TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mickey Mantle's last Yankees jersey just netted a small fortune at auction ... raking in a staggering $2.2 MILLION!!!

Officials at Heritage Auctions tell TMZ Sports ... the sale just closed over the weekend, and it was an historic one, because it's now the highest price ever paid for a Mick jersey.

In fact, the price tag was so high, it was hundreds of thousands of dollars more than what experts initially thought it could fetch.

As for why it sold for so much ... well, the 1968 NYY gear is that historic. It not only was the last jersey Mantle wore in his final baseball season -- it was also autographed, and featured a personalized message from the Yankees legend.

The previous record for the Mick jersey was $1.3 million in August 2018.

Ukrainian UFC fighter Maryna Moroz -- who is fighting in 5 days -- has a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin as his troops invaded her homeland, killing soldiers and innocent people ... "F**k you, bitch! I love my country. Don't touch Ukraine!"

TMZ Sports talked to 30-year-old Moroz less than a week before she's scheduled to fight Mariya Agapova, an MMA fighter from Kazakhstan, as Ukraine is mercilessly attacked by Putin's military.

Maryna was born in Vilnohirsk, Ukraine in September 1991 ... almost exactly the time Ukraine gained its independence as the Soviet Union dissolved.

Now, that independence is threatened ... and Moroz is understandably scared/worried by what's happening back home.

"It's hard time for Ukraine. I want to support my country, my president, whole army in Ukraine, and I want to say we don't want war. I worry about my family right now."

The situation is so bad, MM says her dad has begun making explosives at home.

"My dad makes home grenades."

Despite the tragedy surrounding her, Moroz fights Agapova Saturday night at UFC 272 ... and she hopes to show how tough Ukrainians are as people.

"I will be fighting and I show that Ukraine people are strong, and my flag will be in the Octagon."

Step aside, James Harrison ... Nick Chubb has just made his case for biggest beast in an NFL weight room -- squatting 500 pounds for reps with ease!!

Chubb threw up the footage of the insane feat on his social media page Monday -- proving he is still crazy strong.

In the clip, you can see Chubb -- with 495 pounds (plus the two clips!) on his back -- going up and down five times easily.

The weight was so heavy, the barbell actually bent while he was performing the lift -- but Chubb still took it ass-to-grass and back up with no problem whatsoever.

Of course, for as wild as the feat is ... we should be used to it by now, given what Nick's already proven in the gym.

You'll recall, back in 2019, he cleaned 410 pounds without issue -- and has been seen from time to time doing similar lifts since.

Joe Burrow is spending his offseason the right way ... by playing golf with Kendall Jenner's boyfriend, Devin Booker, and his old Ohio State teammates after losing Super Bowl LVI.

Burrow hit the links with D Book in Scottsdale, Arizona recently .... where Joey B's teammate, Sam Hubbard, and 49ers star defensive end, Nick Bosa joined in on the fun.

Hubbard, a defensive end for the Bengals, took to social media to share a few images of the trip as they enjoyed some nice weather out on the course ... followed by a group dinner after.

The Bengals, of course, are still trying to recover from their disappointing 23-20 loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl ... and what better way to do that than having some quality tee time!!

Of course, Sam, Nick, and Joey Franchise all went to Ohio State -- though Burrow would finish his career with the LSU Tigers, where he led them to a national title after defeating Clemson in the 2019 season.

But, it was those OSU and Ohio roots that forged the basis of the foundation for Sam's relationship with Joe ... and it's spilled over into their professional careers.

While the Bengals season is over, the Suns and Booker are still playing ... and with the best record in the NBA, Phoenix looks poised to make a serious run at an NBA championship.

UFC legend Cain Velasquez spent Monday night in jail ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the 39-year-old has been arrested and booked on an attempted murder charge.

Details surrounding the specifics of his arrest are unclear -- though law enforcement sources tell us the former fighter was involved in a shooting in San Jose at around 3 PM near a local high school.

