Play video contentExclusive TMZSports.com How the hell do you defend against those legendary Jon Jones elbow strikes? UFC star Dominick Reyes believes he’s got the answer — and he’s demonstrating his violent plan on one of our TMZ staffers! Of course, Dom and Jon Jones are set to do battle at UFC 247 in Houston on Saturday — in a fight for the UFC light heavyweight title. It’s the biggest fight of Dominick’s impressive career. And, since Jon Jones recently came into the office and taught our own Lucas the art of the elbow strike … we thought it would be a good idea to see if he could test out his skills on Dom! The good news … Reyes is ready and has a plan to keep Jon’s elbows out of his mouth by essentially beating him to the punch. “You gotta strike first,” Reyes said while demonstrating his counterattack … “It’s so simple, it just might work!” We also spoke with Reyes about why he’s 100% confident he’ll be the very first man to give Jones a legitimate L in the Octagon. “It’s just my time. Simple as that. I’ve worked my whole life for this.” Play video content TMZ.com Reyes says he’s played out the first a million times in his head and couldn’t be more ready. As for Jones, he’s the champ for a reason. This should be a GOOD fight. More

USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe shared how fighting for equal pay is more than just making sure women get paid better. With the chants of “Equal Pay” echoing through New York City as the US Women’s National Team celebrated their 2019 World Cup, Megan Rapinoe thought that US Soccer would finally relent and pay the women what they’re worth. “I really did, to be honest,” she said in a profile in Harper’s Bazaar. However, the soccer organization fought back in ways that were “cartoonishly misogynistic,” per Harper’s. That only emboldened Megan, 35, and the rest of the team, and she explained how this fight is more than just about bank accounts: it’s about perception. Money is the way our society shows people, especially in sports, how we value them,” she said. (Ryan McGinley) “We know exactly what’s in a contract every time a man signs it,” she tells Harper’s Bazaar. “We never know what women make. Why is it? Because they’re not something to be proud of. We need to change that narrative.” The USWNT is hopeful about negotiating a new fair collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires by the end of the year, per Harper’s, but the issue of back pay is still in question. U.S. Soccer claims it would bankrupt them to pay the team, but Megan doesn’t care. “I’m sorry that you practiced gender discrimination and didn’t budget that in,” she said. “But they’re going to need to reallocate.” U.S. Soccer was forced to recalibrate in March 2020 after the federation used sexist and demeaning language in a legal filing against the U.S. women’s lawsuit over equal pay. The organization argued that there was “indisputable ‘science’” that women lacked the “skill” of male players, and that “the job of a MNT player carries more responsibility within […] More

Bronny James and some of his fellow FaZe Clan members grace the cover of a new ‘Sports Illustrated’ issue that’s dedicated to e-sports and gaming. LeBron James is no longer the only member of his family to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated! The NBA star’s 16-year-old son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., is on the front of the magazine’s latest issue. Bronny landed on the cover due to his involvement with FaZe Clan, a professional e-sports organization. The teenager joined the organization in summer 2020, and appears on the cover alongside fellow FaZe Clan athlete, Kyler Murray, a 23-year-old football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. LeBron James’ son Bronny covers Sports Illustrated. (PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFERY A. SALTER/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED) In addition to the two athletes, three of FaZe Clan’s most popular gamers — Nickmercs, Swagg Rug and Temperr are also on the cover. While some members of FaZe Clan are involved in professional gaming tournaments, there are plenty of people who join for the “non competitive allures of sports and e-sports, like community, entertainment, personality and endless hours of digital and social content,” according to the SI article. Being in FaZe Clan allows athletes like Bronny and Kyle to have some legitimacy in the gaming world, while being able to further extend their brand to new audiences. Bronny James in ‘Sports Illustrated’. In the accompanying article, he talked about the growth of the FaZe Clan. (PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFERY A. SALTER/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED) The article accompanying Bronny’s Sports Illustrated cover explains the growth of FaZe Clan over the last ten years. The rising basketball star is far from the only athlete who’s involved in the group, either. Ben Simmons has been following FaZe Clan for more than a decade, and basketball stars like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns are both well-known athlete gamers. Bronny James looked poised and confident in his […] More

Kings Of Leon kicked off the 2021 NFL Draft to much controversy. Fans asked if it was ‘2008,’ while others were getting moody that the band ‘played too long’ and thus delayed the first pick. Tough crowd. Kings Of Leon opened the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland with a grand performance, but not everyone appreciated this throwback to the late aughts — or how long it took. While the Grammy-nominated band continues to put out new music — in fact, they just released a new album in 2021 — the four-member band made up of brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and cousin Matthew Followill is primarily known for their late-2000’s hits like “Use Somebody.” Ironically, which is what they performed at the draft, which is partially why fans thought the band was an odd choice for an event in which many college football stars (AKA, Gen Z athletes) are moving up to the NFL. “Kings of Leon performing “Use Somebody” at the #NFLDraft. Is it 2008?,” one fan asked on Twitter, while another viewer tweeted, “Kings of Leon kicking off tonight’s 2021 NFL draft coverage with their 2008 smash hit ‘Use Somebody’ is a perfect reminder of how in touch the league is with their fans.” Meanwhile, other fans didn’t take issue with who was on the NFL stage. They did take issue with the fact that the Kings Of Leon’s performance went past 8 p.m. ET — which is when the draft was scheduled to begin. “Less Kings of Leon, more draft picks, please,” ESPN reporter Courtney R. DraftScout tweeted, while others posted GIFs of Judge Judy impatiently tapping her wristwatch. About 20 or so minutes past 8 p.m., fans finally got to watch as the Jackson Jaguars, who had No. 1 pick in the draft, select Trevor Lawrence […] More

In this new ‘KUWTK’ clip, Kim Kardashian is left super disappointed after getting the results of her baby bar exam, which she spent six weeks cramming for. Kim Kardashian did not pass her first law school exam, the baby bar, which she took during summer 2020. In a preview for the May 27 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim revealed her unfortunate news to her sisters, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian. She earned a 474 on the test, but needed a 560 to pass. “If you do law school the way that I’m doing it, it’s a four year program instead of your typical three-year program,” Kim revealed. “After one year you have to take the baby bar. This one is actually harder, I hear, than the official bar. I spent six weeks straight, 10 to 12 hours a day, studying. It was so important for me to take this and to not pass….it gets your spirits down and makes you want to give up.” Kim Kardashian out and about in a yellow dress. (SplashNews) Kourtney and Khloe offered their sister some encouragement, and assured her that their late father, who was a lawyer would be “really proud” of Kim for even getting this far. “What pisses me off is the fact that I spent all that time away from my kids,” Kim explained. “I can’t do it again. I don’t have time to do the next test. It’s in November.” The KUWTK clip was filmed in mid-October, so there wasn’t much time for Kim to make her decision about whether or not she wanted to sign up for the test again. “I’m filming the end of our show, which is so emotional,” she said. “I have every birthday under the sun. It’s my 40th birthday and I planned this whole trip. […] More