TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tom Aspinall admits he won't be at his cardiovascular peak for his upcoming title fight -- he wasn't planning on being in an Octagon Saturday night -- but the UFC star says he's healthy enough to leave The World's Most Famous Arena as interim heavyweight champ!

TMZ Sports talked to 30-year-old Aspinall, the #4 ranked UFC heavyweight, days before his scrap with 31-year-old Sergei Pavlovich, ranked the #2 contender, during UFC 295's co-main event at Madison Square Garden ... and we asked the fighter from the UK how close he'd be to 100 percent.

"I can't lie and say I'm at my fittest ever because I'm not. But also there's been times when I haven't had a fight that I've been way further away than what I am now. I've still been training. I've been training every day," Aspinall told us.

Tom added ... "Two and a half weeks is enough time to switch on your mind. To get in the mode of fighting, to mentally prepare yourself. I'd say I'm around 80 to 90%. I feel good."

Of course, Aspinall got a phone call from the UFC on October 24 ... with news that Jon Jones wouldn't be able to fight Stipe Miocic after suffering a serious injury to his pec. Tom was offered an interim title fight against Pavlovich, who had already been contracted to serve as the backup for the original Jon and Stipe fight.

Despite Sergei having been in camp already, and Tom not ... he said yes, and here we are!

We asked Aspinall how difficult a decision it was.

"It wasn't really a tough decision to be honest. I don't know why. I think for anybody else it maybe was. That's the fight that I wanted. That's the fight I've been asking for. I wouldn't be asking for it if I felt like I didn't want it.

"Obviously, in an ideal world, I would've liked longer to train. I would've liked longer than the short amount of time, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe it's gonna help me somehow, whatever that is I'll find out Saturday. And I'm very much looking forward to it!"

Pavlovich is one of the scariest fighters in the promotion. He's only lost once as a professional and has won 6 UFC fights in a row. His last loss was to now-retired MMA legend Alistair Overeem in 2018.

Segei's known for his incredible knockout power ... finishing 83% of his fights by knockout.

Aspinall's no slouch, either. He's 13-3, and an incredible athlete ... especially considering his massive frame (he's 6'5", 262 lbs.). Tom's beaten the likes of Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, and Andrei Arlovski since joining Dana White's promotion in 2020.

Adding to the massive moment ... the fight's going down at MSG, where legends like Muhammad Ali have fought over the decades. Aspinall's from Manchester, but we asked him if he cared about UFC 295's distinguished location.

"I personally know that Madison Square Garden is the most prestigious arena in the world for a combat athlete. I think that's globally known. There are two places that I wanted to fight being a UK guy, I always wanted to fight in the O2 Arena. I've headlined the O2 three times now," Aspinall said.

7:55 PM PT -- Michigan and Jim Harbaugh aren't going down without a fight ... U of M has asked a court in Washtenaw County to grant a temporary restraining order that would block the Big Ten's suspension of the head coach.

The TRO would put Harbaugh's three-game regular season ban on hold until the matter could go before a judge.

While the restraining order hasn't yet been granted, the man who will ultimately decide what happens with Harbaugh -- whether he coaches in Saturday's pivotal football game against Penn State -- is a judge who happened to graduate from the University of Michigan in the 90s.

1:36 PM PT -- Univ. of Michigan officials just ripped the conference's ruling in a scathing statement ... writing, in part, "We are dismayed at the Commissioner's rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation -- one of in which we are fully cooperating."

"By taking this action at this hour," they added, "the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve. And, doing so on Veteran's Day -- a court holiday -- to try to thwart the University from seeking immediate judicial relief is hardly a profile in impartiality. To ensure fairness in the process, we intend to seek a court order, together with Coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect."

The Big Ten has just suspended Jim Harbaugh for the rest of the regular season ... after it says the Michigan football team was involved in an intricate sign-stealing scheme that violated rules.

The conference announced Harbaugh will still be allowed to coach his team during weekdays while serving his suspension ... but on the Wolverines' three remaining gamedays this year, he must not be present.

Of course, it's a big deal for UM, considering two of those three contests are against No. 10 Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State.

Michigan, however, is reportedly expected to seek legal action now that could allow Harbaugh to still be able to coach his team during Saturday's game against the Nittany Lions.

