TMZ Sports - Page 50

Undefeated UFC star Mackenzie Dern just made weight and is set to fight on Saturday ... just 4 months after she gave birth to her first child!!!

We did the math (hey, numbers are hard) ... and it's only been 124 days since 26-year-old Mackenzie became a mom. She gave birth to her daughter, Moa, on June 9.

Think about that ... not only did Mack have to recover from the toll that pregnancy and delivery takes on your body, but then she began to train for a FISTFIGHT with a world class opponent almost immediately.

Dern -- who's 7-0 as a pro MMA fighter -- just hit the scales for the official weigh in for UFC Fight Night 161 in Tampa, Florida ... and came in at 115 lbs, a perfect number for her weight class.

Mackenzie -- who's known as one of the top female Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners -- is set to face Amanda Ribas, who did NOT give birth 4 months ago!

And, get this, according to Vegas odds ... Dern is still the slight betting favorite ... you have to put down $145 to win $100.

FYI, Mackenzie's baby daddy is Brazilian pro surfer Wesley Santos ... so that kid is gonna be freakishly athletic!!!

Gather 'round kids, it's NBA PREDICTION TIME WITH LAVAR BALL!!!

This time, the head of the Big Baller Brand is seeing BIG things for the New Orleans Pelicans ... telling TMZ Sports his son Lonzo's team will DEFINITELY win a 'chip this season!

"They're gonna take it all this year, for sure," LaVar told us at the L.A. Regional Food Bank, where he donated 70,000 bottles of Big Baller Brand Water.

Why so confident? LaVar thinks the New Orleans Pelicans are a MUCH better fit for Lonzo than the Lakers ... and it all has to do with the coach and the young stars surrounding him, like Zion Williamson.

"All you need to be successful in the NBA, ya gotta have a coach be behind you. And, Alvin Gentry is that guy."

LaVar continued ... "What did Gentry say? He wants [The Pelicans] to play the fastest pace. That's Lonzo's best game!"

And, the biggest difference between the Pels and the Lakers?

"You've got a bunch of youngsters so you don't have 20 different people asking for the ball. Give it to Lonzo and let him just run it."

When asked if playing with Zion is better in the long run for Lonzo than playing with LeBron, LaVar explained things this way ...

"If you gonna run and pass the ball and play the right way, Zo will play with anybody. So, it's not that Zion is better than Lebron or Lebron is better ... anybody with an IQ that can play the game of basketball, [Lonzo's] fine playing with."

There's more ... we also asked LaVar how he feels the NBA is handling the issue with China, which is relevant since the Ball family had their own international crisis when LiAngelo was arrested in China for shoplifting back in 2017.

"My thing is this, anybody should speak out on whatever their heart feels. If you feel it's good for you to speak out, then speak out! If not, then shut the hell up."

Conor McGregor strolled into court in Ireland on Friday to face an assault charge for punching a man in the face at a Dublin pub in April ... and the media was out in force!

The UFC superstar was decked out in a navy suit with a striped tie -- and didn't show any emotion on his face while he walked into the courthouse flanked by his lawyers.

Inside the courtroom, things weren't as exciting ... the judge granted McGregor's request to postpone the hearing until Nov. 1.

Irish officials say Conor will have to request a trial date or enter a plea during the Nov. 1 hearing, according to The Irish Times.

On the way out of court, Conor was quiet ... but you can hear people screaming, "McGregor!" as he walked to his car.

"3 ... 2 ... 1 ... SLIP 'N SLIDE!!!!!"

That's how the Washington Mystics spent their first few minutes as WNBA champions ... 'cause after they beat the Connecticut Sun, 89-78 Thursday, they went back to their locker room for some champagne dives!!!

The vid is hilarious ... the team sprayed down their clubhouse with a ton of booze -- and with a protective layer of plastic laid on the ground, they decided to get down on the floor.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Natasha Cloud counted backward from 3 ... dove across the carpet -- and good times were had by all.

