Conor McGregor ain't fighting on Saturday's historic UFC card ... but he's already won the weekend -- copping one of the most insane watches you'll EVER see!!
The Notorious snagged an ultra-rare Patek Philippe on Friday ... and claims its one of only 25 in the world!!!
"And yes you guessed it. I’m number 12, certified," the Proper #12 honcho said.
The watch's specs are ridiculous ... according to Conor, its made in platinum and honeycomb green with a diamond and crocodile strap -- and has a nickname of "#TheHulk."
"They will also never utilise this colour scheme again," the UFC superstar says. "Such was the difficulty in levelling it out all through the dial. Incredible!"
Unclear the price of the jewelry ... but it's safe to say it wasn't cheap -- Patek Philippe's are some of the fanciest watches in the world -- with some selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars!!!
Of course, it ain't like Conor can't afford it ... dude's earned hundreds of millions of dollars in his career!!!
We're in quarantine day number who-even-remembers-at-this-point ... and smokin' hot UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich is here to remind us of all the great views we're missing out on while stuck at home.
And, now we need all this isolation to be over ASAP.
Ostovich decided to give her followers a treat via Instagram heading into the weekend ... sharing some sexy shots in a neon green bikini while soakin' up some sun in the water.
Remember the ocean?? The good ole days.
The badass fighter even added some humor, saying "Anybody else gained that quarantine 15?" ... which clearly has to be a joke (see Exhibit's A & B above).
Ostovich has 4 pro wins under her belt ... and you can add a 5th to her dub column thanks to these shots.
And, for those of us who *have* put on that quarantine 15 ... thank you for the motivation, Rachael.
Michael Rubinis applauding Chris Pratt and David Blaine for going above and beyond with the All In Challenge, and says it's beautiful to see celebs commit their time to the cause.
The Philadelphia 76ers partner, and creator of the Challenge, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and couldn't stop gushing about the efforts of Chris, David and a host of others raising money to feed Americans in the pandemic.
Michael says David's a shining example ... the illusionist held an auction and offered to fly to the winner's home for a private magic show, and the winning bid came in at $220,000. But, David didn't stop with one show, he did it three times over -- getting the runner-up and second runner-up to match -- and raised $660k for food charities.
Chris caught the All In bug too ... offering the chance to get eaten by a dinosaur in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, first as an auction and then again as a sweepstake you can enter for just $10.
Michael says golf icons Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelsonalso double-dipped with auctions and sweepstakes, with Tiger offering a trip to the Bahamas and putting lessons, and Phil offering the chance at a round with a Masters champion.
So far, the Challenge has raised over $33 million and Michael told us what's impressed him the most about celebs taking charge.
"Mike the Tiger is not my favorite part of campus."
Heisman winner Joe Burrow says he's not a big fan of LSU having a live mascot ... saying he's against keeping wild animals in captivity.
The #1 overall pick made the revelation while discussing the super-popular Netflix doc, "Tiger King," on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" on Friday ... saying he probably won't tune in to the series due to the subject matter.
"Actually, I haven't watched it yet," Burrow says. "I'm anti animal in cage. So, I'm not gonna watch it, I don't think."
That's when co-host Big Cat brought up Mike VII -- LSU's beloved mascot that lives on campus -- and Burrow said he was against the idea.
FWIW -- Mike has a huge habitat on campus for students to check out the kitty in between classes ... and there's a vet on-site to make sure all is well.
There's even a live cam for people across the world to check in on Mike ... although the thing seems to be chilling most of the time.
As for "Tiger King," Big Cat and PFT Commenter say it's probably for the best he sits that one out ... and Burrow agrees.
"Very sad, yeah."
The good news?? Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals don't have a live mascot ... they just have a grown-ass dude dressed up as a tiger named "Who Dey" ... so, silver lining!!
President Donald Trump will be tuned in to UFC 249 on Saturday to get some ideas on how to reopen the rest of the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, so says UFC honcho Dana White.
Of course, Dana and Donald are very close friends who go back decades -- and they talk all the time.
