TMZ Sports - Page 50

Julianna Peña beat the greatest female fighter to ever grace an MMA cage ... but the UFC champion tells TMZ Sports she still feels like the underdog against Amanda Nunes -- and that's why she's planning on proving she truly is the baddest woman on the planet.

"Everyone thinks it's a fluke, There's a ton of naysayers out there and negative people that think I just fell out of the blue sky and just ended up winning on that night because she hurt her knee or whatever," Peña says.

"The reality is that I won that fight fair and square and if you don't believe me, then you're gonna have to watch me do it again the second time and then maybe you guys will quit doubting me."

Peña says this is a fight she didn't have to take.

"I could've rode off into the sunset and fought somebody else."

Of course, Julianna beat Amanda by submission in the 2nd round of their UFC 269 fight in December 2021.

But, Julianna -- who has an immense amount of respect for Amanda -- believes a champ ain't a champ until they've defended the strap.

"I still feel like a contender. I still feel like there's a target on my back and I still feel like there's more work to be done. I'm not content with just 'oh you got the belt.' No! You're not a champ until you defend it and until you solidify that this is my belt."

"So for me, I'm waking up every morning thinking I still haven't hit my goal. I still haven't hit my goal yet and so as long as I can keep that mindset of just grinding, staying humble and just nose to the grindstone and just putting in that work, then I'll be able to confidently say, 'Yeah, maybe I got a leg up on her,' but right now I absolutely do not. I still have work to be done."

Before the rematch (the date isn't yet set -- more on that after), Julianna and Amanda are serving as coaches The Ultimate Fighter 30 ... which premiers Tuesday night.

FYI, Peña won season 18 of the show.

As for the date for the rematch, Julianna says she wouldn't mind fighting on the same card as Jon Jones ... who could be fighting Stipe Miocic this fall.

"We're still working on it," Peña tells us, "I don't have a date but I saw that Jon [Jones] wants to come back in September and I thought that would be a great card to jump on."

Prior to the L, Nunes hadn't lost since 2014 ... a span where she won 12 fights in a row, beating the who's who of MMA, including Valentina Shevchenko (two times), Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg.

So, beating Amanda once is insane ... let alone twice.

Former Indianapolis Colts star Cato June says his young son was taunted with racist chants while he was pitching during a youth baseball game on Sunday ... and the ex-linebacker says he's "crushed" over it all.

June explained the awful situation on his Twitter page on Monday ... saying that while his kid, Cato Jr., was on the mound -- players from the opposing team aimed "monkey chants" his way.

"I am here in Indy and they are in Texas so my wife called me during the inning going off," said June, who's now an assistant coach on the Colts' staff. "I am crushed they were subjected to just plain old hate."

June said the incident happened during a game featuring kids 14 years old and younger.

June said his son handled it all "with more class than I ever could have" ... but he added it still stung the teenager.

"Hate is taught and the fact that people are poisoning young minds further infuriated me," the 42-year-old former Super Bowl champion said ... "He said he felt alone out there as the only black kid playing and only his mom there to have his back."

"I told him that you are never alone because God has us covered! All praise to the most high."

We've reached out to the team accused of making the chants for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

A Boston dad was arrested by police after he allegedly whipped out a gun at his son's AAU basketball game over the weekend in Massachusetts -- sending people running in a panic -- and is now facing some serious charges, TMZ Sports has learned.

The incident occurred around 3 PM on Sunday, May 1 ... law enforcement authorities tell us they responded to The Mill Works facility located in Westford, MA "for a disturbance," and a report of a man with a firearm.

Once officers arrived on scene, witnesses reported to police that a man who brandished a firearm had fled the scene, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.

Fortunately, witnesses were able to give officers a description of the vehicle the suspect was driving ... and police eventually arrested 34-year-old Jose Mow of Boston, MA in connection with the crimes.

Police say they located the firearm in a diaper bag inside the vehicle Mow was operating.

Mow was hit with 6 charges: Firearm, Carry Without License Ammunition, Possession of Firearm, Store Improperly, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon Public Assembly, Disturbance, and License, Operating After Revocation.

