TMZ Sports - Page 36

Islam Makhachev is putting his lightweight title on the line at UFC 302 ... but, it's a low-risk fight according to the champ, who tells us he's an awful stylistic matchup for Dustin Poirier.

"[Dustin's] problem is his style. That's one problem the guy has. His weak point is wrestling and grappling," 32-year-old Makhachev told TMZ Sports, adding, I have the key for the easy fight. And I think if I follow the plan, I can beat him easy."

Poirier is regarded as a well-rounded fighter who is a great striker, and solid on the ground ... which happens to be the area where Makhachev excels.

Another week's just around the corner ... but, before we dive into another hectic seven-day stretch, let's look back at the week that was.

On "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles discuss Kim Kardashian heading back to the White House to discuss criminal justice reform.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are back to jet-setting ... hitting the Las Vegas Strip for a fun night of drinks with their best couple pals, Patrick and Brittany Mahomes!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Taylor, Travis, Patrick and Brittany pulled up to Easy's Cocktail Lounge inside the ARIA Resort & Casino.

While definitely an L.V. hot spot ... it's a bit more secluded, tucked away inside the Proper Eats Food Hall in the hotel -- where the celebrity quartet was less likely to be spotted.

Gisele Bündchen is getting major support from a Florida mayor who blasted a police officer for his "wholly unacceptable" interaction with the model during a traffic stop this week.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett sent a letter to the town's interim Police Chief Henry Doce, detailing his dismay over the way one officer treated Gisele.

The cop pulled over Gisele for driving erratically while she tried to elude paparazzi who were following her. During their brief chat, Gisele explained why she was swerving and broke down in tears as the officer let her off with a warning.

Sonny Vaccaro says he believes Caitlin Clark could have gotten a much better deal from Nike -- telling TMZ Sports he's sure the former Iowa superstar could've inked a pact similar to the one Michael Jordan got back in the day.

The shoe industry legend, of course, knows all about the deal MJ received -- he was the one who helped negotiate it. And, when he heard Clark only received $28 million over eight years to be with Phil Knight's co., he was surprised it wasn't more.

Vaccaro tells us she could've landed a contract that not only gave her more annual money -- but also allowed her to take a cut of every Clark-branded item sold ... just like Jordan got with his initial Swoosh agreement in 1984.

Sanya Richards-Ross is returning to the Olympics, but not as an athlete -- her pajama/loungewear line will help keep Team USA nice and cozy in Paris ... and she tells TMZ Sports she's hoping to catch the country's biggest stars like LeBron James and Simone Biles wearing her gear!!

The four-time Olympic gold medalist and her two-time Super Bowl champion husband Aaron Ross partnered with Team USA to distribute their Coordinates collection to athletes for the 2024 and 2028 games ... and she tells us she's over the moon about being able to share their product with the Red, White and Blue.

'We want everybody in it," Richards-Ross said. "We get to gift it to Team USA. There's some incredible athletes that we're all excited to watch compete and we would love it if they wear it."

Of course, one of those athletes is the Lakers superstar ... who will be attempting to win his third Olympic gold medal with the Team USA basketball team.

SRR made sure to specifically shout him out -- and the James Gang.

"LeBron James and the fam. Savannah, the boys -- we wanna see you guys in it!" Richards-Ross said.

She hopes to catch gymnastic star Biles and track star Sha'Carri Richardson wearing their comfy clothes this July, too.

Sanya explained the idea for the Coordinates line came from when she used to match outfits with Aaron while at the University of Texas. Then they launched the brand last November -- and sold out in one month!

"This basically started all from her heart," Aaron said. "We got together in 2003 in college and she's been coordinating us from that day."

Marriage and running a business together can be a tough combination ... but the Ross duo -- who got married in 2010 -- said it works for them because of their great foundation and recognizing each other's strengths and weaknesses ... as well as their own.

"I think because we know each other so well, we're able to make it work," Sanya said.

"It ain't gon' be perfect, it's gonna be some tough conversations sometimes that come up but I think if you can give the person grace and really love on them, I think it could really work."

Le'Veon Bell hasn't fought in a year, but the former NFL superstar has been in the lab ... and with a big fight scheduled for next month, the 3x Pro Bowler says he's pumped to show he's an "elite" boxer!

