TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tyron Woodley has been open about wanting to fight Georges St-Pierre for years, going back to their UFC days ... and even though the guys are no longer with Dana White's organization, T-Wood still wants smoke with GSP!

In fact, TMZ Sports was talking to 41-year-old Woodley this week when he revealed that he has not only launched his own fight promotion (more on that coming), but he offered St-Pierre a crapload of money to scrap.

"Like Georges St-Pierre, I offered him a dumb bag, he said 'No. I'm not in that world anymore,'" Woodley revealed.

Tyron added ... "When I say dumb, I'm talking pushing the eight figures, a lot of money."

Eight figures indicates $10,000,000 ... a lot of money by any standard.

GSP last fought in 2017 ... when he returned after a four-year layoff to fight Michael Bisping. He won by submission (rear-naked choke) in the third round.

As for the promotion ... Tyron says it's not just about fighting.

"It's called The Realest International Promotion, TRIP. We're promoting all things art, we're not just doing mixed martial arts," Tyron explained, adding, "We're doing music, concerts, festivals, cryptocurrency, e-sporting events, boxing, and then we just doing a lot of crossovers."

There's a bunch more with Tyron ... including the former longtime welterweight champ's revelation that he, not John Gotti III, was originally scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition boxing match earlier this year.

Kanye West's name was written onto an Israeli missile that's apparently going to be used in the war in the Middle East -- and a prominent MMA fighter is taking credit for the stunt.

A photo was posted Sunday by Haim Gozali, an Israeli mixed-martial artist who was once affiliated with Bellator -- and who's been very outspoken on the conflict between Israel and Hamas ... oftentimes mocking the death of Palestinians over these past few months.

He caught heat back in November for writing the names of Muslim UFC fighters onto a bomb that seemed to be on the front lines -- including Khabib Nurmagomedov and others who've expressed support for Palestine. Haim was clearly trying to taunt them.

It's unclear if he himself is the one that's actually writing the names, or if he's having someone else in the IDF do it on his behalf -- but in any case, the guy has owned it all.

Now, a new photo of some missiles apparently in the possession of Israeli soldiers has been posted to his Twitter account -- and he's roping Kanye in ... in very crude and cruel fashion.

Above the pic of the missile -- which looks real -- he wrote, "@kanyewest you don’t like us jewish. So  we don’t like you too !!!" The picture itself features a shell with the writing ... "Kanye West Flying to Gaza Haim Gozali." The photo echoes what he'd posted before.

Haim appears to have been recently banned from X, but he's back now ... and reveling in the ability to post again -- with this image being one of the first things he's thrown up.

Of course, the reason he's even invoking Ye has to do with KW's antisemitic rhetoric over the past year or so. He hasn't explicitly talked much about the war, but he has spent a lot of time in that region for the past several months working on and finishing his new album.

12:04 PM PT -- Taylor was seen cheering on Travis and co. from her luxury box, and it looks like Santa was by her side the entire time. Word is, that's her broski, Austin ... so it's a whole family affair.

No sign of Travis' mom, Donna, here ... but they're saying his dad Ed is in attendance. It also looks like the fans brought out their best Swiftmas posters for the game as well, per usual.

Taylor Swift is back in the building to watch Travis Kelce -- only this time, a couple things are different ... it's Christmas, and her mama is there too for the very first time.

Big day in Kansas City ... 'cause Taylor could be seen cruising through Arrowhead Stadium ahead of kickoff like she normally does -- but on Monday morning, Andrea Swift was right next to her -- riding in the front passenger seat of a private golf cart driving them around.

Taylor was in it too, but she was in the back ... and both of them waved at people like they were in a parade as they passed cheerful onlookers. Oh, and Santa was there too!

Like we said, Andrea's never been to one of Travis' games with Taylor (that we're aware of anyway) and we honestly haven't seen much of her during T-Swift's romance with the Chiefs tight end. We have seen her dad, Scott, a handful of times ... but no Mama Bear 'til now.

Unclear why that might be the case, but in case it wasn't clear already -- Taylor's parents are divorced ... so that's why Andrea isn't usually right by Scott's side at these sorta outings.

Today, however, it looks like they'll be a united family in front of cameras -- 'cause Scott is said to be there as well ... and we're sure to see them soon enough here in the suite.

This will be the 8th game of Travis' that Taylor's attended ... she's made it a regular thing this season, and her appearances are always memorable -- especially as she gets more into it.

