makhachev]," Gaethje told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1), adding ... "I'm expecting to fight [Islam] February, March of next year, so that's what I'm getting ready for."

34-year-old Gaethje's coming off an impressive KO win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023. Justin's now ranked 2 at lightweight, while Charles is 1, and Islam's champ.

Oliveira and Makhachev were supposed to fight in the main event at UFC 294 on Saturday, but Charles was forced to withdraw less than 2 weeks before the fight over an injury.

Justin clearly believes Charles, who previously fought and lost to Islam by submission in late 2022, has missed the bus on a title shot ... at least in the immediate future.

"Like I said, Oliveira had his chance and then he had his second chance and backed out," Gaethje said.

It's clear JG believes the fight's his, so we asked him ... how do you match up with the champion?

"With the experience I've had with Khabib, I understand that he's not the same fighter. I wasn't scared of Khabib, but that's an intimidating guy to go up against, and that factor will not be there. I'm more confident," Gaethje said, reflecting on his experience with Nurmagomedov, and how the Makhachev fight would be different.

"I think I'm a great matchup. I think it's a much better match-up for myself than Khabib was, and I think I'll be able to really be effective with my striking and then create some opportunities to maximize the damage that I'm creating."

Dana White just put his haters in a rear naked choke -- the UFC honcho is adamantly denying he's a sellout for getting back in bed with Bud Light following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy ... saying the deal had nothing to do with money.

UFC announced earlier this week that Anheuser-Busch was back as the promotion's official beer sponsor for the first time since 2019 ... which certainly ruffled some feathers with people who boycotted the brewing company over its partnership with the transgender influencer back in April.

Dana was asked about the backlash following "Power Slap 5" on Wednesday ... and he wants to make one thing clear -- he couldn't care less about what people think of the business deal.

Dana started off by slamming the "dummies" who said it was only about money ... pointing out all sponsorships are about stackin' cash.

Dana labeled it "f***ing stupid" to think Bud Light was a last resort ... claiming there were multiple offers on the table, but he chose AB due to its values as a company.

"Everybody on every side of this deal that were involved -- other beer companies and everything else -- absolutely, positively knows that this was not about money for me," Dana told the media. "We were going to end up with money no matter who we ended up with."

In fact, he points out specifically what attracted him to the deal ... saying the company has initiatives to support the military, law enforcement and local farmers -- which separated them from the rest of the pack.

As for those who think Dana is just a puppet reciting lines to look good in the media -- he's got words for you, too.

Henry Cejudo's family officially has a fourth member ... after his wife Ana gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Enzo, on Monday!

36-year-old Cejudo broke the news to his followers on social media late last night, writing, "Help us welcome our handsome little boy Enzo Carlos Cejudo. Life goes by so quick! I still remember vivid memories of me being a toddler. Welcoming another human with the beautiful little girl that we’ve been blessed with is beyond words."

Triple C then talked about Enzo's amazing mom.

"To my wife [Ana Karolina Cejudo] who has to endure the crazy pain for 9 months and than going through labor is like climbing Mount Everest. As parents, we have to make sure we guide them with faith, truth and love."

The baby comes at a tremendously difficult time for the Cejudo family. Henry's sister Gloria tragically died in September after a courageous two-year battle with cancer.

Henry talked about Enzo's arrival in the midst of the family's loss.

"Losing my sister last month and the birth of our son puts life into perspective. We are all passengers in this world so let’s have the best trip ever! Welcome to this world Enzo 💙"

Back in November 2021, the couple, shortly after they were married, welcomed their first baby, a daughter, America Maria Cejudo.

And, there are signs we may have a little fighter on our hands. When the couple arrived at the hospital on Monday, Cejudo said this ... "My wife’s water just broke! Wish us luck on safe delivery. Baby Enzo is wrestling his way out. 👶💙"

Jake Paul has zero interest in getting in the boxing ring with Nate Diaz again -- saying if the ex-UFC star wants to take another stab at beating his ass ... he'll have to meet him in an MMA cage.