Of course, the celebration didn't end there ... the team continued boozing throughout the night -- and were even spotted capping off the evening at local D.C. nightclub!!!

As for prior to the party ... the Mystics kicked ass on the hardwood -- and they had some special courtside visitors for the historic Game 5 -- Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal!!

Ernie Johnson is callin' BS on fans throwing dirt on Clayton Kershaw after his latest postseason debacle ... telling TMZ Sports, "His legacy is fine with me."

Kershaw gave up back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning against the Nationals in their NLDS finale Wednesday night ... and L.A. fans were PISSED he blew the game.

They ran over his No. 22 jersey in the parking lot ... they trashed him on Twitter ... and they bashed him on local radio.

When we got Johnson -- who did play-by-play for the Game 5 -- he told us everyone in L.A. needs to pipe down with that chatter ... saying Kershaw is still a legend in his book.

"I don't know what happens to his legacy," Johnson says ... "You know what? His legacy is fine with me."

Johnson says Kershaw's been plenty successful on the field ... and the fact that he's such a good dude off of it cements him as one of the game's greatest in his book.

But, Ernie does admit ... it would be nice if Clayton were able to somehow string together a postseason performance that lifts the Dodgers to a title.

At least one world leader will be in the crowd when Alberto El Patron fights Tito Ortiz in December ... because Alberto says the President of Mexico has agreed to be his VIP guest.

The former WWE superstar -- formerly known as Alberto Del Rio -- is taking on the UFC Hall of Famer in a Combate Americas MMA event on Dec. 7 in Hidalgo, Texas.

Tito Ortiz previously told us he invited Donald Trump and the First Family to the event since he's pretty tight with the Trumps ... but it's unclear if they will attend.

But, Alberto says President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is on board.

Boxing superstar Errol Spence -- one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world -- is badly injured and being treated in an Intensive Care Unit in Dallas after crashing a white Ferrari early Thursday morning.

The 29-year-old was driving on Riverfront Blvd. around 3 AM at a high rate of speed, according to cops, when the car went over the center median and flipped at least 5 times.

Spence, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car and suffered serious injuries, officials say. You can see in the photos, obtained by FOX 4, it doesn't appear the vehicle has a roof.

Spence was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police say he's expected to survive.

The Dallas Police Dept. raced to the scene. Several officers were seen investigating the crash. It's unclear at this point if they believe alcohol was a factor.

New York Jets safety Jamal Adams was dancing his face off Thursday ... 'cause the league overturned his fine for hitting Baker Mayfield -- AND HE WAS STOKED!!!

Back in Week 2 ... Jamal laid a questionable hit on the Browns quarterback -- and the superstar defender was PISSED after he was fined for it.

Jamal called it "bullsh*t" and appealed it ... and after he won this week -- he did a little victory dance and rubbed it in to reporters!!!

"HA HA!!!" Adams said. "I told ya'll, if you just listen to me, I'm going to be completely honest, and I'm going to tell you straight up, I knew I was going to win it."

Adams -- who's KILLING It for NY this season -- said he's gonna do some big things with the fresh $21k that was returned to him for winning the appeal ... saying a gift for Mom is now on the way!!!

“I can spend that lovely money on my mother – for her birthday so, you know, I’m excited.”

Colin Kaepernick's team has released a 2-page "fact" sheet about the QB in the hopes of killing false rumors that have been dogging him ... and he makes it clear he still wants to play.

The document was issued by Colin's sports agent, Jeff Nalley -- who says in the 25 years he's worked in the business, he's never seen anyone treated as poorly and unfairly as Colin.

Nalley says he reached out to all 32 NFL teams but has gotten "little to no response."

"Not a single team has offered Colin a job since the 2016 season, in which he began his peaceful protest," Nalley says.

"Not a single team has brought Colin in for a workout. Seattle brought Colin in for a visit but did not work him out. Afterward, Pete Carroll said Colin is a 'starter in this league.'"

The Seahawks incident occurred around early April 2018.

