TMZ Sports - Page 23

Junior dos Santos dropped his last 5 fights prior to his Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA scrap against Fabricio Werdum ... but the MMA legend tells TMZ Sports the win over the former UFC champ has reinvigorated his career!

"Just the fact that [the fans] were willing, they were excited to see me fighting again," dos Santos told us days after his fight.

"It's the main factor for me that makes me motivated because I know I still have a lot of good performances left on me. We're always ready to put on a good show."

Of course, 39-year-old dos Santos beat 46-year-old Werdum by split decision during the main event of Jorge Masvidal's promotion, Gamebred Fighting Championship 5, which featured two former UFC champs battling it out sans gloves.

As for how much longer he'll fight ... here's what "Cigano" had to say.

"Right now I go to the gym and I see my performance, I see the love, everything is there. I want to keep going."

"As soon as I go to the gym or I'm fighting or something like that and I'm not delivering anymore, I'll tell myself, I'll see that, I cannot do this anymore. This is kind of dangerous for me ... but right now I feel great!"

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We also talked to Junior about two of his former opponents ... Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. Both men have big-time bouts coming up ... Stipe vs. Jon Jones and "The Predator" vs. heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury.

Nicki Minaj's husband and some goons were apparently waiting to see Offset outside somewhere on the streets of New York this week -- but the man himself was up in air.

A pal of Kenneth Petty went live on IG Friday night -- which, of course, was captured and reposted by the general public. In the lengthy clips, you can see him, KP and another man all standing on a sidewalk across the street from some building ... calling out Offset.

Seems they thought he'd be leaving this place and planned on confronting him -- evidenced in their ominous remarks in the videos. Kenneth, especially, looks ready for smoke.

Unclear exactly what this is all about -- but some have speculated it might pertain to the VMAs, where Nicki and Cardi both performed ... and where they may have even crossed paths. As we all know -- they have an ugly, violent history between them

Unfortunately for Ken and co. ... Offset never showed, and the reason for that is because he's had a busy past 24 hours. On Friday, he was noticeably live streaming with a famous YouTuber out in Atlanta -- and come Saturday morning, homeboy was in Colorado meeting HC Deion Sanders and raging with all the college kids ahead of the big game.

Offset hopped on social media upon touching down this AM, and he was kinda taunting the fellas who were curbside looking for trouble. Sounds like he finds the whole thing hilarious.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson knows how to make an entrance and he proved it in a big way with his surprise return to the WWE after nearly 4 years.

The Rock stunned the packed crowd watching WWE Smackdown at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado Friday night, when he stepped out from behind a backdrop to his signature song, "Electrifying," playing loudly over the sound system.

Everyone went berserk, cheering like crazy and shooting cell phone video to capture the epic moment. You may recall, the last time the WWE legend had suited up for a wrestling match was in October 2019.

After the initial shock, The Rock made his way to the ring, where former WWE U.S. Champion Austin Theory and ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee were giving each other some lip.

The Rock got in on the action, trading insults with Theory as the tension grew.

Finally, The Rock sent Theory over the edge after calling him an "a**hole" -- and even getting the audience to chant, "You are an a**hole."

Theory threw a flurry of punches that hit their mark, but The Rock quickly turned the tables and gave his opponent a spinebuster.

With Theory laid out on the canvas, The Rock delivered his famous “people’s elbow."

It was all over after that. Theory was down for the count.

If Brett Favre had things his way, Deion Sanders' coaching career would've looked a whole lot different to this point ... telling TMZ Sports he actually tried to get the Hall of Famer to take over at Southern Miss before he landed his Jackson State gig.

The Packers legend says his recruitment of Sanders to his alma mater happened a few years ago -- back when Deion's son, Shedeur, was a high schooler looking at potentially attending USM.

At the time, Golden Eagles head coach Jay Hopson had just resigned ... and Favre says he tried like hell to get Prime to fill the vacant role.

"I knew he would do a great job," said Favre, who played with Sanders in Atlanta in the 1991 season. "I knew the things that we needed at Southern Miss, he checked the boxes. Attention, enthusiasm, getting people in the seats. He would've done that."

"And, I knew players would follow him," Favre added. "Not to mention, we'd have gotten his son, who's probably going to be one of the Heisman finalists this year."

Of course, Deion never took over at USM ... and instead, he ended up at JSU, where he dominated for two years. He ultimately left Jackson for the Univ. of Colorado -- where he's currently got the Buffs ranked No. 18 in the country.

Coco Gauff isn't old enough to drink just yet, but her coach was able to down enough booze for the both of them after her huge US Open win last weekend ... with Brad Gilbert telling TMZ Sports he celebrated with "a little too much tequila."

The 19-year-old tennis superstar has a lot to celebrate after beating Aryna Sabalenka last Saturday ... becoming the youngest American woman to win the tournament since Serena Williams did at age 17 in 1999.

