TMZ Sports - Page 50

Claressa Shields still has Amanda Nunes squarely in her sights, and has taken steps to make the fight a reality ... telling TMZ Sports she's met with an MMA coach and her manager talked to Dana White.

Shields -- who's only 24 years old -- is a beast. She holds belts in 2 weight classes, and is looking to make history as the fastest fighter to be a champion in 3 different divisions.

Vasyl Lomachenko accomplished the feat in only 12 fights ... if Claressa wins her October 5 fight with Ivana Habazin, the record is hers.

That's not the only history Shields wants to write ... when we talked to Claressa on Friday, she told us she's seriously considering taking up MMA ... with the end goal being a Nunes superfight.

"I'm really a hard worker, and I'm dedicated to the craft. I eat right, I don't drink, I don't smoke. When you have an athlete like that, and I'm young, I can really pretty much do anything right now," Shield says.

"It has been thoughts to actually start training. I've actually sat and talked with an MMA coach. Shit can get serious real quick."

In order to make this happen ... Dana White -- who previously told us he's open to the idea -- needs to be on board, and Claressa says her manager has already talked to the UFC honcho.

Shields isn't just gonna jump from the boxing ring into the Octagon and fight Nunes, she says she needs to develop her ground skills ... and take a few warm-up matches.

Ex-Patriots receiver Malcolm Mitchell says he's turning to poetry to help his mental health after retiring from football ... saying the art form is "soothing."

Mitchell signed a 4-year deal in New England back in 2016 and helped the team win a Super Bowl that season. But, the 27-year-old battled injuries every year after that, and eventually retired last March.

Now, he's telling TMZ Sports he's become a writer ... and poetry has helped him transition from being a violent football player to an artist.

"It's soothing," Mitchell says. "I was talking to a reporter the other day about the mental health aspect of retiring from something you've been doing your whole life."

"Like, imagine if you couldn't do this anymore? You'd be stuck, right?"

Mitchell is currently finding HUGE success in the writing world ... he helped author the popular children's book "The Magician's Hat" -- and he's got a picture book on the way too.

But, he says poetry has become a real passion for him ... telling us, "Introducing that in a creative way is something that entices me."

Antonio Brown is back home after a turbulent past few weeks and an effective firing from the New England Patriots -- and he doesn't look too happy about it

The embattled wide receiver was seen exiting his private jet Saturday as he touched down in Miami -- where he owns a home. As he walked the runway, AB had an incredibly pained look on his face ... which is understandable after everything that's happened.

BTW, he was wearing Supreme gear here up top -- not Nike, which just dropped him this past week amid the mounting allegations. He also carried a Louis Vuitton briefcase.

While he looked pretty down in the dumps when he got back to Miami, AB was trying to put on a brave paid face before leaving the airport in New England ... posting a photo of himself sitting on top of a Rolls-Royce with the caption, "The Journey #Iknowimspecial #Whytheyplaying." Looks like he snuck in some Nike after all in his footwear.

As we reported ... Antonio was released by the Patriots Friday after a whirlwind of bad news for him, including a lawsuit alleging rape and sexual assault ... a Sports Illustrated story detailing more alleged sexual and behavioral misconduct ... as well as a reported attempt to contact one of his accusers with menacing texts.

Despite one good outing, it looks like the Pats had seen enough ... cutting him loose before Sunday's game against the Jets. AB's an unrestricted free agent now, and the NFL is still investigating the claims against him, not having come to a conclusion yet.

There's a ton of money in Esports ... and there could be GOLD in video games soon too ... 'cause Fortnite superstar Ninja says gaming WILL be in the Olympics -- it's just a matter of time.

Of course, Esports is bigger than ever -- the prize pool for the Fortnite World Cup was $30 MILLION in July (shout-out to 16-year-old gamer Bugha, who took home $3 milli for winning).

Ninja doesn't think the sport's done growing ... 'cause he says gamers will be representing their country on the sticks VERY soon.

"For me, I just think it's going to be time," Ninja tells TMZ Sports. "I think that obviously, the younger generation enjoys Esports and enjoys watching video games. Eventually, that's what they're gonna want and that's what the TV people are gonna want to show and represent."

"Just give a little bit of time and Esports will be there."

As for how soon it can happen, we ask if it can happen in time for the 2028 Games in L.A. ... and Ninja says he "wouldn't put it out of the question."

