TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC superstar Anderson Silva says he's got the FUTURE of female MMA in his gym -- Gabi Garcia -- a bone-crushing BRUISER who would DESTROY any woman crazy enough to fight her.

Silva and Garcia were working out together at Anderson's gym in Torrance, CA -- where the 6'2", 205 pound lady beat the living hell out of some boxing mitts while our cameras rolled.

Silva told us 30-year-old Gabi is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master who hits like a ton of bricks -- and admits, she's even roughed HIM up a bit during training sessions.

By the way, Gabi says she used to be EVEN BIGGER -- but lost a ton of weight (more than 300 pounds) when she first began training several years ago.

Now, Gabi says she wants a piece of the UFC's best fighters -- Holly, Ronda, whoever -- and she's confident she would run through them like a warm knife through butter.

Be afraid ...

Just a year-and-a-half after breaking off his last engagement, Rory McIlroy is trying it again -- popping the question to his NEW girlfriend Erica Stoll ... and she said, "Yes."

The couple hit the red carpet together at a charity event in Ireland Thursday night -- after reportedly putting an engagement ring on it during a romantic weekend in Paris.

Clearly, Stoll is hoping this engagement goes better than Rory's last one -- in which he broke up with tennis superstar Caroline Wozniacki OVER THE PHONE after they sent out their wedding invitations.

Wozniacki has been connected to a few different guys since the split -- including JJ Watt and David Lee.

Paige VanZant was in pretty good spirits Thursday night ... despite the beating she took from Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night -- smiling and laughing through the pain at her news conference.

The UFC star fought her ass off ... but in the end, Rose was just too much for the 21-year-old.

Afterward, VanZant kept a positive attitude -- though admitted," I wanted to win ... I'm sad, but I'm fine."

As for the winner, Rose was also smiling after the fight ... with barely a scratch on her body.

Trump may hate her guts ... but Bernie Sanders says he's still got Ronda Rousey's back -- telling TMZ Sports he's rooting for her to get back to DOMINATING people ASAP!!!

The presidential candidate was out in D.C. when we asked if he had any advice for the UFC star -- who happens to be one of Bernie's biggest fans.

It’s a battle of the Featherweight fighters!

Jose Aldo (29) and Conor McGregor (27) are about to go head-to-head Saturday night in the most anticipated event of the year ... and we wanna know who’s a better knockout!

The question is ...

Jeremy Lin can be the next Tiger Woods ... as long as he ditches his TERRIBLE HAIRCUT ... that's according to celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Antin ... who says his magic scissors can save Jeremy's look ... and career.

Antin is a GOD in the hair world ... having shaved the scalps of A-listers like Madonna, Toby Maguire, Tiger Woods, Rod Stewart, Ricky Martin and many, many more.

We got Antin out in L.A. and had to ask about Lin's recent crazy hair adventures ... which are making the Charlotte Hornets guard a target of scorn on social media.

Before he was the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, MLB star Kris Bryant was STUD in the classroom -- finishing at the top of his high school class ... with only one "B" in all four years!!!

So, question is ... how'd he score on his SATs???

We asked the Chicago Cubs 3rd baseman out in NYC Thursday and he gave us the answer.

It wasn't the perfect 2400 he was hoping for -- but it was still respectable ... better than Kobe Bryant at least (he reportedly scored a 1080 on the old format).

By the way, best pro athlete SAT ever? As far as we could find, it's NY Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ... who got a 1580 out of 1600 and went to Harvard.

Colin Kaepernick has had enough of Donald Trump -- and anyone else trashing Muslims -- and now he's going after the presidential candidate in a social media offensive.

The 49ers QB posted a quote from retired Air Force Col. Tom Moe -- essentially saying if you ignore Trump's policies towards Muslims, Hispanics and black people ... you might be the next group he targets.

He also posted a photo comparing the current anti-Muslim sentiment to shameful examples of racism in American history.

Kaepernick added, "Racism and discrimination isn't OK we are all human beings! Things need to change!"

So far, no response from Trump ... but it's probably only a matter of time.

Nick Saban doesn't have time to piss away in freeway traffic like a normie -- which is why he travels is a FRICKIN' HELICOPTER these days.

