TMZ Sports - Page 50

YouTube superstar-turned-fighter Jake Paul says he'll beat the living daylight out of MMA fighter Dillon Danis in a boxing match ... and tells TMZ Sports he has a UFC superstar on board to help him get it done.

Of course, Paul previously stated he was going to avenge brother Logan's controversial loss against KSI in a match at Madison Square Garden as soon as the coronavirus pandemic was over ... which KSI's team quickly denied, citing his focus being on his music career.

We spoke with Jake about his boxing future now that KSI is out of the question ... and he says Danis is the one opponent he wants BADLY.

"I hate to bring his name up because he's such a lowlife club rat who calls himself a jiu-Jitsu black belt," Paul tells us. "But, everyone in the jiu-jitsu community hates him, everybody in the fight community hates him. I hate him."

Despite all the hatred, Danis is widely considered one of the best ground fighters in the game ... but many people believe that his striking is the weakest part of his game.

"Dillon, if you're watching this, I'm going to kick the s**t out of you ... I'd make your life even f**king worse ... I'm coming for your head."

So ... how is Jake gonna get it done?? He says he's got the current UFC BMF belt holder on his side -- Jorge Masvidal!!

"Masvidal's gonna be in my corner," Jake says ... explaining they met up in Miami during JP's last fight against AnEsonGib ... and they both bonded over their hatred for Danis.

Jake says he's the Paul bro for Danis to fight -- not Logan -- because he's the better fighter ... and he will mess him up.

As for KSI, Jake tees off on his excuse for not taking a fight ... saying his music is wack and isn't a valid excuse to duck a meeting in the ring.

Former NBA player Cliff Alexander -- the top H.S. recruit in the country in 2014 -- was arrested Wednesday ... after cops say they found a loaded gun on him during a traffic stop.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Cliff was pulled over at around 9:30 PM CT in Chicago, Ill. after cops claim he failed to stop at a stop sign at an intersection.

Officers say when they questioned Cliff ... he admitted to having a firearm under his driver's seat -- and when officers checked, they say he did indeed have a loaded pistol in the car.

Cops say the 24-year-old told them he had the gun because he was on his way to Englewood and was nervous for his safety.

Cops also say Alexander admitted to having weed on him ... and claim they found a "clear plastic bag" with a green substance in it when they searched him.

Alexander, who cops say does NOT have a concealed carry license -- was arrested and booked on a felony charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

He was also hit with a citation for failing to stop at a stop sign -- but he was NOT booked on drug charges. Jail records show the 6-foot-9, 245-pound basketball player was released from custody late Thursday afternoon.

Alexander was a MONSTER star in high school ... earning Naismith Prep Player of the Year honors in 2014 and receiving offers to play at nearly every college in the country.

But, Cliff never quite lived up to expectations after signing with Kansas ... only logging a cup of coffee in the NBA after going undrafted in 2015.

The fans wanted it ... and Nike listened!!

The epic "740" area code shirt Joe Burrow wore during the NFL Draft is hitting the market ... this, after Nike initially said it wouldn't see the light of day, TMZ Sports has learned.

Remember, we reached out to the Swoosh shortly after the draft to get all the info we could about Joe's look when he went #1 overall to the Bengals.

The white long-sleeved shirt featuring the outline of Ohio and his hometown's area code quickly became a fan favorite on draft night ... but unfortunately, Nike said it was a 1-of-1.

But, that's all about to change, because we're told the plan is to release the shirts on May 22 ... which is great news for fans wanting to cop Joe's look.

It's a smart idea, considering a bunch of knockoff websites made bootleg versions to get a quick buck after the draft ... but now, the legit shirts will take over.

Ted Ginn Jr. tells TMZ Sports if he wasn't so damn good at football ... he'd be an Olympic track athlete with a gold medal already on his resume -- saying he's beaten Usain Bolt before!

The new Chicago Bear spoke with us this week about his track past ... and says he had straight-up OLYMPIC speed in high school and college!!!

