TMZ Sports - Page 9

Aljamain Sterling altered his strategy in the 2nd round of his title defense against Sean O'Malley after a smattering of boos in the 1st, according to UFC contender Merab Dvalishvili, who told us Aljo became more aggressive in his approach.

"Aljo always fights smart. He's so good, he can do everything he wants. But, he always fights smart. He was fighting smart. Then in the second round, the people started booing again. So Aljo tried to make an exciting fight. That's when he decided to strike more, punch more," Dvalishvili told TMZ Sports.

If you watched the fight, the crowd was firmly behind Suga ... so when Aljamain attempted to get O'Malley to the ground, the Boston fans booed.

Merab says Aljo heard the response ... "He actually said that was the main reason why he made the adjustment to step in and go to striking."

Of course, just over 30 seconds into the second round, Aljamain lunged forward, throwing a straight left that fell just short of Sean's chin. The momentum of the strike carried Sterling forward, leaving him out of position, and unable to defend himself from the incoming right.

The shot was perfectly placed, sending Aljo to the ground, and scrambling to stay alive.

About 20 seconds later, the fight was stopped by referee Marc Goddard.

Sterling, who'd won 9 fights in a row, didn't really protest the stoppage in the Octagon (and couldn't have been more graceful in defeat), though Dvalishvili believes the fight was prematurely halted.

"The referee stopped Aljo a little early, cause Aljo was fighting, he wasn't out of anything. He was defending. First, he was trying to catch the leg. Then after he made the turn, he tried to do other move to get out of the situation, and the referee just jumped, that's what Marc Goddard does. That's why I have Marc Goddard phobia."

As for what's next ... that's where things really get interesting/complicated, and Merab is very much in the mix.

O'Malley is the champ now. Aljo is the top-ranked contender and made it clear he wants a rematch.

Merab is ranked 2nd. Henry Cejudo is 3, Cory Sandhagen 4, Petr Yan 5, and "Chito" Vera, who Suga called out after the fight, is ranked 6.

We asked Dvalishvili -- who will not fight Sterling -- what he believes should happen next.

"If Aljo wants to make a comeback now and fight O'Malley for a rematch, that would be best. But, if Aljo wants to take a vacation or O'Malley don't fight him, or the UFC doesn't make this matchup, I am the next guy," Merab said.

"I am the number one contender after Aljo, and O'Malley should fight me. If he fights Chito Vera, that's a joke."

FYI, Dvalishvili's in the midst of a 9-fight win streak -- he last lost in April 2018 -- and has beaten the likes of Petr Yan and Jose Aldo. As for Marlon, he beat Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision at UFC 292, and is the only fighter to defeat O'Malley (UFC 252 in August 2020).

The tributes are pouring in on what would have been Kobe Bryant's 45th birthday ... with the late Lakers legend's wife, Vanessa, sharing an emotional post.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever. ❤️ #82378," Vanessa said on Instagram alongside several pics of the couple together.

Bryant's former teammates like Caron Butler and Carlos Boozer showed love in the comments ... as well as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who said, "A timeless and inspiring love story ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

Bryant has been the center of countless social media posts on Wednesday ... as many have been sharing their favorite memories.

Kobe and Vanessa first met on a music video set back in 1999 ... and were married 19 years before the five-time champion's death in 2020. They had four kids together -- Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Sam Williams has found himself in trouble with the law yet again ... the 24-year-old was arrested in Texas over the weekend -- the second time cops have accused him of wrongdoing in the last year.

According to a Frisco Police Dept. spokesperson, Williams was taken into custody on Sunday  ... and booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made immediately available.

The 24-year-old had just played in the Cowboys' preseason game on Saturday night against the Seahawks in Seattle ... and he shined, recording a sack and two tackles. He was also seen participating in Dallas' training camp practice on Tuesday -- a day after their off-day Monday.

The Cowboys, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, were aware of the arrest.

Williams has been previously accused of wrongdoing in December 2022, when authorities alleged he drove recklessly before crashing his Corvette in Plano.

Jets receiver Jerome Kapp transformed into Eminem for New York's rookie talent show this month ... and the guy crushed the role so hard -- even Aaron Rodgers had to give him a standing ovation.

