TMZ Sports - Page 50

Francis Ngannou once stared down Tyson Fury and told him he was going to "find out who the baddest mother f***er on the planet is" ... now, the answer may be closer than ever, 'cause the men are boxing in just over 100 days!

The fight, literally the biggest crossover in recent memory, is set to go down on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ... under conventional boxing rules, with three judges scoring the bout.

"Both fighters however are promising to meet in the middle of the ring, go to war and win by knockout in devastating fashion,” a release announcing the fight read.

Of course, 36-year-old Ngannou split with the UFC last year, and hasn't fought since January 2022, when he beat title contender Ciryl Gane. Francis signed a deal with PFL a few months ago which allowed him to take other lucrative fights ... like this one.

As for 34-year-old Fury, he's without question the greatest heavyweight fighter in the world and one of the best to ever step foot in a ring.

It's unclear if Fury's belts will be on the line vs. Ngannou.

The men, although mostly friendly with one another, have been going back and forth for years ... but it was just recently that the fight was agreed upon.

Odds have already opened for the fight, and as you'd expect, Fury is a sizeable favorite at -500 (risk $500 to win $100).

Joseline Hernandez still hadn't cooled down when cops arrived after her epic beatdown of Big Lex ... and body cameras captured her violent, profanity-laced rage from start to finish.

The "Love & Hip Hop" alum was met by several Sunrise PD officers last month in South Florida -- and this new footage, obtained by TMZ, shows her immediately launching, physically and verbally, at law enforcement.

Right off the bat, she shouts she doesn't want any white men touching her, and things quickly ramp up from there.

Joseline chucks her phone at a guy trying to calm her down -- who seems to be the same person heard calling Lex a "dumb ass bitch" during the initial confrontation. Cops step in, but she shoves one of them ... resulting in multiple officers taking her to the ground.

Throughout the struggle to take her into custody, you can hear Joseline shouting homophobic and racial slurs at the cops after getting cuffed. She even appears to resist while they walk her out, which is when officers pick up her legs to carry her out.

Joseline's intense arrest followed her violent altercation with Lex.

As we reported, the 2 women went at it after Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III's exhibition fight -- Joseline drew a massive crowd backstage as she put Lex in a headlock.

Big Lex ended up calling the cops, hoping to get Joseline arrested ... which is what eventually happened -- but not before another huge blowup.

Kim Zolciak has a new lease on life (and love) -- which she seems to be signaling to the world with a sneak peek at her rockin' mom bod.

The 'RHOA' star posted some footage Monday night on her Instagram where she's whipping her hair around after a salon visit and looks very happy with the results ... as she thanked the owners of the joint.

Of course, the obvious image here that stands out -- besides her golden locks -- is her cleavage, because she posted the vid wearing just her bra, and Kim's cups runneth over.

Thirst traps from 'Housewives' are nothing new, but the timing of this one is interesting. Obviously, Kim just patched things up with her husband, Kroy Biermann, and called off their divorce ... which had gotten very ugly very quickly.

If this were a week ago, everyone would assume Kim did it to get under Kroy's skin -- but now that they're mending fences ... we're guessing she's just feeling good, and wanting to show she's looking good too.

It's a vibe.

Like we reported, Kim and Kroy are working through their issues the old-fashioned way -- just talking every day, without any 3rd party help.

A fun day at the ballpark turned into a nightmare for one Home Run Derby volunteer on Monday night ... because as he was trying to help shag balls at the MLB's pre-All-Star Game event, he got drilled in the face by a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. line drive.

The scary incident happened during the final round of the showcase at T-Mobile Park in Seattle ... when Guerrero Jr. was trying to put up a big HR total to beat out Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena for the event's trophy.

The Toronto Blue Jays star came up hacking ... clearing the wall with one swing -- but on his next attempt, he got a little on top of the ball ... and smoked a 115 MPH frozen rope to left field.

One of the many younger aids who the league brought in to help corral baseballs attempted to catch it on the fly -- but it missed his glove, and hit him right in the forehead.

Immediately, the guy crumpled to the ground in pain.

One of the many spectators in the crowd told TMZ Sports ... trainers raced to tend to the young man, wrapping his head in a bandage before giving him what appeared to be an ice pack.

