TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC star Mackenzie Dern says she's a better fight NOW than ever before -- and it's all because she's a mom.

The 27-year-old jiu-jitsu specialist -- who gave birth to her daughter back in June 2019 -- won 2 of her last 3 fights after returning to the Octagon.

Now, she's gearing up to fight Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 and feels more dangerous than ever.

She's also right on schedule to EASILY make weight on Friday -- something she struggled mightily with in the past.

In fact, Dern famously came in 7 pounds overweight for her May 2018 fight against Amanda Cooper and was docked 30% of her fight purse.

So, what's changed? Dern says having a child and getting married forced her to grow up.

Dern tells TMZ Sports she's more focused, more mature and more professional since starting a family. She's married to pro surfer Wesley Santos.

"Before my daughter was born, I thought I was focused at the time, [but] now I see how [I was] kind of a little more rebellious [when I was younger]."

Dern admits she lived a more carefree lifestyle before her daughter was born -- partying, traveling, etc. -- "I was single, I didn't have this support family to keep you grounded."

But now, Dern says she's laser-focused and is gunning for a title shot -- which is more realistic now than ever before.

"I really see the potential to be the champion," Dern says ... "I see the title. I can see it. Now it's in my vision."

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul are goin' full Mickey Mouse -- with the NBA superstars getting Disney movies based on their lives!!

The entertainment company made the big reveal during its Investor Day live stream minutes ago ... saying "Greek Freak" will begin production in 2021.

The flick will follow the inspiring story of the Antetokounmpo family's rise from poverty as undocumented immigrants in Greece to helping Giannis reach the NBA, according to Sean Bailey, the Mouse's president of motion picture production.

Disney also announced the CP3 project is officially in development for Disney+ ... which will focus on the All-Star's "deeply moving story on family, legacy, and destiny that helped make him who he is today."

Beastmode could be back on an NFL field soon ... Marshawn Lynch just revealed he's considering a comeback -- and says teams have already reached out!!

The former Seattle Seahawks star told Conan O'Brien this week he still has at least SOME itch to play ... and could sign with a team soon if the opportunity is right.

"If the situation is right, then, yeah, I mean, it could happen," the 34-year-old said. "I've been asked some questions by a couple teams here recently, like, 'Are you ready?'"

"I'm ready if y'all Super Bowl ready," Lynch continued. "That's what it will take for me to come out."

Of course, a surprise unretirement would be nothing new for Lynch ... he did just that late in the 2019 season, joining up with the Seahawks after sitting out the entire year.

As for if a team would be willing to add him so late this year ... don't rule it out -- the Seahawks are having some tailback injury trouble and they could be an option for Lynch yet again in 2020.

Another one of Lynch's former teams, the Buffalo Bills, certainly could also use some RB help heading into the playoffs too.

And, both squads do potentially fit Marshawn's wishlist ...

One of the best football players EVER says COVID-19 whooped his butt ... with Larry Fitzgerald telling reporters Thursday he lost NINE POUNDS while battling the virus.

... oh, and the future Hall of Famer says he's STILL having trouble smelling and tasting things.

The Arizona Cardinals superstar tested positive for coronavirus in the last week of November ... and in his first meeting with media members since the diagnosis, Fitz explained it wasn't fun at all.

"There were a couple days I didn’t feel great," the 37-year-old said ... adding all of the reports of coronavirus deaths had him terrified.

Fitz explained he lost weight and actually re-worked his will while he was sick ... saying, "You reevaluate things."

Fortunately, Larry has been testing negative the past few days ... and he was activated from the Cardinals' COVID/Reserve list earlier this week.

LeBron James was so outraged after watching a youth football coach smack a child during a game this month ... he said he might've straight-up fought the guy over it all if he were there in person.

"If I there and it's not even my kid we gone have more than words for sure," the Lakers superstar said Wednesday night.

If you haven't seen it ... the video is pretty disturbing -- a grown-man ATTACKS one his players after a play on the field, hitting the kid in the head multiple times before throwing him to the sideline.

