TMZ Sports - Page 50

Wonder what a face looks like after getting punched 86 times by Justin Gaethje?! Look no further ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained video and photos of UFC badass Michael Chandler after his epic scrap with JG.

Chandler tells us he received 4 stitches inside his lip, 12 stitches above his right eye, and 6 stitches above his left eye ... for a grand total of 22, done by a doc at an NYC hospital.

If you missed the fight (what were you thinking?) ... it was absolutely insane. 32-year-old Gaethje -- the #1 ranked lightweight contender -- went at it for 25 straight minutes with 35-year-old Chandler, the #4 ranked 155 pounder.

Justin won the fight by unanimous decision ... but it was the fans who truly won -- 'cause both guys were beat the hell up.

Gaethje landed 116 total significant strikes ... while Chandler pieced up JG with 103 significant strikes.

Michael and Justin were both transported to the hospital after the UFC 268 fight.

Still think ya wanna be a fighter?!

The Houston Rockets have temporarily axed its "Travis Scott Night" promotion slated for Wednesday night ... with the team planning to honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy in its place.

The Rockets were set to hand out 3,000 limited edition Scott-themed shirts prior to their matchup against the Detroit Pistons ... but will instead have a moment of silence for the 8 people who died and the others affected at the music festival in Houston.

Of course, Scott is one of the Rockets' most famous fans ... and has been spotted courtside at countless games over the years.

But given the tragic events that took place Friday night, postponing the promotion was a no-brainer.

Rockets head coach Stephen Silas shared his condolences to the families of the victims of the festival ... adding his 14 and 17-year-old daughters actually wanted to attend with their friends, but were unable to due to a volleyball tournament in Dallas.

Dalvin Cook is innocent until proven guilty ... and NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe says people need to remember that as the Minnesota Vikings running back faces serious allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-girlfriend.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old is accused of assaulting and threatening to kill his ex, U.S. Army veteran Gracelyn Trimble, in 2020 ... but he claims he's actually the victim.

TMZ Sports spoke with Sharpe about the situation, and he says the masses have to reserve judgment until Cook goes through the legal process ... but they won't.

"Man, this is really tough because my heart goes out to all abused," Sharpe tells us. "But, I mean, now we just don't even get a chance to prove innocence or nothing. We just automatically assume."

"Everybody says, 'I hear that.' We should have our day in court and we should have this. But, that's not what we do. We automatically rush to judgment."

Sharpe adds he hopes the allegations made against Cook aren't true.

"I'm just not trying to convict people in the court of the public opinion without them having their due process," he added.

As for Cook, he told reporters "the truth will come out" and he fully intends to play on Sunday ... but Sharpe would be surprised if that happens.

Age ain't nothing but a number -- and 105-year-old runner Julia Hawkins is full proof of that after setting a world record in the 100-meter dash run in her age group!!

Hawkins -- better known as Hurricane -- made history with a 1:02:95 time in the race at the 2021 Louisiana Senior Games last weekend.

Hawkins is the first female track and field athlete and American to set the 100-meter record in her 105+ age group.

"The older you get, the more passions you ought to have," Hawkins told USA Today, "Keeping active is one of my most important passions."

"I believe in magic moments, thinking of things that you see and do and feel that more than just usual. They're absolutely out of this world, they're so unusual. And wonderful."

Hawkins added, "Every time I race it's a magic moment."

This isn't the first time Hawkins has made history on the track --- in 2017, she ran the fastest 100-meter for age group 100-104 in the National Seniors Games.

"People say that they want to be just like me when they grow up... And I think if I can please people and give them hope, then it's worth living longer."

The former middle school teacher got into the sport when she was 100 ...  after her four kids registered her shortly after she gave up 8-10 years of biking ... and she loves it.

"When I started running, I found it was a pleasure. I enjoyed doing it," Hawkins said.

"I felt that would be a neat challenge to run the 100 [meter] dash, at 100, in under a minute."

The Louisiana games is a qualifier for the National Senior Games in Florida in May 2022 -- and Hawkins is still debating if she'll go this year.

TMZ Sports has obtained multiple 911 calls made moments after Henry Ruggs allegedly caused a fatal car crash ... with one witness telling an operator she believed a person was trapped in the burning truck.

A female caller who said she lives near the scene of the accident claimed she was in bed when she heard the crash, and when she looked at the crash site, all she saw were flames.

"It's almost all gone," she said of the fire-engulfed vehicle, continuing, "and I think someone is in it."

