TMZ Sports - Page 50

Anderson Silva ain't mincing words when it comes to his message for Dana White ... telling TMZ Sports he wants a fight with Conor McGregor ASAP!!!!

"Come on, boss," Silva says ... "Give this show for the fans. Give this show for the fans of UFC."

Remember, Silva has pleaded with the UFC honcho ever since Conor said in October 2018 he'd be "interested" in scrapping with Anderson.

But, Silva tells us he's still dead serious about making the fight happen ... and he even explained to Dana why the UFC should set it up!!!

"It's good money for you, Dana. And, a good challenge for me and Conor."

Silva says the fight should take place at a 180 pounds ... which means Conor would have to go up from his normal 155-pound division -- but Anderson says it'll be worth it in the end.

"That's the good fight for me and Conor ... It's a super, super, super fight."

Luke Perry's son opened up about how much it meant for the late actor to work alongside his son on "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" ... calling it the pinnacle of his career.

Jack Perry jumped on Chris Jericho's "Talk is Jericho" podcast on Westwood One Podcast Network last week and opened up in detail about his father for the first time since the late '90210' star died in March from a massive stroke.

Check out the audio ... Jack -- who recently signed a pro wrestling deal with All Elite Wrestling and goes by Jungle Boy -- recalled how his father was the one who was adamant about Jack joining him in Quentin Tarantino's 9th film.

Luke joins Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie in the 60s flick that chronicles Charles Manson's most famous victim, Sharon Tate. Jack revealed that Luke landing a role in the star-studded cast was the highlight of his career. Working alongside Jack was the cherry on top.

Two days after Luke died, Jack wrote a heartfelt tribute to his father for supporting him in everything ... and especially wrestling.

"Jeopardy" phenom James Holzhauer says if he had to compare himself to a pro athlete, he'd DEFINITELY go with DeShaun Watson ... because he can do it all!!!

Holzhauer -- who's chasing Ken Jennings for most winnings in "Jeopardy" history -- appeared on FS1's "Lock It In" on Tuesday to talk about his pre-game show life as a pro sports bettor.

During the show, Holzhauer said he was a hardcore online poker player before making the jump to sports gambling -- but now he puts together complex mathematical models to find an advantage when it comes to wagering on games.

Holzhauer says he bets on everything from football to hockey to college basketball -- and LOVES to make in-game wagers because he thinks he has an edge because the oddsmakers don't have enough time to set an accurate line.

And, just to prove he ALWAYS wins, Holzhauer told the guys he bet on the Rams to beat the Saints in the 2018 NFC championship game ... but he had 3.5 points, so he didn't care which team kicked the winning field goal in overtime!!!

One last thing ... Holzhauer wasn't afraid to talk TRASH to the hosts of the show. When asked which host would do the best on "Jeopardy," James told the group whichever person is smart enough to "keep your trap shut" for the entire game so they wouldn't fall below $0.

MMA star Kayla Harrison tells TMZ Sports she's 100% confident she could take Khabib Nurmagomedov in a judo match ... if he's man enough to step up!!!

Don't get it twisted, Kayla's not calling for a fist fight -- but if Khabib is down for a pure judo match, Kayla says she KNOWS she can win.

FYI, Harrison was a 2-time Olympic gold medalist (2012 and 2016 games) before making the switch to MMA. She's considered the most decorated American judo athlete of all time.

So, could she beat up some of the top guys in MMA???

No. Kayla knows she has a disadvantage when it comes to fighting men in mixed martial arts fight -- but she believes she's got the skill, speed and strength to beat men on the judo mat.

"Am I gonna beat Khabib? I mean I think I would beat him in a judo match. For sure. 100%. I would beat Khabib."

Of course, Khabib is known to have one of the most ferocious ground games in the UFC -- but without the ability to punch, Kayla thinks she has the advantage.

You can see Kayla put her skills on display when she takes on Larissa Pacheco in the main event at PFL1 on Thursday.

... and if Khabib's looking for some groundwork, he might wanna hit her up after the fight.

We also spoke with Kayla's manager, Ali Abdelaziz -- who also manages Khabib -- and he says he's down to set something up ... as long as the money's right!!!

This is scary stuff ... NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin fell ill while behind the wheel of his #11 car during a race at Dover on Monday when carbon monoxide gas began seeping inside of his ride.

The 38-year-old says he felt sick and experienced double vision and was treated by medical staff on pit road after he finished the race in 21st place.

According to the AP, Hamlin's car had been struck by debris on the track -- which knocked out his rear right crush panel and created an opening which allowed the dangerous fumes to enter the inside of the car.

Video from reporter Davey Segal shows Hamlin receiving oxygen and water. He looks exhausted -- but overall okay.

FYI, carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke -- it can be deadly if inhaled at high levels.

Dwyane Wade is ready for the TB12 method -- no, not the avocado ice cream and weird stretches stuff -- the NBA superstar wants Gabrielle Union to start making Gisele money!!!

