TMZ Sports - Page 50

UFC badass Michelle Waterson says she's beaten up opponents so badly, they've actually defecated themselves DURING THE FIGHT ... telling TMZ Sports, "It happens."

The Karate Hottie is fighting this weekend at UFC 229 against Felice Herrig -- who famously made Justine Kish soil the Octagon during a UFC fight in 2017.

So, when Waterson stopped by the TMZ office ... we had to ask if she was afraid of Herrig pulling the same move when they square off on Oct. 6.

"I ain't worried," Michelle said ... "She ain't even gonna get there."

"Plus, I've made people do that stuff too!"

Talk about beating the crap out of someone!!!!!

Waterson doesn't name names -- but explains why the in-ring brown-down isn't as uncommon as one would think.

10:09 AM PT -- Conor just showed up and weighed in at 154.5 ... which means both he and Khabib have made weight.

The fight is now officially set to be a lightweight championship bout!!!!

LET'S GOOOOO!!!

Daniel Cormier was right ...

Khabib Nurmagomedov has weighed in for his championship fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 ... and he was a perfect 155 pounds.

Khabib has had issues with weight before -- he bailed out of UFC 209 (against Tony Ferguson) after issues with his weight cut went so poorly, he was hospitalized days before the fight.

He also had weight issues at UFC 160 -- when he was 3.5 pounds over the 155 limit when facing Abel Trujillo. They ultimately fought at a catch weight because Khabib couldn't shed the weight in time.

There are much bigger stakes for Saturday's fight against Conor McGregor -- the lightweight championship is on the line.

Dodgeball with Tom Brady and his softball-playing sisters was exactly what it appeared to be -- TERRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This according to Gisele ... who took part in the summer "fun" -- where Tom famously got so competitive in the children's game and chucked a fastball at his own mother!!

Brady's supermodel wife went on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Thursday to explain exactly how savage football's G.O.A.T. and his fam get when they square up on the court ... and yeah, she says it's as aggressive as it looked.

"They're pretty strong," Gisele said of Brady's sisters. "They were softball players. They're intense!! I was scared ..."

Gisele says the rubber-ball violence was eye-opening ... especially compared to her family's game nights -- where they played sports AS A FREAKIN' TEAM!!

Don't get it twisted ... Gisele found a way to have fun -- she's just issuing a warning for those underprepared for Brady games.

"If they invite you to play this game with the ball, make sure that you're ready for it."

LeBron James clearly wants Colin Kaepernick to know he's got his back ...

Check out the shirt Bron wore to the Lakers preseason game at Staples Center on Thursday -- featuring the name "Kaepernick" on the upper back -- a pretty huge statement from the most famous athlete on the planet.

The shirt is made by Nike -- the company that just featured Colin as the face of its "Just Do It" campaign.

LeBron also has a deal with Nike and praised the company for having the balls to do business with Kap despite some pretty powerful critics ... including the President of the United States.

"I wore a Kaepernick shirt tonight, one, because it's Nike and I'm a Nike guy. And then, two, I support Kap. I've always supported Kap and what he stands for and what he believes in."

It's not the first time LBJ's publicly stepped forward to join Kap's fight ... after Colin received massive blowback for his new Nike deal last month -- Bron stepped up to say he stands "for anybody that believes in a positive attitude and a positive matter."

LeBron also posted pics of the shirt with the caption, "KAEP Drip #MoreThanAnAthlete," on social media late Thursday night.

David Ortiz is just as surprised as the rest of us by his old teammate, Johnny Damon -- telling TMZ Sports he's SHOCKED that Damon would root for the Yankees to beat the Red Sox in the ALDS.

"Johnny Damon?! That's some bullsh*t, isn't it! Red Sox all the way," Big Papi told us.

Damon and Ortiz were both a part of that special 2004 "bunch of idiots" team who broke the Red Sox curse and won their first World Series since 1918. Damon left Boston in 2005 and signed a contract with the rival Yanks.

So, when we asked Johnny who he was pulling for now that his 2 former squads are facing off in the American League Division Series ... and he went with the Bronx Bombers.

