TMZ Sports - Page 50

Forget Conor McGregor ... UFC fighter Kevin Lee wants to throw down with Kamaru Usman next -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks that scrap would be WAY more challenging than one with The Notorious.

"He might not bring the attention and the money," Lee says ... "But, as a competitor, he'll bring a lot more."

Of course, Lee has been trying to set up a fight with Conor and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the last year ... telling us in the past he'd beat both their asses.

But now, he's saying those fights don't intrigue him as much as a possible scrap with Kamaru does ... saying, "Seeing what he did to Tyron Woodley, that's kind of adding a little bit to me."

Either way, Lee knows fights with any of those three won't go down if he can't get past Rafael dos Anjos in their ESPN+ fight this Saturday night ... which is why he tells us he's laser-focused on that scrap right now.

Multiple law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... the domestic violence case against Dodgers star pitcher Julio Urias is "weak" based on the evidence.

We're told the video of the incident does show Urias making physical contact with the woman during the March 13 altercation in the Beverly Center parking lot -- but as one source puts it, "It doesn't appear there's criminal intent to injure her."

One source says it appears Urias used his hands in an attempt to stop her from leaving the area during a heated argument.

In other words, it seems as though he was trying to restrain her, not strike her ... though the woman DID go to the ground at some point during the argument.

We're not trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation -- but rather, this is what we're being told by people who are involved in the case.

We're told both parties have been very cooperative with investigators and are telling consistent stories about what happened.

Urias was arrested for misdemeanor battery and spent the night in jail. He was released Tuesday morning on $20,000 bond.

Major League Baseball has placed Urias on administrative leave while they gather evidence.

Lamar Odom says he's addicted to sex -- and claims he's bedded more than 2,000 women ... including strippers and prostitutes.

Odom comes clean about his sex life in his soon to be released book, "Darkness to Light" -- where he says, "I have been obsessed with sex for as long as I can remember."

"There were too many strippers to count,” Odom said in an excerpt first provided to People ... "It wasn’t a big deal, but often I would pay them. I never thought less of them."

In the book, Odom also admits he cheated on Khloe Kardashian during their marriage -- and she found out.

"I was shocked and embarrassed,” Odom told People ... "I wanted to take it back, but you can’t. [I] wanted to hide it. But that sick sin was hard for me to hide ... I had a problem."

Odom and Kardashian were married in 2009 -- and even though they separated in 2013 ... they weren't officially divorced until 2016.

Odom also says porn addiction was a major issue for him -- and he was so obsessed with X-rated videos, "I ran out of porn to watch! That’s how you know when you are going a little overboard."

The 39-year-old also admitted to People that sex would trigger his drug use because it would allow him to "double up on that good feeling."

Of course, Odom's vices all came to a head at the Love Ranch brothel in Nevada in 2015 -- when the ex-NBA star overdosed during a cocaine and booze-fueled binge.

Odom says he still considers himself an addict -- but recently told TMZ Sports he feels like he's winning the battle.

Chris Sale's early season struggles are gone and the Red Sox star is officially back -- so says Pedro Martinez, who tells TMZ Sports ... Sale's 17-strikeout game Tuesday reminded him of him!!!

"Brought back some memories," Pedro says.

In case you missed it ... Sale got off to a BRUTAL start to this season -- he allowed 17 earned runs in his first 4 games -- and a whole lot of people wondered if the 30-year-old had anything left.

But, Sale's lit it up in his last 3 outings -- with 10, 14 and 17 K performances -- and now, Pedro is officially back on the 7-time All-Star's bandwagon.

In fact, Pedro tells us he couldn't help but think about his own career when Chris was mowing through the Rockies on Tuesday night ... 'cause he's the last Sox pitcher before Sale to strike out 17!

And, if ya don't remember how the Boston legend did that, here are the highlights ... you're welcome.

Bruce Willis has done a lot of cool things in his career ... but uh, this is bad. Like REALLY bad.

