TMZ Sports - Page 50

The fight club that got raided in NYC last month reportedly has a new home in the Sunshine State -- with a similar name and a lot of the same players brawlers.

A new Instagram account has recently popped up, which seems to be an offshoot of the 'Rumble in the Bronx' moniker that the underground club took on while it was illegally operating in the Big Apple in November. The name now ... 'Rumble in Orlando.'

The Daily Beast notes a lot of the organizers, participants and fans from that initial group also follow the new IG account ... so the dots seem to connect. Plus, RIO has a lot of the same type of content featured on its page -- namely, dudes going at it in a makeshift ring, with people packed in all around cheering them on (and also not wearing masks).

They're not trying to be too discreet either -- the RIO IG bio literally reads, "RUMBLE IN ORLANDO IS AN UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB TO SHOW AND PROVE A MESSAGE WE CAN ALL RELATE TOO. RESPECTFULLY GUNS DOWN,GLOVES UP."

So ... yeah, definitely not as underground as Brad Pitt and Edward Norton's on-screen version.

The question now, of course, is ... do they risk getting shut down in Florida like they were in New York??? Remember, the New York City Sheriff's Office barged in on the place and busted a lot of the fighters, and also the shot-callers.

Now, Florida is a lot looser than NY with its COVID restrictions. They allow gatherings of up to a couple hundred people at least, and this crowd doesn't look bigger than that.

Duncan Robinson is known for his shooting, but the Miami Heat hooper came up with a huge assist this weekend ... by donating 10,000 meals to help those in need this holiday season.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 26-year-old ex-Michigan star was in the giving spirit on Saturday ... so he teamed up with A-Sha Foods to help put meals on the table for the people of South Florida.

Robinson ended up hand-delivering his contribution on Saturday in Pembroke Park, FL ... rolling up his sleeves and personally helping dish out the packs of ramen noodles.

It's been a great 2020 for Robinson -- the dude had a breakout season and averaged 13 points per game after 3 points per game in his rookie campaign.

Robinson also played a huge role in the Heat's NBA Finals run in the bubble ... so yeah, there were plenty of reasons to be thankful this year.

Nate Diaz says Jake Paul is a "spoiled f*ck" who needs to stop running his mouth before he gets beat up in real life.

And, Nate ain't messin' around.

The UFC legend went off on Jake after watching a new video Paul posted Monday night going off on Conor McGregor and Dana White.

Diaz felt the video was disrespectful -- because it was -- and went to Twitter to warn Jake to pump the brakes before something bad happens.

"Jake Paul u need your ass beat for free u spoiled f*ck," Nate tweeted.

"U can’t really fight dumbsh*t. Your gonna end up with your ass whooped for real somewhere talking like that."

It's good advice ... but Jake wasn't having it -- and fired back at Diaz.

"You saw what happened to the other Nate," Jake tweeted ... a reference to his violent knockout of ex-NBA star Nate Robinson.

Nate replied again -- this time, tagging Jake's big bro, Logan Paul -- in the hopes Logan can talk some sense into his brother.

"@LoganPaul check this little ho bitch before someone does."

It's not a game-worn jersey, sneakers or autographed basketball -- no the most expensive Steph Curry item ever is THIS piece of cardboard ...

You're looking at a 2009/10 Panini National Treasures "Century Gold" Steph Curry signed patch/autograph rookie card ... and it just sold for $616,000 at auction!!!

The guys at Goldin Auctions facilitated the deal this week ... and they say the cash it fetched now makes it the priciest piece of Curry memorabilia ever.

As for why ... the card is insanely rare -- it's 1 of only 25 ever made, and its 9.5 grade gives it nearly a perfect 10 score for its edges, centering and signature.

The card also features a landmark on the patch -- part of Curry's number appears to be visible on the swatch -- which makes the piece even MORE valuable to card enthusiasts.

Of course, the Curry piece is just the latest in the trading card world to explode in value ... the past few months have brought INSANE prices among collectors.

Just a few days ago, Wayne Gretzky's rookie card sold for $1.3 MIL at auction ... making it the most pricey hockey card ever.

And, a few weeks before that, Rob Kardashian himself pulled an ultra-rare Tom Brady card that could land a fortune at auction too!!

The Cleveland Indians changing their name will prevent Native Americans from taking their own lives -- this according to leaders in the community, who insist there's a connection.

Suicide is an enormous problem among Native Americans -- it's the 2nd leading cause of death, and is especially dire among the young.

