TMZ Sports - Page 50

A.J. McKee is only 25 years old, and has a perfect 16-0 record ... and if that ain't scary enough, the undefeated fighter tells TMZ Sports he's recently been mentored by Floyd Mayweather.

We talked to the 145 lb. featherweight contender ... and he revealed that he's been chopping it up with Mayweather -- another guy who knows a little something about being unbeaten.

"I've spoke with Floyd, I've talked to him and I even told him, I'm the 'you' of MMA," McKee says.

"What do I gotta do to get that 'you' check? There's always knowledge and wisdom you can get from other people and that's something I was really big on when I spoke with [Floyd]."

A.J. says TBE -- 50-0 in the squared circle -- spent about a half-hour advising him ... and gave him invaluable advice.

"[Floyd] said this is me, 'this is my show.' If no one around me adding to me or pleasing or trying to help me be better and add to my empire, then why do I have them around?"

"It's selfish, but in a sport, in a fight game that we have and that we are in, I get it! We talked for a good 30 minutes. We really went in kinda deep."

Well, this could be an issue.

Nearly the entire Las Vegas Raiders' starting defense has been placed on the team's reserve/COVID-19 list ... after DE Clelin Ferrell tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.

At least 7 players -- including Lamarcus Joyner, Johnathan Abram, Maliek Collins, Johnathan Hankins, Isaiah Johnson, Arden Key and Kendal Vickers -- were placed on the list after being determined as close contacts to Ferrell this week.

But, it's not a lost cause for the Raiders just yet -- the players WILL be eligible to suit up Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs if they continue to test negative.

However, the batch of players will not likely be cleared to rejoin the team until Saturday at the earliest ... which will be tough as the Silver and Black prepare for Patrick Mahomes and Co.

Of course, the Raiders have had their fair share of fines from the league due to COVID-19 violations ... including head coach Jon Gruden, who has been hit with $100k and $150k penalties this season.

The rise in positive COVID-19 cases across the league forced the NFL to issue a memo to all 32 teams, requiring them to go into intensive protocols for the remainder of the season.

Under the required protocols -- which begin on Saturday -- all team meetings will be held virtually or in large spaces and masks or face shields must be worn at all times at the team facility.

LeBron James is taking a page out of Michael Jordan's book ... by investing a huge chunk of change in a new tequila company!!!

King James -- who's always been outspoken about his love for wine -- is switching gears and joining forces with Lobos 1707, which launched Wednesday.

Bron revealed his decision to get involved in an interview with WSJ Magazine ... saying he tried the product on vacation in Italy and instantly fell in love.

"If it’s organic to who I am or what I’m doing, then it’s a lot easier for me to be a part of something," LeBron said.

"I was in a perfect place in my life. Me and my friends were trying different tequilas. I actually bought a place with Maverick Carter in Cabo a few years ago. There’s obviously a big tequila heritage there."

The move adds to Bron's growing list of business ventures -- including Blaze Pizza, SpringHill Entertainment and more.

And get this -- LBJ gave a sneak peak of his new product when celebrating with his Lakers teammates at Nobu shortly after winning the NBA title ... so ya know it's championship material.

The Lobos tequila will run from $45-$150 depending on which bottle you get -- Lobos 1707 Tequila, Joven; Lobos 1707 Tequila, Reposado; Lobos 1707 Tequila, Extra Añejo; and Lobos 1707 Mezcal Artesanal.

Of course, MJ recently got involved in the booze biz as well ... launching the Cincoro tequila brand with Jeanie Buss and Wes Edens.

James could barely contain his excitement on Twitter, saying, "We live!!! We’re excited to have all of you, your family, and friends around the table. And if we run out of room… we’ll just build a bigger table!"

Robinson Cano has been popped for a banned substance again ... and this time, it'll cost him the entire 2021 season AND a fat paycheck.

The New York Mets star second baseman tested positive for PEDs, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, and he's now been suspended for all of next year.

38-year-old Cano will also forfeit $24 MILLION in salary due to the season-long ban, Passan added.

The 8-time All-Star had previously been busted for using a banned substance back in 2018 ... when MLB hit him with an 80-game suspension.

At the time, Cano admitted to taking Furosemide -- which MLB has barred because it can act as a masking agent for PEDs -- but the baseball star claimed he did NOT use it for performance enhancement on the diamond.

"Furosemide is used to treat various medical conditions in the United States and the Dominican Republic," Cano said in '18. "This substance was given to me by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment."

"While I did not realize at the time that I was given a medication that was banned, I obviously now wish that I had been more careful."

Unclear what Cano tested positive for this time ... but his absence next year will sure hurt the Mets.

Cano had a monster 2020, batting .316 and hitting 10 home runs in just 49 games.