The incident all reportedly went down at the American Youth Football National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida ... and the child is reportedly only 9 years old

The man was hit with a TON of backlash on social media for his actions ... with many people calling for his job -- and even jail time.

The coach issued a video apology ... saying, "At the end of the day, I am a man. I'm not going to make no excuses for what I did" -- but, clearly, the mea culpa wasn't enough for LeBron.

James Instagrammed the video and SLAMMED the coach ... adding, "Ain't no way!! Couldn't be my kid."

Other athletes have expressed similar outrage ... with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe writing, "Even IF* that’s his kid, I’ll whip him."

"I won’t let anyone prey on the weak or vulnerable in front of me," Sharpe continued. "Not going to happen."

It's unclear if the coach will face any criminal charges -- or even discipline from the youth league -- over the incident.

Listen up, Peloton -- you're excluding deaf people from being able to enjoy your app ... at least that's what's alleged in a new class-action lawsuit.

A man in New York is suing the stationary exercise bike company on behalf of his fellow deaf and hearing-impaired people ... claiming the app is violating their civil rights.

That's because, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, the Peloton app does not include closed captioning for its workout videos.

The plaintiff claims this makes it "impossible" to comprehend the audio portions of the workout tutorials for deaf Peloton members, so they are not able to enjoy the features of the app as much as people without hearing impairments.

Specifically, the man suing says he was unable to understand vids on the app titled "10 Minutes Stretching," "10 Minutes Arm Toning" and "3-Minute Warm-up" due to the lack of closed captioning.

The lawsuit's seeking damages from Peloton and an order requiring the company to close-caption its videos.

This isn't the first big controversy for the exercise company as it's skyrocketed in popularity the past couple years. About a year ago, it caught flak for a Christmas ad many deemed "sexist" ... though it stood behind it.

If you ever wanted to walk a mile in Bill Belichick's shoes, now's your chance ... that is, if you got a bunch of cash saved up!!

The Patriots coach is auctioning off his game-worn My Cause, My Cleats sneaks from New England's lopsided 45-0 victory over the L.A. Chargers on Dec. 6 ... with proceeds going toward his foundation’s scholarship and grant programs.

Of course, the custom kicks were part of the NFL's Week 13 campaign which allows players and coaches to rock custom sneakers to raise awareness for a special cause.

BB decided to rep his Bill Belichick Foundation, which provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to football and lacrosse organizations throughout the country.

The legendary coach is also expected to wear the sneaks for the Pats' "Thursday Night Football" showdown with the L.A. Rams.

The auction is part of a huge donation by the BBF during the holiday season -- the org. is also distributing $440k in grants and scholarships to athletes and programs throughout the country.

On top of that, the BBF is hosting a "virtual" toy drive to benefit the Boston Marine Toys for Tots.

Montana Yao has officially filed divorce docs seeking to end her 9-month marriage to NBA player Malik Beasley, TMZ Sports has learned.

Yao filed the papers this week in Minnesota, where the family has been living since Malik was traded to the Timberwolves back in February.

We're told the couple was married on March 5, 2020. They have one young child together.

As we previously reported, Yao felt "blindsided" by recent photos of Beasley holding hands in public with Larsa Pippen during a Nov. 23 outing in Miami.

The photos show 24-year-old Beasley and 46-year-old Pippen strolling around arm-in-arm at a public shopping area.

Yao has been posting on social media about her marriage ever since -- and on Wednesday she issued a statement saying, "Things have been pretty rough I'm not going to lie."

Montana added, "We were told to leave our family home 10 days ago and just like you all I'm pretty confused."

She continued, "There have been no public or private addressing of the situation nor any type of apology."

We reached out to Beasley's reps for comment -- so far, no word back.

Beasley was a 1st round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 20.7 points per game with Minnesota in the 14 games he played with the T-Wolves in 2020.

Myles Garrett has done a complete 180 in 2020 -- the Cleveland Browns superstar has been nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year ... just one year after his helmet-swinging attack.

