TMZ Sports - Page 22

Francis Ngannou returned to the cage last weekend -- 6 months after tragedy struck his family -- and the combat sports superstar admits he was unsure whether he'd ever fight again.

TMZ Sports talked to the 38-year-old former UFC champion turned boxer/PFL fighter just days after he dispatched Renan Ferreira via a first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia ... and then broke down in tears after the bout while talking about the devastating loss of his little boy, Kobe.

"Oh, yes [I didn't know if I'd fight again]. There was a point that you didn't know anything. Everything seemed so fragile," Francis told us, adding his mind was racing a mile a minute during that horrific time.

Marsha Kearney -- the mother of Kansas City Chiefs star Rashee Rice -- was slapped with a misdemeanor charge this month over allegations she stole her neighbor's package ... TMZ Sports has learned.

North Richland Hills Police in Texas tell us ... after Kearney's neighbor accused her of snatching some Chappell Roan records right off their porch in plain view of their Ring camera on Sept. 29, an arrest warrant for the 43-year-old was issued on Oct. 8.

Cops say Kearney ended up turning herself into the Tarrant County Sherriff's Office a week later -- on Oct. 15 -- and she was eventually charged with one count of mail theft.

Tyson Fury just revealed devastating news ... his wife, Paris, suffered a miscarriage six months into her pregnancy ... the day before the heavyweight boxer lost to Oleksandr Usyk.

The 34-1 superstar boxer opened up on Wednesday, saying Paris -- whom he married in 2008 -- called him to let him know she couldn't make his Usyk fight in Riyadh on May 18 due to high blood pressure.

But, Fury knew something was wrong.

"I asked her what was up and asked her to tell me, but she wouldn’t. So I knew," Fury said.

Vince McMahon is facing yet another lawsuit -- this time, the former WWE honcho is being accused of ignoring claims of sexual abuse made by former employees known as "Ring Boys."

The docs were filed in Baltimore County Wednesday ... with Vince's wife, Linda McMahon, WWE and its ownership, TKO Group, also named in the lawsuit.

In the suit .... it alleges Melvin Phillips Jr. -- who served as the ring crew chief and ringside announcer -- hired underaged boys to assist the crew with errands and tasks for wrestling shows.

LeBron James and his son, Bronny, are being dragged to a different kind of court ... TMZ Sports has learned they've just been sued over their alleged roles in a 2022 car crash.

Court documents we obtained showed the suit was filed by two plaintiffs in Los Angeles County on Tuesday afternoon ... just hours before the father-and-son duo took the floor together for the first time in a regular season game during the Lakers' season-opening win over Minnesota at Crypto.com Arena.

In the suit, April Almanza Lopez and Kiara Rae McGillen allege they were driving on a highway on November 13, 2022 in Littlerock, Calif. ... when the Jameses slammed into them.

10/23 12:15 PM PT -- Andy Dalton will not start this weekend against the Denver Broncos, the team announced ... meaning Bryce Young will be the starter for the first time since Week 2.

7:10 AM PT -- Andy's wife, Jordan, just said in a message on her Instagram page that while she and the family are "a little banged up," they're going to be just fine.

"Thank you to everyone who responded so quickly to the accident," she wrote. "First responders.. friends and strangers... our hearts could not be more greatful for how you showed up for our family.. specifically our kids."

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and his family were involved in a car accident on Tuesday ... but thankfully, no one needed emergency medical treatment.

Shakira says she needed to get back to making music to navigate her breakup with Gerard Piqué ... adding grief isn't a linear process.

The pop superstar opened up about her split from the former soccer star in a cover story in GQ Spain ... telling the magazine she stayed quiet in the months after -- but, she couldn't really begin to heal until she started writing music again.

Shakira explains it was hard to recognize all of her vulnerabilities and put them out there for the world to hear ... but, it's helped her kickstart the healing process.

While Zach Bryan's ex-girlfriend is on the bathroom floor crying about their recent split, he's putting out new music ... and it has the makings of a breakup song.

