TMZ Sports - Page 50

Francis Ngannou says Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane is a great fight ... but what it's not?? A title fight, 'cause there's already an undisputed UFC heavyweight champ -- and it's him.

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Ngannou on Friday ... ahead of tonight's interim heavyweight title fight between Lewis and Gane at UFC 265.

"It's just a contender fight. It's not an interim or whatever them guys are talking about. It's a contender fight. They're fighting for the #1 spot contender. It's not a title fight for me."

FYI, 36-year-old Lewis is the #2 ranked heavyweight ... and 31-year-old Gane #3.

So, not for an interim title in "The Predator's" mind ... but that doesn't mean Francis doesn't think it's a kickass matchup.

"I think it's a good fight. I like the fight. I like the styles. Opposite sides. It can be a fun fight."

Of course, "The Black Beast" has crazyyyy power (he's KO'd 20 MMA opponents) ...while Gane is an incredible athlete for a man his size, and has great fundamentals.

The winner will presumably face Ngannou sometime in the near future.

We asked Francis if he had a message for the rest of the division ... and he left us with this.

Kirk Cousins is getting cut -- not by the Minnesota Vikings, but his hometown hospital ... and it's all thanks to his stance against taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

Cousins is one of the most famous celebs out of Holland, Michigan ... becoming a high school superstar before taking his talents to Michigan State.

The 32-year-old signal-caller has served as a spokesperson for the Holland Hospital in the past ... but a spokesperson says they will be distancing themselves from Cousins for the time being.

"While we acknowledge that each person is entitled to their own viewpoints, those who speak on our behalf must support the messages that align with the hospital’s position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health," the statement said.

Remember, Cousins said he'll do everything in his power to stay healthy and safe during the NFL season ... that is, except getting the vaccination.

As a hospital, they saw no choice but to move on from Cousins, who is actively and openly refuting recommendations from leading medical experts and the CDC.

Holland Hospital was nice during the breakup, however, ... adding, "We are proud of our association with Kirk. He embodies many values we respect and share as a part of our work culture."

Worth noting -- while the NFL is implementing rules that push their players towards the vaccine, Cousin’s Vikings have among the lowest vaccination rate of any team in the league.

Barack Obama's 60th birthday may have gotten scaled back from a bash to a small shindig ... but it's still about as star-studded as it gets.

Several celebs still on the guest list have been making their way to the summer garden party at the former president's $12 million Martha's Vineyard mansion to celebrate B.O. turning the big 6-0 ... including a pair of powerhouse couples -- John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union ... this according to the New York Times.

Don Cheadle's also arrived, and huge names like Jay-Z and Beyonce, Eddie Vedder, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are all still expected to attend.

So who didn't make the scaled-down guest list? Many of Obama's former administration officials including David Axelrod, and many comedians like David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Larry David ... giving the latter a fantastic idea for a future episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Axelrod's the big surprise ... he engineered Obama's 2008 election victory.

As we reported ... Barack's 60th was scheduled to be a massive event, but the Obamas decided to scuttle the plan over COVID concerns with Delta surging.

Ever wanted Lionel Messi AND Cristiano Ronaldo's autographs on one item??

Well, you're in luck if you've got some serious cash laying around -- 'cause a card featuring the two soccer legend's signatures just hit the auction block ... and it's an INSANE piece!

The Leaf Superlative Sports "Superlative Trailblazers" card features a picture of Ronaldo on the top half, paired with a piece of one of his white Real Madrid jerseys and his slick blue signature.

On the bottom half, Messi's autograph is accompanied by a swatch of one of his sky-blue Barcelona kits.

In the bottom left corner, meanwhile, you can see the card is numbered "1/1" ... meaning it's the only one of its kind in existence!!

As for the back of the card, Leaf Trading Cards guaranteed its authenticity there with a huge "congratulations" note.

Bidding for the item at Goldin Auctions is set to end this weekend ... and our sources say the card could sell for around $20,000!!!

Not a bad price at all considering Messi's now moving on to a new team and cards with his Barcelona swag will become even rarer.

"We got options, options, options!!!"

That's Floyd Mayweather showin' off his INSANE car collection at his Las Vegas mansion ... a garage filled with 16 cars -- including 5 Rolls-Royces!!!

The undefeated boxer uploaded the video tour Friday ... saying he needed help picking a ride to drive over to his gentlemen's club, Girl Collection.