The performance all went down last week inside a Jets team meeting ... when after the veterans made some of the squad's newcomers grab a mic for them, Kapp decided to re-enact Em's famous freestyle from "8 Mile."

And, thanks to "Hard Knocks" cameras -- we got to see the epic concert in its entirety.

Kapp threw on a beanie and a hood, put the movie's famous track on the speakers ... and then he got busy.

"Everybody from the 3-1-3 put your motherf***ing hands up and follow me!" he yelled ... before rapping the legendary Eminem verses word-for-word.

Kapp even hit the a cappella portion of the song ... and when he wrapped up, his teammates -- including Rodgers -- exploded.

Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, is giving her Twitter fingers a rest -- the Kansas City Chiefs superstar's longtime partner says she's taking a step back on social media to avoid "horrible people."

Brittany revealed her new plans in a Q&A with her 1.4 million Instagram followers this week ... when one of her fans mentioned how they wish she shared more of her daily life.

"Unfortunately, the less I share the less I have to deal with horrible people," Brittany replied.

Of course, Brittany -- who married the 2-time Super Bowl champ in 2022 -- used to go all out on social media ... posting videos of herself going crazy in the Arrowhead suites while also calling out trolls and NFL players like Eli Apple.

But, lately, Brittany has noticeably been moving in relative silence ... and now we know it's by design.

In fact, Britt said she won't even give a tour of the Mahomes' new home ... pointing out the best part about the crib is "the privacy and safety."

Brittany hasn't gone completely M.I.A., though ... as she still posts workouts and family content from time to time.

Justin Verlander was so pissed at Alex Cora during their game Tuesday night, he straight up told the Red Sox manager to "f*** off" ... and the heated dispute was all captured on a hot mic!!

The Astros ace had been dealing with some PitchCom issues during the second inning of Houston's tilt with Boston at Minute Maid Park ... and he needed a break from the action to get it all squared away.

But, when Cora thought he was taking advantage of the situation to avoid a pitch-clock violation ... he came out to argue -- and the two then got into it.

"You shook him off five times!" Cora could be heard telling the right-hander.

"I didn't shake that at-bat!" Verlander fired back. "I didn't shake that at-bat! F*** off, Alex!"

The situation was so unique, one of the game's announcers could be heard on the broadcast letting out a loud chuckle.

Ultimately, Verlander would go on to get the last laugh in the situation ... 'cause once he returned to the pitching rubber, he shoved -- going six strong innings while allowing no earned runs and striking out nine.

Drake paid homage to LeBron James on Monday night, but on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to another Laker legend -- Kobe Bryant -- and the impromptu tribute to the Mamba was pretty cool.

Drizzy was performing yet another show at Crypto.com Arena as part of his "It's All A Blur" tour -- his sixth stop in the City of Angels this month -- and when someone threw a black, Bryant Lakers jersey on stage ... he paused his show to remember the Hall of Famer.

The 36-year-old rapper picked up the No. 24 uni and told the sold-out crowd at the venue where Bryant played almost all of his home games for his entire NBA career, "I'mma hold this up 'cause we got to show love to Kobe one time."

"Ya'll make some noise for Kobe at this time," he added.

The fans in attendance roared for several moments ... before Drake continued on with his performance.

It's the second time in as many days that Drake has urged his crowd to support the Lakers -- at Monday's show in Crypto, he featured James and the L.A. star's son, Bronny, a couple times during the concert.

Tuesday's tribute, though, was perhaps the most fitting ... considering this week is a special one for Bryant and his family.

Adam Cole could leave Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday with two titles ... a night that he tells TMZ Sports would be the "highlight of my career!"

Cole -- who spent nine months on the shelf after suffering a serious concussion in May 2022 -- is challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship ... and Adam says, "The excitement is through the roof for everybody involved."

"It'd be the highlight of my career. It would mean absolutely everything to me," Cole said of winning the World Championship at "All In" after the long hiatus.

"To now be in this situation where I am wrestling one of my good buddies again for the AEW World Title, in the main event of one of the biggest shows of all time, It's amazing!"