The Problem Child's Most Valuable Promotions just issued an official response to Diaz's public request for a boxing sequel on Monday ... slamming the door on his hopes of avenging his loss back in August.

"For the record: Jake Paul will not be boxing Nate Diaz again," MVP said on X.

The promotion also stated both Paul and Diaz have received an offer to rematch in the Professional Fighters League ... and while the former Disney star has accepted, his former opponent has not.

Remember, Paul -- who is signed to PFL for his MMA career -- told TMZ Sports back in September he was willing to cough up $10 million to get Diaz in the SmartCage ... but Diaz "ducked" the opportunity.

Diaz responded to Paul's comments ... saying, "Here’s your Mma fight bitch your (sic) easy af we can box or fight mma at ⁦@RealFightINC⁩ no problem f*** PFL and f*** u p***y 👊🏼."

Paul has since announced he will enter the boxing ring again in December ... but his opponent has not been revealed.

Nate Diaz le está dando a los luchadores un gran regalo de bienvenida. Repartió lujosos colgantes bañados en oro y diamantes.

TMZ Sports informa que la leyenda de la MMA se acercó a la famosa tienda Ice Box para conseguir algo especial para la gente que se unió a la promoción Real Fight Inc. que se lanzó en 2022.

Nos dicen que ordenó un total de siete colgantes y cada uno viene con poco menos de 10 quilates de diamantes y más de 50 gramos de oro. Las piezas también vienen con una cadena de cuerda de oro de 14 quilates a juego.

No estamos seguros de qué combatientes obtendrán el nuevo bling, pero los que figuran en la lista de Real Fight Inc, con exclusión de Díaz, son Chris Ávila, Alan Sánchez, José Sguayo y Luciano Ramos.

Díaz, que luchó por última vez contra Jake Paul en agosto, está tomando su promoción muy en serio después de salir de la UFC el año pasado, diciendo que su objetivo es centrarse en el boxeo, MMA y BJJ.

"Dije que cuando saliera, iba a hacer mi propia promoción como Jake estaba haciendo con Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)", dijo Díaz en Full Send.

"Bueno, me metí de lleno y sentí que el negocio era mío todo el tiempo".

Nate Diaz is giving his fighters a helluva welcoming gift ... 'cause he hooked 'em all up with iced-out pendants to make sure everyone knows they're the "Real" deal!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the MMA legend reached out to the famous Icebox shop to get something special for the folks who joined the Real Fight Inc. promotion he launched in 2022.

We're told he ordered a total of seven two-toned pendants ... and each comes with just under 10 carats of VS diamonds and over 50 grams of gold. The pieces also come with a matching 14K gold rope chain.

Unsure which fighters will get the new bling ... but the badasses listed on Real Fight Inc., excluding Diaz, are Chris Avila, Alan Sanchez, Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos.

Diaz -- who last fought Jake Paul in August -- is taking his promotion very seriously after he left the UFC last year ... saying his goal is to focus on boxing, MMA and BJJ.

"I said when I get out, I was going to do my own promotion like Jake was doing with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)," Diaz said on Full Send.

"Well, I just jumped right in, and I felt like the business was mine the whole time."

Angela Lee has no plans of returning to the cage after recently shocking the MMA world with her retirement announcement... telling TMZ Sports her focus is now on providing mental health services to combat sports athletes!

Lee -- who retired and vacated her 115-pound ONE title at Fight Night 14 on September 30 -- launched her non-profit, Fight Story, in honor of her younger sister and MMA fighter, Victoria, who died by suicide in December 2022.

Lee also revealed she attempted to take her own life in 2017 when she purposely crashed her car.

"I wouldn't say that I have fully recovered [from my sister's death] because healing processes take some time," Lee told us, "but I have gotten a lot better with the help and support of my husband, my daughter, and also with the nonprofit organization I created in honor of her."

Angela added ... "We're hoping to acknowledge our past and our personal experience but also take steps to proactively take care of our mental health [and] physical health."

The 11-3 mixed martial, who holds the record for longest championship reign in ONE, knows about the stress/pressure MMA fighters face ... and she pointed out combat sports athletes don't get the same mental health resources as other sports.

