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A UNLV student tragically passed away just days after taking part in a charity boxing event for his fraternity ... and now the incident is under investigation.

20-year-old Nathan Valencia -- a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity -- was part of the main event for the Kappa Sigma-hosted "Fight Night" on November 19 ... when he collapsed shortly after his match with a fellow student.

Valencia -- who had no prior boxing experience -- was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries ... where he passed away four days later.

Valencia's girlfriend told KTLV she had a "weird feeling" while attending the event ... and said Nathan was visibly trying to get away from the other fighter to regain his breath.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield sent a letter to students after the tragedy ... saying, "We are shocked and heartbroken as we mourn the loss of one of our own. Coping with the loss of life is always difficult, especially under these circumstances."

"UNLV is committing all available resources to review the incident and determine how off-campus events like these can be as safe as possible."

Valencia was a junior studying kinesiology ... and was described by peers as a loving and happy person.

"The amount of pain I’m feeling can’t be put into words," his girlfriend said on Instagram. "I love you more than I love myself. You have always been so amazing to me. I never knew what love was like until I met you."

"Every moment spent with you was a memory I knew I would cherish forever."

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department special investigation section launched a probe into the event. We also reached out to the Nevada State Athletic Commission for comment ... so far, no word back.

Virgil Abloh is getting a nod from his hometown, with nothing less than his own day to be recognized going forward ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the City of Rockford, IL tells TMZ ... city officials are dubbing Wednesday, Dec. 1, as Virgil Abloh Day. There's no real significance in the day itself, we're told, other than them wanting to pay tribute to the Louis Vuitton artistic director as soon as possible.

The rep says Mayor McNamara will make the official announcement tomorrow, where he'll read the proclamation drafted for Virgil Abloh Day.

As for why they're even doing this in the first place ... we're told Rockford brass feel like it's warranted considering VA's impact on the community, especially the youth. The guy set a great example for citizens there, and they want to celebrate his contributions with something legit.

We're told Virgil's family was notified and thrilled with the news, but it's unclear if they'll be in attendance for Wednesday's ceremony.

Like we told you ... Virgil died over the weekend after succumbing to cancer -- a disease he was battling privately for years. His passing sent shockwaves all over the entertainment industry, as the man had lots of friends and influence in high places.

He was 41.

Former UCF football star Otis Anderson Jr. reportedly died on Monday night ... after he was shot during an altercation in Florida.

He was just 23 years old.

According to News4JAX, Anderson Jr. was shot during a domestic dispute that went down at around 9:30 p.m. in Jacksonville -- and he later died at a nearby hospital.

Cops said, according to News4JAX, that a woman was also shot in the altercation, but survived.

Details surrounding the incident are unclear -- but cops did say, according to News4JAX, that it appears all of the people involved were related.

Anderson Jr. -- who's not related to ex-New York Giants star Ottis Anderson -- was an outstanding football player for the Knights from 2017 to 2020.

Playing both wideout and running back, Otis piled up 2,182 rushing yards, 1,025 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. He did not get picked in the 2021 NFL Draft, but did sign with the Rams in the offseason.

He remained with L.A. until he was cut in September.

Reports of his death have hit the NFL community hard, with Rams star Jalen Ramsey saying on his Twitter page Tuesday, "Rest in Heaven Otis. We gotta do better on this earth smh. Big prayers up."

Added Dallas Cowboys star rookie Micah Parsons, "S*** sad!! Sending prayers to all."

China says Peng Shuai is okay, but the European Union ain't buying it -- with the organization demanding "verifiable proof" the tennis star is not in harm's way.

Peng disappeared earlier this month after accusing powerful Chinese politician Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault ... but popped back up recently during an interview with the International Olympic Committee and making an appearance at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals.

There are still many questions surrounding Peng's well-being ... and on Tuesday, the EU made it clear it's not satisfied with the current "proof" that's been provided thus far.

"Her recent public reappearance does not ease concerns about her safety and freedom," an EU spokesperson said Tuesday, according to the AP.

"The EU joins growing international demands, including by sport professionals, for assurances that she is free and not under threat." the EU said.

"In this spirit, the EU requests the Chinese government to provide verifiable proof of Peng Shuai’s safety, well-being and whereabouts.

The EU also calls for a full and thorough investigation into Peng's claims against Zhang.

"The EU strongly opposes the use of the practice of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention...and calls upon China to comply with its human rights obligations under national and international law."

Sorry, Chase Claypool ... there will be NO dancing at practice anytime soon ... so says teammate Cam Heyward, who's adamant music is the last thing Pittsburgh needs to get back to their winning ways.

