TMZ Sports - Page 50

"GUARANTEEEEEED!!!!"

LaVar Ball says there's NO DOUBT in his mind his son, LaMelo, will receive the highest honors of his draft class ... telling TMZ Sports the #3 overall pick is a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award.

We spoke with Papa Ball at his family's Thanksgiving giveaway in South Central L.A. on Tuesday ... and in pure LaVar fashion, he made another bold prediction.

"Teaming up with Michael Jordan and you can't get rookie of the year?? Are you crazy?!," LaVar tells us.

It may not be as farfetched as LaVar's predictions in the past -- Melo can straight-up BALL and was once considered a favorite to go #1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Of course, LaMelo ended up with the Charlotte Hornets ... and LaVar is expecting big things when his son teams up with the GOAT.

What was UFC star Brandon Moreno doing when he received the biggest phone call of his life???

Eating a DELICIOUS burger ... of course.

Here's the deal ... 26-year-old Moreno -- the #1 contender in the UFC's flyweight division -- got a big 1st round win against Brandon Royval at UFC 255 last Saturday night.

Moreno -- who had to weigh in at 125 lbs. -- wanted to blow off some steam after the fight ... so naturally, he went to grab a cheeseburger.

Enter the biggest opportunity of Moreno's career ... when his manager called him and said Dana White had just offered him a title fight against 32-year-old champ, Deiveson Figueiredo.

The catch??

The fight is December 12 at UFC 256 ... ONLY 14 days from today.

Moreno tells us ... “I was eating some burger from Shake Shack, and then my manager called me and said, ‘I’m with the matchmaker now. Do you wanna fight December 12?’"

"I said, ‘Man, this is really, really close to the fight.’ I talked with my head coach, and he said, ‘Man you are ready. You don’t have any injuries from the fight. So let's go. This is the opportunity of your life.’ So I take it. I’m ready. I’m so ready!”

BTW, Figueiredo ALSO fought on Saturday ... submitting Alex Perez in the 1st round.

Moreno -- without hesitation -- said yes to the fight ... but he has to weigh 125 lbs. in a few weeks. So, did he finish the burger??

Damn straight!

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. just ripped off their shirts and showed off their incredible physiques at the weigh-in for their big fight ... and man, these guys are ripped!

54-year-old Tyson and 51-year-old Roy both look amazing for their age -- really, for ANY age -- as they gear up to fight on Saturday night.

Tyson weighed in at 220.4 pounds. Jones Jr. was 210.

Both men appeared calm and focused -- and told TMZ Sports they plan on spending their Friday night relaxing and watching karate movies to get in the right headspace.

Jake Paul also put on a show at the weigh-in -- dressing up like a Super Saiyan from "Dragon Ball Z" ... and warning his opponent Nate Robinson to not let his kids watch the fight, because it will scar them for years to come.

36-year-old Nate is a former NBA star and 3-time NBA Slam Dunk contest champion. He said he's fighting 23-year-old Paul to prove he's still an elite athlete.

Earlier in the day, Roy Jones Jr. told us his pre-fight meal plans -- and why he's so excited to get back in the ring.

Funny moment with Mike Tyson when he was asked about his famous quote, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

So, what happens when Mike gets punched in the mouth?

"We'll go to Plan B -- I'll punch him back!"

The fight is set to go down Saturday night at Staples Center in L.A. -- the weigh-in took place at a nearby hotel.

Everyone at the weigh-in site was required to undergo COVID testing -- including our TMZ photog, who was also mask'd up and keeping his distance.

As we previously reported, both Mike and 51-year-old Roy have made it abundantly clear they will be trying to take each other out from the opening bell of their 8 round exhibition (available on PPV via cable and satellite, and PPV streaming at Triller).

The event is going to be insane -- with performances from huge stars like Lil Wayne, French Montana, YG, Wiz Khalifa and more.

"This the ugliest ball in the world right here."

That's Charles Barkley talking about the golf balls his partner, Phil Mickelson, gave him to use on the course Friday ... with Shaquille O'Neal's face plastered on them!!!

Chuck and Phil are going head-to-head with Steph Curry and Peyton Manning for "The Match 3" charity golf outing -- raising money for historically Black colleges and universities -- and Phil tried to give his teammate extra incentive to hit a good shot.

Mickelson told Barkley he's tired of his "NBA on TNT" colleagues disrespecting him -- most notably Shaq -- so it was time for a little payback.