If ya missed it ... Tom Brady made waves this past week when he told Jimmy Kimmel he can afford to take massive pay cuts from the Patriots because his wife brings home the bacon in their relationship.

When we got D-Wade and Gabby after the Met Gala on Monday night ... we had to ask for their thoughts on Brady's admission.

Gabby's reaction? "Smart man."

Wade's reaction? PURE JEALOUSY!!!

"Very smart man," Wade told us ... "That's what I'm trying to get!"

Of course, Wade was just kiddin' around ... Gabby does just fine in their relationship -- she's an A-list Hollywood celeb.

Country House -- the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby -- will NOT get a shot at the Triple Crown after his owner pulled him from the Preakness because the horse developed a bad cough.

"He developed a little bit of a cough this morning," trainer Bill Mott told the Daily Racing Form.

"His appetite is good. He doesn't have a fever. But he's coughing. We drew blood. He's acting like he's going to get sick. He's off the training list, and if he's off the training list, he's off the Preakness list."

Mott believes the illness is probably a "little viral thing" but he doesn't want to take any chances and feels it's best to pull Country House from the May 18 race.

"Hopefully it doesn't develop into anything serious. Usually when something like this happens, a horse misses a couple weeks of training. He's not seriously sick right now, but he's showing indications that something is going on."

Probably a smart move considering Country House is now set to make a FORTUNE as a stud horse -- and the owners must feel there's not much to gain in running a sick horse in the Preakness.

Country House was named Kentucky Derby winner after Maximum Security was DQ'd for interfering with other horses during the race.

Jason Pierre-Paul's car crash was worse than initially thought -- the Tampa Bay Bucs star reportedly broke his neck in the accident and will likely miss the 2019 season.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... JPP was the driver in a single-car crash in Florida early Thursday morning. He was transported to a local hospital but released a short time later.

Now, ESPN's Adam Schefter says Pierre-Paul fractured his neck in the crash will likely require season-ending surgery. He's currently visiting neck specialists.

As we previously reported, the 30-year-old was not accused of any wrongdoing and he was NOT speeding -- we're told it was merely an accident.

Pierre-Paul is in the middle of a 4-year, $62-million deal with the Bucs, and as a key member of the defense.

This isn't the first time JPP has had an off-field incident -- he infamously had a fireworks accident in 2015, and later returned to the field to perform at a high level.

Another night, another model for NFL star Julian Edelman!!!

This time, the New England Patriots wide receiver was getting VERY up close and personal with model Fernanda Liz after the Met Gala in New York.

For those unfamiliar, Fernanda is GORGEOUS!!!

She's a 5'11" high-end fashion model who's been on the cover of Brazilian Vogue magazine -- and featured in Elle, Marie Claire and Harrods Magazine.

Fernanda has also done a ton of bikini modeling -- which we happened to find on her IG page -- and yeah, she's killing that part of the game too.

Our model sources tell us ... the two are not in a serious relationship -- it's just casual at this point. Seems to be going well based on the photo of the two embracing in NYC!!!

One thing we know for sure ... they look damn good together!!!

Edelman has been connected to models in the past -- he dated Adriana Lima a while back and has a daughter with Swedish model Ella Rose.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is getting high praise from Elizabeth Warren -- who says she "admires" Cora for his decision to boycott Trump's White House over his treatment of Puerto Rico.

"He's right," Warren said about Cora ... "It's bad over there."

Cora -- who's from Puerto Rico -- announced he would NOT join the Red Sox at the White House on Thursday to be honored by the President for winning the 2018 World Series.

In his statement, Cora said he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

And, when we saw Senator Warren [D-Mass] in D.C. Tuesday morning, she told us why she's throwing ALL of her support behind the MLB manager.

"He did this in a clear and respectful manner but he said, 'I can't go and show up for a photo op with someone who's been withholding funds from Puerto Rico.'"

"There's a lot of suffering going on over there," Warren added ... "I admire what [Cora is] doing."

Cleveland Indians superstar Trevor Bauer says he received death threats after getting rocked in his start Monday night ... claiming one fan told him, "I will kill you."

Bauer -- one of the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young this season -- gave up 10 hits and 8 runs to the White Sox ... and when he returned to the locker room to check his phone, he says it was filled with hate.

"I really hope you and your family die in a car crash," Bauer says one fan wrote.

"I am Chinese. I will kill you," he says another sent him.

Bauer claims one even said, "How do u let white sox smack the sh*t out of u. F**king f**."

Bauer took to Twitter to blast Instagram for allowing the comments to hit his phone afterward, saying, "Stop online harassment, bullying, and hate speech."

"@instagram your platform doesn’t seem to give me a way to report this crap. Do you condone this type of behavior on your platform?"

Bauer's been one of the top pitchers in the MLB this year ... he was 4-1 heading into Monday's start.

"One thing about football is that nobody really cares what you say if you can play."

That's how Richard Sherman views the situation regarding his new 49ers teammate, Nick Bosa -- who's been at the center of controversy over tweets about Donald Trump and Colin Kaepernick.

