TMZ Sports - Page 50

How do you celebrate a big-time win in the Octagon?! If you're UFC star Jose Aldo ... you hit up the LV Raiders game, and then pop bottles and dance to music played by Diplo!

35-year-old Aldo beat fellow UFC star Rob Font at Fight Night Saturday night ... in a 5-round unanimous decision.

Aldo was ranked 5th before the fight ... and since he toppled the 4th ranked fighter, he is very much in title contention.

So, a reason to celebrate ... and celebrate he did Sunday afternoon.

We're told Jose attended the Raiders-WFT game (unfortunately for the hometown fans, the Raiders lost 17-15) ... hitting up the Wynn Field Club at Allegiant Stadium with 7 friends, where they watched football.

FYI, Aldo's Brazilian ... so it's unclear if he's an American football fan, or if he just went for the atmosphere and booze.

After the game, we're told Jose stayed for the game-day afterparty hosted by Diplo ... where he enjoyed bottle service with his friends, dancing up a storm.

The United States will not send an official delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, President Joe Biden and the White House announced Monday.

The decision to withdraw from the Olympic games is a statement against China's "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

The Biden administration told reporters in November that they were "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the '22 Beijing Olympics ... and after allegations of forced labor and human rights abuses in China's western region of Xinjiang continued, #46 put his foot down.

Psaki said at a White House briefing Monday that Biden was sending a "clear message" that the U.S. will not tolerate the alleged human rights abuses in China ... adding that things cannot be "business as usual" there.

The move from the White House is a deviation from the norm ... it's tradition for the U.S. and other nations to send high-profile delegates to represent their respective countries at the games. Biden's wife, Jill Biden, participated in this past summer's Olympics in Tokyo.

As for U.S. athletes ... they'll still be allowed to compete in the Olympics -- and Psaki said they'll have the Biden administration's "full support." Psaki, though, said the administration would not be "contributing to the fanfare of the games."

The Philadelphia Flyers' season just got a whole lot crappier ... 'cause on the day they fired their head coach amid a losing skid, a police K-9 defecated all over their center-ice logo.

Just hours after the team canned Alain Vigneault, several dogs from the Philadelphia Police Dept. took a trip to Wells Fargo Center ... and you can see in video of their visit, things got messy quickly.

One of the dogs walked all the way out to the red line ... popped a squat and then let its bowels go.

The dog pooped for several seconds -- and then appeared to unleash even more on the logo!!

Of course, we're pretty sure it'll all get cleaned up in time for the Flyers' Monday evening game against the Colorado Avalanche ... but it's yet another reminder of how badly Philly's season has gone so far.

The team is currently in the midst of an 8-game losing streak ... and they've played so poorly recently, there's not a whole lot of optimism in the City Of Brotherly Love at the moment.

Russell Westbrook isn't letting the Lakers' early-season struggles put a damper on his spirit ... 'cause the SoCal native hit up the Happiest Place on Earth with his wife and kids.

The Lakers -- who last played Friday against the Clippers -- had the weekend off ... providing Russ the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with the fam.

Westbrook and his wife, Nina, took their kids to Disneyland in Anaheim on Sunday ... where they enjoyed some rides at the famous theme park. And yes, they had delicious Churros too.

The Lakers star rode the Radiator Spring Racers, where he sat in the front row (photo below). The 33-year-old also hit up the new Web Slingers Spider-Man attraction in the new California Adventures Park's Marvel Land.

The former UCLA product has been all smiles since being traded to his hometown Lakers ... despite a season that has been mired with inconsistency due to injuries and lack of chemistry.

Of course, Russ isn't the first celebrity to grace Disneyland with his presence. A host of A-list stars like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Halle Berry, Mario Lopez, Nick Cannon and Trey Songz have visited the park.

Disney was also a favorite of Kobe Bryant over the years ... who LOVED the park.

Anyone have a staple remover??

The iconic Staples Center signage is officially coming down on Monday ... with workers slowly removing the red letters off of the building to make way for Crypto.com Arena.

As we previously reported, the cryptocurrency company bought the naming rights to the venue last month ... which came with a whopping $700 MILLION price tag.

While the name change won't officially happen until Christmas Day, AEG wasted no time kick-starting the rebrand ... which will undoubtedly have some fans upset.

