TMZ Sports - Page 50

Claressa Shields says a knockout isn't enough for her 2nd MMA fight ... she's trying to BREAK BONES, telling TMZ Sports she's been putting in a ridiculous amount of work in the gym, and is ready to go!

26-year-old Shields -- regarded by many as the greatest female boxer in the world -- is set to return to the cage for her 2nd MMA fight on October 27 at a big PFL event in Hollywood, FL ... taking on 21-year-old Abigail Montes.

"She a decorated amateur kickboxer. Even though she only has 2 fights in MMA, she's been kickboxing for I don't know how many years in Mexico," Claressa says.

"She comes forward with a lot of punches, so, we're definitely gonna see a very, very entertaining fight and I know I'm gonna handle business and I'm trying to break Abigail's jaw, for sure."

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Shields flashed potential in her first MMA fight against Brittney Elkin in June ... winning via 3rd round TKO. However, she faced adversity ... repeatedly being taken down by the more experienced MMA fighter.

We asked Claressa how much time she's spent defending the takedowns ... and lets just say she's really been bustin' her ass.

"Every day. Every day. That's something we work on every single day, and I've gotten very good at it. Very good."

But, Shields isn't just working on her defense ... she tells us she's also drilled her takedown offense AND kick game.

"If I can stop the takedown, a lot of people's in trouble. If I can go for the takedown, people are in trouble. When I start adding those kicks to my punches, people are in trouble."

Big trouble.

Lamar Odom didn't get the knockout he predicted, but the NBA champ looked good in the boxing ring Saturday night, beating up Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, Ojani Noa ... before being called out by Benzino!

41-year-old Odom beat 47-year-old Noa, who was hitched to Lopez from 1997-1998, by decision in a 3-round exhibition Celebrity Boxing fight in Miami, FL.

6'10" Lamar had a 9-inch height advantage over J Lo's 6'1" ex-hubby ... and wisely used his length to stay on the outside and jab Ojani, keeping him at a distance where Noa couldn't get close enough to hit Odom.

Even though he didn't get the stoppage, Lamar looked considerably better than in his first fight in June against Aaron Carter.

Odom knocked out the pop star in the second round.

Noa, who is in good physical shape, clearly presented a tougher challenge.

But, 56-year-old Benzino, who was calling the fight ringside for FITE, clearly didn't think Lamar looked very good.

"I wasn't impressed with that fight," Benzino yelled in the ring following the bout, "I want a shot at the champ!"

The champ ... at least unofficially is Lamar Odom.

And, there's a good chance this fight will go down. Celebrity Boxing tells TMZ Sports the hip-hop star is under contract to fight in March.

Of course, we broke the story on Saturday ... Odom recently became a part-owner of Celeb Boxing and told us he was willing to continue fighting.

Lamar Odom vs. Benzino would make for an interesting fight ... if CB can hammer out all the details.

If Eazy-E gets a shout-out during the Super Bowl Halftime Show in L.A. it will be a touching and monumental tribute ... so says the late rapper's daughter.

Ebie tells TMZ ... she's ecstatic about the entertainment lineup for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, less than 15 miles from Compton, where Eazy-E grew up and formed N.W.A. with Halftime Show headliner, Dr. Dre.

Ebie, who feels her father would probably have been part of the Halftime Show lineup if he were alive, says Eazy-E would be proud because he would see an extension of himself on that stage in Compton icons Dre and Kendrick Lamar.

For that reason, she'd love for there to be some kind of acknowledgment of her father during the performance. She says Eazy-E, once the leader of N.W.A., broke barriers and revolutionized gangsta rap ... paving the way for so many other rappers.

Kendrick certainly agrees with that sentiment -- he once penned a tribute to Eazy-E in 2015 saying, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Eazy."

Dre and Eazy, of course, had a falling out that culminated with Dre leaving the group and going solo. They later mended the childhood friendship to the point of reuniting N.W.A. but, sadly, Eazy-E died soon after in 1995 due to complications from HIV/AIDS.

Ebie knows the Halftime Show is not long .... especially trying to fit 5 huge stars in a roughly 20-minute slot. That being said, she hopes a simple shout-out -- even a "RIP Eazy-E" -- would mean the world to her.

Travis Kelce says there IS concern in the Chiefs' locker room over their poor, 1-2 start ... but he tells TMZ Sports he believes that's actually a good thing.

The star tight end revealed K.C. is upset after falling to both the Ravens and the Chargers in back to back games ... saying, "You have to be concerned, right?"

