Fights

Draymond Green's mom is justifying her son's actions at Warriors practice last week ... saying he only hit Jordan Poole because he was shoved in the first place.

Mary Babers-Green went to social media to give her two cents on the wild incident ... and essentially put the blame on how Poole handled their interaction, claiming Draymond was not trying to pick a fight.

"That wasn't a Sucker punch," Babers-Green said on Monday. "Dray didn't aggressively go to Poole. His hands were down. Man to Man you go over to talk (to ask what's up, what you say)!"

"Got shoved and reacted," she added. "End of story!"

Mary also believes the incident has been blown out of proportion ... and says the two "can get beyond this."

"Anything is fixable! Everything ain't always what you think you see!"

As we previously reported, Green is taking a few days away from the team after TMZ Sports posted video of the practice punch ... and he has since apologized to the team, Poole and Poole's family.

The punch has been a major topic in the sports world ever since it was released -- but folks appear to be divided on whether or not it was a big deal.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith recently told us violent altercations happen all the time on NBA teams ... calling it nothing but a "scuffle."

Kenny Smith says Draymond Green violently socking Jordan Poole in a practice last week is a huge nothing burger ... telling TMZ Sports similar incidents will happen "at least twice a year on each team."

We spoke with "The Jet" out at LAX last week shortly after we posted the shocking footage of Green blasting Poole in the middle of a Warriors workout ... and the NBA analyst told us that while it was "uncomfortable" to watch, it's not nearly as serious as some think it is.

"That behavior is uncommon in normal society, without question," Smith said. "However, that behavior happens a lot in sports because of the physicality, the adrenaline, and all those things."

"I thought it was going to be worse when I saw the video. I was like, 'Oh, they just got into a scuffle.'"

The video certainly seems to show far more than that -- in the footage, Green appears to lunge at Poole with full force following a verbal spat ... striking him in the jaw and knocking him to the floor.

Smith, though, insisted fights like these happen all the time in the Association -- including back in his playing days.

"I won two championships with like five guys who fought," said Smith, who won back-to-back titles with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

Draymond, meanwhile, addressed his actions on Saturday following the release of the video ... taking accountability for his role in the fight and saying he was stepping away from the team for a few days.

Smith told us he doesn't think the Dubs will ultimately suspend Green for the punch when he gets back, but he did say a fine for the 4-time NBA champ is likely on the horizon.

A Hooters in Texas came under intense assault this week -- with a group of youths going crazy on the establishment and their customers ... supposedly, because of some candy.

Video from the altercation first surfaced on Thursday -- when the incident appears to have happened -- but started making the rounds this weekend ... and the footage is absolutely wild. You see a bunch of young guys, some of whom are shirtless, losing their minds.

They're beating up what appear to be patrons in the vestibule of the restaurant ... wailing on one guy in particular who falls to his knees. Some of the employees -- including at least one Hooters girl -- also seem to get roped into the action ... with complete chaos unfolding.

One person filming says something to the effect of ... "all over chocolate," and you even see a chocolate bar on the ground at one point. Welp, as it turns out -- that's exactly what allegedly sparked this whole thing ... according to a Hooters manager who spoke to TMZ.

We're told these guys are door-to-door salesmen and that they came around that night trying to hawk their goods, only to be turned away over a no-soliciting policy Hooters has -- which is apparently what set them off.

There weren't more details provided, but the Hooters manager says they've resumed business and that a criminal investigation is ongoing.

We've reached out to the local authorities, including Plano PD, to see if anything further came from this ... so far, no word back.

Draymond Green just spoke publicly for the first time since punching teammate Jordan Poole at practice this week ... apologizing for his actions and announcing he's taking a break from the Golden State Warriors.

The 32-year-old 4x NBA champ met with media Saturday morning in the Bay Area, telling reporters flat out ... "I was wrong."

As for what led up to the punch, Green wouldn't say, answering, "things that happened in practice should stay in practice."

Draymond went on to say he isn't trying to convince people he was in the right ... he's here to own up to what he did wrong.

"I'm not here to change an opinion. I'm here to acknowledge my mistakes." He did, however, say the fact that the video leaked was "bulls***."

Green says he apologized to the team, organization, Jordan Poole, the Poole family, and his own family.

TMZ Sports posted video Friday showing the NBA star punching Poole in the face at practice Wednesday in San Francisco, after the two men got into a verbal argument.

Draymond says he watched the video "15 times, maybe more" and admitted "it looks even worse than I thought it was."

DG also expressed anger at the release of the video, saying ... "I thought it was bulls**t. No other videos leak from practice. When we're working on our sets, that don't leak."