Of course, Staples Center was often referred to as "The House That Kobe Built," as a nod to the late Lakers legend, who played at the venue for the majority of his Hall of Fame career.

No matter what people officially call the arena, Vanessa Bryant made it clear all the history that Kobe made inside will always live on.

Medina Spirit -- the thoroughbred that won the 2021 Kentucky Derby -- suddenly died on a track in Southern California on Monday.

The horse's owner, Amr Zedan, confirmed the death to Thoroughbred Daily News ... revealing it appears the colt suffered a heart attack just after a workout in Santa Anita.

The horse was just 3 years old.

Medina Spirit famously won the Kentucky Derby in May ... but, as we previously reported, it was not without controversy.

The horse tested positive for steroids following its run ... and even though Medina Spirit's legendary trainer, Bob Baffert, denied that they cheated to win -- the colt could be stripped of the victory down the road pending the results of an ongoing investigation.

Medina Spirit went on to finish in third place in the Preakness Stakes after the Derby -- but did not race in the ensuing Belmont Stakes after Baffert was suspended over doping allegations.

Tyron Woodley's getting his rematch after all -- Jake Paul just announced Tommy Fury has backed out of their December 18 fight ... with the ex-UFC champ taking his place.

24-year-old Paul just posted a video confirming rumors of Fury pulling out on Monday ... saying he will go head-to-head against Woodley once again in less than 2 weeks' notice.

"When my team woke me up on Friday to tell me Tommy Fumbles was pulling out, I told them I’ll fight anyone on December 18th," Jake said. "Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis,… I don’t give a f*** who it is."

Naturally, Jake also had some words for Tommy.

"Tommy’s pulling out because of a 'medical condition' called vaginitis," he added. "Unlike the Furys, Tyron actually has some balls, is stepping in, and contractually he is getting an extra $500,000 if he knocks me out."

Of course, Paul and Woodley duked it out in Cleveland on August 29, with the YouTuber getting the split decision win over Tyron.

As we previously reported, Tommy agreed to fight Jake back in October ... after months of trash talk and failed contract negotiations.

Speaking of failed negotiations, Woodley initially lost his shot at the rematch after Paul claimed he took too long to get "I love Jake Paul" tatted on him.

Woodley eventually got the ink a month after the fight ... getting the phrase on his middle finger.

This time around, Jake is guaranteeing a different outcome.

"First time I outboxed him. This time I’m gonna punish him and leave no doubt."

It's a quick turnaround for Woodley ... but the dude's a pro, so we're sure he'll be fine.

Gervonta Davis paid huge respect to Kobe Bryant during his fight at Staples Center on Sunday ... rockin' some Mamba-themed shorts and shoes for the big tilt with Isaac Cruz.

Davis entered the "House That Kobe Built" decked out in Lakers colors ... and stitched Kobe's famous #24 and #8 on his shorts.

Davis also sported some Kobe-inspired shoes for the match ... with his kicks resembling the Black Mamba's famous "Grinches."

And, after Gervonta beat Cruz by unanimous decision, he shouted out the NBA legend as well.

"L.A. we did it, baby!" Tank told the packed crowd, which included Magic Johnson, Kawhi Leonard and Dwight Howard. "Home of Kobe!"

It's fitting that Davis honored Bryant on the night ... considering he needed every bit of the Mamba Mentality to get through his bout with Cruz.

Fighting in the place of Rolando Romero, Cruz took it to Davis -- who had to battle through a hand injury to score the win.

Josh Jacobs hit the field in style on Sunday ... the Las Vegas Raiders running back rocked cleats honoring the late, great Virgil Abloh, who recently passed away at the age of 41.

The NFL allowed players to wear custom cleats in Week 13 to raise awareness and money for causes close to the players' hearts ... so Jacobs decided to honor the former artistic director of Louis Vuitton and Off-White founder.

As you can see, the cleat design was pretty dope. They were yellow and blue and featured the words "RIP Virgil" with Virgil's patented "Off-White" trademark.

The artist behind the cleats is I Am Luke Dangler ... who tells us he worked over 25 hours in over 4 days perfecting the design.

Virgil -- who was loved by many in the entertainment industry -- passed away in late November after privately battling cancer for years ... and it's clear that his death reverberated in both the fashion and sports world.

