TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bellator champ AJ McKee says you don't have to look far to find the greatest 145-pound MMA fighter in the world 'cause ... well, it's him ... telling TMZ Sports Alex Volkanovski is good -- but he's better.

We talked to the 27-year-old undefeated fighter (18-0) at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles this week ... and asked the Bellator titleholder if he believed he was the best featherweight out of all the MMA promotions.

"Definitely. Hands down. Look at the stats. Look at the finishes. He's great," AJ tells says.

"That's one thing I will say about UFC fans. Them motherf***ers are loyal to the soil. If you ain't UFC, they ain't giving you no props. But, what they gotta understand is the fighters make the organization, not the organization making the fighters."

McKee continued ... "In that case, UFC has made [Volkanovski]. He's done great. He's earned it. He's worked his ass off. But, at the end of the day, 145-pounds, I'm the baddest man walking the planet."

Of course, Alex put on a clinic at UFC 273 Saturday night ... absolutely dominating the "Korean Zombie" (who may be the toughest guy on the roster).

AJ is fighting Patricio "Pitbull" at Bellator 277 Friday night ... in a rematch of a July 2021 fight that McKee won by submission (guillotine).

McKee doesn't know how he'll win ... but damnit, he says he knows he's winning this fight.

But, we also talked to Pitbull, and he doesn't see the fight going down like that.

In fact, Patricio tells us he's winning Friday night ... and will force a third fight with McKee to determine once and for all, who's the best Bellator 145'er.

"[A trilogy] will happen. I will beat [McKee] and we will do a third one," Pitbull says.

Evander Kane is a single man again ... TMZ Sports has learned a judge just ruled he and Anna Kane are officially done.

Court docs show a Santa Clara County, CA judge made the ruling on Wednesday -- saying Evander is now single once more.

Evander and Anna married in 2018 and had a daughter together ... but their relationship soured a short time later -- and has recently gotten very ugly.

Anna filed for divorce from Evander in July 2021 -- and the two have accused each other of heinous things in separate court filings in the ensuing months.

Wednesday's ruling did not resolve any of the issues raised in the case other than their marital status. Alimony, child custody and other key issues in their divorce all will be figured out at a later date.

The ruling, though, did open the door for Evander and Mara Teigen's relationship to progress further.

As we reported, Evander linked back up with Mara following Anna's divorce filing ... and Mara announced a short time later she was pregnant with Evander's child.

Evander has made it no secret he's wildly in love with her -- saying "there's no one like you" in an Instagram post dedicated to her the day after Valentine's.

That was quick ...

The NBA took less than 24 hours to punish Miles Bridges for throwing his mouthpiece at a fan ... announcing Thursday it's fined the Charlotte Hornets star $50,000 for his outburst Wednesday night.

As we reported, Bridges chucked the mouthguard into the stands after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Hornets' blowout loss to the Hawks in Atlanta.

Bridges threw the mouthpiece in a fit of rage at a heckler following his removal from the game ... but he did apologize for it afterward.

Bridges added that he wanted to get in contact with the fan he hit ... and "do something nice for her."

"I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me and it hit a little girl," Bridges said. "So that's definitely unacceptable on my part and I take full responsibility."

Quavo's hopes to ball up with Jack Harlow again -- after their NBA All-Star Weekend victory -- are officially dashed.

20th Century Studios says it's picked a costar for Jack in its reboot of "White Men Can't Jump" ... and it won't be Quavo filling the role of hustler Sidney Deane, which Wesley Snipes played in the OG. Hip Hop film lure, it's not the Migos rapper.

Hip hop fans were hoping for a Huncho and Harlow pairing -- especially after TMZ Sports got the Migos rapper last month, sounding focused on landing the gig.

Even though Quavo has real life hoop skills, the studio went another direction -- as they say in La La Land -- and cast veteran actor Sinqua Walls ... who also stars in the upcoming horror film, "Nanny."

Even minus Quavo, 'White Men' appears to be in great hands. Director Calmatic has racked up plenty of high-profile video credits with the likes of Pharrell, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X, among others. Plus, "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris is co-writing the flick.

Don't cry too much for Quavo's acting career -- he's already set to star opposite Robert De Niro in "Wash Me in the River" later this year.

Lamar Odom says if the Lakers want to win a title next season, they need to hit up an old friend and hire the Zen Master himself -- Phil Jackson!!