In the alleged incident, one person was shot while another was arrested. Nothing further surrounding the circumstances of the situation has been released.

Jail records show Velasquez is still in custody as of Tuesday morning ... and has a court date set for Wednesday at noon.

Velasquez -- who was born and raised in Northern California -- is one of the best heavyweight MMA fighters in the history of the sport. During his reign, Cain beat everyone from Brock Lesnar to Junior dos Santos.

After parting ways following his last loss to Francis Ngannou, Cain spent several months with WWE (he's a huge wrestling fan).

Cain trains at the famed American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) gym with Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov, among other MMA stars.

Before getting into mixed martial arts, Velasquez was a star collegiate wrestler at Arizona State University. He was a 2x All-American.

Adidas has suspended its uniform deal with the Russian National Football (soccer) team ... in direct response to Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attack in Ukraine, resulting in innocent lives being lost.

A spokesperson for the company issued a brief statement addressing the suspension, saying, "Adidas is suspending its partnership with the Russian Football Federation (RFS) with immediate effect."

Adidas -- the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe -- has been a partner with Russia's soccer team since 2008 ... providing the club's official sportswear.

The soccer world has responded to the Ukraine tragedy in a big way ... leveling their own kind of "sanctions" against Russia's soccer program.

The Champions League Final -- originally scheduled to take place in Russia -- moved to France after the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) stripped Saint Petersburg, Russia of its hosting rights.

FIFA then banned Russia from playing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ... the biggest sporting event in the world.

Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat is speaking out against banning Russian athletes amid the attack on Ukraine ... calling it an "unfair solution."

As we previously reported, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee and other top sports organizations have expressed desire to prevent Russian athletes from participating in the international competition following last week's invasion ... as well as the Automobile Federation of Ukraine, which has called on the FIA to ban Russian drivers from racing in F1.

27-year-old Kvyat -- the most successful F1 driver from Russia -- sounded off on the idea in a lengthy statement on Tuesday ... saying it's going against everything sports represents.

"I really hope for a peaceful solution to this situation in Ukraine, and that we can all live in peace," he said on Twitter. "Hopefully all parties can find a solution by sitting together and through a respectful dialogue."

"It horrifies me to see two brotherhood nations in a conflict. I don't want military actions and wars to influence the future of humanity, I want my daughter and all children to enjoy this beautiful world."

He added ... "I also would like to highlight and address all sports federations across the world including IOC that sport should remain outside politics and disallowing Russian athletes and teams from participating in world competitions is an unfair solution and goes against what sport teaches us in its principle -- the unity and peace."

"Who else if not us sports people will help to glue nations together in the upcoming times."

Several massive Russian athletes have spoken out against the attack ... including Alexander Ovechkin, Andrey Rublev and more.

Tristan Thompson has a new team, but he's still hearing the same heckles ... 'cause during his game Monday night, fans were still trying to distract him with "Khloe!" chants.

The familiar taunts all went down in Miami during the Bulls vs. Heat game ... when Tristan was at the line shooting some free throws.

In video posted by a fan near courtside, you can hear several people yell "Khloe!" loudly at the Chicago center while he was trying to make his foul shots.

In the footage, Thompson sank his free throw amid the taunts ... but Khloe Kardashian's ex was only able to make two of his four attempts during the evening. Tristan's Bulls went on to lose the game, 112-99.

Of course, Thompson is no stranger to the jeers about his ex -- he's heard the chants at multiple arenas in his career, and even reportedly had a fan ejected from a game earlier this season over the Kardashian heckles.

Thompson -- who was traded from the Kings earlier this month and later signed with the Bulls -- famously dated Khloe off and on from 2016 to 2021.

Hulk Hogan is turning the page after his second divorce, and his ex-wife is doing the same ... with a new set of wheels that were part of the deal, as they say, when they agreed to part ways.

The pro wrestling icon came to an agreement with Jennifer McDaniel when they finalized their divorce last year -- which flew under the radar until he announced it this week -- and one key point of negotiation was making sure JMD had a brand new ride.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hulk and Jen's divorce settlement calls for HH to buy her a new car within 45 days, and guarantee she has to make zero payments on the vehicle.