The woman is clearly panicked ... and pleading with the 911 operator to get help to the scene.

The woman also said she heard what she described as "kids just yelling for help."

But, she said the flames were so high "you can't get near it."

In the second call, a man, who heard, but didn't see the crash, told authorities, "I want to say the [Corvette] was probably speeding. I mean, I heard loud revving, loud noises, and then a big collision."

The man horrifyingly said he also thought he heard yelping coming from a dog inside of the burning vehicle.

Of course, in addition to 23-year-old Tina Tintor dying in the wreck, her golden retriever, Max, also perished.

The second caller also speculated that he suspected Ruggs and his GF were under the influence ... though he didn't elaborate why he suspected they were impaired.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ruggs was hit with 5 charges including 4 felonies for his role in the crash.

Aaron Rodgers just took a lightsaber to the gut ... 'cause Luke Skywalker himself is shaking his head at the NFL QB for rockin' "Star Wars" gear during his most recent controversial COVID talk.

Mark Hamill -- who played the famous Jedi in the iconic movie series -- just sent out the roast of the Packers star on social media ... doggin' the signal-caller for his wardrobe choice on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week.

"Of all the sweatshirts he could have worn," Hamill said of Rodgers' 'The Rise Of Skywalker' hoodie, "he had to take full responsibility in THAT one?"

Hamill added a weary-face emoji for emphasis -- clearly showing he doesn't approve of Rodgers' personal stance on the jab and the way he's gone about expressing it publicly.

Rodgers apologized for misleading people when saying he was "immunized" ... but also said he was standing by his previous comments against getting vaxxed.

Of course, the dig has got to hurt Rodgers -- 'cause the 37-year-old is a HUGE "Star Wars" nerd.

He's dressed up on more than one occasion in "Star Wars" garb ... even famously wearing an Obi-Wan Kenobi 'fit with his ex-GF Olivia Munn for a premiere of 'The Force Awakens' in 2015.

In fact, Rodgers even shouted out the Ewoks while he was guest-hosting "Jeopardy!" this past year ... and he was spotted geeking out at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge with Shailene Woodley in Florida in April.

A teenage girl was leveled by a sucker punch in the middle of a basketball game Sunday ... and the violent swing was all captured on video.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the incident went down during a youth basketball game in Garden Grove, Calif. -- after a 15-year-old had bumped into a girl following her jump shot.

In footage of the play, you can see as both girls got back to their feet after the collision -- someone from the crowd appeared to yell, "You better hit her."

That's when the girl in the all-black uniform swung a massive left haymaker that connected with the other girl's throat and face area.

Immediately, the girl crashed to the floor in pain ... and we're told the game was stopped and then eventually canceled over the incident.

The punch victim's mother tells us the girl was injured on the play -- and is suffering from the after-effects so much, she still has yet to return to school.

The girl's mom also tells us she went to cops over it all ... though it's unclear if a criminal investigation is underway.

Kobe Bryant's legacy could be entering the wine industry -- Vanessa Bryant just filed four new trademark applications for a wine named after the late NBA Hall of Famer.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Vanessa submitted docs on Nov. 5 to secure trademarks that indicate her aspirations to enter the wine business ... with "Mamba Vino," "Mamba Vino 2024," "Mamba Vino 8," and "Mamba Vino 24" among the phrases listed, as first reported by Josh Gerben.

Kobe Bryant, LLC -- which is run by Vanessa -- is listed as the applicant on the filing ... with Bryant signing off on all the paperwork.

This move is the latest in a series of business moves by Vanessa ... as we previously reported, last month she filed a trademark for digital collectible items, websites, training camps, broadcasting platforms, podcasts, TV shows, movies, documentaries and music ... as well as sports cards, food/drink containers and t-shirts.

All four new trademark names include one of Kobe's many nicknames, "vino" ... 'cause many people thought his game got better with age.

The names also pay tribute to the numbers Kobe wore -- 8 and 24 -- of course, both numbers are retired by the Lakers and hang in the rafters at the Staples Center.

The Minnesota Vikings are still allowing Dalvin Cook to practice with the team ... this despite new allegations that he roughed up his ex-GF during a violent Nov. 2020 incident.

Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer just revealed the news ... saying Cook will work out with the team Wednesday.

Zimmer added that, as of now, the star running back is slated to be available to play in Minnesota's game against the Chargers on Sunday as planned too.

