TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tough break for Cody Garbrandt -- who's officially out of his flyweight championship fight at UFC 255 after suffering a freak injury to his arm.

"No Love" was initially scheduled to take on flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event on Nov. 21.

It was supposed to be Cody's first fight in the flyweight division. He had previously held the title in the bantamweight division.

"I tore my bicep on Monday," Garbrandt said on his Facebook page.

"The UFC decided to replace me but told me I’ll face the winner."

Figueiredo will now face #4 ranked flyweight fighter Alex Perez instead. Perez is on a 3-fight win streak, including a victory over Jussier Formiga at UFC 250 back in June.

Garbrandt added, "Time to heal and stay ready. Control what you can control in this life. I always count my blessings when negative things arise. #gratitude."

No word on when Garbrandt will be cleared to return to action -- but we're hoping for a speedy recovery.

The next Manning has officially arrived ... and he's VERY real!!!

Peyton and Eli Manning's star QB nephew, Arch Manning, kicked off his sophomore season in spectacular fashion Thursday night -- scoring SIX total touchdowns in a 41-0 rout!!

The young quarterback -- whose dad is Cooper Manning -- showed off a ridiculous skill set in Isidore Newman's win down in Louisiana ... tossing dimes AND running over players with his legs.

Check out the highlights from the night ... Arch threw touch passes, he threw bullets -- and he even stiff-armed THE HELL out of some dude on a long run!!

Also, shout out to his WRs -- THOSE GUYS ARE BEASTS!!!!

The 6'3", 195-lb QB totaled up 260 passing yards and 5 passing TDs on just 13 completions ... and also added a rushing touchdown.

Of course, the night should surprise absolutely nobody ... Arch has already been dubbed the best QB in America in the 2023 class -- and was a STAR as a freshman last season.

Lane Kiffin's season may be going down the crapper ... 'cause the Ole Miss head coach's media time was interrupted by what may have been a flushing toilet!!

The 45-year-old was asked a question during SEC media availability this week ... and while we can't say for certain he was taking care of some personal business at the time, the audio evidence sure seems to point in that direction.

Kiffin was asked about the Rebels' matchup against Kentucky this weekend ... and his response had some, uh, additional sound effects to it.

"A challenge playing a really good team, very physical and runs the ball really well and played great defense last year and in the first game and limited explosive plays ..."

FLUSH NOISE ... long pause.

"... as a team, so a lot at stake here. Need to play well."

One can only imagine what was going through Kiffin's head *IF* he did, in fact, flush the can and forget to mute his phone while speaking to a bunch of reporters ... which may explain the long pause.

Let's be real -- what else could the sound have been?? And, as Kentucky Sports Radio points out, no one else's phones would be unmuted while Kiffin was answering.

Reggie Bush doesn't think it's a coincidence that Donald Trump tested positive for COVID after "that disastrous debate" ... claiming it's all part of a plot to keep POTUS from ruining his re-election bid.

Bush -- who's been extremely critical of Trump for years -- unleashed on social media Friday morning after the White House announced both Donald and Melania Trump have tested positive for Coronavirus.

"Teflon Don just wants the attention on him," Bush said ... "Now the entire world will be on Trump watch. Now you test positive? After all the rallies with no masks you held, now you conveniently catch COVID after that disastrous debate?"

When one reader suggested Trump's team is behind the conspiracy to "get him out of future debates," Bush agreed wholeheartedly.

"Exactly now he won’t be available for questioning, can’t do debates, he’s going to disappear for 14 days while the world thinks he may die, YEAH RIGHT!!!!"

Bush continued, "It’s all a game and it’s all a reality tv show that’s what reality tv stars do they keep the attention on them at all costs."

The next Presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden is scheduled for October 15 -- with a 3rd slated for the following week.

What is ... baseball???

No, seriously -- what is baseball? That's the question all of the contestants on "Jeopardy!" were asking themselves Thursday when Alex Trebek revealed a category dedicated to Yankee Stadium.

Look, sometimes Jeopardy gets a crop of contestants who know a little something about sports ... but man, this group was STRUGGLING.