The scandal surrounding Harbaugh and the Wolverines all began after team staffer Connor Stalions was accused of purchasing tickets to Big Ten games over the past three years with the intent of trying to decipher Michigan opponents' sideline signals.

In announcing its punishment for Harbaugh on Friday ... the Big Ten said it found at least some level of validity to the claims -- writing that Michigan gained "an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition" over it all.

This is not the first time Harbaugh has been in hot water this season ... he was also banned from the team's first three games over alleged transgressions during the COVID dead period.

Michigan is currently 9-0 despite all of the drama ... and ranked No. 3 in the nation.

No, Aaron Rodgers wasn't carrying a bong around with him at the Jets' game despite some heavy online speculation ... recently speaking out to clear the hazy air.

The Jets quarterback set the internet alight when he was filmed on the sidelines accidentally dropping a box, and causing what many thought appeared to be a large glass bong to fall out. Of course, this gave way to heavy speculation online, as Aaron's never been one to shy away from mind-altering substances.

However, during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" Thursday, Aaron said the glass object was actually just an uber-fancy bottle of tequila he had been gifted.

"Shout out to bongs everywhere ... but that was not one of them," he amused in an apparent swipe at those online hoping the potential smoking pipe would propel him into a fresh controversy.

On the subject of online chatter, he also ridiculed the bong conspiracy as "weak" ... joking that if he was on the other end, he'd have guessed dolphin semen was in the beaker.

Jason Oppenheim says NFL players would make great realtors ... and he's already hoping one of the league's biggest superstars will eventually join his team one day!!

"Aaron Rodgers," he told TMZ Sports out in LA on Friday. "Absolutely!"

The "Selling Sunset" star says he's convinced guys playing in Roger Goodell's world would do just fine in his ... explaining their contact list could lead them to some big scores in the housing market.

Oppenheim didn't say why Rodgers was currently his top choice to join The Oppenheim Group ... but he did tell us making it in real estate requires someone to be "smart" and "driven" -- two traits the Jets QB obviously possesses.

Oppenheim's talk with us about the NFL didn't stop there, though ... he also told us he would love to represent some footballers in their future hunts for homes -- hinting that some of his beloved Commanders might ultimately become his clients someday.

11:54 AM PT -- Huge bummer for Tayvis -- the singer's second Buenos Aires date was just postponed 'til Sunday due to rain.

Unclear how long Travis Kelce was planning to stay in town ... but we take it he'll just tune in to Saturday's show.

Taylor Swift released a statement on the decision to push back the gig ... saying she loves to perform in uncooperative weather, but didn't want to put her fans in harm's way.

Guess this clears her schedule for a date night with Travis!!

Travis Kelce has touched down in Argentina -- the NFL superstar made his way to Buenos Aires in time to catch Taylor Swift's concert in just a few hours.

There were rumblings TK -- who's currently enjoying his off week from his football duties -- was planning to make the nearly 13-hour trip to South America to watch his lady rock the stage ... and now there is proof he is the ultimate supportive boyfriend, with Daily Mail snapping pics of the Super Bowl champ at the airport.

As we previously reported, the Chiefs tight end was spotted at Patrick Mahomes' charity event on Thursday ... electing to skip night one of T-Swift's international tour in order to be there for his bestie.

Taylor has attended four of Travis' games this season ... and now, it's his time to return the favor.

It's currently 3:15 PM local time ... so Travis has a few hours to relax before dancin' and singin' like crazy.

Of course, this won't be TK's first "Eras" tour experience -- he saw her live at Arrowhead Stadium back in July, and famously detailed how he wanted to shoot his shot, but never got the opportunity.

Fast forward to now ... and the two are the biggest couple in sports and entertainment.

Funny how life works.

A 32-year-old man was arrested and charged with arson and other felonies after allegedly intentionally setting fire to a New York horse barn, tragically killing over 24 thoroughbreds.

The New York State Police say they responded to a structure fire at the Tioga Downs Casino complex early Thursday morning in Nichols, NY ... about an hour or two south of Syracuse.

NYSP says the blaze was catastrophic, killing more than two dozen horses in a horrific manner ... also leaving one human, who tried to save the animals, injured in the blaze. There was also thousands of dollars worth of damage.