The UFC is creating a REAL custom "Baddest Mother F**ker" belt for the upcoming Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal fight ... and Dana White says it ain't cheap!!!

"I think it's gonna be like $50,000," White tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, the whole thing came about after Nate Diaz defeated Anthony Pettis in August and, during a post-fight interview, declared himself the 'BMF' champion of the world.

"We're fighting for the baddest mother f**ker in the game belt and that's mine," Diaz said after the Pettis fight ... "So, I'd like to defend it against Jorge Masvidal."

White liked the idea and the UFC is running with it -- in fact, White says Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has already agreed to present the belt to the winner of the fight on November 2 at UFC 244, which will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City!!!

A brutal injury to Ben Roethlisberger's throwing elbow will NOT end his career ... so says Plaxico Burress, who spoke with his ex-teammate and tells TMZ Sports, "He will be back next year."

Big Ben blew out his arm during the Steelers game against the Seahawks on Sunday ... and at 37 years old -- some are wondering if that's the last game we'll ever see the guy play.

But, Plaxico -- who was a Steeler with Roethlisberger in 2004 -- says he talked to Ben this week ... and came away from their conversation encouraged the QB will be back just fine.

"We share a special relationship," the ex-receiver says. "I know that this won't be his last hurrah. He's not built like that. He's going to come back healthy and ready to play."

As for Burress' message to Ben, he says he told the QB straight-up, "Stay strong."

We also spoke with Plaxico about the other QBs in Ben's famous 2004 NFL Draft class ... and you've gotta hear his thoughts on Philip Rivers.

HINT: Plaxico LOVES the Chargers star!!!

By the way, if you're wondering what Burress is up to these days -- he says he'll be competing with Michael Jordan soon ... in the tequila business!!!

Jake Paul wants to beat the living dog snot out of Soulja Boy ... but it's not out of hate -- it's because the YouTube superstar wants to make him relevant again!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Paul about calling out Mr. "Pretty Boy Swag" for an epic celeb boxing match ... and he says it may not happen because Soulja Boy is SCARED of getting KO'd!!!

But, 22-year-old Paul tells us he's actually trying to HELP Soulja out ... 'cause he thinks the fight will give him major clout and give him a new audience.

"I grew up a Soulja Boy fan and, so after I knocked him out, I'd be like, 'yo, respect, let's do a song together, bro!'"

Jake beat up fellow YouTuber Deji via TKO last year ... and he's been itching to get back in the ring ever since -- calling out anyone from FaZe Banks to Dillon Danis.

As for Soulja, he's been flirting with stepping into the ring for years ... and even famously came close to fighting Chris Brown in 2017, before Breezy backed out.

Paul says the 29-year-old rapper has nothing to be embarrassed about if he loses ... 'cause he thinks Soulja would be the underdog.

36-year-old boxing legend Sergey Kovalev just answered a question the whole pugilistic world has been asking for a while ... spilling the beans on when EXACTLY he's hanging up the gloves.

Kovalev has a huge fight against Canelo Alvarez on Nov. 2 -- a fight he says holds a special place in the pantheon of his career.

"Now, I can say this is the biggest fight. I'm already 36 years old. I understand that this is like a fight for legacy."

It's a tall task, he's facing a fighter seven years younger, who hasn't lost since 2013 ... but when we spoke to Sergey he seemed confident.

He also seemed confident ... certain, actually ... of when he'd finally hang the gloves up for good, a question people have been asking him since a pair of losses to Andre Ward a couple years ago.

Kovalev has rebounded since then, but still has a time in mind and he told our guy.

As for Canelo, we spoke to him too and he told us exactly how he's eating to make up that two weight-class difference ... and you'd be surprised.

And, probably disappointed.

Deontay Wilder's rich, famous and a heavyweight champ ... something he's not: anywhere near done knockin' dudes out -- 'cause his fiancee tells TMZ Sports he plans to fight til he's 40!!!

We talked to Telli Swift earlier this week in L.A. ... and with Wilder's 34th birthday coming up next month, we asked how much longer the Bronze Bomber plans to fight.

"Deontay's gonna go until he wants to stop. He says 40, but who knows. If his body allows him to."

"At least [40]."

FYI, Wilder's widely regarded as the hardest puncher in the world ... and has a record of 41-0-1 with 40 knockouts.

Telli also cleared up her man's immediate fighting future.

Deontay's supposed to rematch Luis "King Kong" Ortiz later this year ... but the fight hasn't officially been announced, leading to speculation it ain't gonna happen.