Remember, there was bitterness between Damon and Boston -- and in 2015, Damon said he wasn't on speaking terms with Red Sox owner John Henry.

Still, Ortiz clearly felt like there was enough Beantown love for Damon to pick the Sox over the Yanks.

Nate Diaz is rooting for Khabib and Conor to BOTH lose at UFC 229 -- saying he already "slapped the sh*t out of both of 'em" ... and neither one deserves to be champ!

That said, Nate also believes Conor is the favorite to win ... because "Khabib is scared for his life."

Diaz says it simply comes down to fight style -- noting Khabib "fights like a scared little bitch" on the ground while Conor will stand up and trade blows like a beast.

"I think Conor has got a way better fight style."

Nate also says Khabib hasn't proven himself against any real quality opponents -- "That fool ain't fought nobody."

Diaz makes it clear he's not rooting for either guy -- he wants a double knockout, so they both lose.

The big question ... would Nate take a 3rd fight against Conor to settle the score once and for all?

"I ain't fighting no trilogy. He already got his ass whipped. He can fight everybody else. I got shit to do too."

Sorry, Boston ... Johnny Damon's making it 100% clear -- he bleeds pinstripes now.

"New York's my team," Johnny tells TMZ Sports. "The Yankees, that's who I want to win."

Damon says he still does have at least SOME love in his heart for the Sox -- a team he broke a curse with and won a World Series within 2004.

But, when it comes to Boston-N.Y. in the ALDS -- he's got his Yanks cap firmly on.

"I think [the Yankees] upset them," Damon says.

So, why's Johnny -- who played 4 seasons in N.Y. after his 4 seasons in Boston -- picking sides??

Johnny sorta explains -- when he left Boston, contract talks created some drama. But, with the Yanks, it's been nothing but good vibes from them since retirement.

Plus ... it doesn't hurt that he spends a lot of time in N.Y. these days.

Conor McGregor just went off in his UFC 229 press conference -- vowing to destroy Khabib Nurmagomedov ... and claiming he'll be a billionaire by age 35!

Conor showed up almost 30 minutes late to the event in Las Vegas -- blaming crazy traffic. Khabib had left by the time McGregor showed up.

But, Conor didn't disappoint ... screaming about how much he hates Khabib, how great his whiskey tastes and how much money he expects to make.

Dana White had told us McGregor could make a Mayweather check ($100 mil) but Conor says the number will probably be closer to $50 mil.

Conor also accused Khabib's manager of being a terrorist who was pulled off a plane on Sept. 11, 2001 and detained by authorities. We're reaching to Khabib's camp for his side of the story.

Remember, Conor and Khabib HATE each other. When Conor threw that steel dolly at the bus in Brooklyn earlier this year, he was aiming for Khabib.

And, at the last press conference a few weeks ago, Conor called Khabib a "little rat, little weasel" ... "fanboy bitch" ... and "mad backwards c*nt."

Nurmagomedov promised to smash Conor's face in.

They'll finally get a chance to settle the beef once and for all on Saturday at UFC 229.

Who's ready?!

With rumors swirling that AC Milan has interest in bringing 37-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Italy ... we had to ask the L.A. Galaxy star straight-up -- true or false?

Good news -- we got an answer!

Bad news -- well, here's what he said ...

"There is always rumors. The whole world wants me. It's okay."

Keep in mind, reports suggest Zlatan has serious interest in going back to Milan -- where he scored 56 goals between 2010 and 2012. But, he didn't seem like he was bursting with excitement when we asked him about it.

The issue ... most people thought Zlatan came to L.A. to wind down his career with the Galaxy, where he's got a pretty good thing going -- 20 goals in 24 games.

So, think he's ready to give it up for one last ride in Serie A?

There's more ...

Remember that 7-year-old singer Malea Emma who impressed Zlatan with her national anthem performance before a Galaxy game last month?

We asked Ibra if he considered her a "lucky charm" and wants to bring her back.

