Sports

USC just landed one of the most electric recruits in the country ... and Honor Fa'alave-Johnson says Trojan fans should expect a do-it-all star who isn’t afraid to play both sides of the ball.

The five-star safety and top-ranked California prospect in the 2027 class committed to the USC Trojans football over powerhouse programs like Oregon, Texas and LSU over the weekend … and the San Diego standout tells TMZ Sports the Trojans’ staff -- led by Lincoln Riley -- made it clear he was a priority.

“The coaching staff definitely played a big part,” Fa'alave-Johnson said. “They had a plan for me and I really trust them.”

But the real intrigue? The Cathedral Catholic phenom isn’t planning to be just a defensive back in college.

Team USA is heading to the World Baseball Classic final … and Derek Jeter says the controversial ending is exactly why baseball may need to change how these moments are handled.

The Americans beat the Dominican Republic 2–1 Sunday night, but the semifinal ended with a debated called strike three from closer Mason Miller to Dominican shortstop Geraldo Perdomo -- with the tying run standing on third base.

Perdomo watched the pitch sail low -- seemingly thinking he had drawn a walk -- but home-plate umpire Cory Blaser rang him up to end the game instantly. Replays appeared to show the pitch below the strike zone, sparking immediate debate.

Jeter, who was on the FOX postgame show, suggested the moment highlights why the tournament may eventually adopt an automated challenge system.

Ronda Rousey is just full of surprises these days -- weeks after announcing her return to MMA after nearly a decade away -- she made a shocking appearance in the ring with All Elite Wrestling.

It all went down in Los Angeles on Sunday during AEW Revolution. Following the match between "Timeless" Toni Storm and Marina Shafir ... the 39-year-old emerged from the crowd and stepped into the squared circle, and called Storm down to the middle of the ring.

Rousey -- wearing a "Rowdy" Roddy Piper jacket -- and Storm were separated before they could come to blows. She then exited the arena with Shafir, one of her best friends, flipping off the crowd as they did.

Lewis Hamilton has another trophy to add to his case -- the "F1" film he produced took home an Oscar on Sunday ... and the Ferrari superstar was pumped for the huge win!

The 2025 sports drama -- starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris -- won Best Sound at the Oscars, a movie Hamilton not only produced and appeared in, but also worked with legendary composer Hans Zimmer on shaping the movie's soundtrack and score.

Hamilton even got a shoutout for his contribution during the acceptance speech ... and he returned the love by applauding the whole crew for the win.

Julio César Chávez Jr. may be hundreds of miles away from the U.S. right now ... but his wife says the embattled boxer is staying mentally tough as he deals with the fallout from his arrest and deportation.

TMZ Sports caught up with Chávez Jr.’s wife, Frida Muñoz, who tells us the former WBC middleweight boxing champ is holding up despite the legal turmoil.

“Julio is doing well,” Muñoz said. “He’s positively strong. But we’re taking it one day at a time.”

As we previously reported, the boxing star was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities in Southern California in July over alleged immigration violations -- a bust that resulted in his deportation to Mexico, where he’s now dealing with the legal aftermath.

Whether you like him or not, Jake Paul has had such a massive impact on boxing that MVP promoter Nakisa Bidarian tells TMZ Sports he believes El Gallo will end up in the Hall of Fame.

In fact, he went as far as to say Paul has done more at his age than the legendary Muhammad Ali (and all other boxers) at this point in his career.

Bidarian sat down with Michael Babcock this week to discuss what Paul has done for boxing, especially women's combat sports, after Ronda Rousey came out of a 10-year retirement to headline the Most Valuable Promotions fight with Gina Carano on May 16.

Bidarian -- the co-founder of MVP and Jake's adviser -- says Paul doesn't get enough credit for elevating women's boxing ... highlighting the major female bouts he's promoted, all before turning 30.

"It's unheard of," Bidarian said.

Marcus Spears Jr. might be the No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2027 class -- and according to his dad, former NFL star Marcus Spears, the kid has already taken over the family court.

So much so that Dad has officially retired from playing the five-star prospect one-on-one.

“The one-on-one is over,” Spears told TMZ Sports over Super Bowl weekend. “If I play him one-on-one, I’m setting myself up for failure. I’m done with that.”

Swagu said the turning point came when his son was just 15 years old and already pushing the ESPN NFL analyst to the brink -- and the kid has only gotten better since.

Claressa Shields isn’t exactly sold on exhibition fights ... but if she had to do one, she'd love to square off with MMA legend Amanda "Lioness" Nunes!!