32-year-old Bell joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and previewed next month's scrap against influencer/boxer Tristan Hamm (1-0, 1 KO) in Houston, Texas, and Le'Veon's ready to rock.

"He's just the opponent they put in front me," the former running back said, adding, "I gotta go out here showcase my skills on this opponent."

The end of another hectic week, but -- before you hit the town Saturday -- check out some of our best clips from the week.

On "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles discuss President Joe Biden's Howard Stern interview ... where he reveals he contemplated suicide after his first wife's tragic death.

Eddie Hearn isn't blaming Devin Haney's footwear choice for his loss to Ryan Garcia ... but he does seem to regret the move just a little bit -- telling TMZ Sports it was "maybe" not a good idea for "The Dream" to rock Fear of God boots for the fight.

Many boxing fans took notice of Haney's Ugg boot-esque kicks for last Saturday's bout ... speculating whether he had enough support to compete against Garcia.

Hearn shuts down all that talk ... saying Haney was well-equipped in the ring.

If there's one sure thing April brought ... it's a plethora of celebs out under the sunshine, lookin' mighty damn fine! Hollywood was blooming with excitement all month long, with stars eager to strip down and parade their bangin' bods heading into summer!

Kylie Jenner and Teyana Taylor donned eye-popping orange bikinis on vacay, Chloe Bailey also slipped into an orange set showcasing her beautiful curves in a cabana, and although David Beckham wasn't outdoors, he clearly is summer-ready ... case in point, his shredded gym selfie!

Chrisean Rock has been laying low amid Blueface's incarceration and turns out, it's for a positive cause!!!

In a new IG Live session, as she was chowing down in a restaurant with her son Chrisean Jr. in her arms ... Chrisean revealed she's cut out all the smoking and drinking in her life and now works out full-time.

Her newfound focus looks to be geared toward her participation in an upcoming football league, and judging by the precision of her drills, she'll be bustin' out onto the gridiron in no time.

O.J. Simpson's official cause of death has been revealed ... one of the most infamous, high-profile Americans of all time died from prostate cancer, TMZ has learned.

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson's longtime attorney and the executor of his estate, tells us he has received the death certificate for the disgraced former football superstar and actor, confirming our report that O.J. succumbed to cancer.

76-year-old Simpson died on April 10 after spending several months in hospice.

Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, and Gale Sayers all suited up for the Chicago Bears, but offensively, the 2024 roster may be the most loaded in the legendary franchise's history, according to former Bears star lineman, 6x Pro Bowler Olin Kreutz.

TMZ Sports talked to Kreutz -- who anchored the Bears' offensive line for 13 seasons (from 1998 to 2010) -- Friday morning after the squad made two big splashes during round one of the NFL Draft, selecting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and stud wide receiver Rome Odunze with the 9th pick. We asked the Bears great for his reaction to the picks.

"For the Chicago Bears now, I mean, talent-wise, maybe the most talent that they've ever had on the offensive side of the ball if Caleb Williams turns out to be who people think he can be."

O.J. Simpson's Bank of America credit card has been auctioned off just over 2 weeks after his death.

The business account card, which expired in 2023, fetched $10,675 at Goldin Auctions ... making the seller quite the profit after he purchased it on eBay for only $70.

Jonathan Lepore told us he'd initially planned to gift the card to his pal's dad, who apparently used to hang out with O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson in the Hamptons during the '80s and early '90s.

Ryan Garcia might act unhinged on social media, but the boxing superstar couldn't be further from that in real life ... so says model Grace Boor, who tells TMZ Sports "King Ry" was the ultimate gentleman throughout their time together this week.

As we previously reported, the 25-1 fighter was spotted with several gorgeous women in Florida following his massive win over Devin Haney on Saturday ... one of them being Boor, a social media superstar with millions of followers.

We spoke with Boor after Ryan flew to Miami to be with her ... and she's glad he made the trip -- 'cause they had a ton of fun.

Kelly Oubre Jr.'s recent car accident has raised some questions within the Philadelphia Police Department ... and now, an internal investigation has been launched.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the PPD's Internal Affairs Division is looking into the handling of Monday night's crash involving Oubre and another driver ... specifically officers' response and actions while at the scene.

As we previously reported, cops told us Oubre's Lamborghini ran a red light and hit a 2023 Hyundai Elantra ... with both cars being towed from the scene.