TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ex-UFC star Rashad Evans is ready to move on from sparring to starring ... in a Hollywood role -- and he's revealing his dream gig -- playing Cuba Gooding Jr.'s brother!!

We got the former light heavyweight champ out at LAX and he told us now that his days in the Octagon are done ... he wants a career in movies.

Of course ... he's already gotten started on that dream -- playing a role in Mel Gibson's upcoming flick, "Boss Level."

But, Rashad's got his eyes on a bigger prize ... and it includes possibly playing a relative of Rod Tidwell himself.

BTW ... Rashad ain't the only Evans who has his future mapped out -- his kids are just as driven as Pops.

Kevin Hart is set to step into a boxing ring with poker champ Antonio Esfandiari in March ... and there will be legit money on the line in the fight -- Antonio tells TMZ Sports.

First ... some backstory. Hart and Esfandiari have been solid friends for years -- having played in poker tournaments together every now and then.

Sooo ... when we got the 39-year-old card player leaving M Cafe and he liked the fact that our photog recognized him ... he gave us "some juice" on his friendship with the comedy icon.

"Kevin Hart and I were playing the other day, we were hanging out ... and somehow boxing comes up," Antonio tells us.

"So, we made a bet. And, in March, around March, we are going to box in a ring."

Bomb. Shell.

Antonio then revealed he's getting 35-to-1 odds in the bout ... mostly 'cause he plays with cards all day while Kevin's "in better shape," "he's an athlete," and "he's fast as hell."

Esfandiari wouldn't tell us how much cheddar is on the line ... but, Antonio is worth a reported $20 mil, while K. Hart's worth $57 million -- soooo, stakes are probably pretty high.

Good luck with the training!

Get your betting slips ready ... 'cause Thomas John has had a premonition -- and it's about to make the Red Sox, Dodgers and degenerates VERY happy.

We got the "Seatbelt Psychic" star at Craig's and asked him for anything that could possibly make us money.

That's when he revealed those from the afterlife (or the clouds or the tea leaves or wherever) are telling him to BET ON L.A. AND BOSTON TO MAKE THE WORLD SERIES!!

"I feel Red Sox and Dodgers in there," Thomas says.

There's more ... John also tells us the spirits are sending him a lot of "good energy" when it comes to Johnny Manziel.

Conor McGregor didn't have to say anything in response to the manager of his mortal foe Khabib ... his expression did all the talking.

Conor was in NYC Friday night when a photog asked what he thought about the manager's comment -- that the champ would be safer in jail than fighting Khabib. Check out Conor's reaction.

TMZ Sports broke the story last week ... that Conor was about to dodge a major bullet in his criminal case -- the one where he threw the dolly into a UFC bus, injuring 3 fighters.

This week a judge accepted a plea bargain that kept Conor out of jail. Under the deal the felony was reduced to a misdemeanor -- if that didn't happen Conor could have been deported.

Conor had a strong reaction Friday night to the plea bargain ... check out the video below.

She's only a few days old, but Lonzo Ball's brand new baby girl already has a job -- she's going to work for LaVar's new BABY BALLER BRAND ... so says the Big Baller himself.

We spoke with LaVar Ball at his BBB pop-up shop at Sole Play in Atlanta where he told us he's happy to be a grandpa -- but he ONLY goes by that title at Lonzo's home.

Otherwise, he only wants to be known as "The Big Baller CEO in the mix."

Our photog suggested LaVar launch a baby line to cater to the new kid, but Ball said he's already got a newborn line in the works and, as soon as Baby Ball is ready, "she's a worker."

There's more ...

We also asked LaVar if he'd ever consider launching a women's JBA basketball league -- and how he felt about LeBron's murals getting vandalized in L.A.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is furious with Rose Namajunas -- telling TMZ Sports she feels INCREDIBLY disrespected by her UFC rival ... and has advised her to "bow down!"

Remember, Rose previously told TMZ Sports the only way she would grant a 3rd fight to Joanna is if JJ publicly states that Rose is the greatest fighter of all time.