That's what the G.W.O.A.T. told TMZ Sports following her latest win against Franchon Crews Dezurn in a 10-round bout in Detroit.

She thought her next opponent was going to be 16-1 Shadasia Green, but that's not going to happen right now. So we asked if she'd consider an exhibition for the time being.

"I would fight against Amanda Nunes in boxing," Shields said. "Absolutely. That would be a good one."

Chrisean Rock's got her first boxing match set up for next month ... but, today is all about love -- specifically how much we love these hot shots!

The star turned 26 years old on Saturday ... and, we've put together these spicy pics for fans to mark the occasion.

Check out this shot of Chrisean standing in just a bra and razor-thin thong ... back before the beef between her and her ex, Blueface, ripped them completely apart.

A man shot and killed 2 people in Florida Friday, about a mile from where the ongoing PGA Tour is being played ... leading to the entrance time for the third round to be delayed by a couple of hours Saturday.

The suspect, identified by St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick as Christian Barrios, drilled 2 people with bullets around 10:30 PM Friday night in a Walgreens parking lot in connection with a domestic violence situation, Hardwick announced. He then sent authorities on a wild manhunt, including on TPC Sawgrass property, where the tour is being played.

Hardwick says Barrios stole a PGA Tour radio but later dropped it, and that K-9 units were hot on his trail at the TPC Sawgrass property.

The gunman then hopped into a black BMW and led cops all the way to Nassau County, where he crashed the car into the woods and fled on foot. He was eventually apprehended and put behind bars.

The two victims died in the hospital. Their identities have not been released.

Barrios has a criminal past with at least 27 arrests and was out on probation, Hardwick said, and he knew both people he murdered.

Simone Biles is the best at what she does -- on and off the mat ... which includes making us drool over her Olympic-level bikini shots.

Just when you thought Simone couldn't be more talented, she comes out with a treasure trove of gold-medal-worthy thirst traps ... and we collected them in one place to help celebrate her 29th birthday.

Team Japan is set to take the field on Saturday against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami ... and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his teammate -- L.A. Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi -- gave folks at the park an up-close look at their arms!!

TMZ Sports obtained footage of the duo hitting a nearby park not long after they landed in the 305 earlier this week ... which shows them working on their mechanics as they get set not only for more WBC action -- but also for the upcoming MLB season.

Luckily for the two, they seemed to avoid drawing any crowd as they did their thing -- perhaps the parkgoers were oblivious to the star power in their presence.

Jake Paul seems to be closing the door on a Tommy Fury rematch ... admitting he's "not really hyped" to get in the ring with TNT again -- especially when there are plenty of other opponents out there.

The media spoke with the 12-2 boxer this week to get an update on his next fight following his loss to Anthony Joshua that came with two jaw surgeries.

Paul said doctors have ordered him to avoid sparring for up to six months, but he's planning on fighting maybe late this year or early 2027.

Dirty Boxing heavyweight champion and former UFC fighter Jairzinho Rozenstruik can put his domestic violence arrest behind him -- TMZ Sports has learned officials have declined to pursue charges.

According to court records we obtained, the state filed its decision earlier this month -- formally dropping the case.

As for the reason why, the DA said "the victim refused to provide a sworn statement," adding that the "parties were engaged in mutual combat and provided conflicting accounts of the incident." The DA concluded that "[w]ithout the victim's cooperation there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction."

TMZ Sports has obtained footage from the night of Doug Martin's death ... showing the former NFL star acting erratically as he broke into a home before passing away in police custody.

The Oakland PD just released the 911 calls, body cam, and surveillance video of the October 18 incident.

In the first call, the homeowner said someone had broken into their home and asked responders to hurry. The caller stated this was the second time this happened.

As the first call came in, dispatch received another from Martin's mother ... who explained Doug had left his house on foot and was experiencing a mental-health emergency. She said Martin takes sleeping pills, but he hadn't slept for three days.

Jorge Masvidal hasn't fought in the UFC since 2023, but Gamebred tells TMZ Sports he's down for a comeback fight against Conor McGregor ... and he's got violence on his mind!

The star MMA fighter and Babcock were choppin' it up about his upcoming training session with FBI Agents in Quantico when the topic shifted to a potential return to the Octagon.

"I always keep that door open. I'm always training. I'm always keeping myself prepared," Jorge said.

"I wouldn't mind beating the f****** living s*** out of that, what's that little m***** Irish that sells whiskey? I wouldn't mind beating the s*** out of him or the other f****** dude from across the pond, Leon [Edwards]."

"Either one of those two dudes, you know, I wouldn't mind, man. I got a little bit of unfinished business."