TMZ Sports - Page 50

Derrick Lewis is REALLY excited for the opportunity to fight Daniel Cormier at UFC 230 next month ... but tells TMZ Sports he's shocked Stipe Miocic didn't get first crack at the heavyweight champ.

The Black Beast was rockin' his The Money Team hat -- because "I'm getting that money now!" -- and told us he's super happy to sign his fight contract.

But, Lewis said he's not just there to get a check, he really believes he can win -- because he carried the more powerful punch and he's got more heart than D.C.

"I'm going there to win, especially at Madison Square Garden," Lewis told us.

That's when Lewis brought up Stipe -- the guy Cormier beat for the heavyweight title back in July -- and told us he was confused as to why Stipe didn't get a rematch with D.C. first.

"I believe that Stipe really deserved the shot since he was the champion for a while ... I don't know why they gave it to me before they gave it to Stipe."

When asked if he thought Stipe was more deserving of a title shot right now, Lewis replied, "Yes. For sure."

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he shouldn't have used the words "girlie man" to insult his political rivals -- saying, "In the long term, it's better to not say that."

The former California governor famously used the term at the 2004 Republican National Convention --saying, "And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, don't be economic girlie man!"

At the time, the comments were met with thunderous applause from politicians like Rudy Giuliani and Dick Cheney (both gave Arnold a standing ovation).

But now, Arnold tells Men's Health he wishes he didn't use the term -- but not because it's offensive to women or effeminate men ...

"I called them girlie men because they weren’t willing to take risks," Arnold said ... "They were afraid of everything."

"Politicians in general want to do little things so there’s no risk involved. But it was shortsighted. In the long term, it’s better to not say that, because you want to work with them."

In the 30th Anniversary Issue, Arnold also talked about his treatment of women before the #MeToo movement ... saying, "Looking back, I stepped over the line several times, and I was the first one to say sorry. I feel bad about it, and I apologize."

Back in 2003, several women came out and accused Arnold of sexual misconduct earlier in his Hollywood career ... claiming he would grope them against their will.

Arnold had said most of the allegations were untrue -- but fessed up to "behaving badly sometimes."

Fast forward to the new interview ... where Arnold explains, "When I became governor, I wanted to make sure that no one, including me, ever makes this mistake. That’s why we took sexual harassment courses, to have a clear understanding, from a legal point of view and also from a regular-behavior point of view, of what is accepted and what is not."

Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly tried to play the role of peacemaker with a heckler who was going after Roberto Osuna ... but Pressly ended up calling the guy a "dickhead" and walking away.

It all went down on Monday when the Astros were taking on the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field for Game 3 of the ALDS ... when a CLE fan began teeing off on Osuna.

The person who shot the video says the heckler was going after Osuna about his domestic violence arrest -- yelling things like, "Do you remember baseball before you committed domestic violence?"

Osuna -- who pled not guilty in his criminal case -- didn't say one word to the heckler but fellow pitcher Pressly came over to try to calm things down.

"Stop, stop, stop ... I don't care what you say. You can talk all the sh*t you want. Just don't bring that stuff up," Pressly said.

The heckler argued that Osuna should be able to handle the trash talk because he's a pro -- but Pressly fired back.

"He's trying to be a professional ... but you're coming over here being a dickhead, dude."

Finally, Pressly gives up and walks away ... telling the heckler, "You're f*cking soft."

Luke Rockhold says Khabib obliterated Conor McGregor so easily -- the Irish superstar doesn't really deserve a rematch ... but he'll do it if the price is right!!!

Luke is Khabib's teammate -- and was in the cage to help restore order after all hell broke loose at UFC 229.

Rockhold explained that Conor and his team crossed a line with all of the offensive trash talk -- and the bus attack -- leading up to the fight ... and he understands why Khabib flipped out after his victory.

"I think some things aren't for fight promotion," Rockhold says ... "Conor traveled across the world with a gang of people and attacked and broke into an arena to attack Khabib with weapons."

"So, I think people are over-stepping their boundaries and attacking Khabib on this front. He jumped a cage. One of Conor's teammates was antagonizing him and yelling at him after a fight, which was, you know ... you beat your guy, it's pretty much time to shut your mouth."

As for rematch talk, that's where Luke really went in on Conor ...

"The funny thing ... a rematch is usually, they're close fights. It wasn't really a close fight."

"If people wanna see it, if the UFC wants to pay for it, I know Khabib will enjoy a record breaking number, like I said before. It's gotta be record breaking numbers if he wants a rematch."

McGregor has already said he wants a second crack at Khabib -- so, we're guessing the UFC will step up and make it happen.

Tyron Woodley had an interesting day -- he took his son to the doctor to fix his injured labrum and ended up going under the knife himself ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Woodley took his son to Pensacola, Florida to visit Dr. James Andrews -- widely regarded as one of the best in the world -- and while he was there, wanted to get his hand evaluated.

Woodley says he had torn some ligaments in his left thumb joint while smashing Darren Till at UFC 228 last month and the pain was so intense, he could barely shake anyone's hand.

