TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cris Cyborg just got back from a philanthropic trip to Uganda -- where the UFC star says she was dangerously close to an American tourist who was kidnapped at gunpoint.

Cyborg was building water wells in Uganda for the Batwa Pygmies with fellow UFC fighter Justin Wren -- and during the trip, they learned an American woman and her tour guide had been abducted.

Officials say Kimberly Sue Endicott and her safari guide were ambushed Tuesday by 4 men with guns while traveling in a car through Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Endicott and her guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, were taken near the border of the Congo where her captors used her cell phone to demand a $500,000 ransom.

Ugandan officials -- along with help from U.S. forces -- freed the two on Sunday. They appeared unharmed.

So, when we saw Cris on Friday -- before Endicott was freed -- we asked her about the situation ... and she essentially told us she's LUCKY she wasn't abducted as well.

"I can not stop thinking about [Endicott]," Cyborg told us ... "because I was really very close with her. Like, REALLY close."

Cyborg says she left Uganda one day after the kidnapping -- and she's been praying for Endicott and her guide ever since.

Ultimately, Cyborg says she's still VERY glad she went on the trip because her work helped out so many people.

FYI, Justin Wren has been very involved in helping the Pygmies for years with his "Fight for the Forgotten" foundation ... whose mission is to bring safe drinking water to 2 villages in need.

As for the kidnappers, they're still on the loose. President Trump tweeted about the situation on Monday morning:

Who's ready for John Football!?!?!

The athlete formerly known as Johnny Manziel has a new name -- he's more of a "John" type of guy now ... telling people he's dropping the "-ny" from his moniker.

The quarterback announced the image makeover on the "Dan Patrick Show" on Monday ... saying "I actually go by John these days."

It's not a bad time to hit the restart button for Manziel ... he's had a rough few weeks -- the AAF shut down operations and his estranged wife bashed him on social media for allegedly cheating.

During the show, Manziel also addressed leaving the CFL to play for the Memphis Express ... saying "I was so hungry to get back on the field and start playing, I took the first chance I could."

"When I looked up a year later, things [in the CFL] weren't exactly what I thought they'd be. When I signed in Hamilton with June Jones I thought it would be like a Colt Brennan Hawaii highlight film."

"No regrets, it's just one of the chapters I've closed the book on and moving forward now."

As for whether it was a mutual agreement, or whether the CFL pushed him out, John wouldn't say.

"I don't want to go into detail, but looking back, I'm happy. Memphis was exactly what I needed in my life. First day being on the field with 11 men the game slowed down, it was perfect for me."

Conor McGregor has one less legal issue ... the man suing him in the Miami phone smashing incident has dropped his lawsuit against the UFC star and all signs point to settlement.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ahmed Abdirzak sued Conor for battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress over the March 11 incident at the Fontainebleau hotel.

Abdirzak claims Conor "flew into a rage and punched [Abdirzak's] smart phone out of his hand" before "stomping on the phone repeatedly." Abdirzak was demanding north of $15,000.

Part of the incident was captured on video and posted by TMZ Sports.

Now, court records show Abdirzak has filed new documents to dismiss his suit against McGregor with prejudice -- which likely means the two reached a settlement agreement.

It's smart money for Conor considering he's worth a fortune and could easily cut a check to put the matter behind him.

McGregor is still facing criminal charges for the incident -- including felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. If convicted on all counts, Conor faces up to 6 years in prison.

His case is due back in front of the judge later this week.

McGregor doesn't seem too bothered by the situation -- he's been partying all over the world, feuding with his UFC rivals and watching WrestleMania.

Before he filed his lawsuit, Abdirzak appeared on "TMZ Live" in March and told us he hadn't decided if he was going to sue, insisting he just wants "justice."

Torrey Smith proudly displayed the hogs he killed over the weekend.

Torrey's a hunter who set his sights on some South Carolina feral hogs. Authorities in S.C. say the hog population is out of control and has caused real problems for farmers.

It looks like the hogs ended up on his dinner table, because shortly after posting the pic he posted more photos with some boar chops in the frying pan.

