TMZ Sports - Page 50

No playoffs, no problem for Christian McCaffrey ... the NFL superstar just revealed he's doing fine without post-season football, showing vacation is treating him and Olivia Culpo REALLY well in a steamy pic on Monday.

The Carolina Panthers running back's girlfriend posted the sexy photo of the two on their Mexico vacay this month ... and, yeah, there's clearly not much sadness going on over not playing this weekend.

McCaffrey's 6-pack and massive biceps are on full display, while Culpo's insanely toned figure pops in a red bikini.

Olivia -- who's been with McCaffrey in Cabo for the past few days -- captioned the pic with a red heart, and comments about their stunning bodies are already flowing in, with Jessie James Decker writing, "Danggggggg🔥🔥🔥🔥."

We're sure McCaffrey and Culpo would prefer to be prepping for a Super Bowl right now (remember, Culpo had told us earlier this season she thought the Panthers could make a run) ... but after getting to see this pic, we're glad they're not.

A Michael Jackson impersonator got the best of a dude on the mean streets of Las Vegas, and ... well, it's hilarious!

There's not a whole lot of info on what's behind the fight, but it went down on Fremont Street.

The fight looks almost slapstick ... MJ and the dude squaring off with fists raised, and then they tangle.

Michael's ground game is far superior to the guy in green, and he eventually gets the guy in a headlock and begins to squeeze. At a point, it's not funny anymore, and it looks like the guy might lose consciousness. Some passersby disentangle the 2 and no one seems worse for wear.

We don't know what started the fight, but the shirt on the guy in green reads, "CAN'T FIX STUPID."

It's the most entertaining lookalike fight since SpongeBob squared off with 2 women.

Jake Paul stripped all the way down to his birthday suit for his 25th cake day on Monday ... going buck naked for a sexy photo with his model girlfriend.

The Problem Child just posted the spicy pic to his social media page ... showcasin' his naked bod while a bikini-clad Julia Rose did just enough to cover up his junk.

Jake rocked a hat and some expensive jewelry -- and not a thing more -- while Rose had her hands draped all over him.

Jake captioned the photo with some of his goals for his next calendar year -- one of which included "go to outer space with Jeff, Richard, or Elon."

The b-day love for the YouTuber-turned-boxing superstar, meanwhile, has poured in all day ... with Rose writing on her social media page, "happy birthday dubba dubba…I can’t wait to feed you popcorn and kiss your nose until you turn 80."

Jake's older bro, Logan Paul, added, "happy bday @jakepaul love you bro."

By the looks of his social media activity, seems Jake is spending the special occasion in Utah -- and riding around in helicopters while there.

Of course, dude has every reason to celebrate this past trip around the sun ... he became a huge fight star -- and also reportedly made $45 million.

LeBron James is quickly getting over the Lakers' struggles and focusing on the positives ... by losing his mind over his wife's latest Instagram post.

The Lakers are below .500 with a 21-22 record so far this season, forcing the King to publicly apologize via social media on Sunday.

While LBJ's social media activity seemed like a downer, it got much better once Savannah posted a gorgeous look on Instagram Sunday night ... with Bron gushing multiple times over the shot.

"When you walked downstairs I said to myself 'GODDAMN!!! That’s MINE'🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥," LBJ said in response to Savannah's red hair and black outfit.

"SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL Queen 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍"

James didn't stop there ... he reposted the video on his own IG, saying, "GODDESS QUEEN 👸🏾!!"

"Lucky Black Man I am. SHEESH she’s BAD!!," he added. "It’s gone be a great week when you start it off with a Monday like this!"

Of course, LeBron and Savannah -- who were were high school sweethearts -- got married in 2013 and have three kids together ... Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri.

Ex-NBA superstar Yao Ming says he spoke with tennis star Peng Shuai last month ... the former Wimbledon doubles champ who vanished from public eye after accusing a powerful Chinese official of sexual assault.

