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UFC fighter Mike Perry believes he has a problem with alcohol abuse -- and says he will seek professional treatment immediately ... following a violent altercation at a Texas restaurant.

As we previously reported, Perry punched an older man in the face -- and allegedly struck 2 more people -- during a crazy incident Tuesday night at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock.

Witnesses told us Perry had been ordering berry mojitos before things got violent.

Now, the UFC has issued a statement about the incident -- with several interesting points about Perry.

"UFC is aware and troubled by the video that was released last night concerning Mike Perry."

"The conduct displayed by Perry is not reflective of that of our organization," UFC said in a statement first reported by ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

The UFC says Perry has apologized for his behavior and acknowledged he was disappointed with himself that his actions may have reflected poorly on UFC.

"He further acknowledged that he believes he has some issues related to alcohol abuse and is informed UFC that he has committed to immediately seek professional treatment, including substance and behavioral counseling."

"At this time, UFC has informed Perry that he will not be offered a bout, and the parties have agreed to evaluate next steps for Perry following the completion of this treatment program."

Today we nearly said goodbye to Steph Curry's face ... the NBA superstar decided it was a good idea to spar with Canelo Alvarez on a golf course -- and it nearly cost him his forehead!

The hilarious/terrifying scene all went down at the Edgewood Tahoe resort in Lake Tahoe on Thursday ... when Canelo and Steph were getting in a practice round for this weekend's famous celeb American Century Championship tournament.

For some reason ... Curry decided to get in a little boxing lesson with Alvarez on one of the tee boxes -- and spoiler alert, it did not go well for the hooper.

Canelo danced around the 32-year-old for a couple seconds, before unleashing a violent jab that almost caught the Warriors star right between the eyes!!!

"Steph!" someone yelled off-camera. "You're supposed to move, dude!"

Yeah, no kidding!!!

Of course, the two were just playing around ... there's no bad blood between the boxing superstar and Curry -- the guys were all smiles and even posed for a photo after the play sesh.

Joe Burrow said he was gonna do it ... and now he's doing it in a BIG way.

The Cincinnati Bengals QB -- whose Heisman acceptance speech sparked more than $650k to his hometown's food pantry -- is taking things to the next level ... by starting a foundation to fight hunger and poverty in southeast Ohio.

Remember, TMZ Sports spoke with Burrow back in December (shortly after he accepted his Heisman) and he told us he was already planning on ways to use his platform to help.

That resulted in #9 announcing the "Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund" on Thursday ... which will keep food on the tables in his hometown of The Plains for years to come.

"When I mentioned my hometown in my Heisman speech, it wasn't really planned. I was just speaking from the heart," the 23-year-old QB said in the announcement.

The fund was kick-started with $350k of the money raised from the Heisman speech and a matched donation from the Foundation For Appalachian Ohio ... bringing the total to a $700k investment in the future.

"This initiative was made possible through the generosity of people from all over the country, and will have a tremendous effect on the food insecurity issues that many families face in Southeast Ohio."

Joel Embiid made a helluva fashion statement on his way to the NBA bubble -- rockin' a FULL HAZMAT SUIT to keep the COVID out!!!

Embiid has not minced his words when it comes to the NBA's plan to restart in Orlando -- saying earlier this week, "I don’t think it’s going to be safe enough."

So, when he pulled up to the airport in Philly Thursday to board the flight to the bubble ... he let his outfit do the talkin'.

Gloves? Check. Mask? Check. Giant hazmat suit large enough to fit a 7-footer? CHECK AND MATE!

Sure, some of his friends were laughing ... but Embiid doesn't think there's anything funny about the NBA re-start.

"I hated the idea,” Embiid told NBC Sports Philadelphia earlier this week.

"To me, all I want is to stay healthy and stay safe, keep the people around me safe. I want to make sure I’m able to live for a long time and not have any sort of consequences in the future from this if I were to be in a situation where I was getting the virus."

He continued, "Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of the idea. But then again, I’m going to do my job. I’m not going to let the city down. I’m going to represent my city -- that’s what I’ve always done -- my family, my teammates. The mindset doesn’t change. It doesn’t matter the fact that I don’t like that idea and I still don’t believe in it. I don’t think it’s going to be safe enough."

Hence, the hazmat suit.

The season -- taking place at Walt Disney World in Orlando -- is scheduled to tip-off on July 30.

The 2019 World Series MVP ... Stephen Strausberg?!?!