Unfortunately, Charles didn't follow up with a hole-in-one, but didn't hit a bad shot either ... which has been the story of the day so far.

Chuck -- who's known to have a notoriously bad hitch in his swing -- has been swinging pretty smoothly ... and he and Phil are currently up 3 through 9 holes of the 18-hole showdown.

Soccer legend Diego Maradona did not have to die because he's the victim of "criminal idiocy" ... so claims his lawyer.

Attorney Matias Morla says it took upwards of a half-hour for an ambulance to arrive at Diego's Buenos Aires home Wednesday ... where he had suffered a heart attack.

Prosecutors appear to be looking into the lapse as well, although it's unclear why. There's been no allegation of foul play.

Diego, arguably the best soccer player that ever lived, underwent brain surgery earlier this month to remove a blood clot. It's unclear if the heart attack was in any way connected.

Vitor Belfort says MMA G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva has been living off the kick that KO'd VB nearly a decade ago ... and now the MMA legend wants REVENGE!!

Remember, Silva knocked out Belfort with a wicked front kick (followed by a flurry of ground and pound) at UFC 126 in February 2011. That's the one and only time the 2 greats ever fought.

Fast forward to today ... 43-year-old Belfort -- who's beaten beasts like Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Luke Rockhold and "Rumble" Johnson -- is currently signed to ONE Championship.

45-year-old Anderson Silva was just released by the UFC after his latest loss to Uriah Hall ...but Spider has indicated he would still like to fight.

So, Belfort tells TMZ Sports he wants to avenge the loss by stepping back in the cage with Silva.

"Anderson, ya know, he's living off of that kick. So let's go."

The rivalry is very real ... but, believe it or not ... there's actually someone Vitor wants to beat up even more than Anderson.

Chael P. Sonnen.

"I want Chael Sonnen. I really want him to shut his mouth. We were supposed to fight one time, but he got caught up in steroids," Belfort says ... "I'm okay with it. You can take whatever you want. I'll beat your ass, Chael Sonnen. Let's go!"

That wasn't all the trash talk.

"[Chael's] moms gonna root for me. Chael's family likes Vitor Belfort. They don't like Chael. Even his family don't like Chael."

So, Vitor's got his hands full with Chael and Anderson, right? Couldn't possibly want to fight anyone else, right?

Wrong.

Belfort tells us he also wants to fight boxers in a hybrid-style MMA-Boxing matchup ... and he's calling out some of the greatest pugilists of all-time.

Boxing greats like Roy Jones Jr. Lennox Lexis. Evander Holyfield. Wladimir Klitschko.

NBA star Markelle Fultz is taking Wakanda Forever literally ... he just got a foot-long image of the Black Panther tattooed on his thigh -- and it's AMAZING!!

TMZ Sports has learned back in the summer, Fultz hit up "Ink Master" star Roly T-Rex about getting some ink done.

And, with Chadwick Boseman's death and the Black Lives Matter movement at its peak ... the two got to thinking a "Black Panther" piece would be perfect.

According to Roly T-Rex, the artwork -- featuring a stern Black Panther surrounded by lightning -- embodied BLM's message and paid tribute to the late Boseman ... so Fultz was all about it.

The Orlando Magic star was able to sit for the needle sesh this week ... and Roly tells us everything went great.

The piece -- which is about 12-13 inches tall -- took roughly five hours to complete ... and Roly says Fultz was "ecstatic" at its finished result.

"He loved it, man," said Roly, who also does tattoo work for Fultz's Magic teammate, Aaron Gordon. "He loves the tat."

Don't get too comfy, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb ...

New Jaguars star James Robinson tells TMZ Sports he has just as much claim to the Rookie of the Year honors as anybody in the NFL ... saying, "I mean, I know that I am having a pretty good year."

JR came out of nowhere to dominate the touches in Jacksonville's backfield ... and he's been THRIVING since head coach Doug Marrone handed him the keys to the starting RB role.

The undrafted tailback out of Illinois State is 3rd in the league with 762 rushing yards ... and he's also got 5 rushing TDs and 249 receiving yards.

And, 22-year-old Robinson says he feels that should be plenty to get him some consideration for the NFL's most coveted award for rookies.

"I mean, I hope I am in that conversation," Robinson says.

Don't get it twisted ... Robinson has bigger goals than just the individual award -- telling us, "I try not to really pay attention to any of that."