“We had a pleasant chat,” Yao said Monday, as he fielded questions at a news conference to promote the Beijing Olympics which open in 18 days.

Ming -- the current president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) -- said he's known Peng for about 20 years ... and the two attended a winter sports exhibition with other prominent Chinese sports figures.

"We asked many questions about the game as we were not familiar with snow sports," the ex-NBA star said.

Of course, Peng's disappearance raised international concern after a post on her verified Weibo social media account claimed a powerful government official sexually assaulted her.

36-year-old Peng has since denied making the claim ... telling a Singapore newspaper, "I have never said that I wrote that anyone sexually assaulted me."

Everyone from Naomi Osaka to Novak Djokovic expressed public concern for Peng ... whose recent public appearances haven't done much to quell concerns for her safety.

Speaking of Djokovic -- who was recently deported from Australia after losing his appeal -- Yao said it's unfortunate the Serbian tennis star won't be able to compete in the Australian Open.

Stick a fork in it -- Novak Djokovic's Australian Open vaccine drama is officially over for now ... as the tennis superstar landed back in Serbia after getting deported from Down Under.

34-year-old ND touched down in Belgrade on Monday and was met by a small group of fans ... with one sneaking in a selfie with the controversial player.

As we previously reported, the 9-time champ fought like hell to be able to defend his title in 2022 ... but his vaccine status eventually led to his one-way ticket outta Australia.

Now, as Novak was set to take the court on Monday ... he's back home and will be forced to watch from the couch.

While his AO hopes have disappeared, Djokovic now has the French Open to worry about in May. French officials recently announced a new law requiring the jab in order to attend sports events would not have exceptions ... meaning Novak could run into the same issue again.

Minutes after the Cowboys and 49ers fought it out on the field ... their fans duked it out outside of the stadium, getting into a wild brawl that actually spilled into a flower bed.

The scene appeared to go down yards away from AT&T Stadium following the two teams' Wild Card matchup ... when a swarm of Dallas fans got into it with what looked like Niners supporters.

At least half a dozen people were involved in the melee ... which was so chaotic, the action ended up in some flowers and shrubs near a busy street.

You can see in footage filmed by bystanders, fans threw wild kicks and punches, all while people screamed for help.

Eventually, nearby officers raced into the scene to break the fight up. It's unclear if any arrests were made, we reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

The robe worn by Muhammad Ali in the leadup to his famous 1965 fight with Sonny Liston is up for auction ... and TMZ Sports has learned it's such a rare piece of boxing history, it could sell for over $500,000.

Ali donned the garment on his way to the ring in his rematch with Liston -- which many consider one of the most memorable fights ever.

Ali not only knocked out Liston in iconic fashion in the ring (you've no doubt seen the picture of the KO at this point) ... but the fight also marked the first time he had boxed under the name Muhammad Ali.

You'll recall, following his first match with Liston in 1964, Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay, calling it "a slave name." He never fought using the moniker again.

For the rematch with Liston a year later, just before he won in convincing fashion, Ali donned a white piece with "Muhammad Ali" emblazoned on the back in red letters.

Novak Djokovic won't participate in the Australia Open after all ... he's finally been deported.

The tennis star got the boot Sunday after a 3-judge panel rejected his appeal to stay in the country after Aussie Immigration Minister Alex Hawke revoked his visa for a second time ... now under a "health and good order" rationale. He was scheduled to start playing Monday.

Djokovic left Australia on a plane to Dubai earlier in the day ... but it's unclear where his final destination lies. Serbia's Prime Minister called the decision "scandalous" ... and ND said he was disappointed as well.

One of Djokovic's arguments for being allowed to stay -- even though he's unvaccinated, which is a requirement for anyone traveling down under right now -- was that kicking him out would only fan anti-vaxx sentiments, antithetical to what the Aussie government wants.

The court wasn't buying that though ... and ruled against him. This, of course, comes after Djokovic was cut loose earlier last week when a judge found the government acted too hastily in revoking his visa/detaining him the first time ... but the government struck again under different reasoning the 2nd time -- citing public safety/interest.