The make and model aren't addressed in the paperwork, but a condition of the purchase is Hulk gets to keep the ride they'd shared during the marriage.

Other takeaways from the divorce docs ... Jen's keeping a property they bought together in Palm Isle, FL, and Hulk holds on to his Clearwater mansion.

As for alimony ... the docs say Hulk paid Jennifer a one-time lump sum of cash, but the amount isn't disclosed. There's a non-disparagement clause that prevents each of them from talking about the relationship without the other signing off.

One last thing ... it looks like Jen responded to his divorce petition the same day he filed it in October -- a sign this was all pretty amicable, and well-planned ahead of time.

Dana White says he'd be "shocked" if Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz didn't fight for the third time ... despite the fact the UFC superstar from Stockton recently told us he plans to fight Dustin Poirier and then retire from MMA.

"We're still working on [the Diaz-Poirier] fight. That fight's not done yet. I wouldn't count out a Conor-Nate 3," White told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Dana added ... "Listen, I'd be shocked if that fight didn't happen again."

As you know, McGregor vs. Diaz I and II were INSANE ... from the trash talk leading up to the events to the knock-down-drag-out fights the men put on.

Nate was an underdog heading into the first fight in March 2016 ... but forced Conor to tap, submitting him with a rear-naked choke.

White set up an immediate rematch later that year ... and in August, the two UFC superstars faced off again. This time, McGregor beat Diaz via majority decision (two judges scored Conor the winner, the third scored the fight a draw).

It's been 5.5 years since the last fight, but almost everyone involved agreed it was just a matter of time before the trilogy fight went down.

That was until 36-year-old Diaz recently told us he has just one fight left on his UFC deal ... and he planned to fight Poirier.

Today might not be a terrible day for Rafael dos Anjos, after all ... 'cause although his UFC 272 opponent Rafael Fiziev is out of their bout after testing positive for COVID-19, Dana White tells us they're trying to find someone to fight RDA on 5 days notice.

37-year-old dos Anjos and 28-year-old Fiziev were the co-main event (Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington is the main event) ... but the fight was scrapped on Monday after RF tested positive for coronavirus.

So, when White joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV Show (airs weekdays on FS1), we asked if he was looking for a replacement, or whether there just simply wasn't enough time.

"We're working on getting him a new opponent. We'll keep that fight. We'll get him something," Dana says.

It's not the first time RDA vs. Fiziev has been canceled. In fact, the men were initially supposed to fight on February 19 at UFC Fight Night ... but the fight was scrapped because RF had "Visa issues," according to reports.

Now the question is ... who does RDA fight?

The former lightweight champ has been going back-and-forth online with Islam Makhachev ... but the fighter from Dagestan just beat Bobby Green on Saturday (albeit only took 98 seconds).

As for Fiziev ... he says he's crushed by the latest developments.

"I’m devastated to announce that I’m out of the fight. I had a great camp and was ready to put on the show, I flew all the way to Vegas from Thailand just to get sick with covid, for 3 days I’m in hotel bed with fever, bones pain and cough."

There's much more with Dana.

Serena Williams gave a touching tribute to her late friend, Virgil Abloh, after suiting up as a model in the Off-White fashion show at Paris Fashion Week ... saying, "I am so grateful to show love to my friend."

The fashion show marked the first of its kind since Abloh passed away in November ... and featured some of the biggest names and icons in the fashion industry.

Serena -- an icon in her own right -- was overjoyed at the experience, writing how incredible it was for her to participate in the largescale event.

"I had an unbelievable time walking in the @off____white show," Williams wrote on social media. "Virgil meant so much to me, and to walk in a collection that he was still apart of was something I could not miss."

"Thank you for the opportunity."

Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber were among some of the other notable names to attend ... with musicians Rihanna and A$AP Rocky showing up as well.

