TMZ Sports - Page 18

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua is actually real -- the fight is set to go down in a matter of weeks!!

After his matchup with Gervonta Davis was scrapped, El Gallo will now face the former heavyweight champion in a professional bout on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami ... and Netflix will be streaming the whole thing.

Joshua is by far Paul's biggest challenge to date -- he's not in his 50s (he's 36), he's not a former MMA fighter, and he's not washed.

Hey Mavs, TMZ Sports just found your next general manager -- METTA WORLD PEACE!!!

We spoke with the former NBA star this week ... days after the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, who was responsible for one of the worst trades in NBA history -- Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

We started the conversation by asking for Metta's reaction to the firing ... but he caught us off-guard when he said he wanted to take Harrison's job!!

Some of the biggest celebs out there really give 110% to their projects ... can you guess who this hard-working actor is?

We caught up with this guy while he was signing autographs for a bunch of his adoring fans in New York City, and he dished about linking up with Patrick Mahomes' coach while preparing to star in a show about a football player ... any guess which "Powers"-ful character it is?

New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd is clinging to life after being shot in New York City early Sunday.

The NYPD says the gunfire erupted around 2 AM just blocks from Times Square. When officers arrived, they found the 29-year-old cornerback collapsed on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Paramedics rushed Boyd to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to law enforcement.

The Jets acknowledged the incident, saying only ... "We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time."

Dillon Danis just got himself blacklisted from the UFC ... because Dana White says the fighter is banned forever after igniting a wild brawl cageside at UFC 322.

The chaos exploded Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden in NYC ... moments before the main card kicked off when Danis got into it with several members of Islam Makhachev's squad.

Videos captured the scene ... showing Danis mixing it up with Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Magomed Zaynukov as security rushed in to break things up.

Dana addressed the melee during the post-fight presser and didn't mince words ... telling reporters he won't press charges, but Danis will never step foot at another UFC event again.

"I was on the other side of the Octagon and go, 'F---, I know exactly what this is,'" White said. "You will never see Dillon Danis at a UFC fight ever again."

Danis, of course, isn't a stranger to Nurmagomedov drama. He was in Conor McGregor's corner during their infamous 2018 title fight in Las Vegas ... the same night Khabib Nurmagomedov choked out McGregor and then leapt out of the cage to attack Conor's corner.

Stefon Diggs is going after a social media star who accused him of drugging, sexually assaulting and later conspiring to kill him ... with the NFL star calling the claims pure fiction!!

The lawsuit, which TMZ Sports obtained, was filed by 31-year-old Diggs on October 1 ... with the Patriots star wideout accusing "would-be social media influencer" Christopher Blake Griffith of concocting a lurid story about him, stemming from an alleged incident at Stefon's Rockville, Maryland home in May 2023.

Diggs says he, along with Griffith and other influencers, hit up a local club after a charity basketball game in Washington, D.C., before later returning to Stefon's home. The Pats receiver says he then went to his bedroom, while his assistant asked Griffith to leave, capping a fairly mundane night.

It's safe to say Kevin Love is a future Hall of Famer ... and when that day comes, the NBA star tells TMZ Sports he would be honored to get the recognition "as a Cavalier."

We caught up with the 2016 champion and five-time All-Star this week ... and talked all about his NBA present and future, legacy in Cleveland, recent Instagram antics and partnering up with Shift Naturals, a lineup of non-alcoholic products to help folks unwind after a long day.

At 37 years old, the Utah Jazz forward said he's started to think about what retirement life would be like ... but as of right now, he's open to playing a few more seasons.

The NY Giants need franchise QB Jaxson Dart on the football field ... and that's why former star running back Brandon Jacobs is imploring the young player to SLIDE!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the two-time Super Bowl winner earlier this week after Dart took another hard hit during Big Blue's November 9th game against the Chicago Bears, forcing him out of the game with a concussion.

It was the fourth time Dart was forced into the infamous blue medical tent ... and while Jacobs loves JD's mobility and playmaking ability, he's pleading with the rookie to learn how to avoid big hits.

Kenny Easley -- a longtime safety with the Seattle Seahawks -- has died, the team confirmed Saturday morning.

The team said Kenny lived up to the values of his team through "his leadership, intensity, and fearlessness" in a post uploaded to X. The Seahawks expressed condolences to his wife and three children in the post. His cause of death is not yet public knowledge.