Jordan Poole is set for a big contract extension with the Golden State Warriors -- something he's supposedly made known around the team's facilities -- and it's the reason things boiled over with Draymond Green ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources who were at the practice where Green punched Poole tell us ... in the days leading up to the incident, Poole was carrying himself differently -- in a cocky manner. The alleged behavior was creating friction between him and some of his teammates, including Draymond, who has reportedly also asked for a big extension.

Fast forward to Wednesday's practice. Our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Things escalated when Poole allegedly said, "You know what it is, Draymond." -- seemingly bragging over the contract situation -- and Draymond got in Poole's face, allegedly saying, "No I don't know, what is it?"

Then, as played out in video obtained by TMZ Sports, you see Poole push Draymond back, and Draymond delivers the blow to his teammate's jaw.

Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and head coach Steve Kerr came to Poole's defense earlier this week ... denying his attitude had anything to do with the altercation.

In fact, Steph went as far as to say it was "absolute BS" ... but our sources are adamant the team is trying to save face.

Aljamain Sterling wholeheartedly believes TJ Dillashaw is juicing, telling TMZ Sports he's "100%" confident the former champ is cheating!!

"I'm excited, man. I can't wait to be standing across the cage and hear Bruce Buffer just go, 'two-time UFC former bantamweight champion Pill.J DillaRoid,' and I'm just gonna be like 'Yeah I'm gonna f**k this guy up!'"

The 33-year-old bantamweight champion is fighting the #2 ranked fighter at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on October 22.

You may remember ... TJ was suspended for 2 years for using EPO, a banned substance, during his title fight with Henry Cejudo. TJ admitted to what he did, apologized, and vowed to never again cheat.

But, Aljo ain't buyin' it.

"I think this is a legacy fight for myself to beat a guy like this who's been cheating for years and beating a lot of people for years. I think it does a huge boost to my stock and just go out there and have a good performance. The rest will take care of itself."

We asked Sterling ... you really think TJ's still doping?

"100% man! That guy knows the ins and outs of that whole thing," Aljamain said.

There's much more ... we also talked to Aljamain about the fight, and how he sees himself getting the win.

Shocking video shows Draymond Green violently attacking Jordan Poole, viciously punching him to the ground right in the middle of a team practice ... video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Green and Poole clearly have beef ... you see them trash-talking each other, and then it turns physical. Green walks up to Poole and gets in his face. Poole pushes Green away with 2 hands to the chest. Green, who is 6'6" and 230 lbs, responds with a vicious right cross to the face ... so ferocious, it knocks Poole to the ground and it may have knocked him out cold.

Green then stands over Poole as teammates and coaches rush in to pull him away. It seems Poole was OK, because he continued practice, putting up shots on the court.

Warriors GM Bob Myers seemed to minimize the incident later, saying, "These things happen. Nobody likes it. We don't condone it, but it happens." He goes on to say, "Draymond apologized to the team. Jordan was there in the room ... as far as any suspension, punishment, fine, we will handle that internally."

As for the reason behind the fight, Stephen Curry denied a report claiming a change in Poole's attitude amid contract negotiations led to it ... calling it "absolute BS."

Sean O'Malley isn't an underdog often (in fact, it's never happened in the UFC) -- but "Suga" ain't sweating the betting odds for his fight with Petr Yan -- he actually sees it as an opportunity to make a bundle of cash!

"3 to 1. Sounds like some die-hard Suga fans could really make some serious cheddar," O'Malley told TMZ Sports earlier this week.

"I know a lot of people always bet on me, it's always kind of hard to make good money on me because I'm always the pretty big favorite. It's very interesting being an underdog. At the end of the day, it doesn't really mean anything to me but it is, it's kinda nice."

27-year-old O'Malley is fighting 29-year-old Yan at UFC 280 on Fight Island ... and the current betting odds put Petr at -400. Suga's +200.

That means you'll have to lay down $400 just to make $100 back on Yan. Meanwhile, you only have to wager $100 to win $200 back on O'Malley.

Typically, betting on Suga to win outright would require risking much more than you stood to win. For example, he was a -330 favorite against Raulian Paiva in December (you'd risk $3 for every $1 you won). Against Petr, you win $2 for every $1 you bet.

Betting aside, Yan, the former champion, is coming off an April loss to now-champ Aljamain Sterling ... a fight that was razer close.

O'Malley, ranked 12th in the division, last fought in July at UFC 276 ... a fight that was declared a no-contest over an accidental eye poke.