Further details regarding the status of the injured volunteer are unclear, however ... we've reached out to MLB officials for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Magic Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson are tight both by land and sea  ... they ventured off their mega-yacht to grab some authentic Italian grub -- authentic 'cause they're in Italy!

The basketball legend and his famous guest jumped off their yacht for Sardinia, lunching at the Cala di Volpe Hotel.

As we reported, Magic's annual summer trip has been goin' down for nearly a decade, and this year's yacht is truly spectacular -- "Phoenix2," a 296-foot ship that rents out for $1.2 mil a week!

The yacht has everything ... an outdoor theater, swimming pool, gym, and multiple jacuzzis.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's sudden, and dramatic, u-turn on getting divorced isn't fueled by therapy appointments ... instead, they're leaning on a higher power to stay together.

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ ... Kim and Kroy are not doing couple's therapy in the aftermath of calling off their divorce -- a decision that seemed to come out of nowhere, especially considering how acrimonious things had gotten between them lately.

While ya might think they'd spent time on a shrink's couch to address their problems ... we're told that's not the case, and this rekindling is somewhat old-fashioned.

Our sources say Kim and Kroy believe they can fix their relationship with just face-to-face conversations, and a little help from God ... as they're relying on their shared Christian faith to push through the issues that brought them to the brink of divorce.

We're told Kim's always believed in a higher power, and Kroy's recently found God himself. Now, going to church as a family is becoming a regular thing for them and their kids.

Bottom line ... they don't believe they need a 3rd party to mediate, as of now, and are just going to lean on each other to get their marriage back on track. As for what led to them filing for divorce in the first place -- well, it's still a bit of a mystery.

Aaron Hernadez's brother, D.J. Hernandez, could get hauled to jail in Connecticut once again ... TMZ Sports has learned a re-arrest has been ordered for him after he failed to show up last week for a hearing in his ESPN brick-throwing case.

According to court records, D.J. was supposed to be at a courthouse in New Britain for proceedings on Friday ... though an official tells us he didn't appear.

As a result, the rep said, a re-arrest for D.J. was ordered.

We reached out to D.J. for comment on the situation ... but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

D.J. is currently facing one misdemeanor charge of breach of peace in the case ... after authorities accused him of throwing a brick at ESPN's headquarters back on March 23.

During the alleged incident in Bristol ... cops say D.J. -- Aaron's older brother and a former Division 1 football player -- attached a note to the object which read, in part, "It's about time you all realeyes the affect media has on all family members."

"Since you're a world wide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!"

D.J. was also hit with criminal charges in a separate incident that authorities said happened just days prior to the one in Bristol. In that case, D.J. was arrested after being accused of leading cops on a wild car chase after they attempted to pull him over for a routine traffic stop.

D.J., though, reached a deal with officials in April to close out that case ... pleading guilty to one count of failure to drive in a proper lane and one count of failure to use traffic control signals. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the other charges against him -- which included reckless driving and engaging police in pursuit.

Lucas Giolito will enter the second half of the MLB season as a single man ... TMZ Sports has learned the White Sox star's wife just filed for divorce.

Ariana Dubelko filed the docs in a Los Angeles court on Monday afternoon. She cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

In her filing, Dubelko also asked for spousal support from the 28-year-old pitcher, who's making $10.4 million with Chicago this season.

Despite Dubelko filing, a rep for Giolito told us the split was "a mutually agreed upon and amicable decision made by both parties."

Lucas' rep added ... "Unfortunately the State of California does not allow for a joint filing."

Nonetheless, the breakup is a shocking one -- considering the two had dated since they were teenagers ... and were often seen showing big love to each other on their social media pages.

In fact, back in September 2022 ... Giolito filmed an ad for a Sox sponsor, and in it, he praised his marriage to Dubelko as one his "favorite" "unbeatable moments."

Alexandre Pantoja earned a hero's welcome, and that's exactly what he got at his gym, American Top Team, Monday afternoon -- less than 48 hours after defeating Brandon Moreno -- and the scenes from inside were awesome!

It all went down at ATT in Coconut Creek, Florida -- one of the top MMA gyms in the world -- where the entire gym, including King Mo, Kayla Harrison, and Johnny Eblen gathered to celebrate Pantoja winning the flyweight title.

Pantoja traveled around the gym, belt over his shoulder, while fighters and coaches wished the first-time champ congratulations.

