TMZ Sports - Page 50

Giga Chikadze is the #8 ranked UFC featherweight, but believes he'll have a "C" for champ next to his name very soon, 'cause once he beats Calvin Kattar Saturday night, he says he absolutely deserves a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.

... and he tells TMZ Sports that matchup would be a very one-sided affair.

We talked to the 33-year-old, 14-2 (undefeated in the UFC) fighter from Georgia (country) just days before his UFC Fight Night main event scrap with #5 ranked Kattar -- a fight he's favored to win (-235).

"I'm super excited, man. I've been asking for top 5 opponents since I got in the UFC. I was telling them, warning them that I'm ready for it. And finally, I got the opponent, and I'm very happy that my opponent is from a top 5 ranking," Giga told us.

We asked him if a win against Calvin should set him up for a title shot ... and there was zero hesitation.

"Absolutely. When I beat Calvin Kattar, it doesn't matter if it happens in 2 months, 3 months," Chikadze says, adding "I deserve a shot."

FYI, Alex is fighting Korean Zombie at UFC 273 in April.

It's an interesting matchup. The men have different bodies -- Giga is tall (6') and long, meanwhile, Alex is short (5'6") and stocky -- and fighting styles.

"[Volkanovski] has nothing against me. Nothing. I've been facing the short guys like him for all my whole life and making my living knocking these types of guys out," Giga says.

"There is no chance he can stand in front of me. He can't even catch me. Can't even touch me. I'm so giant for him, it'll be like David vs. Goliath but in a better way."

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Junior Siavii was found dead in a Kansas prison on Thursday as he was awaiting trial ... officials said Friday.

He was 43 years old.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told the Kansas City Star that Siavii was discovered unresponsive at a federal prison in Leavenworth on Thursday afternoon.

The spokesperson said Siavii was taken to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Further details surrounding the death are unclear ... though The Star did report that the spokesperson said no other staffers or inmates were injured.

Siavii -- real name Saousoalii Siavii -- was being held at the prison after he was hit with multiple criminal charges in 2019.

Federal prosecutors say the former football player was a part of a large conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They also allege, among other things, that he illegally had firearms on his person during a wild arrest back in August 2019.

Siavii was picked in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Oregon by the Kansas City Chiefs ... and he later went on to play in 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

He spent one season with the Seahawks in 2010, before his career NFL ended in 2011.

Cops say WWE legend Tammy Sytch -- aka Sunny -- allegedly threatened to kill her "intimate partner" with a pair of scissors before she was arrested on Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

In new court documents, law enforcement officers in New Jersey say Sytch was involved in a domestic dispute with a man that could have turned fatal.

Details of how the alleged altercation began are unclear ... but in the docs, officers say Sytch raised a pair of scissors "in the air towards the victim" and threatened to kill him.

Cops say that an officer witnessed the incident ... and added that Sytch "appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol" during the altercation.

The alleged victim suffered no injuries, cops added.

Sytch was ultimately arrested ... and court records show she was booked on three criminal charges -- including possessing a weapon for unlawful purpose, and terroristic threats. Jail records show she's still in custody.

Braxton Berrios' Mexican vacation just got a whole lot better (yeah, somehow that's possible!) -- the Jets receiver just learned he was named to this year's NFL All-Pro team, and his GF said he was "in shock" over the news.

The New York star is down in Cabo with his model girlfriend, Sophia Culpo, and on Friday morning, the two got the news that he was selected as this year's All-Pro kick returner.

FYI -- it's a big deal, being an All-Pro means you were the best at your position, regardless of conference.

Culpo captured video of Berrios just minutes after the honors were announced ... and you can see in the short clip, the dude is clearly on Cloud 9.

"I think someone is in shock," Culpo said as Berrios smiled ear-to-ear.

Berrios, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2018, had a breakout season this year -- scoring five total TDs and averaging 30.4 yards per kick return.

Dude couldn't be in a better place to celebrate too ... it's 83 degrees there, and he's clearly got some excellent company to party with.

Jake and Logan Paul were money-making machines in 2021 ... with the YouTube superstars-turned-boxers reportedly raking in a combined $63 MILLION over the past year.

