TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC fighter Jeff Molina is opening up on his sexuality after a video showing him performing a sex act on another man was leaked to social media this week ... saying he was stripped of the opportunity to announce he is bisexual the way he wanted.

The 25-year-old shared an emotional statement to Twitter on Friday ... saying, "Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me."

"I've tried to keep my dating life private from social media," Molina continued. "I've dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school being on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC."

"The thought of my buddies, teammates and ppl I look up to looking at me different let alone treating me different for something I can't control was something I couldn't fathom."

Molina -- 11-2 so far in his career and 3-0 in UFC -- has previously shown support for the LGBTQ+ community ... wearing the Pride Month shorts for his fight in June 2022.

Molina -- who's currently suspended for his alleged role in a betting scheme -- said he was not planning to come out during his career ... adding he wanted to be known for his skills rather than being the "'bi UFC fighter' that I'm sure would just be translated to 'gay UFC fighter.'"

Molina's announcement makes him the first openly LGBTQ+ male member of the UFC.

"At the end of the day I know my character, morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I'm getting hated/s****** on I'm getting an equal amount of support & it means a f*** ton."

A hilarious moment went down during the NCAA tournament on Friday ... when Baylor men's basketball player Dale Bonner was checking into the game against UC Santa Barbara -- but his jersey was inside out!!

The wardrobe malfunction happened Friday at the Ball Arena in Denver ... where the Bears were playing the Gauchos in the first round of the tourney. Bonner was set to sub in for one of his teammates in the first half of the matchup -- but, unfortunately, his BAYLOR jersey looked more like ROLYAB.

Bonner initially didn't notice the mistake ... as referees had to delay the game to tell him that he was rocking his jersey on the wrong side.

Bonner quickly corrected himself and got the jersey on correctly ... as everyone on the court stood around and waited for him to get it together.

The commentators referenced the gaffe during the broadcast ... attributing the mishap to possible March Madness jitters.

The tourney is known for its wild moments ... but no one could've predicted this one.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin may be the most beloved wrestler of all time ... and look no further why. The WWE legend showed up to a SoCal brewery and hooked up the patrons in a packed bar with free beers to commemorate "Austin 3:16 day!"

Austin hit up El Segundo Brewing Company in Los Angeles County ... where bar employees doled out cold beers left and right to fans who came to celebrate the WWE holiday.

Check it out ... Stone Cold was behind the bar, assisting bartenders as they poured beers, toasting fans as his signature theme music was blaring in the background.

And, they weren't handing out just any ol' beers ... the brewery serves his own signature "Broken Skull IPA." After everyone was served, Austin was naturally thirsty himself, so he chugged a pint glass, too.

Of course, the "Austin 3:16" tagline came to be after Steve defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts to win the "King of the Ring" tournament in 1996.

After his match, Steve mocked Roberts' Bible-preacher gimmick ... saying, "You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere!"

"Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16 ... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"

The promo was a defining moment in his career, and the Texas Rattlesnake became one of the most popular faces of WWE's "Attitude Era," widely considered one of the best times in sports entertainment history.

Travis Scott's skills as a fashion innovator are coming under fire by Dennis Rodman ... who's accusing the superstar rapper of copying the look of his signature sneakers.

Dennis went after Travis at Got Sole's recent sneaker convention in Chicago as the NBA champ pointed out his high-top kicks originated the reverse Nike Swoosh logo before Travis' model hit the market.

The Worm's Nike Air Darwin shoe dropped in 1994, shortly before his days of playing with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Travis and Jordan Brand connected for his popular mocha-colored AJ1 Retro High OG sneakers in 2019.

Dennis didn't seem to be a fan of Travis' shoe, and said he just wants his credit for putting out the design first.

Joe Mixon's sister turned herself in to authorities on Thursday after she was charged for her alleged role in a shooting at the NFL star's home earlier this month ... and on Friday, she pleaded not guilty to all counts -- TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Shalonda Mixon, the 34-year-old sibling of the Cincinnati Bengals running back, was booked into Hamilton County Jail at 6:54 PM Thursday ... and spent the night behind bars, records show.