CC made the interesting suggestion after the Steelers got blown out by the Cincinnati Bengals, 41-10 ... telling reporters having tunes blaring would help Pittsburgh practice better.

"We have music in the warm-ups and that, so it's fun," Claypool said Monday. "People are dancing, having fun. So, I think maybe music would make practice more fun and a little more up-tempo."

And, what's Heyward think of that idea??

"I hope he was kidding," he told Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on Tuesday, "Because as soon as he said it, I was literally about to rip the speaker out."

"That is not what we need right now. It’s Xs and Os and it’s execution."

Of course, it's bad news for currently injured receiver and TikTok star JuJu Smith-Schuster, who absolutely LOVES to dance.

Heyward says he hopes Claypool was joking ... and when the guys on the show made it clear the guy was serious, the All-Pro defensive end brought the young star back to reality.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy can't catch a break ... 'cause even after winning a game on Thanksgiving Day, fans in his own backyard still want him gone.

It all went down Monday night -- Notre Dame was trailing Illinois in the second half of action when "Fire Nagy" chants broke out from the packed fans in attendance.

This has gotta be tough for Nagy, considering he just picked up a win against division-rival Detroit ... right as rumors of his impending firing were making waves.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen fans voice their displeasure with the Bears play-caller -- chants of "Fire Nagy" erupted as the Bears lost a last-minute thriller to the Ravens a few weeks ago.

On top of that, an Illinois high school recently apologized to Nagy after "Fire Nagy" chants were directed towards him ... as he was in attendance to watch his son's high school football game.

Aaron Carter and his fiancee are no more -- just a week after they became first-time parents together -- and it appears more Carter family drama is to blame for the split.

Aaron announced he and Melanie Martin called it quits early Tuesday morning, saying, "There has been a very big lie and my sister communicating w my ex fiancé ruined everything considering she knew what angel tried to do to me in court thanks angel you ruined my family. God bless."

As we've reported, Aaron's had serious beef with his family, including with his twin sister, Angel, who he's apparently learned has been in regular communication with Melanie.

Aaron continues, "I have the most conniving deceiving family and Melanie has been lying to me the whole time communicating with my twin sister and the family members who tried to put me in prison and who tried to get a conservatorship on me in court. I’m in shocked this is horrible."

What's more, at least according to Aaron, Melanie is leaving California and taking the couple's son with her. He says she's leaving for Vegas with a friend named Carmen from "90 Day Fiance" and accuses Melanie of having had the backup plan all along.

As we reported, Aaron and Melanie welcomed Prince Lyric Carter last Monday after an emergency c-section and 13 hours of labor.

At the time, Aaron said of Melanie, "I’m so proud of you hunny you did it I Love you with all my heart my beautiful blessings from god."

Tiger Woods would not revisit his infamous car crash with reporters on Tuesday ... saying he believes all of his memories of the wreck and all of the intricate details of it have already been discussed.

"All those answers have been answered in the investigation," said Woods, who addressed a room full of media members for the first time since the February accident.

"So, you can read about all of that there, in the police report."

It's been over 9 months since Woods suffered comminuted open fractures to his right leg in a horrific Feb. 23 car crash near Los Angeles -- and even though a detailed police report has been publicly released, there are still many questions that remain.

Tiger, though, clearly wanted no part of shedding light on those while on the podium in the Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge ... adding that he does not have flashbacks to the terrifying scene.

"I don't, no," Woods said. "I'm very lucky in that way."

As we previously reported, cops say the violent crash was all caused by Woods' speed -- saying they believe the golfer was going over 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone just before the accident.

Cops say they do not believe Woods was under the influence of alcohol or drugs -- saying in the report he exhibited no signs of impairment. They also said there were no open alcohol containers in the vehicle, no odors of booze and no prescription pills found at the scene.

In the report, cops also say video showed Tiger moving well and appearing to be completely coherent as he left his hotel minutes before the crash.

Imagine finding out you're getting broken up with from social media, getting confirmation of the split via text ... and then having to wake up at 7 AM to get officially dumped with in person.

That's pretty much how it reportedly went down for Notre Dame players Monday night ... when coach Brian Kelly sent a short text to his players saying he's taking the LSU gig.

Kelly is getting a MASSIVE 10-year, $95 million contract to coach in Baton Rouge ... a shocking move, considering the Irish are 11-1 this season.

To rub salt in the wound, Kelly didn't text his team until AFTER the news was out about his new job ... and then he asked them to meet with him at the crack of dawn.

"Men ... Let me first apologize for the late night text and, more importantly, for not being able to share the news with you in person that I will be leaving Notre Dame," Kelly told players, according to Matt Fortuna.

"I am flying back to South Bend tonight to be able to meet with you in the morning but the news broke late today and I am sorry you found out through social media or news reports."