Swift says they're wrong ... 'cause it's 100% goin' down.

"It's happening. It's happening in November."

The New England Patriots have just parted ways with Antonio Brown after a new NFL investigation into concerning text messages.

"Thank you for the opportunity @Patriots #GoWinIt," Brown posted on Twitter ... adding, "The marathon continues."

He also posted a photo with Tom Brady on Instagram, "Love ya champ. That was fun!"

Brown was only an official member of the Pats for 11 days.

The Patriots issued a statement saying, "The New England Patriots are releasing Antonio Brown. We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time."

The writing was certainly on the wall ... Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shut down a press conference Friday morning because he was sick of answering questions about the WR.

As we previously reported, the Patriots signed Brown on Sept. 7 -- hours after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders following multiple issues with Raiders executives.

Brown didn't sign his contract with the Pats until Sept. 9. His deal was a 1-year contract worth up to $15 mil with a $9 million signing bonus.

Days after Brown signed his deal with the Pats, a woman named Britney Taylor filed a lawsuit against AB accusing him of forcible rape in 2018, along with 2 allegations of sexual assault in 2017.

Brown has denied all wrongdoing and vowed to explore his own legal options. Brown was not arrested or charged with a crime in that case. Taylor never went to police.

Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated published a report containing allegations from a 2nd woman who accused Brown of sexual misconduct.

Brown later sent that woman menacing text messages in which Brown directs associates to look into the accuser's family. He also sent a pic of the accuser's children.

The NFL was contacted by the woman's attorney and immediately launched an investigation.

Despite the investigation, Belichick suggested the team was planning on using Brown on Sunday when they take on the NY Jets.

Brown played 24 snaps for the Patriots in his debut with the team against the Dolphins last weekend. He saw 8 passes from Tom Brady, catching four of them for 56 yards and a TD. He also had one rushing attempt for 5 yards.

AB has been a superstar in his career on the field, he's logged at least 100 catches and 1,200 receiving yards in each of the last six seasons.

In his 10-year career, Brown's scored 75 receiving touchdowns ... putting him in a tie for 34th all-time in NFL history.

As for the Raiders, Oakland cut bait with Brown after a string of bizarre behavior including a weird injury in a cryotherapy chamber and issues with his helmet.

Brown also secretly recorded Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and posted the audio online.

The last straw seemed to be when Brown publicly called out Raiders general manager Mike Mayock after the team fined him for missing multiple team activities.

The question now ... will another team take a chance on Antonio Brown -- or is his NFL career finished?

Story developing ...

Jorge Masvidal tells TMZ Sports the UFC knows he wants a crack at Conor McGregor -- but he REFUSES to jump through hoops to get it ... saying Conor knows where to find him.

"I'm not in the business of bullying," Masvidal tells TMZ Sports ... "I like beating up bullies and stuff but, if the dude don't want it, I'm not gonna beg him for it."

Conor has been flirting with several opponents since his last fight in the UFC -- including Justin Gaethje, Cowboy Cerrone and a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Jorge previously told us he's down too -- but Dana White hasn't exactly been chomping at the bit to make it happen.

But, things might be changing ... this week, Dana changed his tune -- saying he would consider booking Conor to fight the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal when they clash at UFC 244 in November.

And, when we saw Masvidal in NY on Thursday, he claims the REAL reason White hasn't already booked the fight is because Dana knows how it would end.

"Would I f**k him up and Dana White knows it??? Hell yeah, bro!!! There's a reason we're not allowed to play with each other."

In the meantime, Masvidal says he's laser-focused on Diaz and explains why it's an absolute HONOR to fight at Madison Square Garden.

Paris Hilton is saying goodbye to her grandpa, Barron Hilton ... the former Hilton Hotels chairman and founding owner of the Los Angeles Chargers has died.

Paris posted a heartfelt tribute to her late grandfather on social media Friday afternoon, saying she's deeply saddened by his death and calling Barron a visionary.

Barron, the son of patriarch Conrad Hilton, died Thursday from natural causes ... according to the Conrad Hilton Foundation. Paris says she spoke with her grandpa only days before he died, and she told him how much of an impact he made in her life.

Barron expanded the family's Hilton Hotels empire and helped start the American Football League as the Chargers' first owner, paving the way for the modern NFL.

After serving in the Navy and spending two decades as an entrepreneur, Barron joined the family biz as Hilton Hotels' vice president way back in 1954 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the chairman, president and CEO.