"Over two dozen racehorses died in the fire," NYSP said.

"One person who entered the burning barn in an attempt to save horses suffered second-degree burns and was transported to Robert Packer Hospital for treatment."

The state police also sent condolences to "individuals and families that lost their beloved animals during this tragic incident."

The NYSP's ongoing investigation revealed the fire was set intentionally ... and identified Boyd H. Fenton as the suspect.

The Pennsylvania native was arrested and charged with third-degree arson, third-degree burglary, 2nd-degree assault, and criminal mischief in the second.

PETA released a statement about the devastating news ... and expects the courts to prosecute Fenton to the "fullest extent of the law."

Jake Paul says his experiences with psychedelics have made him a new person ... detailing his first time using ayahuasca and how it completely changed his life for the better.

The Problem Child dropped his trash-talking fighter persona and spoke from the heart in a sit-down with Aubrey Marcus this week ... where they discussed a wide range of topics -- his highs and lows as an internet celebrity, his transition to boxing and spiritual awakenings.

Of course, ayahuasca is the same brew that NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers has sworn by -- he previously credited it for the best season in his career.

Jake labels his first time with the psychedelic as a mirror-like experience ... where he was walked through specific moments of his life when he acted in a negative manner -- incidents he didn't even remember happening.

"It made me take a hard look at some of those situations and the big thing was me being, like, snarky sometimes to people," Jake said. "Like sometimes I'll just snap. It's like, 'Why? Why do you do this?'"

Jake pointed out he viewed these interactions from the other perspective ... which made him question his actions and body language toward his peers.

He continued to explain how a lot of his issues came from his struggles with self-love and the amount of pressure he put on himself -- which created a state of fear and anxiety.

On the other hand, Jake said that same flaw also made him want to work nonstop and pursue perfection ... which got him to where he is today.

But the biggest part of the journey -- Jake claims ayahuasca taught him how to love himself.

"It felt like this love that I needed," Paul said. "It was so cerebral ... that was really powerful and I think that was my biggest takeaway from the whole week is working on that self-love and giving myself credit sometimes."

"Game of Thrones" star and strongman legend Thor Björnsson just shared devastating news ... his daughter passed away this week after his wife suffered a delayed miscarriage.

Björnsson and fitness model Kelsey Henson announced they were expecting their second child together last month -- due in March 2024 -- but tragically, she suffered a stillbirth.

"It is with great sorrow that we announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir born Nov 8th at 21 1/2 weeks gestation," the 34-year-old said on Instagram.

"After a noticeable decrease in movement we found out her heart had stopped beating."

Thor shared photos of him and Henson -- who married in 2018 -- with their daughter in the hospital bed ... as well as their son Stormur holding his baby sister (WARNING: IMAGES ARE GUTWRENCHING).

"Words cannot describe our pain of this loss or our happiness at being able to spend time with our daughter," Bjornsson said.

"The grief we feel will be with us forever but so will the love. All of our hopes and dreams for her have been taken away from us but I know I will be with her again."

Thor added, "Her spirit lives on through us and her siblings. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we grieve this unbearable loss. Thank you all for any kind words and support."

Ex-NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler has been found guilty of domestic violence ... this after he was accused of nearly killing his girlfriend during a bipolar episode in 2021.

A jury in King County, Wash. came back on Thursday with the verdict ... formally finding Wheeler guilty of one count of first-degree domestic violence and one count of second-degree domestic violence. They did, however, issue a not guilty verdict on a charge of unlawful imprisonment.

Wheeler was remanded into custody following the ruling ... and he's now set for sentencing on Dec. 14.

According to a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, officials can now seek "a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for the" first-degree charge after the jury found Wheeler "used force or means likely to result in death." The spokesperson said they can also now "seek a sentence above the standard range" for the second-degree charge.

The conclusion in the case comes nearly three years after Alleah Taylor said she sustained serious injuries when Wheeler snapped on her at their Washington apartment on Jan. 22, 2021.

Taylor alleged Wheeler -- who she had been dating for around six months at the time of the incident -- demanded she "bow down" to him, and when she didn't comply, he attacked her and choked her within an inch of her life.

Taylor said she sustained a concussion and an arm injury that required bolts and a steel plate to fix.