He added ... "I will have more to share when we meet tomorrow at 7 AM but for now, just know that my love for you is limitless and I am so proud of all that you have accomplished."

"Our program is elite because of your hard work and commitment and I know that will continue."

Kelly apologized again for not being the one to share the news of his departure first ... but man, at least the guy coulda let them sleep in a little bit, considering it reportedly lasted a whopping 11 minutes.

Kelly finishes his career at Notre Dame with a 113-40 record ... making the College Football Playoff twice and winning coach of the year numerous times.

WWE boss Vince McMahon is opening up about a contentious 20-year-old HBO interview he did with Bob Costas ... saying if Costas were bigger, the two would have come to blows.

The revelation was made in Jim Miller's new book Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers ... where both McMahon and Costas recalled the combative convo that apparently left a bitter taste in Vince's mouth even to this day.

During the 2001 interview, Costas drilled Vince with a wide range of questions on everything from the XFL's ratings to certain aspects of WWE that he found distasteful ... and, well, McMahon wasn't too thrilled about it.

“Once we were doing the interview, he kept interrupting me and interrupting me, and bringing up topics that had nothing to do with what we were supposed to be talking about,” McMahon said.

“He kept trying to do the ‘I gotcha’ kind of thing. It was clear he didn’t want to hear any of my answers."

The interview got so heated at one point, that McMahon actually sat up in his chair, told Costas to shut his mouth ... and accused the legendary sportscaster of not knowing what he was talking about.

“The other problem was that Bob is so freaking pompous. The entire time he acted like he was above me and was just using me to show how great he was," Vince said.

"I was sitting there really pissed off and started thinking, I wish he wasn’t 5-feet high and 140 pounds. If he was 6-5 and 295, he would deserve to get the s**t beat out of him. I could have really given them some great television.”

Speaking of great TV ... Costas admits he knew the two were having a memorable moment, but contends his questions were coming from a legitimate place and not a malicious one.

McMahon was so furious over it all that he stormed off after the interview ... slamming doors in the process, according to Costas.

The two would go on to have another interview a year later ... however, that encounter was far less memorable than the first one.

Tyreek Hill says he's still gunning to race Usain Bolt ... telling TMZ Sports he's so confident he'll beat the track legend, he's down to put his Super Bowl ring on the line!!

"Me and you can just meet at a local high school," Hill said in a message to Bolt. "I can come to Jamaica. We can get it poppin' on the YouTube. Huh!?"

If you're unfamiliar, Bolt and Hill have gone back and forth about a potential race for months -- with Hill initially calling the sprinter out earlier this year.

Hill -- arguably the fastest man in the NFL -- accused Bolt of ducking him ... and told him to "stop hiding" in a fiery social media post.

Bolt eventually fired back, telling us he'd be willing to put his gold medal on the line in a race if Hill was willing to put his SB LIV ring in the mix.

And, when we spoke with Hill a few days ago -- he told us he's ready to meet those conditions to get the race moving.

"Right now, it's getting kind of personal," Hill said. "Right now, it's about my ego right now. Because I feel like he just tried me."

Hill continued, "First of all, my momma always told me you never let nobody talk trash to you if they're wearing a tight shirt like that. Like, his Puma shirt was choking him. I'm not fittin' to allow that to happen."

Even though he's been retired for years, Bolt's still got to be the favorite in the race (right?) -- after all, Terrell Owens told us he thinks it'd actually be a laugher.

NBA forward and sneakerhead P.J. Tucker is honoring fashion icon Virgil Abloh with his shoe choice for Monday night's game ... rocking a pair of Off-White Jordan 5s with a special tribute.

The Heat baller showed off the kicks prior to taking the court against the Denver Nuggets ... which have messages etched in Sharpie -- "Thanks for a lifetime of inspiration" and "Virgil will always be here."

The gesture comes one day after Louis Vuitton announced the passing of its artistic director ... a loss that affected tons of celebs across sports and entertainment.

Tucker actually posted a pair of Off-White Jordan 2s the day before Abloh's passing was announced ... which read "Air Tucker" and "Virgil 2021."

Abloh was beloved in the sports world ... with athletes like Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Odell Beckham and more speaking about his tragic death.

"Rest In Paradise LEGEND!!!," LeBron said Sunday ... with KAT adding, "Stunned….Rest In Power"

Enes Kanter will now be Enes Kanter Freedom -- the Boston Celtics player just announced he's legally changing his name as he's sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

The 29-year-old hooper is set to officially become an American after passing his citizenship test earlier this month ... a journey that's been more than half a decade in the making.

Enes will be adding "Freedom" to his name as he becomes an American ... moving Kanter to his middle name. He says the new last name will appear on his jersey starting Tuesday night.