So, with Dana pushing forward with UFC 249 this weekend -- using teams of medical professionals to test all fighters and staffers -- we asked if Trump would be looking at the event as kind of a blueprint.
"Absolutely," White said Friday on "TMZ Live" ... "His whole philosophy was let's get sports back first, figure out how to do that safely. Then let's start figuring out how do you get people back in the office? How do you get people in cubicles? And, then how do you get kids back in school?"
"So, this is something we've been working on and yes, he's absolutely watching what we're doing this weekend."
White says his fighters, their teams and UFC staff have been undergoing multiple testing -- including swabs for COVID-19 -- and plans to keep it up during future events.
"Health and safety is something we worry about every single weekend ... there's gonna be a lot of testing going on here."
White says other sports should follow suit -- but they have to be willing to spend the money ... "it's really expensive."
A super-rare Michael Jordangame-worn Chicago Bulls jersey -- rocked by the G.O.A.T. during his NBA championship-winning '97 season -- is for sale ... and is expected to rake in over a quarter-milli!!
MJ wore the black mesh with red pinstriped Bulls jersey on April 14, 1997 ... when Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the 1st place Bulls took on Grant Hill's Detroit Pistons.
According to Goldin Auctions -- who's selling His Airness' uni -- it's the only known game-worn jersey from the 1996-1997 season ... where Chicago won their 2 straight titles, and 5th in 7 seasons.
Jordan killed it that year -- averaging 29.6 points per game -- but actually had an off night against the Pistons ... only scoring 18 points in a 108-91 loss.
GA says the one-of-a-kind jersey has been expertly photo-matched ... proving MJ hooped in the Champion brand threads.
BTW, with the hit docu-series "Last Dance" currently airing ... Jordan items are selling for exorbitant prices.
For example, a 1986 MJ rookie card -- 1 of only 312 cards in perfect condition -- just sold for $96,000 at an auction!!
So, if you're a big hoops fan who happens to be very rich, grab your checkbook fast ... bidding ends next Saturday.
Philip Rivers won't wait long for a new gig after his NFL career ends ... the QB just agreed to become a HS football head coach post-retirement -- and he got emotional accepting the job!
The new Indianapolis Colt made the announcement at a press conference at St. Michael Catholic HS in Fairhope, AL ... getting choked up explaining why taking the job means so much to him.
"It's a special day for me and my family really," the 38-year-old said. "I, um, I knew I was going to get a little emotional."
"I had two childhood dreams. And one was to play in the NFL ... and the other is to be a high school football head coach as my dad did. So, it's an exciting day. It really is. I'm going, 'Wow, how blessed am I to be able to live both of those out?!'"
Rivers is so passionate about coaching HS football because his father, Steve Rivers -- whom Phil famously played for at Athens HS in 1999 -- was a HS honcho for decades.
"My dad was my high school football coach," Phil said. "So I want to coach my boys and I want to coach young boys down the road."
It's unclear when exactly Phil will officially put on the headset for the school ... the QB said at the presser he still believes he's got some good football left in his body despite a down year in 2019.
As for why Alabama and St. Michael Catholic ... Phil said, "I know a few people in the area, and then this particular school, not only athletically what I believe they're trying to grow to, but it really aligns with what I believe in spiritually and academically."
Rivers signed a $25 MILLION contract to play for the Colts this year ... but the deal expires next offseason. So, could it be "Coach" Phil by this time in 2021???
9:09 AM PT -- Tom Brady is now showing his support for Ahmaud Arbery -- signing a letter from the NFL Players Coalition to Attorney General William Barr, demanding a federal investigation into the shooting.
UPDATE
Along with Brady, several other huge NFL stars have signed -- including Julian Edelman, Warrick Dunn, Cam Jordan, Mark Ingram, Stephon Gilmore, Shaun Alexander and more.
UPDATE
Even NBA coach Steve Kerr signed the letter -- despite the fact he's not in the NFL.
UPDATE
The letter reads ... "The local investigation into this case is marred by conflicts, inaction, [the second assigned prosecutor’s] very deliberate attempt to ensure that Mr. Arbery received no justice, and the current prosecutor’s total failure to act until social media forced his hand."