A Hamilton County court official tells us she had an arraignment hearing on Friday morning, where she pleaded not guilty to one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstruction of justice.

Her bond, the court official said, was then set at $5,000.

Prosecutors have accused Shalonda Mixon of attempting to cover up a shooting that happened at Joe Mixon's house in the Cincinnati area on March 6.

According to prosecutors, Shalonda Mixon's boyfriend, Lamonte Brewer, shot at a teenager who was playing with a toy Nerf gun near the football player's backyard -- striking him once in the foot.

Shalonda Mixon then allegedly tried to scoop up the shell casings, before fleeing the scene with Brewer in a car. Prosecutors say she's facing up to four years behind bars if convicted.

Brewer has also been charged in connection with the shooting -- he was indicted for, among other charges, felony assault on Thursday -- and is facing up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.

His season might be over, but New York Mets star closer Edwin Díaz was still in great spirits in his hospital room on Thursday ... updating his fans and thanking them for their support after undergoing surgery on his right knee.

Díaz's wife, Nashaly, shared a snapshot of the pitcher on Instagram ... showing him throwing up a peace sign as he lay in bed with blankets draped over his legs.

Díaz -- who suffered a right knee patellar injury while celebrating Puerto Rico's win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday -- also sent a message to his supporters ... saying everything is going to be okay.

"To all my beloved fans, especially the Mets fans, I want to let you know that I am doing well and healing," the All-Star said. "I feel blessed and grateful for your support with messages and prayers, thank you very much!"

Díaz -- whose game entrance has gone viral for being the most hype moment you can experience at a baseball game -- assured Mets fans they'll hear "Narco" by Timmy Trumpet and Blasterjaxx soon enough.

Former pro surfer Blake Johnston surfed 40 hours, smashing the previous record for the world's longest surf session on Friday ... and it was all for a great cause!

The Australian surfing coach entered the water during the early morning hours Thursday (around 1 AM) and surfed over 600 waves, before leaving the H20 around 5 PM, easily passing the prior record of 30 hours and 11 minutes.

Johnston didn't just shred for nearly 2 days straight for fun, he raised money to support the mental health of the youth in Australia. It's a cause near and dear to the surfer's heart ... he lost his father to suicide 10 years ago. In an effort to bring in as much as possible, Blake teamed up with the Chumpy Pullin Foundation.

Blake was able to continue surfing when the sun set thanks to the help of some spotlights. Medics, who monitored Blake's health, were also on standby in the event he needed medical assistance.

Hundreds of spectators showed up to witness the historic moment, and Johnston admitted he was "pretty cooked" after breaking the record.

BJ Flores -- Jake Paul's boxing trainer -- was terrifyingly shot in a robbery attempt in Colombia on Friday ... but, thankfully, it appears he's going to be OK.

The former fighter, who began working with Paul in 2021, said the incident happened when he was at a stop light while vacationing in Medellín.

Flores said two armed motorcycle drivers pulled up to him while he was in the passenger seat of a car at a red light, and pointed a gun at his forehead.

They "tried to steal my wallet and my watch," the 44-year-old said in a social media post. "They shot me one time in the leg and I defended myself the best way I could."

Flores, fortunately, got away ... and immediately raced to the emergency room. He said docs told him a bullet was still lodged in his thigh.

According to his social media page, Flores is currently undergoing surgery to remove it.

Prior to going under, Flores captured his injuries on camera ... showing a knot on his head, a cut on his hand, and a bloody wound on his leg. He added that he believes the shooting was a targeted attack.

"Thank you for the well wishes," Flores wrote on his IG. "I will learn from this….. Be safe out there please. Life is precious. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I love you all."

Flores fought professionally from 2003 to 2018 -- piling up a record 34-4-1. He met Paul in retirement, sparring with the YouTuber before eventually taking over full-time training duties for the aspiring boxer.

Paul has yet to comment on the shooting.

The college hockey player who pushed a woman's wheelchair down the stairs at a Pennsylvania pub last weekend has been banned from the establishment ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Nate Sanders -- the security manager at Sullivan's Pub and Eatery in Erie -- tells us ... Carson Briere, the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere, is no longer welcome at the bar after security camera footage showed him pushing Sydney Benes' wheelchair down a flight of stairs on Saturday night.

