TMZ Sports - Page 50

Conor McGregor just went off in his UFC 229 press conference -- vowing to destroy Khabib Nurmagomedov ... and claiming he'll be a billionaire by age 35!

Conor showed up almost 30 minutes late to the event in Las Vegas -- blaming crazy traffic. Khabib had left by the time McGregor showed up.

But, Conor didn't disappoint ... screaming about how much he hates Khabib, how great his whiskey tastes and how much money he expects to make.

Dana White had told us McGregor could make a Mayweather check ($100 mil) but Conor says the number will probably be closer to $50 mil.

Conor also accused Khabib's manager of being a terrorist who was pulled off a plane on Sept. 11, 2001 and detained by authorities. We're reaching to Khabib's camp for his side of the story.

Remember, Conor and Khabib HATE each other. When Conor threw that steel dolly at the bus in Brooklyn earlier this year, he was aiming for Khabib.

And, at the last press conference a few weeks ago, Conor called Khabib a "little rat, little weasel" ... "fanboy bitch" ... and "mad backwards c*nt."

Nurmagomedov promised to smash Conor's face in.

They'll finally get a chance to settle the beef once and for all on Saturday at UFC 229.

Who's ready?!

With rumors swirling that AC Milan has interest in bringing 37-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Italy ... we had to ask the L.A. Galaxy star straight-up -- true or false?

Good news -- we got an answer!

Bad news -- well, here's what he said ...

"There is always rumors. The whole world wants me. It's okay."

Keep in mind, reports suggest Zlatan has serious interest in going back to Milan -- where he scored 56 goals between 2010 and 2012. But, he didn't seem like he was bursting with excitement when we asked him about it.

The issue ... most people thought Zlatan came to L.A. to wind down his career with the Galaxy, where he's got a pretty good thing going -- 20 goals in 24 games.

So, think he's ready to give it up for one last ride in Serie A?

There's more ...

Remember that 7-year-old singer Malea Emma who impressed Zlatan with her national anthem performance before a Galaxy game last month?

We asked Ibra if he considered her a "lucky charm" and wants to bring her back.

Conor McGregor could be the first 9-FIGURE fighter in UFC history ... judging by the way his fight with Khabib is trending ... so says Dana White.

The UFC honcho tells us ... UFC 229 is trending to get between 2.6 and 3 MILLION pay-per-view buys -- which would make it the 3rd largest PPV event in combat sports history.

The biggest PPV fight ever is Mayweather vs. Pacquaio (4.6 million) followed by Mayweather vs. McGregor (4.3 million).

Conor has famously bragged about pulling a $100 million check for the Mayweather fight -- so we had to ask if he could get a similar check for this fight.

"Of course he can," White told us ... "You start to look at the PPV numbers with Conor McGregor, he's one of the biggest PPV draws of all time."

But, Dana says Conor's bigger play is his whiskey -- telling TMZ Sports he honestly believes Proper No. 12 could turn McGregor into a BILLIONAIRE.

Martellus Bennett wants Kanye West to keep Colin Kaepernick's name out of his mouth -- saying, "Why you trying to drag everybody else down into your sh*t hole?"

The ex-NFL star was at LAX rocking some Yeezy combat boots -- so, we had to ask if it was a show of support for the rapper who's been getting criticism for his support of Donald Trump.

Turns out, Marty B is anti-Kanye -- but he ain't about to light his shoes on fire.

Instead, Bennett says he simply won't buy another pair.

As for Kaepernick, we asked MB if he thinks Colin should take Ye up on his offer to meet with President Trump to hash out their differences.

Again, Marty was against the idea -- telling Kanye, "Don't try to drag other people in to make yourself feel like you're correct."

"Don't try to bring public figures who fight for black rights to help you and the foolishness that you're doing."

But, what about the spirit of reaching across the aisle?

"You wanna reach across the aisle to grab a bear? Or should you reach across the aisle to grab some greatness?"

Two ex-UFC champions have signed on to fight each other in a jiu-jitsu event in Vegas ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Frank Mir (former UFC heavyweight champ) will take on Forrest Griffin (former UFC light heavyweight champ) at the Black Belt CBD Invitational on October 20.