Well, that ain't gonna happen ... because Joanna still thinks SHE'S the G.O.A.T -- despite the fact she has two losses to Rose.

"You're a champion. I respect you. And I give you credit. But bow down. Bow down on your knees because I'm the real strawweight queen."

Joanna says she only lost the first fight because of an issue with her nutritionist and she feels like she won the second fight, which went to decision.

"So, don't say that I have to say that you are the best because I will never say this. You are the champ. I give you this credit. But you are not the best, so it's a shame on you that you're saying this."

FYI, Joanna had a 14-fight win streak before Rose -- and says her record still makes her the best to ever do it.

Move over LeBron ... you ain't the only James wanted in Hollywood -- 'cause 'Basketball Wives' star Jackie Christie is BEGGING Savannah to join the show.

"Come on Savannah," Doug Christie's wife tells TMZ Sports. "We need you!"

Jackie's been a staple on VH1's hit ... and when we got her out at LAX with her NBA hubby -- she was all for sharing the show's limelight with LBJ's boo.

"Savannah, come be on 'Basketball Wives,' we think you're adorable!"

Of course ... Jackie IS one of the few 'Wives' stars still with her NBA connect -- so there might be some angling for a new storyline here.

Pay attention, tailgaters ... UFC star Eddie Alavarez is about to show you how it's done -- 'cause he just copped the most awesome $143k tailgating machine ever!!

Here's the thing ... Alvarez is from Philly and he's a HUGE Eagles fan ... who loves to tailgate before football games.

How do you do that if you're a big-time UFC star?

You do it in a Winnebago Era (new ones starts at $142,925) ... which is a tricked out luxury leisure machine built on a Mercedes Sprinter van chassis ... which Eddie hooked up with a TV.

"Hell yeah man, we got a RV now. I got a RV where I can head down to the stadium to tailgate," Alvarez told us.

"It's pretty. It's real pretty. We took it to a concert about a week ago and it was the talk of the town. Everyone was surrounding it."

Of course, the cost ain't a thing for Eddie ... he's the main event at UFC on FOX 30 Saturday where he's fighting Dustin Poirier, and we're guessing he'll make his scratch back.

Fly Birds, fly!

LeBron James is being offered some hip-hop help from one of the biggest new rappers in the game ... Trippie Redd, who's telling TMZ Sports exactly how he'd use LeBron musically.

We got Trippie in Beverly Hills and wanted his opinion of LeBron's rapping, so we let him hear James' freestyle from a couple years ago.

Trippie took it in ... but didn't just give us a review, he gave us a plan -- a plan on how to make LeBron a viable musician ... and it sounds like he knows what he is talking about.

Redd also told us he's 100% sure Kobe is coming out of retirement to play with LeBron next year, pleading his case to our camera guy.

KSI is in some SERIOUS trouble come August 25 ... so says Logan Paul's old roommate, Mark Dohner, who tells TMZ Sports he knows firsthand what the social media star is capable of doing.

Dohner -- who has more than 2 MILLION subscribers on YouTube -- says he's had his fair share of scuffles with Logan in the 2 years they lived together ... and thinks KSI's gonna be severely outmatched.

"I think physically, Logan's a beast. He's so strong, he's got reach. I would never in my life pick a fight with Logan Paul."

ICYMI -- we spoke with KSI last week ... and he said he's trying to kill Logan's ego by making 2018 the worst year of his life.

As for Logan, we've obtained video of a recent sparring sesh, and he knocked a dude straight on his ass.

Is it fight day yet??

Conor McGregor ain't goin' to prison -- and UFC star Dustin Poirier couldn't be happier about it -- telling TMZ Sports they can finally figure out who's the baddest lightweight fighter in the world.

Poirier -- the #4 ranked lightweight who's headlining the UFC on FOX 30 card this weekend against 3rd ranked Eddie Alvarez -- says he didn't want McGregor behind bars -- despite the Barclays Center melee.