"No other NFL team has interviewed or worked out Colin in the past 3 seasons, despite other false statements in the media to the contrary."

Nalley says rumors Colin is demanding a specific salary are "completely false" and the notion Colin doesn't want to play is just wrong.

In fact, Nalley says Colin has been "working out 5 days a week, for 3 years, in preparation to play again."

Nalley says Kaepernick has proved he can fit into most NFL offenses.

And, get this, Kap's camp breaks down his last NFL season -- when he played for the 49ers in 2016 -- saying Colin was great despite playing with WRs who dropped a ton of passes.

Kap's rep points out in 2016, the 49ers ranked 4th in dropped passes and 29th in pass-blocking efficiency ... along with having the worst-ranked defense in the NFL.

"In summary, it is difficult to think of another young player in NFL history with statistics and character as impressive as Colin's not being given an opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster after what he has accomplished."

Antonio Brown has such a great relationship with the police in Hollywood, Florida ... they're letting him work out on their official football field -- and he looks damn good.

Check out this footage of AB running routes and catching passes during a Thursday afternoon workout ... he's clearly the best unemployed WR on the planet.

When we started digging around about the location of the workout, we learned the venue is the official football field of the Hollywood Police Athletic League.

We called the HPAL and a staffer told us AB has been working out there for years -- since his Pittsburgh Steelers days -- and he's got a great reputation with the cops.

In other words, they're happy to host Brown while he tries to get back in the NFL.

What's weird is that Brown is alleged to have raped a woman in Hollywood, Florida in 2018 -- and while the accuser never filed a criminal complaint against him, her civil lawsuit is currently active.

For the record, Brown has adamantly denied the allegations against him.

What are YOUUUUUU doing here?!!?

Andrew Luck returned to the Colts headquarters in Indianapolis on Thursday -- the first time we've seen him back there since retiring in August ... and he looks happy!

The QB hung up his cleats right before the regular season kicked off, explaining he couldn't handle any more physical abuse.

Of course, Jacoby Brissett took over as QB1 and he's been doing pretty well so far ... the Colts are 3-2 and coming off a huge upset victory over the KC Chiefs.

The Colts are on a bye this week -- but a bunch of players were still at the facility on Thursday including T.Y. Hilton, Jacoby ... and Andrew Luck!?

Yep!

In fact, the healthy-looking Luck even posed for a pic with Brissett, actor Mike Epps and Amp Harris, a big-time promoter/manager.

Remember, the fans in Indy booed Luck off the field when they learned of his impending retirement ... and Luck said the boos hurt his feelings.

But, seems it's all water under the bridge now ... which is good to see.

30-year-old Luck -- who reportedly made more than $109 MILLION during his NFL career -- has said he wanted to travel the world and live life away from football.

Charles Barkley is going scorched earth on "idiots" who are criticizing the NBA's handling of the China situation ... calling people "jackasses" and hypocrites for blasting the league!!

The ex-NBA superstar says he can't believe the way people are coming at Adam Silver ... saying there are BILLIONS of dollars on the line, and he understands why the league is trying to finesse its way through the drama.

In fact, Barkley says those criticizing the association are a bunch of hypocrites ... saying the same people who grilled Colin Kaepernick for taking a stance are now the ones hating on the NBA for NOT taking one!

"First of all, you guys have been killing Colin Kaepernick for the last X amount of years," Barkley said on the 'Dan Patrick Show' on Thursday.

"Now, all the sudden you want to control what happens in a foreign country?"

If you missed it ... Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey incited an international controversy just a few days ago when he tweeted his support for protesters in Hong Kong.

For the most part ... NBA players and execs have shied away from backing Morey -- and Barkley says he certainly gets why.

"They have billions of dollars at stake," Barkley says. "It's a business decision. I understand the NBA. The players and the owners both got billions of dollars at stake."

As for those who don't get it ... he didn't hold back on ripping them, by calling them "idiots and jackasses and fools."

"No one f*cks with us, ever!"