Kelce, though, added, "That's how you find what's wrong, you fix what's wrong."

The 31-year-old said there's nothing too complicated about their issues ... describing them to us as simply small mistakes here and there.

"You know, we've turned the ball over a lot, we missed tackles and it is what it is," Kelce said. "We have to be better all-around on the football field."

Kelce says for him personally, he knows he has to be a better blocker and better route runner even when plays aren't designed for him.

The good news? The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes -- and they won't be playing the Ravens and Chargers every week.

There will be nothing but cheers for Tom Brady in his return to New England, so says Deion Branch, who tells TMZ Sports he expects NO boos from the Patriots faithful on Sunday.

Brady is making his first trip to Gillette Stadium as a Pats opponent after dominating for the home team for years ... and many are wondering, what will the reception be like when he hits the field in Buccaneers jerseys this weekend?

Branch, a Pats legend, says it'll be nothing but love -- at least initially -- explaining to us, "I think these guys are going to be received well."

"They've earned that," Branch added.

Now, as the game goes on, Branch says he can see things going a little bit differently.

"There's no way that the Boston fans will just sit back and be ok with Gronk catching a 40-yard, 50-yard pass," Branch said. "No, there will be some boos."

"But, in the beginning, I do believe deep down inside these guys will be received well."

Boos or not, Branch is expecting the Patriots to pull off the upset -- despite being a heavy underdog in the game.

As for all the hooplah and festivities surrounding the evening, Branch tells us he's envisioning plenty of tears flowing -- but believes all of the players will be ready to go by kickoff.

Baseball fans have a chance to straight-up buy an autographed Babe Ruth photo that's over 100 years old ... if they got a solid $54k lying around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a rare photo of The Bambino has been hidden in a private collection until recently ... and is being sold by Moments In Time.

In the photograph, you can see Ruth rockin' a Red Sox uniform -- when he played for them from 1914 to 1919 ... and we're told experts believe it was signed while he was a member of the Boston organization, which would make this pic 100+ years old!!!

The former outfielder left a message on the bottom left corner of the pic, reading, "To Sal, Sincerely Babe Ruth."

This one-of-a-kind piece can be all yours for only $54,000 -- and, we say "only" because a handwritten letter by Ruth to his mistress sold for over $201k at auction in April.

This is unquestionably a great deal for Ruth fans who want to possess a token from the beginning of his legendary baseball career.

Ruth won his first three of seven World Series in Boston as a left-handed pitcher before becoming a star outfielder with the New York Yankees from 1920 to 1934.

Don't be in front of a mirror when you read this ...

Indianapolis Colts star Nyheim Hines just copped some dope custom cleats of one of the most terrifying slasher movie icons of all time -- the Candyman!

TMZ Sports has learned Hines wanted to get some unique spikes made for Halloween ... and was debating between two characters, the Candyman and Michael Myers.

So, Hines hit up artist Rodney Jackson in Virginia ... and with Myers being done so many times, the two decided to go with the Candyman theme -- and they came out AWESOME.

One of the spikes has the Candyman with bees coming out of his mouth -- a reference to a spooky scene in the 1992 film (no spoilers here!).

On the other cleat, there's another depiction of the Candyman -- along with the quote, "Be my victim."

The Adidas cleats also feature fur on the back, which resemble the fictitious killer's coat.

Hines also got some non-scary cleats made ... we're told the 24-year-old had Jackson deliver him blue feet heat that features some of his favorite cartoon characters, Spongebob and Patrick.

Jake Paul turned himself into one of the biggest stars in combat sports, and now The Problem Child tells TMZ Sports he's gunning to recreate the formula and turn Amanda Serrano, arguably the greatest female fighter in the world, into a giant star.

"Amanda’s the number one pound-for-pound female boxer and greatest Hispanic female athlete of all time, and she hasn’t been treated fairly in her career. She’s a superstar and she needs that extra backing or help." Paul, joined virtually by Serrano, told us.

Paul just signed Serrano to his promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) ... and says the plan is to turn Serrano, the unified featherweight champ (41-1-1), into a famous, big money fighter.

"Slowly but surely, we’re knocking that wall down and she will become a superstar with our guidance. She’s already a superstar but just taking it to the next level," Paul says.

"She needs to be on billboards. She needs to be sponsored by the biggest companies in the world. She embodies so much and is so powerful and we’re just gonna help her out."