The Nationals superstar says his name was comically misspelled on the World Series ring box he received Thursday ... but fortunately, Strasburg told reporters the team at least got it right on the ring itself.

"I got a little nervous at first," the Nats ace said, “because on the outside of the box that it came in my last name was spelled wrong. So luckily it was spelled correctly on the ring, so I was pretty happy about that."

Hilarious tale ... considering everything Strasburg did to get Washington its first-ever World Series ring.

The dude was LIGHTS OUT in the Nats' playoff run ... going 5-0, including two huge victories over the Astros in the World Series.

Of course, Strasburg laughed off the box's spelling error ... and said he was stoked to eventually show off the new bling to his family nonetheless.

"You just look at all the little things that they put on the ring to kind of commemorate some of the big moments of the season, and it kind of just takes you right back to that moment," Strasburg said.

YOU JUST CAN'T STOP FAUCI!!!!

... the horse!!!

Yes, a 2-year-old colt named "Fauci" -- after Dr. Anthony Fauci -- got the WIN at Keeneland race track Thursday in Lexington, KY ... and you better believe it kept its distance from the competition!!

"Fauci" was named back in March to honor the COVID-19 expert's knowledge and contributions during the pandemic ... and he's been performing pretty damn well so far.

In fact, Fauci galloped to a 2nd place finish at Belmont Park in its debut race back in June!

And, just weeks later, the horse was a 5/2 favorite going into the race at Keeneland ... and again, performed like a champ!!

Hopefully, this becomes some sort of sign that things will get better with the coronavirus in the U.S. ... but then again, maybe it just means that's one fast thoroughbred.

"I hope he gets help."

That's UFC fighter Dan Ige telling TMZ Sports why he's rooting for Mike Perry to get his life together after that horrible violent incident this week at a Texas restaurant.

As we previously reported, Perry -- a popular UFC fighter -- allegedly struck several people (including a woman and an older man) while leaving Table 82 in Lubbock.

Fact is, Perry is lucky he didn't kill anyone during the incident.

Perry isn't commenting on the incident -- but several people in the UFC world are concerned the fighter is heading down a dangerous path.

Count Ige as one of those people -- telling TMZ Sports, he REALLY hopes Perry can turn his life around before it's too late.

"Mike Perry is definitely battling some demons in my opinion," Ige says ... "I just feel like he needs some guidance. "

"I'm not trying to tell him how to live his life. But, it's sad. You don't want to see guys spiral downhill. And, I hope he gets help. I hope he gets himself on the right path."

There's more ... Ige is facing Calvin Kattar in the main event at "UFC Fight Night" on July 15 -- in a fight that could lead to a title shot down the line.

"Huge opportunity," Ige says ... "I'm going out there to prove I'm champion worthy."

Ige is on a 6-fight win streak -- and says he's FIRED UP about getting to throw down on Fight Island.

OKC Thunder forward Andre Roberson and Rachel DeMita are showing the depressing side of the NBA's return -- with the couple sharing one last goodbye before Andre enters the bubble in Orlando.

Remember, pros will be separated from their significant others and family members for AT LEAST 50 days if their team makes it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Roberson and DeMita -- who have been together for nearly 2 years -- posted one final selfie before the hooper headed to Florida on Tuesday ... and yeah, it's pretty sad.

"Good luck in Orlando! see ya in a couple months 🥺," the former NBA 2K host said on Instagram ... meaning she's expecting her man's team -- currently 5th in the West -- to make a solid run.

Of course, there's a bunch of newer couples who are also gonna be sad about the season picking back up ... like Kyle Kuzma and Winnie Harlow ... and Tyler Herro and Katya Elise Henry.

Stay strong, love birds!!

A teenage soccer player had to fight for his life after being struck by a lightning bolt on a pitch in Moscow this month ... and the terrifying incident was all caught on video.

The footballer, ID'd as 16-year-old Ivan Zaborovsky, was warming up for a workout around the penalty box ... when suddenly, a crack of lightning shot down from the sky and exploded on him.

The clip is insane ... you can see the bolt hit him and release a fireball around him.

Zaborovsky immediately collapsed on the field ... and after trainers, teammates and coaches rushed to his aid -- he was transported to the hospital.

Multiple reports say Zaborovsky went into a coma after the strike and suffered serious burns ... but reports add signs for a recovery have been encouraging.

