TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC champ Rose Namajunas says she wouldn't rule out a superfight against Valentina Shevchenko ... but first, she's gotta get through Jessica Andrade.

Rose is the reigning UFC strawweight champ (115 lbs) after posting two amazing wins over UFC legend Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

She's gearing up for a title defense against Andrade this weekend at UFC 237 -- and despite being the champ, Rose is the betting underdog going into the fight.

"It's definitely a familiar feeling. This is not something new. I'm always the underdog. Not always, I shouldn't say that, but generally speaking," Namajunas told us.

"And, it makes sense. Andrade, when you look at her highlights, when you look at her physique, and you look what she does to girls, it's pretty intimidating."

Andrade's a beast ... but if she wins, would Rose -- who's cleaned out her division -- go up a weight class and fight the 125 lb. champ, Shevchenko?

"I've trained a lot with Valentina. Definitely, the training sessions, the way she trains, she's an animal. Of course, I'd love to test myself against her."

The issue? They're friends ... but Thug Rose ain't above punching her buddies.

"She's also my friend too, so that would kinda be strange. But, it's whatever, like I've fought friends before multiple times."

The deal isn't officially done ... but seems Ty Lue ain't worried about jinxing his shot at the Lakers head coaching job -- at least judging by his Lakers-themed birthday cake.

Lue -- the reported frontrunner to replace Luke Walton -- celebrated his 42nd birthday at a fancy Las Vegas restaurant over the weekend.

We're told Lue rented out the entire restaurant and celebrated with his closest friends and family -- less than 10 people at the party.

But, the biggest moment of the night was the cake -- which sported a giant Lakers logo and a basketball hoop ... along with the message, "Happy Birthday Coach."

Ty laughed when the cake was brought out -- but we're told he never really said anything to dispute the insinuation he's gonna be the next coach of the Lakers.

So, either his pals were just trying to get a laugh ... or they all know something that hasn't "officially" been reported yet.

We'd ask what he wished for when he blew out the candles ... but it seems his wish may have already come true.

Lue last coached for the Cleveland Cavaliers -- but he was fired back in Oct. 2018 after an 0-6 start.

But, the buzz is that LeBron James is pushing the Lakers to hire Lue -- because they get along really well.

Conor McGregor spent his Monday training his ass off in his MMA gym in Ireland -- and sources connected to the UFC star tell us he's "ready to fight right now."

Conor had a sparring session with Hans Molenkamp -- who created the MMA equipment company, Triumph, and runs the Monster Energy combat program. He's also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who trains with some of the best fighters in the world.

Hans and Conor have been tight for years -- so, when Hans touched down in Ireland, Conor invited him to Straight Blast Gym for a workout.

Our sources at the gym tell us ... Conor looked sharp in sparring sessions -- even cracking Hans in the face with that legendary left (you can see it in the video).

We're told Conor is training like he's getting ready for a fight -- and he's been talking about how badly he wants the rematch with Khabib.

One source extremely close to McGregor put it this way -- "He's ready to fight now. He's in training. Everything needs to line up correctly ... opponent, place and of course, money."

Conor was called out this weekend by UFC legend Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone -- McGregor has yet to respond.

Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati turned into a nightmare scene straight out of "My Girl" on Monday ... when a swarm of bees invaded the stadium -- forcing officials to delay the start of the game.

The Reds were gearing up to take on the San Francisco Giants when the bees came ... you can see in photos and video there are THOUSANDS (maybe millions?) of the flying insects on the field.

In one shot captured by NBC Sports Bay Area, you can see just how close the bees came to the Giants dugout. Scary stuff.

At one point, Reds outfielder Derek Dietrich grabbed some beekeeping stuff and charged out on the field -- jokingly trying to help officials get rid of the bees.

No word if it actually helped ... or not. Also, unclear if anyone was stung.

The good news ... officials say the swarm eventually moved on and the game is now underway.

FS1 star Colin Cowherd desperately wants Baker Mayfield to know he doesn't hate him ... telling TMZ Sports, "Baker thinks I don't like him. I love Baker."

Of course, the two have had a rocky relationship over the past few years -- and the beef flared up again on Friday when Baker attacked Colin on Twitter.

Colin posted a video clip from 'The Herd' explaining why he thinks Baker and Browns GM John Dorsey are the perfect couple for Cleveland ... and that's when Mayfield responded, "you’re a donkey man."

Cowherd fired back saying, "I wish you would LISTEN before ruining my weekend" ... which prompted Baker to write, "Why would I listen to you instead of just reading the quote?"

"That’s exactly what you do when you go on air... skip all the details and important stuff, then go for the irrational opinion for clicks."

But, when we got Cowherd out at LAX just hours after the spat ... he told us he has NO beef with Baker -- and says he just wants to be friends!!!

"Send my best to Baker," Colin says ... "Baker thinks I don't like him, I love Baker."