Forbes just released its list of highest-paid influencers on the social media platform on Friday ... with the Problem Child coming in at #2 with an astonishing $45 million estimated in earnings.

The outlet reports about $40 million of that moolah came via the boxing ring -- with Jake beating up on Ben Askren in April and Tyron Woodley in August and December.

Whether Jake is considered a "real" boxer or not, the serious money he's pocketing is not up for debate -- his income in 2021 would have put him among the top-earning athletes last year ... making more than Canelo Alvarez, who reportedly brought in $34 million.

As for Logan -- who came in at #8 on Forbes' YouTube list -- he reportedly made $18 million in 2021 ... large in part to his fight with Floyd Mayweather, his "Impaulsive" podcast, and other business opportunities.

Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died by suicide, officials in Texas announced this week.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner revealed the ruling on the manner on Thursday, TMZ Sports has confirmed, adding that the cause was a gunshot wound.

Ramirez was just 28 years old.

"The loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived," Ramirez's family said in a statement following the release of the tragic news. "Unfortunately, we sometimes don't see the signs. Struggling in silence is not OK."

"It is our commitment to honor our son's life by helping other families. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child. We are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support."

The family continued, "Our son felt loved by all of you. Thank you to our family, friends and everyone else far and near for the outpouring of love and support. God bless you! Rays Up in Heaven."

The Rays announced Ramirez's death on Tuesday -- and many Tampa Bay players, both past and present, mourned the tragedy ... with former Cy Young winner Blake Snell saying, "Man this one hurts."

Ramirez -- who was drafted by the Rays in 2016 -- joined the team as its bullpen catcher in 2019. He had said his goal was to move up in the ranks and perhaps one day manage a roster in The Show.

Maryland men's basketball assistant coach Bruce Shingler has been suspended ... after he was arrested in October for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

The University announced the punishment this week ... hitting the 40-year-old with a 30-day ban. In a statement, the school said Shingler had been barred "for a violation of his employment agreement."

The suspension comes just three months after Shingler was arrested in Prince George's County ... where cops say he tried to pay an undercover officer $80 in exchange for sex.

In court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say Shingler responded to a "women seeking men" ad posted by an undercover cop on a website police say is known to be used for prostitution.

Cops say Shingler eventually agreed to meet up at a local hotel and tried to exchange the cash for sex. Authorities say in the docs that once he handed over the money, he was arrested.

Court records show Shingler has since been hit with two charges of soliciting a prostitute.

Maryland interim head coach Danny Manning did not want to comment on the situation beyond the school's statement following the team's win over Northwestern earlier this week.

"Our athletic department will handle everything from there," Manning said.

Scary moment for professional skier George McQuinn who was knocked unconscious after a brutal crash during the FIS Freestyle World Cup event in Deer Valley Utah on Thursday.

But thankfully, he's okay.

The terrifying incident was caught on video ... showing the Team USA skier taking a nasty spill on the last jump of the course, smacking the back of his head as he took off.

McQuinn is immediately knocked out cold from the blow to his head, and you see his body go limp, as he then slides down the mountain, face first.

Medical professionals quickly jumped into action and removed McQuinn on a backboard from the course. Thankfully, officials announced shortly after the crash that he'd regained consciousness.

Later that night, McQuinn let his fans know that he was okay after the "gnarly crash" -- posting video of the incident on his IG and a photo of his facial injuries with a thumbs up.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is gushing over her boyfriend Cordae's new album ... praising the rapper for all the hard work he put into it in a mushy message of support.

24-year-old Cordae's sophomore project, "From a Birds Eye View," officially dropped with an album release party featuring Dave Chappelle on Thursday ... and the #14 player in the world made sure to show love on his big day.

"Getting closer to someone and seeing how much love and dedication they put into their craft is truly inspiring," Osaka said on Instagram.

"Makes you feel like some people are born to do certain things, @cordae you're a star and a light, quite literally brighten up every room you walk in (or maybe it's your hair lol)."

"Congratulations on your 2nd album, proud of you ❤️"

NO and Cordae have been dating since early 2019 ... and the Maryland MC has made several appearances cheering on his girl at tournaments over the years.