Griffin hasn't taken a pro fight since July 2012 -- when he beat up Tito Ortiz at UFC 148.

As for Mir, he fought in April at Bellator 198 -- when he was defeated by Fedor Emelianenko in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.

As for the CBD Invitational, we're told Ana Vieira, Catherine Perret, Bia Masquita and Luiza Moteiro are also fighting on the card.

Event organizers are touting the fight card as the first of its kind to offer the same purse for male and female fighters.

"We’re a woman-founded and woman-led company, born and bred in Las Vegas, and Jiu Jitsu is a huge part of our culture and even my family – my daughter loves to train Jiu Jitsu,” Black Belt CBD CEO and founder Krista Whitley said.

"We specialize in CBD-based performance-training products made for serious athletes of all genders, and when we launched the Black Belt CBD Invitational, it was only natural that we bring this philosophy into the Jiu Jitsu community."

11:01 AM PT -- Fuller's brother called 911 after the RB collapsed to the ground and told the operator it appeared he was having a seizure.

The caller said Fuller had "passed out" -- though it's unclear if he was conscious at that point.

C.J.'s brother and other family members desperately tried to help Fuller -- following the operator's instructions -- and begged for an ambulance to be sent over quickly.

8:20 AM PT -- A source extremely close to Fuller tells us the football star had gone to physical therapy to rehab his knee in the hours before his death ... and it was clear something was wrong.

We're told Fuller tore his ACL playing in a flag football game roughly 2 weeks ago and had surgery to repair the injury at the end of September.

Fuller went to physical therapy for the first time on Wednesday (10/3) as part of his recovery and completed a full session without issue.

When he arrived back to his home, we're told he "went to the ground" and asked for water -- clearly feeling something was wrong.

People close to C.J. called for an ambulance and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

There are rumblings Fuller's death was a direct result of complications from the knee surgery -- but we're told that hasn't been determined yet.

We spoke with the coroner who told us a death investigation is underway.

7:58 AM PT -- We spoke with the Pickens County coroner who tells us there is death investigation underway but she notes, "Nothing suspicious."

Ex-Clemson running back C.J. Fuller -- a key player on Clemson's 2016 National Championship team -- has died, the school has confirmed.

He was only 22 years old.

The cause of Fuller's death is unclear. We're working on gathering information.

Fuller played in 43 games for the Tigers -- and proved to be a talented and capable back on the field. Off the field, Fuller had issues ... he was arrested back in March for allegedly robbing someone at gunpoint in South Carolina.

Clemon's coach Dabo Swinney issued a statement saying, "Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with C.J.'s family."

"I've known C.J. a long time and watched him grow up through the Easley rec leagues [in South Carolina] all the way through Easley High School. I'm proud of what he accomplished as a Clemson Tiger, most of all his accomplishment of being a Clemson graduate."

"Our deepest condolences and the thoughts of our program are with his family this evening. May he rest in peace."

Fuller's former Clemson teammate Shaq Lawson (who now plays for the Buffalo Bills) also commented on social media ... saying, "My brother I am hurting right now."'

"Somebody wake me up from this nightmare. My brother was supposed to come see me tomorrow. I love you bruh until we meet again."

David Beckham and his famous family are saying goodbye to their legendary Bev Hills compound -- selling the place for $33 MILLION!!!!

David and Victoria bought the 13,000 square foot estate back in 2007 -- right around the time David signed a $250 MILLION contract with the L.A. Galaxy soccer team.

At the time they bought the home, the asking price was $22 million.

Now, with David bringing an MLS team to Florida -- Inter Miami Football Club -- it appears the family just ain't using the West Coast palace like they used to.

David and Victoria's kids went to school in Los Angeles during their time on the West Coast -- but now they spend their time mostly in London.

The Bev Hills mansion is insane -- 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a library, pool and has iron gates in the front of the property to keep out the riff raff, according to the L.A. Times.

Conor McGregor says he will 100% complete the Nate Diaz trilogy -- saying, "I will give that man that rematch."

Conor and Nate have fought twice -- Nate won the first fight by strangling McGregor. Conor was the rematch in a majority decision. Both fights were phenomenal.