In fact, the club Zaborovsky plays for says it's been in contact with the boy's father and Zaborovsky's "eyes are reacting, he is answering commands, his return to the team is positive, he will play."

Scary incident ... get well soon!!

As we previously reported, a pro video gamer in the U.S. was struck by lightning while INSIDE her house earlier this month.

Despite some intense pain at first, she's basically recovered -- though her controller was melted in the process.

If you think Joey Chestnut is ready to wind down his competitive eating career after setting a new hot dog record -- YOU'RE WRONG!!!

The greatest eater in the history on mankind tells TMZ Sports he'll be back ... as long as his doctors give him the green light.

Of course, Chestnut woofed down 75 dogs in 10 mins to set a new world record at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July. He also held the previous record of 74.

But, despite having ZERO rivals who truly pose a threat -- the Michael Jordan of wieners says he's still passionate about his sport.

"Oh my God, I still love it," Chestnut says ... "I love the whole thing, pushing myself, the prep, even the recovery."

"I love knowing I feel like garbage and then the next day I feel better. And now, naturally, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to eat something big."

He adds, "I'm addicted to it and as long as I'm healthy, as long as my doctor keeps saying that I can keep doing it and I'm not hurting myself, you can count me in!"

"I'll be back next year and we'll see where it takes me."

FINALLY -- a quarterback who can feed Odell Beckham the ball!!! (Kidding, Bake!)

The Cleveland Browns superstar linked up with Blueface while working out at UCLA on Wednesday ... and the duo decided to see what kinda arm the "Obama" rapper was dealing with.

And sheeeeesh ... the dude has a cannon!!!

OBJ offered to run about a 40-50-yard route downfield ... and Blueface hit him perfectly in stride for the completion. It was beautiful ... and something Browns fans rarely got to see last year.

"Who got the best arm in the rap game?!," Blueface asked OBJ.

"Yeah, you got it!!" Odell responded ... while gifting his new QB his gloves as a souvenir.

TMZ Sports spoke with Blueface himself about his skills ... and he says football was his first dream.

As a matter of fact, he says he could've made it to the NFL if he stuck with it!!

New England Patriots QB Cam Newton was also in on the fun at UCLA ... throwing darts to OBJ and even Blueface ... who creatively edited his one-handed catch to provide ZERO proof he was able to come down with the ball.

Regardless, Blueface is a freak athlete ... maybe the Browns should take a look??

Tiger's back!!!!!

Golf's biggest superstar announced Thursday he's making his long-awaited return to the PGA Tour at next week's Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.

"I’ve missed going out and competing with the guys," Woods said, "and can’t wait to get back out there."

It's huge news in the golf world ... Tiger hasn't swung a club on Tour since mid-February, when he finished in last place among those who made the cut at the Genesis Invitational.

After that tournament, Woods complained of back tightness ... and sat out the ensuing events until the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the season.

Golf returned to action in mid-June ... but Tiger passed on all the return tourneys -- only choosing to play Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson at The Match II during the layoff.

Of course, the Memorial was set to allow fans to watch Tiger in person ... but tournament officials announced this week they nixed those plans as COVID cases began spiking around the country.

Not like too many people will complain ... watching Tiger on TV instead of in-person ain't a bad consolation prize.

Wanna see the toughest guy EVER?!?!

Meet Sia Soliola ... a star rugby player in Australia's NRL who broke his face mid-game -- but then had it repaired just a few days later with a handful of hardware, no problem!!

The story is insane ... the 33-year-old Canberra Raiders player took an upper-body shot to the face in the middle of a match last Friday and immediately knew something was wrong.

The clip is tough to watch ... Soliola gets hit right in the cheek -- and is forced to leave the game immediately.

X-rays revealed the dude BROKE HIS FACE IN HALF ... but Sia got it repaired with a bunch of screws, and didn't even seem to flinch!!

In fact, Sia even joked about the injury, writing on the recovery pics, "NAILED IT."

Tough-ass dude ... considering reports say he'll have to eat his meals through a straw and won't be healthy for at least another few months!!

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman says he wants to have an "uncomfortable conversation" with DeSean Jackson about the WR's anti-Semitic IG post ... but he's hopeful the two can learn from each other.

Edelman broke his silence on Jackson Thursday morning ... saying he "wanted to take some time because it's a complicated issue and I wanted to be thoughtful."