"I'm happy that he's free of all that stuff now. Like I said, the division can get moving. It's been top heavy and not moving for awhile."

Speculation is McGregor -- whose last UFC fight was in November 2016 -- will fight current lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.

Poirier says after he beats up Alvarez ... he wants the winner of Conor-Khabib (assuming the fight goes down).

LeBron James has officially put Kid Ink's Clippers fandom on life support ... 'cause the L.A. rapper tells TMZ Sports he'd root for King James' Lakers in a playoff series with the Clippers!!

The 32-year-old has been all-in with the Clips since he was little ... telling us, "I ride for the underdog."

But, with LBJ in L.A. now ... Kid Ink's doing the unthinkable -- DUMPING HIS OLD TEAM!!

"I've always been riding for LeBron James since high school," he says.

Now ... Kid Ink's not fully ready to commit the L.A. treason ... telling us he atleast won't rock Lakers gear when he cheers on LeBron at Staples Center.

But, you gotta hear the dagger he inserts into Clip City's heart when we ask who he'd root for in a scenario where LeBron has the ball in closing time against the Clippers.

Jerry Jones' biggest star is going to bat for the Dallas Cowboys owner and his new hardline stance on the national anthem kneeling ... with Dak Prescott saying the anthem ain't the time or place to protest.

The QB addressed reporters at Cowboys camp Friday and said he's fine with Jerry's new rule that forces players to stand ... 'cause it's something he's always believed in himself.

"I never protest during the anthem and I don’t think that’s the time or venue to do so," Dak said.

"The game of football has always brought me such at peace and I think it does the same for a lot of people playing the game, watching the game and a lot of people that have any impact of the game."

"So, when you bring such a controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game … it takes away. It takes away from the joy and to the love that football brings a lot of people."

Don't get it twisted ... Dak says he's all for fighting the battle against social injustices in America -- he's just ready to take a different step than kneeling during the anthem.

Conor McGregor is FINALLY opening up about why he threw a metal dolly through a bus window ... albeit he ain't the real McGregor ... he's an impersonator.

The guy's name is Al Foran -- and his McGregor impersonation is spot on ... complete with expensive sunglasses and a thick accent ... and he's giving TMZ Sports the perfect take on why the Irish fighter went off in Brooklyn.

"I was just trying to give the dolly over to the Russian," fake Conor says.

"To whatever his name is -- Kabob. I wanted to hand it to him and unfortunately it went through the bus window!!"

That ain't all ... fake Conor shows us how the UFC superstar might be spending his five days of community service -- and also takes an epic shot at a TMZ Sports photog that got Conor into deep water with the religious folks a few years ago.

Comedy star Donnell Rawlings is 100% behind Blake Griffin in his upcoming roast battle with Jeff Ross ... saying he believes Griffin will win, then roasting the hell out of Jeff Ross on the spot.

Ross and Griffin are gonna duke it out with the insults pretty soon ... and, when we got Rawlings at LAX on Thursday, we wanted to know who he thought would come outta the roast victorious.

Normally this is where we we'd put a quote in the story, but after saying Blake would win the battle, Rawlings proceeds to eviscerate Ross with every four letter word and insult we can think of.

It was enough to make us blush ... and we're TMZ Sports ... think about that.

Ever wondered what Russell Westbrook's upper thighs look like??

Good ... 'cause the Thunder superstar gave all his Team USA teammates -- and the rest of us, courtesy of Bryan Salmond and Sharp and Shapiro from "The Vegas Take" radio show -- an eyeful of them on Thursday.

Russ had his Nike shorts rolled ALL THE WAY UP on the first day of Team USA camp out in Vegas ... showin' off the kind of skin we haven't seen since John Stockton.

Of course ... this ain't the first time Russ has made a fashion statement -- Gucci diaper bags, full-faced Jordan hoodies and whatever this was have been a staple of his closet.

So, keep doing you, Russ ... and thanks for the reminder to never skip leg day.