TMZ Sports - Page 6

"Stylistically, I don't believe [D-Rod] is my toughest opponent."

That's 25-year-old, undefeated UFC star Ian Garry ... on the eve of his first fight with a ranked fighter, 15th ranked welterweight, Daniel Rodriguez.

And, while he may be the first guy with a little number next to his name, Garry straight-up says Daniel isn't the best he's faced.

"I don't believe he poses as much threat as a lot of people have. He's a very one-dimensional, standard fighter. He's a Southpaw boxer in MMA. Doesn't throw a lot of kicks. Doesn't go for takedowns. Doesn't go for submissions," Ian told us.

"So, I find that as an easy opponent. Whereas there are some guys who are a bit more wrestling based, have heavy hands, and like to kind of bang to get into a takedown, and I would find them a bit more difficult."

Garry is currently unranked ... but believes he will take Rodriguez's spot with a win, and that'd mean the world to him.

"I'm f****** excited to get ranked No.15 in the world. When you knock No.15 out, take No.15. I like that it's No.15. There's something symbolic about being in the top 15," Ian said of being regarded as one of the best 170 lb. fighters in the world.

And, when he steps in the Octagon on Saturday afternoon, Garry's going to be doing it on network television.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is a part of "Fast & Furious" franchise once again ... despite previously claiming he's permanently put the brakes on when it comes to Vin Diesel's flicks.

Spoiler alert, folks -- but according to TheWrap, Dwayne makes an appearance in a post-credit scene for the latest installment, "Fast X," which hits theaters next week. It's unclear exactly what goes down, or who he appears with, but it's safe to say good ol' Luke Hobbs isn't done drivin' fast cars.

It's a shocking cameo, though ... because as we reported, Dwanye wanted nothing to do with the franchise back in 2021 after Vin publicly begged him to come back to the 'Fast' family -- asking Dwayne to "not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play."

Dwayne called him out soon after, telling CNN the Instagram plea was just a bunch of "manipulation" -- adding he spoke to Vin privately about his decision and there was absolutely "no chance I would return."

Of course, there was some bad blood between the 2 over the years on set ... with Dwayne saying some of his male costars on those movies  -- with all signs pointing to Vin -- didn't act like "true professionals."

Floyd Mayweather is returning to the boxing ring in 30 days, and when he does, there will be a few hundred special guests in attendance ... and we're not talking about the celebs that typically fill the stands when TBE fights!

They'll be there, too (more on that later) ... but even better, we're told Floyd wanted to do something nice, so he linked up with two of his business partners/friends, and they're bringing kids from the inner city to the fight.

"I have teamed up with Robert Smith and Deon Taylor with a charitable initiative attached to my upcoming fight. We are going to be hosting several hundred underprivileged kids from the inner city to come to my fight and we will have a day of fun with them and a private dinner with them during the fight week," Mayweather tells us.

FYI, Smith, a billionaire, has donated many millions of dollars to different causes, including civil rights, over the years.

Everyone else will have to pay for tickets, which went on sale yesterday and have been selling fast, according to our sources.

The June 11 scrap between Floyd and John Gotti III, the grandson of legendary mobster John Gotti, is different than a typical Mayweather fight ... it's also a top-notch concert, featuring Puerto Rican rapper Lunay and others.

We recently spoke to Lunay ... and asked him about being part of the big event.

We're told Ozuna, a longtime supporter of Money, AND Bad Bunny will also be in the building.

"I’m happy to come and support my brother Floyd Mayweather. We have been friends for many years. He is the G.O.A.T.," Ozuna tells TMZ Sports.

As for other celebs who will be in the house, we're told a bunch of star athletes will also be in the building.

Kenyon Martin has a bone to pick with Julius Randle ... and it's a weird one -- the former NBA star says it irks him when the Knicks forward kisses his wife after playoff games.

Martin unleashed the bizarre tirade against Randle on the "Gil's Arena" live stream on Thursday ... hours after the NY star was seen smooching Kendra Randle following the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Heat.

"I saw something last night at the end of the game and it bothered me," Martin said on the show. "We just got done playing a hard-fought game in a playoff series, and the first thing you do is you go kiss your wife."

"Like," he added, "that's the first thing you do?! Where's your mind at?!"

Martin said Julius should have been more focused on celebrating the victory at Madison Square Garden with his teammates ... instead of loving on his significant other.