According to a GoFundMe page organized by Sanders ... Sydney is a double amputee that requires a wheelchair to be mobile while she's learning to use her prosthetics. Nate told us he assists Sydney with getting around whenever she visits Sullivan's.

Sanders said that should Carson step foot inside Sullivan's moving forward following the ban ... he's prepared to get law enforcement involved if necessary.

Carson -- a junior center on Mercyhurst University's ice hockey team -- has apologized for his actions ... calling them inexcusable. He's since been suspended from the team as the school investigates the incident further.

Police have also launched their own probe into the matter.

Matt Barnes is way behind on child support payments ... a judge just ordered him to fork over more than six figures in back payments to his ex-wife Gloria Govan.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NBA baller owes Gloria $133,976.54 in past-due child support payments.

It appears Matt hasn't been shelling out child support for quite some time ... because as we first reported back in 2018, Matt's monthly child support bill was slashed from $20,000 to $7,500.

The exes have two teenage twins, Carter and Isaiah, together ... and Gloria went to court claiming he hasn’t been keeping up on the payments.

Remember ... Matt and Gloria finalized their divorce way back in 2016, after just under two years as husband and wife.

Welp, Joe Biden isn't winning the White House's March Madness pool ... 'cause the president's pick for NCAA champion -- two-seed University of Arizona -- just lost to 15-seed Princeton in the most shocking upset of the young tourney!

The Ivy League team was near 15-point underdogs against Arizona ... but as the saying goes, that's why you play the game. The Tigers ultimately won 59-55. The Wildcats were up one at the half, but scored a paltry 24 points in the second half, and couldn't buy a bucket late in the game.

As for #46, he didn't just have AZ advancing past Princeton, he had the Pac-12 team going all the way to the Final Four, where he picked them to defeat one-seed Kansas.

In fairness to the prez, the Wildcats were a popular pick to advance far in the tourney ... and many had them winning the whole thing.

The Wildcats, who won the NCAA Championship in 1997, are now headed back to Tucson. The Tigers will now play seven-seed Missouri on Saturday ... where Princeton has opened as six-point underdogs.

Furman shocked the world and busted a ton of brackets with its huge win over four-seed Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament ... and the school's best player ever couldn't be happier!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Paladins legend Frank Selvy about No. 13 Furman advancing to the second round of the tourney on Thursday ... and he says the victory was "the best win all-time at Furman."

Furman sealed the win over the Cavaliers after intercepting a pass with just seconds to go ... and JP Pegues pulled up from three to give the Paladins the 68-67 win -- the program's first tourney victory in nearly 50 years.

"We all went crazy over that because we thought we lost," the former No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick added.

Of course, Selvy famously scored 100 points in a game in 1954 ... which remains a single-game record to this day.

He says Pegues' game-winner brought back memories of his historic night.

"It reminded me of my 100-point shot when I made it from midcourt with time running out, with a couple people guarding me. I threw it up from midcourt, and it went in for the 100 points."

Selvy had a ton of praise for Paladins coach Bob Richey ... saying, "He knows more about basketball than any coach I’ve ever seen. The formations and the executions of plays and everything, great guy."

Selvy says he hasn't spoken to the team ... but if he had the chance??

"I would just tell them how proud I was of them and keep it going."

Day One without Ezekiel Elliott as his teammate hasn't exactly gone smoothly for Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys star quarterback said he's awfully sad his BFF won't be playing alongside him in Dallas again.

Dak spoke publicly about Elliott's release to media members for the first time on Thursday afternoon ... admitting he's "hurt" the running back was cut on Wednesday.

"I really can't imagine taking the field without him," Prescott said. "It's something that I don't know if it's completely hit me yet."

Prescott and Elliott joined the Cowboys together back in 2016 -- Elliott was a 1st-round pick, Dak was a 4th-rounder -- and the two quickly became inseparable.

In their rookie seasons, both had amazing years -- and helped the Cowboys get to the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

Dak said since that season, the two have grown "up as men" together.