The scraps not going down in Las Vegas, or anywhere else in the U.S., Dana White and the UFC are returning to Fight Island on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi (Sean's pumped to fight in the UAE!).

We also talked to Suga about his ascension as one of the sport's biggest stars.

"[Fans are] wanting that next superstar. Conor can come back and still be considered the biggest superstar in the sport. So anytime he fights, he is, but when Conor is gone, when it's all said and done, I wanna be that next guy. I wanna be that guy that everyone gets excited for, everyone and their grandma watches the fight just because."

A win will get Suga -- who flew to Abu Dhabi yesterday -- a step closer to that superstar status.

Former UFC star Tito Ortiz is selling his Huntington Beach mansion ... four months after the place was burglarized.

TMZ Sports has learned ... The Huntington Beach Bad Boy listed his Davenport Island residence this week for $4.8 mil. It's unclear if the burglary had anything to do with the impending sale.

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom Mediterranean-style home is sweet nonetheless ... it features a private boat dock with access to the beach -- and it's also located right next to a park.

The waterfront property is nearly 4,000 square feet ... and has a state-of-the-art kitchen with a wine cellar.

As we previously reported, cops told us the MMA legend's home was "ransacked" back on June 3 ... saying a safe had been stolen following the break-in.

Fortunately, Ortiz was not home at the time of the incident ... and the place is all fixed up and ready to be sold now.

AEW star Saraya, formerly known as Paige in the WWE, has reportedly been cleared to wrestle again ... after she initially retired from the sport back in 2018 due to a neck injury.

Saraya -- who made her AEW debut on the "Grand Slam" Dynamite Episode on Sept. 21 -- has been cleared by AEW's ringside physician Dr. Michael Sampson, according to Dave Meltzer.

The doc's decision will now pave the way for Saraya to step into real competition in the squared circle again -- something she hasn't done since 2017, when she was injured during a six-woman tag team match.

She had attempted to make a recovery immediately following the injury ... but in 2018, at 25 years old, she stepped away from the sport seemingly for good.

It appears she's now recovered enough to be able to get after it again without significant risk of re-injury.

The 30-year-old could be headed for a match with Britt Baker now -- as the two have already been intertwined in an AEW storyline.

Earlier this week, they got into an altercation in the ring -- potentially setting up a future match.

Draymond Green proved he can throw a mean punch ... and Jake Paul's already drooling over the Warriors star's potential -- saying he'd pay $10 MILLION to get the 4-time champ in the boxing ring ASAP.

TMZ Sports obtained video of 32-year-old Green knocking teammate Jordan Poole to the ground after a heated back-and-forth during practice on Wednesday.

Paul clearly saw the footage ... and on Friday, he said he'd pay top dollar to see 6'6", 230 lb. Green to pick up a new sport.

"Gotta get Draymond Green in the boxing ring," the Problem Child tweeted ... adding he already has an idea for who his opponent could be.

"Draymond Green vs Deron Williams. Who wins?"

Of course, Deron is a former NBAer-turned-boxer ... and he fought NFL star Frank Gore on one of Jake's undercards in the past -- so the opponent would make sense if Green was actually interested.

As for the payday, Jake is ready to write a FAT check -- "Draymond I got $10 million for you to get in the ring on the next Most Valuable Promotions pay per view. Who you want?"

Draymond Green -- already in midseason form -- reportedly hit teammate Jordan Poole at practice Wednesday after a heated shoving match, and now the Warriors star is facing potential discipline.

Green and Poole reportedly exchanged words before things turned physical, according to a Shams Charania report.

The NBA insider says tensions were high, and the men were pushing before Draymond allegedly decked Jordan. The men had to be immediately separated.

As a result of the scuffle, the Warriors are reportedly considering disciplining Green for his role in the fight.

Green and Poole -- now in his fourth season with the team -- are known to have regular arguments, according to Shams, but Dubs brass believes today's incident went too far.

Dray and Jordan won an NBA title together in June ... when they defeated the Celtics in the Finals.

The Warriors have not yet commented on the incident.

AEW fans appear to be choosing a side in the beef between Sammy Guevara and Andrade ... chanting, "F*** you, Sammy," during Wednesday night's 'Dynamite' event.

It all went down at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. -- Guevara and Chris Jericho were partners fighting against Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia.

The match started with Jericho and Garcia face-to-face in the middle of the ring ... but the AEW fans quickly turned their attention to Guevarra, reciting the chant, "F*** you, Sammy."

We broke the story ... Guevarra and Andrade, son-in-law of WWE legend and Hall of Famer Ric Flair, were involved in a backstage altercation Wednesday night.

