TMZ Sports - Page 14

Giga Chikadze's dad can apparently see the future.

The father of the 8th-ranked UFC featherweight fighter predicted his son would be champion the day he was born on August 25, 1988.

"Giga Chikadze was born here, son of Zaza. In this very hospital. My first-born son. The future World Champion in Judo, swimming. A good fighter and a good man," the proud dad said from outside the hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia (country) more than 35 years ago.

Now, Giga isn't champ -- at least not yet -- but he's a top-10 ranked fighter in the world's most popular MMA promotion.

"From that day, I've been the project of this. I'm UFC's future. I don't even know. They already decided for me what I would have to do, what I would be in the future when I grow up. It's funny we actually have the video," Giga told TMZ Sports.

Chikadze is coming off a unanimous decision win over Alex Caceres last weekend ... in his return to the Octagon following his first UFC loss (Calvin Kattar in 2022).

Caceres was ranked several spots below Giga ... and now he's looking for that to be reciprocated by the UFC by way of a top-ranked opponent like Max Holloway, with whom he shared a locker room at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

"It was definitely fun to share the locker room with him and I'd be happy and it's gonna be an honor if he would agree on this fight. Love the guy, he's such a nice guy, doing great stuff, great family, and all the stuff. Feel like we can do a nice event together. Maybe even a Pay-Per-View card on December 16."

Blessed is the #1 ranked contender ... in the division where Alex Volkanovski currently rules.

A win over someone like Holloway could set up a title shot for Giga ... who would then have the opportunity to prove his dad's clairvoyant.

Amir Coffey's July arrest has led to criminal charges ... TMZ Sports has learned the Clippers forward was hit with two misdemeanors late last month.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has filed one count of carrying a loaded firearm and one count of carrying a concealed firearm against Coffey ... after alleging he had a gun in his ride during a routine traffic stop in Hollywood earlier this summer.

We broke the story ... a car Coffey was in was initially pulled over on July 30, after authorities claimed it had been speeding at around 2:30 AM.

According to law enforcement, officers said the vehicle smelled like marijuana -- so they searched it and found a loaded gun they say Coffey claimed was his.

Coffey was then placed into custody -- and spent several hours behind bars before he was released.

Lisa Lyon -- a pioneer in professional women's bodybuilding -- is in grave condition, suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Lyon, who famously posed for Playboy in 1980, was recently transferred to hospice care in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.

The muscle champ had a short, but sweet career in bodybuilding. In 1979, Lyon snagged the first International Federation of Bodybuilders Woman's World Pro Bodybuilding Championship in Los Angeles. Turns out this was one of two bodybuilding contests Lyon entered, but it was no doubt a huge success for her.

She went on to promote women's bodybuilding in magazines and on TV talk shows. She also penned a book on the topic called, "Lisa Lyon’s Body Magic," which was published in 1981.

Not only that ... but Lyon was one of the only female bodybuilders at the time to be photographed for Playboy. Her sexy snaps appeared in the October 1980 issue.

She also modeled for renowned photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe, who occasionally produced pictures for Andy Warhol.

In 2000, Lyon was inducted into the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federal Hall of Fame for elevating bodybuilding to the level of fine art.

The Biebers served up some major star power at the US Open Friday night … prompting a shoutout from tennis great Coco Gauff -- and paving her way to victory.

Justin and Hailey were kicking back in their box seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, watching Coco battle Elise Mertens in the third round of the women's grand slam tournament.

Hailey looked like her beautiful self in a trendy leather coat … but Justin stole the show with his funky pink glasses and polka-dot black cap turned back around.

The couple was clearly there to support Coco, jumping to their feet and cheering whenever she won points at critical stages in the match.

Coco went on to beat Mertens in three sets -- 3-6 6-3 6-0.

The 19-year-old phenom gave the Biebers credit for inspiring her to win by their very presence after she dropped the first set.

Coco told an ESPN reporter, "I definitely saw who was there. I thought, 'I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber.' I didn't lose a game after I saw that."

She added, "I was definitely starstruck with Justin Bieber. And then Hailey coming, too. I guess it was a little date night for them which is really cool.

Many athletes and celebs have stepped up in a huge way in the wake of the devastating wildfires in Maui ... and perhaps none more so than Bellator MMA star Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, who raised over $2 MILLION on Instagram!

TMZ Sports spoke with the Honolulu native this week as the area is still reeling from fires that killed at least 115 people, with hundreds still unaccounted for. The people who fortunately escaped with their lives are still dealing with property loss, in some cases everything, including their homes.