"I wanna highlight this group of individuals because the fact is the topic of mental health or mental health support is pretty much nonexistent in the fight world," the 27-year-old said.

"I think with Fight Story," Lee said, "we have lots of plans for the programs that we wish to implement and bring to the community."

Lee told us several fighters have already reached out to help the cause ... and they're hosting two big events, including a kickoff party that's going down on December 3 in Hawaii.

Angela says she's thankful for the support she's received ... and how it keeps the memory of her sister alive.

"I feel whenever I'm doing things with Fight Story, I really feel like Victoria is with me and helping me to work on this," Lee said.

"Something we're doing together."

Bummed Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa ain't happening on Saturday?! Don't be ... 'cause UFC legend Chuck Liddell says he's actually more pumped for the fight vs. Kamaru Usman!

"I'm excited about it. That card fell apart, and I'm actually more excited about the card now [with Usman fighting Chimaev] than I was before [when Costa was fighting Khamzat]," the UFC legend told TMZ Sports this week at LAX.

Of course, both the main and co-main events of UFC 294 were lost last week ... when Charles Oliveira -- scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev -- and Paulo Costa were both forced out with injuries.

Thankfully, Alex Volkanovski and Kamaru are bonafide badasses ... and both guys agreed to travel thousands of miles and fight on less than two weeks' notice.

(We also talked to Liddell about "Dad Bods" ... hence this ⬇)

We followed up with The Iceman, asking him about the wisdom of stepping in the Octagon with an undefeated fighter on 10 days' notice.

"Kamaru Usman is always ready. He trains all the time. He stays in shape. He's a good guy. I'm excited about this fight. If he took it on 10 days' notice he thinks he's going to win."

Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of, if not the most dominant UFC fighter ever, but the retired, undefeated, former champion wants someone to actually be better than he was ... Islam Makhachev!

Of course, Makhachev is fighting Alex Volkanovski in just a few hours in the main event at UFC 294 ... and we recently spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, Islam and Khabib's manager and close friend, about their relationship.

"Khabib wants Islam to be better. That's what's beautiful about it," Ali said of Nurmagomedov's desire for his pupil to surpass his accomplishments.

Whether 31-year-old Makhachev is better in certain areas (striking, for example) is up for debate ... but when it comes to pure dominance of an opponent, Ali doesn't believe Islam's quiet on Khabib's (29-0) level just yet.

"Islam lost, Khabib never lost. Islan might be all the way technically better, but dominance, I don't think anybody can be as dominant as Khabib is. You see Henry lose, Kamaru. A lot of guys lost. Khabib never even have one blood leave his body. When you have a guy who never bled in 29 fights, it's very hard to match him. It's a very tall order to match him. It's almost impossible."

But, that's exactly what Khabib wants for Islam ... who has a record of 24-1. His sole loss came in 2015.

Abdelaziz does think there's another fighter who is closer to Nurmagomedov's dominance ... Umar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin.

Umar is 16-0, and 4-0 in the UFC ... and the 12th ranked bantamweight.

"The guy who is closer to Khabib than anybody is Umar. I truly believe Umar is the closest to Khabib's dominance."

For Islam, the #3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the entire UFC, a win over #2 ranked Volkanovski would be another step towards fulfilling Khabib's wish.

There's only one man breathing who has been in an Octagon with Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev -- Gilbert Burns -- and now "Durinho" is breaking down the highly anticipated UFC 294 co-main event!

37-year-old Burns joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and having shared the cage with both title contenders, he told us where each man has the advantage.

For Khamzat, Burns says it's a plus he had a full camp -- even though he was training for a different opponent in Paulo Costa. Still, Usman didn't have any camp ... save for a few days before he left for Abu Dhabi.

When it comes to Kamaru, Gilbert believes his vast array of experience can't be discounted. Usman has been in virtually every situation ... and that can't be said for Chimaev (this will be his 7th UFC fight, and Kamaru's 18th in Dana's promotion).

Two of those fights came against Burns.