Remember, she's on a break from work at the moment ... and doesn't have to hit the stage again until February when she'll fly to Tokyo for more 'Eras' shows. In the meantime, she's been spending a lot of time with Travis ... including the holidays, minus Thanksgiving.

It's shaped up to be quite a year for her, to say the least. Here's to a couple more games to finish 2023!

Kroy Biermann is highlighting his holiday by snubbing his estranged wife, Kim Zolciak ... and her exclusion is jarring.

The retired NFL'er threw up a snap of him and his 4 kids with KZ -- Kroy Jr., Kash, Kaia and Kane -- with Papa Bear standing proudly behind them and grinning from ear to ear. His caption was also pretty telling on how he's feeling about his marriage/divorce right now.

He wrote, "Merry Christmas from the Biermann’s!!🎄 (-2 😢) I didn’t get a picture of the family enjoying @arianabiermann ‘s church service and I had this taken after @briellebiermann and Billy had departed in the direction of their car as we were almost outside from our service."

KB added, "I couldn’t be a more proud father of you 2 and the littles! ❤️ Got to do better at remembering to capture more pictures." Interesting ... he noted Brielle and Ariana here -- who are actually Kim's biological daughters -- but not their mother.

BTW, no posts from Kim herself ... she hasn't thrown anything up since mid-December.

This marks just the latest up-and-down moment for them ... for now, it seems like Kim and Kroy are on the outs -- this after sending signals of reconciliation just a month ago. Of course, they also had a huge blowout fight that required the cops to called over.

The NFL is gifting fans with a slate of games this Christmas ... and what better way to celebrate the holiday than by shining the spotlight on some wives and girlfriends of the league's biggest stars!!

Of course, all eyes will be on the lookout for Travis Kelce's lady, Taylor Swift, when the Chiefs host the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium ... and if she shows up, expect her to be screaming expletives from a suite with Brittany Mahomes, Patrick's ride-or-die wife.

Maxx Crosby's wife, Rachel, and Davante Adams' lady, Devanne, will be hoping those new friends go home upset ... as they'll be pulling for their boys from Las Vegas.

Following the AFC West rivalry game, the Giants and Eagles will have a divisional matchup of their own ... and both teams are coming off a loss.

Darren Waller's wife, Kelsey Plum, is all about winning, though -- she just captured her 2nd consecutive WNBA Finals with the Las Vegas Aces in October ... so maybe she can give some victory vibes to her tight end hubby.

Sterling Shepard's girlfriend, Carolyn, will most likely be at the game, too ... as this will be their first Christmas as a couple.

Jason Kelce's wife, Kylie will be singing "Fly Eagles Fly" before singing Christmas carols together later in the night ... after all, the All-Pro center has his own holiday EP with fellow teammates!!

The last game of Christmas Day -- Ravens and 49ers -- is chock full of supportive WAGs ... including Jadeveon Clowney's girlfriend, production makeup artist Nanaj Re ... and safety Kyle Hamilton's high school sweetheart, Reese Damm.

On the other side, George Kittle's ride-or-die, Claire, is always cheering on her man ... and Fred Warner's wife Sydney, who is expecting their first child in March, will be rootin' for Niner Gang as well.

And last but not least, Christian McCaffrey's fiancée, Olivia Culpo, could potentially be present for the contest, too ... which would certainly be a nice present for the running back.

Calvin Johnson says it's no surprise to him that Roman Reigns has become one of the most legendary WWE Superstars of all time ... telling TMZ Sports the dude was a total "badass" at Georgia Tech.

Believe it or not, the guys were actually teammates for the Yellow Jackets' football team in the mid-2000s ... and Johnson says he knew right away that Reigns had mega-star potential.

"He was just always like a badass," the Hall of Fame wide receiver explained. "He didn't say much, but when he did say something, you listened."

Reigns went by his real name, Joe Anoa'i, when he was playing defensive line at the time ... and he performed so well alongside Johnson, many believed he had a bright future in the NFL.

His battle with cancer derailed those aspirations, however -- but Johnson said that all clearly ended up being "a blessing in disguise" for him ... as he's now poised to break numerous records in the squared circle.

"My man is killing it out here," Johnson said.

Ryan Clark is weighing into all the discourse that's gone on since Jonathan Owens said he was a catch for Simone Biles -- not the other way around -- by saying ... ease up, folks.

The ex-Steelers safety recorded a video addressing the backlash Owens is facing in the wake of an interview he did on RC's pod last week ... in which he described how he first met Simone, how they got together, and who he thought was the lucky one in the relationship.