Djokovic was given a medical exemption to begin with by two different tennis bodies, because he'd caught COVID in December -- but in the end, the Australian government overrode that ... pointing that, in and of itself, wasn't a loophole that could be allowed on their watch.

The husband of country music singer Sara Evans was arrested for alleged domestic violence Saturday after cops say he tried slamming his car into the car in which Evans was being driven.

Jay Barker, a former Univ. of Alabama quarterback, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was placed on a 12-hour hold in Davidson County and released Saturday night after posting $10k bail.

Evans says she was leaving a party, got in the passenger seat of a friend's car, and as they backed out of the driveway, she says she saw Barker gunning his car in reverse, trying to hit them ... this according to the affidavit obtained by station WIAT. Barker's car missed Evans' car.

The affidavit says the 2 are still married but have separated.

Barker has a radio talk show which is Alabama-based ... “The Jay Barker Show.”

COVID-19 can't stop Los Angeles from partying before Super Bowl LVI ... 'cause several event planners tell TMZ Sports the show will go on -- with precautions, of course.

As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country, many questions have been raised about whether the traditional bashes leading up to the big game will go on as scheduled.

We've learned at least three of the biggest parties will continue as planned -- including the event put on by sports agent Leigh Steinberg -- AKA the real Jerry Maguire -- at Sony Studios.

We're told Steinberg's invite-only bash will be filled with celebs and current/former players -- featuring tons of food and drink ... as well as a cool brain lounge with insane technology, a silent auction and more.

FYI -- Sony can host up to 5,000 people, but we're told the event will only be about half capacity ... and all guests must be vaxxed or have a negative test within 48 hours of arrival.

"It is 90% outdoor," LeeAnn Adams, the VP of Special Projects for Leigh Steinberg Entertainment, tells us.

"We only have one indoor space where our brain lounge is because we have very valuable equipment in there."

"We're as COVID-safe as possible and indoors, obviously, you have to wear a mask. You're in Los Angeles and it is mandated."

Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Babes and Ballers will be hosting their own SB bash as well ... with rapper Lil Jon and the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders set to attend at the Academy Hall.

Davis' shindig will also follow Los Angeles' COVID-19 protocols -- in fact, they're adding extra hand sanitizer stations at the venue ... as they're expecting 1,200 guests.

"The club has some already fixed to the wall," Steve Fowler of Babes and Ballers said. "But we'll have a couple more at every entrance, bathroom, VIP room and patio."

For NAAB Radio's event, the station is anticipating 500 party-goers at the Taglyan Complex ... and will also stick to the city's guidelines.

"We plan to follow all CDC protocols and to have our guests show proof of vaccinations/test results while having a memorable Super Bowl 2022 Party," NAAB Radio co-founder Denise Darrell tells us.

Now that the safety concerns are out of the way ... it's time to party.

NFL Wild Card Weekend is here ... and what better way to kick-start the 2022 playoffs than to play a quick game of "Guess That Shredded Bod!!!"

There are six games going down in the opening round ... with the 49ers, Cowboys, Rams, Cardinals, Bills, Patriots, Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals, Eagles and Buccaneers all getting in on the action.

With that being said, there are a lot of stars who've shown off their athletic figures over the years ... including quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow.

The receivers of Wild Card weekend have also shown out ... from JuJu Smith-Schuster to Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel.

So grab the chips and dip and scroll through the pics as you wait for kickoff.

Living like Logan Paul has now become slightly cheaper ... TMZ Sports has learned the YouTuber-turned-boxer has knocked $1 million off the asking price of his sick L.A. mansion.

Paul initially put the Encino palace on sale back in November for $8,995,000 ... but this week, he relisted it for $7,995,000.

Expensive, for sure, but it appears to be worth it ... considering what it all comes with. As we reported, it's got 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms ... and has 7,667-square-feet of living space.