We've seen athletes in the NBA -- like Miami's P.J. Tucker -- show respect by wearing a pair of Off-White Jordan 5s with a special tribute on them.

Jacobs appears to be the first NFL player to wear cleats honoring the fashion icon.

"It's over?! Wait, shut up. Shut up!"

Jared Goff's model girlfriend Christen Harper had a priceless reaction to the Detroit Lions getting their first win on Sunday ... pausing her Sports Illustrated bikini photoshoot to celebrate the accomplishment!!

The Lions are now 1-10-1 after a 29-27 thriller at home against the Minnesota Vikings ...  finally getting in the win column after several heartbreaking losses throughout the 2021 season.

Harper -- Goff's GF since 2019 -- was in disbelief when she heard the news from a beachy location ... getting emotional as she watched the game-winning touchdown on a phone.

"You guys, this is their first win! You guys, this is crazy," Harper said in the video.

"This is going to make me cry ... That is the best."

As we previously reported, Harper first became an S.I. swimsuit model after entering the outlet's highly competitive "Swim Search" ... where people from all over the world audition to be part of an upcoming issue.

Harper was officially named an S.I. Swim rookie for 2022 in September ... and now that the Lions have avoided a winless season, this couple's got a lot to celebrate!!

Several members of the Toronto Argonauts went into the stands to confront fans on Sunday -- with one player actually throwing a huge haymaker at a man who got in his face.

The wild scene all went down at the end of the Argonauts' playoff loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, when a few Argos players leaped over some railing and got into an altercation with patrons.

According to witnesses, some fans had spilled drinks on the players, causing the initial commotion, and you can see in footage shot by bystanders, things quickly turned violent.

A fan dressed in Hamilton Tiger-Cats gear ran into Toronto defensive back Chris Edwards, who then threw a looping right hand at the man's face in response.

Argonauts wide receiver Dejon Brissett then jumped in to try to break things up, pushing the fan into a wall.

Fortunately for everybody involved, security quickly stepped in ... subduing the fan and allowing the Toronto players to return to their locker room.

Julianna Peña is less than a week away from the biggest fight of her life against Amanda Nunes ... and the "Venezuelan Vixen" has a message for the doubters, telling TMZ Sports she isn't satisfied just being here -- she's gunning to win.

"I feel like a lot of people are sleeping on me and they think I'm a sacrificial lamb but I definitely think that, you know, I know that I'm definitely not a sacrificial lamb and everyone loves an underdog," Peña told us.

32-year-old Peña is the #3 ranked bantamweight in the UFC -- and has been all but demanding a title shot with the 33-year-old champ, Nunes -- because she truly believes she will get the W when they fight at UFC 269.

"I'm ready. I am in the zone. I have never felt more physically or mentally prepared in my life and it's my time. It just feels so great to know that I have literally left no stone unturned. I'm ready to go. I'm in the zone!"

Peña's been with the UFC since 2013 ... and has a professional record of 10-4. She's beaten some badass women like Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano.

Despite the impressive resume, Julianna's a big underdog against Amanda. In fact, bettors have to wager about $900 just to win $100 on Nunes.

And, it's not just the oddsmakers who doubt Peña can win ... 'cause Julianna told us she feels Amanda isn't taking her seriously.

"[Nunes] called me delusional. She said that I'm reckless. I don't think that she's taking me seriously at all and you know, that's fine."

The fallout from the Oxford High School shooting was at the forefront of the Detroit Lions' collective minds Sunday -- which made for an emotional moment after their big win.

The Lions won their first game of the season on Sunday in a thriller of a match against the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to this, their record was 0-10-1, meaning they hadn't won a single game all season.

Turns out, their victory meant more than just what appeared on paper ... and the team's QB, Jared Goff, made that clear in the post-game interview  -- making sure to point out that the game was dedicated to those affected by the deadly tragedy ... which claimed 4 lives.

Check it out ... he gets pretty emotional talking about what happened this week, saying sometimes certain moments are bigger than just sports ... and this was one of them.

The Lions coach, Dan Campbell, echoed that with his own remarks ... bestowing the game ball to the township of Oxford, and reading off the names of the deceased, among others.

Stunning revelation from New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor ... the former NFL MVP tells TMZ Sports he straight-up does not follow his ex-team anymore.