Video footage of the (alleged) horrifying incident was shared on social media ... with kids and parents screaming and running around frantically as they presumably feared for their lives.

We reached out to The Mill Works Sports facility ... and, thankfully, they told us no one was hurt or injured and that all patrons/customers were evacuated to safety in a timely fashion.

"Millworks Sports Facility has emergency protocols in place for mass exodus incidents that are regularly reviewed with employees," they said. "Our number one goal is providing a safe and welcoming environment for all our customers.

"We are pleased that our staff did a tremendous job in assisting our spectators and athletes out of the building during this stressful time for all."

The DA's office says Mow, who was attending a basketball tourney at the facility where his son was playing, allegedly got into an altercation with a parent from the opposing team -- a 48-year-old man from New York.

During the altercation, Mow allegedly brandished the firearm at the other parent ... causing attendees to flee the facility.

“This was a frightening and potentially dangerous situation that has no place in youth sports,” said District Attorney Ryan. “We have put a focus in Middlesex County on building a culture of safe and respectful behavior on the sidelines at these types of events, and that is not what occurred yesterday.

"These types of altercations among adults are unacceptable and can have lasting impacts on our young people.”

Chief of Westford PD Mark Chambers added, “We are very thankful for all the witnesses that came forward to lead to a quick identification of the parties involved, which resulted in the arrest and seizure of the firearm. Additionally, we are extremely fortunate that there were no serious injuries as a result of this incident."

Mow was arraigned this morning in a Massachusetts courtroom earlier today ... where the judge ordered he remains in jail until he posts the $1,000.

Didn't get a good look at Tom Brady's bod in his last thirst trap social media post? Good news -- here's another one!!!

TB12 showed off his bare arms in a flexing pic from the set of his new "80 For Brady" movie on Monday -- and, the dude is clearly still looking great at 44 years old.

The future Hall of Famer posted the pic to his IG ... captioning the photo, "The exact moment Tom Brady 'went Hollywoood' on the 80 For Brady set."

Tom shouted out Dwayne Johnson in the post -- joking that his arms looked so jacked, he could be The Rock's stunt double!!

"I'm free until August if you need help with any stunts in the meantime," Brady said with a crying emoji.

Tom's all smiles -- but his body is seriously no joke ... this is the second time he's posted himself showing a lot of skin in the last month, and his frame is looking as good as ever.

Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins will miss a huge chunk of the 2022 season ... the NFL has suspended the wide receiver after it says he violated the league's PED policy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter just reported the news ... saying Hopkins has been banned for the first six games of the upcoming season.

It's unclear what Hopkins did exactly to violate the NFL's rules.

Hopkins did appeal the suspension, according to Ari Meirov, but withdrew it ... meaning the league's ban is now final.

It's a big blow for the Cards -- because when he's been on the field for Arizona, Hopkins has been a superstar.

Since being traded to the team in 2020, Hopkins has logged 1,979 receiving yards and 14 TDs on 157 catches in just 26 games.

But, Hopkins did miss 7 games last year -- including the team's playoff game against the L.A. Rams -- due to knee and hamstring injuries.

Huge break for Adrian Peterson ... TMZ Sports has learned the future Hall of Famer will not face charges in his domestic violence case.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Peterson had a City Attorney hearing in Los Angeles on April 29 -- but the former Minnesota Vikings running back and prosecutors met beforehand to resolve the matter.

We're told prosecutors declined to criminally charge Peterson ... and Adrian agreed to complete 20 sessions of domestic violence and alcohol counseling within the next 6 months.

It's a huge deal for A.P. -- because, as we previously reported, he could have been hit with misdemeanor charges for his alleged role in an altercation on a plane with his wife on Super Bowl Sunday back in February.

You'll recall, Peterson was thrown in jail after cops say Ashley Brown Peterson sustained a small mark on her hand following the alleged incident.

Peterson had denied ever getting physical with her -- saying, "We just had a disagreement."

The L.A. County District Attorney's Office declined to charge the 36-year-old with a felony just days after the arrest ... but kicked the case over to the L.A. City Attorney for possible misdemeanor charges.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of Colby Covington's face following his alleged March altercation with Jorge Masvidal ... and in one of the photos, you can see the UFC star's front tooth is clearly broken.