As we previously reported, Virgil tragically died after privately battling cancer for several years. His death was felt throughout the fashion, sports, and entertainment industries.

The former artistic director for Louis Vuitton was synonymous with Off-White -- a brand he helped elevate to one of the fashion industry's powerhouse brands today.

Former Univ. of Kentucky men's basketball star Tyler Ulis was injured in a scary head-on crash this weekend ... but his dad says, thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.

James Ulis told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Monday that Tyler was driving from Detroit to Toledo on Saturday morning ... when a woman ran into Tyler while the two drivers were going roughly 70 MPH.

James said his son suffered a broken ankle in the crash as well as a cut on his leg and a scratch on his face ... but somehow avoided complete catastrophe.

"It was a tough one," James said, "but thank God he is alive."

James added that Tyler is expected to undergo surgery to repair his ankle on Wednesday .. but otherwise is "actually good considering what he went through."

Tyler's former coach with the Wildcats, John Calipari, tweeted his well-wishes to his ex-point guard following news of the accident ... saying, "We've been in touch, but let's send some prayers, #BBN. He's had some setbacks and fate has intervened a few different times."

"I'm here for you @tulis3 until the wheels fall off!!"

Tyler starred at UK for two seasons in 2014 and 2015, and earned consensus first-team All-American honors following the 2015 season. He went on to be picked by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft.

Art Briles will no longer serve on Hue Jackson's coaching staff at Grambling State ... this, after the hire was met with a ton of backlash.

The ex-Baylor head coach was set to become offensive coordinator for the Tigers next season ... his first big-time gig since getting canned over his involvement in alleged sexual assault coverups at Baylor from 2012-16.

Jackson defended the Briles hire in a statement Monday ... citing forgiveness, redemption and enlightenment as key factors to making the decision.

But, just hours later, Briles is out of the job again ... with Pete Thamel reporting the coach is no longer joining the staff.

This isn't the first time a team has quickly switched its decision on Briles -- the same thing happened with the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2017, when he was brought in to serve as assistant offensive head coach.

Briles went on to coach in Italy before taking a gig with Mount Vernon HS in Texas in 2019 ... earning a 20-6 record over 2 seasons.

Colton Underwood knows a thing or 2 about proposals, and now the former 'Bachelor' is finally engaged to be married.

Colton and his BF, Jordan C. Brown, made the big leap over the weekend in the scenic Cali town of Big Sur ... where they were celebrating CU's birthday.

He told People, "I'm extremely happy! 2021 was the most transformative year of my life. Starting 2022 off with my best friend, teammate and now fiancé is something I never thought was going to be possible."

Back in September, we saw Colton and Jordan hanging together on the beaches of Hawaii. They started dating earlier in the summer of 2021 ... fresh on the heels of Colton publicly coming out in April.

Following his Netflix documentary, "Coming Out Colton," he didn't consider himself on the market because he wasn't actively trying to date anyone. That changed when he met Jordan ... or as Colton said back then, "Since then I found somebody and I am very much in love."

On Colton's season of "The Bachelor," he made a little history ... as it was the first time there was no marriage proposal in the finale. He and Cassie Randolph, who made it to the finale, dated for a while before calling things off.

Cristiano Ronaldo put his body on full display on his Instagram page Monday -- showering with nothing more than his underwear on -- and nearly 1 MILLION people tuned in to watch it!

The soccer superstar shared it all on IG Live ... running water over his ripped body for several seconds before signing off with a salute and a kiss to the camera.

The stream was a quick one, but it was popular nonetheless ... as at one point during the broadcast, 670,000 people had eyes on him!!

As for why, well, just check out the vid ... there's not an ounce of fat on the 37-year-old's body, and it's clear as day he knows it.

It's a needed fun moment for Ronaldo, because the Manchester United striker has struggled in recent weeks.

He's only scored one time since the calendar turned to 2022 ... and soccer aficionados are beginning to worry the legend is beginning to decline for the first time in his career.