Gilbert -- who has coached big names like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick -- raved about Coco's success at LAX earlier this week ... saying, "It was a great summer, an amazing summer."

"Coco is an incredible kid, she's humble, she's hard-working and her journey is just beginning."

Gilbert said Coco knows what it takes to continue going in the right direction ... adding, "She would tell you, it's just about getting better. Listen, everyone wants to do incredible things but she has a great opportunity in front of her to continue to do some great things."

"She's incredibly humble and she's poised, she speaks incredible for her age and her parents have done an amazing job. She's got a great team and just fun to let me be a part of it."

As for the post-match festivities, Gilbert said the law still applies for champions ... so Coco was downin' H2O while the adults let loose a bit.

Moments after Blueface got stabbed in a boxing gym, his trainer dialed 911 and the call got pretty intense ... with the operator trying to get details of the attack, as the trainer tried to get medics to save Blue.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained audio of the 911 call that launched paramedics to the bloody scene on August 23 at the Kaminsky Boxing Gym in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.

On the call, the trainer -- who also owns the gym -- tells the operator a random guy came in and "stabbed my client" ... and then the miscommunication begins.

Seems the gym owner couldn't really hear the operator's questions about whether the assailant was still there -- and the gym owner quickly grew frustrated as he urged the operator to send help right away for Blueface ... who was bleeding from his leg wound.

As we previously reported, the alleged assailant didn't get very far, before eventually surrendered, and LAPD arrested Brandon Henry Snell. We're told the L.A. County D.A. is now reviewing the case to determine charges.

Laura Sanko tells TMZ Sports it's an absolute honor for her to now be an even bigger inspiration for women everywhere ... after she made history in the UFC by becoming the first female to ever call a PPV fight.

Sanko joined Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia last week  ... becoming the first woman to provide PPV commentary for the mixed martial arts promotion since Kathy Long at UFC 1 in 1993.

Sanko said she wasn't sure if she'd ever get the opportunity to do it -- but after it happened, she's been thrilled with the responses she's gotten.

"The reaction has been tremendous and I can't tell you how many women, female fighters, a lot of dads saying, 'My daughter looks to you as an example,'" Sanko said.

"It's not like I ever sought out to be some inspiration figure. It sorta just happened but I take that responsibility very seriously and it's surreal and a huge honor to get those messages."

Sanko did such a good job, Dana White called her the "Ronda Rousey of commentating" ... and now, she's hoping more opportunities will arise in the future.

As for the championship fight she helped call -- Israel Adesanya's memorable bout with Sean Strickland -- Sanko told us she isn't so sure a rematch is necessary there.

"I think a lot of people would like to see a rematch," she said. "Personally, if you're asking Laura Sanko, the fan, the individual, I'd like to see a different fight."

A court in Spain has ordered Luis Rubiales to steer clear of Jenni Hermoso -- the player he kissed on the lips after the World Cup last month -- as the former soccer president is now under investigation for sexual assault.

Spain's High Court issued the ruling on Friday ... saying Rubiales must stay at least 200 meters away from the 33-year-old Spanish soccer player.

Prosecutors in the country recently launched an investigation into the ex-soccer federation president after Hermoso opted to lodge a formal complaint against Rubiales.

As part of the investigation, Luis was hauled in front of the judge for questioning, and that's when he was told he couldn't have any contact with his accuser.

Rubiales was on hand for this morning's hearing but did not speak with media, who assembled outside the National Court.

Hermoso's lawyer, however, did make a short statement.

"We maintain what we've said from the beginning. It was a nonconsensual kiss," Hermoso's attorney Carla Vall said.

"Thanks to the [images of the kiss], the entire world, the entire country, has been able to observe there was no type of consent. And we are going to prove that in the courtroom."

Of course, it all dates back to what should've been one of their happiest professional moments ... when Spain defeated England for their first World Cup title on August 20 in Sydney.

But, rather than being a joyous occasion, it turned into an international incident that ended with the players threatening to boycott, and the entire coaching staff either resigning or getting fired.

New police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Adam "Pacman" Jones went ballistic on cops following his arrest earlier this week ... throwing a tantrum, while calling some of the officers "stupid f***ers!"

The ex-NFL star's outburst happened at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Sept. 11 ... when officials booted him from a plane after they said he had argued with employees over his seat's electrical outlet.

Body cam footage shows that once he got off the aircraft ... he tried to tell cops what had happened -- but almost immediately, a verbal altercation broke out.

"You need to learn how to talk to a motherf***er, bro," Jones said to one officer on the jetway. "'Cause I don't mind going to jail. I'm letting you know that. But, you better learn how to motherf***ing talk to somebody. Because you ain't my daddy, n****."

When someone tried to calm Jones down ... he screamed, "This s*** is wrong!" Seconds later, cops slapped the cuffs on him -- and then his meltdown really began.