Torrey uses thermal scopes to locate the hogs and hone in. A few weeks back, he posted a night photo of 3 hogs with the caption, "Someone asked what does the corn attract. You use thermal scopes and get some nice free organic pork. You also help out the farmers because the hogs destroy their fields. Everyone wins and it's fun!"

Wildlife officials in South Carolina estimated there are 200,000 feral hogs in the state. As for killing them, there are few regulations. Hunters don't need a license on private land and night hunting is permitted.

Conor McGregor was so impressed with Becky Lynch's victory over Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania ... he might be one step closer to joining her in the ring.

Lynch defeated Rousey and Charlotte Flair in the main event Sunday night -- earning both the WWE Raw AND Smackdown belts ... leading Conor to dub her the sport's first "Champ Champ."

"Congrats to Irelands Becky Lynch, the WWE’s first Champ Champ," McGregor wrote.

"Wow! What a match these ladies put on! Ronda Rousey is something special in that ring, as is Charlotte Flair of the Flair dynasty!"

That's when the tease came ...

"Stephanie McMahon you are right, I could not do what these athletes do. Or could I... "

McGregor hasn't exactly had the best relationship with WWE -- in 2016, he went off on a bunch of the wrestlers as "p**sies" who could never win a real fist fight.

"For the most part, those WWE guys are p**sies," McGregor said at the time ... "They're messed up p**sies if you ask me."

He did, however, praise Vince McMahon and Triple H at the time.

So, will he or won't he???

We recently shot Steph McMahon who told us she would love to sign Conor to a WWE contract ... if he's serious about wanting to get in the ring.

Conor's future seems to be a mystery -- he "retired" from MMA in a tweet last month ... but then told Khabib Nurmagomedov he would see him back in the Octagon.

It's all over for Batista!!!!

The WWE superstar -- turned movie star -- announced his retirement from "Sports Entertainment" just hours after losing an insane match to Triple H at WrestleMania 35.

First off, the match was crazy ... the 50-year-old -- who was a 6-TIME champ in the WWE -- battled his face-off with Triple H on Sunday. Triple H even used pliers to rip out Batista's nose ring during the match.

Then, after being hit with everything from a steel chair to steel steps ... Triple H hit Batista with his signature Pedigree move to end the match -- and Batista's career.

Afterward, Dave Bautista went to social media to say goodbye to the fans ...

"To all the @wwe fans across the world that gave me the opportunity to suspend your disbelief, thank you. From the biggest part of my heart thank you for letting me entertain you."

"Tonight was my story book ending and I wanted to leave you with all I had to give. I’ll miss this theater of violence more than I can express in words but I am officially retiring from Sports Entertainment."

"I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, I leave in great health, and without a doubt the show will go on. I had a hell of a run. Thank you for the journey."

Don't worry, Dave will be fine ... he's become a massive movie star thanks to his role as Drax the Destroyer in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'

He's also got a TON of new movies on the way.

If LiAngelo Ball were coming out of college this year, he'd be the No. 1 overall pick ... AHEAD of Zion Williamson -- so says LaVar Ball, who tells TMZ Sports, "He can't hold a candle" to Gelo.

"He ain't no big baller," LaVar says of the Duke superstar ... "He's a Williamson. Williamsons ain't stronger than Ballers!"

Of course, Gelo ain't available for this year's NBA Draft ... he already had his shot to be taken in 2018 -- but wasn't picked with any of the 60 selections.

But, the Big Baller says his middle son has gotten SO much better in the last year ... he tells us Gelo would be a surefire bet to be selected over Zion if he were eligible this June.

"Biggest and the strongest 2-guard in the NBA right now. Ain't nobody built like him at the 2-guard. Nobody. 6-6, 240, can shoot the 3, post you up -- kill you. But, you going to see. You going to see."

In fact ... LaVar is so confident LiAngelo has upped his game -- he's PROMISING his son will have an NBA deal by the end of 2019.

