TMZ Sports - Page 50

You know the ear that Vader famously ripped off of Mick Foley's head in a wrestling match 25 years ago??

Yeah, Foley just showed it to TMZ Sports -- and it's still not fully repaired ... AND IT'S STILL GROSS AS HELL!!!

We spoke with the wrestling legend out in NYC earlier this week and asked him for a little injury story time ... and that's when he retold us the famous tale of him losing a piece of his ear in 1994.

Tiki Barber says Antonio Brown's NFL career is NOT over ... the Giants legend says there's no way in hell the receiver ain't playing in the NFL again -- despite all of his drama.

"He's got skill," Tiki tells TMZ Sports. "Eventually, he’ll be back in the league."

It's a surprising take from Barber ... considering most football pundits think AB's antics in Pittsburgh and Oakland -- plus all of his legal issues -- will be the end of his pro playing days.

But, when we got Tiki out in NYC ... he told us Brown is just too damn talented to be out of the NFL for good.

"He’s good, he’s still a great athlete," Barber says. "He's just got some demons he's got to work out."

As for Brown's pitch to the Patriots -- the one where he told them Wednesday if New England is gonna pay him, it might as well play him -- Tiki actually kind of agreed with the WR's logic.

But, Barber added ... "They can't do that!"

When it comes to which team might take a shot at signing Brown ... Tiki didn't name names -- only telling us it'll all go down once "some of this heat blows over."

Wanna see a walking work of art?? Just check out Cody Garbrandt's fresh ink ... 'cause the UFC star is giving TMZ Sports the breakdown on his new tattoo!!

Of course, No Love is no stranger to the needle -- he's got tats on his neck, chest and arms ... and now his back is fully covered with an epic gladiator-esque image!!

Cody tells us the whole process lasted about 25 hours ... so yeah, tat artist Nic Westfall at the Skull Museum is one patient cat.

Cody says the most painful part of the process was when Westfall got to his lower back, because he recently had stem cell treatment.

But, the craziest thing about this -- Cody says it didn't cost him a PENNY to get done ... the dude got the hookup because it's basically an ad for the artist whenever he fights in the Octagon!

We also talked UFC with the former champ ... and he says he'd be down to face off against Henry Cejudo .... after he got called out by Triple C!!

Talk about keeping your head in the game, these NFL athletes are still workin' on their days off!

Rest assure these players have put in the work and are always ready to take on the field! With fit photos like this, there is no denying that the fellas here are not messin' around when it comes to getting ready for game day!

See who's prepped for Sunday Night Football by getting a glimpse into life off the field ... Scroll through our gallery of NFL Workouts and get a good look at all the athletes posting their fitspo!

Tyler Skaggs' death may have been tied to an Angels staffer who allegedly told authorities he'd supplied the late pitcher with drugs ... this according to a new report.

ESPN put out the bombshell story Saturday, claiming to have spoken with sources who say that Eric Kay -- the Angels' director of communications -- confessed to DEA agents investigating Skaggs' death that he'd hooked him up with oxycodone for years.

On top of that, ESPN says their sources allege Kay also told the DEA that he'd given the pitcher oxy at least a day or two before the team left for Texas on a road trip.

Per the report ... Skaggs allegedly asked Kay for another installment of oxy on the actual day the team left, but Kay was unable to supply it. This is potentially huge, as Kay also allegedly told DEA agents that Skaggs snorted 3 lines in front of him shortly before his death.

While at his hotel in Southlake, TX ... Kay allegedly told DEA agents that Skaggs had invited him over, and offered him to partake. Kay allegedly denied, however, and reportedly told the DEA he witnessed Skaggs inhale 3 lines ... 2 he allegedly recognized as possible oxycodone, and a third line consisting of a substance he did not recognize.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room hours later, having choked on his own vomit ... with a cocktail of substances found in his system, including fentanyl and alcohol.

Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge achieved an historic milestone -- becoming the first person to run sub-2 hour marathon ... EVER!!!

Kipchoge completed the monumental feat Saturday in Vienna, running a 26.2-mile path that was specifically charted for this attempt, and as such ... isn't technically viewed as a sanctioned marathon course. Because of that, this new time won't be recognized as a world record --  but still, the guy can say he did it ... clocking in at 1:59:40.

BTW, he holds the official world record for a marathon time at 2:01:39, which he set in Berlin just last year. He came up short on this very same challenge -- dubbed the INEOS 1:59 Challenge -- a couple years back, finishing at 2:00:25.