The Alabama coach just touched down at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta for the College Football Playoffs news conference ... and the dude knows how to make an entrance.

Saban says he was recruiting earlier in the day -- and used the helicopter because it's time efficient.

It also pretty damn impressive to leave a recruit's home in a helicopter.

2:45 P.M. PST -- TMZ obtained a police report from Orange County, where Michael was arrested for criminal threats just 5 days before disappearing. According to the report, Cavallari showed up to his girlfriend's apartment with a loaded shotgun after a verbal dispute, and made threats. Cops also say they smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He was released 2 days later, and then disappeared.

1:23 P.M. PST -- Law enforcement tells TMZ they located remains they believe to be Michael at 10:30 A.M. They say the body was found in a steep and very rocky area.

Kristin Cavallari's brother and Bears QB Jay Cutler's brother-in-law has been found dead in Utah.

30-year-old Michael Cavallari's car was found abandoned November 27th. It appears he wasn't reported missing until 3 days ago.

In a statement to TMZ, Kristin says, "We have just been informed by the authorities my brother's body has been found. This is a very painful time and we are still processing it all."

It's unclear how Michael died, but he's struggled for many years with alcoholism and has had more than his share of trouble.

THE WAR IS OVER ... at least for now ... with Master P suspending his verbal attacks on Kobe Bryant -- and now he's actually PRAISING the guy.

P's been after Kobe for months -- ripping him for not helping Lamar Odom get back on the Lakers and then trashing his game, claiming he'd beat Kobe in a 1-on-1 game.

But today in NYC -- something we haven't heard from Master P before ... PRAISE FOR #24.

Not only did P compliment Bryant as "one of the greatest players in the world" ... but said even this crappy season can't overshadow what he's done in his career.

Did the SEC photoshop a picture of Heisman Trophy candidate Derrick Henry to get rid of his arm tattoos and give him a more clean cut image???

That's what a lot of people are saying after taking a look at the image the SEC tweeted out this week in an effort to congratulate the running back on winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

A rep for the SEC tells TMZ Sports the short answer is NO -- but they do admit the pic WAS modified using a filter.

"We didn't photoshop the picture that we posted on social media sites at all," a spokesperson tells us.

"The filter we used is the only explanation for Derrick Henry's tattoos not being visible in the picture. We used that particular filter because it's the same one we have used all year for our player of the week posts."

Finally, Ronda Rousey is SMILING AGAIN!!!

For the first time since the beatdown in Australia, the UFC superstar was out in public looking like her old self -- happy and care free ... walking her dog at a park in L.A.

But did you notice the guy she was talking to? That's Nick Cassavetes -- a Hollywood heavyweight who's also directing Ronda's next movie, "Road House."

The ex-Florida State quarterback who infamously punched a woman IN THE FACE at a Tallahassee bar back in June has been sentenced to 10 days in jail ... TMZ Sports has learned.

19-year-old De'Andre Johnson pled guilty to misdemeanor battery in a Florida courtroom moments ago stemming from the June 24th incident that was captured on video.

Johnson was sentenced to 10 days in a jail work camp. He was also sentenced to 6 months probation which will end when he completes his jail stint.

He also has to pay close to $1,000 in restitution and fines.

Johnson never appeared in a game for FSU -- he was dismissed from the team shortly after the incident.

NFL legend John Madden is recovering after undergoing open heart surgery -- and is "expected to fully recover" ... so says NFL commish Roger Goodell.

He's one of the fastest rising stars in boxing -- and undefeated welterweight Sammy Vasquez says he gives a lot of credit to his military background ... telling us it helps him "tremendously" in the ring.

Vasquez -- who served 2 tours in Iraq with the National Guard -- is 20-0 as a pro fighter and has a HUGE fight coming up in January against Aron Martinez.

The 29-year-old military vet says he's dedicating the fight to all of the soldiers who were injured while serving their country -- and vows to make them proud.

"God let me do what I can do, pursue a dream," Vasquez says ... "There's a lot of guys who can't do anything anymore because they got their legs blown off and things like that. So, those are the guys that I fight for."