TMZ Sports - Page 50

Conor McGregor's getting closer to his UFC return ... Dana White says The Notorious will fight early next year, and his opponent could be Nate Diaz or Jorge Masvidal.

McGregor hasn't fought since being submitted by Khabib at UFC 229 in October 2018 ... and many fans have wondered if Conor would ever fight again.

The answer to that question is hell yes.

"Early next year."

Khabib rematch??? No, not yet ... according to Dana.

"That's possible too down the road. I think Conor would fight somebody else before that."

That somebody else could be the winner of Diaz-Masvidal -- who are fighting at UFC 244 on November 2 at Madison Square Garden.

Conor against either guy would be HUGE. CM and Nate's first 2 fights are some of the biggest in the history of the UFC.

As for Masvidal ... he and McGregor have been talkin' trash, and both have said they want the fight.

White's previously said Masvidal -- who fights at 170 pounds -- is too big for Conor ... but it looks like the boss changed his mind.

We also talked to Dana about Khabib's future ... and who the lightweight champ will fight next.

"Tony Ferguson is the fight that needs to happen. We've tried to do it 4 other times so hopefully, we can do it this time. But, that's the fight that makes sense."

Khabib's openly said he wants a super fight with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre ... and when we asked White about a Nurmagomedov-GSP fight, he left the door wide open.

"That can happen too. So, we'll see what happens with Tony. Ya know Tony's had opportunities before that he didn't take, so if he doesn't, I'd be interested in talking about GSP."

Ex-NBA player Ty Lawson allegedly snapped and beat the hell out of a woman on a car ride to a club ... and now, he's being sued over the whole incident.

A woman named Jonae Keyes says back on May 5, she was giving Ty and her friend a ride to a club ... when Lawson and her friend began arguing in the backseat.

In the suit filed by Farid Yaghoubtil, Keyes claims the argument turned physical ... and when she tried to intervene -- she says the 5-foot-11, 195-pound former point guard unexpectedly turned violent toward her.

She says 31-year-old Lawson grabbed her by the neck, choked her and began punching her in the head. She claims she never fought back during the altercation.

She says she suffered physical and psychological damages -- and now, she's suing the former NBA player for an unspecified amount.

We've reached out to Lawson for comment on the suit ... but, so far, no word back.

Ty was a stud in the NBA for nearly a decade after being picked in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft ... averaging 12.7 points per game over nine seasons.

Phoenix Suns stud Kelly Oubre Jr. claims his ex-girlfriend stole his two dogs after they broke up in May ... and now, he's suing her.

It's all in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, in which the NBA player claims he's having a miserable time breaking things off with his ex, Makena Spooner LeDuff.

Oubre says the two began dating back in mid-2017 when he was a member of the Washington Wizards ... and things were going so well, they stayed together when he was traded to Phoenix in 2018.

In fact, Oubre claims when he rented a place in Beverly Hills shortly after the deal with the Suns ... he allowed her to live there with him.

But, Oubre says things took a terrible turn when the two broke things off in May ... alleging 27-year-old Makena has been a nightmare.

In the lawsuit, Oubre claims she's refused to leave his Bev Hills spot, slashed the tires on his car, stolen some of his stuff ... and worst of all, taken his two beloved dogs.

Oubre says he got the pups -- Saint and Soul -- before he met Makena ... and claims she is now "holding them hostage" in an effort to try to get money from the NBA player.

Oubre says he tried like hell to get them back from her -- even getting the LAPD involved in August -- but says she's successfully avoided returning them to him.

Now, Oubre -- who's in the middle of a 2-year, $30 MILLION contract -- is suing her for damages.

Jeanie Buss is teaming up with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck to launch a new tequila company ... but don't worry, Laker Nation -- she still wants to WHOOP that Boston ass!!!

The Lakers owner spoke with TMZ Sports at Catch Steak in NYC about the launch of their new tequila, Cincoro -- along with Michael Jordan and Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens.

Buss says even though all the owners are gettin' chummy and bonding over Cincoro booze, they're all focused on destroying each other when the season comes around.

"Just because we created a tequila doesn't mean I don't wanna beat him on the court ... and that is the whole goal, is to always beat the Celtics," Jeanie says. "And, he knows that and he wants to beat me too!!!"