The pics were taken a short time after Covington alleged Masvidal punched him in the head and mouth area on March 21 outside of a restaurant in Miami.

In the photos, Covington's right cheek appears to be red ... while his front left tooth is obviously fractured.

The pictures were included as exhibits in docs filed by Masvidal's attorney, Bradford Cohen, on Monday.

"Interestingly," Cohen wrote of the pictures in the docs, "the images do not demonstrate an injury aside from a small chip in [Covington's] fake tooth."

In the docs, Cohen is asking the judge to order Covington to take independent medical exams to determine the extent of the alleged "brain injury" that Colby said he suffered in the incident with Masvidal.

Cohen also asked the court in further documents filed on Monday to have Colby's Rolex watch inspected.

Cohen claims the timepiece that Covington said Masvidal damaged in the alleged attack is actually a "FOLEX." Cohen says there are doubts that it's worth anywhere remotely near $95,000 ... and he's asking the court to issue an order that would allow them to inspect the watch.

He also said pictures of the watch taken after the alleged incident with Masvidal show "simple wear-and-tear scratches."

As we reported, Masvidal has been hit with two felony charges following Covington's allegations -- one count of aggravated battery and one count of criminal mischief.

FIFA just hit Senegal with a $180,000 fine (175,000 Swiss Francs) ... after fans of the soccer federation shined lasers at Egypt's Mohamed Salah during a World Cup qualifying game last month.

It all went down when Egypt was taking on Senegal in a crucially important game in April. The game, tied after regulation, went to penalty kicks to determine who would advance.

Salah, one of Egypt's star players, as well other members of the club, had green lasers repeatedly and intentionally shined in their eyes/face as the team attempted their penalty kicks.

As a result, Salah and his teammates missed their penalty kicks, and Senegal won the match, 1-0 (3-1 PK), advancing to the next round.

Of course, spectators can't bring lasers to soccer matches, as they pose a danger to the public safety of the fans and athletes on the field.

However, that didn't deter fans -- seeking a competitive advantage for their respective soccer club. Now, FIFA officials have lowered the financial boom as a result of the fans' actions.

"As stated in the FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations, laser pointers are considered prohibited items by FIFA and confiscated when the spectators are checked at the outer stadium perimeter," FIFA said after the incident.

"When incidents happen within the applicable scope of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, disciplinary measures may be taken based on article 16, paragraph 2,” which says teams are liable for inappropriate behavior from their fans."

As for how FIFA came up with the punishment for Senegal, the governing body said its disciplinary panel compared it to other cases from WC qualifying games where similar incidents happened.

Senegal must also play a future game in a stadium with no fans.

Floyd Mayweather may be retired from boxing professionally, but he isn't done making money ... in fact, "Money" says he plans to continue making bank into his 90s just like Warren Buffet.

The 45-year-old undefeated boxer posted a sweet video of his young grandson watching "grandpa" train. Floyd wrote the caption of his post to the young boy, and offered him some wise words.

"Grandson, I’m very thankful for your great Granddad teaching me the sweet science of boxing, to hit and not get hit. I believe in working smarter, not harder. I retired from the sport undefeated with all my accolades and on my own terms," Floyd wrote.

"Even in retirement, I’m still able to milk the game of boxing, continuing to make 8 figures or more. I will continue to do exhibition bouts making tons of money and people from all around the world will continue to pay because my hustle is just different."

FYI, Floyd's referring to his dad, Floyd Mayweather Sr., when he says "great Granddad"... a former fighter turned trainer who coached Floyd as he became the world's best and most popular boxer.

Then, Floyd made it clear ... just because he's done fighting professionally, that doesn't mean he's done making money.

"I will continue to do exhibition bouts making tons of money and people from all around the world will continue to pay because my hustle is just different. If Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and the Waltons continue making money in their 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, then I’m not retiring from making money and I’m younger than all of them."

Of course, Elon, Bill, Jeff, and Warren are 5 of the richest people in the world ... and are all at least 50 years old.

Here's a breakdown of age and money (according to Forbes).