The league released its list of 32 finalists for each team on Thursday ... with the 24-year-old getting the nod for the Orange and Brown.

Of course, Garrett has been actively involved in the community since entering the NFL in 2017 -- from working alongside the Chris Long Foundation to bring clean water to East African communities to helping a man who lost his eye at a Cleveland protest in May.

Garrett has vowed to put his infamous 2019 incident with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph behind him ... calling his 6-game ban a "small bump in the road" back in July.

Now, the defensive end can join names like J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, Eli Manning and Drew Brees ... who have received the honor for excellence off the field.

Other nominees for 2020 include names like Russell Wilson, Travis Kelce, Devin McCourty and Andrew Whitworth.

Love social justice ... and dessert??

Ben & Jerry's announced a new flavor to honor Colin Kaepernick called "Change the Whirled" ... with a portion of the proceed's going to the QB's Know Your Rights Camp.

First, the flavor ... a non-dairy caramel base with graham cracker and chocolate cookie swirls.

B&J says the treat is made with sunflower butter "and is 100% certified vegan, just like Kaepernick himself."

The dessert will hit store shelves in 2021.

So, why the honor? The ice cream legends explained it this way ...

"We are so inspired by Colin Kaepernick’s bold activism for racial justice that we did what we do best: We whipped up a euphoric flavor to honor his work."

They added, "We’re proud to be working with a dedicated activist like Colin Kaepernick, whose work helped spark the international conversation around racial justice."

Ben & Jerry's has a long history of producing flavors with political messaging.

They famously released "Pecan Resist" -- which they say "had a powerful message about resisting the Trump administration’s regressive and discriminatory policies."

This is pretty great -- the Georgia Tech basketball team celebrated a win over Nebraska on Wednesday by smashing a COVID piñata!

The Yellow Jackets were on the road -- and defeated the Huskers in a 75-to-64 thrashing -- and coach Josh Pastner had special plans to celebrate in the locker room.

Usually, the GT celebrates a road victory by hitting a gas station after the game for a quick candy run.

But, since the pandemic has ruined the tradition, Pastner got a COVID piñata stuffed with goodies ... and let star player Khalid Moore do the honors of smashing it up!

"We're gonna take the ball and he's gonna smash it," Coach Pastner says.

The team LOVED IT -- and devoured the candy!

Georgia Tech is now 2-2 on the season.

Next up for GT ... the #20 ranked Florida State Seminoles -- and that's a road game the Yellow Jackets would LOVE to win.

A recreational surfer was attacked by a shark in Maui on Tuesday -- forcing a pro surfing competition to go on hold until it's safe to get back in the water.

Officials in Hawaii confirm a 56-year-old man was badly injured in the attack while paddling out at Honolua Bay.

The details of his injuries are unclear but officials say the man was treated on shore and then raced to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources released pictures of the surfer's board ... and it looks like a prop from a "Jaws" movie.

The shark attack took place near the World Surfing League's Maui Women's Pro surf contest ... and event organizers decided to suspend action out of an abundance of caution.

"There will be no competition at the Maui Pro [Tuesday] following a shark incident involving a recreational surfer this morning at Honolua Bay," the WSL said in a statement.

"The WSL is working with authorities and our thoughts are with the victim of this incident. The Maui Pro is on hold until further notice."

The DNLR says both county and state officials are working on the situation and evaluating the danger.

No word on the victim's current health status -- but here's hoping he's okay.

Evander Holyfield's son -- a rising star in boxing -- says his dad is ready to kick Mike Tyson's ass for the 3rd time ... and when it happens, he wants to fight on the undercard!

23-year-old Evan Holyfield -- who's 4-0 as a pro -- says he LOVES the idea of his father running it back with Tyson, especially after Iron Mike's performance against Roy Jones Jr.

As we previously reported, 58-year-old Evander has been training for a comeback ... in hopes of a 3rd crack at his former rival.

Evan -- aka "Yung Holy" -- tells TMZ Sports his Dad looks ready to scrap!

