Health

Robert Whittaker expected to fight Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but will instead face Ikram Aliskerov after Borz was forced out of the scrap with an illness that hospitalized him. So, much easier fight, right?!

Not so fast ... according to 33-year-old Whittaker himself!

"I am thankful for [Aliskerov] to step up to the plate to fight, and a lot of fans probably don't know how dangerous this guy is. And, in a lot of ways, this guy is more dangerous than Chimaev was, especially mentality-wise, because he has nothing to lose and only everything to gain," Robert told TMZ Sports earlier this week.

Barry Sanders suffered a heart-related medical scare over the weekend ... the NFL Hall of Famer announced Friday.

The former running back said the health issue happened out of nowhere on Father's Day, but did not go into detail on what he experienced.

"It was unexpected and served as a reminder of the importance of staying vigilant about our physical well-being, even when we are feeling fine," Barry said in a statement released by the Detroit Lions.

5:28 PM PT -- A rep for Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency tells TMZ ... the bear hasn't been caught, but if it is -- it will be euthanized. We're also told that city officials suspect the bear ended up here as a result of human behavior ... namely, the likelihood that humans were feeding it.

However, a rep for Anakeesta tells us they're not aware of anyone at the park going out of their way to feed the animal. In any case ... it'll meet its maker if/when it's found.

2:18 PM PT -- A rep the City of Gatlinburg tells TMZ ... the employee in question declined medical treatment, even though first responders arrived at the scene -- including agents for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The City says the bear fled the area ... and it doesn't sound like it was caught.

A Tennessee amusement park employee barely escaped with her life after a bear attacked her while on the job ... and the whole thing's on video, which we got a hold of.

The legend of Taylor Swift grows -- she once extinguished a fire in her New York City apartment after flames erupted in her kitchen ... and now, we're seeing it all on video.

TayTay's singer friend, Gracie Abrams, just shared footage of Taylor handling a fire extinguisher and putting out a big flame that was burning on the kitchen island in her $50 million Tribeca pad ... this after talking about the incident earlier in the week.

Gracie told Billboard she and Taylor stayed up all night writing her new song "Us" when the fire started in another room ... a candle from their dinner party had fallen over and ignited the blaze -- but at first, they didn't realize that's what happened.

Conor McGregor is finally telling fans about the injury that forced him to pull out of his comeback fight against Michael Chandler on June 29 at UFC 303.

And ... it's a broken toe.

"We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean," 35-year-old McGregor wrote on social media.

The fight was called off just over 3 weeks before the men were set to scrap.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has undergone a massive physical transformation this offseason ... and at an event Thursday night, he proudly showed off his new bod!!

Check out images of Big Blue's head man from the red carpet at NY's "Giants 100: A Night With Legends" show at Madison Square Garden ... he looked goooooood.

His wife, Beth, also stunned in a white dress ... appearing to go through her own body transformation with Brian over the past few months.

Derrick White got his pearly whites fixed amid his victory bender ... making time for a trip to the dentist to correct his chipped tooth ahead of the Celtics' championship parade!!

The breakout star revealed his new look ahead of the big bash in Boston on Friday ... saying he went through a lengthy procedure to get his smile right again.

Of course, White put it all on the line in Game 5 of the Finals -- he dove for a loose ball and got tangled up with Dallas Mavericks player Dereck Lively ... and as a result, he lost part of his front tooth.

Big Sean's leaving a bad taste in some of his fans' mouths for favoring electric toothbrushes -- going so far as to say he doesn't trust folks using regular ones ... but he might have a point.

Yes, it does sound a bit elitist, but cosmetic dentist Dr. Trevor Thomas tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the "IDFWU" rapper was actually spitting game.

Dr. Thomas says his stats tell him electric toothbrushes are 30% more effective against germs and plaque -- and a lil bit of flossing can go a long way!!!

Kylian Mbappé hit the practice field on Thursday appearing a bit like Batman ... rockin' a cool, sleek mask to protect his newly broken nose!!

The soccer star looked pretty awesome for a guy who just busted up his face during a Euro 2024 match against Austria on Monday -- moving around with the French-colored face covering with ease while working with his teammates through a light sweat sesh.

But, sadly, he might not be able to re-wear the mask if and when he takes the field for France's next game on Friday ... as, according to The Athletic, UEFA rules make it clear the protective wear can only be one solid color.

One of the cyclists who got mowed down by a car in Texas is crediting his own bike for saving his life after an alleged drunk driver ran over him -- who, BTW, has now been ID'd.

Cops say Benjamin Hylander -- an American Airlines cargo worker -- careened his car into retired physician Tom Geppert and his fellow cycling group rider Deborah Eads near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Monday ... and now, we know the charges he's facing.

Remember ... this was all caught in shocking viral footage -- which shows Geppert and Eads getting hit from the back ... and Geppert getting crushed by the car. Now ... TG is recounting the whole thing ... telling a local media outlet he's lucky to be alive.

Stunning revelation from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy ... he says he was recently diagnosed with cancer -- but, thankfully, he added he's already beaten it.

The 47-year-old told his employees and his fans this week on multiple Barstool Sports shows that following a routine check-in with a doctor ... he was told he had basal cell carcinoma on his neck.

Portnoy said he was forced to undergo surgery to remove the issue -- although fortunately, he informed everyone the procedure has been deemed a success.

Boxing superstar Ryan Garcia says he's retiring from boxing at 25 years old ... an announcement that should be taken with the biggest grain of salt to ever exist.

King Ryan shared the news in a lengthy social media rant on Wednesday ... in which he referenced his current performance-enhancing drug scandal, his mother's health, a lawsuit from Logan Paul's Prime drink company and his divorce from Drea Celina.

Garcia's claim comes on the heels of his massive win over previously undefeated Devin Haney in April ... which is now under review after his samples were popped for Ostarine, a banned substance.

A Michigan man swooped in to save a raccoon from potentially choking to death -- with the heroic act getting caught on video ... and yes, it's wild.

A guy named Bill Boski recently sprung into action out in Burton, MI -- coming to the aid of the distressed critter by giving it some heavy pats on the back to dislodge a piece of cheese it was eating.

At first, it doesn't look like Bill's attempts are working on the raccoon, as it continues to gag -- but when his pal suggests a lower approach ... that finally seemed to do the trick!

Fight off, party on!

Conor McGregor showed up in public for the first time since his big UFC 303 comeback fight was called off over an undisclosed injury -- and the UFC superstar looked no worse for wear.

35-year-old McGregor attended a movie premiere at his bar, The Black Forge Inn, in Dublin on Tuesday where they screened actor John Connors' new film, "The Black Guelph."

Simone Biles is pulling back the curtains on the personal struggles she experienced during the 2020 Olympics ... sharing footage of herself breaking down in tears as she discussed her mental health as part of an upcoming documentary.

Netflix just dropped a trailer ahead of the four-part project's release ... sharing scenes of Biles' life with husband Jonathan Owens, her desire to return to competition, and her training leading up to the Paris Games.

While there is much excitement for Biles' return to the Olympics, the show will also focus on one of her biggest stories -- her withdrawal from competing for gold to address her mental health.

12:45 PM PT -- Cameron Brink just commented on the injury ... and while it clearly broke her heart -- she's vowing to come back stronger than before.

"I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life," she said on her Instagram page Wednesday afternoon. "I'm not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it. It's not goodbye basketball it’s just a see you later. I’m always so thankful for your thoughts and prayers. 💜💛"

Devastating news for one of the most popular young hoopers in the WNBA -- L.A. Sparks rookie Cameron Brink suffered a left torn ACL during Tuesday night's game ... leaving her sidelined indefinitely.