Props to Mason who correctly got "Babe Ruth" after an obvious $200 clue. But, the gang went 0-4 on the rest of the category.

No one knows anything about Aaron Judge? Or Mickey Mantle? Or Yogi Berra?!!?

And, you should see the panic on Mason's face when the $2,000 answer is revealed to be the Daily Double! PANIC!!!!

Even the official Jeopardy twitter account took a swipe at the contestants ...

"We didn't expect this category about the Bronx Bombers to bomb so hard. Oh well! @Yankees."

Still, nothing beats when Trebek clowned a bunch of contestants for butchering a football category back in 2018.

Atlanta superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. dumped a whole bottle of salt in Trevor Bauer's playoff exit wound Thursday ... trolling the hell out of the Reds pitcher -- and it was SAVAGE!!!

Here's the deal ... Bauer was flat-out dominant in Game 1 of the Braves-Reds wild-card round series -- and he showboated for most of the outing, even hitting Conor McGregor's famous billi strut on the mound.

But, once Bauer was pulled, Atlanta was able to lock up the win in extra innings. And, on Thursday, the Braves beat the Reds once again ... sending Bauer and his team packing.

Afterward, Acuna went after Trevor in an epic tweet ... writing, "Goooo homeeeee" with a crying emoji and a GIF of Marc Gasol hittin' the billi strut!

Yeah, SHEESH!!!!

The tweet hit so hard ... Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, just had to comment on it -- writing, "Haha I can respect a good troll game...but to be fair, TB still owned you, regardless of outcome."

Bauer's shockingly yet to fire back ... but we're sure there will be some sort of Twitter/YouTube/Instagram post on it all coming soon.

Former NFL star Steve Smith UNLOADED on Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after NY's loss to Denver on Thursday ... accusing the coach of being dirty as hell.

"If it smells like a pig, it looks like a pig and it's oinkin'," Smith said, "then guess what my friend, it's a pig."

Broncos players were irate at the end of "Thursday Night Football" ... after Jets players hit Denver QB Brett Rypien late AND hard, despite the game essentially being over at 37-28.

Things got so heated ... Broncos head coach Vic Fangio told his players to ignore postgame handshakes and go "straight to the f*cking locker room!"

And, afterward, on the NFL Network, Smith said the whole scene went down because he believes Williams is a dirty coach who instructs his players to be dirty.

"Gregg Williams is a guy who has had bounties on guys and made sure, 'Hit him when he goes out of bounds,'" Smith said ... "Wherever he goes, the nonsense follows. That's how he runs his defense and that's how he does it. Straight up."

Smith says he's seen it firsthand when he was playing in the league ... claiming players on Williams' teams would hit him late based on the instructions of the coach.

"I'm not saying you have to believe me," Smith said. "I'm saying I'm willing to put myself out there and call a spade a spade."

For the Jets' part, head coach Adam Gase told media members he basically understood why Fangio rushed his players off the field without shaking hands ... saying, "I think he was just making sure we didn’t have any kind of melee."

Imagine being at a restaurant ... and in walks Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Richard Dent and Don King.

That's exactly what happened to a couple back in 1988, who commemorated the moment by getting all the legends to sign their menu ... and now it's up for auction!!!

Hindman Auctions tells TMZ Sports ... the power squad showed up at Lino’s Ristorante in Chicago to celebrate Dent's 28th birthday.

As it turns out, the night was pretty well documented in Tyson's ex-trainer Rory Holloway's memoir, who claims Tyson was LIVID with MJ at dinner over suspicions the Bulls legend had a fling with his then-separated wife Robin Givens.

The book claims Tyson was on the verge of fighting MJ ... but apparently cooler heads prevailed when it came to the restaurant manager asking the superstars to sign the menu for the couple in attendance.

Now, the couple is looking to part ways with the unique piece of history -- it's hitting the auction block via Hindman Auctions on Oct. 20 ... and we're told this thing could sell for thousands, if not 5 figures!!!