As for why the name of a baseball team affects the suicide rate -- when Native Americans see non-Natives wearing sacred headdresses and mocking their people with mascots, names, antics, etc. -- it screws with their heads in a big way ... so says Prairie Bighorn-Blount, Executive Director of the American Indigenous Business Leaders. This, we're told, profoundly diminishes self-esteem as well as pride, and can create a severe identity crisis.

There's actual, hard proof to back this up ... namely a study of 600 Native Americans, the overwhelming majority saying they were highly offended by pro sports teams using nicknames related to Native Americans.

The groups we spoke with are thrilled Cleveland's changing its name, but they won't be satisfied until other teams follow. They're talkin' to you, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks.

Tom Brady license plates are about to be a real thing in Florida -- and it's all for a great cause!!!

Florida officials have confirmed ... a license plate featuring Tom's image will go into production in the next few days/weeks as soon as 3,000 people commit to driving with it on their rides.

So, why??

State officials say it's part of an awesome idea by Tom's favorite charity organization, Best Buddies -- a nonprofit that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Best Buddies reps say purchases of the specialty plate will lead to cash for the org ... explaining out of the $35 that it costs drivers to buy the plate ... $25 will go straight to the foundation.

And, because Tom has had such lengthy ties to the cause ... they say it's all the perfect win-win-win for all parties now that he's Tampa Bay's starting QB!

"With his recent move to Florida, we are incredibly excited to team up with long-time Global Ambassador Tom Brady for the new Best Buddies specialty license plate," the founder and CEO of Best Buddies International, Anthony K. Shriver, said.

"Since 2003, Tom has proven himself to be a committed advocate for individuals with disabilities, and we’re grateful that his commitment to our mission-driven initiatives will continue to create friendships, jobs, leadership development training, and inclusive living opportunities for people with special abilities here in the sunshine state."

Lamar Jackson insists he was CRAMPING -- not CRAPPING -- and that's why he raced to the locker room in the middle of "Monday Night Football."

In other words, Lamar says he didn't "pull a Paul Pierce" and fake an injury so he could take a dump!

Here's the deal ... Lamar was leading his Baltimore Ravens in a close and heated game against the Cleveland Browns (ha) when something went wrong with the QB in the 3rd quarter.

ESPN showed footage of Lamar scrambling to get to the locker room -- and to be honest, it looked like a guy trying to keep the turtle's head from poking out ... if you catch our drift.

When Jackson returned to the field, he looked relieved -- and balled the hell out for the rest of the game!

So, everyone thought the poop theory was confirmed -- he left, he crapped, he came back feeling better and dominated ... right?

Lamar was asked about the toilet conspiracy after the game -- but adamantly DENIED the locker room trip was bowel-related!!

"No, I was cramping," Jackson said ... "I didn’t pull no Paul Pierce! I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce!"

Remember, Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair due to an apparent injury -- only to return to the court minutes later and led the Celtics to victory.

Years later, Pierce admitted he needed the wheelchair to keep from pooping himself on live TV.

But, Lamar insists he's no Paul Pierce -- and followed up with a tweet to reinforce his point.

As for the Ravens, they beat the Browns thanks to some excellent 4th quarter play by Lamar Jackson.

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. has been charged with assault over an alleged domestic violence incident -- but Edwards is adamant he did NOTHING wrong.

TMZ Sports has learned ... prosecutors in North Carolina are moving forward with an assault case against the 26-year-old NFL player, a 2nd round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

We've obtained court documents outlining the allegations against Edwards by a woman who says she had a dating relationship with him.

In the docs, the woman claims Edwards got violent with her in a North Carolina hotel room on October 17, 2020 (the day before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers). She says Edwards got aggressive when she turned down his sexual advances that night.

The woman claims she took out her phone to record Edwards yelling at her -- and he reacted by smacking her in the eye with his hand.

Then, she claims, Edwards grabbed her by the arm and "dragged her to the door of the hotel room."

The woman claims Edwards continued his attack down the hotel hall by an elevator where he struck her in her arm.

In court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman claims she was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the alleged attack. She also says she was pregnant at the time of the incident.

The woman claims this was not a one-off -- insisting Edwards has a history of violent outbursts with her.

But, Edwards is calling B.S. on the allegations -- his agent tells TMZ Sports that Mario denies ever striking the woman.

In fact, Edwards told cops he's the real victim -- claiming the woman was the aggressor.

We've obtained a police report from the night in question where Edwards is also listed as a victim. In the narrative section, cops say they were called in reference to a woman hitting a man and scratching his forehead.