In fact, Ginn Jr. says he not only clocked a 4.22 40-yard dash back then ... he claims to have beaten track legends like Bolt, Jason Richardson and Kerron Clement as well!!

"I ran against Usain Bolt -- I got him when we was in the 12th grade," Ginn Jr. says. "All of the top guys that have won the Olympics between 2004 'til now, I basically had a chance to race them guys in high school."

Ginn tells us if he hadn't turned into a monster wideout at Ohio State and stuck with track instead ... he'd "for sure" have a gold medal by now.

As for his football future ... 35-year-old Ginn doesn't seem like a guy slowing down anytime soon there -- he spoke with us about his expectations for the Bears in 2020, and dude's clearly fired up for Chicago!

Conor McGregor ain't fighting on Saturday's historic UFC card ... but he's already won the weekend -- copping one of the most insane watches you'll EVER see!!

The Notorious snagged an ultra-rare Patek Philippe on Friday ... and claims its one of only 25 in the world!!!

"And yes you guessed it. I’m number 12, certified," the Proper #12 honcho said.

The watch's specs are ridiculous ... according to Conor, its made in platinum and honeycomb green with a diamond and crocodile strap -- and has a nickname of "#TheHulk."

"They will also never utilise this colour scheme again," the UFC superstar says. "Such was the difficulty in levelling it out all through the dial. Incredible!"

Unclear the price of the jewelry ... but it's safe to say it wasn't cheap -- Patek Philippe's are some of the fanciest watches in the world -- with some selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars!!!

Of course, it ain't like Conor can't afford it ... dude's earned hundreds of millions of dollars in his career!!!

"Mike the Tiger is not my favorite part of campus."

Heisman winner Joe Burrow says he's not a big fan of LSU having a live mascot ... saying he's against keeping wild animals in captivity.

The #1 overall pick made the revelation while discussing the super-popular Netflix doc, "Tiger King," on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" on Friday ... saying he probably won't tune in to the series due to the subject matter.

"Actually, I haven't watched it yet," Burrow says. "I'm anti animal in cage. So, I'm not gonna watch it, I don't think."

That's when co-host Big Cat brought up Mike VII -- LSU's beloved mascot that lives on campus -- and Burrow said he was against the idea.

FWIW -- Mike has a huge habitat on campus for students to check out the kitty in between classes ... and there's a vet on-site to make sure all is well.

There's even a live cam for people across the world to check in on Mike ... although the thing seems to be chilling most of the time.

As for "Tiger King," Big Cat and PFT Commenter say it's probably for the best he sits that one out ... and Burrow agrees.

"Very sad, yeah."

The good news?? Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals don't have a live mascot ... they just have a grown-ass dude dressed up as a tiger named "Who Dey" ... so, silver lining!!

President Donald Trump will be tuned in to UFC 249 on Saturday to get some ideas on how to reopen the rest of the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, so says UFC honcho Dana White.

Of course, Dana and Donald are very close friends who go back decades -- and they talk all the time.

So, with Dana pushing forward with UFC 249 this weekend -- using teams of medical professionals to test all fighters and staffers -- we asked if Trump would be looking at the event as kind of a blueprint.

"Absolutely," White said Friday on "TMZ Live" ... "His whole philosophy was let's get sports back first, figure out how to do that safely. Then let's start figuring out how do you get people back in the office? How do you get people in cubicles? And, then how do you get kids back in school?"

"So, this is something we've been working on and yes, he's absolutely watching what we're doing this weekend."

White says his fighters, their teams and UFC staff have been undergoing multiple testing -- including swabs for COVID-19 -- and plans to keep it up during future events.

"Health and safety is something we worry about every single weekend ... there's gonna be a lot of testing going on here."

White says other sports should follow suit -- but they have to be willing to spend the money ... "it's really expensive."

As for the fights themselves, IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!

Justin Gaethje is fighting Tony Ferguson. Henry Cejudo is fighting Dominick Cruz. And, soooo many more awesome fights!