As for Robinson's improbable road to success ... he credits the chip on his shoulder for motivating him to go from an unheralded, undrafted free agent back to one of the league's brightest young stars.

Lamar Jackson -- the face of the Baltimore Ravens and its star quarterback -- has now tested positive for coronavirus.

The reigning NFL MVP is now among the slew of players from the Charm City to have contracted the virus ... this according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport who first reported the news on Thursday.

As you might have heard by now ... the Ravens are struggling to control the spread of the dangerous virus. ESPN previously reported Wednesday that 3 members of the organization contracted the virus. NFL Network later reported running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins had also tested positive.

At this moment, it's unclear if Lamar's experiencing any symptoms. The news comes after the team reportedly disciplined strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders for failing to report COVID symptoms. He also caught flak for not wearing his mask or his tracking device while inside the team's facility.

Then, on Thursday, the team learned about additional positive tests on the same day they were supposed to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a highly-anticipated matchup. The game was postponed to Sunday and it'll air at 1:15 PM ET on NBC.

Donald Trump got in a few holes before his Thanksgiving dinner, but it went about as well as the election for him ... and he was VERY vocal about it.

Trump was playing Thursday at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, and he got teed off after he teed off and the ball went in the drink.

You hear Trump grouse, "Oh s**t," and it's clear he had a history with this particular hole, and it ain't a good one. As he watches the ball disappear in the water, he mutters, "I hate this f**king hole!!!"

You'd think he'd change the configuration of the pesky hole ... after all, he owns the course. He doesn't even need to be President to do that.

Maybe Trump was off his game because he's still so pissed off about the election. He was tweeting up a storm, again claiming he won the election, saying, "Just saw the vote tabulations.  There is NO WAY Biden got 80,000,000 votes!!! This was a 100% RIGGED ELECTION."

A funeral worker tasked with preparing Diego Maradona's body for the soccer legend's wake is out of a job ... after posing with the body for a disgusting selfie.

The funeral worker allegedly crept up to Maradona's open coffin and gave a thumbs up in the selfie ... sparking outrage from the owner of the Buenos Aires funeral parlor who promptly fired the guy.

The English tabloid Mirror Sport, which first reported the story, obtained the photo but opted not to post it on its website. As we reported ... the soccer legend died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was recovering from emergency brain surgery earlier this month.

As mourners paid their respects around the world with touching tributes ... all hell broke loose Thursday in his native country where violence erupted as thousands of mourners tried to force their way into the presidential palace where Maradona is lying in state.

Cops tried stopping folks from entering the building following orders from the family. Fans clashed with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the violent crowd.

Mike Tyson is gearing up for his big Thanksgiving weekend fight -- BY EATING ROY JONES JR'S HEAD!!!

Sure, it's a cake "head" -- but Mike went straight for his favorite part, THE EAR ... and the video is hilarious!!!

The 54-year-old fighter got his own adorable kids to take part in some Turkey Day trash talk directed at Roy -- warning the fighter to watch his lobes, or he'll get the Evander Holyfield treatment when they clash on Saturday night!

In the clip, Mike starts off by acknowledging he has a lot to be thankful for this year -- like the reported $10 mil he's scheduled to make from the Roy Jones Jr. fight -- before taking some shots at his opponent.

"It's a turkey," Mike says while revealing the cake of Roy's head.

Once he slices off Roy's ear, Mike jokes, "Tastes so much better than Evander's!"

Mike and Roy have said it's all fun and games until the bell rings on Saturday night -- with both guys telling TMZ Sports they'll both be trying to KNOCK EACH OTHER OUT.

The fight is technically an exhibition match, but Roy and Mike -- who's planning to walk to the ring with the song he created with EDM group Tiki Lau -- have each said they're approaching the event like a pro ... and want to put on a violent show for everyone spending money to watch. (It's available on PPV via cable and satellite, and PPV streaming at Triller).

Perhaps the lone bright spot of the coronavirus pandemic??? IT POSSIBLY MEANS MORE ADRIAN PETERSON, BABY!!!

The NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports, with teams not having preseason games and not practicing nearly as much due to COVID-19 protocols ... he believes his career has been extended.

In fact, Peterson says the lack of wear and tear put on his legs this season might allow him to play until he's 40 now!!!

"It actually took a lot off the body," the Detroit Lions running back said of the NFL's schedule this year. "Because we really didn't have a real training camp or OTAs or minicamp or anything like that."

"So, in hindsight, it really kind of allowed me to be a lot fresher."