Musk, 50, is the world's richest (known) man ... and has a current net worth of $251 billion.

Bezos, 58, is the third wealthiest person on Earth ... amassing a fortune worth nearly $148 billion.

Gates, 66, is right behind the Amazon founder (BG's 4th wealthiest) ... he's worth $130 billion.

Buffett, 91, is the oldest person Floyd named ... but the 6th wealthiest person hasn't slowed down. The "Wizard of Omaha" is still the Chairman and CEO of his massive holding company, Berkshire Hathaway. Warren is worth $117 billion.

Now, Floyd's wealthy (he once made over $300 million for 30 minutes of work -- see Conor McGregor fight), but not that wealthy, yet.

Horrifying scene at a youth flag football event in Virginia on Sunday ... two people were hit by bullets after an argument broke out on the sidelines in the middle of a game.

Prince Williams County Police confirmed to TMZ Sports that they were dispatched to Benton Middle School in Manassas on Sunday after receiving a call about gunfire at around 10:15 a.m.

When officers arrived, PWCPD says they found two men had been shot while a youth flag football game was taking place.

Dean Ladson -- who's part of the 703 United Youth Football team -- captured PWCPD carrying out one of the shooting victims ... and later told FOX 5 that it all appeared to start after people got into a verbal altercation at the game.

"The guy standing maybe closer than you and I pulls out a gun," Ladson said, "he shoots the other gentleman, then he takes off running up the hill."

Ladson says his 11-year-old son was there when the terrifying incident happened ... but he -- and all the other children at the game -- are thankfully safe and sound.

"He's fine," Ladson said. "He made a statement to my wife, she asked how he was doing and he said he's just glad to be alive. That's harsh for an 11-year-old to have to say."

PWCPD says the two shooting victims are expected to survive.

Police added that they have not yet apprehended the shooter ... telling us they're still on the hunt for a suspect described as a "black male, with a medium complexion, between 5’6”-5’10” and a thin build." Anyone with information is asked to call PWCPD at 703-792-7000.

Another parent, Amanda Proch, made a comment on the PWCPD Facebook page about the shooting -- and thanked law enforcement for their service.

"Thank you PWC Police Department for your quick actions! My kids were at that game and I am blessed to say they are safe," Proch said.

The James Madison Univ. softball team will not play another game this season ... the school announced it's canceled all of its remaining contests in the wake of Lauren Bernett's tragic death.

"This was an extremely difficult decision and one that was not made lightly," JMU head coach Loren LaPorte said in a statement Monday morning.

"We are so grateful for the support of our fans all season and for the love from the softball community during the past week. We will use this time to continue healing and to honor Lauren's memory while finishing the academic semester strong."

JMU had four games remaining on its schedule ... one against Virginia on Tuesday and three against Elon slated for this weekend. The school had previously canceled games against Longwood and Delaware after learning of Bernett's death.

"We're thinking about our graduating seniors whose careers have come to an abrupt conclusion," LaPorte said. "We will make sure that they are honored for the commitment and dedication they have made as student-athletes at James Madison University."

As we reported, Bernett -- who had just won Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors for her roles in games in mid-April -- died by suicide last week. She was just 20 years old.

Whoops!!!

A Guardians fan hilariously spilled his beer on a woman sitting next to him after he whiffed on trying to catch a foul ball coming his way ... and the epic fail was all caught on video!

The funny moment happened during the Guardians game against the A's on Saturday ... when a fan tried to make the play of the day -- and got nothing instead.

You can see in video from the stadium, the foul ball was coming the guy's way, and he tried his best to snag it using only his left hand, but he bobbled it ... and then, disaster hit.

The Cleveland fan's drink went flying as he jumped into the air to try to nab the baseball ... and it spilled all over the woman's face and her food.

It's unclear if the woman, who was also a Guardians fan, had any relation to the guy who doused her in beer ... but she didn't seem TOO upset at the guy over it all, laughing and smiling at the blunder.

History was made in the Tennessee vs. Auburn college baseball game on Sunday ... a pitcher threw a ball that was clocked at a staggering 105.5 MPH!!!