"This is what the world needs to know, that even the people that you compete with, at the end of the day, you can lay down your swords and come together and be friends and respect each other. It's always important to respect your opponent."

Aww ... that's touching as hell, Jeanie.

Antonio Brown wouldn't answer when asked about an NFL probe into allegations he raped a woman ... telling Patriots media, "I appreciate that question. I'm just here to focus on ball."

The new New England superstar finally met with reporters for the first time since signing with the team earlier this month ... and took a whopping 4 questions from the media.

Altogether, the locker-room presser lasted about a minute ... and Brown sounded more like Bill Belichick when it came to the hard-hitting Qs.

"I'm super grateful to be here, to play for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady," Brown said to the first question about the looming NFL investigation.

"I've got a lot of the offense to learn and catch up. But, I'm excited and grateful to be here and be a part of these guys."

The league is currently trying to figure out what to do with Brown after Britney Taylor alleged he raped her in the Miami area back in 2018.

In her civil lawsuit against the receiver, Taylor also alleges he sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions in the Pittsburgh area in 2017.

BT reportedly met with NFL investigators for 10 HOURS earlier this week ... but so far, no word on what the league is planning to do with Brown after that meeting.

"I don't think that he's done. I can see him in Jacksonville."

Plaxico Burress says he's envisioning a Tom Coughlin-Eli Manning reunion down in Florida ... telling TMZ Sports he's predicting Eli could end up on the Jags at some point this season.

"I don't believe that No. 10 is done," Eli's former favorite receiver says ... "I could see him down in Jacksonville reuniting with the great Tom Coughlin."

Of course, all the stars are aligning to make the move happen. The Jags' starter, Nick Foles, is injured ... and Manning's just been benched in NY for first-round pick Daniel Jones.

Plaxico tells us it just makes sense for Eli to leave New York now, saying, "I would be really happy for him to see that happen."

"I know that the fire still burns for him to go out and compete and to play this game," Burress added.

"I think that his time over in New York may be over, but as far as going somewhere else and playing football, I believe that he can still do that."

We also took a trip down memory lane with Burress ... and he walked us through what it was like going on that final drive with Eli to win Super Bowl XLII over the 18-0 Patriots.

Kevin Durant is clearly recovering well after tearing his Achilles ... TMZ Sports got the guy walking around in NYC this week -- and he's showing no signs of a limp!!!

Of course, it's only been about 12 weeks since the NBA superstar had surgery to fix his right leg ... but from the looks of things, he's healing up nicely.

It's been a pretty crappy few months since he tore his Achilles on June 10 during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals ... we got him shortly after surgery, and he looked pretty miserable.

Even last month, when we shot him walking out of Catch restaurant in L.A. ... he had significant hitch in his giddy up.

But, this week, dude seems to be moving around fine ... which is good news for his new team, the Brooklyn Nets, who inked the guy to a 4-year, $164 MILLION deal!!

Kevin is expected to miss the entire season this year recovering ... but if he keeps healing up this way -- maybe there's a chance Kyrie will be passing him the rock this season after all?

New York Yankees star pitcher Domingo German has been placed on administrative leave while Major League Baseball investigates allegations of domestic violence.

A source tells TMZ Sports the alleged incident happened earlier this week after the Yankees returned from their road trip in Toronto. We're working on more details.

For their part, the Yankees have announced they fully support the MLB's decision saying, "We support this policy which reinforces that domestic violence has no place in our society and cannot be tolerated."

"We have followed the lead of Major League Baseball and will continue to provide our complete cooperation throughout the investigative process."

Under MLB policy, German's stay on Administrative Leave can last up to seven days ... although the league has the power to extend that timeline.

German has been a stud for the Yanks this season, winning 18 games with 153 strikeouts in 143 innings.

The 27-year-old just pitched for New York at Yankees Stadium on Wednesday night ... throwing 2.1 innings and giving up just 1 hit and no runs.

He was expected to be relied on heavily when the Yanks kick off their run toward their 28th World Series championship this October.

Story developing ...