It also features a massive yard, swimming pool, wine cellar and a billiards room for entertainment purposes.

Unclear if Logan plans to drop the price further if there are still no takers ... but he still appears to be in good shape to make some profit off the property when it eventually sells. Paul originally bought it for over $6.6 million in 2017.

Ciryl Gane says despite what you might've heard, he has absolutely zero beef with Francis Ngannou ... and fully intends on showing respect to "The Predator" when they fight for the UFC title next weekend.

31-year-old Gane, the undefeated (10-0) UFC Interim champ is headlining UFC 270 against 35-year-old Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champ next Saturday in Anaheim.

The alleged bad blood? Gane and Ngannou briefly trained together at the MMA Factory in France several years back (Francis recently told us it was less than 10 times), and things haven't exactly always seemed copacetic since.

In fact, a video recently made its way around social media showing Francis walking by Ciryl ... like he didn't exist.

But, Gane says everything's cool between the men ... there's zero ill will.

"I have no feelings for him. He's just like another opponent and that's it."

It's an intriguing matchup. Ngannou throws bombs ... and arguably has more power than any other fighter on the UFC roster. Meanwhile, Gane is 6'5", 250 lbs., but moves like a guy who weighs 75 lbs. less.

Francis recently told us he believes he'll knockout Ciryl within 10 minutes (2 rounds).

Bengals star Joe Mixon went all out for his first playoff game ... ordering more than $400k worth of jewelry to commemorate the big day!!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Pro Bowl running back wanted to do something extra special for his first postseason appearance, so he hit up his go-to guy Gabriel The Jeweler last week to whip something together.

We're told the order -- a special made Cuban link chain, iced-out Audemars Piguet, and diamond ring -- would usually take about a month to complete ... but Gabriel's team worked late for 8 straight days to come through for Mixon.

The finished product is incredible -- the chain has 170 carats of VVS diamonds (including emerald cuts), and the rose gold AP has 36 carats of diamonds with emerald cuts on the band.

And, check out how the diamonds dance on the ring!!!

We're told the order was finished early Saturday morning and was flown to Cincinnati just in time for the game. No word on how much Mixon shelled out for the bling, but we're told the 3 pieces are worth a total $400k!!

Gabriel tells us he'd do anything for his guy, Joe ... and he definitely proved that with the speedy delivery.

Antonio Brown says he loves Tom Brady and has spoken to the 7x Super Bowl champ -- despite questioning TB12's friendship after he was cut by the Bucs -- telling TMZ Sports Brady is a "true friend."

We talked to AB outside Via Allora in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and asked the Pro Bowl wideout about the current status of his relationship with Brady.

"Listen, I love Tom. That's my guy. Don't get it twisted. A lot of words were taken out of substance. Tom is one of my true friends in the midst of adversity that was there for me, so don't get it twisted about nothing with Tom Brady."

Brown continued ... "He's a G.O.A.T. Great player. Great teammate."

Of course, Antonio had a different take on the Full Send podcast last week when he pondered Brady's motivation for befriending him.

"Not everybody in sports is going to be your friend. Tom Brady's my friend why? Because I'm a good football player. He needs me to play football," Brown told the guys.

But, during our conversation with AB, he makes it clear he's still tight with Tom, regardless of what he said during an emotional time.

There's much more.

We also talked to Antonio -- who was with business partner Jas Mathur -- about the Bucs playoff game against the Eagles, hanging out with Madonna, a potential musical collab with Kanye West, an ankle injury update, and what he'd say to NFL front offices who may be hesitant to sign him.

On linking up with Ye, AB told us ... "We got something brewing. We got a lot of stuff working."

Brown added, "It's coming soon."

As for the situation in Tampa Bay ... the 7x Pro Bowler wholeheartedly believes Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was out of line, but AB also admits he could've navigated the situation with more tact.

"Obviously I could've handled my emotions better. But, sometimes under anger, you may not handle yourself the right way."