ICYMI ... the 33-year-old fighter's clash with Moreno was arguably the best fight of 2023 so far (it won Fight of the Night, too). The battle went the full 25 minutes, and Pantoja was ultimately declared the winner by split decision.

As expected after a 5-round war, Pantoja was a little beat up ... brandishing visible bruises on his face.

But we're guessing he doesn't feel a thing ... as the veteran fighter is now on top of the MMA world.

Adam Sandler is publicly supporting Earthgang's new track, which doubles as a tribute to the lead character in one of the actor's most beloved comedies ... "Waterboy."

On Monday, Adam tweeted out his stamp of approval for the song, "Bobby Boucher," writing ... "Yo EARTHGANG! Singing along with you! Love, Bobby B."

Quite the sign of respect and one EG didn't take lightly ... reposting the honor on all their socials.

Adam's a longtime hip hop fan, and has done several movies with legendary rappers over the years -- RZA, Queen Latifah and Nelly to name a few -- so, impressing him definitely amounts to bragging rights for the J. Cole signees.

The Caleb Seales-directed music video reimagines many of the 1998 football flick's most memorable moments -- the neurotic mother, the college crowd energy, and even the famous bright-orange jerseys (which have since gotten a Dreamville upgrade) are all featured.

Surfing star Mikala Jones has tragically died ... after part of his surfboard reportedly severed his femoral artery during a freak accident over the weekend.

It all happened at the Awera Resort in North Sipora on Sunday, according to Surfline, when the fin of Jones' surfboard appeared to cause a huge gash near his left groin.

The outlet reports medical personnel raced to assist Jones -- rushing him to the hospital ... though he sadly was declared dead there from his injuries.

He was just 44 years old.

His daughter, Isabella, grieved his death in an emotional Instagram post later on Sunday ... writing, "I'm not sure how to put this in words, but my dad got into a bad surfing accident and didn’t make it. Im happy he was doing what he loved the most."

"Life will never be the same without you," she added. "I miss you so much, i would do anything to get one more moment, even if it was us arguing and then laughing our asses off. Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons, and always being there for me. I wish you were still here with us right now. I will always be think about you dad ❤️"

Jones, a Hawaii native, began surfing at a young age ... and he eventually gained fame for his ability to ride through massive tubes in dangerous conditions. He was also notable for the way he filmed his rides -- earning praise from Surfline as "one of the 21st century’s most photogenic surfers."

Many in the surf world have mourned his passing ... including Kelly Slater, who wrote on Jones' most recent Instagram post, "Legend. 💔."

Jamie Foxx is back!!! ... hitting up a Topgolf driving range over the weekend, and this new video, obtained by TMZ, shows Jamie's made a great recovery.

Foxx was at Topgolf in Naperville, Illinois Saturday at around 11 PM, and the swing says it all. Jamie, club in hand, showed he has a firm grip and range of motion. An eyewitness tells TMZ his swing was better than the people with whom he was competing! The eyewitness says he had a very strong swing. BTW, Jamie won.

Beyond that, he was walking around, chatting with friends and family. The eyewitness says, "He was walking regular, not dragging his leg. His arm movement were definitely good," adding, "He was just regular Jamie."

The Topgolf driving range is near the rehab facility where Jamie's been recovering from his medical emergency. He's been at the facility since late April.

We also posted video of Jamie on a boat on the Chicago River, looking chill as he waived to fans and a passing boat.

Short story ... Jamie's recovery is pretty remarkable!

Grab the tissues ... Logan Paul just dropped video of his romantic marriage proposal to Nina Agdal, and it couldn't have been sweeter!!!

Paul published the video on his YouTube page Monday morning, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most important moments of his entire life.

Of course, we knew 28-year-old Paul and 31-year-old Agdal got engaged last week ... but now Logan and Nina are sharing video of the actual proposal in Lake Como, Italy.

Paul popped the question after dinner ... as the couple was taking in the beautiful scenery.

"Nina, I love you so much," Logan said ... as he turned into a puddle.

"You are the love of my life. You are the girl of my dreams. I never thought I'd find you. I never want to let you go. I'm sorry I'm being such a 'p***y'" ... before dropping down to one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" ... the couple embraced, and there were more tears!

After the proposal, Logan and Nina had dinner with her parents ... where LP asked the rents if he could ask for their daughter's hand in marriage.