"We have hit the $2.6 million mark and this is just on Instagram alone," Macfarlane said.

"The beautiful thing that I love so much about this fundraiser is that it wasn't big corporations or big huge donors, it was literally people."

Macfarlane also gives credit to a few celebrities for sharing the fund, including Bretman Rock, Meghan Trainor, and Jason Momoa.

Now, the challenge is getting the money to those who need it ... which can be a difficult job.

"I haven't raised that much for my nonprofit before so I am collaborating with other agencies to make sure it's distributed equitably and efficiently."

Macfarlane also revealed she's teamed up with Bellator to replace gym equipment and training gear at local dojos. They're also inviting a family to Ilima-Lei's upcoming title fight in San Diego.

Speaking of her fight with mentor Liz Carmouche (Bellator 300 on October 7), Macfarlane says it's a bout she's always wanted but hasn't been able to enjoy the lead-up to the event because of the situation in Hawaii.

"It was a super scary time and it was actually weird timing because [the fires] happened the day that we announced my title fight," Macfarlane said.

"I just couldn't be happy. I couldn't be excited for this super awesome fight that I've wanted for so long just because of what was going on."

Hulk Hogan is runnin' wild on his latest fitness journey ... saying this week he's now abstained from alcohol for eight months -- and it's done his body so good, he's down 40-plus pounds!!

The Hulkster joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" to break down his latest plan to get fit ... and he said it all started back on New Year's -- when he "got sick and tired of being sick and tired of myself."

Initially, the WWE Hall of Famer wanted it to just be a simple booze break ... but it's now spiraled into nearly a full year without a sip of liquor -- and he couldn't be happier about it.

"It changed everything," Hulk said of how his body responded to the new diet. "I wasn't eating late at night -- I wasn't eating junk food anymore. I dropped like 40 pounds right away."

Hulk said his alcohol consumption had gotten pretty bad just before he quit ... saying it'd lead to wild binge-eating moments that were taking a toll on his physique -- and his joints.

Now, however, the 70-year-old said he's feeling so good ... he's having a much easier time keeping up with his 45-year-old fiancé, Sky Daily.

Hulk isn't sure how much longer he'll be booze-free -- he said he could see himself grabbing drinks again socially one day -- but he told Harvey and Charles he'll never go back to the way things were.

Kenneth Gainwell's feet are going to be looking out of this (Astro)world when the Eagles take the field next week ... 'cause the tailback just copped some awesome Travis Scott-inspired cleats for Philadelphia's opener!!

TMZ Sports has learned the footballer reached out to cleat master Rodney Jackson to get some heat for the Birds' Week 1 game against the Patriots ... asking for some spikes that resembled the exclusive Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG Olive F&F pair that pays homage to Scott's new album, "Utopia."

Of course, Jackson -- who's been in the custom cleats business since 2015 -- didn't take long to deliver the goods ... whipping up an amazing pair in about three and a half weeks.

You can see the spikes look exactly like the AJ1 x Travis Scotts ... all the way down to the "Utopia" branding on the back -- and Jackson said he was super happy with how they came out.

"I wanted to capture every detail of the shoe and the right leather texture," Jackson tells us.

Gainwell -- a former fifth-round pick out of Memphis -- will have a big opportunity to show them off against New England ... he's expected to be a workhorse for Philly following the departure of last year's starter, Miles Sanders.

Rose Namajunas is the 2nd-ranked strawweight in the UFC, but the former 2x 115 lb. champ is moving up to fight a top flyweight, and she tells us she feels amazing and doesn't plan on going back to her old weight class.

"I'm definitely healthier," Thug Rose told TMZ Sports of the difference between making 115 and 125 lbs. ... as she preps to fight #3-ranked flyweight Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night in Paris on Saturday.

Rose hasn't fought since May 2022 ... when she lost to fellow contender, Carla Esparza, by split decision. Physically, Namajunas feels a lot better a year and change later.

"I did think the weight cut started to get a little tougher each time, even the last cut it was like my eyes were sunken in like 'Ooh this is not super healthy.' I don't think it highly affected my performance, maybe it did, maybe it didn't, I have no idea but I'm definitely super excited to feel healthy going in there and actually eating more, lifting more, just feeling strong."

As for whether she'd go back to the division where she's so highly ranked ... probably not.

"I highly doubt I would ever go back down unless there was a really good reason to. Unless I go into this fight and something totally just like, 'Oh man these flyweights are way bigger and stronger than I expected' but I highly doubt that."

Rose continued ... "I train with flyweights. I have a good feel for that. Even in my amateur career, I fought in flyweight, too. Unless it's totally a surprise and a shock to me, I see myself staying here."