As for Cordae's album, it's getting a lot of positive reviews already ... which is pretty much expected, as he's one of the most promising talents in the industry.

Novak Djokovic's participation in this year's Australian Open is in jeopardy once again ... officials have canceled his visa for a second time, and he's now facing deportation.

Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke made the ruling early Friday morning ... revoking the 34-year-old's visa just days after a judge had allowed the tennis star to go free in the country.

In announcing his decision, Hawke explained pulling Djokovic was in the best for "public interest" ... due to the athlete's COVID-19 vaccination status and controversial claims to a vaccine exemption.

"In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic," Hawke said.

"The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Djokovic has already started the process of an appeal -- and it's possible he could play in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday while the arguments play out in court.

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, meanwhile, backed Hawke's decision Friday ... writing in a statement, "Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected."

"This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today."

If ultimately deported, Djokovic could face a 3-year ban from the country.

Make sure you take your seats early when Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane step in the Octagon on January 22 ... 'cause The Predator tells TMZ Sports he's putting the undefeated UFC fighter down inside 2 rounds!!

We recently talked to the 35-year-old heavyweight champ before his title unification bout with 31-year-old Gane ... and Francis made it clear he doesn't see the fight lasting very long.

"The knockout doesn't come when I search it, so I won't be searching for the knockout, but I don't see how we will end this fight without me knocking him out, maybe under 2 rounds," Ngannou says.

If you haven't seen Gane fight ... he's only been training for a few years. He's 10-0 ... and is the best moving heavyweight in the UFC.

To make the matchup even more interesting, Francis and Ciryl briefly (less than 10 times, per FN) trained together in France, but ain't exactly best friends these days.

It's not that Francis doesn't respect Ciryl ... 'cause he does. But, he believes his power will be too much for the smaller fighter to endure.

"Once again, this is the fighting business. This is not karate s**t, it's all about fighting and how to knock somebody out or take somebody out," Francis says.

Despite the bold prediction from the champ, Gane -- coming off wins over Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov -- is actually the slight favorite at most sportsbooks.

Olivia Culpo had to throw on her BF Christian McCaffrey's hoodie before her flight to Cabo ... and it wasn't due to cold weather -- it's because the airline told the 2012 Miss Universe she was showing too much skin.

OC's sister, Aurora, documented the whole debacle on Thursday ... showing Olivia in an all-black outfit with biker shorts, a crop top and a long cardigan.

Aurora says OC was called up to the front desk at their gate before boarding ... and one of the American Airlines workers told her she needed a blouse in order to get on the flight.

What's interesting -- the Culpo sisters point out another passenger who was also wearing a crop top, yet that lady wasn't told to cover up.

Luckily for Olivia, she didn't have to run to a nearby souvenir shop to fix the situation -- her NFL superstar boo offered up his comfy hoodie ... which led to a pretty cold and uncomfortable ride for him up in the air.

To make the whole situation even more inconvenient, the group's flight was delayed a bit ... but eventually, they made it up in the sky.

Antonio Brown seems to be calling B.S. on the report that he hooked up with an OnlyFans model prior to the Jets game earlier this month.

Brown was doing a recent sitdown interview with Fashion Nova ... when he seemed to shoot down the rumor that he had sex with Ava Louise in his hotel room the night before his meltdown at MetLife Stadium.

During a questionnaire with the former Buccaneers star, the reporter asked, "What's the craziest rumor you've heard about yourself?"

AB didn't take too long to find an answer, saying, "Yeah, I heard something like some OnlyFans girl said, like, she got down with me."

"I'm just saying, like, that was crazy."

If you're unfamiliar, Louise -- a social media star with hundreds of thousands of followers -- said last week that Brown snuck her into Tampa Bay's team hotel in New Jersey the day before the Bucs played the Jets.

Louise said the two had sex, claiming at one point during the interaction, Brown asked her to film it.

Louise said she did not spend the night, and claims she went public with the story because she thinks it all could have played a part in the Brown blowup that happened the following day.

Brown didn't specifically name Louise in his Fashion Nova interview, but he appeared to be talking about the model in his answer nonetheless ... saying, "She ain't got no video, my G. No video."