Before the suspensions ... Cano was considered a Hall of Fame candidate -- with a career batting average of .303 and 334 total home runs.

Here's a side of Bill Belichick you rarely see ... the 6x SB winning head coach just made a public appeal to the U.S. -- pleading with the government to "take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan," and stop the Armenian genocide.

The 68-year-old coach was meeting with the media on Wednesday ... when he was asked about new Defense Secretary Christopher Miller using Belichick's famous "Do Your Job" quote in a memo to the Defense Department.

Belichick said he was honored by the inclusion ... before making the impassioned plea.

"I’ll just say, while we’re on the subject, I read his point about combating traditional threats. And, I couldn’t help but think and hope that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, and I hope that our country will take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unprovoked and deadly attacks on Armenians," Belichick said.

"We’ve seen that when a humanitarian crisis and things like that, like ethnic cleaning, go unpunished, that they just continue to happen. I hope that we can put a stop to that."

Of course, the situation between the countries is extremely tense ... and despite attempted cease-fires, many people have been injured or killed.

This isn't the first time BB has expressed support for Armenia. Back in 2015, Belichick wore an Armenian flag while meeting with President Obama.

One of the reasons the subject hits close to home for the coach ... one of his closest advisors, Patriots staff member, Berj Najarian, is Armenian.

WHOA!!!

Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert just chopped it ALL off on top ... with the QB debuting a brand-new look on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old signal-caller has made a name for himself since his Oregon days for his skills on the field ... but was just as attention-grabbing when the helmet came off.

Matter of fact, the guy had such great flow ... he got an endorsement deal from Head and Shoulders!!

But, that is all a thing of the past ... with Herbert straight-up buzzing it all off.

So ... why?!

"No particular reason," Herbert told reporters. "It was just time and it was getting too long, so it was time to cut it."

JH added it had nothing to do with the Chargers' 3-game losing streak ... saying he's not a superstitious guy.

"Honestly, it was just getting long and time to cut it."

Marc Colombo did NOT beat the hell out of Joe Judge in a fistfight this week ... so say the NY Giants, who tell TMZ Sports an alleged brawl between the coaches NEVER happened.

Colombo -- a former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman who's been coaching OL in the league for the past few years -- was abruptly fired from the Giants' staff on Wednesday.

And, according to FOX Sports' Jason McIntyre, it's all 'cause the assistant got in a scrap with the head coach.

"I'm told NY Giants coaches Joe Judge and Marc Colombo got into a fistfight this morning," McIntyre reported. "Punches thrown. I'm told Colombo got the better of him, and Judge fired him instantly."

The story is WILD ... considering Colombo is 6-foot-8 and played offensive tackle in the NFL for a decade.

But, when we reached out to the Giants for comment ... a rep told us straight-up, "There is absolutely no truth to that."

Giants reporter Ralph Vacchiano says the firing actually all stemmed from Colombo being unhappy with Judge's decision to bring in former Patriots offensive line guru Dave DeGuglielmo to help Colombo with the unit.

"It was clear that a Colombo-DeGuglielmo pairing wasn't going to work," Vacchiano said, "so Judge decided to fire Colombo instead."

“Listen I studied his every move. I knew what he was gonna do when I went in. I actually called my manager a week before the fight, and told him I was gonna have the fastest knockout in BKFC history.”

That's badass bare-knuckle fighter Uly Diaz on his record-setting, 3-second knockout of opponent Donelei Benedetto at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 14 on Saturday night.

So, yeah ... everyone else was SHOCKED at how fast Diaz ended the fight -- except Uly.

Diaz -- who says he has the prediction on video -- tells TMZ Sports he studied Benedetto, and actually had a premonition he'd immediately turn his lights off.

“I manifested this. I dreamt about this moment. Listen, it’s an amazing experience. It sounds crazy to say it, but I promise you, my hand to God, I saw all this happening before it did."

The KO's gone viral online, and Uly says he's heard from everyone from ordinary fans, to his childhood friend, Pitbull ... to freakin' Hulk Hogan!

"You know what, a lot of people have been hitting me up. But, by far I think the coolest thing for me, I freaked out when I saw it, was Hulk Hogan hit me up and told me he was a fan," Uly tells us.

"He told me to keep up the hard work. Stay focused. Listen, it’s amazing."

We also asked Diaz if his knockout was the best in combat sports in the year 2020 ... or if others like Tank Davis or Joaquin Buckley's were more impressive.

Diaz didn't mince words when he answered the question.

Kevin Love says he still goes through "super brutal" days in his battle with his mental health ... admitting things sometimes get so bad, suicidal thoughts cross his mind.