As for Mayfield's side of the feud ... doesn't seem like the feeling's mutual -- 'cause he's gone after Colin SEVERAL times in the last couple years.

Paul Pierce says he ain't worried about the Celtics being down 2 games to 1 to the Milwaukee Bucks ... telling TMZ Sports his guys will WIN the whole series in 6.

The Truth was leaving Meek Mill's birthday party at 1 OAK in L.A. on Sunday -- when we asked about his Boston Celtics losing 2 games in a row to Giannis Antetokounmpo and company.

Remember, the Celtics started off strong -- with a dominating 112 to 90 victory over the Bucks in Game 1.

But, the last 2 games have been all Milwaukee ... and now Vegas is highly favoring Milwaukee to win the series. The winner of this series will play the winner of the 76ers vs. Raptors series in the next round.

But, Pierce doesn't give a DAMN about the odds -- telling TMZ Sports he expects his guys to rally back and the take the series.

"Celtics in 6, homie. Stop playin'."

People at a Florida nightclub got a HUGE surprise Saturday night -- a 7-foot-1, over 300-pound one to be exact -- 'cause Shaq jumped into a mosh pit with them ... and danced his face off!!

It all went down at Celine in Orlando ... where DJ Diesel serenaded a Cuatro De Mayo crowd with a late-night set.

Shaq broke out his signature beats ... but then took the party one step further -- jumping into a sea of people going insane!!!

The clip's awesome ... clubgoers are hanging all over Shaq -- and he's loving it!!!

Don't worry, no one was injured!!

Of course, Shaq has been spinning the 1s and 2s professionally for several years now ... and has earned all kinds of praise from world famous DJs for his sets.

In fact, Diplo just told TMZ Sports a few months ago he's a huge fan of what Shaq's doing ... saying, "He's great, Shaq Diesel, man. He's killin' it right now. Very heavy music."

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora says he will NOT join the team to visit Donald Trump on Thursday ... and several Red Sox players are boycotting with him.

The team was invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to be honored for winning the 2018 World Series -- and it's all set to go down on Thursday -- but Cora says he ain't going.

The 43-year-old issued a statement in Spanish saying he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

"Puerto Rico is very important to me," Cora said ... "Unfortunately, we are still struggling, still fighting. Some people still lack basic necessities, others remain without electricity and many homes and schools are in pretty bad shape almost a year and a half after Hurricane María struck."

"Even though the United States Government has helped, there’s still a long road ahead and that is OUR reality."

"I’ve used my voice on many occasions so that Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence [from the White House] is no different."

"As such, at this moment, I don’t feel comfortable celebrating in the White House."

Cora said he told Red Sox officials about his decision before informing the media.

Other Red Sox stars who will NOT go to the White House include shortstop Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Mookie Betts.

Trump has hosted a bunch of athletes recently -- including NASCAR champ Joey Logano.

Topless saxophone, drunk push-ups, booze chuggin' with his bro ... yeah, retirement is going GREAT for Rob Gronkowski!!

The future Hall of Famer turned all the way up at the JEMAA, The NoMad Pool Party at the Park MGM over the weekend ... where Gronk decided to put a full SHOW on for the crowd.

Someone gave him a sax -- so he played it!

Someone told him to do push-ups -- so he did 'em.

Someone gave his brother a bottle of vodka -- so he slammed it onstage!

Rob's bikini model girlfriend, Camille Kostek, was also at the party -- and helped Gronk celebrate by handing him a beautifully-crafted retirement cake ... which Gronk later smashed to pieces.

Sources at the party tell us Gronk's group had a private VIP area stocked with champagne and Don Julio 1942 ... because ... well, it's awesome. That's why.

Congrats on retirement, Gronk -- and remember to drink water!

Legendary horse trainer Bob Baffert is breaking his silence on that insane Kentucky Derby ending --measuring his words carefully ... but telling TMZ Sports the whole thing was "crazy."

"Hell of a way to lose," Baffert said about Maximum Security -- who crossed the line first Saturday but was later DQ'd after officials say MS illegally impeded the path of other horses.

Maximum Security's owner, Gary West, now says his horse will NOT run in the Preakness later this month.

What's interesting ... Baffert says he worked for West this year -- training West's other horse, Game Winner, for the Kentucky Derby. Game Winner finished 5th in the race.

Game Winner was one of THREE Baffert-trained horses that ran in the 2019 Derby, running with Improbably and Roadster.

Look, Baffert's horses have won FIVE Kentucky Derbies over the years -- and he plans on having more horses run the race in the future ... so you can probably understand why he wouldn't go scorched Earth on Derby officials.

As for Baffert's other horses -- Improbably finished 4th and Roadster finished 15th.

Someone who didn't hold back? Donald Trump ... who said the Derby sucked.

"The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one," Trump tweeted over the weekend.

"It was a rough & tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch."

