No fake beef to sell a fight here ... Sergey Kovalev tells TMZ Sports he flat out admires Canelo Alvarez ... and is a HUGE fan of the superstar boxer.
But for those thirsting for blood, don't sweat it ... Kovalev says he's gonna try his damndest to beat Canelo's ass when they fight Saturday night in Vegas.
Kovalev surprised boxing fans when he fanboy'd out during a backstage meeting with Canelo at a promotional event for their November 2nd mega fight on DAZN ... even asking Alvarez to take a selfie.