NFL legend Ed Reed is concerned about Vontaze Burfict's mental health -- and is calling for the Oakland Raiders star to be "mentally evaluated" over his history of violent play.

"After all the years ... dude actually needs to be evaluated," Reed told TMZ Sports at LAX. "I think he needs to be evaluated for playing like that."

Reed is referring to Burfict's well-documented history of illegal hits on NFL players. Most recently, Burfict was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season for a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle.

The Raiders appealed the punishment, claiming Burfict was being treated unfairly (the appeal was denied) ... but Reed says Burfict "had it coming."

"He put himself in that situation after all the years and everything he's done."

Did Michael Bisping fight in the UFC -- and win -- with a prosthetic eyeball???

That's the question everyone has been asking ever since Bisping revealed his right eyeball is a fake. And, when we saw him at LAX this week, we asked him straight-up.

Of course, Bisping suffered a detached retina from a brutal head kick during a 2013 fight with Vitor Belfort -- and has said vision in his right eye was pretty much "non-existent" ever since.

It's interesting because Bisping fought 11 TIMES in the UFC after the injury -- including winning the UFC middleweight belt with a victory over Luke Rockhold in 2016. But, Michael's never revealed WHEN his right eyeball was surgically removed.

So, Bisping ... did you secretly fight with a glass eye????

"Don't worry about it! Don't worry about it! All you gotta worry about is that I won the belt," Bisping told us with a grin on his face ... "It doesn't matter!"

But, it kinda matters ... we spoke with the California State Athletic Commission, and a rep tells us had they known Bisping had a glass eye before the Rockhold fight, he wouldn't have been licensed.

"A fighter with a glass eye would not be able to be licensed in California. Prosthetics aren’t specifically called out in the code specific to vision, but it would definitely fall under section (g) any other visual condition. Aside from the issues with depth perception and peripheral vision, we couldn’t put somebody in a match where there’s a danger that they could lose their only remaining eye."

However, CSAC says Bisping went through a thorough examination -- including a doctor who examined his eye -- and he was cleared.

Badass fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu royalty Kron Gracie tells TMZ Sports he never wanted to choke people for a living ... he was about kickflips and ollies until a tragedy changed the course of his life.

Ya gotta understand who Gracie is ... his dad's Rickson Gracie -- regarded as one of the greatest BJJ practitioners ever -- and his grandfather's Helio Gracie -- who literally invented BJJ.

But, when he was growing up, he told us he had no interest in fighting.

"When I was younger I wanted to skateboard. I liked skateboarding. I had like little skateboard sponsorships and surfing, and that was all fun to me. I had no real interest in jiu-jitsu. As a young kid, it was kinda just the family business."

Then Kron says tragedy struck the family.

"I had an older brother who had passed away. So, once he passed I was the only boy left in the family, and it kinda put all the pressure on me, and I wanted to keep the family legacy going and I wanted to keep my dad proud."

"I wanted to give my dad a son who was a champion, and I wanted to make my brother proud and I had all the resources to do such. So, it would be stupid and ignorant to not do what I did."

The 31-year-old undefeated fighter's path to that championship runs straight through Cub Swanson this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 161.

Al Sharpton is weighing in on the NBA's recent drama with China ... telling TMZ Sports the league needs to take a stand for democracy and not let the money talk them out of it!!!

Of course, Sharpton is referring to the backlash the association's gotten after Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong Kong protesters ... with the league losing Chinese sponsors, airtime and a number of NBA events that were planned this week as a result.

Sharpton says the whole situation is bothersome ... but the league can't be hypocritical, especially when some of the biggest NBA figures have been critical of America's current leadership.

"We can’t have them try, in the name of some commercial interest and money, take away people’s democratic rights and then claim that we are the home of democracy around the world," Sharpton says.

"Clearly, we should stand up to them and say that people there are protesting their democratic rights in Hong Kong and we must identify with them. Money should not be able to buy our commitment and passionate commitment to democracy."

Snoop Dogg is all about forgiveness -- even if it's the guy who left his beloved team lookin' like a soap opera -- 'cause the rap legend says Antonio Brown deserves another chance in the NFL.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Steelers superfan about AB wanting to get back in the league ... and despite the state he left Pittsburgh in when he was traded (there was a bit of drama if you recall)... Snoop says he should get a shot.

"Everybody deserves a second shot. Everybody deserves a second and third shot. Look at me!"

Snoop knows about getting second chances ... he has a history of run-ins with the law, and all these years later, the drop is still hot.