Of course, it's a surprising announcement ... considering Cook's ex, Gracelyn Trimble, has accused the football player of being violent with her on multiple occasions since 2018.

In a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Tremble says Cook got physical with her throughout their relationship -- including a Nov. 19, 2020 incident in which she claims he left her a bloody mess.

During the alleged confrontation ... Trimble says Cook hit her repeatedly and even at one point aimed a gun at her head and told her she was going to die.

For his part, Cook -- through his representatives -- has denied the allegations ... and claimed he was actually the victim in the situation, adding that Trimble was attempting to extort him.

The NFL has said it's investigating it all ... explaining in a statement this week, "The matter will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy. We will continue to monitor developments but there's no change to [Cook's] status."

Paris Saint-Germain player Aminata Diallo was arrested after a teammate was attacked by masked men last week, the team announced Wednesday ... and reports surrounding the incident are absolutely bonkers.

26-year-old Diallo is being accused of orchestrating an attack on Kheira Hamraoui -- who plays the same position -- after a team event in Paris on November 4.

According to ESPN, Hamraoui was traveling home in Diallo's car with teammates following dinner ... and when the vehicle arrived at her place, two men dragged her out of the car and beat her legs with iron bars for two minutes.

Hamraoui was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital and needed stitches ... but did not suffer career-ending injuries.

The motive behind the alleged attack was due to playing time, L'equipe claims.

PSG released a statement Wednesday morning ... confirming Diallo was arrested in connection to an attack on a teammate, but did not name Hamraoui.

"Paris Saint-Germain can confirm that Aminata Diallo was taken into custody this morning by the Versailles Regional Police Service as part of the proceedings opened following an attack on the Club's players last Thursday evening," the team said.

"Paris Saint-Germain condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence committed."

PSG added ... "Since Thursday evening the Club has taken all necessary measures to guarantee the health, well-being and safety of its entire women's team."

"Paris Saint-Germain is working with the Versailles Police to clarify the facts. The Club is paying close attention to the progress of the proceedings and will study what action to take."

The whole thing sounds similar to the infamous Tonya Harding drama from the 1994 Olympics ... when the skater was accused of being involved in an attack on Nancy Kerrigan.

Harding later admitted to hearing talk of the planned attack prior to the incident ... but denies being directly involved.

Henry Ruggs is scheduled to make his second public appearance since his fatal car crash last week -- the ex-Raiders star is due in court in a matter of minutes ... and he's expected to be formally hit with five charges while there.

The 22-year-old, who's accused of getting drunk, speeding in his car and then killing a woman and her dog in a wreck in Las Vegas last Tuesday, has a hearing slated for 7:30 AM.

Prosecutors are expected to formally announce five charges against him -- including four felonies and one misdemeanor -- and Ruggs could enter a plea afterward.

Of course, the last time anybody saw Ruggs publicly was last Wednesday -- a little over 24 hours after his crash -- when he showed up to court for a bond hearing in a neck brace and a wheelchair.

At that hearing, Ruggs was admonished by officials ... with a judge noting he'd never seen a case where the defendant was accused of traveling at such a high rate of speed.

As we previously reported, law enforcement says Ruggs hit 156 MPH in his Corvette before slamming it into the back of a Toyota at around 3:40 a.m.

The collision was so violent, it sparked a fire in the Toyota that killed Tina Tintor and her golden retriever.

Prosecutors say bloodwork revealed Ruggs had a .161 BAC -- more than two times the legal limit of .08 -- and they said last week he could be facing up to 46 years in prison over it all.

We'll be covering the case as Ruggs goes before the judge ... stay tuned.

Good news from Deion Sanders -- the Jackson State football coach just gave an update on his current status after suffering complications from foot surgery ... and he's out of the hospital!!

Coach Sanders recently had a setback during recovery from surgery he had on his dislocated toe -- an injury from his NFL days -- back in September.

The 54-year-old has been sharing updates in the weeks following the procedure ... even posting bloody and gnarly images.

Sanders was told to chill for 6 weeks, but he was out and about via a 3-wheel scooter and golf cart during team drills and games -- until he was sidelined again by medical professionals.

It seemed serious since he ended up back in the hospital and missed JSU Tigers' last three games due to complications ... but Coach Sanders just announced on Wednesday everything is good.

"As you know there have been some complications following my foot surgery, but it brings me such joy to tell you that I'm now out of the hospital and on my path that we started TOGETHER."