"I don't know what I wanna take out tonight," Mayweather says.

And, here's what's in his garage ...

5 Roll-Royces, 4 Ferraris, a Mercedes McLaren, a G-Wagon, a Bentley coupe -- plus the truck AND car version of the Lambo and Maybach!

"I got about 100 cars but right here -- we like to call this the Sweet Sixteen!"

He finally ended up picking the Maybach (the car version) to "make things nice and easy."

FYI, this Vegas mansion is gorgeous too ... he gave a tour last June, revealing his library-like closet filled with red bottoms to the indoor pool and spa.

Just another day of Mayweather reminding us how rich he is -- the guy just made $100M fighting Logan Paul in June ... and has generated $1.6 billion in revenue in his career.

Soccer power couple Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer are dunzo -- the ex-USWNT star just announced they are breaking up after 7 years together.

Leroux and Dwyer first went public in 2014 ... and got married in 2015. They have two children together -- 4-year-old Cassius Cruz Dwyer and 2-year-old Roux James.

"I have always been a transparent person," Leroux tweeted Friday. "With that, I would like to share that Dom and I are ending our marriage."

"My children have always been and always will be my first priority. I ask that you respect my family's privacy during this time. Thank you."

Leroux and Dwyer both played in Orlando ... and had a star-studded wedding, with basically every U.S. sports star you can imagine in attendance.

As we previously reported, Leroux even designed Dom's wedding band ... which was worth a whopping $20k!!!

31-year-old Leroux has been playing pro soccer since 2013 ... suiting up for the Boston Breakers, Seattle Reign, Western New York Flash, FC Kansas City and Orlando Pride.

U.S. wrestling star Gable Steveson just won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling with an AMAZING last-second (literally) score ... in one of the most improbable wins in wrestling history.

21-year-old Steveson -- wrestling in the 125 kg. (275 lb.) class -- is an absolute BEAST on the mat. He won the NCAA title this year at the University of Minnesota ... as well as the championship at the Pan American Games. Gable hasn't lost a single match in 2 years.

But, Steveson was down late in the gold medal match against 27-year-old, #1 seed Geno Petriashvili from Georgia (country) -- a wrestler who'd won the last 3 titles in the division -- trailing 8-7 with only seconds remaining.

That's when Steveson -- named after U.S. wrestling legend Dan Gable -- displayed his incredible explosiveness and tenacity ... turning the corner on Petriashvili, scoring a 2-point takedown with .1 SECOND LEFT IN THE MATCH!!

(Video of the full match here)

Winning the way Gable did is so implausible ... and if you don't believe it, take a look at the reaction of Steveson's family and friends.

UFC legend (and former Olympic wrestler) Daniel Cormier couldn't believe the buzzer-beater, tweeting ... Ok wow "@GableSteveson this literally was the craziest finish to a match ever! Congrats my brother!!! Olympic champion"

Don't find the wrestling impressive? Take a look at this 275+ pound man flipping after the dub.

O.J. Simpson says he had such a tough battle with COVID last year, he was worried he was going to die ... explaining the virus made it nearly impossible for him to catch his breath.

The former NFL superstar went in-depth with The Athletic about his 2020 battle with coronavirus ... saying things at one point got so dire, death crossed his mind.

"When I had COVID, I almost couldn't get out of bed," Simpson said in a lengthy interview. "I made it to my balcony, trying to breathe. I couldn't catch my breath."

Simpson said his symptoms were so bad, he actually spoke with his children about final arrangements.

"I felt vulnerable," 74-year-old Simpson said, "and for the first time thought I might be near the end."

Simpson was able to recover ... and said he's grateful for it, explaining he's loving his life out of prison in Las Vegas.

Simpson said he golfs "four or five days a week" now, and bragged about how he's still treated like a celebrity.

"People want to buy me drinks," he said. "I'm always taking pictures with people. Ladies hug me."

"People truly care for me," he continued. "You don’t know who truly cares about you until you've gone through some serious stuff, and I've gone through serious stuff."

"The media won’t say it, but that is my life. I'm living a good life now."

Simpson, though, did say his life now includes far less trips to Los Angeles.

He explained he's troubled by being in the city because he's concerned Nicole Brown Simpson's killer could still be there.