The "Die Hard" actor threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game on Wednesday ... and it's pretty damn embarrassing, considering it didn't even make it to the plate before hittin' the ground!!!

A couple of things to address -- 1. Bruce was standing a few feet IN FRONT of the mound and he still didn't reach the plate. 2. How did the "Die Hard" theme music blaring over the PA system NOT get him in the zone??? Dude shoulda been able to throw it a mile.

The boo birds let Willis have it ... and rightfully so. But, there's a silver lining here, Bruce -- at least it wasn't as bad as 50 Cent's first pitch in 2014.

That STILL gives us nightmares.

Kareem Hunt says he has NOT directly apologized to the victim in the 2018 hotel hallway attack -- but he wants to.

"I have not, but if I was to see her, I would apologize to her face," the Cleveland Browns running back told the media Wednesday.

"But, I have not had the chance to do that. I don't know any ways of contacting her. I have not."

Hunt was asked a bunch of questions about the incident -- and how he's been trying to improve as a person since TMZ Sports published the video of the attack.

Hunt says he's been going to counseling and has leaned into religion -- he's being baptized this Sunday and looks forward to the feeling of "being reborn."

The 23-year-old says he understands he's on thin ice with the Browns and feels grateful for his 2nd chance ... and vows to make the most of the opportunity.

Hunt insists he's grown as a person and has learned how to deal with his anger in a better way -- and will NOT make the same mistakes that got him in trouble in the first place.

Where should Zion Williamson GO FIRST when he touches down in New Orleans???

Not Bourbon Street. Not Cafe Du Monde. Not the strips clubs either.

There's a place in Nawlins that will IMMEDIATELY make the 18-year-old fall in love with the city ... this according to Louisana congressman Steve Scalise.

First off, Steve is FIRED UP about the New Orleans Pelicans getting the 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft and he's pretty confident the team will select Zion.

"Zion is going to love New Orleans," Scalise said ... "He said he's never been? I can't wait to serve him charbroiled oysters one day and welcome him to the city."

So, where does Zion need to go when he steps off the plane? Watch the clip!!!

Also, we just spoke with the woman responsible for the Pelicans getting the #1 pick -- Connie Halphen ... who gave her lucky angel doll to Pelicans honcho David Griffin for the NBA Draft Lottery.

Griffin hailed Halphen's angel for bringing all the luck to the Lottery -- so, we asked her for the backstory behind the lucky trinket.

Long story short, the angel has been around the world -- and brought good fortune to Connie's family throughout several decades.

The story is pretty great -- ya gotta watch for yourself!!!

Chicago Cubs star Ben Zobrist and his Christian pop singer wife are headin' for Splitsville ... 'cause Julianna Zobrist has filed for divorce ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

There's been speculation about their relationship after Zobrist left the team last week due to "personal reasons" ... and Julianna deleted her Twitter and scrubbed her IG of most of their pics together.

Court records in Illinois show the singer filed the docs on Monday ... confirming the split is in the works.

Ben was the World Series MVP when the Cubs won in 2016. He's also a 3-time All-Star.

Julianna is a pretty successful singer -- 1 single from her 2016 album, "Shatterproof," hit the Billboard charts.

She also famously performed "God Bless America" at Wrigley Field before Game 4 of the 2016 World Series (the Cubs ended up losing that game).

Zobrist and Julianna have been married since 2005 and 3 kids together -- a son and 2 daughters.

Ex-UFC star Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is fighting back in his domestic violence case -- pleading not guilty to allegations he roughed up his girlfriend during a dispute earlier this month.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 35-year-old fighter was arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida on May 6 after his girlfriend told cops Johnson got physical with her during an argument.

According to the police report, Johnson told cops at the time he DID pick up the woman to carry her to another room because he was sick of arguing ... but insists he never intended to hurt her.

Johnson was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery -- and his attorney just submitted a not guilty plea on the fighter's behalf.

If he's convicted, Johnson faces up to 1 year in jail.

Johnson already has a domestic violence conviction on his record from 2009 -- when he pled no contest in an incident involving an ex-girlfriend.