Remember, last time TMZ Sports spoke with Odom about his beloved Purple & Gold, he thought they could still turn things around and win it all ... but unfortunately for his prediction, L.A. was eliminated from the playoffs last week.

Odom tells us the biggest reason for the Lakers' struggles this season is because the team didn't spend enough time playing together due to injuries to several key players.

"They needed more time," Odom said. "Anthony Davis missed damn near half the year. They just needed time together to bond, but they'll be back next year."

"It'll be LeBron's 20th year next year, so I look forward to see how that's going to go."

Odom -- who won back-to-back rings with the Lakers during his career -- believes the team should keep the guys currently on the roster ... but a new coach can help bring success back to the franchise.

"I think they need to keep the same core intact," Odom said. "Just taking new demands from somebody else. New coach. New direction from someone else.

"It's hard to coach LeBron this far along in his career because he's so advanced mentally."

Despite the daunting challenge of coaching LBJ, Odom tells us the one person who can handle it is Jackson ... who led the Lakers to 5 NBA titles in his career.

"Phil Jackson, I know can coach LeBron with the triangle offense," Odom said. "I think that would keep [LeBron] around a little longer. Preserve him a little longer."

"I would love for Phil Jackson to be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers."

LO told us if the Lakers hired Phil [Jackson] as their next coach, they will win the NBA championship next season.

"If he was to come back and coach the Lakers, I think the Lakers would be the pick -- the fan-favorite."

There's more -- Lamar tells us he's officially making his way to the Metaverse via his very own "Baller Heads Club" NFT collection.

We're told members of the community will have the opportunity to win awesome rewards -- meet and greets with LO and other NBA players, signed gear ... and even three $5,000 scholarships will be given away as well.

Lamar says he saw it as an interesting way to give back -- with a percentage of earnings going to charity each month as well.

Dwayne Haskins' clothing line will have items available soon -- after selling out on the website -- and it's promising to donate the proceeds of future sales to a charity in honor of the late quarterback.

Kingdom of Pride brand was made by Haskins and features a catalog of T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, pants and headwear -- some with his nickname "Simba" or his initials "DH" inscribed into them.

Each item is currently sold out on the website ... but the brand said this week, just days after Haskins' death, that they're working on releasing more KOP gear in the wake of the tragedy.

"In the recent days we have received many inquiries regarding the availability of our clothes," the brand said in a statement.

"We are currently putting together the pieces of how we can honor Dwayne and his legacy in the most positive way."

The company says when it restocks the items, it's going to sell pieces at a discounted price ... and then donate the proceeds to a charity "that has a mission that is near and dear to Dwayne's heart."

Haskins loved his clothing line ... in fact, he had the logo stitched into his Bentley truck after signing his rookie contract in 2019.

"By the grace of God, the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to have an influential platform," Haskins said of his brand on the company's website.

"Kingdom of Pride is a brand about family and channeling your inner lion. You will officially be a part of our family when purchasing these beautifully designed clothes."

Urban Meyer swears he knew who Aaron Donald was before the Jaguars took on the Rams last year ... blasting a report that said otherwise as "silly."

The 57-year-old former Jacksonville head coach joined Tim May on "The Tim May Podcast" this week ... and dismissed the notion that he had no idea who arguably the best defensive player in the NFL was.

"It's -- you know, I've heard silly things before in my life," Meyer said. "You almost shouldn't even address things like that, it's so silly."

You'll recall, The Athletic reported last month that Meyer was "unfamiliar with star players around the league" -- including Donald.

Meyer allegedly told his staff, "Who's this 99 guy on the Rams?” and, "I'm hearing he might be a problem for us."

Of course, that's a shocking allegation ... considering Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year who's been selected to the NFL's All-Pro team 7 times.

A Phillies fan had so much beef with a Mets heckler during a game in Philadelphia earlier this week ... he straight-up tossed the dude's phone onto the field in a fit of rage.

The crazy moment was captured on video during the Mets vs. Phillies game on Tuesday night ... after a man in a Pete Alonso jersey started gloating about a play on the field.

In the footage, you can see the guy whipped out his phone and taunted a bunch of Phillies fans in his section.

But, suddenly, a fan in a Bryce Harper jersey had enough of the celebration ... and grabbed the guy's phone and hurled it into the middle of the outfield.