Nike has cut ties with Antonio Brown following claims he raped his personal trainer ... with a rep for the company confirming to TMZ Sports that the NE Patriots superstar is "not a Nike athlete."

While the Swoosh will not elaborate on the decision behind the move ... it comes after Britney Taylor filed a federal lawsuit, alleging Brown forcibly raped her in 2018 ... among other accusations (all of which AB denies).

AB had a signature shoe deal with Nike ... the Nike Tech Trainer Antonio Brown was released in February and sold for $100. The kicks have since been scrubbed from the site.

Brown also lost his deal with helmet manufacturer Xenith last week.

AB signed a 1-year, $15 million deal with the Pats after getting cut by the Raiders on September 7 ... and played his first game with New England during week 2.

We should note, AB was rocking white Nike cleats last Sunday against the Dolphins.

The NY Giants benched Eli Manning, but the teams dreadful 0-2 start ain't his fault ... that blame falls squarely on the team's terrible defense -- so says NYG legend Antrel Rolle.

The D's given up 63 points in their 2 losses (only the Fins have been scored on more) ... and they've allowed 9 TD drives of over 70 yards. They're at or near the bottom of every defensive statistic. They can't stop anyone ... and that's the real issue according to AR.

"Defensively, that's just not it. I'm a guy that's always brutally honest. I give it to them raw. Not saying those guys don't possess talent, but right now I'm seeing one, a lack of leadership, I'm seeing two, lack of identity, and three, a lack of toughness" ... Rolle tells us.

"I don't see any toughness. I don't see them knocking guys over, I don't see them getting in anyone's face. I don't see any nastiness. As a defensive player, you gotta be nasty."

Rolle knows the Giants and he knows defense. He's a former 8th overall pick who made 3 Pro Bowls and was a defensive leader on the Giants squad that beat Tom Brady at Super Bowl 46 in 2012.

We asked Antrel what he'd say to the Giants defense if he was in front of the players.

"I'd have to work on not losing my sh*t."

So, yeah, it's hard for Rolle to watch. But, despite how bad they look on the field, AR says it ain't all bad.

The H.S. wrestler who was forced to cut his dreadlocks before a wrestling match is happy the referee behind the incident was punished... but his attorney tells TMZ Sports the guy should be BANNED for LIFE.

Alan Maloney was suspended 2 seasons by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Wednesday ... after telling the 16-year-old Andrew Johnson (who is black) to either cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit a Dec. 2018 match.

The wrestler's attorney, Dominic Speziali, tells TMZ Sports Johnson and his family "welcome" the punishment and call it a win "for the progress of civil rights in New Jersey" ... but feel it could have been more significant.

"The results of the [Division of Civil Rights]'s investigation leaves no doubt that repeatedly disgraced referee Alan Maloney was flat-out wrong in his abhorrent treatment of Andrew."

"It is our opinion that any individual with such a storied history of race-based incidents and continuing questions about his credibility should not face a limited suspension of two-years, but should be permanently barred from officiating."

The family also points out that the investigation determined Maloney lied about the reasoning behind the dread cutting when he claimed Johnson had "tape or rubber bands in his hair" ... which multiple witnesses told investigators was not true.

"With today's announcement, we hope that no athlete going forward will be forced to sacrifice their identity for the opportunity to compete."

Surreal scene at Fenway Park on Wednesday ... Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski threw out the first pitch of the night to his grandson -- Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemksi!!!

The odds of seeing this moment are wild ... to have Mike be called up from the minors this year AND to have S.F.'s schedule put the team in Boston this season are incredible coincidences.

But, the two squads took advantage of the opportunity -- allowing 80-year-old Carl to hurl the first pitch to 29-year-old Mike before the Giants played the Sox in the 2nd game of their 3-game series.

The video of the interaction is spine-tingling ... Mike has a huge smile on his face the whole time, and Carl -- one of Boston's all-time greatest athletes -- is clearly loving the moment too.

The Yastzemski's shared an embrace in the middle of the diamond after throw ... and when the game ended, Mike called it all "special."

"Honestly, I was thinking about the last time we had played catch," Mike said. "I remembered a time probably during Thanksgiving when I must have been 7 or 8 at his house."