Now that Conor is back in the MMA biz after a 2-year break -- UFC Tonight's Karyn Bryant asked the Notorious who's next on his wish list of big fights.

McGregor said he's interested in scrapping with Anderson Silva -- saying, "It sounds interesting to me." There's clearly a mutual respect there.

But, Conor got most excited when talking about a rubber match with Nate Diaz.

"I've got that trilogy with Diaz. I will give that man that rematch. He gave me a rematch. I will give him a rematch."

What's interesting ... Conor says the 3rd fight will likely take place at 155 pounds -- 15 pounds lighter than they were in the first 2 fights.

However, Conor says he'd be open to fighting at 165 -- and creating a new division in the process, one that Nate has been lobbying for recently.

In fact, Conor says the UFC should start several more weight classes in 10-pound increments to create more champions and make weight cutting safer for the fighters.

Question is ... will Nate take a 3rd fight? Stay tuned ...

LeBron James has beefed up security at his L.A. home in a major way -- bringing a team of armed guards to patrol his house after learning he was targeted by a team of burglars.

As we previously reported ... the LAPD arrested 4 people who had hit more than 24 homes of the rich and famous, including Yasiel Puig, Rihanna, Christina Milian and others.

Cops say the bad guys had a list of 12 more celebrity targets -- including LeBron, Matt Damon and Viola Davis.

We're told LeBron is taking the situation very seriously -- he's got a wife and 3 kids at home -- and is taking every possible measure to protect his family.

Sources tell us ... Bron has at least 10 armed security personnel at the home -- including off-duty police officers. We're told the NBA's security team is also involved in the security plans.

L.A. Rams star Robert Woods -- whose home was burglarized -- is also working with the NFL security team to ensure his safety as well.

Cops say they believe there are more people involved in the burglary crews -- and they're asking the public for leads to track down the additional suspects.

Khabib Nurmagomedov will NOT screw over UFC 229 by missing weight -- so says his teammate, Daniel Cormier, who says his Dagestani pal is right on track.

Khabib has had issues with weight before -- he bailed out of UFC 209 (against Tony Ferguson) after issues with his weight cut went so poorly, he was hospitalized days before the fight.

He also had weight issues at UFC 160 -- when he was 3.5 pounds over the 155 limit when facing Abel Trujillo. They ultimately fought at a catch weight because Khabib couldn't shed the weight in time.

There are much bigger stakes for Saturday's fight against Conor McGregor -- the lightweight championship is on the line.

But, Cormier tells TMZ Sports there's nothing to worry about -- "He's looking great. Khabib's ready to go. His weight's looking good."

"Oh yeah, he'll make weight," Cormier added ... "He's like 11 pounds overweight as of [Tuesday]."

Sounds like a lot -- but Cormier insists it's right where Khabib needs to be.

The two will finally clash on October 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in what many people are calling the biggest UFC fight of all time!!

Cormier says his friend, Khabib, will need to "fire on all cylinders" to beat Conor, who's mauled just about everyone he's faced in the UFC.

Khabib is no slouch -- "He's 26 and 0," Cormier points out.

Cristiano Ronaldo will not play for his Portugal national team in at least 2 upcoming games while he battles rape allegations in the United States.

Ronaldo -- arguably the best player in the world -- was left off the roster for an Oct. 11 match against Poland and an Oct. 14 game against Scotland.

The 33-year-old superstar reportedly met with Portugal coach Fernando Santos and Portuguese federation president Fernando Gomes and collectively agreed it was best for Ronaldo to step away for a few games.

While they have not released a statement specifically connecting the absence to the rape case -- it's pretty obvious.

As we previously reported, Ronaldo is being sued by Kathryn Mayorga -- who claims Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room back in 2009.

She had initially filed a police report describing the alleged crime -- but didn't identify Ronaldo by name.

In her lawsuit, Mayorga says she later accepted a $375,000 payment in exchange for her silence -- but now, she wants that agreement voided.

Sorry, Aaron Rodgers ... your reign as King in the NFC North is over -- 'cause the Bears are the best team there now -- so says Chicago legend Mike Singletary.