Great news for UFC star Brian Ortega ... the 27-year-old says he's been medically cleared to return to the Octagon -- and he's got his sights set on a rematch with Max Holloway.

Ortega suffered a broken nose and a broken thumb after his Dec. 8 bloodbath with Max at UFC 231 ... a fight Brian ultimately lost when the doctor stopped it at the end of the 4th round.

Brian fought his ass off -- and later said he was "willing to die" in the Octagon.

After the fight, Ortega underwent surgery -- which was successful -- and now the featherweight star tells us he's looking to book a fight as early as July.

Unclear who the opponent will be -- but Ortega says the ultimate goal is to earn another crack at Holloway, an opponent he has tremendous respect for.

Ortega says he's replayed the Holloway fight in his head -- and knows he can win the second time around.

Lindsey Vonn made it clear to all ... retired athletes can stay super fit.

Lindsey and BF P.K. Subban hit the sand Saturday afternoon in Miami Beach, and we're guessing every step she took had to be carefully calculated.

Gotta say ... the one piece is amazing -- a feat of fabric.

The 34-year-old Olympian retired in February after the 2019 World Championship in Sweden. Lindsey has suffered some really serious injuries during her career, but she's clearly not worse for wear.

In case you didn't know, P.K. plays on the Nashville Predators hockey team.

Pacman Jones not only cheated at the blackjack table before his February arrest ... he also smacked the hell out of an officer's arm -- and it's all on video obtained by TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported ... the ex-NFL star was busted three months ago after he was caught "capping bets" at an Indiana casino.

You can see the video ... Jones places a bet -- and when he realizes he's won the hand -- he sneakily adds another chip.

The problem? Jones got caught ... and even though he eventually gave back the dirty money -- the situation escalated into a violent affair.

Jones clearly became irate, put his hands directly in officials' faces ... and even gave them the finger just inches from their noses!!!

That's when one officer grabbed his wrist -- and in retaliation, Pacman slapped the guy's arm!!!

Of course, Pacman was then put in cuffs ... and was eventually hit with a bevy of charges, including felony intimidation, felony battery against an officer and several misdemeanors.

We previously posted footage showing Pacman in a heated verbal confrontation with officers after he had been pulled off the casino floor.

But, Jones copped a plea deal last month ... and agreed to enter a guilty plea to one count of felony cheating at gambling and one count of misdemeanor resisting law enforcement in exchange for having the rest of the charges dropped.

WWE superstar Paige just had a movie about herself totally crush it in the box office ... so what's next???

More Hollywood, baby!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 26-year-old wrestling star about her plans following the big success with her biopic "Fighting With My Family" ... and she's hoping to get in on the action herself!!!

FYI, 'Fighting' killed it on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 92% fresh -- which is pretty amazing. Some of the top reviews came from highly respected critics, like Richard Roeper. CinemaScore graded it an A-.

Of course, Paige retired from wrestling last year due to injuries, so now she's ready to tackle a new industry.

"I want to go into movies and stuff like that, start branching out a bit. Obviously, I can't do the wrestling side of things anymore."

Desiigner celebrated his 22nd birthday in a big way, and Chris Brown, Lamar Odom and a bunch of other celebs helped make it appropriately wild.

The bash went down Saturday night in Calabasas at Jake Paul's house. Aside from Chris and Lamar, Bella Thorne, Swae Lee, Justin Combs, Paris Brosnan, Trey Songz, Famous Dex, Cameron Dallas and others partied till the wee hours.

Speaking of Dex, he definitely seemed to be having a good time in the "legends circle" with Desiigner and the Paul brothers. Check it out ... good pals right here for sure.

There were, of course, the obligatory motorcycle stunts as the choppers flew over the heads of the Paul bros. Desiigner performed and generally, a good time was had by all.

"What better place for a Jewish quarterback to be than in Miami!?"

That was Jay Fiedler's reaction to the Miami Dolphins bringing on Josh Rosen -- and Feidler would know, he's Jewish too!!!

In fact, Fiedler -- a 2002 inductee to the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame -- was the last Miami Dolphins QB to lead the team to a playoff victory back in 2000.

So, with Rosen now in South Beach ... we hit up Fiedler to see if he had advice for his Hebrew brethren.

"The Jewish community down there will love him," Fiedler says ... "And, he'll probably get invited to quite a few Bar Mitzvahs along the way!!!"

In all seriousness, Fiedler thinks Rosen is a great addition to the Fins -- and says having a respected veteran like Ryan Fitzpatrick in the QB room will be HUGE for the young guy from UCLA.

Fiedler also dishes out some advice for Rosen ... and Josh should listen.

By the way, the Dolphins last playoff win was in 2000 ... when Fiedler led his squad over Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts in the wild card round!!!

Since then, the Dolphins were QB'd by guys like Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green, Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Ryan Tannehill and Jay Cutler.

But, none of those guys were able to put a W on the books in playoff time.