Much of the crowd in the section ate up the entire exchange ... with many cheering on the guy.

In the clip, you can see people rushed in to break up the skirmish, trying to escort the Phillies fan out of the area before things escalated further.

The Mets fan, meanwhile, ended up getting into a shoving match with another fan wearing a Phillies jersey, and got pushed so hard, he almost fell over several seats.

A stadium staffer finally came into the section to restore the peace ... and the tussle ended without any further significant fireworks.

Josh Allen's offseason is clearly going well ... after soaking up some California sun on Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills superstar took his smokin' hot girlfriend on a dinner date to an L.A. hotspot.

The couple was spotted heading into Catch in West Hollywood just after sunset ... and the quarterback didn't seem to have too many cares in the world as he walked into the restaurant next to Brittany Williams.

The two looked good on their romantic night out -- Allen was in a black jacket and maroon pants, while Williams stunned in a hot pink mini skirt and heels.

Allen didn't answer the photogs' questions as he strolled into dinner ... but it seems clear, he's moving past Buffalo's super disappointing January playoff loss to the Chiefs.

Allen's been vacationing with Williams -- who he's dated since before his NFL career -- in Cali the last couple weeks, enjoying the offseason and getting over that epic overtime game in Kanas City.

Rapper Archie Eversole, best known for his hit song "We Ready," has died.

Archie's family tells TMZ he passed away Sunday, April 3. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Archie was only 17 when he recorded his first album, "Ride Wit Me Dirty South Style." The album went gold, with the help of the track "We Ready" with Bubba Sparxxx.

"We Ready" became one of the most popular anthems at football games and other sporting events.

Archie was handpicked by the soccer team Atlanta United in 2018 to write its theme song, "United We Conquer."

Fans have been paying respect to Archie after his passing, including NFL pro Robert Griffin III, who calls his hit song "the greatest Game Day anthem ever." There's locker room video of high school football players singing "We Ready" as inspiration.

The song was so popular, the NFL even used it in an ad.

Archie clearly touched a nerve, because social media is filling up with tributes.

Archie was 37.

RIP

Whether they broke up or not, Jake Paul and Julia Rose are back together in public ... with the couple hitting up an L.A. hotspot on Wednesday.

The rumors of a potential split started swirling last month ... when Jake tweeted "Alexa, play 'I'm Single' by Jake Paul," and Julia removed all references to the boxer from her Instagram.

But, whatever happened is clearly water under the bridge ... as the duo was spotted leaving BOA Steakhouse and getting into an SUV together.

While Jake and Julia weren't saying much after the dinner, the photog congratulated the two on their rekindled romance ... with Jake replying with a short, "ayeee!!"

Of course, Jake and Julia started dating in 2020 and were damn near inseparable -- Julia was always in the Problem Child's corner (literally) and helped him train for multiple fights.

Jake and Julia also posted each other on social media Wednesday ... seemingly confirming their romance is back on.

Jake -- who was at Julia's house when speaking with TMZ Sports this week (peep the posters in the background) -- claimed in a recent interview they never broke up ... saying "that's my girl" and "we were never not together."

Julia's IG activity led folks to believe otherwise ... with the SHAGMAG founder commenting under pics of the boxer with other women, saying it made her feel better about her "decision."

The couple also sparked split rumors in early 2021 ... before coming back stronger than ever.

Olivia Culpo's dad expressed some concern over her latest outfit choice ... causing a full-blown debate amongst the family!

The piece in question is Olivia's denim skirt ... something Pops isn't on board with, even offering up some suggestions as to how to make it more PC. She posted a clip of her dad's comments Wednesday, showing other family members jumping in to support the fashion statement.

She put a poll online after the discussion, asking if the fit was inappropriate ... her fans made it clear -- no way!!!

You'll recall, Olivia's outfit choices got her in trouble back in January ... an American Airlines worker told her she needed to put a blouse on over her outfit in order to board her flight.

After Olivia was forced to wear BF Christian McCaffrey's hoodie, her sister Aurora pointed out another passenger who was wearing a similar top, but wasn't asked to cover up.

Former Auburn quarterback Jeff Klein -- who was the Tigers' starting signal-caller in the 1999 season -- died this week after battling cancer. He was only 42 years old.

Klein's wife, Adrienne, made the sad announcement on Wednesday ... saying he passed away while "surrounded by his loved ones."