"My dad's lookin' pretty swole right now," Evan says ... "I know he's been training this whole time, even before the whole thing, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens!"

"I don't expect him to lose! The first 2 [fights] went a certain way and I feel like the 3rd -- I know it's all for good sport and for charity and stuff at the end of the day -- but I don't plan on seeing my dad getting beat up."

Evan wasn't born yet when his pops fought Tyson in '96 and '97 -- so the chance to see those guys get in the ring again in 2021 would be special for him.

And, by the way, Evan's a pretty solid fighter himself -- he's got his 5th pro fight coming up on December 12 against Donnis Reed.

After that, Evan says he really hopes Mike and Evander can work out a deal ... because he really wants to fight on the undercard to create memories he can share with his own children.

He's deadly in the ring -- but Terence Crawford isn't one to be trifled with at home either.

The boxing superstar decided to show off his massive gun collection Wednesday -- which includes everything from pistols to high-powered rifles and even a shotgun.

16 firearms in all ... and Crawford says only HALF of his collection is pictured in the photo!!!

"They say I got too many I say I don’t got enough," Crawford posted.

"Always fun when I got time to pull these bad boys [out] and let em rip. P.S this only half. Maybe I do have a problem."

Crawford and some pals took the guns to an outdoor shooting area near his home in Omaha, Nebraska and opened fire on some exploding targets ... and shocker, his aim's pretty good!!

Crawford is widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers on the planet ... and fans around the world are praying he'll fight Errol Spence in 2021.

The message here is simple ... don't get on Crawford's bad side. Ever.

NFL linebacker Vontaze Burfict was arrested for allegedly attacking a security guard at a Vegas casino over the weekend, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 30-year-old former Cincinnati Bengals star -- who later played for the Raiders -- was taken into custody for misdemeanor battery ... but nobody knew why, until now.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. tells us ... Burfict was arrested Saturday for battering a security officer at The Cosmopolitan resort, casino and hotel.

But, the backstory is wild ...

Multiple sources tell us Burfict and at least 1 other person were looking for a restaurant at the Cosmo called "Secret Pizza." ... which is intentionally hard to find!

It's like a speakeasy for pizza -- a hidden eatery located at an unmarked location on the Cosmo property. We know what you're thinking ... how's the food? It's got 4 stars on Yelp!

Though Barstool's Dave Portnoy once did a Pizza Review from there -- he wasn't as impressed.

We're told Burfict and his crew were having a tough time locating the place -- and at some point, they felt like security was following them.

At one point, there was an incident between Vontaze and the security guards -- with the guards claiming Burfict got physical.

Security detained Burfict until police arrived -- that's when he was formally arrested.

We reached out to Burfict's camp to get his side of the story -- we'll let you know when we hear back.

DeMar DeRozan's 7-year-old daughter is a hero -- because she's the one who spotted an intruder at their L.A. home and immediately sounded the alarm leading to his arrest ... this, according to law enforcement.

Officials say there's video surveillance that shows the suspect -- 22-year-old Justin Bergquist -- peeping inside DeRozan's house on Nov. 19 around 7 PM.

The footage also allegedly shows Bergquist entering the home through a sliding glass door. Officials say he spent 17 minutes inside the home -- shirtless -- until he ran into DeMar's daughter.

According to the police report, "When the suspect saw [DeMar's daughter], he put his finger to his lips and signaled for her to be quiet."

But, DeMar's daughter knew better ... and smartly ran downstairs and screamed for her parents.

That's when DeMar sprung into action -- scouring the house for the suspect, who made a break for it and ultimately fled from the home.

DeMar's GF called 911 -- and the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. responded to the scene. Bergquist was eventually located and arrested.

Law enforcement claims Bergquist said he was trying to find Kylie Jenner's home that night -- but hit the wrong house by accident.

The DeRozans claim Bergquist caused significant damage to one of the sliding glass doors, which will cost $15,000 to repair.

Bergquist is now facing a felony burglary charge -- and he's been ordered to stay away from both DeMar and Kylie.