10:22 AM PT -- Big Boy from 92.3 the REAL just came down hard on Kodak Black, saying he won't tolerate disrespect like this toward royalty in Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London. BB says hip-hop culture has a tendency to look the other way on moments like this, but he argues that has to change ... and that people from the community have to hold one another accountable, including Kodak. It doesn't sound like Big Boy is committing to not playing Kodak's music on the airwaves like Justin Credible did, but he does say he hopes this helps change minds going forward about ya say about who.

Check out his full statement above.

Kodak Black apologized for something he clearly should not have done in the first place ... disrespected Lauren London, the grieving girlfriend of Nipsey Hussle.

Kodak went on IG Live Saturday with his mea culpa, though somewhat half-hearted. He said he was sorry for disrespecting her, "even though I didn't."

As you know ... on Saturday a video circulated of Kodak calling Lauren "that baby" and "whole widow out here." He went on to say he was willing to give her a year of "crying and s***" before making a move on her.

Justin Credible from Power 106 in L.A. tweeted the station was "appalled by the disrespectful and poor comments" and they would no longer play his music.

Former welterweight championship boxer Andre Berto told us Saturday in Bev Hills, what Kodak did was super disrespectful, because Nipsey Hussle's murder was so fresh, and Kodak would serve himself well by staying out of L.A.

In Kodak's "apology," he did say Nipsey inspired him to do more in his community.

As we reported, there will be a huge memorial service for Nipsey -- who was murdered a week ago Sunday -- at L.A.'s Staples Center.

Triple H's good looks are unmatched!

Here's a 31-year-old version of the professional wrestler at an event in Los Angeles back in 2001 (left) and 18 years later ... the now 49-year-old was seen showing off his scruff at a conference in Austin, Texas just last month (right).

The Game isn't over yet!

The question is ...

Tito Ortiz is coming out of retirement and will fight MMA this year ... we know, deja vu all over again.

TMZ Sports saw Tito -- who last retired days after dominating Chuck Liddell in November (a fight he came out of retirement for) -- at LAX earlier this week ... and we asked him about Conor McGregor hanging up his gloves.

That's when Tito dropped some retirement news of his own ... as in, he's comin' back.

"I'll probably fight in October," Ortiz told us.

"After I fought Chuck last year, I thought it was gonna be my last one. But, my body's intact, everything's fast, everything's great. Sparring's been good. Training's been great. So, let's do one for fun."

So, who's The Huntington Beach Bad Boy fighting?

Is Kansas City Chiefs legend Jamaal Charles a Hall of Famer??

The RB ain't saying for sure ... but the former NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports his stats certainly suggest he might be one.

"I mean, some of my numbers look way better than some people already in Canton."

As one of the league's most electrifying backs EVER -- Charles does have a case ... in 11 seasons, he ran for 7,563 yards and scored 44 total TDs.

Charles also owns a record that neither Barry Sanders nor Jim Brown can claim ... he's got the highest yards per carry average in NFL history -- getting 5.49 per tote.

"That tells you what type of player I was," Jamaal says ... "I gave it my all. Every time I touched the ball, I averaged six yards a carry basically."

Still not sold on him being a Hall of Famer?? Good news for Jamaal, he says his NFL career might not be done yet -- so more stats could be coming!!

The RB tells us he ain't ready to officially call it quits ... saying his football future is "in the air right now."

Some random dude in Georgia just made off with a bunch of Terrell Owens' awesome NFL memorabilia ... snatching up the Hall of Famer's storage unit at an auction ... and now TO is scrambling to get it back.

TMZ Sports has learned ... items in Owens' old storage unit in Atlanta were auctioned off after he stopped making payments to the company.

The stuff is really cool -- a custom bust of TO, old playbooks, autographed helmets, cleats, and even a copy of an NDA that we're assuming the NFLer gave to people at parties.

We reached out to TO, who says he had no idea his stuff was about to be auctioned off, telling us his people had been trying to make contact with the storage company for years but had been getting the runaround.