The question is ... why does Amanda trust her career with the most polarizing figure in combat sports?

"I’ve seen him and what they’ve done in the last two years. How he’s made his name boxing, coming from YouTube, an influencer and I'm just excited to see what he’s done with himself and I'm excited to see what he can do for me," Serrano told us.

"I’ve been in this sport so long and never got the fair shake of it and I’m excited to have him as part of my team to help me with the other end of it."

We asked Jake if he plans on signing other fighters ... and building out his promotion company.

"That’s the idea with Most Valuable Promotions, but we’re not in a rush. If we end up only signing one, two, three fighters, then so be it. It’s about quality over quantity and right now our focus is fully on Amanda."

LeBron James ... 4-time NBA champ AND Pro Football Hall of Famer?!

Drew Pearson says he can make that a reality for the King ... telling TMZ Sports if Bron switched to football and joined the Cowboys, he could turn the Lakers star into a HOF receiver!!

"If I had a chance to work with him at wide receiver or tight end, he'd become a Hall of Famer, that's for sure," Pearson said.

"He'd become a Hall of Famer because he's got that talent, and with my coaching, I can coach him up to become a Hall of Famer and get one of these rings."

Pearson added that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys would be more than willing to give the basketball player a shot ... saying, "We got a contract for you."

"If you want a contract," the Cowboys legend said, "you come to Dallas, we'll make sure it works. I know Jerry Jones will make that work."

Of course, Jones has already sent LeBron a contract once before ... with James saying this week the 'Boys -- along with the Seahawks -- offered him deals back in 2011.

Lamar Odom loved Celebrity Boxing so much ... he literally bought the company.

Well, some of it, at least ... 'cause when we asked the NBA champion if he planned on continuing to fight, that's when he dropped the news, telling TMZ Sports he's now a partial owner of the organization.

"I'm a part owner in Celebrity Boxing, so if I gotta keep fighting to keep building the brand, I don't see no problem with that, being a businessman," Odom says.

41-year-old Odom is boxing Ojani Noa, Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, Saturday night in Miami.

It's not LO's first time in the ring ... back in June, the ex-NBA star knocked out Aaron Carter in the 2nd round of their boxing match.

Lamar was originally supposed to fight former heavyweight champ, 54-year-old Riddick Bowe ... but the fight was scrapped after there were concerns about the boxing legend's ability to protect himself in the ring.

So, 47-year-old Noa -- a gym rat -- stepped up and took the fight.

Odom believes his 2nd fight, although he has more experience, will be tougher than when he faced the former pop star ... but, not that much harder.

Put O.T. Genasis on the bench ... he got dusted by a couple of homies he challenged to a race, and the loss added insult to injury.

Ya gotta see the video of O.T. trying to haul ass down a street wearing only his socks. We'll say this ... the rapper was strong out of the gate, separating from the pack, but then let out a yelp.

Dude reached for his left hamstring and had to pull up lame, while his pals kept racing to the finish line. You can imagine the post-race trash talk!

O.T. says he would have prevailed if not for the muscle pull, which sounds like it's a recurring injury.

We're told the race went down outside Wyman Records studio in Burbank, CA ... and drinking was involved. You know how it goes with the boys, we're told there was some jawing that prompted the race to settle the debate, once and for all.

O.T.'s known for spending a lot of time in the gym ... now it looks like he's going to spend a lot of time on a massage table.

Ben Simmons ... MVP candidate???

Metta Sandiford-Artest thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the Philadelphia 76ers guard (at least for now, that is) ... will be one of the best players in the NBA this season.

The NBA champ had high praises for the disgruntled star when we spoke with him this week ... and despite all the drama surrounding his trade demand, Metta says it will be a breakthrough season for the 25-year-old.

"This kid is going to be an MVP candidate," the former All-Star emphatically expressed. "Just because he’s a superstar doesn’t mean he needs to be a shooter."

Metta even cited players like Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, who didn't necessarily have the best shooter's touch throughout their NBA tenure ... but went on to have Hall of Fame careers.

MSA even goes on to say Ben will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy when it's all said and done ... and believes there can be a kiss and make-up moment with the Sixers.

"He will be an MVP candidate, and he will be second-team all-NBA, and he will be a champion. Hopefully in Philly with my good brother (and current Sixers GM) Elton Brand. Work it out."

Of course, Simmons is no scrub -- he was third-team All-NBA in 2020 -- but his recent struggles have folks wondering if he's pushing himself to his limit.

