TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC champ Max Holloway says he's legitimately concerned for Conor McGregor ... not because he's gonna kick his ass, but 'cause Conor could be throwing away his career.

We talked to Max coming off his huge win at UFC 218 ... and the featherweight king set aside his desire to call out McGregor to dish out some real talk.

"Go figure your life out. You're hearing crazy things about the dude, and I hope it's not true," Max told TMZ Sports.

ICYMI, a rundown of Conor last month ...

-- Got physical with officials at an MMA event
-- Was rumored to have been in a bar fight (though nothing concrete has come out)
-- Pissed off a judge at a court appearance for speeding
-- And that ain't all

Holloway says he wants to avenge his loss from 2013 -- but it's clear he respects McGregor and just wants what's best for him.

A man named Billy Turner has been arrested and charged for the murder of Lorenzen Wright ... over 7 years after the NBA vet was shot and killed in a Memphis suburb ... and we have the mug shot.

The Memphis Police Department and Shelby County District Attorney's office held a press conference on Tuesday to announce that Turner, 46, had been indicted and charged with the 1st-degree murder of Wright.

Turner is currently in custody on a $1 million bond.

Lorenzen's remains were found in a wooded area on July 28, 2010 ... 10 days after the 34-year-old was last seen leaving his ex-wife's residence in Collierville, Tennessee.

The case went cold for years ... but there was a major break last month when cops discovered the gun they believed was used to kill Wright ... in a lake about 50 miles from Wright's body.

Lorenzen was a star at the University of Memphis, and played 14 seasons in the NBA -- including 5 with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies.

Ex-USC football player Osa Masina was sentenced to 3 years behind bars on Tuesday after pleading guilty to 3 counts of misdemeanor sexual battery ... but will only be locked up for 1 year.

Masina learned his fate at a Salt Lake City courthouse Tuesday afternoon ... after the 19-year-old victim re-told her testimony ... saying she was anally raped by Masina after falling asleep at a party back in 2016.

She also said Masina engaged in oral sex with her while she was asleep.

The ex-USC linebacker was initially charged with rape and two counts of forcible sodomy -- both 1st degree felonies ... but accepted a plea deal on lesser charges in October.

Once Masina gets out, he will spend the next 2 years on probation.

Herb Dean's one of the more respected refs in MMA -- but UFC fighter Sabah Homasi says he F'd up BAD during his UFC 218 scrap ... and there should be hell to pay for his actions.

"He knows he f***ed up," Sabah told TMZ Sports, "His facial expression was like, 'Oh, sh*t.'"

FYI, Homasi and Abdul Razak Alhassan were trading BOMBS in round 1 ... and Herb jumped in when he thought Sabah was out of it.

In reality, he wasn't even hurt ... and The Punisher ain't gonna let Dean off the hook, especially since he potentially screwed him outta some serious cash ... and also blew another call later that night.

"It's just mess-up after mess-up and it shouldn't be like that."

Sabah's gonna have a shot at redemption ... Dana White's already booked the guys for a rematch at UFC 219.

No matter how you feel about LiAngelo Ball ditching UCLA, leave 'Gelo out of it ... 'cause LaVar Ball didn't let his son call his own shot -- so says Rockets PG Briante Weber.

"Daddy rules, so he probably had no say-so," Briante told TMZ Sports outside Poppy in L.A. "He's really just following what his pops said."

Maybe, maybe not. In an interview on Tuesday, LaVar essentially said he made the decision for LiAngelo ... but added that they were "on the same page."

Russia is BANNED from the '18 Winter Olympics after the country was caught running a MASSIVE doping scheme ... the International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday.

Athletes from Russia -- across every sport -- won't be allowed to compete representing the nation, the Russian flag won't be flown, and officials from the country aren't welcome in PyeongChang, South Korea.

FYI -- Russian athletes -- who can prove they aren't doping -- can compete under a neutral flag ... meaning they aren't reppin' a country.

The IOC hit Russia with the unprecedented penalty after completing an independent investigation into the country for operating an expansive state-sponsored doping program ... that included widespread cheating in the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia.

The United States Olympic Committee addressed the punishment, saying ... "The IOC took a strong and principled decision. There were no perfect options, but this decision will clearly make it less likely that this ever happens again. Now it is time to look ahead to PyeongChang."

Fun fact for you ... O.J. Simpson will have a say in this year's Heisman race, because he's still allowed to vote and, according to the Juice, he exercised that right.

Simpson was out in Las Vegas Monday night celebrating his daughter Arnelle's birthday when he broke down the race for the Trophy, which will be handed out Saturday night.

He seems to be up on all the leading candidates -- which is a little surprising, considering he's had a lot on his plate this fall. Y'know, getting out of prison and all.