Mario's agent, Peter Schaffer, tells us, "Mario Edwards doesn’t condone domestic violence. At no time did Mario Edwards do anything that raised to the level of domestic violence, or any violence."

Schaffer says Mario acknowledges there was a verbal dispute -- but "When she started to scream and yell, Mario did what he’s been told. Walk away and de-escalate the situation."

That said, a spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office tells us Edwards has a criminal summons for a misdemeanor assault on a female -- which means the case is expected to go in front of a judge at some point.

No word on when that's expected to happen.

"Please! Please! Do not make me shoot you!"

Officials have released video of the deadly shooting incident involving ex-NFL player Ekom Udofia -- which shows officers begging him to drop his weapon before ultimately opening fire.

33-year-old Udofia was a defensive lineman who had a short stint with the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints after leaving Stanford in 2009.

But, on Nov. 30, 2020 ... Udofia was shot and killed by Phoenix PD officers after they responded to reports of a possibly armed man messing with cars around 2 AM.

The video of the standoff was captured on body cam by the responding officers -- and has now been released to the public in a video presentation produced and distributed by the police.

WARNING: THE VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT IS GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING.

When the video starts, you can see and hear officers screaming at the top of their lungs at Udofia to drop what appears to be a handgun.

At one point, one of the officers begins to beg Udofia to comply -- but to no avail.

"Please drop the gun, dude! Please!" one officer screamed at Udofia. "Drop the gun, man! Please! Please! Do not make me shoot you!"

Udofia did not comply with the officers' orders ... and that's when one of the cops unloaded several rounds into the man's body.

The scene, though, didn't stop there ... because officers still could not get Udofia -- who a 911 caller said appeared to be under the influence of drugs -- to drop the weapon.

As officers begged and pleaded with Udofia to separate himself from the weapon ... cops fired less-than-lethal rounds at his body.

Suddenly, though, the 33-year-old appeared to get up and point the weapon at officers ... and that's when police fired more live bullets into the former football player.

In video of the scene, you can see cops then used pepper balls and even a police dog to ultimately get Udofia away from the weapon.

Officers were able to finally subdue Udofia several minutes after the initial shooting ... but they say he passed away from his injuries after he was transported to a local hospital.

Cops say the gun Udofia was using was eventually identified as a BB gun.

The high school football star, who attacked a referee in the middle of a game earlier this month, has been suspended from all high school sports for the rest of the school year.

And, since 18-year-old Emmanuel Duron is a senior -- the punishment will effectively end his career as a high school athlete.

Officials from the University Interscholastic League -- which oversees high school sports in Texas -- announced the punishment Monday stemming from the December 3 incident.

Duron was captured on video charging after head official Fred Gracia and smashing him to the ground in the 2nd quarter of a playoff game -- an apparent retaliation for being ejected from the game due to a late hit penalty.

Gracia was injured in the attack. Afterward, the ref's daughter said he was recovering and expected to be okay.

Duron -- one of the top players in the area -- was arrested and booked for assault causing bodily injury.

The UIL announced Duron's head coach at Edinburg High School, J.J. Leija, will also be placed on "probation" for the 2021-2022 school year over the incident.

There's more ... "Additionally, the Edinburg High School Athletic Department received a public reprimand and probation for all athletic activities for 2 years," the UIL added.

"You win one championship and you don't know how to act!!!"

L.A. Lakers superstar Anthony Davis rolled up to the team facility in a brand new (crazy expensive) Rolls-Royce on Monday ... and Kyle Kuzma came with the jokes!!!

"Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, big dawg. Look at this car," Kuzma jokingly said to AD ... "This dude. You actin' different!!!!"

The ride is RIDICULOUS -- looks like a tricked out Rolls-Royce Wraith, which reportedly starts at $330,000!!!

And, you know AD ain't gettin' the base model -- so fair to assume this thing is probably closer to $400,000.

Yeah, he can afford it -- dude just signed a 5-year, $190 MILLION extension with the Lakers. So, this is like the equivalent of any normal person dropping a few bucks on a Hot Wheels toy!!!

As for Kuzma, he got a big laugh out of Davis -- so still friends?!

The Lakers superstars sure do love fancy cars -- remember, it was just a week ago LeBron James was spotted zipping around L.A. in a sick Porsche 918 Spyder convertible!

Bron's car ain't just fast, it's also super rare and in high demand -- with similar rides selling for around $1.7 MILLION!!!!

Kyrie Irving is extending an olive branch to the media -- finally meeting with reporters Monday and insisting his "pawns" comment last week wasn't a shot at them.