He's due back in court for the current case next month.

Olivia Jade's letting her family's lawyers do the lawyering ... and she'll handle the partying.

Lori Loughlin's daughter was spotted out in Hollywood with some friends around 2 AM Wednesday, after leaving the popular nightclub, Bootsy Bellows. She was dressed pretty casual, which seems to be her approach to dealing with her parents' involvement in the college admissions scandal.

The timing of her outing is interesting, though ... Olivia hit the town just as things got more difficult for her mom and dad Mossimo Giannulli. A USC soccer coach who was a critical link in the admissions scam just copped a plea Tuesday ... and insiders say the coach may provide info about the motives of rich parents who wanted to get their students into the university.

As we've reported ... Lori and Mossimo allegedly paid $500k in bribes to get Olivia and her sister into USC under false pretenses.

There's a chance Olivia could eventually be called to testify in her parents' case, but clearly she's not spending her nights preparing for it ... unless one of those guys she's with is an attorney.

Shaquille O'Neal is reveling in New York's misery -- saying he LOVES the fact the Knicks lost the Zion Williamson sweepstakes!!!

"I'm so happy that the Knicks didn't get their first pick," Shaq said in New York early Wednesday morning.

"I'm here [in NYC] the next day, Knick fans are so pissed and I'm loving it!"

Of course, the Knicks were in the running to get the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday -- but the ping pong balls didn't bounce their way ... and they wound up with the #3 pick.

The New Orleans Pelicans ended up with the #1 pick -- and most people believe they'll select Zion when the Draft kicks off on June 20.

But, Shaq says it's not a lock ... suggesting the Pelicans could even trade the first pick. He loves the drama!!!

As for the Knicks, Shaq says he thinks NYC will make a strong move for Zion's former Duke teammate, RJ Barrett ... but he also says teams should keep their eye on another possible superstar.

"The guy everyone should be looking at is Bol Bol," Shaq said ... "Bol Bol can play. He's the real deal."

Cal Ripken ain't ready to ride in on a white horse and save the struggling Orioles -- he tells TMZ Sports he's happy right now and doesn't want a front office role in Baltimore ... yet.

"I don't know about this phase of my life," the Hall of Famer says ... "I kind of like relaxing a little bit."

It's almost like Cal watched the whole Magic Johnson experiment with the Lakers and decided, "Hey, that's not for me!"

Of course, the Orioles are the second worst team in baseball this season ... and haven't been a threat in the AL East since in years.

They've traded away Manny Machado and Zach Britton, dropped Adam Jones ... and have one of the worst rosters in the sport today.

But, Cal tells us he ain't ready to be a part of the front office that fixes it all ... saying he's happy with what he's doing these days -- which is basically being an unofficial ambassador for the sport.

Ya gotta see the way Ripken still signs autograph after autograph ... just like he did when he played.

Cal does have hope for Baltimore nonetheless ... he says he "kind of likes" these rebuilding periods, telling us, "Every time this happens, young guys get an opportunity."

Usain Bolt is Bird hunting -- joining forces with a rival eScooter company in the hopes of taking over as the LEADER in the 2-wheel vehicle space.

The Olympic legend is a spokesperson for Bolt -- a "transportation" company that touts itself as "the future of mobility."

The company claims the scooters are environmentally friendly with zero emissions -- and they have several models, some of which contain storage space for groceries.

The company operates similarly to Bird and Lime -- users find scooters using an app, and then activate and pay through their smartphones.

So far, Bolt is operational in several U.S. cities -- but now, they're looking to expand internationally ... which is why Usain is currently riding his scooter through Paris.

Deontay Wilder says Anthony Joshua is straight-up DELUSIONAL if he thinks he holds the cards when it comes to negotiating their long-awaited super fight ... saying AJ is now a "desperate" man.

Wilder couldn't wait to fire back at Joshua after the British heavyweight told TMZ Sports that Wilder should "come see me" about putting a fight contract together.