Of course, Cole joined AEW in 2021 ... after becoming a star in WWE. Adam and MJF are two of the most popular wrestlers in the promotion, and have an interesting relationship. They're friends, but also rivals.

In fact, the two battled to a 30-minute draw on AEW Dynamite in June ... and later became tag team partners. They've had so much success together, the guys are opening this weekend's show with a match with the Ring of Honor tag team title on the line.

If you're keeping track at home ... Adam and MJF are going to team up together to start the night, and end the night by beating the hell out of each other.

"When we teamed, no, I did not expect the audience to be so invested not in Adam Cole versus MJF, but Adam Cole and MJF together. Which that kind of took a life of its own and it's absolutely wild."

Cole continued ... "I do understand why as far as the chemistry that me and him have. I think we both have a very similar thought process when it comes to pro wrestling and what we think makes a really, really exciting pro wrestling angle, match, show, etc."

"So, it's been very, very cool. I'm glad the fans have latched on to it."

Woody Johnson is really a players' owner -- the New York Jets honcho decided he wanted to have drip like his superstar athletes ... by copping a diamond chain for himself!!

TMZ Sports is told -- the NFL owner recently hit up Al The Jeweler of Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ ... after he noticed the pieces made for Jets stars like Sauce Gardner, Mecole Hardman and Aaron Rodgers, and wanted to get in on the fun.

Woody revealed his own piece during a team meeting, as shown in the most recent episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks" ... and everyone erupted in approval -- clapping and cheering as he explained how he got it.

"I got the inspiration from you," Woody told the players.

Johnson went on to say he saw just how hard the team has been working during training camp ... saying it motivated not only the front office, but the fan base as well.

We're told the piece -- which says "Woody and the Jets" -- is made of 80 carats of emerald and round cut diamonds ... with a white gold setting.

On the back, it reads "Think Big August '23."

Of course, Al is responsible for the most lavish looks in the game -- working with superstars like Gardner, Stefon Diggs, Jarvis Landry and so many more.

But, Al tells us he's never worked with an NFL team owner before ... and it might be a first throughout the whole league.

Ya gotta give this Little League World Series player an A for effort -- one kid tried to shrink the strike zone as much as possible during an at-bat on Tuesday ... by practically sitting in the box!!

It all went down during Mexico's matchup against Venezuela ... when second baseman Santiago Hernandez stepped up to the plate in the top of the 5th inning.

With a 1-0 count, Hernandez crouched down until he was basically in the dirt ... but unfortunately for him, his master plan didn't go according to plan, as Venezuela's pitcher threw a strike.

The announcers got a good laugh out of it ... wondering if the young athlete had practiced the stunt in the past.

As it turns out, the Little League rulebook specifically addresses this sort of thing -- stating a batter's strike zone is determined based on their normal stance ... displayed when they swing at a pitch or take a practice whiff.

In other words, Hernandez's crouching didn't change his strike zone one bit ... resulting in a called strike.

Brielle Biermann is being hounded by American Express for allegedly not paying a five-figure credit card bill, and now AmEx is going after her in court.

According to new legal documents, obtained by TMZ, American Express claims Kim Zolciak's daughter failed to pay off a $12,870.25 balance.

The credit card company claims Brielle hasn't been forking over the monthly minimum payment on her Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card.

In the docs, AmEx says it's demanded payment from Brielle ... but she's failed to settle the bill ... and now they're going after her for the full balance, plus court costs.

The apple apparently doesn't fall far from the tree ... Brielle's mom is also being sued for an unpaid credit card bill at Target, just one factor in her mother's ongoing struggles.

Meanwhile, as we first reported ... Brielle's adopted father, Kroy Biermann, is being sued over an unpaid credit line from a casino trip to the Bahamas.

The split between Nia Long and Ime Udoka is getting nastier ... the actress is now asking for primary custody of the couple's child -- after she claims the NBA head coach has been failing to support the kid.

Long made the allegation in a court filing in Los Angeles last week ... while requesting a judge give her primary legal and physical custody of their 11-year-old son, Kez.

According to the docs, however, she did ask the judge to allow Udoka a reasonable opportunity to visit their kid to the extent "consistent with the child's best interest."