Of course, if RN stays at 125, that would likely mean there won't be a third fight between her and Zhang Weili (Rose defeated the Chinese MMA star twice) ... though Namajunas didn't entirely shut the door on the trilogy.

If it does happen, it'll be down the road.

For the time being, Namajunas -- who isn't ranked in the new division -- is getting one of the best in the world in Fiorot (she hasn't lost a fight since 2018). We asked Rose if she expected a title shot straight away after a win.

"No, I'm not really putting any expectations on anything. I'm just hoping and praying for the best performance that I can give, give glory to God and just let Him do the rest. If that happens, that would be a dream come true."

If she were to get a title shot, it could mean a scrap between Rose and Valentina Shevchenko, who is fighting to win her belt back vs. Alexa Grasso in a few weeks.

Shaquille O'Neal is back in the rap game!

The basketball legend linked up with an L.A.-based rap group for a new song and music video, and it slaps.

TMZ Sports talked to Coyote -- made up of rappers Ladies Love Guapo and Ricky Blanco -- and they tell us The Big Aristotle was a fan of their work going back some time, and they developed a relationship. The guys began talking about hopping on a track together

"[Shaq] was like as long as it's some hardcore stuff, I'm down. So we made a hardcore hip hop '90s-type song and we're like 'Bro, let's send it to Shaq,' and he got on it, did his thing, he spit like 32 bars. He went off!" Ladies Love Guapo told us.

The guys say O'Neal loved the beat and a few hours later, voila ... his verse was in their inbox.

"4 hours later he FaceTimes us and he shows us his verse and he went crazy! He's rapping better than 90% of rappers out there."

Shaquille even pulled up for the music video shoot in Los Angeles ... shot in the city where he delivered three championships.

"3 Lokos" is the first song Coyote ft. Diesel are releasing ... but it won't be their last.

In fact, Blanco says they already have a second song they've recorded with Shaq, and plan on dropping more music in the near future ... including rapping on a beat that O'Neal produced.

Kim Zolciak says it wasn't Kroy Biermann's idea to sell their house that is teetering on the brink of foreclosure ... it was hers.

Kim hit up Il Pastaio Friday night, and she said flat out ... the decision to sell their home was mutual.

TMZ broke the story, Kroy has filed for divorce a second time, although Kim has been acting like it's only a matter of time before he pulls the plug on it again. She's been wearing her wedding ring -- though not last night -- and is pooh-poohing the notion they're really getting divorced.

Kroy's lawyers have a different take ... they're saying Kroy is as serious as a heart attack ... he wants out.

At least from the filing, it looks pretty nasty.  He wants sole custody of their minor children and exclusive use of their home, for as long as they have it.

Kroy locked Kim out last month and left her pillow on the doorstep.  She called the cops.

Morgan Wallen had a hometown surprise for Pittsburgh fans during his concert Thursday night ... Wiz Khalifa!

The concert was packed when Wiz, who grew up in Pittsburgh, appeared on stage and sang "Black and Yellow," as fans went wild. The optics were pretty spectacular ... flames shooting up in the air with yellow lights surrounding the venue.

Morgan and Wiz embraced as they left the stage. Seems Wiz is a Morgan fan ... he's hit up several of the country star's concerts.

If you checked our site earlier, you'll know the concert went down at PNC Park ... it's where some women got into a pretty epic porta-potty brawl the day before!

Several girls got so upset with each other while in line for a porta potty at Morgan Wallen's show Wednesday night ... they straight up beat the snot out of each other -- and the wild fight was all captured on video.

The incident happened inside the Pittsburgh Pirates' stadium, PNC Park ... and while it's unclear what sparked the melee -- it appeared a dispute over who could use one of the toilets is what set everyone off.

You can see in the footage, two girls were arguing next to a porta-potty ... before they began pushing and shoving each other.

Eventually, the two's tussle spilled into one of the open Johns ... and despite the gross conditions, they still continued to pound on each other.

One of the girls' apparent acquaintances then came in to break it up -- and that's when things turned way more violent.

The girl in the blue romper and white cowboy boots pulled one of the combatants out by her hair and threw punches. She then swung on another girl, before kicking her.

Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed.

Daniil Medvedev could use a refresher course in tennis etiquette after twice flying off the handle at the US Open Thursday night.

The tennis star first lost his cool after he blew several match points — one by double-faulting —  in the third set of his second-round match against Christopher O’Connell in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

O’Connell went on to win the set, prompting an angry Medvedev to lash out at a camera person filming him during a break.