Simone Biles was treated like royalty after making her return from Tokyo ... with tons of fans lining up to get a glimpse of the Olympics superstar in Texas!!

24-year-old Biles touched down in Houston on Thursday ... and was immediately greeted by her biggest supporters at the airport, as well as her beloved French bulldog.

The party continued in parade form ... with the 4-time gold medalist cruising through the streets in a turquoise Range Rover convertible -- naturally, the fans went nuts.

USA Gymnastics teammate Jordan Chiles was also part of the festivities ... popping out of the sunroof of a minivan and giving all the fans a wave.

Once the hype settled down, Biles decided to check out Houston Texans training camp Friday ... of course, we're assuming her eyes were laser-focused on #36 -- her NFL player boyfriend, Jonathan Owens.

Owens previously talked about his boo at Texans practice ... saying he was proud of the way she handled herself and offered advice every day while she was in Japan.

Despite Simone's controversial time in Tokyo, the folks in the Houston area showed nothing but love for their local hero.

Derrick Lewis might hit like a ton of bricks, but UFC star Ciryl Gane says The Black Beast is NOT the most dangerous guy he's stepped in a cage with, telling TMZ Sports that honor belongs to Alexander Volkov.

We talked to 31-year-old Gane -- a perfect 9-0 in the cage (including 6-0 in the Octagon) -- about his UFC 265 main event fight with Lewis for the UFC's Interim Heavyweight Title ... and asked if this was the riskiest fight of his career.

"No, I don't think so. I think Volkov was more dangerous than him. Yeah, I think Volkov was more well-rounded at first, Volkov was taller, heavier, and more technical than him," Gane says.

If you're not familiar, 32-year-old Volkov is a problem in the Octagon. He's 6'7", and has has beat some of the best competition in MMA, from Alistair Overeem to Fabricio Werdum.

But, Lewis is also incredibly dangerous ... and has scary power. He's got 20 knockouts on his record ... and the last time he was in the Octagon, he put Curtis Blaydes to sleep.

Of course, a win would set Gane up for a scrap with Heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou ... but that fight will have to wait a few months 'cause Gane's expecting a baby!!

"I think I'm gonna rest a little bit. I don't know if you know, but I’m waiting for a second daughter."

Conor McGregor ain't letting gnarly leg surgery keep him away from a good meal ... the UFC star hit an L.A. hotspot for dinner Thursday night, and vowed to TMZ Sports afterward, he's on his way to a big recovery!

The 33-year-old -- who broke his leg during his fight with Dustin Poirier on July 10 -- was in great spirits while crutching around Craig's in West Hollywood.

You can see in the footage, he was moving pretty well despite having major surgery less than a month ago ... getting around a mob of people and into a car without much assistance at all.

As for the recovery the process, McGregor said it's all "doing good, doing good."

"Three weeks, three days -- it's been good," said Conor, who was feeling so well he even signed some autographs for fans. "It's been good."

McGregor also promised to make an epic comeback from the brutal leg procedure ... telling us, "It's going to be some recovery. It's going to be some recovery!"

As we previously reported, McGregor went under the knife for nearly 4 hours last month and needed a rod, plate and screws to fix the damage he suffered during his fight with Poirier.

But, McGregor has looked great in the days since the operation ... hanging with Justin Bieber, getting in lift sessions at the gym and now crushing some good food at one of L.A.'s best eateries.

Jake Paul vs. Manny Pacquiao is a fight you will NOT see ... 'cause the Filipino legend tells us he's laser-focused on bolstering his legacy -- and a fight with the YouTube star doesn't help.

... but he didn't slam the door on Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather II.

TMZ Sports talked to the 42-year-old boxing great while he was training at Wild Card Boxing in Los Angeles ... and we asked Manny if he had any interest in boxing Jake.

"No, I will not. I will not. I want to fight the best to add on to my legacy."

Of course, 24-year-old Paul -- who's fighting ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley later this month -- previously told us he had his sights set on ... the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, CANELO ALVAREZ.

But, Pacquiao ain't interested ... but Jake shouldn't take it as a shot at his skills in the squared circle.

"I’m not underestimating Paul, but he’s, he doesn’t have a lot of experience of boxing. So, in that point, he’s already, disadvantage for him to fight in boxing."

FYI, Manny -- who's coming off wins against stars Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman -- has a huge fight against 31-year-old boxing champ Errol Spence on August 21 ... and clearly isn't slowing down despite his advanced age for a fighter.