O.J. was never forced to forfeit his Heisman winning status a la Reggie Bush. So, even though his '68 trophy was sold at auction to pay the Goldman family -- Simpson still gets a vote, by virtue of being a former winner.

Tom Izzo's won the NCAA tournament and been to 7 Final Fours ... but from the looks of it, the happiest moment of his life was being on the set of "Judge Mathis."

The legendary Michigan State basketball coach was a special guest on the courtroom reality show ... and dude was cheesin' like it was his damn wedding day.

Mathis was presiding over a diehard Ohio State fan (from Michigan!!), so he had to throw shade and shout out Coach Izzo -- who couldn't get enough.

Fun fact: Judge M says his daughter was a student assistant for Izzo ... so it's no surprise that they bro'd out backstage during the taping.

Mathis even dropped the gavel on rival Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, captioning their pic: "I hear you are a Judge Judy fan. Izzo wins!"

Chris Pratt is giving credit where it's due -- even if it's the QB on one of his favorite team's conference rivals -- 'cause he says Carson Wentz is "a helluva player" ... but he's got someone else in mind to win MVP this season.

TMZ Sports spoke with Star-Lord -- a HUGE Seahawks fan -- about the tight race for the league's best player ... and while he gives the Eagles star props, he says Russell Wilson shouldn't be overlooked.

The Game has some strong advice for all those judging LaVar Ball's parenting tactics -- DON'T -- 'cause he says whatever the Ball family leader decides to do, it's in the best interest of his kids.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Compton rapper at Ace of Diamonds in West Hollywood about LaVar pulling LiAngelo outta UCLA ... and Game says no matter how he personally feels about the move, LaVar's doing what he thinks is best for his sons.

Warren G is telling the NY Giants exactly what they need to do about the Eli Manning situation -- a situation that they totally screwed up -- telling TMZ Sports the Manning era should continue.

Here's a refresher ... the Giants benched their 2-time Super Bowl MVP for Geno Smith -- ending his consecutive games streak, losing the game, then firing their coach and GM. Nice.

It looks like Eli's job again, for now ... question is, for how long? Will the organization stick with him?

Conor McGregor mingled with a lot of huge celebs at London's Fashion Awards on Monday night -- including Rita Ora, who shared photos of her and the UFC mega-star with the caption: "Date night."

The Irish fighter and British pop singer were hangin' for most of the ceremony ... seated together at a table with F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton and supermodels Irina Shayk and Jourdan Dunn.

Before you freak out -- Conor just had a kid with longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin ... and Rita's rumored to be dating musician Andrew Watt.

Still ... that didn't stop the haters from coming after Ora -- including Conor's BFF Artem Lobov, who said, "Sorry Rita, burgers are nice but not when a man has steak at home."

LaVar Ball says the punishment UCLA dropped on his son, LiAngelo, is worse than him going to jail ... saying the school shouldn't "hang him on a cross" over one mistake.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... LaVar is pulling LiAngelo from UCLA due to the school's decision to indefinitely suspend his son. The Ball family patriarch now tells CNN's Chris Cuomo the decision wasn't just his and, in fact, Gelo agreed with the call.

LaVar says Gelo trusted him to make the decision because ... he was gonna be 1 and done -- leaving UCLA after one season, and then heading to the NBA or Europe.

LaVar says there's no reconsidering -- the decision's done.

LiAngelo -- along with LaVar -- also appeared on the Today show ... and talked about shoplifting in China, getting caught by the cops, and spending time in Chinese jail.

Ex-boxing champ Zab Judah beat people up for a living ... but now he's got another job, assisting elderly patients with dementia, and helping teach a nursing class.

Could LiAngelo Ball make an epic return to China?? Caron Butler thinks it would be a huge success for the ex-UCLA player ... but tells TMZ Sports the middle Ball kid's best move was to stay in school.

We broke the story ... LaVar Ball pulled Gelo from the Bruins basketball squad after growing frustrated with his son's indefinite suspension for shoplifting in China.

Butler disagrees with the move, saying academics should come first for Gelo ... but admits there's still opportunities for him to develop into a massive hit on the court.

Here's Conor McGregor and Lewis Hamilton proving you don't have to be in the NBA to be sports fashionistas ... stuntin' like bosses at the annual Fashion Awards show in London.

The UFC and F1 mega-stars pulled up to the red carpet at Royal Albert Hall on Monday night and posed for some pics with fashion icon Donatella Versace -- who was honored at the ceremony.

Conor was no doubt rockin' one of his custom David August suits ... but Lewis might've outdone the champ with his bright-red plaid joint.

McGregor and Hamilton kept the party going inside the venue -- rubbing elbows with Rita Ora and supermodels Irina Shayk and Jourdan Dunn.