Furthermore, Owens is upset a heads up wasn't given before his valuables were sold, and is VERY interested in getting in contact with the current owner to reclaim his memories.

WWE legend Bret Hart was just tackled to the ground by a man who bumrushed the former wrestler while he was literally being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Bret was making his induction speech Saturday night during WWE's HOF ceremony -- in which BH and Jim The Anvil Neidhart were to be sworn in -- when out of nowhere a guy wearing what appeared to be a Rasta hat hopped into the ring and tried to take Bret down.

It wasn't a publicity stunt or a staged moment either -- security immediately swarmed in and dog piled the man, as other wrestlers nearby also hopped in to help. It was an immediate frenzy, if only momentarily.

You can tell the WWE community wasn't happy about the attempted take-down -- RAW Tag Team champ Dash Wilder unloaded one good sock to the face as security was dragging the dude away.

Even Ronda Rousey's husband, Travis Browne, got in on the action early ... as he leaped in to help Hart as soon as the guy made his way into the ring.

According to reports, the guy in question was removed from the building and Bret was able to finish his speech. Mind you ... Bret has suffered a stroke in the past.

Michael Avenatti has roped Zion Williamson into his Nike bribery allegations -- suggesting the shoe company paid the basketball star's mom to get him to go to Duke.

Avenatti tweeted out the accusation Friday night, writing ... "@DukeMBB - About this denial by Coach K the other day relating to payments by Nike...Can you please ask Zion Williamson's mother - Sharonda Sampson - whether she was paid by @nike for bogus 'consulting services' in 2016/2017 as part of a Nike bribe to get Zion to go to Duke? Thx."

The celeb attorney elaborated on his insinuation by saying in a follow-up tweet, "I almost forgot - long day - @DukeMBB can you also have your close friends at @Nike check their Nike Vendor Portal for payments to “Sharonda Sampson Consulting”. Just search 2016 to the present. Appreciate it." He didn't specify how much Nike allegedly paid her.

Avenatti went on to release a document dump of bank statements and memos on Saturday that he claims outlines Nike's alleged payments to high school basketball stars. Interestingly enough, alleged payments to Zion's mom are not included in the attachment.

Nonetheless, Duke Basketball is clearly taking the allegation seriously, as they issued a statement Saturday saying they were aware of Avenatti's claim and were "looking into it" while also adding, "Duke is fully committed to compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations."

It's interesting ... Zion has rocked Nike a lot since getting on the Duke squad, even after one of his PG 2.5 PE kicks blew out in a huge game against North Carolina earlier this year. ZW went on to wear Kyrie Irving's signature Nike shoe upon returning from injury.

Avenatti has implicated multiple basketball stars in his recent bribery claims, including Deandre Ayton and Bol Bol. Of course, Avenatti was indicted by the feds for allegedly attempting to extort Nike to keep all this info under wraps ... something Avenatti denies.

Seth Rollins says Brock Lesnar is SELFISH and everyone is sick of him ... and 'cause of that, NOBODY wants him in WWE.

TMZ Sports talked to Rollins -- who's fighting Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35 -- in NYC Friday night ... and there is absolutely ZERO love between the 2 superstars.

"He's not in it for anybody but himself. So, Brock Lesnar, he will tell you to your face that he is in this industry, he's in any industry, for himself to make his own money,"

"That's not what I'm about. I'm about giving back to a business I love, that has given me so much."

Still, Seth says even though Lesnar's a jerk ... he's a massive draw for fans.

"He's a box office attraction and everybody knows that. The problem is, he knows that as well, and he takes advantage of it every step of the way. So, he doesn't contribute to the locker room. He doesn't give anything back."

That's why, according to Rollins ... Lesnar -- who is an AMAZING athlete -- is persona non grata in the organization.

"I admire Brock Lesnar from a fighters perspective, from an athletes perspective. He's incredible. The way he trains for his fights. His mindset going in. He's a specimen unlike any other, and that's why he's able to do what he does."

"But, he doesn't inspire people, man. And, you need a champ who does that."

Will Rollins be that guy? We'll find out Sunday.