The ridiculous heater was thrown by Ben Joyce in the seventh inning of the Vols' tilt with the Tigers in Knoxville ... and check out video of the pitch -- the ball was an absolute blur as it reached home plate!

According to baseball historians, it's the fastest a pitch has ever traveled in a college game.

Of course, the throw shouldn't surprise too many ... Joyce has been lighting up radar guns all year -- constantly hitting 103 and 104 MPH.

But, still, you can hear in the broadcast footage of the pitch -- fans in the stands let out audible gasps as the 105.5 flashed on the stadium's radar gun.

Joyce, a redshirt junior, used the crazy fastball to throw four innings of 1-hit ball on Sunday ... securing the win for the Vols while striking out six Tigers batters.

Shaquille O'Neal is looking to fuel his 7'1", 320-pound body with NO meat -- the NBA legend says he's TRYING his best to go vegan!!

Shaq opened up about his health ambitions with comedian Rip Micheals at Slutty Vegan in Atlanta ... where he explained on the "Urban Eats and Treats" show how he's able to eat his favorite foods and still look out for his body at the same time.

"My friend introduced me to this place and it's healthy," the Big Aristotle said in the clip. "For example, I like cheeseburgers, right. But the way she cooks it, I can eat healthy, but still feel like I'm eating bad."

O'Neal -- who played over 20 years in the NBA -- says the "Slutty Vegan" joint in Atlanta allows him to eat his favorite foods without the guilt.

"Whenever I want to cheat, I come over here and cheat," Shaq added.

FYI -- 'Urban Eats & Treats' is a new food and travel series from Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Studios ... where Micheals and his celebrity friends search for the best food and laughs in their respective cities.

Some of the show's featured guests include Shaq, DJ Envy, Bill Bellamy, Nick Cannon, Russell Peters, Deon Cole, Tamar Braxton and more.

The big fella says his healthy diet would usually consist of chicken salad, steak, and fish ... but now that he's trying to make changes, the S.V. restaurant helps him feel like he's pigging out.

Of course, Shaq is involved with multiple businesses as an owner -- Papa John's, Auntie Anne's, and Krispy Kreme to name a few ... but surprisingly, he says he doesn't go there for his junk food.

Floyd Mayweather helped a guy turn in his back into the biggest yearbook signature page ever -- etching his name right into his skin ... just one more out of hundreds already there.

The boxing great was on hand Saturday for The Parlor Games Celebrity Basketball Classic (presented by Celebrity Sports Entertainment), where he was one of many celebs in Vegas for star-studded game on the court.

At one point, though, it appears he was approached by social media influencer Funky Matas -- who's kinda famous for all the writing on his body ... specifically, his entire back.

Stars like Will Smith, Gerard Butler, Steve-O, Michael J. Fox, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Rock, Usain Bolt, Tara Reid, Mike Tyson, Tony Hawk, Rob Schneider, Travis Barker and even the guy who voiced SpongeBob SquarePants ... just to name a few.

All in all, he's got upwards of 300 signatures -- yes, he's world record holder -- and now ... Floyd's in the pantheon too. Dude did seem a little hesitant though, and we can't blame him.

Prince Harry might be far across the pond, but he's still a Brit -- just look at him galloping with a stick in hand as he tries to whack a ball ... all the way over here in sunny California!

The Duke of Sussex got his polo on Friday during a match at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquets Club, where we're told he played on a team called Los Padres (the green jerseys, it seems) alongside a pal of his ... and apparently this happened last minute.

In any case, Hare clearly needed to stretch it out before getting on the horse to ride -- and he did exactly that ... with some mid-level squats, and extra effort to work out his glutes.

Of course ... his wife, Meghan Markle, was also there to watch her prince do his thing -- and once Harry was on the field ... it appears he saw some serious action. The dude's been playing a long time, BTW, dating back to his youth ... so the sport comes naturally.

This has gotta make him feel right at home ... which is nice, since he's sorta keeping London at arm's length at the moment -- this following his brief visit recently to see meemaw.

He told Hoda Kotb not too long ago that he misses his family ... but dodged the follow-up when his brother and father were specifically brought up -- alluding to the ongoing rift.