Following Thursday's ruling, she posted a statement on X ... saying, "I finally have justice."

Taylor Swift kicked off the latest leg of her "Eras" tour without her boo in the crowd -- Travis Kelce was busy showing love for his best friend, Patrick Mahomes, at his charity event on Thursday instead.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was front and center for his quarterback's "15 and the Mahomies Foundation" bash in Kansas City ... which is about 5,500 miles away from Argentina -- where Swift kick-started her string of international concerts.

There are reports Kelce will make the long trip to check out one of his lady's gigs during the Chiefs' bye week ... and that's entirely still possible -- as she has two more dates in Buenos Aires before he's gotta be back to his day job.

Tayvis has been the biggest storyline of the NFL season ... and Travis' Eagles star bro, Jason, was even asked about the tight end's plans during his appearance on Thursday Night Football -- but the guy played clueless, saying TK will "pop up somewhere."

As for Taylor, she crushed her opening night performance ... and there's one moment in particular that has Swifties freaking out -- when she sang a surprise song about "falling in love again."

The clip of Taylor's delivery during "Labyrinth" is all the proof her die-hard fans needed to determine she is, in fact, head over heels for her new man ... which, of course, had social media in a frenzy.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is hoping to share a dugout with Shohei Ohtani next season ... telling TMZ Sports he believes New York should go after the former MVP in free agency.

"Yeah!" he said emphatically while out at the MLB Flagship Store in NYC on Thursday. "Of course!"

Ohtani is eligible to leave the Angels this year ... after he spent the last six seasons with the team turning himself into one of the biggest superstars the sport's ever seen.

In his time in LA, he racked up three All-Star appearances, a .274 batting average, a 3.01 ERA and 171 home runs.

And, despite undergoing a second surgery on his throwing elbow in September, Volpe made it clear to us he really wants to see the 29-year-old in pinstripes.

"I mean, I think he's the best of the best," Volpe said.

Ohtani is expected to stay off the mound in 2024 while rehabbing, but he is slated to be healthy enough to hit at the dish -- and many in the MLB believe he's now poised to land the biggest contract in the history of the sport.

Joe Smith has a message for the cynics who believe his public feud with wife Kisha over OnlyFans was a big publicity stunt ... adamantly denying they set up the whole thing for publicity!!

The 48-year-old former #1 overall NBA draft pick shared his side of the story during an interview with VladTV this week ... where he explained how he found out his partner, former adult actress Kisha Chavis, got back into the X-rated content.

"Nah, that's not what happened and that's not what's going on right now," Smith said.

"It's a real issue. The video hurt, but then also, the fact that the way I had to find out about the OnlyFans page, that's another thing on top of that that hurts as well."

The 16-year NBA vet said he caught Kisha scrolling through her profile on her phone, which led to the infamous video on social media.

Obviously, Kisha recorded the whole thing, and Smith took it as a smack in the face when she uploaded it to the internet ... and he believes if they had kept it between themselves, they could have talked it out.

"I wouldn't put my business out in the streets, I wouldn't put nothing like this out in the streets unless it was real official, and I didn't do this one so it's hurting," he added.

"It's hurtful and I gotta listen to people's opinions every day, all day right now about my relationship and that's something I never wanted to be involved in."

Harvey and Charles spoke to Kisha on "TMZ Live" last week, and she told her side of the story ... and she sees it a bit differently than Joe.

The Tuohy family says it's doled out $138K to Michael Oher from profits it received from "The Blind Side" ... and it's now claiming it's got the receipts to prove it.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy shared images of the alleged payments inside new court documents filed in Tennessee this week ... insisting they show Oher received money from them in 10 separate installments.

The Tuohys said in the docs the payments began in June 2007 -- roughly two years before the blockbuster movie about Oher's life was released in the U.S. -- and most recently ended in April.

The payments to Oher, according to the docs, ranged from $117 all the way to $31,500 ... and represented an agreed upon split of the cash the Tuohys got from the "Blind Side" movie and the book that came out just before the hit flick.

"By agreement between the family members including Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, their children SJ and Collins as well as Michael Oher, the book and movie proceeds were to be split five ways," the Tuohys' attorneys wrote in court documents.

"These funds represent funds paid to Mr. Tuohy and the portion paid over to Mr. Oher."