A super-rare Michael Jordan game-worn Chicago Bulls jersey -- rocked by the G.O.A.T. during his NBA championship-winning '97 season -- is for sale ... and is expected to rake in over a quarter-milli!!

MJ wore the black mesh with red pinstriped Bulls jersey on April 14, 1997 ... when Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the 1st place Bulls took on Grant Hill's Detroit Pistons.

According to Goldin Auctions -- who's selling His Airness' uni -- it's the only known game-worn jersey from the 1996-1997 season ... where Chicago won their 2 straight titles, and 5th in 7 seasons.

Jordan killed it that year -- averaging 29.6 points per game -- but actually had an off night against the Pistons ... only scoring 18 points in a 108-91 loss.

GA says the one-of-a-kind jersey has been expertly photo-matched ... proving MJ hooped in the Champion brand threads.

BTW, with the hit docu-series "Last Dance" currently airing ... Jordan items are selling for exorbitant prices.

For example, a 1986 MJ rookie card -- 1 of only 312 cards in perfect condition -- just sold for $96,000 at an auction!!

Philip Rivers won't wait long for a new gig after his NFL career ends ... the QB just agreed to become a HS football head coach post-retirement -- and he got emotional accepting the job!

The new Indianapolis Colt made the announcement at a press conference at St. Michael Catholic HS in Fairhope, AL ... getting choked up explaining why taking the job means so much to him.

"It's a special day for me and my family really," the 38-year-old said. "I, um, I knew I was going to get a little emotional."

"I had two childhood dreams. And one was to play in the NFL ... and the other is to be a high school football head coach as my dad did. So, it's an exciting day. It really is. I'm going, 'Wow, how blessed am I to be able to live both of those out?!'"

Rivers is so passionate about coaching HS football because his father, Steve Rivers -- whom Phil famously played for at Athens HS in 1999 -- was a HS honcho for decades.

"My dad was my high school football coach," Phil said. "So I want to coach my boys and I want to coach young boys down the road."

It's unclear when exactly Phil will officially put on the headset for the school ... the QB said at the presser he still believes he's got some good football left in his body despite a down year in 2019.

As for why Alabama and St. Michael Catholic ... Phil said, "I know a few people in the area, and then this particular school, not only athletically what I believe they're trying to grow to, but it really aligns with what I believe in spiritually and academically."

Rivers signed a $25 MILLION contract to play for the Colts this year ... but the deal expires next offseason. So, could it be "Coach" Phil by this time in 2021???

NFL star Malcolm Jenkins wants justice for murdered Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery -- who would have turned 26 today -- and he's doing his part by going on a jog to show support for Maud's family.

"Happy birthday to Ahmaud Arbery," Jenkins said while out on a 2.23-mile jog ... "Rest in peace, King."

Malcolm's workout is all part of the #RunWithMaud movement -- which is encouraging people to go on a jog to honor Maud -- while his family continues to push for justice.

The 2.23-mile run represents the date Arbery was shot and killed while jogging on Feb. 23.

Two men -- Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory -- have been arrested for the shooting and are facing murder charges.

"Doing my job for you," Jenkins added while encouraging others to follow his lead. "Even though they arrested those two men, we gotta make sure they don't forget his face and that he gets his justice in court."

"Y'all continue to support my brother, uplift his name, show his face, stay diligent. Love y'all."

Ex-NFL wideout Torrey Smith also participated in the run -- saying, "I hate distance running but I hate our justice system and racism more."

Other athletes, including LeBron James, Reggie Bush and more, have voiced their outrage over the incident ... with the Lakers superstar saying, "We’re literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes!"

Two-time NBA champion Shannon Brown was arrested last week ... this after two people claim he fired a gun at them in an open house visit gone VERY wrong.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 34-year-old Brown -- who won two titles with Kobe Bryant's Lakers in 2009 and 2010 -- allegedly pulled a firearm on two people in his Georgia home on May 2.

A Tyrone Police Department spokesperson says the alleged victims called at around 9:45 PM ... claiming earlier in the day, Brown had fired rounds at them in a "for sale" home mixup.