Easley was drafted by the Seahawks with the fourth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft after playing college ball at UCLA

UFC 322 is a kick-ass card from top to bottom, and TMZ Sports is breaking it down with the man in charge, Dana White!

"Islam [Makhachev] is on a 15-fight win streak, and Jack [Della Maddalena] is on an 18-fight win streak. These guys haven't lost a fight in years," the UFC president and CEO told Babcock, setting up the main event.

"Jack bursts onto the scene, coming off the Contender Series. Goes all the way up and beats Belal Muhammad, which is not easy to do. He just beat Belal. Now, if he can beat Islam. Jack Della Maddalena is a bad dude."

Bill Belichick's been a regular in the headlines ever since his relationship with Jordon Hudson became public ... and his former player Asante Samuel tells TMZ Sports the irony is not lost on him.

Samuel was having some fun at his old coach's expense when he chopped it up with us this week ... saying while BB had to change his ways to conform to the college game at UNC, his off-the-field life has changed, too.

"Coach is being a hypocrite, man," he said. "He's been a hypocrite the way he's carrying on. He told us to stay off and don't have family distractions and things like that."

Chris Eubank Jr. isn’t sugarcoating a thing -- there's REAL bad blood heading into his rematch with Conor Benn ... telling TMZ Sports he straight-up doesn't respect the guy.

The sequel to Eubank Jr. vs. Benn is slated for November 15 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK -- a must-watch for any boxing fan, but especially if they tuned in to the first fight on April 26.

Eubank Jr. (35-3) guarantees Part Two will be better ... 'cause he's promising to take his opponent out in "devastating fashion."

"I spoke to [President Trump] about it. He said he'd put in a good word for me, and I think that will probably go a long way."

That's what Bo Nickal told TMZ Sports this week -- just days before the UFC star is set to return to the Octagon following his first defeat in an otherwise blemish-free MMA career -- when asked about next year's highly anticipated fights at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"I would love to be on that card. It would be a big honor for me. Something that would be very special," the 29-year-old told us, adding, "take care of business, one thing at a time, but it's looking good for the White House card."

5:15 PM PT -- Patrick Beverley has spoken out since news broke of his arrest, saying via social media ... "Please don’t believe everything you see on the internet. Hope all is well LUV."

Letitia Quinones-Hollins, attorney for Patrick, tells TMZ in a statement ... "Patrick Beverley has no criminal record. He cares deeply about his little sister – a young lady, a minor. Given that, when he unexpectedly found her alone in the home with an 18-year-old man in the middle of the night, he was understandably concerned, as any brother would be about his sister. However, we don’t believe what followed happened the way it’s been described and we look forward to the opportunity to address that in court."

Ex-NBA player Patrick Beverly has been arrested in Texas for felony assault, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 6'2" point guard was taken into custody on Friday at the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office in Richmond, Texas.

According to jail records, the charge against Beverley is Assault on a Family Member/Household Member Impeding Breath or Circulation. It's listed as a third-degree felony.

TMZ Sports is going live from the newsroom to discuss the day's biggest stories ... but we don't just want folks to watch and enjoy the conversation, we want y'all to get involved!!

Hit the comment section as Babcock, Lucas, Mojo, Luca and the whole crew break down the most important topics of the day ... and we'll be interacting with viewers throughout the program between 1 and 2 PM PT.

So tune in, make fun of us, share your two cents, sound off about your favorite team ... nothing is out of bounds.

4:14 PM PT -- Tammeil Gilkerson, chancellor of the Peralta Community College District, said in a statement to TMZ ... "There are no real words to express my profound sorrow, but it is only softened by the tremendous gratitude I feel for the opportunity I had to work alongside him. John made me laugh, infuriated me on some days, elevated my thinking, and constantly challenged me to be better for Peralta and for Oakland. I am keeping John's family, loved ones, and all of you in my thoughts and prayers."

"Last Chance U" star John Beam -- a longtime football coach who dedicated his life to helping the youth through sports -- has passed away at 66 years old after being shot on campus, Oakland P.D. confirmed on Friday.

As we previously reported, gunfire broke out on the Laney College campus on Thursday -- details surrounding the shooting were not revealed at the time ... but local outlets confirmed Beam was struck and taken to a nearby hospital.

In a press conference, Oakland PD stated Beam died Friday morning due to the injuries he suffered ... and stated it was "a very targeted situation."