TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC fighter Gilbert Burns is all set to fight in Brazil on Saturday -- despite the coronavirus pandemic -- telling TMZ Sports the whole situation is "weird," but the right call.

Burns will face Demian Maia in an arena with NO FANS -- after UFC president Dana White announced the event would take place as scheduled.

The UFC is taking precautions to limit everyone's exposure -- with the athletes getting dressed and warmed up in a private hotel before heading over to the empty arena to fight.

After the fight, each fighter has been instructed to leave the premises ASAP.

So, how's the experience been for Burns?

"It’s been a little weird, to be very honest with you," Burns says.

"Especially, I have my parents come, my brother, frickin' whole family, a lot of friends. But, I think I gotta be pretty cautious. Like, my parents, they're 63 each one, my mom and my dad. And, the virus go even harder on the old people."

"I'd rather fight in an empty arena than have my parents getting sick, or something like that. Or, all the people getting sick. So, stay home, get a better view!"

Despite the unusual circumstances, Burns has a message for the fans -- "I’m going to put a show for you guys!"

"Inside the NBA" star Kenny Smith is showering NBA Commish Adam Silver with praise for being the FIRST major sports official to suspend the season -- telling TMZ Sports it was a true leadership moment.

Of course, Smith is back in L.A. because with the NBA on ice, so is his show -- "We're on hiatus just like the NBA."

That's when Smith went on to talk about how lucky the NBA is to have a leader like Silver -- who made a tough decision before other major sports leagues.

"I think overall leadership is about having a direct derivative and I think he's had a direct derivative from the start," Smith said.

"He understands the culture that we're in. He understands the world that we live in from human rights to human pandemics. He's always been ahead of the curve. We trust what he says because it's always clear."

As for Kenny's co-worker Charles Barkley -- who's currently self-quarantined over coronavirus fears -- Smith says "he's fine right now."

Ronda Rousey is not worried AT ALL about the coronavirus panic -- SHE'S GOT FOOD, WATER AND ENERGY FOR DAYS, SON!!!!

The UFC legend and current WWE superstar showed off her situation at Browsey Acres in Riverside, CA -- where she lives with her husband, Travis Browne.

They've got freezers full of frozen meat, coups filled with chickens, tons of livestock, fruits and veggies galore, clean water tanks ... and they're solar-powered by Tesla!

In other words, Ronda and Travis were built for this!!!!

"Our coronavirus panic shopping list is: Nonexistent," Ronda said. "It's no secret I've been a proud preppier for years -- but let's all learn from this pandemic panic and be a little more self sufficient and prepared in the future."

Ronda says if you want to follow in her footsteps ... she's got some advice -- start small and build up!!

As for those who ain't currently as prepared as Rousey ... good luck at the supermarkets -- have ya seen the Costco lines lately??

Gerard Butler's doing his part to ensure the Olympics go off without a hitch -- coronavirus be damned -- by carrying the torch in the only city you'd expect to find him ... Spaaaarta!!!

You could say the "300" star was on his home turf Friday morning as he joined the Olympic torch relay. Rocking a Tokyo 2020 shirt, he carried the flame from Mystras, Greece into Sparta.

Once he arrived he addressed the crowd and, naturally, he had to say his most famous line. Hell, they didn't invite him to the relay for his good looks. Okay, let's be honest, that face doesn't hurt.

The relay started Thursday in Ancient Olympia, and will wind its way to Athens on March 19. From there it'll start its global journey and -- barring postponement or cancellation -- end up in Tokyo in July.

The video of Gerard doing the torch hand-off is interesting because, as you'd imagine, there's a crowd of reporters and photographers surrounding him. No one is maintaining a distance of 6 feet. If you're panicked about coronavirus ... it was not the place to be.

But, hey ... he said the line.

The UFC will NOT cancel events in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic -- with Dana White saying he made the decision to proceed after talking about the virus with President Trump.