"At 2:36 PM this afternoon the love of my life was called home," Adrienne said. "His passing was peaceful and immediately followed the ceasing of life support."

Klein -- who played for Auburn from 1999 to 2001 -- was initially hospitalized last week after suffering serious back pain.

Unfortunately, according to Adrienne and Klein's GoFundMe page, an MRI later revealed spots on his lower back that turned out to be cancerous.

Adrienne said Klein's condition worsened rapidly ... explaining he suffered a stroke and brain bleeding earlier this week, before he ultimately passed on Wednesday.

"The outpouring of love and support from loved ones, friends, acquaintances, health care professionals and even perfect strangers has been an overwhelming blessing," Adrienne said.

"I'm grateful for every single one of you, and every prayer said. Please continue to pray for me, our boys and our families as we attempt to navigate through the heartbreak."

Klein threw for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns during his three seasons with the Tigers -- and recently worked as a teacher, baseball coach and assistant football coach at Loachapoka H.S. in Auburn.

His former Auburn team, meanwhile, tweeted condolences to Klein's family following the tragic news Wednesday.

NBA baller Hassan Whiteside is letting go of his beachfront mansion -- complete with a home theater and rooftop deck -- and it comes with a $23 million price tag.

This pad is amazing -- it sits off the Biscayne Bay in sunny Miami, Florida ... and features 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, a gorgeous backyard pool, sleek kitchen with a gigantic fish tank and floor-to-ceiling windows.

It also comes with a movie theatre, full gym for workouts, a cabana bath, private terrace and a private dock ... as well as a rooftop deck, which is perfect for watching the sunset.

The crib is listed with Joe Azar from Compass for $23 milli -- $7.3 million more than Whiteside paid back in 2016.

The 2-time NBA block leader lived in the beach-style home while he played for the Miami Heat ... before he was traded to the Blazers in 2019.

After short stints with Portland and the Sacramento Kings, Whiteside signed a one-year deal with the Jazz in 2021. He is currently a free agent.

Charlotte Hornets star Miles Bridges was so furious after being ejected from a game Wednesday night -- he angrily chucked his mouthpiece into the stands, accidentally hitting a young girl near her face.

The wild moment happened in the fourth quarter of the Hornets' blowout loss to the Hawks in Atlanta -- just seconds after Bridges was tossed from the contest for arguing about a goaltending call.

The 24-year-old was pissed at the ref for blowing the whistle on him ... and he was so livid, his teammates and coaches had to usher him off the floor before things escalated.

But, as Bridges was on his way back to the locker room, an Atlanta fan appeared to taunt him -- which set the Hornets forward off.

Check out the video from the game's broadcast -- Bridges attempted to launch his mouthguard at the heckler ... but it missed, and hit a girl in the neck area.

The girl did not appear to be injured -- but she was clearly confused and perturbed.

After the game, Bridges calmed down and apologized for it all ... and said during his meeting with reporters that he was hoping to get in contact with the girl and "do something nice for her."

"I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me and it hit a little girl," Bridges said. "So that's definitely unacceptable on my part and I take full responsibility."

"That's out of character for me," he added. "You've been around me -- I don't act like that or ever flash out like that. So, that was definitely wrong, a lot of emotions and hopefully, I can get in contact with the young girl and sincerely apologize to her and do something nice for her, but that's definitely on me."

The NBA is expected to hand down a punishment sooner than later -- and Bridges made it clear, he's going to accept whatever comes his way from league officials.

"I'm ready for any consequence that the NBA gives me," he said.

NBA pro Iman Shumpert and his singer-songwriter wife Teyana Taylor have put their house on the market, and they're angling for a $4 million buyer.

The 5-bed, 6-bath home in Studio City, CA is loaded with cool stuff, including the obligatory pool, movie theater, and even a waterfall. And the big bonus for dog-lovin' buyers ... a custom dog house!

The master bedroom has a massive walk-in closet and a meditation balcony that overlooks the Zen-themed yard.

This isn't the first time Iman and Teyana tried to unload the house -- the couple bought the property in 2018 for just under $3M, listed it for rent and tried to sell it 2 years later for $3.695M. They took it off the market and just relisted it.

We're told they're selling because they spend most of their time on the East Coast so no need for a big place in La La Land.

Sean 'Eitan' Constine of Nourmand and Associates Beverly Hills has the listing.