The musician just shared a snippet of a new track on his official Instagram page ... and he's banging away at the piano and singing.

Among the lyrics ... "Recall when we, went to Rockaway Beach, summer heat in eastern Queens, and a subway ride."

The boxer who was knocked out cold after taking a wildly illegal kick to the face during a fight wants to make sure his opponent never gets an opportunity to do it again -- telling TMZ Sports he wants the guy banned for life.

If you haven't seen the crazy video of the incident already ... Bagher Faraji was going up against Idris Abdurashidov in Phuket, Thailand ... when out of nowhere, the Russian pugilist used his foot instead of his fists -- resulting in an immediate disqualification.

Faraji was outboxing Abdurashidov in the ring prior to the disgusting move ... and naturally, fans quickly called for swift and severe punishment.

Jason Kelce is putting an end to sleep-gate ... emphatically saying he was NOT snoozin' during Taylor Swift's recent "Eras" tour show in Miami, despite what the internet thinks!

JK was choppin' it up with bro Travis Kelce on the latest edition of their "New Heights" podcast ... when the conversation turned to the recent viral photo which seemingly showed the retired NFL star catching some Zs during TS' latest show.

And, in the pic -- taken by Jason's former Eagles teammate Beau Allen -- it surely seems like Kelce was sleeping ... but he swears he was wide awake!

LeBron James dressed to impress ahead of his historic moment with Bronny in the Lakers' season opener ... showing up to the game draped in Louis Vuitton -- including a $4,000 jacket!

The NBA superstar put his impeccable fashion taste on display as he walked through the Crypto.com Arena tunnels before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves ... donning a double-breasted Jacquard Wool Jacket -- a special piece with a $4,150 price tag.

The shoes appear to be the LV Trainer Maxi sneakers (inspired by the late Virgil Abloh) ... and if that's the case, they run $1,690.

BTS member J-Hope is wasting no time getting back in the spotlight after completing his military service ... throwing out the first pitch at a KBO Korean Series game!!

Hobi was a special guest for the matchup between the KIA Tigers and Samsung Lions ... taking the field in an EV9 SUV and embracing the crowd before the ceremonial toss.

The fans in attendance let out a loud cheer for the singer and rapper as he took the mound ... and fittingly, he had a purple custom glove with his name stitched into it.

Patrick Mahomes Sr. is back behind bars, but he has not been accused of further wrongdoing -- TMZ Sports has learned he's simply begun serving his sentence for his most recent DWI conviction.

A Smith County jail official tells us ... the father of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes was booked on Tuesday afternoon at around 4:53 PM and took a new mug shot. He's now not expected to be released until Halloween.

Of course, the 10-day stint in the slammer was all planned ... as it was a condition of the plea agreement Mahomes Sr. reached with prosecutors stemming from his Feb. 3 arrest for drunk driving in Tyler, Texas.

Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 ball has a new owner -- the highly coveted piece of baseball memorabilia just sold for a whopping $4.39 MILLION at auction ... making it the most valuable ball in sports history.

Bidding on the item -- which was cosigned with Goldin Auctions -- ended on Tuesday ... and the final number far surpassed the $3 million paid for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from 1998, the previous record holder for balls sold at auction.

The winning offer was $3.6 million ... but including the 22-percent buyer's premium, it reached a staggering $4,392,000 price tag.

Former Super Bowl champion Derrick Ward will not spend time in prison over allegations he robbed L.A.-area businesses ... TMZ Sports has learned he's been placed on mental health diversion instead.

Court records show a judge ordered Ward to enroll in the program at a hearing back on Oct. 10.

Ward, according to court documents, will now have to comply with any mental health treatment recommendations from "Find Your Balance Center" and "Brain Health USA Center" for a period of two years.

Fernando Valenzuela, the iconic Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher turned team Spanish broadcaster, has died, the team announced Tuesday night.

The legend played 17 seasons in MLB ... with much of his tenure spent with the Dodgers, who he helped to win a World Series in 1981, when L.A. defeated the New York Yankees.

The Mexico-born superstar became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season! A nearly unmatchable feat.