A ruling on the petition has not yet been handed down. Udoka has yet to respond.

As we reported, the couple broke up in late 2022 after 13 years together ... following allegations that Udoka had an affair with a team staffer while he was the Boston Celtics' coach.

Long had said at the time that the scandal was revealed that she was heartbroken ... adding that it was all "devastating" to her and her family.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have a lot to celebrate ... the couple just welcomed their second child together!!

The tennis superstar revealed the major news with a TikTok on Tuesday ... showing her get up from a table and leave the frame before returning with the little bundle of joy.

Alexis and Olympia look happy as can be -- with big sis adorably giving baby Adira River a kiss on the forehead.

The Reddit co-founder also posted about the newcomer ... saying, "I'm grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama."

"Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you've now given me another incomparable gift — you're the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter 🙏 I'll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister."

Serena and Alexis shared they were having another daughter at a lavish gender reveal just a few weeks ago ... and now that Adira is here, the countdown is on to see her take the court with Olympia -- just like Mama and Aunt Venus!!

A massive explosion at a North Carolina home belonging to NFL defensive back Caleb Farley has left one person dead ... and another injured.

The incident happened overnight Monday in Mooresville, N.C. -- leveling a multi-million dollar property that, according to multiple reports, Farley had just purchased recently.

Iredell County Fire Marshal's Office spokesperson Kent Greene tells TMZ Sports ... one person was recovered from the scene deceased -- while another was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Farley was not a victim, Greene added.

An investigation into the matter is ongoing, Greene tells us ... though the current focus of the probe is centering around the home's natural gas lines.

According to local media outlets on the scene, Farley -- a 24-year-old Tennessee Titans corner -- was seen at the site Tuesday morning cooperating with authorities.

Farley is currently on the Titans' physically-unable-to-perform list while dealing with a back injury. Since the team took him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Farley's played sparingly, seeing action in just 12 total games.

Things went from 100 to 100 at the KSI vs. Tommy Fury press conference on Tuesday ... 'cause the entire event was absolute chaos from start to finish -- with TNT's dad flipping tables and Logan Paul throwing cake at Dillon Danis.

The wild incident just went down minutes ago at Wembley Arena in London ... with all four fighters -- as well as John Fury -- unleashing menacing insults left and right.

But, it was John who got so fed up with the personal jabs, he decided to take action -- hurling a table upside down and kicking another in a rage.

Everyone on stage stood up and got in a scuffle ... with KSI and Tommy needing to be held back. Logan loved every second of it, hopping up on his chair to get a better view.

Danis, on the other hand, picked up a chair ... but was talked out of throwing it.

John then took his shouting fit to the crowd ... thrusting as the fans in attendance erupted in cheers.

Eventually, everyone was escorted offstage ... and we're assuming cooler heads prevailed.

Earlier in the presser, Logan said he got a birthday gift for his opponent ... revealing a customized cake in the shape of a knocked-out Danis.

Dillon -- who's posted constantly about Paul's fiancée, Nina Agdal, on his social media pages over the past week -- responded by taking yet another shot at the model ... and Logan clapped back with his own jabs.

"Run your mouth all you want, but you know damn well you ain't ever been with any girl as beautiful as my girl," Paul said.

"You've resorted to attacking a woman as your fight tactic, no wonder you're friends with Conor McGregor. Where is he, by the way?"

Eventually, Logan decided to decapitate the cake version of Danis and throw its head in his opponent's direction ... and Dillon tried to charge back, but security intervened.

James Harden's bank account is 5 zeros lighter this morning ... the NBA slapped the perennial All-Star with a huge 100 grand fine for saying he wouldn't play for the Philadelphia 76ers, despite being under contract.

"The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team," the Association announced.

"The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded."

Of course, it was just last week when the 2018 NBA MVP blasted the Sixers exec while at an Adidas event, saying, "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."

In case there was any doubt, James doubled down.

"Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Once James returned to the States, he was asked whether the relationship with Morey and the team could be salvaged ... to which he said no.

Harden is set to be a free agent after this season ... but he's made it clear, despite being owed over $30 million, he won't play for the 76ers.