The Brooklyn Nets star also walked back some comments about head coach Steve Nash -- so, yeah ... lot's going on here!

First, the "Pawns" issue ...

Remember, Irving was fined $25,000 for blowing off NBA media obligations last week. He later issued a statement saying, "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

Most interpreted the comment as a shot at journalists -- but when he was asked about it on Monday, Irving explained how he meant to say he's trying to eliminate everything in his life that could be considered a distraction from basketball.

"The focus is what's going on here, my job." Irving said. "And I wanted to make sure that was clear -- no distractions, nothing about dispelling anything, nothing about going back-and-forth, nothing about calling out one person or another."

"Not even referring to you guys as pawns or media. It's just really how I felt about the mistreatment of certain artists when we get to a certain platform of when we make decisions within of lives to have full control and ownership."

Then, Irving addressed the comments he made about Steve Nash earlier this year ... right after Nash was hired as head coach.

Remember, Irving had said, "I don’t really see us having a head coach ... it's a collaborative effort."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of his new coach ... but Irving walked back those comments on Monday -- praising Nash in the process.

"Steve's been amazing and it really is a reflection of the type of person he is and the IQ he has for the game," Irving said.

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.

The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.

Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.

As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.

The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.

Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.

Boxing star Victor Ortiz is officially off the hook in his sexual assault case stemming from an alleged rape in 2018 -- all of the criminal charges have been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

As we previously reported, 33-year-old Ortiz was hit 3 felony charges after a woman claimed she was raped by the boxer at a residence in Oxnard, CA.

Ortiz was arrested and booked for forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and forcible digital penetration -- and was facing serious prison time if convicted. Ortiz has long denied the allegations and spent the past 2 years fighting the case in court.

But, the case was formally dismissed at a court hearing on Monday -- and according to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors say they simply could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ortiz was pleased with the decision, posing for a picture in front of the courthouse with his attorney, Sam Spira, and others.

Ortiz also issued a statement, saying, "Although I was confident this would be the result, this still has been a terrible and unimaginable ordeal that I am relieved to put behind me."

"With this case no longer my focus, I look forward to picking up and advancing my boxing and entertainment careers."

"I can’t wait to get back in the gym. I also look forward to spending my time with my two young children, my family and loyal friends without the weight of these charges hanging over me and my loved ones."

Ortiz -- who competed on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2013 -- was dropped from his Sept. 2018 bout with John Molina Jr. after his arrest. The 33-year-old has not fought since.

Ortiz was also a budding actor before the allegations - starring in movies like "The Expendables 3" and "South Paw."

Seems everyone in Philly is ready to anoint Jalen Hurts the next starting QB of the Eagles ... except the one guy who matters.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson says he still needs to "take a look" at the game film before making a decision -- despite the fact Hurts led the Birds to a 24 to 21 win over the 1st place New Orleans Saints in his very first NFL start.

Hurts was 17 for 30 with 167 yards, a TD and most importantly ZERO interceptions in the victory ... not bad against one of the best defenses in the league!

But, when asked Monday morning if Hurts will be QB1 next week instead of Carson Wentz, Pederson wouldn't commit.

"I'm gonna take a look at yesterday," Pederson told SportsRadio "94WIP" ... "I'm gonna look at a lot of different things before I make that determination this week."

What? Why? Hurts plays great! Carson Wentz has been struggling like crazy. Seems like an obvious move to most people.

Pederson was complimentary when asked about Jalen's performance ... saying "There was some really, really good plays. He played well. He managed the team, he did everything we asked him to do."

"He played smart, he played physical with the run. Some of it was designed run, some of it was just him being him and what he can do. It's gonna be a really good film for him to look at and learn from and get better but I thought he did a really nice job."

So, start him!

Canelo Alvarez has touched down in Texas for his big fight against Callum Smith ... and he's traveling in style!

The boxing superstar took off Sunday in a private jet from San Diego -- where he trains -- and landed in San Antonio just before midnight.

Once he landed, Canelo was driven to his hotel where he went through COVID safety protocols -- including a temperature check and walk through one of those sanitizing misters.

Canelo is set to fight the undefeated Englishman (27-0) on Saturday night at the Alamodome.

Promoters say, "A limited amount of fans will be in attendance" due to the pandemic.

It's been a whirlwind month for Canelo -- who split with longtime fight promoter Oscar De La Hoya after some issues with CA's famous $365 MILLION contract.

Alvarez officially split with Golden Boy in early November -- and quickly booked the fight with Smith.