52-year-old Bernard Hopkins is jumping back into the ring one last time ... and it's really ONE LAST according to his boss Oscar De La Hoya ... who says he's making BH promise to hang 'em up FOREVER.
Oscar joined the guys on the TMZ Sports TV show and announced Hopkins final fight to the world ... a brawl with 27-year-old knockout artist Joe Smith Jr. set to go down on December 17th.
Question is ... is it REALLY over? Hopkins has been known to beat the hell out of guys half his age .