TMZ Sports - Page 5

Brian Ortega is one of the twenty fighters who will scrap on the UFC's one and ONLY Noche event at the Sphere ... something the veteran MMA star describes as an "honor."

"Bro, it's another level. We get to fight on a historic event by a promotion that's already known for making history. So it's an honor to be chosen to go in there, a featured fight and kind of kick off the night for both co-main and main event," T-City told TMZ Sports earlier this week, just days before his clash with 29-year-old Diego Lopes.

Remember, Ortega, 33, and Lopes were supposed to fight in June at UFC 303 ... but the fight was scrapped the same day the men were due in the Octagon after Brian, who was coming off a win over Yair Rodriguez, got sick and couldn't fight.

Rolando Romero seems to be planning on having one of the best performances of his career later Saturday against Manuel Jaimes ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the boxer's copped all kinds of cool custom gear for the battle.

We're told Romero (a.k.a. Rolly) was hooked up with some Bruce Lee and Kobe Bryant swag from his go-to guy Aztek Kustoms ... just ahead of his 10-round tilt with Jaimes (16-1) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Aztek hooked Rolly up with unreleased Nike Machomai 3s boxing shoes ... and made them look just like the Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lees that Bryant originally released in 2010.

Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella's divorce is already getting ugly ... because they are at odds over two major issues ... money and their son.

According to a report by Us Weekly, Artem responded Friday to Nikki's divorce filing ... and he's asking for joint legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son, Matteo.

The "Dancing With The Stars" pro is also asking for spousal support from Nikki.

The cop who put his knee in Tyreek Hill's back and aggressively slapped handcuffs on the NFL superstar during a traffic stop last weekend has been accused of excessive force in the past, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to Miami-Dade Police Department records we obtained, officer Danny Torres has received numerous complaints since joining the MDPD back in October 1996.

The records show that on six separate occasions, he was accused of misconduct, including force violations as well as improper procedures. Torres was also investigated for his use of force at least 13 times as well.

Ex-NBA player Mitchell Wiggins -- the father of Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins -- has died, his family announced. He was 64 years old.

Details surrounding his passing were not released.

Mitchell was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 23rd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft. He played in the Windy City for one season before being traded to the Houston Rockets -- where he remained until 1987.

Jenn Tran isn't done putting the full-court press on Cleveland Cavs player Max Strus ... 'cause one day after professing her crush on the hooper, she was caught double-tapping on his recent thirst trap.

As we previously reported, the "Bachelorette" beauty gushed over the sharp-shooter on "The Viall Files" podcast released Thursday ... saying after finding out Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was off the market, she wouldn't mind if Strus slid into her DMs.

The shout-out could very well work in her favor ... 'cause as it turns out, the two follow each other on social media. It's unclear if it's a recent development, or if Tran had been on Strus' radar all along.

Tiger Woods is dealing with yet another injury ... revealing Friday he's gone under the knife once more to try alleviate a back issue.

The golf legend made the announcement on his social media accounts ... saying he had to have microdecompression surgery this week to try to fix a nerve issue in his lower back.

Woods stated he had been dealing with the ailment during "most of the 2024 season" ... and he's now hopeful the procedure will allow him to return to normal life activities -- including golf.

Baltimore Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins injured his neck in a car crash this week ... an ailment that will keep him sidelined for the team's Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh shared the news in a press conference ... saying the cornerback -- who had one tackle in his pro debut -- won't be ready to go by Sunday's kickoff.

"Nate was in a car accident a couple of days ago," Harbaugh said. "Looks like he's not gonna be able to make it to the game."

The University of Michigan is mourning the loss of athletics administrator Greg Harden, Tom Brady's life coach in Ann Arbor ... who died after complications from surgery.

The school shared the tragic news minutes ago ... days after it announced Harden remained in the hospital after undergoing a procedure on Monday.

Harden was known as the program's "secret weapon" due to his role as a mental coach for standout Wolverine athletes for decades ... including Brady, Desmond Howard, Jalen Rose and Michael Phelps.

Jalen Hurts finally got a ring ... an engagement ring ... and he used it to pop the question to his longtime partner Bry Burrows!!!

The Philadelphia Eagles superstar got down on one knee just before the NFL season ... asking Burrows to be his future wife at a tropical location.

Photos from the proposal, obtained by Essence, show Burrows said yes in front of an ocean ... all while candles, rose petals and even a violinist surrounded them.

Damar Hamlin says there was nothing out of the ordinary about his hit on Tua Tagovailoa that resulted in a concussion ... telling the media after the game he was simply trying to make a "routine tackle" -- and his thoughts are now with the Miami Dolphins quarterback.

The Buffalo Bills safety broke down the collision to The Athletic's Tim Graham after the Bills' 31-10 win on "Thursday Night Football" ... a play that resulted in Tua being ruled out of the game in the third quarter.

As we previously reported, Tua -- the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was rushing for a first down ... but instead of sliding, he went for more yards and lowered his helmet when Hamlin moved in for the stop.

TMZ Sports has obtained Karl Haglund's mug shot.

It's already been a tumultuous season for Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team ... but this will certainly be the strangest thing to happen to the Buffaloes this year -- a suspected hit-and-run driver busted through stadium gates, and drove his truck all over their field!

According to police, they started receiving calls at around 6:45 PM Thursday after several hit-and-run accidents involving the same pickup truck. Witnesses on the scene told cops a blue pickup was in at least two crashes, and also struck trees and signs before leaving the area after nearly hitting a pedestrian.

Cops eventually found the driver -- later identified as Karl Haglund of Massachusetts -- but he evaded capture. University police later caught up with him near the stadium, but not before he ran his truck through stadium gates and onto the field.

Sean Higgins just learned he will remain behind bars without bail for the foreseeable future ... following allegations he killed NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother in a drunk driving incident last month.

Judge Michael Silviano made the order just minutes ago inside a New Jersey courtroom ... after an hour-long hearing that featured arguments from prosecutors as well as Higgins' attorneys.

State officials told the judge Higgins should stay in jail ... alleging he's a danger to the community. They stated he has a history of road rage, anger issues and drinking problems ... and they also claimed he might be at risk of self-harm if he were let out.

NFL players are seriously worried about Tua Tagovailoa's health after his scary concussion during "Thursday Night Football" ... with everyone from Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe to Antonio Brown urging the Dolphins quarterback to consider retirement.

Gonzalez, a Hall of Famer, was broadcasting the Bills vs. Dolphins game ... so he got a first-hand view of all that went down in the 3rd quarter, when Tagovailoa seemed to lose consciousness after a hard collision with Damar Hamlin.

Tagovailoa, 26, was taken off the field with help from the training staff and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction is not her only major fashion faux pas -- she's revealing she once split her pants in front of Queen Elizabeth!

The icon spilled the royal tea to British Vogue ... relaying how when she was performing "Rhythm Nation" for Queen Elizabeth back in the '90s -- her pants ripped right down the back crack when she squatted doing a dance move.

Janet confessed she couldn't quite believe her pants had split, but the rush of air in the rear was a pretty clear sign something had gone seriously awry.

Lil Wayne is speaking out after not being selected to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show ... and he's not mincing words -- the snub has left him devastated.

Wayne took to IG on Friday morning ... where he spoke directly to his fans in an earnest video, thanking them for their support over the past several days and explaining how disappointed he is not to be chosen to take the stage in New Orleans.

LW says he's been building the strength to address the situation "without breaking." He makes his feelings clear ... when he wasn't selected, it hurt -- a whole lot.