Kamaru and Gilbert's scrap was the main event at UFC 258 in February 2021 ... a fight Usman won by 3rd round TKO. The fight was very competitive, especially early, until KU took over, and ended things, retaining his title.

Khamzat and Gilbert fought a year and change later at UFC 273 in April 2022 ... a fight Chimaev won by unanimous decision. Despite the judge's scorecards, many believe Burns actually won the razor-close fight. It was without any doubt the first time Borz was pushed ... and while he certainly bent, he didn't break.

Burns breaks down much more about the looming fight ... touching on everything from speed and punching power to strength and ability on the ground.

Usman, who took the fight on 10 days notice, is a sizeable underdog ... around +250 at most sportsbooks (wager $100 to win $250, whereas you'd risk around $300 to win $100 on Chimaev).

Gilbert didn't exactly pick a winner -- at least not straight up -- but given his expertise, and the odds ... he had this to say.

"I think you should put a lot of money on Kamaru Usman," Burns said.

Sólo hay un hombre que ha estado en el octágono con Kamaru Usman y Khamzat Chimaev—Gilbert Burns— y ahora "Durinho" está analizando el esperado evento co principal de la UFC 294.

Burns, de 37 años de edad, se unió a Babcock en el programa de televisión de TMZ Sports (se emite todas las noches en FS1) y después de haber compartido la jaula con ambos contendientes al título, nos dijo donde está la ventaja de cada hombre.

Para Khamzat, Burns dice que es una ventaja haber tenido un tiempo de entrenamiento completo, a pesar de que estaba entrenando para un oponente diferente (Paulo Costa). Sin embargo, Usman no tuvo ningún tipo de entrenamiento, salvo unos días antes de partir hacia Abu Dhabi.

En lo que respecta a Kamaru, Gilbert cree que no se puede descartar su vasta experiencia. Usman ha estado en prácticamente todas las situaciones y eso no se puede decir de Chimaev (esta será su 7ª pelea en la UFC, y la 18ª de Kamaru en la promoción de Dana).

Dos de esas peleas fueron contra Burns.

La pelea de Kamaru y Gilbert fue el evento principal en UFC 258 en febrero de 2021. Una pelea que Usman ganó por TKO en la tercera ronda. La pelea fue muy competitiva, especialmente al principio, hasta que Kamaru tomó el control y terminó las cosas, reteniendo su título.

Khamzat y Gilbert pelearon un año y pico después en UFC 273 en abril de 2022. Una pelea que Chimaev ganó por decisión unánime. A pesar de las puntuaciones de los jueces, muchos creen que Burns en realidad ganó la pelea. Fue sin duda la primera vez que Borz fue empujado. Ciertamente, se dobló, no se rompió.

Burns desglosa mucho más sobre la inminente pelea, tocando todos los tópicos, desde la velocidad y el poder de golpe hasta la fuerza y la habilidad en el suelo.

Usman, que tomó la pelea en 10 días, es un subestimado considerable ... alrededor de +250 en la mayoría de las casas de apuestas deportivas (apuesta $ 100 para ganar $ 250, mientras que arriesgaría alrededor de $ 300 para ganar $ 100 en Chimaev).

Gilbert no eligió exactamente a un ganador, al menos no directamente, pero dada su experiencia y las probabilidades dijo lo siguiente.

"Creo que deberías apostar mucho dinero por Kamaru Usman", dijo Burns.

Nate Diaz is letting Jake Paul know his calendar is WIDE OPEN on December 15 ... and what better time for a rematch, according to the MMA superstar from Stockton!

The Problem Child announced he was returning to the ring in mid-December, but didn't name an opponent. 38-year-old Diaz clearly wants the fight ... and even went as far to post a flyer promoting the fight.

"Rematch December," Diaz said in the IG caption. "You ain’t got nobody to fight."

"So I’ll beat your ass Dec 15th."

Of course, the men fought in August ... a fight Nate lost by unanimous decision. Paul knocked Diaz down in the fight, but overall, it was an entertaining fight.

