TMZ Sports - Page 45

"[Jordan Leavitt] doesn't really present any challenges, to be honest, lad. There's levels to this and I'll prove that when I get in there with him and knock him out in the first round."

That's Paddy Pimblett absolutely violating his UFC Fight Night opponent ... flat out saying 27-year-old Leavitt, who has lost just once in his MMA career, doesn't present a single threat to him in the Octagon.

Paddy, 18-3, is fighting Jordan, 10-1, Saturday at the O2 Arena in London ... which happens to be Pimblett's home.

We asked Paddy The Baddy if he felt Leavitt had the advantage anywhere. Anywhere.

"No. I have better wrestling, better jiu-jitsu, better striking. You literally cannot beat me anywhere. People think he has good grappling and he hasn't. He's not very good at all."

Another advantage Paddy may have ... the fight's in Pimblett's backyard.

In fact, the UFC star says he's received "hundreds" of ticket requests from friends and family.

Might there be added pressure fighting at home?

Paddy says no way.

YouTube stars Austin McBroom and AnEsonGib will have to wait a bit longer to duke it out in the ring -- the Social Gloves boxing event has been postponed, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told the fight date has been pushed back to early September due to Gib not being medically cleared to participate over a head injury.

McBroom explained in a video on Friday that if Gib is not cleared for the new date, he will be forced to find a new opponent.

As we previously reported, the whole event -- which also featured NFL stars Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell -- was at risk of being scrapped ... but thankfully, the organizers were able to come up with a solution and hopefully salvage things.

The original date was slated for July 30 ... but now, fans will have to wait a few more weeks.

Rapper Blueface and ex-NBA hooper Nick Young are also part of the event ... and we're told all the fights are still set to go down.

"I’m sorry to my fans for the postponement of this event," McBroom said in a statement. "I’ve been training very hard for the last two months and look forward to getting back in the ring soon."

The first Social Gloves event didn't go without issue either ... as it took several months for all fighters to get paid.

Vince McMahon -- the longtime chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment -- is retiring from his role with the company, he announced Friday.

"As I approach 77 years old, I feel it's time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE," McMahon said in a statement.

"Throughout the years, it's been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you."

"I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand."

Vince bought the company from his father, Vincent J. McMahon in 1982 ... and has been the face of the brand ever since.

Vince was responsible for the "Attitude Era" in the 1990s, which turned professional wrestling into a mainstream phenomenon ... and helped Superstars like The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Chyna and more become household names.

The billionaire is also the mastermind behind WrestleMania ... which just had its 38th installment this past April.

McMahon bought WWE's biggest competitor, World Championship Wrestling, in 2001 ... making his company the most dominant organization in the sport.

"Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment," he added. "I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment."

Vince recently stepped away from his role as chairman and CEO ... amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. His daughter, Stephanie, was named interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

The investigation comes after a report claiming McMahon allegedly agreed to pay $12 million in "hush money" to 4 different women over a 16-year time period ... so they would not discuss their relationships with him.

McMahon appeared on "WWE SmackDown!" shortly after he voluntarily stepped down ... and made a speech that felt like a goodbye message to fans.

Story developing ...

Patrick Mahomes is getting inky ... the Kansas City Chiefs superstar just unveiled a giant new tattoo on his left leg -- and he hinted that it's only the beginning of an even bigger piece.

Mahomes showed off the body art on his social media page Friday afternoon ... revealing he got three separate tats put together just above his ankle recently.

One of the drawings appears to be the footprint and handprint of his baby daughter, Sterling. The others feature a rose and a religious symbol.

"Work in progress," Mahomes said in the caption of the artwork.

The 26-year-old quarterback made sure to rock shorts to Chiefs training camp on Friday so everyone could get a good look at the new-and-improved leg.

Shaq hit the road in a bright yellow bus, driving straight to a Papa John's restaurant ... to talk with team members about how they can get a free degree.

A rep for Papa John's tells TMZ ... Shaq, who's a board member and franchisee owner, drove around ATL in a customized school bus Friday, heading to a restaurant in the area to talk about the company's education offer.

He chatted with team members about the importance of continuing their college education -- he's even inviting them to earn a degree, with all tuition and fees paid by Papa John's through the Dough & Degrees program.

The program makes it possible for Papa John's team members to go to school at no cost -- tuition, books and fees are completely covered. While other programs will reimburse students, the company is making sure they take care of the costs upfront.

It covers degrees from Associates to Masters ... over 60 team members have graduated debt-free in a variety of fields since the program Dough & Degrees launched in 2019.

Shaq's no stranger to Papa John's or Atlanta -- he invested in 9 local restaurants a few years back, looking to simply give back to the community.

Bianca Belair has high praise for Logan Paul ... telling TMZ Sports the newly signed Superstar is such a "natural," he could become WWE champ one day!

We spoke with the Raw Women's Champion in NYC on Friday ... and asked about the potential of the social media star and boxer turned professional wrestler.

"I can see it," said Belair, who's no stranger to capturing WWE gold. "Anything can happen in WWE. [Logan's] proven himself time and time again in the ring, so I'm excited to see what he does."