In the fourth set, Medvedev acted up again, yelling at crowd members chatting and walking back to their seats as he was about to serve. He screamed, “Can you shut up guys? Are you stupid or what?”

The audience booed Medvedev, but he still went on to victory, beating O’Connell 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 6-2.

It was complete chaos at the scene just seconds after Robert Quinn allegedly crashed his truck into four cars in a South Carolina neighborhood ... with one woman screaming at the ex-NFL star, claiming he had hit her.

The alleged incident all unfolded on Aug. 15 in Summerville ... when, according to a 911 call obtained by TMZ Sports, Quinn and a woman were arguing about the vehicles he had been accused of running into.

You can hear in the background of the police audio ... a woman was yelling at a man appearing to be Quinn, demanding he get off her property.

When dispatch asked what was going on ... the caller said, "My mom's talking to the guy that did it and he's like a little too close to her" -- but a short time later, things seemed to turn violent.

In the background of the call, a woman can be heard shouting, "You just hit me!" -- with dispatch quickly adding, "Male just hit the complainant's mother."

Despite the apparent physical confrontation, you can hear in the audio a verbal one still continued, with Quinn seemingly offering to buy the woman two new cars.

"Is he offering to buy your mom two cars?" dispatch asked the caller.

"He just totaled two of our cars just now," the caller responded. "And my neighbor's car, and my other neighbor's car. He just hit four cars."

The caller then added, "He pushed my mom in the head, he hit her in the head."

Later, the caller said of Quinn ... "He's acting like he's drunk. I think he's been drinking or something else."

Cops eventually arrived on the scene ... but, according to police documents, officers say the ex-Dallas Cowboys pass rusher bolted from the area before they could question him. They added that following a search of Quinn's wrecked vehicle, they discovered a "partially empty bottle" of Crown Royal Apple whiskey on the passenger side floorboard.

Ultimately, Quinn -- a current free agent -- turned himself in later in the week... and was hit with seven total charges stemming from the incident -- including hit-and-run and assault.

NASCAR star Kyle Larson tells TMZ Sports he's relieved to see Ryan Preece escape serious injury after Saturday's terrifying crash ... praising the organization for taking necessary steps over the years to improve driver safety.

Preece's No. 41 car flipped multiple times during an accident in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona last weekend ... leaving many shocked he was able to walk away from the scene.

Of course, superspeedway racing is the most dangerous in the circuit ... with cars reaching their limits at insane speeds.

Larson's wife, Katelyn, shared her hatred for the style of race on X shortly after the Preece crash ... and while Kyle said he wasn't aware of her post, he admitted superspeedway events can really get the nerves going.

"I'm not sure what she said, but I just know that we're all thankful that we were able to see Ryan get out of that car and walk away from that wreck," Kyle said. "That was a very scary accident."

"It's definitely a style of race in that it's really the only time I'm ever a little bit nervous in a race car. I have been caught up in a lot of big accidents at those style tracks."

Larson said NASCAR is doing a great job at taking the proper measures to keep all the drivers out of harm's way ... adding, "On the flip side of that, our sport has gotten so much safer in the last couple of decades that allows a guy to flip that violently to get out, walk away, go see his family at home is pretty remarkable."

"Our sport can always be safer, but it's come a long way and we're all thankful for that."

As for Preece, he posted after the accident ... vowing to return.

We also spoke with Larson about a great cause ... helping raise $50,000 for the Phoenix Children's Hospital at the NASCAR Championship Ignition Luncheon earlier this week, and he said it's rewarding to use his platform to give back to the community.

Joey Chestnut is looking to destroy as many drums and flats needed to secure a victory this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he's got his sights set on reclaiming the chicken wing championship!!

Jaws is slated to compete in the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship in Buffalo on Saturday ... going up against some of the top competitive eaters in the world, including the past two winners of the event -- Geoffrey Esper and Miki Sudo.

Joey -- who's won the contest six times over the course of his career -- says he's focused on taking back what's his ... admitting he's frustrated he hasn't won since 2018.

Chestnut hints at the awesome vibes and bars in Buffalo as one of the reasons he's come up short in years past ... saying he might love the city TOO much.

"When I go in there early -- and the people are so nice -- it's hard to not have a good time there," Jaws says. "So this year, I need to go in there and I need to control myself a little bit and make sure I don't have too much fun when I get in to Buffalo."

Chestnut -- who once ate 413 wings in a 12-hour span -- says he's felt so much support from the fans over the years ... while also acknowledging there's a little bit of pressure that comes with having all eyes on him.