As for Antonio, the Raiders and Patriots cut bait with him due to off-the-field drama ... from illegally recorded phone calls to much more serious allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The NFL is currently investigating Brown and some people think his career in the league is finished.

Snoop hopes there's a team willing to give AB another shot -- he's still an elite athlete -- but it's definitely an uphill battle.

In the meantime, check out Snoop's badass Bentley.

Oleksandr Usyk -- one of the best boxers in the world -- just used his limited English skills to make a BIG challenge to Deontay Wilder, saying he wants to fight Wilder NOW.

If you don't know Usyk yet, you will ... he's undefeated, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and was the undisputed (held ALL the belts) cruiserweight champion.

He's moved up to heavyweight now ... and when we got him out at LAX, it's clear he doesn't want to waste time making a mark in his new division because when we asked him who he wanted to fight, he said one thing.

"Deontay Wilder."

Usyk is Ukranian, so it's possible that Wilder's name is some of the only English he knows. But, it's the right English to know because the fight would be huge, and probably tougher for Wilder than you think.

Wilder's got other business to take care of though, namely Luis Ortiz, and every other heavyweight in the world, all looking for a piece of the WBC champ.

Keep hunting, Usyk ... but remember, be careful what you wish for.

Shaunie O'Neal straight-up says it's BS for costar OG Chijindu to accuse "Basketball Wives" of colorism ... 'cause it just ain't true.

Shaunie's fiercely defending the show she stars in and executive produces ... saying they work hard to make sure cast members like OG don't feel like outcasts because of the color of their skin.

Things have gotten heated on the set for sure. OG was kept in a separate, small set during the taping of the reunion, but we're told that was for security reasons.

Derek Brunson trained with Jon Jones ... and fought Israel Adesanya, so who'd the UFC star tell TMZ Sports would win in a fight???

Jon Bones Jones.

"I kinda know who would win the fight. Jon Jones would be a little bit too much," Brunson says.

"Jon is a high IQ fighter. So, really the chance of Izzy winning that fight is really catching him and hurting him, and Izzy got the finish in this fight, but he's not really a power guy, he's more of a TKO guy."

"He's gonna put some punches together. But Jon's big, strong, and he's gonna figure it out."

Jones and Adesanya have beef ... it all started when Izzy told us he was a G.O.A.T. killer earlier this year. Jon responded ... and the rivalry's only intensified since ... and both guys say they want to fight.

Brunson is down to watch the 2 champs battle ... but he also wants another crack at Adesanya himself.

Izzy stopped Brunson with a flurry of punches and kicks at the end of the 1st round when they fought in November 2018.

The Little League World Series champs just visited the White House ... and got the best ride back home ever -- A FLIGHT ON AIR FORCE ONE WITH THE PRESIDENT!!!

The youngsters won the Little League WS back in August ... and shortly after the game, Donald Trump tweeted he'd love to host them for a title celebration at 1600 Penn.

So, the kids took him up on that offer Friday ... and got the coolest reward -- a private flight back home on Trump's plane!!!

Trump was headed to Louisiana this weekend anyway -- No. 45 has a rally on Friday night in Lake Charles -- so it all worked out for everybody involved.

Check out the pics ... the kids -- decked out in their LLWS unis -- loved it ... they had huge smiles on their faces as they strolled onto Trump's ride.

"What an amazing day!" said Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise -- who made the trip with the Little Leaguers. "I’m so proud of this team!"

Dana White says reports that UFC star Joanna Jedrzejczyk was in danger of missing weight for her main event fight this weekend are COMPLETE BS ... and says she's good to go!!

Jedrzejczyk is fighting Michelle Waterson in Tampa on Saturday -- but there were several reports that the fight was in jeopardy over questions about Joanna being able to make the 116-pound weight limit.

White says UFC's network partner, ESPN, fueled the misinformation -- and he's FIRED UP about it.

"This is madness!!!" White says... "Yesterday, my partner, ESPN, put up on their ticker tape Joanna Jedrzejczyk didn't make weight. The weigh-ins are today!!!"

Both Joanna and Michelle DID make weight and the fight is good to go.

We asked Dana why he thinks there were questions surrounding Joanna's weight -- and he chalked it up to "head games" the veteran fighter was playing on her opponent.

"What has been happening is there has been some head games going on between two veterans who are fighting in the main event in a fight that is very important in both of their careers and to see who gets the next title shot."

"And, all these MMA suckers fall for it because they're hearing things behind-the-scenes."