TMZ Sports - Page 50

Francis Ngannou is opening up about his recent face-to-face with Jon Jones -- where the two rivals got up close and personal -- and the former UFC heavyweight champ made it very clear it's still a fight he wants!

TMZ Sports talked to the 36-year-old MMA superstar days after the two towering men exchanged mostly pleasant, if not a bit tense, words at PFL 5 in Atlanta on Friday ... breathing new life into the fight fans want as much as any matchup in the sport.

"I think [it's possible]," Ngannou told us, adding a "cross-promotion" could be in store "in order to give the fans what they want."

"All the parties are down except for one," Francis said ... meaning the fighters and PFL are in, while the UFC is not (the promotion doesn't do cross-promotions with other companies).

Now that he's seen the bigger version of Bones Jones, we asked Francis about the heavyweight iteration of Jon.

"I will say I am more comfortable with a heavy Jon Jones than the Jon Jones of light heavyweight because of course, he gave an impressive performance against Ciryl Gane, but for the first minute, the first interaction and striking, he didn't look good."

Ngannou continued ... "He wasn't on point, as sharp as in light heavyweight, and for me that's the best -- I want Jon heavy! I want him heavier if he can put on more size."

Of course, Jones needed only half a round to beat Gane at UFC 285 in March, his first scrap at HW, but despite the win, Francis clearly wasn't impressed.

The Predator wholeheartedly believes Jon's in for a rude awakening if he thinks a fight with him would mimic the Gane bout.

"He never faced a guy like me, a real side heavyweight," Francis told us, explaining Gane was a perfect matchup stylistically for Jon.

"I think Ciryl was a perfect pro fighter to run into because there wasn't a threat. He's not a guy that's gonna knock you out with one shot."

The San Antonio Spurs just made the easiest decision in franchise history ... taking international sensation Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 19-year-old French big man was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James ... in large in part due to his 7'5" frame, smooth ball-handling skills and impressive shooting ability.

In fact, Wemby was a massive betting favorite to have his name called first on Thursday at -50000 odds (you'd have to bet $50k just to win a hundred bucks).

Wembanyama was a star for the LNB Pro A's Metropolitans 92 this past season ... racking up 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3 blocks a game.

The selection was pretty much set in stone after the ping pong balls landed in the Spurs' favor at the Draft Lottery last month ... which was unofficially dubbed the Wemby Sweepstakes.

Wemby is already a massive star in the States ... as there have been massive crowds following him throughout NYC this week.

The rest of the draft will get a bit more interesting ... with stars like Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller slated to round out the top 3.

One thing's for sure ... Wemby won't have to pay for a meal in San Antonio again.

Gradey Dick is not in Kansas anymore ... but the former Jayhawk is still paying homage to his home state nonetheless at the 2023 NBA Draft -- rockin' a "Wizard Of Oz" inspired suit!!

The shooting guard pulled up to the annual event at Barclays Center on Thursday looking just like Dorothy's famous red shoes ... and he told media members at the venue that there was absolutely no coincidence there.

"So, I'm from Kansas," Dick said while showing off the 'fit. "Dorothy has her little slippers, I got my Dorothy suit!"

Dick paired the shiny blazer with a matching turtle neck, some black slacks, some Christian Louboutin red bottom shoes and some sunglasses.

He also revealed he got a custom chain made for the momentous occasion too!!

It won't be long before you'll get to see the outfit on television -- many draft experts expect him to go within the top 12 picks later tonight.

As for the rest of the draft's prospects ... they didn't go quite as outlandish as Dick -- though they still looked stylish.

Victor Wembanyama -- the projected first overall pick -- wore a classic all-forest green suit, while UConn's Jordan Hawkins -- who won the NCAA title in April -- also kept it lowkey, wearing a crisp black suit and tie.

Meanwhile, Villanova's Cam Whitmore -- who's projected to go in the first round -- also wore a black suit ... but paired it with some custom kicks that have his high school and college jerseys painted on the side.

Travis Kelce says Ja'Marr Chase gave the Kansas City Chiefs some prime bulletin board material after dissing Patrick Mahomes last week ... warning the Bengals receiver he better back up his words on the field -- or it's gonna get ugly.

Remember, the former LSU star sparked some drama over his "Pat who??" comments when he was asked about the best player in the NFL ... to which Mahomes responded with a pic wearing his Super Bowl rings, saying, "That's who."

Kelce addressed the beef on his "New Heights" podcast with his brother, Jason, this week ... saying, "I thought it was a little bold. The guy is a two-time league MVP, two-time Super Bowl MVP."