As we reported, Brown was booted from the Bucs roster after his shirtless exit from MetLife Stadium. He's since said he's regretted at least part of his tantrum, telling paps this week it wasn't professional.

Rob Gronkowski ain't just worried about the Eagles this week ... he's got dogs on his mind too -- 'cause his adorable pup, Ralphie, is sick.

The Buccaneers tight end and his girlfriend, Camille Kostek, shared the news on social media Wednesday -- just days before Tampa's playoff game against Philadelphia -- explaining poor Ralphie has some kind of lung infection that's been keeping him up at night.

Kostek revealed she and Gronk took the fur baby to the vet this week ... after the dog had been breathing abnormally, not sleeping and not eating.

"He was waking up pretty much every hour on the hour, having some kind of wheezing fits," Kostek said. "His regular breathing is off. He's been super uncomfortable."

Thankfully, Kostek said the issue does not appear to be too serious -- with the vet prescribing some meds after discovering a lung issue.

Kostek said she's hoping Ralphie is better in a few days.

She and Gronk, meanwhile, have been firing up the steam room for their dog with the hope that it helps the animal breathe better too.

Wowzers.

Logan Paul just found out that his unopened set of first edition Pokémon cards -- which he shelled out $3.5 MILLION to get -- is a big, fat phony ... revealing the box was full of useless G.I. Joe cards.

Rumors had been swirling about LP's purchase for weeks ... with experts skeptical about the authenticity of the cards inside the box.

26-year-old Paul and his friend/famous card collector Bolillo Lajan San met with the Baseball Card Exchange in Chicago in hopes of proving once and for all that his purchase was a good investment ... but instead, he got some REALLY bad news.

While the outside packaging appeared to be legit, it was once the box was opened that Paul and the gang realized that they'd been scammed.

"Oh my God, bro," Paul yelled as the first box was opened. "G.I. JOE?? G.I. JOE?!?! It could have been anything else."

One of the authenticators said it best ... adding, "This is the biggest fraud in the entire history of Pokémon."

It's a beyond heartbreaking loss for Paul -- had the cards been real, he could have made a fortune on what was inside the box.

"I'm a super positive person, bro," Logan said. "And, I'll always be the one to look at the bright side, and I am trying, but this is very hard."

On the bright side, Paul still has a first edition "Shadowless" Charizard card -- which he claims is now worth more than a million -- as well as 5 other packs of first edition Pokémon cards.

"It's sad for the Pokémon community, like, how many fraudulent things are out there?" he added. "I'm grateful for the things that I have that are real now. Like, I'm picturing my Charizard in my head like, "Oh my god, holy s***, something real, something worth a lot of money that is real!"

Ex-NFL linebacker D.J. Williams is opening up about his time with the Denver Broncos and Josh McDaniels ... saying the only reason they were successful is because they were cheating.

Williams made the controversial statement during an interview on the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast with former NFL players Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, and LeSean McCoy ... saying the Broncos' hot start in 2009 wasn't as dominant as it looked on paper.

In the clip, Williams says he was never more prepared for a football game than during the time he played for McDaniels ... and as he continued talking, he alluded to the main reason why they were so on-point.

"Josh would lay out keys to victory on how we win the game," Williams said. "Every time we did exactly what he said, we won."

Williams said the team executed McDaniels' "strategies" to a T -- and they worked, as the Broncos started off 6-0 that season.

But, the wins weren't piling up because of McDaniels' predictive game-planning ... as Williams claims, there was some constant rule-breaking going on.

"We did that for six weeks. We get to San Francisco and we end up losing. We was supposed to beat San Francisco."

"Our film guy got caught because we had to share a stadium [in London]. Our film guy got caught filming their practice."

McDaniels was later fined $50,000 for failing to report the violation to the league ... and was eventually fired the next season after a poor start.

Of course, McDaniels is no stranger to controversy -- the current Patriots offensive coordinator was in the same role on Bill Belichick's staff when the org. got busted for "Spygate" in 2007.

D.J. firmly believes that the Broncos were only winning games thanks to what he calls "Junior Spygate" ... citing that after their camera guy got fired, they lost 6 of their last 8 games.

"We was having breakfast, like, 'Damn, we not that good.'"

"We was cheating!!!"