It came off a little ineloquent at the time, but essentially ... he said he thought he was a catch for Simone -- and that he didn't necessarily "pull" her, but rather ... she pulled him.

JO also confessed he didn't know who Simone was when they matched on an app -- apparently, he wasn't tuned in to her Olympic run -- and says she made the first move.

BTW, as Owens was saying this to Clark and his podcast cohosts -- SB herself was in the room, and she didn't even flinch. The Internet, on the other hand, was up in arms over his comments ... as they felt he was being disrespectful for suggesting he was the prize here.

Simone and Jonathan have each addressed the heat he's catching ... and they both seem to be over it, and not nearly as mad as Twitter was when they first caught wind of this.

Now, Ryan himself is speaking up ... and he's got words for the collectively outraged.

There's a race in Spain where thousands of people gather each year to run a few miles dressed like Old Saint Nick -- and 2023 was no different ... but it was wild to see.

The 11th annual Carrera de Papá Noel in Madrid went down Sunday, with upwards of 7,500 attendees getting set at the starting line near the Plaza de Colon ... and were off to the races when the gun went off. And yes, just about everyone's dressed like a freaking Santa Claus.

While there were mostly red and white suits out there, you can find some variety if you look hard enough ... including some elf costumes and even some other random ones (dinosaur.)

Some walked, others jogged ... and a handful sprinted. The whole thing's for charity anyway -- it benefits the Spanish Red Cross -- so there's no real competition at the end of the day.

Now, that's not to say there aren't prizes for those who finish first -- because there are. The first three males and females get a little something ... and so do the first 3 kids under age 12. They go for about 3 miles, and the route takes 'em along Paseo de la Castellana.

The money raised this year, specifically, is going toward training up young people in the Red Cross program ... and to develop jobs for them as well. Never too early to start giving back!

Shohei Ohtani is not only rich, he's strategically brilliant, because he figured out an instant way of ingratiating himself with his new teammates, and it involves a Porsche!

The Dodgers star gifted an awesome Porsche to the wife of teammate Joe Kelly. Why, you ask? Turns out she mounted a full-on campaign to get Ohtani to sign with her hubby's team.

Check out the video ... Ashley Kelly is stunned as she peers out her front door and Joe tells her the car parked on the curb next to their house ... well, the car is now hers!!!

Ashley was on a relentless campaign to snag Ohtani, telling her Insta followers she changed the name of her 7-month-old child from Kai to ShoKai. Not true, but funny -- and effective. She did a ton more, including offering up her husband's number as an incentive. An offer Ohtani took her up on!

In turn, Shohei showed his appreciation for the number swap with the brand-new whip.

Shohei can certainly afford it ... he signed a 10-year contract worth $700 million earlier this month, although he's deferring almost all of it for years. It's the biggest contract in the history of sports.

Pro sports analyst Mark Rycroft may want to start checking what's in his cup before taking a sip ... 'cuz he accidentally guzzled tobacco and spit!

The gross – yet funny – moment was captured on video while Altitude TV's Avalanche team with host Vic Lombardi was broadcasting a recent sports event in Colorado.

In the clip, Rycroft is seated next to play-by-play announcer Marc Moser, who is standing in the booth with a coffee cup on a desk in between them.

Rycroft seems preoccupied with work when he reaches over and grabs the cup, raising it to his lips and taking a big swig from the opening in the top.

Based on his putrid reaction, the flavor didn't appeal to him one bit. In fact, Rycroft scrambles to spit out all the tobacco and saliva. Nasty indeed!!

But, it looks like everyone got a laugh out of it in the end. Lombardi posted the video to X, making light of the whole situation.

Peyton Manning got to experience the "classic Philly welcome" as Santa Claus ... 'cause after he put on the red suit, he was hilariously pelted with snowballs from Ricky Watters -- and Matt Millen!

The Hall of Fame QB became the sitting duck for the holiday episode of "Peyton's Places" show on ESPN, where he's riding a firetruck inside the Lincoln Financial Field ahead of the Eagles' Christmas game.

Watters -- who played running back for Philly for two seasons -- and Millen, a former linebacker and executive in the NFL, are in the stands booing Manning ... and start hitting him with snowballs.

"Boo!! You're a lousy Santa Claus!" Millen yelled while throwing bombers at Peyton.

Of course, this is a remake of the 1968 Vikings vs. Eagles game on Christmas ... where the Philly fans started throwing snowballs at Santa Claus during the halftime show due to their team's poor performance and season.