UPDATE
"The local police force can never be independent, as the elder-McMichael used to work there. And [the second assigned prosecutor’s] statements about the case surely have tainted the local jury pool. If people are to have faith in the justice system, the Department of Justice must act with the FBI leading the investigation."
NFL star Malcolm Jenkinswants justice for murdered Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery -- who would have turned 26 today -- and he's doing his part by going on a jog to show support for Maud's family.
"Happy birthday to Ahmaud Arbery," Jenkins said while out on a 2.23-mile jog ... "Rest in peace, King."
Malcolm's workout is all part of the #RunWithMaud movement -- which is encouraging people to go on a jog to honor Maud -- while his family continues to push for justice.
The 2.23-mile run represents the date Arbery was shot and killed while jogging on Feb. 23.
Two men -- Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory -- have been arrested for the shooting and are facing murder charges.
"Doing my job for you," Jenkins added while encouraging others to follow his lead. "Even though they arrested those two men, we gotta make sure they don't forget his face and that he gets his justice in court."
"Y'all continue to support my brother, uplift his name, show his face, stay diligent. Love y'all."
Ex-NFL wideout Torrey Smith also participated in the run -- saying, "I hate distance running but I hate our justice system and racism more."
Other athletes, including LeBron James, Reggie Bush and more, have voiced their outrageover the incident ... with the Lakers superstar saying, "We’re literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes!"
Two-time NBA championShannon Brown was arrested last week ... this after two people claim he fired a gun at them in an open house visit gone VERY wrong.
TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 34-year-old Brown -- who won two titles with Kobe Bryant's Lakers in 2009 and 2010 -- allegedly pulled a firearm on two people in his Georgia home on May 2.
A Tyrone Police Department spokesperson says the alleged victims called at around 9:45 PM ... claiming earlier in the day, Brown had fired rounds at them in a "for sale" home mixup.
The police spokesperson says the two individuals claim they were out searching for houses in the Tyrone, GA area ... when they saw one with a "For Sale" sign on it.
Officers say the individuals entered through an open gate ... and say the two people claim when they got to the door, they were told to come in.
The police spokesperson says once the individuals were inside ... they say Brown confronted them, before ultimately agreeing to let them go.
But, the two say as they were leaving ... Brown fired 5 to 6 shots at them.
The spokesperson says when cops investigated ... they found one shell casing in the area -- and eventually arrested the former NBA player for aggravated assault.
Brown -- who bonded out of jail on May 4 -- was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft. He played in the league from '06 to '14 ... finishing his career with an average of 7.6 points per game.
9:46 AM PT -- De La Hoya now claims he NEVER actually asked Conor to fight him ... saying, "For the record: McGregor, I never challenged you."
UPDATE
"I was just asked a question and I simply spoke the truth..."
Oscar De La Hoya said he can knock out Conor McGregor in 2 rounds ... and Conor McGregor says PROVE IT -- calling out the legend for a real-deal boxing match.
SO, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!? LET'S DO THIS!!!!
Here's how it all got started ... 47-year-old ODLH was asked about his chances against the 31-year-old UFC superstar earlier this week ... saying it would be a cakewalk.
"2 rounds," the Golden Boy told "The State of Combat" podcast. "Because one thing about me ... I went for the kill always."
"And look, Conor McGregor is – I love him in the Octagon. I respect him. I watch him all the time."
"But, the boxing ring is a whole different story. It’s a whole different story."
Conor -- who's always wanted a second shot at a boxing match following his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017 -- heard what ODLH had to say ... and he wants the legend to put his money where his mouth is ... IN THE RING!!!
"I accept your challenge, Oscar de la Hoya," Conor tweeted.
Now, Oscar (39-6) hasn't had a pro fight since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008 by a referee technical decision ... but the Golden Boy's confident he can shake off any ring rust against the 0-1 Conor.