"I'm hurt," the QB said. "I'm sure he is. But it's more important for me to be able to support him. I know he's got more opportunities coming his way. And I love that guy. Proud of him. No. 1 supporter for him no matter what."

Lonzo Ball's NBA career is reportedly hanging by a thread -- the Chicago Bulls star is having a third surgery performed on his knee in a 14-month span ... but there's hope the procedure will pave the way for his eventual return to the court.

The news just went public minutes ago ... with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski saying there is concern Ball -- who hasn't played since January 2022 due to his injury -- may not fully recover from the ailment ... which would impact his ability to play at the highest level.

The report states the surgery could keep 25-year-old Ball out for at least another year ... but after weighing his options for several days, the guard elected to go under the knife again to try and fix the issue once and for all.

Lonzo was the second overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 ... and has since played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls.

Chicago has struggled without Ball this season ... going 31-37 through 68 games.

Here's hoping the surgery goes well and Ball can get back out there.

Not even Furman players themselves could believe Virginia lost the way it did to kick off March Madness on Thursday ... with Paladins star forward Jalen Slawson yelling after the improbable win, "He just freakin' threw it!"

If you missed it ... UVA, a four-seed, lost to 13-seed Furman on a last-second three-point shot -- after one of the most embarrassing turnovers you'll see in an NCAA tournament game.

Up by two over Furman with 9.8 seconds left -- Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark got trapped in a full-court press, but instead of finding a way out of it, he just heaved the ball toward mid-court -- where it was predictably intercepted.

One immediate pass and one three-point shot later, UVA was down by one ... and they went on to lose a few seconds later by that margin.

Slawson wasn't the only guy floored by how it all went down -- even Patrick Mahomes was left in complete shock.

"Virginia what are we doing?!?!?" the Kansas City Chiefs star tweeted after the game.

Believe it or not, there are some folks who actually weren't that stunned by the upset ... according to the NCAA, 10.67% of brackets that were filled out this month picked Furman to get the dub.

Prosecutors say Joe Mixon's sister's boyfriend fired 10-to-11 rounds at a teenager outside of the NFL star's home earlier this month -- striking the boy once in the foot -- and now, the man is facing serious prison time over it all.

Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers held a news conference on Thursday afternoon to give an update on the case ... revealing 34-year-old Lamonte Brewer, Shalonda Mixon's BF, has been hit with four criminal charges, including felony assault, after investigators say he shot at a 16-year-old who was playing with a Nerf gun near Joe Mixon's house in Ohio on March 6 at around 8:30 PM.

Powers said surveillance footage, obtained via search warrant on Joe Mixon's home, showed Brewer and Joe Mixon in the Bengals star's backyard as teens were outside of it playing a game called "Nerf wars."

She said video showed Brewer at one point open fire on a 16-year-old who was running near the yard with a toy gun ... nearly hitting the boy in the head.

"It's a miracle he was not killed," Powers said.

Video, the prosecutor claimed, showed Joe Mixon was in the yard at the time of the shooting and did have a gun on his person too, but never drew the weapon, and "as a legal gun owner, [Joe] Mixon had the right to possess the firearm and did not commit a crime."

She said the NFL player had been concerned for his safety recently after receiving death threats on social media.

She did say, though, that the video showed Shalonda Mixon -- Joe's 34-year-old sister -- picking up shell casings in the yard ... before she took off with Brewer in a car.

Powers said cops eventually stopped the vehicle -- and found the gun, a Zastava M92, that was used in the shooting earlier in the evening in the ride's trunk.

Powers said in addition to the four charges they've filed against Brewer, they also hit Shalonda Mixon with one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstruction of justice. Powers said Brewer is facing up to 20 years behind bars if convicted, while Shalonda Mixon is facing four.

"It's unbelievable that something like this could happen," Powers said. "It's hard to fathom how anyone could aim a gun at a child, let alone fire 10 to 11 rounds at him."

Joe Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, released a statement following Powers' news conference ... saying the Cincinnati tailback "witnessed an individual carrying what appeared to be a rifle racing directly towards his property as the individual continued to bark instructions."

"When another individual discharged a firearm, Joe interceded to stop the person discharging a firearm. Joe hates that a young adult was injured during this incident."