As we previously reported, Oher had accused the Tuohys of essentially tricking him into a conservatorship ... before screwing him out of a ton of cash in the "Blind Side" deal that they negotiated -- which precipitated this week's court filings from the Tuohys.

Meanwhile, the Tuohys have consistently maintained they did nothing wrong ... accusing Oher of actually trying to shake them down for $15 million, before willingly ending the conservatorship in September.

"The Tuohy's have never received any money as conservators on behalf of Michael Oher," the Tuohys' attorneys wrote in this week's court documents, "and further never had control over any funds or any dealings on behalf of Mr. Oher during the entire term of the conservatorship."

The Atlanta Hawks' idea of running an "OnlyFans" style promo with their mascot this week isn't sitting well with at least two of their players ... who took to social media on Thursday to hilariously drag the team over the vid.

The clip was dropped by the NBA org on its social media pages early Thursday morning to promote ATL's involvement in the league's new in-season tournament.

It featured Harry the Hawk seductively posing on a bed in his ATL gear ... while a woman whispered about Atlanta fans "knowing where the real action is."

"Hawks fans know just where to get it," the woman said in the video. "Join in and wake up your wild side."

Some found the footage funny -- but others, including Atlanta stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, didn't exactly love it.

"MANNNNNNN," Murray wrote on his X page while sharing the video, "DELETE THIS S***!!!!!!!'

Added Young, "I had no part of this.. 🤦‍♂️."

Ryan Blaney is just days removed from the biggest moment in his racing career ... so, how's the 2023 Cup Series champion celebrating?! TMZ Sports asked the NASCAR star.

"I'm going on vacation this upcoming weekend, so I'm excited for that!" Blaney told us ... adding the vacay was planned before winning the title, but it certainly makes the trip "even more special now," according to the driver.

But, even more so than a boy's trip, Blaney says he's looking forward to spending time with the team behind the great season.

"I'm excited to go to our race shop [Wednesday] to see everybody. See all the men and women who are a part of Team Penske in North Carolina. So that's gonna be another special moment to spend with everybody."

Blaney, at just 29 years old, secured the coveted title with a second-place (behind Ross Chastain) finish during Sunday's season finale at Phoenix Raceway ... earning Ryan enough points to win the Cup Series title!

Ryan comes from a racing family ... his dad Dave made nearly 500 NASCAR starts. Grandpa was a driver, too -- mostly on dirt tracks -- and the racing lineage was a huge inspiration for the new champion.

"I was lucky enough as a kid to grow up around it, with my dad racing, him coming from dirt tracks just like my grandfather and I just saw it at a young age. As a kid, I just wanted to do what my dad did. I was fascinated by it, so he was obviously a huge part of getting me going, and supporting me throughout the way."

Ryan continued ... "Still having my family in my life the way they are, supporting me week in and week out, supporting me in my adulthood, is something that I can never thank them enough for."

FYI, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin rounded out the Cup Series standings.

As for when he turns his attention to next season ... here's what Ryan told us.

"Now. But at the same time, I'm still gonna enjoy this one. I don't want to look ahead too much."

Blaney continued ... "I think when it gets to the New Year, when January rolls around, 'Okay, it's time to go back to work! What do we have to do to get another?' But until January, I'm enjoying this one, and then I'll focus on the new one!"

The holidays are right around the corner, and Kim Kardashian and her SKIMS marketing elves are hard at work, this time with a little assistance from one of the biggest names in sports.

Check out the latest SKIMS campaign to drop Thursday, featuring none other than Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, and his wife Brittany with their adorable kiddos; 2-year-old daughter Sterling and 11-month-old son, Patrick, "Bronze."

The family is helping Kim's brand launch its annual Holiday Shop with items for the whole family ... including the winter-must-have, fleece.

We gotta say, the pics are pretty cute, and the whole family appears to be having a good time -- surrounded by teddy bears and gifts.

As for the campaign itself, Patrick seems pretty pumped, adding, "This is our first campaign as a family, and shooting for SKIMS all together was an awesome moment."

It was Snoop Dogg and his family who did the honors for the SKIMS holiday campaign last year, with 3 generations of the rapper's family appearing in photos ... but the pivot to an athlete makes a lot of sense considering the recent launch of SKIMS Men's line.