"I'm sitting there watching the game with my wife, and I'm like, 'I love you to death,'" the 15-year NBA veteran said, "'but ain't no way in that instance I'm going to walk over. I'm going to be with my guys -- we just got done winning. I'm not even thinking about you.'"

For what it's worth, there weren't many others on the show that seemed to agree with Martin's take ... they pointed out to the 45-year-old that Kendra is Julius' most ride-or-die supporter, and deserves the postgame love.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson is breaking her silence on her 9/11 rap lyric controversy ... apologizing for her song -- and vowing to do better moving forward.

Johnson was initially hit with backlash earlier this month ... when she made a reference to the Twin Towers in her remix to Latto's hit, "Put It On Da Floor."

In the tune, Johnson sang, "In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers." The bar was a double entendre -- it was a play on riding in a Porsche ... and the 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,000 people.

Many on social media called her out over it all -- saying it was insensitive ... and in an Instagram story video late Thursday night, Johnson finally addressed the issue.

"I just want to come on here and let ya'll know by no means would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone," said the 19-year-old, who has a legitimate budding rap career off the basketball court.

"My whole goal in music is to push positivity and spread love. So, in no way shape or form would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone."

LSU previously commented on the song earlier this week, saying Johnson "expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding." The school added that the song's music video has since been pulled from the internet.

Johnson -- who wasn't born until 2003 -- insisted she'll "learn from this moving forward."

"I just thank ya'll for ya'll continued support," she said.

For more, tune into the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

It's official -- Dan Snyder is selling the Washington Commanders ... and he's handing over the reins to Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris, NBA legend Magic Johnson and David Blitzer.

Both sides confirmed the move on Friday ... announcing they have entered a purchase and sale agreement.

As previously reported, the final price tag for the franchise was $6.05 billion -- shattering the record for an American franchise sale.

All NFL owners will now have to vote on the transaction ... but it's expected to be approved without issue.

Dan and Tanya Snyder said they are both "very pleased" with the outcome ... especially considering Harris is from the area.

"We look forward to the prompt completion of this transaction and to rooting for Josh and the team in the coming years," the Snyders said in a statement.

Magic -- who also has ownership in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sparks and LAFC, also addressed the big move ... saying, "I could not be more excited to be a partner in the proposed new ownership group for the Washington Commanders."

"Josh Harris has assembled an amazing group who share a commitment to not only doing great things on the field but to making a real impact in the DMV community. I’m so excited to get to work on executing our vision for the Commanders and our loyal fanbase!"

Life couldn't get any sweeter for Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens -- 'cause just days after the newlyweds tied the knot in Cabo, the NFL player signed with the Green Bay Packers!!

The 7-time Olympic medalist shared her reaction to the news on Friday ... posting a photo of her already draped in Packers merch as her new hubby inked his contract.

"So proud of you baby!" Biles said of the move. "Here’s to new beginnings! Year 6! LFG!"

Owens, who suited up for Texans from 2019 to 2022, is also hyped ... saying, "New beginnings. Perfect cap to an amazing week."

Of course, Owens is referring to his beautiful wedding last weekend ... which was as extravagant as they come.

The 26-year-old gymnast wore a gorgeous gown from famous designer Galia Lahav ... and Owens looked sharp with a beige suit and tie in front of family and friends.

The marital bliss comes 15 months after Owens proposed with a massive 3-carat diamond ring.

New marriage, new team, what's next -- a new baby?!?

Remember, Biles did previously mention Jonathan wants a "football team" of kids down the road.

Tom Brady is staying active even in retirement -- the future Hall of Fame QB is reportedly negotiating with Raiders owner Mark Davis about buying a piece of his team -- and becoming an NFL owner!

Brady and Davis have reportedly been in "deep discussions" about the 7x-Super Bowl champ coming on board in a limited partnership capacity. However, nothing has been finalized yet, and negotiations continue.

Brady is already in business with 67-year-old Davis. Just a month ago, Tom purchased a stake in Davis' WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces.

If the Raiders deal is completed, TB12 would reportedly not be involved in the team's business or football affairs.

As for whether Brady's future with FOX Sports would be affected (he signed a massive deal reportedly worth $375 million to call games) -- it doesn't seem to be a conflict ... as Brady was reportedly given the blessing to pursue Raiders ownership.