"I promise you I'm going to be smart and continue to adhere to my wonderful team of doctors' orders."

Sanders added, "Often times fast is looked upon as having speed, but fast in this instance is being fleet of thought."

Sanders also says he might make an appearance very soon -- in a better ride ... saying "Don't be surprised when you see me back on the field in a new whip 😎"

What can beat a custom-made Prime Time scooter and golf cart?!

NBA star Nikola Jokic could be facing a lengthy suspension ... after he injured Markieff Morris on Monday night with a violent cheap shot.

The play all went down at the end of the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' game against the Heat ... when Jokic felt he was fouled by Morris while dribbling the ball up the court in a 111-94 game.

In video of the incident, you can see right after Morris threw his body into Jokic's -- the 6-foot-11, 284-pound center charged at Morris' back and hurled an elbow that caused the Heat player to crash to the ground.

Immediately, players and coaches got into a scrum -- and at one point, Miami star Jimmy Butler appeared to challenge somebody on the Nuggets to a fight at center court.

Eventually, everybody was separated and Jokic was ejected ... but Morris appeared to be really hurt on the play.

In fact, a stretcher was brought out for the 32-year-old, but fortunately, he was able to walk off the court.

The Heat announced Morris was dealing with a neck injury as a result of the foul -- and his status going forward is unclear.

For his part, Jokic -- whose Nuggets went on to win 113-96 -- called the play "stupid" and said he shouldn't have reacted the way he did.

NBA fine, and possibly suspension, coming for Jokic in 3 ... 2 ...

A woman claiming to have dated Dalvin Cook throughout the past 3 years says the NFL star beat the hell out of her in Nov. 2020 ... leaving her a scratched, bruised and bloody mess.

But, the Minnesota Vikings running back is adamant he's actually the victim ... and the woman is now attempting to extort him.

U.S. Army veteran Gracelyn Trimble spelled out the troubling accusations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports ... saying she met Cook on a beach in Florida in 2018 and began dating the football player a short time later.

Trimble, though, says in the docs that in March 2020 ... the relationship took a turn for the worse.

Trimble claims Cook had gotten her pregnant, but she suffered a miscarriage -- and while in the hospital dealing with it all, she says Cook was cheating on her.

Trimble says that led to a "physically violent argument" between the two, where she claims Cook pushed her -- resulting in their break-up.

But, Trimble says less than 3 months later, they rekindled their romance and started living together in Florida ... and also shared space in Minnesota, where Cook was living during the Vikings' season.

Trimble, though, says in mid-November, the two got into an argument at the Mall of America, and when they returned home, Cook punched her and threw her to the ground.

Because of Cook's alleged history of violence, Trimble says she stored mace in his garage.

Shortly after the altercation, Trimble says she then learned Cook was again cheating on her ... so she decided to confront him, gather her things and end the relationship.

On Nov. 19, 2020, Trimble claims in the docs she entered Cook's home through the garage, grabbed the mace and headed inside to pack up her belongings.

Inside the home, Trimble claims she asked Cook for help packing up her belongings -- but he got mad, "grabbed her arm, and slung her whole body over the couch, slamming her face into the coffee table and causing her lower forehead and the bridge of her nose to bust open and start gushing blood."

Trimble claims she then attempted to defend herself by macing Cook, but he overpowered her, and the mace primarily got in her eyes.

After briefly going outside, Trimble says she went upstairs and attempted to take a shower in order to wash the mace out of her eyes -- but she claims she was again confronted by Cook ... saying the NFL star picked her up and slammed her on the floor. She claims she hit the corner of a bed in the room, which caused a deep gash on her arm.

Trimble claims Cook then pinned her to the ground and told her she was "going to die." She then claims Cook punched and choked her and then grabbed a gun and pointed it at her head "all while yelling death threats."

Trimble says in the docs Cook eventually put the gun down, but kept her pinned to the ground.

The woman says Cook let her up -- and she was able to get into the shower to try to wash the blood off of her. But, she says their violent altercation continued after she finished in the bathroom.

Trimble says she went downstairs where she and Cook began to argue again -- before she claims Dalvin began beating her with a broomstick.

"Despite having been a soldier in active combat," the documents read, "where she had missiles and bullets fired at her, Trimble feared for her life like she had never before."

Trimble claims the beating continued as she attempted to crawl away from Cook to get help, but she says Cook would not let her go.

Trimble claims despite begging Cook to call police or an ambulance, he held her against her will for hours -- before eventually taking her to the airport.