Remember, back when he was a college student at Ohio State, Bosa referred to Kap as a "clown" -- which is interesting considering Sherman has been a strong supporter of Colin ever since the QB first began taking a knee during the national anthem.

The #2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft also acknowledged scrubbing his social media pages of pro-Trump comments out of fear liberal fans in San Francisco wouldn't embrace him when he was drafted.

Sherman was asked about the situation by the Sacramento Bee -- and essentially said Bosa's views and previous comments won't matter if the guy produces on the field on Sundays.

“It’s not like something where guys are like, ‘Hey man, what about what you said?’ No. No. If he can play, he can play. If he can’t play, he won’t be here," Sherman said.

"But at the end of the day, that’s all that matters in football. Is he getting sacks on Sunday? Is he helping our team? Is he being a good teammate? Those are things that matter."

"Now, if he’s a bad teammate, that’s something we’ll address."

The star cornerback also weighed in on possible racial issues in the locker room stemming from Bosa's tweets and comments.

"At the end of the day, I think a guy that has played with African Americans his whole life, not saying he can’t be racist, but they know how to maneuver around African Americans," Sherman said.

NFL legend Jim Brown tells TMZ Sports he had tremendous respect for John Singleton -- not only because he was incredibly talented, but he used his talents to bring communities together.

"One of a kind," Brown said on the way out of Singleton's funeral in L.A. on Monday ... "Loved his people. No negatives."

We couldn't find any evidence that Brown and Singleton ever worked on a project together -- seems the Hall of Famer just admired him for everything he accomplished.

In fact, when we brought up Singleton's resume -- and his most famous film "Boyz n the Hood" -- Brown talked about the impact he had on America.

"That was a tremendous breakthrough and one of a kind," Brown said.

You can tell from the clip, Brown appreciated everything Singleton accomplished and stood for.

You think New England Patriots star Julian Edelman is gonna just sit there and be quiet when some jerk NY Jets fan is running his mouth talking smack?!?!

NOPE!

Jules calmly fired back at the Jets heckler Monday night with a truth bomb -- and shut the guy down right in front of Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley!!

So, here's the deal ... the NFL stars were all leaving a post-Met Gala party at the Standard Line Hotel in New York ... when some guy started trashing the NY Giants when he saw Saquon and Odell.

The heckler told the group, "Saquon, sorry buddy, [I'm a] Jets fan!"

That's when Edelman walked right up to the guy and explained, "I'm a Jets fan too. Every time we play 'em, we win."

Boom.

It's true, ever since Edelman joined the Pats back in 2009, his team has a 16-5 record against the Jets ... complete domination.

Anyway, Edelman and his NFL pals continued to have a great night -- while the Jets fan was forced to sit and think about how they're probably gonna suck again in 2019.

Ex-UFC star Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was arrested for domestic violence Monday night after admitting he got physical during an argument with his girlfriend, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, a woman called police to report an altercation with her boyfriend, Anthony Johnson.

The woman claimed she had started to pack AJ's belongings to throw him out of the house when he forcefully picked her up -- "put her in a football hold" -- and carried her into another room.

The woman claims "she was scared due to his size and martial arts experience."

FYI, 35-year-old Johnson is a former UFC star who was 22-6 as a pro -- with wins over stars like Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader and Alexander Gustafsson.

Cops say the woman did not have any visible injuries.

When cops spoke with Johnson that night, he admitted he had grabbed the woman and carried her during the argument -- but says his intention was never to hurt her. Johnson claimed he simply didn't want to argue anymore.

Cops determined Johnson's actions warranted a domestic violence arrest -- so they took him into custody and hauled him to a nearby station where he was booked on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

Johnson retired from the UFC back in 2017 -- after losing to Daniel Cormier. His profession on the police report is listed as "body building."

Lori Loughlin may have gotten an assist in her defense -- good old-fashioned ignorance -- 'cause her daughters almost perfectly fit the mold with how women's rowing teams recruit.

An ad for the USC women's crew team popped up on campus over the weekend -- and we for sure thought it couldn't have been real ... seeing how tone-deaf it came off and the implications behind it, considering Olivia Jade and Isabella's "no experience."

Well ... turns out, the poster is real because we've been educated on how USC women's rowing teams work when it comes to recruiting walk-ons and the like.

A USC alum who was actually a coxswain at the university tells us women's rowing teams often recruit potential teammates who have zero experience in the sport -- which is kinda what Olivia Jade and Isabella were coming to the table with.

Typically, the way it works is that you already have to be a student to qualify for the team ... it's not for some random people on the street who want in at USC.

But, here's the thing ... in Lori's case, prosecutors have to prove criminal intent to seal a conviction. Sources connected with Lori's defense claim Lori didn't know the $500k payoff was shady, even if the plan was to pretend her daughters were crew-team ready. The poster would seem to help Lori and her husband, both of whom are charged with multiple felonies, because crew experience doesn't seem to be essential.