It's no secret that Tom -- who also owns a Major League Pickleball team -- has wanted to be an NFL owner for years ... and it looks like he's very close to fulfilling that dream.

Forget Tigers -- at least, for one evening -- LSU gymnastics star Olivia Dunne was all about a horse on Thursday night ... hoppin' on a famous one to celebrate her appearance at the ACMs!!!

Livvy had no issues whatsoever climbing on Sheriff the Bar Horse while out in Dallas for one of the biggest nights in country music ... not even changing out of her ballroom gown to enjoy the moment.

Dunne appeared to have an absolute blast on the horse ... grinning from ear to ear as photogs snapped pics of the Tigers gymnast.

As for why the animal was out at the big country music awards show -- which went down at Jerry Jones' Ford Center -- Sheriff is famous in Dallas ... constantly being seen at local hot spots and Cowboys games.

Dunne, meanwhile, seemed to enjoy the rest of the night at the show outside of the ride on Sheriff ... even snagging a pic on the red carpet with former Team USA gymnast Nastia Liukin.

Mark Jackson is addressing his controversial decision to leave Nikola Jokic off his MVP ballot ... apologizing to the Nuggets star and claiming it was a complete oversight.

Jackson was the ONLY media member to not include the two-time MVP in his top-five players this season ... electing to go with Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell instead.

The submission resulted in a ton of backlash ... with Charles Barkley saying, "There's one person -- I don't even know this fool's name -- didn't even have Joker in the top five. People like that shouldn't get a vote ... He's a damn idiot."

Jackson broke his silence on the matter on Thursday ... and he believes the criticism is warranted.

"Made an honest mistake with my MVP votes," Jackson said on Twitter. "My apologies to the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic. He’s not only a legitimate MVP candidate who deserved my vote, but he is truly one of the all time greats!"

"Again my apologies."

Jackson further explained what happened on "NBA Today" on SiriusXM ... saying he actually thought he was voting for All-NBA teams. Had he known, he claims he would have included Jokic third on his list ... behind Embiid and Giannis.

Jackson said he completely understands if the mix-up results in losing the privilege ... adding, "If you want to take away my vote or whatever, you're more than welcome."

The good news? Jackson's snub ultimately didn't matter ... as Embiid would have won regardless.

Shakira fans freaking out about her potentially dating Tom Cruise can all breathe a sigh of relief ... we've learned they're NOT a couple, and things were never heading that way.

Sources close to Shakira tell us she's very much single, and only happened to be around Cruise at the F1 Miami Grand Prix because they share a famous mutual friend.

Our sources say both Tom and Shakira were invited to the event by Team Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who, of course, is the biggest name in the sport -- so that's why they were together several times during the race.

As for the Page Six report Tom sent Shakira flowers ... our source didn't know whether or not that was legit, but did say Shakira's just not interested in dating right now.

Shakira was spotted on a boat with friends, including Hamilton, on Wednesday -- but again, we're told there's nothing romantic there either, it's all friendly.

Nothing about Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin screams nearly divorced less than a year ago -- instead, the couple is loving and playful with as they celebrate their new reality show. What a difference 8 months make!!!

Jennifer and Sly posed for photos with their daughters Sistine, Sophia and Scarlet at the NYC premiere of their Paramount+ series, "The Family Stallone."

At one point during the photo op, Jennifer playfully wrapped her hands around Sly's neck as if to choke him -- perhaps flashing back to that tattoo disaster.

It was a cute but poignant moment given that she filed for divorce in August after 25 years of marriage. But cooler heads prevailed, Jennifer decided not to go through with it ... and they look tighter than ever now.

After the event, the Stallones moseyed inside Torrisi Bar & Restaurant in Manhattan to keep the party going.

We got some video of the whole fam working the room with their guests.

Of course, Sly was the center of attention, with people coming up to the movie legend to chat and snap selfies with him -- but even he'd say his daughters are about to become big stars in their own right.

Kendrick Perkins and JJ Redick don't always see eye to eye when debating sports, but the NBA champ tells TMZ Sports he loves the idea of the former three-point sniper becoming an NBA head coach -- saying, "He knows his s***."

We caught up with Perkins at LAX, where we asked how he felt about the Raptors reportedly interviewing Redick for the open spot after they fired Nick Nurse following a disappointing season, and he gave his ESPN colleague a ringing endorsement.