"It is what it is, dog. Who doesn't love some good locker room banter, man?" he added. "Shoutout to Ja'Marr Chase for holding it down for his QB, but don't you ever disrespect Pat Mahomes, now."

"If you wanna talk your s***, talk your s***, pimp. You just better back it up."

Unfortunately, the Chiefs will have to wait until New Year's Eve to get revenge on Chase and the Bengals in an AFC Championship Game rematch ... but we're sure the guys in K.C. aren't going to forget about his words anytime soon.

Bronny James will honor his dad, LeBron James, during his freshman year on the USC Trojans hoops team this fall ... wearing jersey number 6, the same number as his pops.

The University of Southern California confirmed the jersey number news on Thursday, sharing a photo of Bronny in the cardinal and gold threads.

Remember, the former Sierra Canyon star wore 0 during his high school career, explaining it was a tribute to his favorite NBA player, and his dad's former teammate, Russell Westbrook.

Bronny also previously wore #23 in honor of his dad.

Of course, King James first wore #6 in Miami in 2012, before ultimately switching back to 23, and then returning to 6, which he now wears for the Lakers.

But, Bron isn't the first great player to rock the digit ... Julius Erving, Ben Wallace, and Bill Russell also wore the number. In fact, the NBA retired #6 leaguewide after Russell passed away last July, a way of honoring the 11-time champ.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are "absolutely deadly serious" about fighting each other in a UFC Octagon and it would be the biggest fight in the history of the world, so says UFC Prez Dana White.

Dana told Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" Thursday he's been talking and texting with Mark and Elon Wednesday night and into Thursday, and says both men want to square off in Vegas.

"Talked with Mark and Elon last night, both guys are absolutely dead serious about this," White said.

It all started on Wednesday when Musk responded to a report Zuck was going to launch his own version of Twitter, to which Elon responded, "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol."

The Facebook founder got wind of the tweet, and served up a message of his own, writing ... "Send me location." BTW ... that's code in the world of UFC for, he's really serious.

So, fight on?? People weren't exactly sure if the men were just messing around ... but alas, White says they're not.

As for how big the event could be -- Dana believes it would easily be the most-watched fight ever, saying "The biggest fight of all time was Floyd and Conor, I just think it triples that -- it triples what that did, there's no limit on what that thing can make."

Dana's confident both men are capable of handling themselves. Zuck has been in jiu-jitsu competitions recently, and Elon has done martial arts and told Dana he was involved in "plenty of fights growing up in South Africa."

DW says the cost for Pay-Per-View would be $100 a pop ... it's normally $80 for a UFC fight. Forget about what it would cost to watch it in the arena. Dana expects the fight would gross hundreds of millions of dollars, and the loot would go to charity.

Bottom line ... this is no joke. Mark and Elon are serious, and Dana is determined to make it happen.

You can watch the full interview on "TMZ Live" Thursday.

Deion Sanders is slated to have emergency surgery on Friday ... after a blood clot was discovered in his groin.

Former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones shared the news just minutes ago ... saying Prime Time will go under the knife at 6 AM to fix the issue.

"I had a chance to talk to him this morning," Jones said on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday. "I said, 'Man, I hope they don't have to cut off your d***.' That's what I told him."

"I said, 'Bro, it would be bad if they have to cut off your d***, bro. Just cut the leg off.'"

Of course, Sanders is no stranger to blood clot issues -- he previously had two toes amputated and underwent multiple surgeries due to a lack of circulation in his left leg ... and doctors feared he was at risk of losing his foot if his condition did not improve.

Jones said he's seen Prime fight through his obstacles ... and it's been difficult to watch.

"I just want him to get healthy, man."

Great news ... Kirk Herbstreit's son, Zak Herbstreit, a tight end at Ohio State, was released from the hospital after being admitted last week following a health scare.

A university spokesperson shared the news on Wednesday, telling The Columbus Dispatch Herbstreit was released from OSU's Wexner Medical Center, where he's been since Tuesday.

Details surrounding the health issue are still unknown at this time but Zak's ESPN analyst father published a note on his son's behalf earlier this week on social media, referencing his heart doctors, who were diligently working to get him back to full strength.

"I have some of the best cardiologists looking after me, and I am beyond appreciative," Zak said in the note on Tuesday. "We are doing a number of tests and conjuring a plan to ensure that I will be able to be back to feeling normal again."

"I appreciate the overwhelming support over the past couple of days. I am feeling good and hope to be out of the hospital soon."

Thankfully, that day came just about 24 hours later as he was discharged from the medical center on Wednesday.