Sandiford-Artest offered some advice to Simmons and other players that might find themselves in a similar situation.

"You don’t request trades when you don’t have to, 'cause you don’t want to mess with your legacy," he said. "Stay with one team as long as you can. Build that comfort. Build your legacy."

David Krejci ain't just parting ways with the Boston Bruins -- he's ditching his Beantown crib too ... selling the stunning place for $4 million this week.

The hockey player -- who was drafted by the Bruins in 2004 -- announced in July that he was leaving the NHL to continue his playing career in the Czech Republic ... so he had no further need for his swanky Boston home.

So, the guy unloaded it this week -- and he made a killing, 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the price tag made it the highest sale for a single-family home in the Charlestown neighborhood EVER.

The 4,500-square-foot pad has a brownstone vibe ... with 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a beautiful kitchen with a ton of windows.

It's also got a fireplace in the luxury living room -- and an amazing private roof deck and outdoor space.

There's also two deeded parking spots -- which, if ya know Boston, is a HUGE bonus.

The property -- listed with George Sarkis from Douglas Elliman -- initially had a price tag of $3,999,000, but it sold for $4.04 million!

Jon Jones and his fiancée have seemingly kissed and made up following his domestic violence arrest -- the UFC star just posted a video of the couple sharing a smooch on Friday ... and if the video is recent, it's clear they're moving on from the incident.

Jones shared the romantic moment to his Instagram page minutes ago ... with the song, "Stay With You" by John Legend (which we've muted for copyright reasons) accompanying the video.

Jones and Jessie Moses appear deeply in love ... smiling for the camera after the kiss.

The song is pretty symbolic, too -- with the lyrics, "Oh, I will stay with you through the ups and the downs. Oh, I will stay with you when no one else is around."

As we previously reported, the UFC light heavyweight champ was arrested early last Friday morning for domestic violence and damaging a cop car ... after allegedly getting physical with his fiancée and then headbutting a squad car.

Jones -- who's facing a misdemeanor (domestic battery) and a felony (tampering w/ a vehicle over $5,000 damage) -- was taken to Clark County Jail.

Days after the arrest, Jones  -- who has 3 children with his longtime fiancée -- declared on social media he was swearing off booze, writing ... "I have way too much trauma to consume alcohol, my brain simply can't handle it anymore."

Jon also vowed to come back bigger and better.

The Washington Football Team is celebrating head coach Ron Rivera's one-year anniversary of being cancer free ... by making a big donation to St. Jude's in his honor!!

The team recognized the coach's one-year biopsy coming back negative with an incredibly emotional tribute this week ... featuring a video, donation and a helmet decal that players will wear on the field this weekend.

The best part?? Star players Terry McLaurin, Chase Young, and Jonathan Allen were shown in the clip applauding their coach’s perseverance since his initial diagnosis.

Remember, Rivera revealed he had squamous cell cancer in one of his lymph nodes in August 2020 ... but despite his health battle, coach still managed to be present for his team.

In fact, he led the WFT to a 7-9 record, the NFC East crown, and a playoff game against the eventual champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Riverboat Ron" completed his radiation and chemotherapy treatment last October ... causing an emotional, yet heartfelt moment at the hospital.

The Football Team will honor the 59-year-old by wearing a "Rivera Strong" decal on their helmets ... and making a $25,500 donation to the proton therapy treatments he used to treat his cancer.

Rivera was clearly moved by the honor ... tearing up and sharing a touching message with his team.

First, Floyd Mayweather ... next, Mike Tyson??

That very well could be a reality for Logan Paul ... 'cause Iron Mike says he's now down to box the YouTube star -- claiming the fight could earn the two a fortune!!

Tyson revealed on his latest episode of "Hotboxin' With Mike Tyson" that he'd have zero issues stepping into the ring with either Logan or Jake Paul ... adding the scrap could net a $100 million payday.

"Hell yeah," Tyson said when rapper Freddie Gibbs asked if he'd box the two YouTube stars. "That would be a lot of money."

Tyson seems to think boxing Logan would make more sense than fighting Jake ... considering the elder Paul bro is a bit heavier.

As for if Logan would do it ... Tyson certainly thinks so -- telling Gibbs, "For $100 million bucks, they'd do anything. They don't care about getting beat up."

Tyson -- who's coming off a great performance against Roy Jones Jr. -- had previously told us he was eyeing Lennox Lewis for his next bout.

But, if Logan's down ... seems Tyson would have no problem moving on to that tilt.