Sources close to Pacman say he was agitated because he was kicked off the plane when he believed he did nothing wrong ... so anything he said was in the heat of the moment, and he still maintains he's the one in the right.

Jones yelled and cussed at cops as they took him away from the plane ... and when they got him in the back of a squad car, he unloaded on one officer in particular.

"You said I was drunk," he screamed from the backseat. "Bitch, breathalyze me. I'm not drunk!"

The cop then told him he reeked of alcohol ... which set Jones off further.

"How the f*** you going to lock me up for alcohol and you ain't breathalyze me?!" he continued. "You sound stupid as f***. It's 6 AM in the morning, n****. I had one f***ing drink, which was a Pinot f***ing Grigiot. Go to the f***ing bar and ask them. You stupid f***ers!"

Meanwhile, back on the plane, body cam video shows the pilot and a flight attendant both told a cop Jones was being unruly -- forcing them to go back to the gate.

Eventually, officers transported Jones to a nearby jail ... where he was booked on misdemeanor charges of alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct and terroristic threatening -- before he was released.

Jones has been adamant that he did nothing wrong on the plane ... saying he just wanted his outlet to work so he could use his iPad to prep for the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills Monday Night Football game.

Juwan Howard underwent heart surgery on Friday ... and, thankfully, it was a success -- though the Michigan head coach will now have to be away from the Wolverines for at least the next few weeks while he recovers.

UM officials said they discovered issues in Howard's ticker following a recent routine medical check ... but Dr. Himanshu Patel at the University of Michigan Health was able to fix it all.

Howard said after the procedure he was very grateful for the care.

"My wife, Jenine, and our family appreciate the world-class care that has been provided to us," he said. "Dr. (Kim) Eagle, Dr. (Himanshu) Patel, Dr. (Stanley) Chetcuti, and all of the staff at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center are so talented and performed like champions throughout this process."

According to Patel, it'll take Howard 6-to-12 weeks to fully recover ... but he'll be able to rejoin UM's men's hoops program in 4-to-6 weeks. The Wolverines open their season on Nov. 3.

"I am going to work very hard in my rehabilitation to be stronger than ever by the time our upcoming season is upon us," Howard said.

The school announced that while Howard is out, assistant Phil Martelli will step in as interim HC.

Howard became the Wolverines' head man in 2019 after signing a five-year contract ... and since his arrival, Michigan has been to two NCAA tournaments.

Prior to his coaching career, Howard played three years at Michigan ... starring on the school's famed Fab Five team.

Aaron Rodgers says tearing his Achilles on Monday Night Football was one of the worst experiences of his life ... but the New York Jets superstar is adamant he will recover from it -- and he's not ruling out a return THIS YEAR.

Fresh off going under the knife to repair his tendon, the four-time MVP joined the "Pat McAfee Show" Friday to break down his immediate reaction, recovery and his plans moving forward.

Rodgers said he dealt with "a lot of sadness, a lot of tears, a lot of dark frustration and anger" shortly after going down with the injury ... but he's been receiving a ton of love from his close friends and supporters.

"A lot of the sadness, I think initially, was just feeling like I let so many people down who believed in me, supported me, and made that transition so incredible," he said minutes ago.

Rodgers admitted he could quickly tell it was a serious situation ... but makes it clear he can overcome the ailment and get back to 100%.

"Give me the doubts," Rodgers said. "Give me the timetables. Give me all the things that you think can, should, or will happen because all I need is that one little extra percent of inspiration. That's all I need."

"So, give me your timetable, give me your doubt, give me your prognostication and watch what I do."

Rodgers explained he isn't going to curb his expectations or place limits on his recovery ... so when asked whether he could be back in time for the playoffs, he left the door wide open.

"I think as Kevin Garnett said, 'Anything's possible.'"

Vikings star Alexander Mattison says over 60 people sent him disturbing messages following his game Thursday night ... revealing some contained disgusting racial slurs.

The Minnesota tailback said the notes poured into his Instagram message box shortly after he had a down game in the Vikes' 34-28 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

He shared screenshots of two of the DMs on his IG stories -- and, in both, you can read he was called the N-word. The writers also told Mattison he should die by suicide.

The 25-year-old said the words really affected him ... writing in a caption on the screen grabs "this s*** is unacceptable."

"Under my helmet, I am a human," he said. "A father.. A son. This is sick. SMH."

Mattison took over the Vikings' starting running back reins this year following Dalvin Cook's offseason departure ... but through two games so far, he's totaled just 83 combined receiving and rushing yards -- and in Thursday night's defeat, he lost a fumble.

Mattison explained on his social media page that he's OK with people telling him "you suck" over his play on the field ... but he said the latest batch of messages just simply crossed a line.

"SMFH," he wrote. "This is not OK."

