Two dudes in the porn biz got physical on camera at the Adult Video News Awards in Las Vegas -- and we don't mean sexually ... they clashed in a violent incident now being probed by the police, TMZ has learned.

Jay PlayHard, an adult-film content producer, got into a heated argument with porn star Kendra Kox's husband -- who goes by his nickname "Stayready" -- at the January 25 event inside the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, according to police and witnesses.

Cops say the dispute soon turned into a physical altercation ... and it's now a Vegas Police battery investigation.

Video obtained by TMZ shows Stayready walking up to PlayHard in the casino and saying something to him -- then throwing a punch that appears to connect with PlayHard's head. The two give each other a piece of their minds ... but eventually they stop feuding and go their separate ways.

Other footage shows a security guard stepping up to PlayHard, who talks about calling the police.

TMZ interviewed Kendra -- she's best known as a "Naughty Hot Wife," and owns the porn company Girls Gone Wireless with Stayready. She tells us the reason her hubby socked PlayHard is because they believe he's stealing their content and others in the industry.

Jay PlayHard -- who worked with Kendra as a content manager between 2022 and 2023 -- tells TMZ her claim is a case of defamation, and says she's trying to intimidate him by dragging his name through the mud. He gave a formal statement to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department about the AVN altercation.

Brian Gross, a rep for the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, says they're currently working with Virgin Hotels security and local law enforcement, and declined to comment further.