That's St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt GOING OFF in a spectacular f-bomb-laced locker room speech after his team upset the Braves -- and it's AWESOME!!

"Now, I don't give a f**k who we play. We're gonna f**k them up!"

Atlanta and St. Louis had a chippy NLDS ... and after the Redbirds closed it out 13-1 in Game 5 Wednesday -- Shildt broke out all the cuss words!

"They started some s**t. We finished the s**t," Shildt says in the vid captured by St. Louis outfielder Randy Arozarena. "And, that's how we roll."

Arozarena apologized for posting the footage because it was supposed to be a private moment, but it was still awesome to watch.

"We're gonna take it right to them the whole f**king way. We're gonna kick their f**king ass!"

By the way, "they" is now the Washington Nationals. The two squads are set to face off in the NLCS, a best of 7 series.

As for Shildt, he's known for being a super nice and calm dude -- remember how awesome he was to TMZ Sports when we got him out in NYC earlier this year???

But, clearly, he's got a fiery side ... 'cause his locker room speech was EPIC!!!

As for why he was so jacked up ... St. Louis was pissed off at Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. all series long for his antics at the dish (there were bat flipping and base-running dancing).

Dodgers fans were SO PISSED at Clayton Kershaw for blowing yet another playoff game Wednesday ... they straight-up invited people at Dodger Stadium to run over his jersey!!!

L.A. was up 3-1 late in Game 5 of its NLDS finale with the Nationals ... when Dave Roberts tabbed Kershaw to help close out the game.

But the 3-time Cy Young winner -- who has a long history of fumbling in the playoffs -- choked ... and gave up the Dodgers' lead on back-to-back homers in the 8th.

Of course, the Dodgers went on to lose the game in the 10th inning ... and that's when L.A. fans took to the stadium parking lot with Kershaw jerseys in hand.

You can see in video shot by LZ Granderson ... people laid the No. 22 jersey just beneath tires, and fans happily ran it over.

For his part, 31-year-old Kershaw admitted to sucking once again ... telling reporters after the game, "Everything people say is true right now about the postseason. I understand that."

He added, "Nothing I can do about it right now. It's a terrible feeling. It really is."

The star pitcher ultimately gave up 5 earned runs in 6.1 innings in his two appearances in the series ... and added after Game 5, "I might not get over it."

For their part, his teammates tried to stick up for him and are already forgiving the guy for his poor postseason.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Lakers have taken the floor at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai to play an NBA game, despite protesters at the venue.

With the Chinese government fuming at the NBA over Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's support of Hong Kong, there were questions if this game would even happen.

But, it's definitely going down right now ... the Lakers are taking on the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most controversial preseason games ever ... since it's now at the center of an International incident.

Protesters outside of the arena held Chinese flags and a sign reading, "F*ck You Morey."

Inside, it seems to be a different story ... with fans cheering LeBron and wearing jerseys of their favorite NBA teams. Some fans even painted their faces.

LeBron was wearing headphones while warming up, seemingly to tune out the noise surrounding the game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is currently in Shanghai trying to salvage the league's relationship with China but it doesn't seem to be going great right now.

China has already blacklisted the Houston Rockets and have removed NBA signage from around the country.

Move over, Trey Songz ... there's a new Mr. Steal Your Girl in town -- Philadelphia Flyers' mascot, Gritty ... who just pulled up from half-court to shoot his shot at Lindsey Vonn!!

The equally lovable/scary orange thing(?!?!) went after New Jersey Devils star P.K. Subban during pregame warm-ups Wednesday night ... crashing the boards with a hilarious sign that read "Lindsey could do better" ... and a bunch of arrows pointing up to that unforgettable Gritty grin.

Of course, P.K. and the Olympic skier have been dating for a while now ... and the defenseman popped the question back in August.

The couple *was* planning to tie the knot ... but who knows if that's still the case now that Gritty's jumped into the picture.

P.K. seemed unfazed by the hilarious taunting ... but the Flyers still came away with the 4-0 win over the Devils.