He's been sliced and diced more times than a bad guy in a 'Wolverine' movie ... and now, Hulk Hogan is showing the world his battle scars from his 10 surgeries!!
"10 surgeries you can hang a MAC truck from my back and I’ll still take the whole WWE roster on brother," the 66-year-old said.
He's also showing off the "Immortal" tattoo he got around 2011.
Hulk's back issues have been well documented -- he started going under the knife back in 2009 after suffering extreme pain from all those years in the ring.
In fact, Hogan described in great detail all of the damage his body has endured from wrestling when he appeared on "OBJECTified" with Harvey Levin."
"I've had 17 surgeries over the last 10 years," Hogan said ... "My knees are fake, hips are fake, back is full of metal and part of my face is full of metal."
"I didn't get the memo about the fake wrestling,:" Hogan joked ... noting the physical punishment is VERY real.
Hogan even showed off teethmarks in his finger -- the result of a wrestling match from decades ago.
Hogan's most recent procedure took place at the end of 2019 ... and despite being told he would likely be out of the gym for 4 to 6 months, Hogan was able to lift again after 7 weeks!
They said 4 months light weight then 6 months I could train slowly again after back surgery number 10, buuuttt at 7 weeks 4days my MANIACS can see I’m on the grind with my pizump on brother! I mean PLIZEASE Wrestlemania is right around the corner Brother! HollyWoodHH4Life pic.twitter.com/nd1ccTy7kS
Hogan hasn't wrestled since 2013 -- when he appeared in a match for "TNA Wrestling." He's talked about wanting his final match to take place in a WWE ring ... but so far, no word on if that will actually happen.
While Hogan has participated in WWE events, he hasn't wrestled for Vince McMahon since 2006.
Seems Earl Thomas is on decent terms with his wife -- despite allegations she held a gun to his head -- because he's flashing a new diamond chain she got him for his birthday.
The Baltimore Ravens star turned 31 on Thursday -- and showed off his flashy new gift on social media ... a diamond pendant featuring a picture of Earl with his late grandfather, Pastor Earl Thomas.
His grandfather passed away in 2018 -- but Earl has spoken publicly about how much Pastor Earl meant to him.
Earl praised Nina Thomas for the gift -- saying, "Thank You [Nina Thomas]."
TMZ Sports broke the story ... Nina was arrested on April 13 after cops say she stormed an Airbnb home in Texas and held Earl at gunpoint after she caught him cheating.
Earl posted a video statement on May 6 saying, "Stuff like this happens" -- and noting that he has "been talking" with his wife.
So, does the chain represent a full reconciliation?
No word yet ... but it seems it's heading in that direction.
The broken meat supply chain has most Americans worried, but not hunters who are loading their freezers with game -- and it seems a lot more people want to do the same.
We did some digging, and in the past couple months, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic ... several Midwestern and East Coast states, where hunting is common, have seen a major increase in demand for licenses to bag open-range game, fish and fowl.
In Michigan, for example, turkey season kicked off with a bang on April 18 ... and the state’s Department of Natural Resources already sold 97,305 licenses to hunt the bird, far eclipsing the 83,072 number this time last year.
New York, which tragically had the biggest surge of coronavirus cases early on, also saw a surge of its residents going fishing and hunting. Between March and May, the number of licensed anglers grew 30 percent and turkey permit sales spiked about 60 percent.
Similar story in Virginia, where so far this year ... sales of hunting licenses have risen nearly 10 percent and its turkey harvest has perked up by 11 percent.
A couple of heartland states -- Indiana and Iowa -- have also experienced big spikes in hunting and fishing licenses, but officials there don't chalk that up to a potential meat shortage. Instead, they think it's because people have more free time to enjoy the sport of hunting along with the reward of food.
Of course, for those out there who aren't into the whole hunting thing ... there's always plant-based meats. As we told you ... that business is booming too.
WWE superstar Roman Reigns says he's champing at the bit to get back in the ring ... but can't take any chances with his health because he needs to "protect" his young children.
"We just had two newborn twins, twin boys," Reigns says ... "They're 8 weeks old so I had to make a decision for them."