The guy who dressed up as Santa, then 20-year-old Frank Olivo, says he was hit with more than 100 snowballs during his appearance.

Mind you, Olivo was picked out from the stands to play the role by the Eagles entertainer director, since a snowstorm the previous night kept the original Santa actor from getting to the game.

Move over Santa Claus, it's all about Santa Carr -- 'cause New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr showed his receivers some major love for the holidays ... by gifting them Rolex watches and diamond chains!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the four-time Pro Bowler wanted to do something super special for his wideouts this season as a sign of appreciation, so he hit up Al the Jeweler of Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ to make some custom pieces.

We're told Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed received the iced-out time pieces ... and others in the crew received chains.

Carr didn't forget about his guy Michael Thomas ... we're told he'll have a present, too -- as soon as the two get in touch.

Carr is a loyal customer of Al's -- as we previously reported, the quarterback also went to him to make custom number pendants for Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams before he left the Raiders earlier this year.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's family dog died, and they're both post remembrances of the pooch -- who their kids seemed to absolutely adore.

The exes posted respective tributes to their pit bull mix, Lua, on Saturday ... announcing their longtime pet had passed on. Tom threw up a photo of his two children with Gisele -- Benjamin and Vivian -- hovering over their doggy, which had its eyes closed.

He wrote, "We love you Lua RIP." He posted another photo of Lulu, and added ... "Forever in our hearts." In yet another IG Story slide, he uploaded a boomerang of his daughter playing with Lulu.

Gisele, likewise, threw up a bunch of shots of the canine in a sprawling IG post ... and she had a sweet shout-out to Lulu that touched on just how much she meant to the family.

She wrote, "Our little Lulu, our guardian angel is gone to heaven. She will forever live in our hearts. We already miss her sooooo much! #unconditionallove RIPLua." Her caption was also translated to Portuguese ... and she included a ton of awesome photos of their doggo.

Unclear when exactly they got Lua, but we know they adopted the pit bull at some point in their marriage ... and that their kids grew up with it too. They have another dog too, Fluffy.

All dogs go to heaven.

Mookie Betts is on the move, but he ain't leaving the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned he's now got a giant new house to live in!!

Real estate sources tell us ... the MLB superstar just copped a $15 million pad this month in Encino -- just a few miles away from Dodger Stadium.

We're told the place is sweet ... featuring super sleek and modern lines.

Unclear of how many beds, baths and bells and whistles it all officially comes with -- though it sits on 2 acres ... so there's plenty of room for Mookie to work on his base-running skills if he wants.

Of course, Mookie's been living in L.A. for a while now -- he was traded to the City of Angels prior to the 2020 season -- though after having his second child earlier this year ... seems he was in need of an upgrade.

We're told Craig Knizek and Scott Gorelick of The Agency repped the seller ... while Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie's International Real Estate repped the baseball player in the sale.

Carolina Panthers fans need to take a deep breath and relax ... because despite the rough rookie season for Bryce Young, Warren Moon tells TMZ Sports he's not ready to call the QB a bust just yet.

In fact, the Hall of Famer said earlier this week he still believes the former Heisman Trophy winner is "going to be a really good quarterback in this league."

"I'm still optimistic," the ex-signal-caller said.

Moon, though, did say Young's future will almost certainly hinge on whether or not Carolina's front office can improve the talent around him.

"They do not have a really good offense," Moon said. "He doesn't have a lot of weapons to work with on the outside, his offensive line is very average, and he's a smaller guy so he needs a little bit more protection."

Through his first 13 games, Young has thrown nine interceptions to just nine touchdowns. His quarterback rating, meanwhile, is a mere 72.2.

Still, Moon tells us "as long as he hasn't lost his confidence, I think he'll be fine going into next year" if the Panthers' roster improves.

Both Kid Capri and Sway Calloway agree Ice Cube is a national treasure to the sports world, and his Big3 success poses no threat to the NBA's!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with Kid Capri and his artists The Hoodies on a mild winter NYC day, and the legendary DJ flat out tells us the NBA should be ashamed of itself for allegedly screwing with Cube's operations.

TMZ Sports broke the story a couple months ago ... the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation over allegations the NBA was blocking players, owners, even referees from participating in Cube's league over concerns Big3's popularity interfered with the NBA.

While we were getting KC's opinion on the subject, Sway hilariously crashed the party and doubled down on the community's support for Cube.

The Big3 teams play in cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Brooklyn ... which Sway points out brings more jobs to those markets -- and no one's complaining besides NBA bigwigs, allegedly.