The police spokesperson says the two individuals claim they were out searching for houses in the Tyrone, GA area ... when they saw one with a "For Sale" sign on it.

Officers say the individuals entered through an open gate ... and say the two people claim when they got to the door, they were told to come in.

The police spokesperson says once the individuals were inside ... they say Brown confronted them, before ultimately agreeing to let them go.

But, the two say as they were leaving ... Brown fired 5 to 6 shots at them.

The spokesperson says when cops investigated ... they found one shell casing in the area -- and eventually arrested the former NBA player for aggravated assault.

Oscar De La Hoya said he can knock out Conor McGregor in 2 rounds ... and Conor McGregor says PROVE IT -- calling out the legend for a real-deal boxing match.

SO, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!? LET'S DO THIS!!!!

Here's how it all got started ... 47-year-old ODLH was asked about his chances against the 31-year-old UFC superstar earlier this week ... saying it would be a cakewalk.

"2 rounds," the Golden Boy told "The State of Combat" podcast. "Because one thing about me ... I went for the kill always."

"And look, Conor McGregor is – I love him in the Octagon. I respect him. I watch him all the time."

"But, the boxing ring is a whole different story. It’s a whole different story."

Conor -- who's always wanted a second shot at a boxing match following his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017 -- heard what ODLH had to say ... and he wants the legend to put his money where his mouth is ... IN THE RING!!!

"I accept your challenge, Oscar de la Hoya," Conor tweeted.

Now, Oscar (39-6) hasn't had a pro fight since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008 by a referee technical decision ... but the Golden Boy's confident he can shake off any ring rust against the 0-1 Conor.

Remember, ODLH made a similar threat to Conor back in 2017 ... saying he was in shape and ready to throw down with the Notorious.

There's only one way to find out -- PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

He's been sliced and diced more times than a bad guy in a 'Wolverine' movie ... and now, Hulk Hogan is showing the world his battle scars from his 10 surgeries!!

"10 surgeries you can hang a MAC truck from my back and I’ll still take the whole WWE roster on brother," the 66-year-old said.

He's also showing off the "Immortal" tattoo he got around 2011.

Hulk's back issues have been well documented -- he started going under the knife back in 2009 after suffering extreme pain from all those years in the ring.

In fact, Hogan described in great detail all of the damage his body has endured from wrestling when he appeared on "OBJECTified" with Harvey Levin."

"I've had 17 surgeries over the last 10 years," Hogan said ... "My knees are fake, hips are fake, back is full of metal and part of my face is full of metal."

"I didn't get the memo about the fake wrestling,:" Hogan joked ... noting the physical punishment is VERY real.

Hogan even showed off teethmarks in his finger -- the result of a wrestling match from decades ago.

Hogan's most recent procedure took place at the end of 2019 ... and despite being told he would likely be out of the gym for 4 to 6 months, Hogan was able to lift again after 7 weeks!

Hogan hasn't wrestled since 2013 -- when he appeared in a match for "TNA Wrestling." He's talked about wanting his final match to take place in a WWE ring ... but so far, no word on if that will actually happen.

Seems Earl Thomas is on decent terms with his wife -- despite allegations she held a gun to his head -- because he's flashing a new diamond chain she got him for his birthday.

The Baltimore Ravens star turned 31 on Thursday -- and showed off his flashy new gift on social media ... a diamond pendant featuring a picture of Earl with his late grandfather, Pastor Earl Thomas.

His grandfather passed away in 2018 -- but Earl has spoken publicly about how much Pastor Earl meant to him.

Earl praised Nina Thomas for the gift -- saying, "Thank You [Nina Thomas]."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Nina was arrested on April 13 after cops say she stormed an Airbnb home in Texas and held Earl at gunpoint after she caught him cheating.

Earl posted a video statement on May 6 saying, "Stuff like this happens" -- and noting that he has "been talking" with his wife.

So, does the chain represent a full reconciliation?