TMZ Sports - Page 3

Ever imagine what it would be like to see the top talent in NASCAR, F1 and IndyCar join forces for an epic competition?? Kyle Larson tells TMZ Sports he'd LOVE to see it to happen ... 'cause it would be a must-watch spectacle for all racing fans!!

The Hendrick Motorsports driver zoomed by the TMZ offices this week for a sit-down with Lucas Widman ... and he weighed in on the idea of putting the best from all major organizations together to determine the true "best driver."

"Dude, it would be awesome," Larson said. "It would be so cool if you could ever get myself, Max [Verstappen], or whoever the greatest racecar drivers of their discipline together to try and somehow figure out who may be the best, I think it would make for great TV."

Ever wondered how Jon Jones goes about picking out his kicks?? Well, TMZ Sports actually ran into the former UFC heavyweight champion at the shoe store -- and you'll never guess the style he likes to rock!!

Jones popped up at an L.A. mall after spending some time filming a show in Thailand ... but he decided after living out of a suitcase for a while, it was time to splurge on himself.

To our surprise ... he doesn't opt for any eye-popping pairs -- he enjoys a dad-style look!!

Jon Jones' legendary fighting career is over.

Dana White announced arguably the best UFC competitor of all-time called him on Friday night and let him know he will not be fighting again.

"Jon Jones called us last night and retired," the UFC honcho said Saturday. "Jon Jones is officially retired."

A San Francisco Giants relief pitcher is being accused of abandoning his family ... with his wife saying he left after she discovered numerous alleged affairs.

Caroline Hjelle, wife of Sean Hjelle -- a four-year MLB vet -- took to her TikTok Friday to call out her fastball-slinging partner ... sharing a clip where she's laughing and playing with their kiddos.

While it's a cute clip of the three of them, the accompanying message is decidedly less fun ... with Caroline writing it was taken one week before Mother's Day -- when she claims Sean bailed on her and their children.

TMZ Sports has learned the dishes Ippei Mizuhara will be chowing down on during his stint in prison ... and, sadly for Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter, peanuts and Cracker Jacks ain't on the menu.

According to a Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson ... FCI Allenwood Low -- the Pennsylvania prison where Mizuhara has been in custody since Monday -- follows the National Menu, which means Mizuhara will have a choice of a set of rotating meals to munch on for the foreseeable future.

Every day, Mizuhara will get breakfast, lunch and dinner ... giving the 40-year-old access to most of America's food staples.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are back together and causing chaos -- literally breaking a Lombardi trophy during a faulty stunt at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City.

Check out the video posted by Michael Rubin ... the former NFL teammates got a bit excited and decided to have Tom toss the coveted trophy to Rob down a hall lined with reporters -- but the setup was an epic fail.

Though Rob landed the pass ... his grip was a little too strong -- causing the top football-shaped portion of the trophy to break free from the stand.

Welcome to New York, Travis Kelce! The Kansas City Chiefs star ditched his posh pad in Florida in favor of an NYC date night with Taylor Swift Friday evening ... and some lucky fans caught a glimpse of the pair!

The lovebirds were seen taking their time while strolling out of the Italian restaurant Torrisi -- TK shook a staff member's hand while the popstar followed closely behind. The pair seemed in no rush to take cover from thrilled onlookers ... chatting before grabbing each other's hands and eventually stepping into their SUV.

Tay and Trav seemingly coordinated their outfits for their late-night rendezvous ... with the singer sporting a light blue tank paired with a pleated mini skirt and white heels, and her better half in an all-white T-shirt and shorts ensemble.

A new rule change has made Mike Leach suddenly eligible for the Hall of Fame ... and Sonny Dykes -- one of his former assistants -- tells TMZ Sports he sure hopes "The Pirate" will now soon be dubbed an HOFer.

The regulation reviser came last month, when the College Football Hall of Fame decided to reduce the career win percentage required for eligibility from 60% to 59.5%.

Leach, of course, held a 59.6 winning percentage prior to his death in December 2022.