Conor McGregor could be the first 9-FIGURE fighter in UFC history ... judging by the way his fight with Khabib is trending ... so says Dana White.

The UFC honcho tells us ... UFC 229 is trending to get between 2.6 and 3 MILLION pay-per-view buys -- which would make it the 3rd largest PPV event in combat sports history.

The biggest PPV fight ever is Mayweather vs. Pacquaio (4.6 million) followed by Mayweather vs. McGregor (4.3 million).

Conor has famously bragged about pulling a $100 million check for the Mayweather fight -- so we had to ask if he could get a similar check for this fight.

"Of course he can," White told us ... "You start to look at the PPV numbers with Conor McGregor, he's one of the biggest PPV draws of all time."

But, Dana says Conor's bigger play is his whiskey -- telling TMZ Sports he honestly believes Proper No. 12 could turn McGregor into a BILLIONAIRE.

Martellus Bennett wants Kanye West to keep Colin Kaepernick's name out of his mouth -- saying, "Why you trying to drag everybody else down into your sh*t hole?"

The ex-NFL star was at LAX rocking some Yeezy combat boots -- so, we had to ask if it was a show of support for the rapper who's been getting criticism for his support of Donald Trump.

Turns out, Marty B is anti-Kanye -- but he ain't about to light his shoes on fire.

Instead, Bennett says he simply won't buy another pair.

As for Kaepernick, we asked MB if he thinks Colin should take Ye up on his offer to meet with President Trump to hash out their differences.

Again, Marty was against the idea -- telling Kanye, "Don't try to drag other people in to make yourself feel like you're correct."

"Don't try to bring public figures who fight for black rights to help you and the foolishness that you're doing."

But, what about the spirit of reaching across the aisle?

"You wanna reach across the aisle to grab a bear? Or should you reach across the aisle to grab some greatness?"

Two ex-UFC champions have signed on to fight each other in a jiu-jitsu event in Vegas ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Frank Mir (former UFC heavyweight champ) will take on Forrest Griffin (former UFC light heavyweight champ) at the Black Belt CBD Invitational on October 20.

Griffin hasn't taken a pro fight since July 2012 -- when he beat up Tito Ortiz at UFC 148.

As for Mir, he fought in April at Bellator 198 -- when he was defeated by Fedor Emelianenko in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.

As for the CBD Invitational, we're told Ana Vieira, Catherine Perret, Bia Masquita and Luiza Moteiro are also fighting on the card.

Event organizers are touting the fight card as the first of its kind to offer the same purse for male and female fighters.

"We’re a woman-founded and woman-led company, born and bred in Las Vegas, and Jiu Jitsu is a huge part of our culture and even my family – my daughter loves to train Jiu Jitsu,” Black Belt CBD CEO and founder Krista Whitley said.

"We specialize in CBD-based performance-training products made for serious athletes of all genders, and when we launched the Black Belt CBD Invitational, it was only natural that we bring this philosophy into the Jiu Jitsu community."

11:01 AM PT -- Fuller's brother called 911 after the RB collapsed to the ground and told the operator it appeared he was having a seizure.

The caller said Fuller had "passed out" -- though it's unclear if he was conscious at that point.

C.J.'s brother and other family members desperately tried to help Fuller -- following the operator's instructions -- and begged for an ambulance to be sent over quickly.

8:20 AM PT -- A source extremely close to Fuller tells us the football star had gone to physical therapy to rehab his knee in the hours before his death ... and it was clear something was wrong.

We're told Fuller tore his ACL playing in a flag football game roughly 2 weeks ago and had surgery to repair the injury at the end of September.

Fuller went to physical therapy for the first time on Wednesday (10/3) as part of his recovery and completed a full session without issue.

When he arrived back to his home, we're told he "went to the ground" and asked for water -- clearly feeling something was wrong.

People close to C.J. called for an ambulance and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

There are rumblings Fuller's death was a direct result of complications from the knee surgery -- but we're told that hasn't been determined yet.

We spoke with the coroner who told us a death investigation is underway.