"I actually love it, to be honest with you," Perkins told us. "One thing about it, he [Redick] knows his s***. Also, on top of that, man, any time you can see a former player that played the game get an opportunity to go sit in that seat, you would love to see it."

Perk said if Toronto hires Redick ahead of other viable candidates with more coaching experience, he would feel bad. Nevertheless, Perk told us he'd be happy if Redick became an NBA head coach, believing he brings value to any team's locker room.

"Obviously, he's jumping ahead of a few guys that I would love to see get an opportunity that's been waiting in line," Perk said. "Sam Cassell. Phil Handy. You hate to see it because those guys served as assistants for about 10, 15, 20 years."

"But you always want to see a guy like JJ do it. He knows his s***," he continued.

Perkins and Redick have gained popularity for their spirited back-and-forth on "First Take" about who should win the NBA MVP Award this season, but Kendrick reassured fans it's all love between him and JJ and gave the impression there's mutual respect on both sides.

The two guys who were caught stuffing their prized catches with weights to try to win a Lake Erie fishing tournament last year will now have to spend time behind bars over their cheating ways ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, 43-year-old Jacob Runyan and 36-year-old Chase Cominsky showed up in court to learn their fate at a sentencing hearing in Ohio on Thursday.

Records show that both men were sentenced to 10 days in jail during the proceedings. A judge ruled they would also have to serve 1 1/2 years of probation -- and each was ordered to pay big fines as well.

The sentencing was handed down two months after the guys cut a deal with prosecutors in the case ... one in which they each agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of cheating and one misdemeanor count of illegal animal ownership in exchange for officials dropping the other two charges against them.

Runyan, according to USA Today, apologized for his actions in court ... calling the scandal "the most ignorant decision I’ve ever made in my life."

Runyan and Cominsky were first accused of cheating at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail in Cleveland's Gordon Park back in September when officials alleged the men put metal balls and fish fillets inside of their walleyes to make them heavier on the scales.

Initially, the guys pleaded not guilty to the charges ... but pivoted in March.

Former NFL All-Pro Jimmy Graham was hit by a car during a bike ride earlier this week ... and, according to his buddy and former Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, the ex-tight end suffered a gnarly gash on his leg.

Hawk said on Wednesday's 'Pat McAfee Show' the terrifying incident went down in South Florida earlier this week ... when Graham was cruising on two wheels on Miami roadways.

Hawk revealed that during the ride, a car suddenly turned left ... and smashed into the former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler.

Fortunately, it seems Graham escaped without significant injuries ... but Hawk said the 36-year-old did sustain a gnarly wound on his calf.

"He has a slice on his calf that looked like he had worms growing out of it," Hawk said. "It was so deep and all the stuff in there you could see. Now he has tons of stitches and all of that."

Graham addressed the wreck on his Instagram page shortly after Hawk broke the news ... saying he felt sore as hell -- almost as if he had just played in a Sunday NFL game.

"My body has certainly built up a callus for punishment over the years," he added. "I'll be fine. Stay safe out there."

Graham also shared a picture of a new racing bike -- insinuating the one he used in the accident was destroyed.

Of course, this is not the first time Graham has been involved in a near-death accident ... back in 2021, he was in a rollover car crash. Thankfully, he avoided serious injury there too.

Stay safe, Jimmy!!!

The Stars and Kraken are stepping up to honor victims of last weekend's horrific mass shooting in Allen, Texas ... wearing helmet decals for their playoff game Thursday night -- while also auctioning off some memorabilia to raise funds for those affected by the tragedy.

Dallas and Seattle both jointly announced the tributes on their social media pages minutes ago ... five days after a gunman terrifyingly opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, killing eight people and wounding seven others.

Both teams revealed their players will have "ALLENSTRONG" stickers affixed to the left side of their helmets when the puck drops on Game 5 in Big D.

In addition, the Stars said they'll have multiple auctions going on starting Thursday -- with the profits from the bidding set to go toward the Victims First and the Support for Allen Fund foundations.

Some of the items fans can bid on include a game-used puck signed by captain Jamie Benn ... and a game-used stick autographed by goalie Jake Oettinger.

Dallas also said the 50/50 raffle at Thursday night's game will benefit the two charities.