Since he shared the screen grabs, several fans have rushed to the comment section on his most recent post to send words of encouragement.

Mattison and the Vikings play next on Sept. 24 against the Chargers.

Deion Sanders just threw some major shade at Jay Norvell ... doubling down after the Colorado State head coach criticized his "hat and glasses" look this week -- by giving his whole Buffaloes team their own pair!!

Prime and Norvell have exchanged verbal jabs ahead of their big matchup ... with the former saying the game is now "personal" after the Rams coach blasted his appearance on his weekly radio show.

Prime went one step further on Friday ... 'cause during a team meeting, he had his equipment staff hand out a bunch of sunglasses to all the players as a clear response to Norvell's dig.

The whole squad loved the gesture ... donning the gold shades and smiling for the cameras as Prime told them how good they looked.

Sanders said Norvell's diss truly backfired ... 'cause not only did it give his squad some extra motivation, it will also help sell his glasses collab with Blenders.

Brett Favre believes Aaron Rodgers will be back on the field next year ... and when he ultimately straps on his helmet and shoulder pads again -- the Packers legend tells TMZ Sports the QB will be "as good, if not better, than ever."

Of course, Favre says there's at least some chance Rodgers calls it a career after he snapped his Achilles during his Jets debut on Monday night ... but as a guy who's spent years around the signal-caller, Favre just doesn't see a way this is the end for Rodgers.

"I personally think that he will come back," Favre said. "I don't see him going out like this."

And, if and when he returns to the Big Apple, Favre has no doubts Rodgers will find success again.

In fact, Brett says he plans on reaching out to his former teammate soon to make sure the future Hall of Famer gets that message.

"It seemed to me from the outside looking in they had a good thing going there," Favre said of Rodgers' time in New York. "Just the vibe I was getting. If that's the case -- if he felt that way too, give it a shot. That's what I would tell him."

For Rodgers' part, he certainly seems like a guy that's not ready to quit ... just a day before he had surgery to repair his damaged leg, he wrote in an Instagram post that he "shall rise yet again."

UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich -- the promotion's first-ever welterweight champion -- was arrested for allegedly driving drunk in Iowa Thursday morning ... after a witness said they saw the MMA legend driving his truck the wrong way down a one-way street.

Authorities in Bettendorf, Iowa received a call early Thursday morning for a man allegedly driving against the flow of traffic on a one-way street, before crossing an embankment and parking at a nearby gas station.

Once on the scene, police say they found 57-year-old Miletich asleep behind the wheel ... with the truck still in gear.

Cops woke him up, and Miletich admitted to drinking wine, according to an incident report. Police say Pat had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet, and reeked of alcohol.

They attempted to put Pat through a field sobriety test, but he refused. He also refused the Breathalyzer.

Given his alleged condition, and evidence on the scene that supported the accusation Pat was driving erratically, Miletich was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), 3rd Offense, a class D felony in the state.

Pat was booked into Scott County jail at 6:16 AM. He was listed at 5'10" and 200 pounds.

Miletich was in custody for just short of two hours before being released at 8 AM after posting $5k bond.

If you're not familiar with Pat ... he's one of the first MMA stars. He took his first pro MMA fight in 1995, and went on to become UFC welterweight champion, fighting 39 pro fights along the way.

It was Pat's third arrest for driving drunk ... he was popped in 2019 and 2021.

The arrest comes as Miletich is preparing to return to the MMA cage. He's fighting 38-year-old Mike Jackson (of CM Punk fame) at Caged Aggression on October 14.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's efforts to dig outta their deep financial hole, amid their divorce, aren't going that well -- their Georgia home is teetering on foreclosure once again, TMZ has learned.

According to online records, their Alpharetta mansion is in pre-foreclosure again, with the pending sale date listed as November 7. It isn't technically in foreclosure yet, but it certainly appears to be heading in that direction -- indicating they've missed some mortgage payments.

As we reported, Kroy filed docs last month, asking for an emergency hearing to authorize selling their $3 million house, saying their financial woes were getting worse and the sale could cover their "significant debt."

Kroy claimed they were struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments, having to sell off his backpacks and other personal belongings to make enough cash to cover what was owed.

He says he asked Kim to sell her purses for contribution, but she refused.

Kroy claims Kim sold some bags, wigs, and other high-end items ... but added, "None of the funds garnered from the sale of these items have gone towards the mortgage, or any other bills."

Kroy claimed they weren't able to make their mortgage payment in July, presenting the prospect of foreclosure ... which is why he's pushing to unload the property.

Regarding Kroy's push to sell the house, his attorney, Maryls A. Bergstrom, tells TMZ ... "We are going to court on September 27th to request that the court order the home sold."

Don't forget, their family home faced foreclosure back in February, with the estate set to be auctioned off the following month ... but they were able to stop the sale and keep the spot through their payments.