The 62-year-old unveiled the shocking fact about his life on a call with former Giants star Ottis Anderson ... asking his ex-teammate (and current business partner) who quarterback Daniel Jones is.

"Daniel Jones is the [what?]" Taylor said to Anderson during the interview. "You mean to tell me Eli is not the quarterback no more?!? Get the hell out of here!"

Unclear if LT's joking ... but the conversation was hilarious nonetheless, 'cause you can tell in the clip, LT legitimately doesn't know much about his former franchise these days.

In fact, Anderson revealed Taylor isn't familiar with the Giants' head coach, Joe Judge.

"He doesn't watch, I'm telling you," Anderson said of Taylor ... "We were talking earlier and we were talking about [Dave] Gettleman and Joe Judge and he said, 'Who? Joe Judge? You talking Joe Kid, the one that played Clint Eastwood?!'"

"I said, 'No, not Kid!'" Anderson continued. "He loves Westerns so he was talking about Clint Eastwood movies!"

Taylor tells us the last time he followed the Giants, Eli Manning was still the quarterback ... so it's been at least two years since the greatest defensive player of all-time kept up with his old squad.

Of course, it's easy to see how Taylor could lose interest ... the Giants have been a mess for years.

Now, one thing LT is clearly passionate about is his biz with O.J. ... Tridelix and Metro Business Solutions.

We talked to the Super Bowl champs about the proprietary technology ... and it's pretty cool!

Nikola Jokic is having an insane season, but Kenny "The Jet" Smith says the Nuggets superstar won't get his second-straight MVP if his team keeps losing ... telling TMZ Sports the award needs to go to one of the best players on the best teams.

Jokic is balling the hell out this season ... averaging 26 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and a player efficiency rating of a whopping 33.8.

The "Inside The NBA" analyst said despite the incredible numbers the 26-year-old is putting up, he can't call him the MVP of the league if his stats aren't resulting in W's for the Nuggets.

"Yeah, [his numbers are good], but they're not winning," Smith said. They're not winning."

"Best record in the league. Best players get the rewards," Smith added. "Same way with him last year. They were the best team. He got the award."

Of course, Kenny is referring to Jokic winning his first-ever MVP award last season ... leading Denver to a 47-25 record.

Smith said that guys like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul would be at the top of his MVP list ... 'cause their teams all have great winning records.

But, all hope isn't lost -- Smith said Jokic and the Nuggets haven't even hit their peak yet ... and they've still got time in the second half of the season to figure things out as a team.

He also offered some advice to Joker ... telling the Serbian big man that if he wanted to secure the MVP award, the key is staying healthy for his team and winning more games.

If you thought Eli Manning flipping the bird on "Monday Night Football" pissed off America, just wait 'til you hear about all the people upset with Marshawn Lynch dropping f-bombs.

Just kidding.

Two total viewers throughout the country wrote in to the Federal Communications Commission after Lynch said "s***" and "f***" while hanging out with Peyton and Eli on their Week 7 broadcast of the "ManningCast" ... with one, in particular, going OFF in their complaint.

"NFL Player Marshawn Lynch made an appearance on 'Monday Night Football' with Peyton & Eli and repeatedly said 's***' and 'f***' on live prime time television," someone from Dahlonega, Georgia said.

"I had children in the room at the time and I am very upset that ESPN allowed Marshawn Lynch to repeatedly curse on live TV. I have an expectation when I turn on ESPN that I will not have to remove children from the room."

There's more ... "ESPN could have warned him of the rules for live television in advance, monitored his speech and conduct when he was on the air, and removed him immediately after the first curse word was uttered. This is totally unacceptable!"

The pissed viewer said the network needs to be "sternly punished for violating FCC regulations" ... although the FCC actually has no jurisdiction over ESPN or ESPN2.

The viewer even points out other times the "ManningCast" has had issues with swearing -- perhaps Eli's double bird or Travis Kelce's s-bomb.

The complaint continued ... "Issuing an apology from Peyton is insufficient because it can't take back what my children heard from Marshawn Lynch."

The other complaint -- from Greensboro, North Carolina -- was also passionate, but a bit briefer in getting their point across.

"The ESPN2 broadcast on Monday night was laced with vulgar words from Marshawn Lynch," it reads. "Peyton Manning apologized for it, but there is no place on this type of show at this hour for this language."