"I talked to the President and the Vice President of the United States today about this and they're taking this very serious and they're saying 'be cautious and be careful but live your life and stop panicking,'" White said on ESPN.

"Everybody is panicking and instead of panicking we're actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how to keep the sport safe and how we can continue to put on events."

Of course, UFC is scheduled to host UFC Fight Night 170 on Saturday, headlined by the main event -- Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira.

That fight will still take place in Brazil -- but with no fans in the building.

In a video statement to fans, White said the UFC is "closely monitoring the situation with coronavirus and its potential impact on UFC athletes, staff and fans around the world."

White says other events could be moved from other cities and countries to the UFC APEX arena in Las Vegas.

A tradition unlike any other ... has just bit the dust --  at least for now.

The Augusta National Golf Club has announced the 2020 Masters Tournament -- the most prestigious event in pro golf -- is postponed over coronavirus.

"Respecting the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community, the 2020 Masters tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals have been postponed."

The Masters was scheduled to kick off on April 9 at Augusta -- and organizers had considered holding the tourney without fans.

But, as the pandemic grows and health experts warn against public gatherings of any kind, the powers that be decided to pull the plug ... at least for now.

Augusta chairman Fred Ridley says ... "Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision."

"We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date."

"We will continue to work with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the City of Augusta and all other local authorities. We are grateful to all of these entities for their exceptional efforts and guidance."

Unclear when officials are looking to reschedule -- seems everyone is in wait and watch mode.

Charles Barkley says he's in the middle of a self-quarantine after getting tested for the coronavirus ... this after admitting he hasn't been feeling well.

Sir Chuck called into TNT's "NBA On TNT" broadcast Thursday night and said he's in self-quarantine for 48 hours as he awaits test results on the coronavirus.

The NBA Hall of Famer said he's been feeling under the weather after traveling from New York City to Atlanta, and that's why he went for a coronavirus test.

Remember ... Charles was one of the first celebs publicly advocating for the cancelation of March Madness earlier this week due to the deadly pandemic. The powers that be eventually scrapped the big dance altogether after conferences started canceling their own tournaments.

The MLS is following the NBA's lead ... suspending its season over coronavirus concerns.

The soccer league made the decision Thursday, saying the season will be put on hold for 30 days -- this despite no MLS players coming out as COVID-19 positive yet.

"Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season," MLS commissioner Don Garber said.

It's unclear when and how the league will make up the missed games ... but it appears this is the solution for most major sports across the U.S. when it comes to handling fears over the virus.

In addition to the MLS and the NBA ... the ATP Tour announced a six-week suspension of the men’s professional tennis tour as well.

NHL officials have said they're still looking into all options for their season ... but a suspension of play appears to be definitely on the table for the hockey league.

The PGA Tour, meanwhile, is still going forward with THE PLAYERS Championship in Florida this weekend ... and the MLB is still playing its spring training games in front of fans in both Florida and Arizona. Although both leagues say they're still in heavy talks with health officials over their next moves.

So far, only two major pro athletes in the U.S. have been revealed as coronavirus positive -- Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Cavs star Kevin Love is stepping up to help the hundreds of arena staffers out of work during the NBA suspension ... donating a HUGE amount of money to support the hard workers in Cleveland.

Love shared his feelings about the league shutting down on Thursday ... saying his concern isn't about basketball, but the people who help make the game day experience possible.

"Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations," Love said in a statement. "And the fear and anxiety resulting from the recent outbreak of COVID-19 can be extremely overwhelming."

Of course, the Association decided to suspend the 2019-20 season Wednesday ... after Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell tested positive for coronavirus.

"Through the game of basketball, we've been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work."

Love -- who is outspoken about mental health awareness -- says his foundation will write up a check for $100k to "support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the cancellation of the NBA season."

Along with the contribution ... the Cavs released a statement saying the team is currently working on finding a way to financially help the employees during the time off.