The NBA star opened up about it all on this week's episode of "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" ... saying despite all of his work on his mental health -- sometimes it can all still overwhelm him.

"You don't get to turn it on or turn it off," the Cleveland Cavaliers forward said ... adding some days still feel "heavy" to him.

Love says the admission makes him feel "vulnerable" ... but he explained it's important for him to speak out about it so he can work through it.

"Listen, if you've been down that road ... I think it does cross your mind," Love said of his battles with suicidal thoughts.

"And, I just learned to speak my truth, honestly. I've learned that nothing haunts us like the things we don't say. So, me keeping that in is actually more harmful."

Love, though, says he's come a long way from his darkest moments in his struggles with depression ... the 32-year-old recalled a time back in his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves where things got so bad, he actually searched for ways on the Internet to take his own life.

"The good thing that happens is when you do search that, it comes up with the National Suicide Prevention Line," Love said.

"It was just scary to get down that route and think about the idea of taking my own life. But it was something that crossed my mind pretty often, especially when you're in a moment like that."

But, Love says he's found ways to consistently get through everything ... explaining knowing he's not alone in the battle really helps.

"I know that there's a whole group and a strength in numbers out there of people that are dealing with it," Love said. "And if we have more people that pay it forward like we've seen across a number of sports and a number of walks of life that it's going to be better."

It turns out the Lakers had their eyes on more than the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2020 ... 'cause 'Bachelorette' star Tayshia Adams says a player on the championship squad slid into her DMs!!

But, before you go there, Adams says it wasn't LeBron James ... even though she WISHES it was.

The reality show star made the big reveal on the "Click Bait with Bachelor Nation" podcast recently ... saying a member of the Purple & Gold hit her up following her rise to fame.

"Well, I’m not going to say the name ... but I’ve talked to a Laker," Adams told Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin.

That's when Lindsay immediately asked if it was Kyle Kuzma, who she says has a reputation for hitting up 'Bachelor' alums.

"Maybe, maybe not," Adams said. "I have talked to Kuz."

Of course, the ladies *had* to ask if it was King James ... and Adams denied any contact with the 4-time champ.

"I wish it was LeBron James," Tayshia said, laughing.

"No, believe me, no one exciting, I wish someone really good. But, no, nobody exciting."

Hey, we're not judging the culprit here. Adams is gorgeous, or as current 'Bachelorette' contestant Chasen would say -- "a smoke show." But, by the way she describes the cyber interaction, the mystery player may need to work on his DM game.

The hosts threw out one more name in hopes of cracking the case -- Anthony Davis -- but no dice.

"No, nobody exciting. The tea is dry. It’s cold. I’m so sorry, I wish."

The L.A. Rams are the latest NFL squad with a COVID positive player ... and now the team has shut down practice to keep everyone safe.

"This evening, we learned a Rams player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately entered self-quarantine and out of an abundance of caution, we are entering intensive protocol," the team announced Tuesday night.

The Rams did NOT identify the player.

The team says they've canceled in-person practice on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution."

Meetings -- and everything else -- will go down virtually.

This is the Rams 1st positive COVID test since linebacker Terrell Lewis had the virus at the start of training camp.

Not even a busted-up shoulder can take away the Christmas spirit from Christian McCaffrey ... the injured NFL star played Santa for Olivia Culpo's nephew -- and the vid is super sweet!

The Panthers running back -- who's currently out with a shoulder ailment -- jumped on FaceTime to pretend to be Kris Kringle for his GF's toddler nephew on Tuesday, and he CRUSHED the role.

Check out the footage Olivia posted of the cute moment ... McCaffrey made a white beard out of a blanket and had the little boy truly believing he was talking with Santa!

"Hey, Remi!," McCaffrey said on the phone. "Have you been a good boy this year?! I know you have! You've been a great boy!"

The two spoke for a while ... and McCaffrey ultimately promised him a truck and a bike for Christmas Day presents!

"My elves are going to work on it and we're going to fix it right up and put it under that great tree!"

#Adorable!

McCaffrey -- who's been dating Culpo for over a year now -- has played Santa for Olivia's nephew before ... and he appears to be killing it every step of the way as the swimsuit model's new man.

Recovering from surgery sucks ... that is, unless you have a gorgeous bikini model to help take care of you.

L.A. Dodgers star Cody Bellinger had surgery Tuesday to fix a dislocated shoulder he tweaked during the team's World Series run ... and his insanely attractive GF, Chase Carter, was right by his side to tend to his every need.

25-year-old Bellinger shared a snap of his arm in a sling on IG ... with CC lounging in bed right next to him.

"Gangs all here," Bellinger said. "Shoulder is feeling great the surgery went great. Thank you to everyone who has reached out!!"

