Sports

Justin Gaethje has some things in common with the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team -- he's a huge underdog like the boys were in Lake Placid -- and he's gunning to replicate that American Pride with his main event fight against Ilia Topuria at the White House!

"I get to control my destiny. What an opportunity. This is 'Miracle On Ice' type of energy that I'm trying to drive into this country," Gaethje told Babcock on Monday.

"I have an opportunity to do something special and I could not ask for anything better. I think 250 years ago, I think we were definitely bigger underdogs. And look where we are now. So I'm ready."

Justin says he understands he's an American fighting a man born across the Atlantic Ocean at an event celebrating the 250th birthday of the country ... and that brings extra pressure.

A.J. Brown's drama-filled tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles is over -- the superstar receiver is on his way to the New England Patriots

The Eagles will get first and fifth-round picks from the Pats as a result of the transaction.

The writing was on the wall for a bit -- it was clear Brown was not happy in the City of Brotherly Love ... and there were rumblings he was no longer seeing eye to eye with his quarterback/good friend Jalen Hurts.

Myles Garrett is finally getting his wish -- just a year late -- as the Cleveland Browns superstar is being traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

The 30-year-old will be sent to SoCal in a deal involving Jared Verse and several draft picks, according to Adam Schefter.

Garrett made noise last offseason when he requested a change of scenery ... but ultimately signed a four-year, $160 Million extension to stay in Orange and Brown with $123.5 Million of that being guaranteed.

One of the most popular New York Giants in the past decade is returning to where his career began -- Odell Beckham Jr. is rejoining the team for the first time since 2019.

The news broke minutes ago ... with Adam Schefter saying after a visit with his old squad, the team is running it back with the 33-year-old superstar. OBJ also worked out for the Giants earlier this offseason.

The ex-LSU star was the 12th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft ... and went on to have All-Pro seasons in New York before being traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2019.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry -- a favorite target of Johnny Unitas -- has died at the age of 93.

The family of the Baltimore Colts great released a statement saying he passed away peacefully at his Tennessee home on May 25, surrounded by his loved ones.

Berry, out of SMU, was drafted in the 20th round of the 1954 NFL Draft ... and went on to play 13 seasons in the league, catching 631 passes (a record back then) for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns. He led the NFL in receptions on three occasions.

Serena Williams' retirement from tennis didn't last long -- the 39-time Grand Slam winner in singles and doubles just announced she's coming back.

The 44-year-old superstar dropped the news via a Nike ad ... which shows her on the court as her phone blows up with calls and texts.

As she reaches for her phone, the words "Guess everybody heard the news" appear on the screen ... and then Williams says, "I gotta change my number."

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott's family was targeted with death threats and wishes made toward their kids after a loss ... with his wife exposing the hateful comments on social media.

As the Dodgers held a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, Scott took the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday ... but gave up three earned runs, resulting in a 4-3 loss.

After the final, some baseball "fans" unloaded unhinged messages to Scott's wife, Maddie ... writing wild things like "gun shot your family tonight."

Wander Franco caught a big break in court this week, avoiding prison ... but that doesn't mean he'll ever walk on an MLB diamond again, despite having the staunch support of many players, including Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré.

TMZ Sports ran into the 4x All-Star and 5x Gold Glove Award winner at LAX this week, when we asked him about his fellow Dominican star, and whether he deserved another crack at playing in the Big Leagues.

"It's a sensitive situation, but I think, I believe that everybody has a second chance," Beltré told us.

We have boxing at the pyramids and MMA at the White House ... so how should WWE get in on the random location gimmick??

Cody Rhodes tells TMZ Sports he'd love to take it back to 1993 and throw down on a decommissioned aircraft carrier -- Yokozuna and Lex Luger style!!

We caught up with the American Nightmare out in NYC this week ... and hit him with a number of topics as he signed autographs for fans.

Tennis player Rafael Jodar is firing back at controversy after a viral clip from his French Open match sparked debate over whether he shoved a ball girl during a chaotic courtside moment.

The Spanish teenager was in the middle of his third-round battle against American Alex Michelsen when footage began circulating online showing him walking after tossing his water bottle up to his dad in the stands, as a ball girl crossed in front of him between sets.

In the viral clip, the ball girl appears to momentarily lose her balance before quickly regaining it, leading to a wave of speculation on social media about what actually happened ... however, Jodar was quick to dismiss the suggestion that any contact took place, insisting the situation had been misunderstood.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen was overcome with emotion Friday night after helping his team reach the Stanley Cup Final -- delivering the win just days after the death of his longtime agent and mentor, NHL legend Claude Lemieux.

Before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens, the Hurricanes held a moment of remembrance at Lenovo Center honoring Lemieux, who was remembered as a "great champion" of the sport.

Lemieux also had a personal connection to the game on the ice -- he was the agent for Andersen, who was one of his earliest clients, and had long been considered a mentor and father figure to the goaltender.

Following Carolina’s dominant 6-1 win, Andersen was visibly emotional as teammates mobbed him in celebration on the ice. The moment quickly turned personal when he addressed reporters, reflecting on what Lemieux would have said to him after such a career milestone -- "Just go get it."

Deion Sanders is a Hall of Famer in the present department ... 'cause Karrueche Tran tells TMZ Sports she was certainly feeling the love on her birthday earlier this month.

We caught up with the stunning 38-year-old out at LAX recently ... and had to ask if the Colorado Buffaloes coach got her anything special for her big day.

While she didn't spill any specifics, Tran was clearly thrilled with her man's gestures ... as she referred to him as a "great" gift giver.

Amanda Serrano isn't just one of the best boxers in the world, she's also an MMA fighter ... and she's interested in returning to the cage -- and she has a big name opponent in mind!

Gina Carano!

37-year-old Serrano -- the unified featherweight world champion -- chopped it up with Babcock ahead of her return to the ring (more on that in a minute) ... when the topic of mixed martial arts came up.

Days after NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart sparked a full-blown locker room firestorm by introducing President Donald Trump at an event in New York -- and getting publicly side-eyed by Abdul Carter -- the two young stars were spotted embracing at practice!

All eyes were on Jaxson and Abdul at Big Blue's facility in East Rutherford, NJ, for OTAs on Friday -- the first time the players have practiced since the controversy last week -- and there was nary a sign of friction as the men came face-to-face.

Cameras were rolling as the players approached each other, first dapping each other up, and then hugging for several seconds as they shared a private word.

Those closest to Claude Lemieux are devastated by his tragic death ... with family members sharing emotional tributes on social media.

Claudia Lemieux went to Instagram to address her dad's passing on Thursday ... saying, "No words to express the level of devastation we feel. I love you forever daddy. Forever your only girl."

Claudia's husband, Hunter Bishop, honored his father-in-law with an image of them golfing ... writing, "Rest in peace to a truly amazing man. Words can’t even begin to describe how much you meant to everyone. Love you big man 👼🏽."

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is bringing in a massive 7-figure monthly income ... at least according to new legal docs from his baby mama court battle.

New court docs, obtained by TMZ, show the NBA star pulls in $3,364,911 in gross monthly income, while his ex, Alexandria Desroches, makes around $1,016 per month.

The docs say Anthony is paying around $5,000 a month in child support to Desroches.