Zak was a walk-on when he joined OSU in 2021 ... following in the family tradition of Buckeyes athletes, joining his father, mother, and grandfather.

Welcome home, Zak!

Dick Vitale has to go under the knife once again ... the legendary college basketball commentator just announced he needs two more surgeries on his throat this summer, but believes he'll be ready to go by basketball season!

"Rec’d some bad news, but when I realize it is minor to what some face daily I will fight to recover. Dr Zeitels acclaimed vocal cord surgeon has informed me my past issues on my vocal cords have returned," the 84-year-old tweeted on Thursday.

"I must have 2 surgeries this summer-1st July 11 need ur prayers."

FYI, Dr. Steven Zeitels is arguably the most renowned vocal cord surgeon in the world ... who has not only operated on Vitale in the past (in February 2022), but he's also cared for some of the biggest names in music and entertainment.

Unfortunately for Vitale, he'll have to rest his voice (no talking) in preparation for the July 11 surgery, and for 6-8 weeks after the procedure.

It's unclear when the second surgery will take place.

Despite the uncertain timetable for recovery, Vitale says the doc told him there's a good chance he'll be ready for the start of the college basketball season in the fall.

"That part is so frustrating as I feel trapped not being able to express myself," Vitale said. "The positive news Dr Z is optimistic to have me ready for my 45th yr on ESPN."

Of course, Vitale's been through a lot medically over the last few years. In 2021, he received two cancer diagnoses. Thankfully, after chemo and other treatments, Dickie announced he was cancer-free in August 2022.

Vitale -- who's been the voice of college basketball for decades -- returned to the broadcast booth in November 2022.

LeBron James put down the basketballs this week and grabbed a handful of Rihanna's pregnant belly instead -- and the adorable moment was all captured on video!!!

The King has been in France the past few days enjoying a little vacation during the Lakers' offseason ... and while at the Louis Vuitton show in Paris -- he ran into his longtime friend, Rihanna.

The two shared a warm embrace ... and at one point during the hug, LBJ couldn't help but give a squeeze to the most famous stomach on the planet at the moment.

Check out the footage, Bron palmed it like a basketball for several seconds -- and the "Work" singer was loving it!!

RiRi grabbed James' hand and appeared to thank him for some kind words he was whispering ... and it was all a super sweet moment.

Of course, the meetup was just one of many memorable occasions LeBron's gotten to experience this week ... he was able to dine with Draymond Green just a few days prior -- and he even received some serious praise for the 'fit and grill he rocked to the LV show.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez beat the heat in the best way possible -- the stunning couple showed off their incredible physiques while lounging on a yacht in Italy this week ... and the pics are a fuoco!!

The soccer superstar and his partner took their kids out for a luxurious getaway near Sardinia this week ... and it looked jam-packed with fun festivities like jet-skiing and diving into the water for some swimming.

The whole group posed for some pics during the trip ... with everyone giving two thumbs up.

Georgina went with a sexy green bikini for the outing ... and the Al Nassr striker chose some short Dolce and Gabbana trunks.

The 38-year-old icon -- who is in the middle of a MASSIVE deal worth up to $200 million a year -- will get to spend a lot of time with his loved ones during his time away from the pitch ... as his Saudi Arabian team has a few weeks off before returning to competition.

Calling Daniel Cormier PISSED at American Airlines may be an understatement ... the MMA legend ripped into the airline's staff on social media after they gave his seat away, calling the whole ordeal "insane" and "unprofessional!"

The 44-year-old former UFC double champ said the aggravating incident went down at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday.

"I am literally in the worst experience," Cormier started ... "It’s unreal how horrific @AmericanAir staff at SFO is behaving right now."

"I show up to my flight to find out my seat has been given away."

Cormier continued, saying an AA employee walked away from him and shut a door in his face.

"If that isn’t enough this [American Airlines employee] won’t even speak to me," Cormier said. "This dude walks away from me as I am speak and he slams the door in my face."

"Wouldn’t even speak a word to me and then slams the f***ing door in my face!"

The UFC Hall of Famer and current UFC broadcaster was trying to get to Las Vegas for meetings with fighters ahead of Saturday's Fight Night card.

Aaron Rodgers made a huge push for the legalization of magical mushrooms and more on Wednesday night, insisting they have changed his life ... and could help alter many others too.

The New York Jets quarterback stumped for the hallucinogens for nearly an hour ... while giving a passionate speech on a stage at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver.

He and his good pal Aubrey Marcus, who sat alongside the NFL star at the podium, glowed about their uses of psychedelics while addressing a big crowd ... and Rodgers repeated over and over again that everyone should have an open mind to the drugs.