In 1959, Lamar Hunt approached Barron and several other wealthy businessmen, and they formed the AFL. Barron founded the Chargers, buying the franchise for $25,000. Under Barron, the Bolts became the first pro-football team to put players' last names on the backs of their jerseys, and he was instrumental in the design of the team's iconic lightning bolt logo.

Barron helped Lamar negotiate the AFL-NFL merger in 1965, and in '66 Hilton sold his controlling interest in the Chargers to take over Hilton Hotels.

Barron is survived by his 2 daughters, 6 sons, 15 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren.

He was 91.

Kawhi Leonard is officially on the prowl for his new home ... checking out some of the best available cribs in Los Angeles ... starting with an incredible $10 million pad!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Clippers superstar has been lookin' for a place to hang his hat recently ... exploring all the nicest houses L.A. has to offer (and there's a lot).

Leonard was spotted visiting a spot on the Sunset Strip earlier this week ... and we gotta say, the dude has great taste.

The home -- listed by Dustin Nicholas of the Nicholas Property Group -- has HUGE windows, high ceilings, a chef's kitchen ... and, of course, a pool and sundeck.

The crib is listed at $9,995,000 ... but remember, the dude's in a 3-year, $103 million contract.

Ex-Cincinnati Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe is suing a woman and her attorney claiming they threatened to lie and go public with a false sexual assault claim unless he paid her $10 million.

But, the woman's attorney says the allegation against Ndukwe is 100% real ... and he was the one who tried to buy her off in the first place.

Here's the deal ... Ndukwe -- who played in the NFL from 2007 to 2011 -- filed a lawsuit against attorney James Walker and his client, Jane Doe claiming extortion and coercion.

In his suit, the 34-year-old -- who now runs a real estate and development firm -- says the woman and her attorney sent him a demand letter earlier this month seeking $10 million or else she would file a civil suit against him and pursue criminal charges.

In his suit, Ndukwe does not specify the accusations against him -- but insists the accuser is lying.

The accuser's attorney James Walker, however, is firing back in a big way ... telling Cincinnati.com the ex-NFL player is twisting the facts.

The accuser and her attorney have filed a lawsuit of their own. Here's what they are alleging ...

Jane Doe claims she was an intern at Ndukwe's real estate business over the summer -- and says Ndukwe sexually assaulted her.

She also claims Ndukwe slipped her an envelope with $1,000 in cash after the incident in the hopes of buying her silence.

Ndukwe has issued a statement saying he will "vigorously fight these false claims to prove my innocence."

Bill Belichick has reached his boiling point in the Antonio Brown saga ... abruptly ending a press conference after reporters peppered him with Qs about his controversial superstar WR.

The New England Patriots coach faced the media on Friday -- just hours after the NFL opened an investigation into alleged texts Brown sent to a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct in 2017.

Of course, the media wanted answers ... but Belichick told reporters right off the bat he wouldn't be answering any questions about AB. He opened saying, "We take all situations with our team very seriously."

"There's some things we're looking into. But, I'm not going to have any comment on any of the off the field situations or questions on that."

Bill also suggested Brown would be active and playing on Sunday when the Patriots take on the NY Jets.

When Belichick tried to move past the Brown questions, the media stayed focused on the bigger story ... and Bill. Got. Pissed.

"I think I've already addressed this ... we're gonna get ready for the Jets here. Happy to answer any football questions. But, the rest of it ... I'm done with the rest of it."

When a reporter followed that up with another AB question ... Bill got fed up, interrupted him and left the podium.

"That's it. Yep, I'm good. Thank you."

Meanwhile, the NFL is still investigating Brown -- but it's theoretically possible league officials could take action on new text message development before Sunday.

The Ravens might not beat the Chiefs this weekend on the field ... but they'd WHOOP THAT ASS on the dance floor -- 'cause Baltimore's stars just showed all their moves, and they're insane!!!

Mark Ingram filmed the whole locker room party ... and it's the best few minutes of video you'll see all day.

The rug cutting begins with safety Tony Jefferson showing off some fancy footwork ... and then linebacker Matthew Judon and D-lineman Brandon Williams hop in the mix.

There's a tremendous rendition of the "Chicken Noodle Soup" dance ... and when the DJ switches tunes, there's even more greatness.

Hollywood Brown drops it low ... and Jefferson, who at some point took off his shirt for the party, shows off even crazier moves!!!

Seriously, it's all amazing.