Da Bears just waxed the Bucs 48-10 ... and when the greatest LB in Chicago history spoke with TMZ Sports about the W -- he told us he's convinced they're better than the Packers AND the Vikings.

"At the end of the day, I think the Bears are the most COMPLETE team in that division," Mike says.

Of course ... Detroit's also in the North -- but after their loss to the Cowboys on Sunday ... Mike didn't even bother to mention them in the same conversation.

Talk about going out with a bang ... Daniel Cormier tells TMZ Sports his fight plan is to finish his UFC career with one final mega-brawl with Jon Jones!!!

The reigning champ champ (he's got both the heavyweight and light heavyweight title) has already set a ticking clock on his UFC career -- promising to retire for good on his 40th birthday, roughly 6 months from now.

First, Cormier says he wants Brock Lesnar in the heavyweight division ... followed by a light heavyweight fight with Jon Jones.

Dana White recently told us he would love to see Jones vs. Cormier III at heavyweight ... but D.C. says he ain't on board with that. He wants the fight at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

"I want to fight Jones at 205, because that's where he beat me," Cormier said ... "He beat me at 205, I want to beat him where he beat me."

In the meantime, D.C. says he'll most likely relinquish his light heavyweight title while he fights Brock at heavyweight ... clearing the way for Jones to fight Alexander Gustafsson for the LHW title.

After that, it's on ... one last battle for the ages.

Chicago Cubs star Addison Russell has been suspended 40 games for violating the MLB's domestic abuse policy ... after his ex-wife accused him of physically and verbally abusing her.

Melisa Reidy -- who has one child with Russell -- accused the shortstop of name calling, intimidating with personal force and putting his hands on her during their 2-year marriage.

The allegations initially went public last year ... but Reidy says she was not ready to cooperate with the league's investigation until after their divorce was finalized.

Russell was placed on administrative leave 2 weeks ago ... after Reidy published a blog post detailing the alleged abuse. The league claims to have been investigating the allegations since last June.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the results of the league's investigation into Reidy's claims on Wednesday ... and said there was enough evidence to hand down the 40-game unpaid suspension, retroactive to September 21.

Russell released a statement on Wednesday ... saying, "After gaining a full understanding of the situation I have concluded it's in the best interest of my family to accept MLB's proposed resolution of this matter."

All the Internet detectives can put their magnifying glasses down ... Matt Barnes is ending the debate, telling TMZ Sports he DEFINITELY faked the ball RIGHT AT Kobe Bryant.

And, of course ... Kobe didn't flinch.

The debate over this 8-year-old NBA occurrence started when a Twitter user floated the theory that Kobe's all-time tough guy move wasn't that ... because Matt didn't put the ball directly in his face.

BTW -- If you don't remember the incident we're talking about ... you need NBA league pass ... BADLY.

We talked to Matt -- who was just thrilled to discuss it AGAIN -- and Barnes says he definitely faked the ball at Kobe's face and Mamba kept his cool.

"As far as I know that sh*t went in his face and he didn't flinch. I thought that was a dead story."

See ...

UFC star Tony Ferguson says he's a new, sober man -- telling TMZ Sports he's cut alcohol out of his life and has "completely turned my life around."

Tony says he made the life changes to expedite his recovery from the devastating knee injury he suffered back in April. Tony says doctors told him recovery could take up to a year ... but he was so focused, he was back in 4 months!!!

Now, Tony is facing Anthony Pettis at UFC 229 this weekend -- and has this message for his opponent, "Kiss my ass!"

As for the other fight on the card -- Conor vs. Khabib match -- Ferguson has some thoughts.

"Battle of the bullsh*ts. We got Tiramisu verse McNuggets. Both lost their sauce, and I got all the sauce."

Ferguson says neither guy's ever wanted smoke with him ... and ain't a damn thing changed.

"As far as Khabib is concerned, sh*t, the dude ducked me. He's been ducking me and so has Conor. Conor never says my name 'cause he's got 1 thing on his mind, loss, when he says my name."

Tony also picked a winner (kinda sorta).

"Double knockout. I see these motherf**kers knocking themselves out."