If Saquon Barkley had any lingering concerns about falling victim to the "Madden" curse, he should be able to sleep like a baby moving forward -- 'cause Eddie George tells TMZ Sports the Eagles running back will be just fine!!

Earlier this month, EA Sports revealed Barkley -- who signed with the Eagles in 2024 -- will grace the cover of "Madden NFL 26," featuring his viral backward hurdle from this past season as the image.

Congrats are certainly in order, but Philly fans are understandably a little worried ... as historically, the jock who gets the cover can sometimes experience hardships in the following season or down the road -- but some have gone unscathed.

Stephen A. Smith sparked quite the controversy after claiming NBA players avoid signing with the Grizzlies due to safety concerns in Memphis ... and while Danny Green says the talking head "isn't far off" with his take, he tells TMZ Sports it's more so due to the fact it's "not a pretty city" in general.

We caught up with Green -- who had a very short stint in Memphis (we're talking three games here) back in the 2022-23 season -- at LAX this week ... and he weighed in more on the city's apparent obstacles to landing free agents.

"I just don't think it's a destination city," he said. "Nashville is one of the cities that people enjoy. Memphis, it is in Tennessee so you get a tax cut. It's good on taxes, but it's just not a city that's pretty, people would say."

Riley Gaines and Simone Biles ... working together?! Could happen, according to the former All-American swimmer herself, who tells TMZ Sports she'd "absolutely" be open to the idea.

Of course, this comes on the heels of the two athletes' social media dust-up earlier this month ... which culminated with the 7x Olympic gold medalist apologizing to the former University of Kentucky swim star for likening her physical stature to that of a man while the women debated trans athletes' participation in youth girls' sports.

We spoke to Riley, a political activist and host of Outkick's "Gaines For Girls" podcast, where we asked her if she'd be down to team up with Biles.

Congrats are in order for Justin Verlander and Kate Upton ... TMZ Sports has confirmed they had another baby!

A rep for Kate tells TMZ ... She and Justin welcomed their son, Bellamy Brooks Verlander, on June 19.

Verlander was just placed on paternity leave by the San Francisco Giants on Friday afternoon ... as he and his wife's little bundle of joy entered into the world Thursday.

There's no crying in baseball ... but there was an exception on Friday, when Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years -- and was met with a passionate standing ovation from Chicago Cubs fans.

The hatchet burying went down at the iconic stadium when the Cubs hosted the Seattle Mariners ... a sign the organization and its former superstar were ready to leave the past in the past for good.

The 56-year-old was essentially exiled from the franchise due to his ties to performance-enhancing drugs ... as he tested positive for a banned substance in 2003.

Eli Manning and Tom Brady are reigniting their rivalry ... but not on the gridiron -- at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City!!

The Super Bowl 42 and 46 opponents were in the Big Apple, taking in the sights and sounds of the massive fan experience. During the event ... Brady made his way over to the WWE entrance ramp, where fans are welcomed to perform their own walkout.

The 47-year-old took on the bad guy role ... stomping and spitting on a Jets jersey and ripping up an Eli jersey -- with the NYC crowd hitting him with boos.

Not even a trove of celebs was a match for Joey Chestnut's stomach on Friday ... the greatest eater alive took on a grip of A-listers during a food inhaling competition -- and he came out victorious yet again.

Jaws faced off against two teams at Todd Graves' Raising Cane's booth out at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City ... and he obliterated both easily.

One of the squads featured Livvy Dunne, DJ Khaled, Druski and Michael Rubin. The other had Dom Mysterio, Julian Edelman and a pair of fans.

Zunilda Hoyos Mendez -- a 43-year-old Colombian bodybuilder known as "She Hulk" -- was found beaten to death with a hammer this week ... and her husband was also discovered deceased from self-inflicted knife wounds, according to reports.

Local outlets say cops visited a rental home in the Spanish town of Fuengirola on Thursday after Mendez was reported missing by a friend a day prior. When officers arrived ... they discovered Mendez and her husband, Jarrod Gelling, dead in the house.

Canarias7 stated cops determined the wounds on Mendez's body showed "clear signs of violence" ... and the wounds on Gelling suggest he died by suicide. An autopsy will determine his official cause of death.