Long story short ... the Doc told Tyron he had an opening in his schedule and could repair the injury TODAY -- so, Tyron did it.

Now, both Woodley men -- father and son -- are recovering in Florida and Tyron's mom is taking care of 'em.

Tyron says he should be able to fight as early as December or November and plans to destroy Colby Covington as soon as he heals up.

This is the most respectful way we've ever seen anyone call for a QB to hit the pine ...

The guy calling for Eli Manning to bench himself is Treach -- the leader of Naughty By Nature -- who happens to be a HUGE fan of the NY Giants.

Treach respects Eli. He likes Eli. He appreciates Eli.

But, he makes it crystal clear the future Hall of Famer's time is up -- dude needs to hand over the reins to a new quarterback.

"He loves the game so much, but he might need to fall back and show the team how to do it and let new legs come in," Treach said ... "But, he did great things for us. We gonna love him forever."

Treach is the latest rapper to weigh in on the NY Giants saga -- Lil Wayne took a shot at Eli on Tuesday after the QB told reporters he doesn't watch Weezy very often.

Eli was responding to an interview Odell Beckham did with Lil Wayne and Josina Anderson in which Odell said he "wasn't being given an opportunity to be the very best that I can."

He also said the Giants lacked heart.

Eli was asked about the interview on Monday and said, "I don't watch Lil Wayne much."

Wayne responded on Tuesday morning, saying, "You don't have to watch much of me, but you can listen if you could. You probably need to the way you've been playing."

Meanwhile, the Giants are 1-4 and in last place ... and they're playing the Eagles on Thursday.

Meek Mill's cementing his role in Philadelphia as "Man of the People" ... with yet another contribution that will serve kids well for years to come.

The rapper is set to announce plans to renovate a basketball court at East Fairmount Park in North Philly. Meek specifically chose that park because it's the neighborhood where he grew up. He tells TMZ, "North Philly will always be home. When kids go to East Fairmount Park, they deserve to ball in the best conditions possible, so I'm glad they'll have that opportunity now."

Meek partnered up with Roc Nation and PUMA -- which is celebrating its reentry to the basketball market -- to refurbish and repaint the court. Plans for the refurbished court are expected to be unveiled within a few days.

Shawne Merriman tells TMZ Sports he's feeling pretty crappy today after learning Chargers owner Alex Spanos died ... saying, "Just really sorry for the loss, man."

Spanos -- who bought the Chargers back in 1984 -- passed away Tuesday morning at 95 years old ... just several weeks after his wife, Faye, died at 92.

"I sent text messages this morning to the family," Merriman, an ex-Chargers superstar, tells us.

"Very sorry to hear that. Alex Spanos has done so much for the organization."

Though Alex relinquished control of the Bolts to his son, Dean, in '94 ... Shawne says Alex and the rest of the Spanoses played huge roles in his development as a man after drafting him in 2005.

In fact, Shawne tells us the Spanoses are like family to him ... and he's hurting for them.

"Just want to send my love and condolences to the Spanos family."

George W. Bush also released a statement on Spanos' passing Tuesday, saying, "Alex was one-of-a-kind ... He was a wonderful citizen and friend, and the Bush family will miss him."

They used to chant "Reggie sucks" ... but Yankees legend Reggie Jackson says he holds no grudges against Boston Red Sox fans -- telling TMZ Sports he's got nothing but respect for the enemy.

"Have respect for your opponents when it's an opponent like the Red Sox," Jackson told us in New York.

"You're facing a great franchise with great players, 108 wins ... couple guys could be the MVP. It's a great franchise. I loved playing there."

"The whole stadium used to say, 'Reggie sucks' when I was there. [But I'd] hit a home run and they would stand up and clap," Reggie said.

"That's just the fans. It's just excitement. It's just the thrill of playing."

This is why Reggie Jackson is awesome ... doesn't take the heckling personally -- understands it's fun for the fans and liked to shut 'em all up with his play.

Then again, easy for Reggie to say ... his Yankees teams usually destroyed the Red Sox during his playing days.

It's becoming clear why Antonio Brown freaked out and threw furniture off his 14th story balcony -- the NFL superstar had told police someone jacked $80,000 cash and a gun from his apartment!!

TMZ Sports has obtained multiple police reports involving the Pittsburgh Steelers star -- and it paints a picture of a man who was REALLY pissed off after returning to Florida after an 11-day trip.

The first report was filed on April 23 -- Brown told cops he returned to his high-end Miami apartment and noticed $80,000 cash was missing from a tote bag he had hidden in his closet.

Brown says his 9mm firearm was also gone.

Cops obtained surveillance video which showed a cleaning crew entering Brown's place on April 13. Cops found the women who said they had been hired and authorized by someone claiming to be Brown's representative.

The women denied taking the cash and the gun -- and insinuated it could have been other people who were in the house in the days before Brown left for his trip.

The next day, cops were called back to the apartment complex after getting calls about Brown throwing furniture -- including vases -- off his balcony.

As we previously reported, Brown is being sued by a man who claims Antonio almost killed his 22-month-old son during his tirade.