"I know in Colorado that psilocybin has been decriminalized," Rodgers said. "Is it not ironic that the things that actually expand your mind are illegal and the things that keep you in the lower chakras and dumb you down have been legal for centuries?"

The 39-year-old -- who's been vocal in the past about his use of ayahuasca -- said, yet again, his trip on the psychedelic tea helped transform him from one of the league's best signal-callers back into an NFL MVP.

"It's going to be hard to cancel me," he said, "because, you know, the previous year, 26 touchdowns, four interceptions. We had a good season. Ayahuasca, 48 touchdowns five, interceptions, MVP. What are you going to say?"

Rodgers also ribbed his critics -- whom he referred to as "bums" -- saying they're the ones who need to try psychedelics the most.

As part of his speech, Rodgers also said he's heard from all kinds of athletes since he initially opened up about his ayahuasca use ... claiming everyone from basketball players to baseball players to surfers and entertainers have reached out to him to share their similar experiences.

Officials at the conference, meanwhile, praised Rodgers for showing up and speaking his mind ... with Rick Doblin, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies' founder, telling the New York Post he expects it to all have a "massive impact" on relieving the stigma surrounding the drugs.

A billionaire brawl between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk?!?

The wild cage match might actually happen ... 'cause the Meta CEO just clapped back at the Twitter honcho's callout by saying he's totally down to fight!!

Musk recently pitched the fight idea in response to a report claiming Zuck's company is planning to rival Twitter with a new platform of its own ... to which he replied, "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol."

Whether or not he was kidding, the Facebook co-founder got wind of Musk's tweet ... and channeled his inner Khabib Nurmagomedov by saying, "Send me location."

The response, according to The Verge, was NOT a joke ... and he's 100% serious about duking it out.

Musk, 51, already seems to have a spot in mind for the potential fight ... tweeting "Vegas Octagon" late Wednesday night.

He also teased some of his skills ... adding, "I have this great move that I call 'The Walrus,' where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing."

Musk better pray the move works, 'cause Zuck, 39, started honing his craft back during the pandemic ... and he recently competed in a jiu-jitsu tournament, where he earned a gold and silver medal.

He also claims to have finished the famous "Murph Challenge" -- a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and an additional one-mile run (all while wearing a weighted vest) -- in under 40 minutes, which is quite an accomplishment.

Controversial former kickboxer/media personality Andrew Tate is down to have Elon's back, though ... 'cause he said he wants revenge for being blocked on all Meta platforms.

Somebody get Dana White on the phone ASAP.

Listen up, future NBA rookies ... Dwyane Wade is offering some advice heading into Thursday night's draft -- telling TMZ Sports every guy who's about to head to the Association NEEDS to make their finances a priority.

Wade doled out the guidance in front of Dash Radio in Hollywood this week ... saying it's absolutely critical for rookies to be able to manage their money effectively.

In fact, the future Hall of Famer said it's the No. 1 thing he knows now that he wishes he had known way back when he was getting drafted into the NBA in 2003.

"Try to get you somebody in your life that really knows finances," the 41-year-old said. "Somebody who, hopefully, you can build a relationship with. Hopefully, you can build a trust with eventually."

Wade took his counsel a step further ... saying the guys should do everything they can to learn about their upcoming NBA checks on their own as well.

Of course, Wade is one of the best people rookies can hear the tips from ... he played in the league for 16 seasons -- and piled up nearly $200 MILLION in contracts alone.

Police are finally revealing more about their criminal investigation into Tyreek Hill ... saying in an incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, that they launched their probe into the NFL star after he was accused of slapping a man during an altercation on a boat.

According to the Miami-Dade Police Department docs, the incident happened at around 6:45 PM on June 18 in a Miami marina ... after Hill and some of his apparent acquaintances had boarded a fishing charter vessel without the owner's permission.

Cops say when employees of the ship found Hill's group -- they tried to kick them off ... but a verbal argument broke out instead.

During the tiff, it's alleged Hill reached out and slapped one of the employees "on the back of the neck with an open hand" as members of the 29-year-old's group tried to usher him away from the area.

Cops say Hill then "charged towards" the employee -- but he was "restrained by several people within his group."

The Dolphins receiver then left the area, cops say.

According to the docs, Hill and his group had inquired about renting the boat earlier in the day prior to the confrontation with employees -- but did not go through with the purchase "due to the high" cost.

So far, no arrests have been made ... and no charges have been filed.

Neither Hill nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have yet to publicly comment on the allegations.