7:58 AM PT -- We spoke with the Pickens County coroner who tells us there is death investigation underway but she notes, "Nothing suspicious."

Ex-Clemson running back C.J. Fuller -- a key player on Clemson's 2016 National Championship team -- has died, the school has confirmed.

He was only 22 years old.

The cause of Fuller's death is unclear. We're working on gathering information.

Fuller played in 43 games for the Tigers -- and proved to be a talented and capable back on the field. Off the field, Fuller had issues ... he was arrested back in March for allegedly robbing someone at gunpoint in South Carolina.

Clemon's coach Dabo Swinney issued a statement saying, "Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with C.J.'s family."

"I've known C.J. a long time and watched him grow up through the Easley rec leagues [in South Carolina] all the way through Easley High School. I'm proud of what he accomplished as a Clemson Tiger, most of all his accomplishment of being a Clemson graduate."

"Our deepest condolences and the thoughts of our program are with his family this evening. May he rest in peace."

Fuller's former Clemson teammate Shaq Lawson (who now plays for the Buffalo Bills) also commented on social media ... saying, "My brother I am hurting right now."'

"Somebody wake me up from this nightmare. My brother was supposed to come see me tomorrow. I love you bruh until we meet again."

David Beckham and his famous family are saying goodbye to their legendary Bev Hills compound -- selling the place for $33 MILLION!!!!

David and Victoria bought the 13,000 square foot estate back in 2007 -- right around the time David signed a $250 MILLION contract with the L.A. Galaxy soccer team.

At the time they bought the home, the asking price was $22 million.

Now, with David bringing an MLS team to Florida -- Inter Miami Football Club -- it appears the family just ain't using the West Coast palace like they used to.

David and Victoria's kids went to school in Los Angeles during their time on the West Coast -- but now they spend their time mostly in London.

The Bev Hills mansion is insane -- 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a library, pool and has iron gates in the front of the property to keep out the riff raff, according to the L.A. Times.

Conor McGregor says he will 100% complete the Nate Diaz trilogy -- saying, "I will give that man that rematch."

Conor and Nate have fought twice -- Nate won the first fight by strangling McGregor. Conor was the rematch in a majority decision. Both fights were phenomenal.

Now that Conor is back in the MMA biz after a 2-year break -- UFC Tonight's Karyn Bryant asked the Notorious who's next on his wish list of big fights.

McGregor said he's interested in scrapping with Anderson Silva -- saying, "It sounds interesting to me." There's clearly a mutual respect there.

But, Conor got most excited when talking about a rubber match with Nate Diaz.

"I've got that trilogy with Diaz. I will give that man that rematch. He gave me a rematch. I will give him a rematch."

What's interesting ... Conor says the 3rd fight will likely take place at 155 pounds -- 15 pounds lighter than they were in the first 2 fights.

However, Conor says he'd be open to fighting at 165 -- and creating a new division in the process, one that Nate has been lobbying for recently.

In fact, Conor says the UFC should start several more weight classes in 10-pound increments to create more champions and make weight cutting safer for the fighters.

Question is ... will Nate take a 3rd fight? Stay tuned ...

LeBron James has beefed up security at his L.A. home in a major way -- bringing a team of armed guards to patrol his house after learning he was targeted by a team of burglars.

As we previously reported ... the LAPD arrested 4 people who had hit more than 24 homes of the rich and famous, including Yasiel Puig, Rihanna, Christina Milian and others.

Cops say the bad guys had a list of 12 more celebrity targets -- including LeBron, Matt Damon and Viola Davis.

We're told LeBron is taking the situation very seriously -- he's got a wife and 3 kids at home -- and is taking every possible measure to protect his family.

Sources tell us ... Bron has at least 10 armed security personnel at the home -- including off-duty police officers. We're told the NBA's security team is also involved in the security plans.

L.A. Rams star Robert Woods -- whose home was burglarized -- is also working with the NFL security team to ensure his safety as well.

Cops say they believe there are more people involved in the burglary crews -- and they're asking the public for leads to track down the additional suspects.