Still, reaction seems mixed over the idea of a second scrap. But, there are some notable MMA fighters who seem eager to watch the guys go at it again, including Anthony Pettis, Roy Nelson, and BJ Penn.

"Easy money 💰!!!!!!," Penn wrote in the comments, "Nate will hurt him when they step in the ring again."

Paul did respond to Diaz's offer on Thursday, instead suggesting he fight Derek from Betr, who has clashed with Nate in the past.

Alex Volkanovski was literally holding his adorable newborn Reign when he got the call -- Charles Oliveira was out and Islam Makhachev needed an opponent -- and the 145 lb. champ almost instantly knew it was time for daddy to go to work!

Volkanovski joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1) on Wednesday ... where Alex "The Great" talked about the phone call he received late last week from his manager.

"I think I might've had Reign, my newest addition to my family, my newborn Reign," Alex said ... "I might've been holding her, and [my manager] gets on the phone and says, 'Mate, you wouldn't believe it.' And I'm like, 'What's up?' Did not cross my mind one bit. I'm thinking it's for something else. He goes, 'It's looking like Charles isn't going to make it and they need someone.'"

Volkanovski was obviously shocked ... and after conferring with his coach, Joe Lopez, and wife Emma, the decision was clear -- we've got a fight in less than two weeks, and it's going down halfway across the world.

Of course, Makhachev was originally scheduled to fight Oliveira -- a rematch of UFC 280 (Islam won by 2nd round submission).

In some ways, Volkanovski, who lost by unanimous decision to Islam in February (although many people think he actually won), believes the lack of a training camp could actually be beneficial.

"I'm feeling good. I'm excited. That's one thing that I've taken out of all this whole thing, obviously, it's crazy. But man, it's gonna be fun. I don't think I've ever been this excited for a fight.

"Obviously you get excited, but you go through camp, and camp can be exhausting. Mentally and physically exhausting thinking about the fight the whole time. Now I don't have time for that. As soon as I heard about it I had a smile on my face and it hasn't gone away even until now."

Alex Volkanovski estaba literalmente sosteniendo a su adorable bebé (Reign) cuando recibió la llamada. Charles Oliveira estaba fuera e Islam Makhachev necesitaba un oponente, ¡y el campeón de 145 libras casi al instante supo que era hora de que papá fuera a trabajar!

Volkanovski se unió a Michael Babcock en el programa de televisión "TMZ Sports" (se emite diariamente en FS1) el miércoles, donde Alex "The Great" habló sobre la llamada telefónica que recibió a finales de la semana pasada de su manager.

"Creo que estaba sosteniendo a Reign, mi pequeña bebé, que es la última integrante de la familia", dijo Alex: "Podría haber estado sosteniéndola, cuando mi manager se pone al teléfono y dice: "Amigo, no te lo creerías". Y yo: "¿Qué pasa? No se me pasó por la cabeza. Pensaba que era para otra cosa. Me dice: 'Parece que Charles no va a conseguirlo y necesitan a alguien'".

Volkanovski estaba obviamente conmocionado y después de consultar con su entrenador, Joe López, y su esposa Emma, la decisión estaba clara, tenemos una pelea en menos de dos semanas.

Por supuesto, Makhachev estaba programado originalmente para luchar contra Oliveira, una revancha de UFC 280 (Islam ganó por sumisión 2ª ronda).

En cierto modo, Volkanovski, que perdió por decisión unánime contra Islam en febrero (aunque mucha gente cree que en realidad ganó), cree que la falta de tiempo para entrenar podría incluso ser beneficiosa.

"Me siento bien. Estoy emocionado. Eso es algo que he sacado de todo este asunto, obviamente, es una locura. Pero tío, va a ser divertido. Creo que nunca he estado tan emocionado por una pelea".

"Obviamente, te emocionas, pero pasas por el período de entrenamiento, y eso puede ser agotador. Mental y físicamente agotador, pensando en la pelea todo el tiempo. Ahora no tengo tiempo para eso. En cuanto me enteré, se me dibujó una sonrisa en la cara y no se me ha borrado hasta ahora".