As we previously reported, DeSean posted a quote on IG attributed to Hitler (though it's not a real Hitler quote) suggesting a secret Jewish conspiracy for global domination.

Edelman acknowledges Jackson posted some "ugly things" about Jews ... but notes, "I do see an opportunity to have a conversation."

The 34-year-old Super Bowl MVP explained his own experience with anti-Semitism -- and how he was called a hateful slur on the football field back in 2011.

He called on the Black and Jewish communities to listen and learn from each other ... and then made an offer to DeSean.

"DeSean, lets do a deal. How about we go to D.C. and I take you to the Holocaust Museum and then you take me to the Museum of African American History and Culture."

"Afterwards, we grab some burgers and we have those uncomfortable conversations. This world needs a little more love, compassion and empathy."

For his part, Jackson has said he's been meeting with Jewish leaders to try and educate himself about anti-Semitism.

"He was trying to educate himself, educate people and he's speaking the truth."

Former NBA star Stephen Jackson attempted to defend DeSean Jackson's anti-Semitic social media post in a video Tuesday ... adding in the clip, "You know he don't hate nobody."

"But, he's speaking the truth of the facts that he know and trying to educate others."

DeSean re-shared a quote attributed to Hitler (though it's not an actual Hitler quote) on his social media page earlier this week ... appearing to endorse a passage that claimed Jews will "extort" and "blackmail" America as part of a greater "plan for world domination."

DeSean apologized for the post multiple times ... and his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, ripped him in a scathing statement shortly after.

"Regardless of his intentions," the team said, "the messages he shared were offensive harmful, and absolutely appalling."

Stephen took issue with it all in a now-removed video ... bringing up the Eagles' handling of the infamous Riley Cooper n-word incident back in 2013.

"If it's talking about the Black race, y'all ain't saying nothing about it," Stephen said. "They killing us. Police killing us. And, treating us like sh*t. Racism at an all-time high. But, ain't none of you NFL owners spoke up on that. And, none of you teams spoke up on that."

"But, the same [Eagles] team had a receiver that said the word [n-word] publicly, and they gave him an extension."

Jackson continued, "I play for The Big 3, we have a Jewish owner. He understands where we stand in some of the things we say, but it's not directed to him. It's the way we been treated."

"Philadelphia, y'all need to repost this."

For the NFL's part, it released a statement on DeSean's post as well, saying, "DeSean’s comments were highly inappropriate, offensive and divisive and stand in stark contrast to the NFL’s values of respect, equality and inclusion. We have been in contact with the team which is addressing the matter with DeSean.”

The Eagles have not yet announced if a punishment will be handed down to the star receiver.

"He's gonna be a target. He's got a target on his back. Wait and see."

That's "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran warning Patrick Mahomes that with giant fortune comes giant scammers trying to take your money!

But, if you know anything about Barbara, you know she's a gangster when it comes to finance ... and she's dishing out some sage advice for the QB so he can STAY RICH for the rest of his life.

So, what should the KC Chiefs QB do with the $500 mil he's expected to make over the next 12 years?

"First of all, it's not $500 million," Barbara says ... "Remember, he has an Uncle named Sam. He's gonna have to pay him $250 million so he really only has $250 million. Bear that in mind."

Corcoran explains, "The first thing he should do is put it in the bank. Not do a thing! I know because when I sold my business, every creep came out of the woodwork with a $10,000 problem. Everybody is after your money and you can't trust anybody."

Barbara says it took her at least a year to realize how to turn people down effectively -- and the key is to hire a "bad guy" to tell people "no."

"The most important thing is before he buys that big house and a big jet ... he's gotta figure out how much money he needs to live on."

"He's a kid but he's gonna live a lot of years! So for every $25 million he puts away, he's going to get a $1 million income for the rest of his life"

"He should figure out, I need $1 million? I need 2 million? I need 5 million? And put that money aside. That's what he's gotta do."

Corcoran says Patrick should spend some time with her "Shark Tank" pal Alex Rodriguez -- who has become a major real estate investor.

That's saying something considering A-Rod reportedly made more than $441 million in MLB contract money!

There's more ... Corcoran also has a business strategy for Patrick -- and it's pretty damn smart! Watch the video and if you have the money, you might wanna take her advice!!

She also offered this final warning to the 24-year-old NFL superstar ...

"Let me tell you something, the more money you make, the more creeps you attract. The more people dressed in fancy suits, and not some fancy suit, friends or family -- all come out and are after your money."