As we previously reported, Reigns opted out of performing at Wrestlemania 36 back in April -- citing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
"A lot of people ... they think that it was based off of my heath and the history of my fight against leukemia. Talking to my doctors and stuff, I actually am fine and my immune system is good," Reigns explained.
"The drugs that I take to fight the leukemia, they don't attack your immune system."
Reigns says the decision was "bigger than me" -- "It's my family, it's my children, they are my legacy. No matter what I do in this world, my children are gonna be the ones to represent my name and carry our name forward. So I had to make that choice for them, to protect them being so young."
The 34-year-old says he misses wrestling like crazy -- "I wanna be out there, I wanna get back to work, I wanna get back to normal but I just feel like I have an obligation not only to my family and myself but to my community."
"Also, to set the example because at the end of the day, we can do a lot of different things and say a lot of different things but its through our actions that really speaks volume. That's what I'm trying to do."
Reigns says he's not sure when he will return to the ring -- but for now, he's in full "daddy mode" ... and that's okay with him!
There's more ... Reigns is also appearing in the WWE Network series "Undertaker: The Last Ride," which chronicles how Taker is wrapping up his legendary wrestling career.
Of course, Reigns famously battled Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 -- defeating the Dead Man, right before Undertaker symbolically left his hat, gloves and coat in the center of the ring ... which signifies retirement.
"I had no clue about the end ... like how he was gonna be laying his hat and his gloves and his jacket down," Reigns says.
"I didn't have any clue about that!"
And, get this ... Reigns, one of the toughest guys in WWE says he was even moved to tears during the match -- though he blamed his watery eyes on something else!
The series debuts Sunday night on WWE Network -- and Reigns says reflecting on that moment still gives him goosebumps.
Henry Cejudo's belt is on the line against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 ... and one guy who fought BOTH dudes is telling us who will come away with the bantamweight title.
TMZ Sports spoke with T.J. Dillashaw -- who lost to Triple C via first-round TKO in 2019 and to Cruz via decision in 2016 -- and he says there's a clear favorite to win Saturday night.
"I like the fight, man I do, I'm intrigued in it," T.J. tells us. "But, if I'm a betting man, I'd bet on Dominick Cruz."
"I think that he's going to point-fight Cejudo and he's going to out-point him and he's going to win a decision. I'm interested in it, obviously, I've got some bad blood with both of these guys. So I like the fight."
Dillashaw says Cejudo is gonna struggle with Cruz's awkward style of fighting ... but would love the opportunity to take either fighter when he returns from his 2-year suspension for an anti-doping violation.
"I'm sure I've lost a lot of respect, a lot of fans for what I've done and I completely understand that."
"But, yeah I want that title shot, I don't want a tune-up fight. I want to get my belt back, I'm the best Bantamweight of all-time."
Dillashaw's suspension will be up in January 2021 -- which will be here before you know it.
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are callin' it -- reportedly ending their pursuit to buy the NY Mets after it became clear they were way too far apart on price.
As we previously reported, the power couple was looking for investors to buy the team for somewhere around $1.5 billion.
The current owners, the Wilpon family, were looking for something closer to $2.5 bil.
J-Rod had reportedly teamed up with billionaire investor Wayne Rothbaum to make a run at the team -- but there were 2 major snags in negotiations, according to the NY Post.
First, the price ... Rothbaum was hoping to get the team for a cool $1 BILLION.
How, you ask? The $2.6 billion valuation accounts for the team's stake in the SNY cable network (the primary local broadcaster of Mets games). Rothbaum reportedly has no interest in the network and feels the team is worth significantly less without it.
Plus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on MLB, he thought he could get the team at a "fire sale" price.
The other issue ... Rothbaum reportedly wanted more control over the team than Alex and Jennifer were willing to give up.
Our sources told us Alex feels there's tremendous upside in buying the Mets -- and saw it as a huge business opportunity -- but for now, it just ain't working out.
Of course, it's possible Alex and J Lo could find another billionaire partner and take another stab at buying the team ... but for now, it's back to the dugout.