Cops say Brown was not arrested for the incident -- but the complex told them they would initiate eviction proceedings to kick him out.

Police were called to Brown's apartment AGAIN the very next day, April 25, when Brown reported that someone had stolen his black Rolls-Royce.

But, when cops showed up to his apartment, Brown said, "I found the car" and closed the door in their faces.

We reached out to Brown's agent for comment -- but haven't heard back.

WWE Hall of Famer Sunny is a free woman after spending most of 2018 behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned.

45-year-old Tammy Sytch -- considered the first ever WWE Diva -- was arrested in New Jersey back in March following 2 DUI arrests, one in January and another in February.

After the arrests, she blew off multiple court dates and was considered a "fugitive of justice" -- but was eventually taken into custody in New Jersey in March.

Roughly 3 weeks later, Sytch was later transferred to a Pennsylvania jail where she's been locked up ever since.

But now, according to officials at Carbon County Correctional Facility in PA, Sytch was released on parole Tuesday morning.

Sunny has a grocery list of run-ins with the law -- she's had 5 DUI arrests, as well as 5 arrests from 2012 where she was busted for things like burglary and crimes related to domestic violence.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has returned to Dagestan -- and people filled a STADIUM to see their hero!!!

The UFC star was cheered by the masses Monday at Anzhi Arena after defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 229 and eventually took the mic to address his adoring crowd.

"One thing I am asking for is not to be remembered for that incident when i jumped out of the cage," Khabib said ... "I wanted to show the difference between my nation and his nation."

"Because we're all here to know what great history we have ... we know our ancestors and all the ordeals our nation had to go through and nothing can break us."

Khabib told his fans that he hoped he made them proud -- adding, "You can't keep an eagle in a cage!"

He continued, "The inspiration I have comes from here -- from Dagestan -- from all the people who were waiting for me here. Thank you very much."

"We are all Dagestani people. Let's stay united."

You knew DeMarcus Ware could jump over his "Dancing with the Stars" partner ... but did you know he could shoulder press her too???

It's true ... 'cause the ex-Dallas Cowboys superstar lifted Lindsay Arnold straight over his 6'4" frame Monday night -- and it was awesome!!!!!!

D-Ware's been killin' the dance game with his NFL athleticism -- hoppin' over Lindsay in his 'DWTS' debut last month and then throwing her around like a rag doll in Monday's tango.

So, how'd it go over with the judges???

THEY LOVED IT!!!

"Almost a superhuman display of strength," judge Len Goodman said.

Ware scored a 26 outta 30 -- and staved off elimination for another week. Which is huge ... 'cause the competition (Tinashe, Alexis Ren, Juan Pablo Di Pace) is STIFF.

President Trump and Kanye West are officially teaming up to ... make America great again, and their plan will kick off with lunch at the White House.

Kanye and 45 are set to meet on Thursday, and their agenda will include discussing boosting American manufacturing and preventing gang violence, especially in Ye's hometown of Chicago ... according to the White House.

They'll also continue the convo on prison reform ... which Trump started with Kanye's wife, Kim Kardashian West, during a September meeting.

When he was here at TMZ last week, Ye said he'd been trying to encourage Colin Kaepernick to sit down with POTUS ... now he gets to work the other side.

This will be their first face-to-face meeting since late 2016 when the rapper, shoe and fashion mogul met with then President-elect in NYC.

George Taliaferro -- known as the "Jackie Robinson of Football" after becoming the 1st black player drafted by an NFL team -- died Monday ... his alma mater, Indiana University, confirmed.

He was 91 years old.

Taliaferro was a superstar at IU back in the late 1940s ... playing running back, quarterback and punter -- and garnering All-American honors three times.

When he left the school in 1949, the Chicago Bears picked him in the 13th round ... becoming the first-ever black man to be drafted into the league.

Taliaferro made three Pro Bowls in 1951, 1952 and 1953 ... and finished his career with 1,300 receiving yards, more than 2,000 rushing yards and 1,633 passing yards.

"All of us at Indiana University are deeply saddened by the passing of George Taliaferro," IU said in a statement.

"The 'Jackie Robinson of football,' he went on to become the first African-American player to be drafted by the National Football League, where he excelled at a remarkable seven positions and earned Pro Bowl honors in three of his six seasons."

"A man of enormous talent, courage and determination that helped him shatter racial barriers and earn a special place in the annals of our state and its flagship public university."

Ronda Rousey knows how John Cena feels -- because she got straight-up blindsided by Nikki Bella on Monday night ... and got her ass kicked in the process.

Rousey and the Bella Twins were part of a 6-way tag team match against the Riott Squad on "WWE Raw" in Chicago ... and things were going great, until Rousey got double-crossed.

After the ref had raised their hands in victory, Nikki hit Ronda with a clothesline from behind ... knocking her to the ground.

Brie Bella then rushed over and continued the beatdown -- stomping her out and throwing her into the steel ring stairs.

Yeah, we know ... fake (blah, blah, blah) -- but watch the video, Ronda's body took some real damage here.

So, what happens next?

Revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.