Peterson -- who had told us back in June he was aiming to play 4 more years -- added, "Maybe it's five years now!"

The 35-year-old is still going strong regardless of the unique schedule ... he's rushed for 389 yards and 2 TDs this season -- and he's been solid every time the Lions have called his number.

And, Adrian's hoping that continues on Thanksgiving against the Houston Texans ... especially because he's doing some really cool charity work for the holiday.

Peterson tells us he and his foundation have partnered with The Athletes’ Corner to donate 100,000 meals to a local food bank in Detroit to help those in need.

To raise awareness for the situation, Peterson says he's going to be rockin' some custom kicks for the Turkey Day game against the Texans -- and check the spikes out ... they're AWESOME!!!

No turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, green bean casserole or pumpkin pie will be consumed by Jake Paul on Turkey Day ... 'cause the social media star tells TMZ Sports he's too busy cutting weight for his big fight against Nate Robinson!!!

The YouTuber-turned-boxer gave us an inside look at what his Thanksgiving is gonna look like -- and considering he's 2 days from his bout with the ex-NBA star on the Tyson vs. Jones Jr. card, it's not so fun.

"We're going into the bubble on Thanksgiving," Paul tells us. "I'm just gonna be watching people eat."

That SUCKS ... but Paul -- whose goal weight is 189 for the event -- says it was even worse for his fight against AnEsonGib in January, which made him miss out on all the fun surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's AND his birthday.

"So, only having to give up one holiday for this fight is not bad at all."

Jake gave an inside look on talks between his brother, Logan, and Floyd Mayweather ... but won't say 100% it's gonna go down.

Johnny Manziel is being as transparent as ever ... saying his relationship -- and divorce -- with Bre Tiesi helped him come to terms with the man he is today.

The former Heisman winner joined the "Ya Neva Know: You Know What I Mean?" podcast with Mike. (which aired Tuesday) ... and faced his past successes and struggles head-on in a truly candid setting.

When the topic of soulmates came up, Manziel detailed the impact his ex-wife had on his life ... and how she helped him find happiness after hitting a rough patch.

"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my relationship and getting married," Manziel said. "I wouldn't have the same attitude towards everything else if I wouldn't have gone through the divorce and stuff, too, if I wouldn't have gone through that with Bre. 100% there's no chance."

"And, I wouldn't be here probably today, sitting where I'm at, if it wasn't for her as well."

Of course, Manziel and Tiesi were married for one year -- the QB proposed in 2017 after going official in 2016. Tiesi later filed for divorce in 2019.

Johnny -- who credits Tiesi with saving his life -- says he has no regrets over the relationship .. saying, "She helped me grow to where I needed to be and it got to a point where I'm cool, finally, for the first time, picking myself up, looking in the mirror and being cool with me for the first time in a long, long time and that's where a lot of the mental stuff comes from."

"'Cause I can finally look myself in the mirror and go, 'What's good? You still look like a f**king idiot.' I'm still gonna do me, bro. I'm still me, bro."

Manziel also addressed his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns ... admitting he regrets wasting 2 years of future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas' career ... and praising fellow QB Josh McCown for being the ultimate pro.

Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul died Wednesday evening following a medical emergency at the team facility Tuesday, the team confirmed.

"Markus Paul, surrounded by his family, passed away at the hospital this evening at the age of 54," the Cowboys said ... "The cause of death is pending."

Team owner Jerry Jones issued a statement, saying, "The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family."

"He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star."

"His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all of our players and the entire organization."

"Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."

As we previously reported, Paul suffered a medical emergency at Cowboys headquarters at around 7:30 AM Tuesday morning and was transported to a nearby hospital.

Doctors scrambled to save Paul -- but despite their best efforts, he passed away Wednesday evening.

Paul had been a mainstay in NFL locker rooms for decades ... he played for the Chicago Bears from 1989 to 1993 and had a stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in '93 as well.

He later went on to become an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New Orleans Saints in 1998. From there, he worked for the Patriots, Jets, Giants and Cowboys ... winning FIVE Super Bowls with those teams.

The Cowboys had just promoted him to lead their lead strength and conditioning department in January.

"Markus was a great coach and one of the best guys that I have ever known," NY Giants legend Eli Manning said on Twitter this week. "He will be missed."

Former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes added, "My heart is heavy. One of the finest men and coaches I have ever met. The world lost a GREAT MAN today. We love you! RIP Markus Paul."