"Being able to relive that and to go through that again on this type of scale and to have such a warm welcome from everyone was really awesome."

Mike killed it in his debut in the same batter's box Carl used to play in ... so far in the series, he's 3-for-11 with a home run, 4 runs scored and 2 RBIs. His team's gotten both wins too!

Dennis Rodman says his relationship with Madonna could have been a lot richer for him ... if he could have only gotten her pregnant, 'cause the "Material Girl" offered him $20 million for a baby.

The Worm sat down on "The Breakfast Club" with Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, and Angela Yee when the talk turned to his mid-90's relationship with Madonna.

That's when Dennis dropped the bombshell, saying that Madonna was so hard up to have his baby at the time, that she was willing to shell out BIG CASH for progeny.

"She asked me that if I got her pregnant she'd pay me $20 million."

Rodman says there was only one catch, and that was that the baby had to be born for him to collect the loot. Here's the thing though, it doesn't seem like Dennis is kidding around here.

It didn't stop there, Rodman says he doesn't think he's the only guy Madonna made the offer to, claiming that her pregnancy -- and child -- with Miami trainer Carlos Leon might've been a similar arrangement.

Hey, if you got the money ...

Parachuters at the Leagues Cup final on Wednesday night caused a MASSIVE freak-out in Las Vegas ... 'cause people legitimately thought they were aliens!!!

Before Cruz Azul and Tigres UANL faced off for the championship at Sam Boyd Stadium ... members of the U.S. Navy Parachute Team flew down from the sky with pyrotechnics strapped to them.

The problem? Not all Vegas residents knew their plan ... and when they saw the jumpers in the sky -- they thought Mars was attacking!!!

People were freaking out on Twitter for hours ... until UNLV officials confirmed there were no aliens -- just awesome parachuters.

When all the chaos in the sky finally settled down ... there was a pretty good game on the  pitch -- Cruz Azul beat the Tigres, 2-1, to win the Leagues Cup trophy.

By the way, the Leagues Cup is a new tourney that pits the MLS' best against Liga MX's best ... and people were fired up over the match.

Oscar De La Hoya just signed Ryan Garcia to a new contract -- but he's gunning to get Garcia even MORE money ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to make King Ryan the first boxer to sign a $700 MILLION deal!!!

21-year-old Garcia -- who's already racked up an impressive 18-0 record -- clashed with Oscar over the weekend, claiming Golden Boy Promotions has failed to get him the big money fights he feels he deserves.

There were rumblings Garcia was looking to split from Oscar -- but after they agreed to an extension, it's clear the beef is squashed.

"I called Ryan Garcia," Oscar says ... "We discussed it, we hugged it out and we're gonna move on."

"It's like when you're married or you have a girlfriend, you have your little rifts here and there."

Now, Oscar says his focus is turning Ryan into "the biggest star that boxing has ever seen, hands down."

And, as for the money, Oscar says he has a track record of getting results for his boxers -- just like the $365 million DAZN deal he negotiated for Canelo Alvarez.

"Just like I got Canelo the biggest contract in sports history at the time, I can probably get DOUBLE for King Ryan when the time is right -- when he becomes world champion -- when he has several more years under his belt."

For now, Oscar is promoting one of the biggest fights of Canelo's career -- a massive lightweight-heavyweight clash with Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas (Garcia was just added to that card as the co-main event).

Canelo is coming up TWO weight classes -- 15 pounds -- to take on The Krusher in what many fight fans say could be the BEST fight of the year!!!

Wanna own the jersey Jerry Rice was wearing when he caught his last touchdown from Joe Montana ever???

Good news, you can ... IF YOU'VE GOT A BOATLOAD OF CASH!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the threads the G.O.A.T. was wearing for the Niners' 1991 playoff game against the Redskins -- the same game where he caught his last score from Joe Cool ever -- is hitting the auction block.

The jersey is awesome ... it's the old-school, red uni -- photo matched by SCP Auctions -- with a perfect Rice signature in the upper portion of the No. 8.

It's also an incredible piece of history considering that Montana and Rice combined for 67 TDs to each other -- tied for sixth ALL-TIME most.

We're told the jersey is expected to fetch $25,000 ... with bidding set to begin soon.