We asked Pacquiao if he wanted a rematch with Floyd Mayweather ... so he could avenge his 2015 loss against Money.

Manny says he's down to do it (even though Mayweather's retired) ... adding Floyd is invited to the Spence fight.

Vanessa Bryant has settled a lawsuit filed by her mother, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sofia Laine had claimed she worked as a nanny for Vanessa and Kobe for nearly 20 years and said she was owed $200,000 ... computed at a rate of $96 an hour.

She also claimed Kobe promised to take care of her for the rest of her life. She says after Kobe died, Vanessa kicked her out of the home Kobe had allegedly bought for her.

Vanessa called the lawsuit "frivolous, disgraceful and unimaginably hurtful." She went on ... "My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy."

As for getting money for working as a nanny, Vanessa said, "I have supported her for nearly 20 years, and was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny."

Vanessa went on ... "In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers," adding, "As of ten years ago, our kids were full-time students and athletes and I didn't have another child until 2016."

Khabib is breaking his silence on Conor McGregor's ugly comments about the undefeated fighter's deceased father ... saying "The Notorious" flat-out has a bad heart.

Nurmagomedov joined "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" (and Henry Cejudo) ... when the topic turned to McGregor's now-deleted Tweet about Khabib's late dad, Abdulmanap.

"When [Conor] talked about this, only evil can talk about your father, wife, kids, religion. If you’re normal human, you’re never going to talk about this stuff," Khabib told the combat legends.

"For me, I think he post this tweet while drunk too much or something. Then the next day, he always delete these tweets. When he become normal life he says, ‘Oh, look what I did.’ Then he delete. This is my opinion what he do all the time."

In case you missed it (Conor deleted the message not long after posting), McGregor tweeted ... “Covid is good and father is evil?”

That was presumably in response to Khabib tweeting "Good always defeats evil" after Dustin Poirier beat McGregor in their trilogy fight last month.

Nurmagomedov had more to say about Conor, digging into his past mistakes ... including when he socked a man in a Dublin bar for turning down a drink of his Proper 12 whiskey.

“When someone is not with us, he is not even alive, this shows you what you have inside, this shows, like, how dirty you are. When you are one of the best in the world, and you come and you punch someone like 70 years old, like an old man, this shows your heart."

Bottom line, Khabib says he doesn't understand why someone close to McGregor doesn't speak up ... and tell him he's out of line.

"When you have parents and you have kids, how can you show yourself like this? I don’t understand why [Conor's] close people don’t tell him, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’”

The Juventus FC Women's Twitter decided to send out a picture of a player wearing a cone on her head and making a wildly racist gesture on Thursday ... and now, the team is apologizing.

The Italian club's social media team kept the post live on their Twitter account for roughly 25 minutes before it got taken down ... but it received more than 7,500 negative replies before it was deleted.

The team released a statement on the disgusting tweet shortly after ... saying, "We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone."

"Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination. #DifferencesMakeTheDifference."

No word on why the team -- which was founded in 2017 -- decided to post a super racist pic out of the blue on a random Thursday ... but the screenshots will certainly last forever.

It's not the first time the club has been at the center of controversy -- back in 2019, men's player Moise Kean was on the receiving end of racist abuse from fans.

LeBron James is back on the movie scene -- this time, it's behind the camera ... producing a new flick about Native American basketball!!

SpringHill Company -- LBJ and Maverick Carter's production business -- will be teaming up with director Sydney Freeland to make the sports drama for Netflix called 'Rez Ball.'

The movie is about the Chuska Warriors -- a Native American high school basketball team in New Mexico that has to step it up to win a championship after losing their star players, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

FYI, Rez Ball is actually short for Reservation Basketball ... which is a different form of hoops that is played by Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico and other states.

No word on the casting but the filming will take place in NM and is scheduled to be released in 2022 or early 2023.

Freeland -- who is known for her 2014 film, "Drunktown's Finest" -- is stoked to work on this project ... saying, "basketball on the Rez is like high school football in West Texas."

"What we want to do is bring people into our world, to tell a story about the people and places we know, and what better way to do that than through a sports movie?"

"We are so excited with the team we’ve assembled and can’t wait to bring this to the screen.”

James just finished acting and co-producing 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' that blew up the box office, making $31.7 million opening weekend.