Sure, that's typically done before you actually ask ... but that's when Logan revealed the weather forecast forced him to move up the day he was going to ask for her hand in marriage.

Thankfully, Mom and Dad said yes (whew 😰).

Paul also showed the moment in May when he first saw the huge rock of a ring that he helped design ... and he was clearly blown away.

"Oh my God, it's perfect," LP said when he saw the ring ... adding "People don't talk about how stressful it is for dudes to pick out rings for their soon-to-be wife."

Logan also showed his brother Jake's reaction to the engagement ring (he was psyched for his bro!) ... as well as his mother's!

Bottom line, the proposal was perfect ... and now it's time to plan a wedding!

It's the offseason in Dallas but Dak Prescott is still thrilling at least one Cowboys fan ... helping her out with a sweet baby gender reveal on Saturday!!!

The cute moment all went down at the NFL star's ProCamps football event at the Ford Center in Texas ... when a mom of a participant asked the 29-year-old if he'd help her reveal the sex of her soon-to-be newborn child.

Prescott obliged ... and without wasting too much time, the Dallas quarterback pulled out a card from an envelope and told the woman she'd be having a boy!!

"Congrats!" he exclaimed after making the announcement.

Dak and the fan -- who just so happened to be wearing his No. 4 Cowboys jersey -- then shared a huge embrace ... while everyone nearby went crazy.

"That is awesome," he whispered to her, before giving her a high five.

The rest of the camp was also a joy for Prescott -- he got to teach a bunch of tykes some football moves ... and even got to show them how to do his signature hip-thrusting warmup routine as well.

Awesome stuff, Dak!

Alex Volkanovski partied HARD after his dominant win at UFC 290 ... hitting a Vegas hotspot with none other than Shaquille O'Neal and NBA star Jamal Murray!!

The guys all met up at Encore Beach Club late Saturday night at Wynn Las Vegas -- just a couple hours after Volk's ultra-impressive third-round TKO of Yair Rodriguez -- and the trio got after it.

As O'Neal was DJing for a huge crowd that had gathered at the nightclub ... Volkanovski and Murray (the NBA star rolled up to 290 w/ Volk) hit the booth with the Lakers legend to rile up clubgoers as well.

The guys fist-pumped the night away ... and, at one point during the festivities, the 34-year-old fighter actually climbed onto the booth with his championship belt and danced his face off!!

A bunch of other celebs hit the scene to celebrate the big win too ... fellow UFC star Israel Adesanya took some time out to enjoy the moment with Volkanovski -- as did NBA players Trae Young, Myles Turner and Aaron Gordon.

Of course, Volkanovski deserved every bit of the reception ... his victory over Rodriguez absolutely cemented his status as one of the best to ever do it in the UFC.

Up next for Volkanovski (after he has arm surgery) could be a rematch with Lightweight champ Islam Makhachev or a matchup with contender Ilia Topuria ... but for now, it's clear he's super content enjoying the spoils of his victory.

Congrats!!

Zach LaVine's been at the center of near-constant trade speculation -- the Bulls star took out some of that frustration during a star-studded celebrity softball game, smashing a monster home run!

He flashed some leather, too ... robbing an HR in left field!

It all happened at MLB's 2023 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game in Seattle -- the site of the All-Star Game this weekend -- featuring stars like Joel McHale, Chloe Kim, Donovan Mitchell, Jennie Finch, Felix Hernandez, and Ryan Howard, amongst many more.

In the third inning, with Mariners legend Brett Boone on the mound, LaVine, a lefty, stepped to the plate and absolutely put a charge into one, hitting a bomb over the right-field softball fence.

Zach immediately knew the ball was gone ... he stood at the plate admiring his work, before tossing the bat, and beginning his home run trot.

Of course, softball fences are pushed in because the bigger ball's difficult to hit far. But, Zach hit the ball so hard, he nearly cleared the right field wall at T-Mobile Park.

Later in the game, LaVine showed he's more than just a bat.

Former Mariners star Mike Cameron was at the plate, and he drove a ball to deep left-center. Zach tracked the ball, and using every bit of his 6'5" frame, arm extended, caught it (sending center fielder Howie Mandel to the ground), robbing the home run.

LaVine wasn't the only NBA player showing out ... Cavs star Donovan Mitchell also hit a HR.