Kyrie Irving says he's never trusted his old teammates with hitting clutch baskets ... admitting he's always "felt like I was the best option" until he joined Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.

So ... LeBron, what's good?!?

The NBA superstar joined KD's "The Boardroom" podcast this week to discuss teaming up on the Nets ... and the dude pretty much shaded the hell out of King James in the process.

The question was -- 10 seconds left in a close game, who takes the final shot?? Kyrie said it goes to the hot hand ... and then dropped this:

"One thing I've always been comfortable with is I felt like I was the best option on every team I've played for down the stretch," Uncle Drew said.

"This is the first time in my career where I can be like ... 'that motherf**ker can make that shot, too!"

Now, Kyrie DID hit the dagger 3 pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to help the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first title in franchise history ... but LBJ has hit his fair share of clutch shots throughout his career.

It's no secret Kyrie demanded out of Cleveland and wanted do his thing away from LeBron ... but now it seems he didn't think the 4-time MVP was a killer in the clutch.

There's more ... Kyrie also talked about his new coach, Steve Nash ... saying he doesn't really see him as a "head coach" ... and thinks the team of KD, Nash, assistant Jacque Vaughn and himself as being head coaches by committee.

KD agreed ... saying "It's a collaborative effort."

Sorry, Yankees ... former MLB All-Star Royce Clayton says the Dodgers will win the World Series -- telling TMZ Sports, "This is the year."

Clayton -- who we got out checking the surf in Malibu on Thursday morning -- says it pains him to make the prediction as a longtime S.F. Giant ... but he says he just sees it coming.

"I live here, I got love for them," Clayton admitted. "And, you know, if my Giants aren't in there, then I have to say I'm rooting for the home team."

Clayton says there are a few reasons he's pushing L.A. over NY and others to win the 'ship ... #1 being the addition of Mookie Betts.

"That really puts their offense in another tier," Clayton says.

Clayton added he believes the Dodgers' starting pitching is great ... and says he thinks Kenley Jansen will have a big postseason as well.

As for the team's shortstop ... Clayton tells us he LOVES Corey Seager -- adding the dude should be in line for a HUGE payday this offseason.

No, Hassan Whiteside did NOT threaten to leave America and move to Hawaii in the wake of that insane debate Tuesday night ... insisting he was framed on social media.

After the Trump vs. Biden debate, someone posted a tweet that appeared to be from the 31-year-old NBA star's official account, saying "i can't do this for four more years f*** america bro im moving to Hawaii"

The quote went viral (because it's hilarious) -- and was even picked up by some pretty big websites.

But, Hassan -- the REAL Hassan -- went to Instagram on Wednesday to call BS on the whole thing.

"If you want some clout, ya ain't gotta make fake tweets about me! You ain't gotta make fake tweets," Hassan said.

So, fake news ... but glad he cleared it all up.

Well, THAT didn't take long.

Doc Rivers is back on an NBA bench just days after leaving the L.A. Clippers ... agreeing to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The longtime L.A. coach mutually parted ways with the Clips earlier this week ... after a disappointing exit from the playoffs.

Rivers addressed the exit in a statement, saying, "While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won't be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support."

Rivers made it clear he wasn't ready to hang up his tie just yet ... and while an official announcement has yet to be made, it's only a matter of time.

Rivers -- who has posted a 943-681 record as a head coach -- beat out huge names like Mike D'Antoni and Ty Lue for the gig ... and is taking on a team with a ton of talent.

The Sixers have been hoping to get back into the Finals for years ... and now they got a guy who has won it all.

Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey gave a raw and emotional shoutout to his father after earning a MASSIVE new extension Thursday ... thanking pops for always wanting the best out of him.

The 24-year-old ex-Alabama star just inked a 5-year extension worth $98.75 MILLION ... and choked back tears while praising those who helped make the life-changing deal possible.

Humphrey started off by thanking those within the organization -- from coaching staff to front office and ownership -- but the waterworks started to come when bringing up his father, former NFLer Bobby Humphrey.

"My dad kept me in line," Marlon said. "Since I was young, I told my dad I wanted to play in the NFL and he never really let me slip."