After returning to Florida, Trimble says she didn't initially go to the hospital because she wanted to protect Cook ... but on Nov. 25, she claims she realized her injuries were severe, so she went to the emergency room.

While there, she says she told doctors she was in an ATV accident ... and they diagnosed her with a concussion and "several deep cuts and bruising."

Trimble claims Cook profusely apologized after the incident, but they did not see each other for about a month until a death in Cook's family -- which she claims brought the couple back together.

But, Trimble says the relationship eventually broke down again -- and they called things off.

Cook's attorney, however, claimed in a statement to TMZ Sports on Tuesday that he's actually the victim ... and said shortly after the two began dating, she "became emotionally abusive, physically aggressive and confrontational, and repeatedly attempted to provoke" him.

Cook accused Trimble of damaging his car, assaulting him and attempting to "stop him from seeing other women" throughout their relationship.

We also talked to Dalvin's agent, Zac Hiller, who told us regarding the Nov. 19, 2020 incident that "[Trimble] showed up at [Dalvin's] house, illegally entered, punched him in the face, maced him, armed herself with a gun, and held him and his 2 house guests hostage."

Cook and his attorney claim they actually have video from the incident that they say shows she was the aggressor.

Cook's attorney added that any injuries Trimble suffered during the altercation were "the result of Sgt. Trimble's own unlawful conduct."

"We are confident a full disclosure of the facts will show Mr. Cook did nothing wrong," Cook's attorney said.

Who will Conor McGregor fight when he returns to the Octagon after snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier???

Well, Max Holloway tells TMZ Sports it very well could be him ... 'cause he's on a "short list" to fight The Notorious.

We talked to Holloway -- the 29-year-old, #1 ranked featherweight contender -- just days before he's set to battle #3 ranked Yair Rodriguez ... in what in all likelihood will be a ridiculously awesome fight.

Question is, Blessed technically (it was controversial) lost to Alex Volkanovski twice ... so a win might not necessarily set him up for another crack at the current champ.

So, what's next? Here's what Max told us.

"I got 5 titles wins. 5 title fight wins. I want that 6 title fight win. And, if it can be Alex, then so be it. But, at the end of the day, UFC discussed with us a bunch of things, a bunch of possibilities. I got a win over the 155 champ in their division."

Then Holloway dropped this bit of news sure to get MMA fans juiced.

"I'm on a short list for Conor McGregor. Always on a short list for that fight. I'm the best boxer in the UFC."

Of course, it wouldn't be the first time the men have shared the cage. Back in August 2013, Holloway -- only 21-years-old at the time -- lost a unanimous decision to McGregor.

Fast forward ... Max is considered by most the greatest 145 lb. MMA fighter of all-time, and is coming off a historically dominating win over Calvin Kattar.

Meanwhile, 33-year-old Conor has lost 3 of his last 4 fights (Khabib L, "Cowboy" Cerrone W, Poirier L, Poirier L), and suffered a devastating leg injury against Dustin on July 10.

McGregor is likely to return to the cage in 2022 ... and Max, who's super focused on Rodriguez, knows it'll be huuuge fight.

"I think Conor, he's always talking about Nate [Diaz], always talking about Dustin [Poirier] now. But if you go call Hunter [Campbell] at the UFC, one of the guys here, and ask him who is the guy gonna sell pay-per-views at 45 or 55," Max said.

Holloway even has a venue in mind for the superfight.

Aaron Rodgers just got fined by the National Football League for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols ... and the Green Bay Packers also got dinged.

The NFL fined Rodgers a measly $14,650 for attending a Halloween party with other Packers while he was unvaccinated. The protocols prohibit unvaxxed players from going to large gatherings outside team facilities.

Packers receiver Allen Lazard, who is also unvaccinated, was also docked $14,650 for attending the team-sanctioned Halloween bash.

The big fine came for the Packers ... the franchise was hit with a $300,000 penalty for not enforcing the rules with Rodgers and Lazard, including a failure to wear face coverings inside team facilities.

As we reported ... Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday, later admitting he was not vaccinated.

The star QB claimed he was allergic to something in the Pfizer and Moderna shots ... and didn't want to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, saying he feared adverse side effects.

On Friday, AR told Pat McAfee he took Ivermectin -- among other treatments -- after conferring with friend Joe Rogan.

Rodgers missed last Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game his team lost. The future Hall of Famer will likely have a chance to return to the field this weekend.