Cody and Chase sparked dating rumors earlier this year when the S.I. Swim model posted several snaps with the slugger to her IG Story ... and the duo went public with their relationship shortly after.

The couple has been heating up social media ever since ... even sharing a kiss during the Dodgers' postseason run.

As for Bellinger's return time, the champ has some really good news for Dodger fans ...

"Looking forward to being ready for spring training this upcoming season! 🙌🙌"

Get well soon, Cody!!

DeAndre Baker has found a new football home after his armed robbery case was dropped ... he's reportedly set to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in the coming days.

The cornerback -- who was cut from the NY Giants after he was hit with multiple felony charges stemming from his alleged role in a May 13 incident -- will visit K.C. this week and is set to ink a deal to join the team shortly after, according to multiple reports.

Baker is expected to begin his career as a Chief on the team's practice squad.

It's huge news for the 23-year-old former 2019 1st-round pick ... because just a few days ago, he was staring down LIFE IN PRISON.

We broke the story, Baker was accused of pulling out a semi-automatic firearm at a cookout in Miramar, FL. and ordering partygoers to give him their cash, watches and other valuables.

Baker was arrested and ultimately hit with multiple counts of robbery with a firearm.

But, prosecutors announced Monday they dropped all the charges after they say the alleged victims and witnesses in the case became "uncooperative" and had their credibility "inalterably tarnished."

Prosecutors claim it all stemmed from an attorney, William Dean, who represented 3 victims in the case.

"[Dean] was arrested for extortion related to soliciting a cash payout on behalf of the three men in exchange for altered testimony," prosecutors said.

Baker's attorney, Bradford Cohen, was thrilled with the prosecutors' decision ... telling TMZ Sports on Monday, "The result is the correct result in dismissing Deandre's case. We have been saying he was a victim of an extortion from day one."

TMZ Sports has obtained more video from the night Dallas Goedert was knocked out inside a South Dakota bar ... and the new footage shows the NFLer got in a patron's face before the attack.

In the clip, you can see Goedert -- wearing a black shirt and holding a drink -- puts his finger on a man's chest, walks him backward and then gets nose-to-nose with him.

Seconds later, Goedert puts his hand on the man again and appears to push him backward ... and that's when the 25-year-old tight end got violently rocked in the face by another man.

However, our Goedert sources are adamant the TE was simply trying to play peacemaker before he was KO'd.

As we previously reported, the whole scene went down on June 19 at Zoo Bar in Aberdeen, SD ... and Goedert had to go to the hospital due to injuries he suffered in the skirmish.

Fortunately for the Eagles tight end, he was NOT seriously hurt in the altercation.

But, 30-year-old Kyle Hadala was arrested and charged over the punch ... ultimately getting hit with a simple assault charge for throwing the haymaker.

Hadala has pled not guilty to the charge ... and has fought the case heavily in court -- arguing he only threw the punch because he was just trying to defend his friend.

"They picked out my smaller colleague from the group, got in his face, and made very threatening remarks toward his personal well-being," Hadala told TMZ Sports back in July.

"Then one of his crew told my other colleague, and I quote, 'You’re just a fat f**king pussy. I'll beat the s*** out of you.'"

Hadala is due in court Wednesday for a bench trial in the case ... and we're told he's hoping the video from the bar helps him beat the case.

AEW + Director X = 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

TMZ Sports has obtained AEW's explosive new trailer -- featuring Nyla Rose using a sledgehammer to smash the living hell out of a Jaguar ... and it's AWESOME!

The trailer was put together by legendary music video and movie director, Director X -- who's worked with every major artist you've ever heard of from Jay-Z to Rihanna to Kanye, Bieber to Drake ... even Ariana Grande, One Direction and Korn!

Director X tells TMZ Sports the goal is to show how AEW is "smashing the status quo" -- and what better way to than to give Nyla Rose a sledgehammer and let her tee off!

FYI, Rose is the first transgender wrestler signed to a major wrestling promotion -- and Director X tells us he was so moved by her story, it became an obvious decision to open the video with Nyla's glass-shattering scene.

"I mean it just felt right," Director X tells us ... "It's by far the most dramatic scene. She has one of the most dramatic stories you know what I'm saying? Like it's a big, big deal."

Director X says empowering women like Nyla says a lot about AEW and how they're taking pro wrestling to the next level.

The trailer also features Cody and Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and more ... explaining how they launched a brand new successful wrestling promotion against all odds. The ultimate underdog story.

The video also celebrates the 1 year anniversary of "AEW Dynamite" -- the #1 wrestling show on Wednesday nights on TNT.

"We're boundless in our ability to grow," Cody says ... "We're boundless in our talent."