The tension between the two wrestling stars was so high, things got physical, and punches were thrown ... according to our sources.

The bad blood had been brewing since Sammy and Andrade had a back-and-forth on Twitter Tuesday night, and things finally came to a head once the two saw each other at the event.

As for if this budding feud is a part of an AEW storyline ... our sources tell us that's not the case, and the drama between the two men is real.

As a result, Andrade was sent home, but Sammy was still allowed to compete ... which ticked off the AEW fans.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's recent dustup with his girlfriend, Jade, is officially behind them ... at least legally speaking, because we've learned she's off the hook in her criminal case.

According to court records, the case against 69's boo -- which included a domestic violence battery charge -- has now been dismissed.

Sources with knowledge tell us Tekashi didn't have any plans to cooperate with law enforcement -- ironic, we know -- and that's likely why the whole thing was dropped.

Jade's attorney, Steven Bell, confirmed to TMZ that Tekashi's lack of cooperation was certainly one of the factors in the case being dropped. Bell also said prosecutors did a thorough review and felt they couldn't move forward.

You'll recall ... there was some sort of a scuffle at a club where they were partying, and 6ix9ine ended up facing off against Jade and a group of her friends in the street. Some of that was caught on video -- and you can see one of the women attempt to swing on him.

Cops eventually arrived on the scene, and Jade ended up getting cuffed and taken to jail.

He later told us he believed the girls Jade was hanging out with were having a bad influence on her ... and that he didn't hold the altercation against her whatsoever.

Tekashi bailed her out, STAT ... and even when a court order was issued saying she had to stay away from him, he stuck by her side -- telling us it would all blow over soon enough.

AEW stars Sammy Guevara and Andrade were just involved in a backstage altercation, sources tells TMZ Sports, and Andrade has been sent home.

We're told the incident happened backstage at an AEW Dynamite show at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington D.C. Wednesday night.

Sources tell us words were exchanged, and then things turned physical. Sammy allegedly pushed Andrade, and punches were thrown, according to our sources. It's unclear if anyone was hit.

Our sources are adamant the altercation was not part of an AEW storyline.

As for the reason for the fight ... the guys have been in an intense beef that's spilled over on social media. On Tuesday, the wrestlers went back and forth on Twitter.

Our sources say several wrestlers are pissed at Sammy for publicly airing personal/private issues, and things just boiled over at the arena.

Andrade posted somewhat of a cryptic message on social media.

We've reached out to AEW for comment ... but so far, no word back.

Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne were thrust into a dangerous situation in Argentina this weekend -- one that left a paparazzi photographer going to cops and alleging assault.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the two stars were dining in Buenos Aires early Sunday morning, and as they were leaving a restaurant (Patagonia Sur in the La Boca neighborhood), there was an Uber waiting for them -- but the pickup went awry.

We're told that as the ladies were entering the car, a pap rushed them and started taking photos aggressively, intruding in their space. Our sources say the encounter freaked out the driver, who took off -- with Cara fully in the car, and Margot halfway in and halfway out.

Margot actually had to jump out of the car to avoid being seriously hurt, we're told, but even after she was on the ground ... the photog continued snapping. That's when a couple of male friends of Margot's, who were on hand, jumped in to help -- per our sources.

Now, we're being told the photog ran off and fell on his own at this point -- but he's telling police there in Buenos Aires something very different ... namely, that he was brutally beaten by these two gents, whom he perceived as security guards, and hospitalized.

According to the online Argentine newspaper Infobae -- which has been in business since 2002 -- the pap, named Pedro Alberto Orquera, was left with a broken arm and a bloody scalp after the alleged beatdown ... this per a police report the outlet claims to have seen.

They go on to say that the guy wanted to press charges ... and since then, the two men -- Jac Rhis Hopkins and Josei Mac Namara Callum -- have been detained. Our sources tell us they are NOT bodyguards (just pals) but that they are, in fact, in police custody.

Unclear if they've been arrested/booked on any specific charges yet. We've tried reaching out to the local authorities for confirmation, but so far ... no luck in connecting with anyone for info. Infobae reports the authorities are interested in prosecuting, pending an investigation.

No word on what may have happened after the alleged incident as it pertains to Margot and Cara -- but on the face of things ... it sounds like an upsetting altercation to say the least.

We've reached out to Margot and Cara's reps to check in on how they're doing. The two women are obviously close friends -- proven in recent house visits Margot's made amid issues Cara's been dealing with. They also travel together often, like earlier this summer.

We haven't heard back from either of their camps.