Bianca raved about how Logan, who made his in-ring debut in a tag-team match with The Miz against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 this past April, is a fast learner who knows how to connect with the WWE universe.

"I think he’s a natural," 33-year-old Belair said. "I think that he thrives being in front of the camera. [He] Thrives being in front of the audience."

"And so, being in WWE, it's none like none other, so you have to be a special type of person to thrive in it."

"And he's doing that," she added.

Bianca also defended The Rock's daughter, Simone, who recently made her wrestling debut using the name Ava Raine -- a name some fans aren't too fond of.

"I love the name."

"I love the name, Ava. I’m excited for her. I was in NXT a little bit when she first came, and I've always been excited for her debut."

DeAndre Hopkins is doing his part to help the people of Arizona stay cool during a devastating heat wave ... by walking the streets hand-delivering bottles of ice-cold water.

The Cardinals wideout left the comfort of his air-conditioned mansion and stepped into the scorching 117-degree temps ... hitting up his friends to load a pickup truck bed with bags of ice and water so they could drive around the city to hand out water.

The 30-year-old shared the amazing gesture on his TikTok ... saying, "We decided to spend the day giving cold water to the people struggling to find housing."

"You can't always solve the whole problem, but you can show people kindness."

In the vid, you can see the 5-time Pro Bowler walking up to people on the streets and sidewalks with bottles of water and even taking time out to have a little conversation with them.

"I've been through hard times myself and I still remember how much things like this helped," Hopkins said. "So look out for each other and help however you can."

"Stay safe out there Arizona."

Hopkins -- who was traded from the Texans to the Cardinals in 2020 -- told us last year he wanted to expand his charity work in Arizona after leaving Houston.

Terrifying scene out on the open waters near Florida on Sunday ... a shark bit off a fisherman's finger -- and, WARNING, video of the incident is graphic.

The attack went down in the Content Keys -- just a few miles south of Miami -- when Brett Reeder was attempting to corral a 6-foot lemon shark that he had just hooked.

As Reeder went down to grab the beast and get his tool out of the fish's gills -- it suddenly turned and chomped down on his hand.

You can see in video of the bite -- which, again, is VERY graphic -- blood spilled everywhere ... 'causing Reeder to yell out, "F***! I lost my goddamn pinky! F***!"

Brett, according to a follow-up video posted by his wife, Mandy, had to drive the boat all the way back to shore following the bite -- while bleeding profusely.

Brett eventually made it back to land, and was immediately airlifted to the hospital. He underwent surgery upon arrival.

It's unclear if docs were able to save Brett's pinky in the operation -- the fisherman said in Thursday's follow-up video they'll find out the official results of the surgery later this week.

Nick Chubb is not human ... the Browns running back continues to prove why he's one of the toughest backs in the NFL to take down, squatting 610 pounds while jamming out to Meek Mill and Tory Lanez!

The 26-year-old hit up the Williams Strength Facility at Cedartown High School in Georgia ... where he stole the show with his incredible feat of strength.

In the video, Chubb settles under the tsunami bar -- which appears to have 7-45 lb. plates on each side (14 total) -- assumes the squat position, and gets to work.

Chubb was able to complete 2 full reps of the 600-plus lb. bar ... and while he was flanked by spotters to his left, right and rear, there was no doubt Nick was finishing the lift.

As you probably know, Nick's a beast in the weight room. In May, his brother Zack posted footage of him squatting nearly 700 lbs. And, he didn't only lift it, he did it with pretty good form, considering the load.

In control the entire time, Nick handled the 675 pounds bar with relative ease ... as people cheered him on.

The NFL season's fast approaching, and it seems the 3x 1,000-yard rusher is ready for another Pro Bowl season.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett put it ALL on display at weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night ... droppin' trou and showing the whole crowd his bum as he called out fat-shamers!!

The lightweight contender is known for his fluctuating weight in between fights ... but when the time comes to hit the scale, he's always in incredible shape.

Despite getting absolutely shredded for his fights, Pimblett has been criticized by fans on social media ... and on Friday, he clearly got fed up with the haters.

"Everyone who tried to fat shame me or said I would miss weight or f***ing pull out -- kiss me ass," Pimblett said as he showed off his left cheek after weighing in at 156 pounds.

The crowd seemingly laughed it off ... which isn't surprising, given Paddy's fun spirit.

18-3 Pimblett is a rising star in the UFC ... and is facing off against 10-1 Jordan Leavitt in London on Saturday.

MarJon Beauchamp is a man of his word -- the Milwaukee Bucks rookie promised his mom a house when he made it to the NBA ... and this week, he did just that!!

The 21-year-old made the big reveal in a touching video ... by having his mom, Denise, stand out in the driveway as he came out of the garage with a bunch of balloons in his hand.

"Congratulations," family and friends yelled ... and when Denise realized she was standing in her OWN driveway, the tears started pouring out.

"Are you serious?" Denise cried and gave her son a big hug.

Moments like this are priceless and Beauchamp actually tweeted this would happen in April -- two months before the 6'6" guard became the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

He also just signed his rookie contract with the Bucks a few weeks ago -- a 4-year deal worth over $12 million!!