Remember, Kanter told us back in 2019 he was considering taking an American name once he became a citizen ... and what's better than Freedom?!

"Dream came true," Kanter told CNN on Monday. "It's been 6 years that I've been trying to become an American citizen. finally, I can call somewhere home."

Kanter has been outspoken against the government in his home country of Turkey ... specifically president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he's referred to as the "Hitler of our generation."

As a result, Kanter was labeled a terrorist in Turkey -- his passport was revoked and there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Now that he'll be an American, Kanter can start fresh.

"Today is probably the biggest day of my life."

He added ... "To me, America gave me everything. America gave me home, gave me family. My teammates became my brothers like my real family. This means so much to me."

Kanter has most recently criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur community ... calling on LeBron James and Nike to take a stand against the country's internment camps.

As for the name change, Kanter says "freedom is the greatest thing a human being can have. That's why I wanted to make that word a part of me and carry it everywhere I go."

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill has just been suspended 2 games ... and it's all thanks to a punch he threw at Las Vegas Raiders guard John Simpson after Thursday's Thanksgiving game.

The NFL just made the punishment official on Monday ... saying Hill's suspension will start when the Cowboys take on the Saints this Thursday night.

In the video, you can see Hill -- without his helmet -- appear to be exchanging words with Simpson at midfield shortly after the overtime thriller ... then suddenly, things took a turn for the worse.

Trysten threw a punch at Simpson's face, ultimately knocking his helmet off before players and coaches from both teams stepped in to intervene.

The two had to be separated as Simpson pursued Hill following the punch ... but luckily for both parties, no further punches were thrown.

Unfortunately for Hill and the Cowboys, it was too late ... as the NFL already saw enough evidence to hit the tackle with a punishment.

The Cowboys -- who lost to Las Vegas -- fell to 7-4 on the season ... and dropped their second consecutive game.

The days of seeing Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour every week are almost certainly over ... the golf legend just revealed he doesn't have plans to return to being a full-time golfer again in the wake of his February car crash.

"It's an unfortunate reality," Woods told Golf Digest on Monday in his first interview since the infamous wreck earlier this year. "But, it's my reality. And, I understand it, and I accept it."

Woods spoke for about 45 minutes on his rehab process and his future plans with golf ... and he said while a comeback is in the cards -- he says there's just likely no way the old Tiger's schedule will ever be seen again.

"I think something that is realistic is playing the Tour one day -- never full-time ever again -- but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did," Woods said. "You pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that."

"You practice around it, and you gear yourself up for it. I think that's how I'm going to have to play it from now on."

Woods said his recovery process has been brutal, revealing he was bed-ridden for over three months following the Feb. 23 accident.

Tiger also revealed the initial moments after the crash were beyond nerve-racking -- saying he was legitimately concerned doctors were going to have to amputate his right leg.

"I wouldn't say it was 50/50," said Woods, who suffered comminuted open fractures in his leg in the crash. "But, it was damn near there if I was going to walk out of that hospital with one leg."

Woods, though, has miraculously begun playing golf again ... saying he's been out hitting shots with his son, Charlie, and getting better and better daily.

But, Tiger was adamant a true comeback just likely will not happen.

"After my back fusion, for me, I had to prove it to myself -- I had to climb Mount Everest one more time," Woods said. "I had to do it, and I did it. This time around, I don't think I'll have the body to climb Mount Everest, and that's OK."

"But, I can participate in the game of golf. I can still, maybe if my leg gets good enough, maybe [I can] click off a tournament here or there."

Marcell Ozuna was slapped with a 20-game suspension, retroactively, after commish Rob Manfred says an investigation concluded the Atlanta Braves star outfielder violated MLB's domestic violence policy.

31-year-old Ozuna was placed on administrative leave in May 2021 after he was arrested for allegedly getting physical with his wife. At the time, authorities said Marcell repeatedly grabbed his wife by the neck and slammed her into a wall. Cops claimed they actually witnessed some of the attack.

Ozuna -- one of the leagues best players -- missed 20 games.

The Braves ended up making a deep playoff run -- winning their first World Series since the mid-90s -- without Ozuna's bat and glove.

In addition to the alleged incident, Marcell was also dealing with a serious hand injury he sustained playing at Fenway Park just days before he was arrested. .

The criminal charges were ultimately dropped ... and the 2-time All-Star was never convicted of a crime.

However, Manfred still believes there's enough there to warrant the suspension.

“My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Marcell Ozuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy."

The commissioner continued ... "Having reviewed the totality of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Ozuna violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate.”

FYI, Ozuna was scheduled to make $12 million last season ... meaning the suspension cost him over 1.5 mil!