He continued ... "My dad has been so much more than just a father. He coached me as a kid. He's actually been my everything for me, along with my mom."

"I really thank him a lot for what he's done and I know he'll continue to be a great father to me and hopefully, one day, I get a family I can treat my sons and my daughters the way my dad has treated me and my brothers and sisters"

Humphrey has emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the game through 3 full seasons with the Ravens ... racking up 8 interceptions and 150 tackles.

Maybe buy dad somethin' nice with that new money??

A pro cyclist has been booted off his racing team indefinitely ... and the squad's honchos say it's all because the dude got into an aggressive Twitter exchange over opinions on Donald Trump.

Here's the deal ... 19-year-old Quinn Simmons -- a rising star in cycling -- commented on a Dutch journalist's social media post Wednesday, showing his support for POTUS.

In the original post (which has since been deleted) ... the journalist wrote, "If you follow me and support Trump, you can go. There is zero excuse to follow or vote for the vile, horrible man.”

Simmons responded by writing, "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving. The cyclist later told a commenter "That's right" after the person had called him a "Trumper."

Turns out, Simmons' racing team -- Trek-Segafredo -- didn't like the exchange one bit ... and hit him with an indefinite ban.

But, the team says the punishment was NOT for Simmons' pro-Trump political views ... but rather, they say they just didn't like the way he went about expressing them.

"He was suspended for engaging in conversation on Twitter in a way that we felt was conduct unbefitting a Trek athlete," the team said in a statement.

Added the team's manager, Luca Guercilena ... "We hold all Trek staff and management to a high ethical standard and our athletes are no exception."

For his part, Simmons released a statement on it all ... writing, "As an American rider, I have always been proud to represent my country. Riding for an American team has been a lifelong dream. A big reason I chose this team was because of the American values behind it."

Simmons continued, "To those who found the color of the emoji racist, I can promise that I did not mean for it to be interpreted that way. I would like to apologize to everyone who found this offensive as I strongly stand against racism in any form."

FILE UNDER -- things you should NOT do during a pandemic!

Here's video of Tampa Bay Lightning players completely ignoring COVID-19 guidelines ... passing around the Stanley Cup to fans and allowing them to drink from it.

Yeah, not ideal.

Just hours after the team had its parade to celebrate its championship win over the Dallas Stars -- Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov took Lord Stanley to Tampa streets.

And, in a complete brain fart given the state of the coronavirus, they gathered in crowds of mask-less people ... and poured booze from the top of the trophy into people's mouths.

Obviously, it's a big no-no during pandemic times ... but even if COVID-19 were under control, it's probably not the most sanitary thing to do.

We've reached out to the Lightning over the videos ... but so far, no word back yet.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like the Lightning players -- who were all locked away in the NHL bubble throughout their playoff run -- have plans of stopping their party anytime soon.

Killorn got on the mic and shouted out Florida governor Ron DeSantis for opening up bars to allow celebrations to continue.

Love the enthusiasm ... but guys, please be safe!!

Diego Maradona says the "Toy Story" jokes stemming from his COVID mask are NOT funny ... and now, the soccer legend is firing back at his critics in a scathing social media post.

Maradona stepped out to coach his Argentinian soccer club this week in a huge face shield that covered the top of his head to below his chin ... and he quickly became the subject of Internet memes.

People poked fun at the face covering ... calling the 59-year-old everything from an astronaut to Buzz Lightyear.

But, Maradona says the mask is NOT a laughing matter ... adding he's using it to make sure he stays safe and coronavirus-free.

"It is the same that some doctors use," Maradona said Wednesday. "I did it out of obligation, and out of respect for all those who died from COVID."

Of course, Maradona's health problems have been well-documented ... he's battled breathing and heart issues throughout his life, as well as a much-publicized addiction to cocaine.

Maradona also famously needed medical treatment at the World Cup in 2018 ... after his body apparently couldn't handle the rush of all his animated celebrations.

Maradona is healthy now ... and taking all the proper steps to keep it that way -- including sanitizing his hands repeatedly during games.