"God ...You work in mysterious ways," Beauchamp said in his IG post, "This been a dream of mine ... Take my mom out the hood. Been living in apartments all my life"

"To give my mom @denisepleasant her first house ever.. I'm lost of words ... I love you mom❤️ you deserve it."

Aaron Donald asked to be ringed following his Super Bowl-winning sack in February ... and on Thursday, the Rams sure as hell delivered him what he requested -- unveiling some insane bling for the championship victory!!

Nearly six months after L.A. beat Cincinnati to take home the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVI -- the Rams finally got their rings ... and they're flashy!!!

The ice features one Lombardi Trophy, two palm trees and a GRIP of diamonds. Underneath the removable top, there's a replica of SoFi Stadium, with a piece of a Super Bowl game ball tucked into it.

The team touted the bling as the "most carat weight in history of a sports championship ring."

The rings also have the players' names and numbers on them ... and feature the team's rallying cry this year, "We not me."

Rams players and coaches received the keepsakes at a private ceremony in L.A. on Thursday night -- and it ain't hard to see the guys LOVED them.

And, yes, Donald did come full circle with his "ring me" celebration at the party.

Billie Eilish had quite the day at the ballpark on Thursday ... she laughed, she snacked -- and then she turned the game into her own personal dance party!!!

The "Ocean Eyes" singer hit up the Dodgers vs. Giants game in L.A. with her family to celebrate the release of two new songs earlier in the afternoon ... and it ain't hard to see she had a blast at the stadium.

Wearing a Dodgers jersey (no name or number on the back), Eilish picked up a Cody Bellinger bobblehead, posed for pics with fans and enjoyed all the other sights, sounds and food at the venue.

But, at one point during the game, she got the stadium really jumpin' ... because when the PA system began blaring "Bad Guy" -- she danced her face off, and it was all captured on the jumbotron!!

Eilish -- alongside her brother, Finneas -- ended up staying for the whole game ... and caught quite the finish, as Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Dodgers a 9-6 win over their hated rival.

A familiar foe is coming for Floyd Mayweather, but it's not Logan Paul or Conor McGregor -- PETA is going scorched-earth on the boxing legend over the $18,000 mink car seat he got for his grandson ... calling it a "monstrosity."

TMZ Sports broke the story -- TBE recently had a one-of-a-kind car seat installed into his 2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan ... which was made with real fur and customized for baby Kentrell Jr., the son of Yaya Mayweather and NBA Youngboy.

The folks at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were pissed to find out about the purchase ... ripping into Floyd's decision-making and bringing up the time he was arrested for domestic violence in 2010 in the process.

"Did Floyd Mayweather, who has a history of assault and battery of defenseless victims, really seek to update it by supporting an industry that throttles animals to death in addition to poisoning and electrocuting them?" PETA said in a statement.

"This man is hardly a role model for compassion and understanding, but to try to make cruelty look attractive to a child could earn him a medal for corrupting the natural kindness of a minor."

The two sides have been enemies for years -- in 2012, the org. went after Floyd for making comments comparing his training to dogfighting ... to which he replied, "s***, I don't give a f***, 'cause I wear mink coats. I'm gonna wear chinchilla, and I'm gonna rock mink coats."

Despite their history, PETA is offering to fix its issue with Floyd.

"PETA is calling on Mayweather to take a jab at teaching kindness, not cruelty, by replacing this monstrosity with faux fur, as most designers, department stores, and consumers have -- and PETA would be happy to provide it."

Bo Jackson's heart is clearly as big as his muscles ... the two-sport legend just revealed he donated to Uvalde shortly after May's horrific shooting, helping pay for the victims' funerals.

The former NFL and MLB player told The Associated Press on Wednesday he felt the need to lend a helping hand after having been to the city multiple times throughout his years of traveling through west Texas.

"It’s just not right for parents to bury their kids. It’s just not right," said Jackson, whose donation had previously been made anonymously.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson told the AP he and a close friend quietly flew to Uvalde three days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary ... and gave a $170,000 check to Gov. Greg Abbott, and offered then to pay for the funeral expenses.

"In a truly selfless act," Abbott said. "Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims’ families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Added Jackson, "Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name."

Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur, has a fashion line called SS2 ... and now, TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a MASSIVE diamond pendant to commemorate the brand!!

Shedeur -- who quarterbacks Deion's Jackson State football team -- turned to Saki Diamonds to create the piece ... and, as you can see, it turned out amazing.

Saki tells us the new pendant features 28.2 carats of VVS diamonds -- and looks just like Shedeur's SS2 trademark.

The Bussdown Cuban link chain also comes heavy, boasting a whopping 43.5 carats of VVS diamonds.

"It's a HUGE piece!" Saki said. "Most pro athletes or people in the music industry don't have a piece like this."

The sophomore signal-caller got it all delivered to him Wednesday night ... just in time for Thursday's SWAC Media Day.

No word on what Shedeur paid for the piece ... but the QB -- who balled out in 2021 with 3,231 passing yards and 30 touchdowns -- signed a NIL deal with Gatorade recently (becoming the first-ever HBCU student-athlete to do so), and we're sure it came with enough coin to spend freely on the bling.