"WE DID THAT 5 TIMES," Wilder told us ... "And, they denied me! So, I don't want to hear him talking about 'coming to see me' because we came and saw you, ya'll still ran!!!"

In other words, Wilder says he went to Joshua multiple times with various fight offers -- including a $50 MILLION upfront check if AJ would agree to throw down. But, Wilder says his offers were rejected every time.

Now, Wilder says Joshua is desperately seeking a high-profile opponent -- and has "nowhere to go" -- essentially claiming Joshua has lost all negotiating power.

"Now you want me to come and see you? Nah. Now it's on our terms. We'll come and see you when we WANT to come and see you," Wilder says.

Wilder says he's sick of being the one who always has to make concessions -- and says it's Joshua who should be BEGGING him for the privilege of fighting him.

Meanwhile, Wilder says he's got his sights set on Dominic Breazeale -- they're fighting on Saturday, May 18 at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn ... and Deontay says it's personal.

Back in Feb. 2017 -- the two got into a major brawl at an Alabama hotel after fighting on the same card earlier that night.

Wilder says he felt incredibly disrespected by Dominic -- and vows to make him pay for the incident when they step in the ring.

"When you make it personal for me, now I really want to hurt you," Wilder said.

Ayesha Curry says she made a "rash decision" to get her boobs done after having her 2nd kid in 2015 -- but says her doctor did horrible work and left her with "the most botched boob job on the face of the planet."

30-year-old Ayesha who's married to NBA superstar Steph Curry -- opened up about the surgery to Working Mother ... saying at the time she was dealing with postpartum depression.

"I didn’t realize at the time, but after having Ryan, I was battling a bit of postpartum that lingered for a while," Ayesha said.

"It came in the form of me being depressed about my body ... So I made a rash decision. The intention was just to have them lifted, but I came out with these bigger boobs I didn’t want."

"I got the most botched boob job on the face of the planet. They’re worse now than they were before. I would never do anything like that again, but I’m an advocate of if something makes you happy, who cares about the judgment?"

Ayesha has since had a 3rd kid -- Canon Curry -- and says she's been able to develop more self-confidence in being a working mom.

Of course, Ayesha is a pretty well-respected chef -- who recently teamed up with chef Michael Mina to open International Smoke restaurants all over the country.

4:20 PM PT -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has addressed Urias' arrest ... saying the team will let the league's investigation "run its course" to gather more information.

2:50 PM PT -- The MLB has confirmed Urias has been placed on administrative leave while the league conducts an investigation into the matter.

An MLB rep says the administrative leave is effective today and can last up to 7 days.

Sources tell TMZ Sports the administrative leave can be extended -- potentially multiple times -- while the investigation is active.

Bottom line -- it could be a while before Urias takes the mound again.

8:55 AM PT -- The Dodgers are commenting on the Urias arrest ... telling TMZ Sports, "We learned about the alleged incident this morning and are in the process of gathering information."

"As a result, we have no comment at this time regarding the incident. However, every allegation of domestic violence must be taken seriously and addressed promptly, and we will cooperate fully with the authorities and Major League Baseball to ensure that that happens in this case."

L.A. Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias -- a rising star in the organization -- was arrested for domestic violence Monday night ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 22-year-old was arrested at 9:30 PM in Los Angeles after an incident at the Beverly Center, an upscale shopping area.

We're told a witness called cops claiming Urias was in the parking lot arguing with a female companion and shoved her to the ground.

Cops responded and spoke with the woman, who denied anything physical took place ... and insisted it was nothing more than a heated verbal argument.

However, sources connected to the situation tell us ... witnesses were adamant they saw Urias push the woman and video from the scene appeared to back up the witness accounts.

Urias was arrested and transported to a nearby station where he was booked for misdemeanor domestic battery.

He spent the night behind bars and bailed out early Tuesday morning after posting $20,000 bail.

The left-hander made his MLB debut in 2016 when he was 19 years old. He missed a lot of time over the last couple of years due to injuries but he's been on fire in 2019, winning 2 games and saving 2 games for the 1st place Dodgers so far this season.