Conor McGregor Could Make $100 Mil for Khabib Fight ... Dana White Says
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.
Bottom line ... Conor ain't hurtin' for cash.
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Ben Affleck Completes 40-Day Rehab ... For Alcohol Addiction
Ben Affleck has completed a 40-day stay at a California rehab facility for alcohol addiction ... and is now in outpatient care.
Affleck posted a message Thursday, saying, "The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say. It's given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others."
TMZ broke the story ... Jennifer Garner staged an intervention at Ben's Pacific Palisades home back in August. Garner then drove Ben to a Malibu facility where he's been in treatment ever since, with occasional breaks for work and trips to his home gym.
Ben continues, "Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle ... As I've had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure."
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Harvey Weinstein Lead Detective Under Investigation ... for Witness Tampering
The NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office have launched a new investigation in the Harvey Weinstein case ... and the target is the lead police investigator ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us, the investigation centers around the case of Lucia Evans, who claims Weinstein forced her to engage in oral sex. The complaint against Weinstein alleges he grabbed the back of Evans' head and forced her mouth on his penis.
Our law enforcement sources say the witness -- a casting director -- says Evans told her she performed oral sex on Weinstein in order to get an acting role. Our sources say the lead investigator interviewed the witness who gave him a statement, but the investigator allegedly failed to disclose it to prosecutors.
Witness tampering generally requires some affirmative act to influence or pressure a witness ... but our law enforcement sources would not be more specific.
NYPD spokesperson Phil Walzak tells us, "The NYPD working with its partner DANY remains fully confident in the overall case it has pursued against Mr. Weinstein. The evidence shows that the criminal case against him is strong." The statement goes on ... "The NYPD will continue to assist the prosecution any way it can to ensure justice is achieved for these brave survivors."
The D.A. declined to comment.
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Martellus Bennett Hey, Kanye ... 'Don't Drag Kaep Into Your Sh*thole'
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?"
"You don't reach across the aisle to pick up sh*t. I hate picking up sh*t with my doggy bags."
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Stormy Daniels Fearing For My Safety ... No Selfies For You
Stormy Daniels is living in fear of Donald Trump supporters ... so much so, the ex-porn star is banning everyone from taking selfies with her at her book signing.
Stormy is signing copies of her book, "Full Disclosure," Thursday night at the Barnes & Noble at The Grove, and a selfie ban is in full effect.
Stormy's lawyer, Michael Avenatti, tells TMZ ... she will have her normal security detail, and the selfie ban was put in place because of safety concerns.
If you're dying for a pic with President Trump's nemesis, Barnes & Noble staffers will snap a photo with your phone ... but there will be a table between you and Stormy.
We're guessing Stormy was spooked by the FBI probe into possible police corruption in connection with her arrest at an Ohio strip club. We're told some of the officers were pro-Trump and it appeared to be a personal vendetta.
Remember, Stormy's book details her alleged sexual encounter with Trump ... and she also claims Ben Roethlisberger tried to kiss her the day after she banged DT.
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Suge Knight Sentencing Final Death Stare Before Prison
Suge Knight gave everyone in court -- including his victim's family members -- something to remember him by ... one last steely glare as he was officially sentenced to 28 years in prison.
The ex-music mogul was in the L.A. courtroom Thursday morning to hear Terry Carter's family read their victims impact statements. Suge sat quietly through the hearing, but when it was all said and done ... the judge gave him a few instructions and then it was time to say goodbye.
Before he was walked out in shackles, Suge turned to the gallery and stared for an uncomfortable number of seconds ... and then he was gone.
Knight will be held in L.A. County Jail until he's transported to a state prison. We don't know yet which one he'll be calling home.
TMZ broke the story ... Suge struck a plea deal last month with prosecutors, agreeing to a 28-year prison sentence, while getting credit for time served. Due to prison overcrowding, he could be out in a little more than 10 years.
He's been in jail awaiting trial for around 3 1/2 years ... ever since he was arrested in 2015 for fatally driving over Carter.
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C.J. Fuller Dead at 22 ... Suspected Seizure
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."
Originally Published -- 10/4/2018 5:50 AM PDT
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Rick Ross Declares Victory Over 50 Cent!!! 'In Da Club' Suit Tossed
Rick Ross can rap all he wants over 50 Cent's "In Da Club" and Fiddy can't do a damn thing about it ... according to the federal judge who just dismissed the case.
50 sued Rick, way back in 2015, for using the music from 'Club' on the mixtape, "Renzel Remixes." The rappers already had plenty of beef -- remember, 50 had to fork over $7 mil for posting Rick's baby mama's sex tape.
So, you can see why 50 Cent would be pissed about da Boss using his 2003 hit track.
However, Rick's attorney Leron Rogers says the judge in the case tossed the whole thing because, basically ... 50's got no dog in this fight.
The judge said Fiddy does not own the copyright or master recordings for the song. Those all belong to Shady/Aftermath Records, so it was dismissed without merit.
Score one for the remix ... and Rick.
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Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt Mischa's the Answer to Our Prayers!!!
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are huge fans of Mischa Barton ... 'cause they say it's basically divine intervention she's joining them on the reboot of "The Hills."
We got Heidi and Spencer shopping Thursday at Couture Kids on Robertson and asked them about their newest cast member ... and Spencer says he's been praying for Mischa's presence for a loooong time.
It's interesting ... Heidi and Spencer say they never crossed paths with Mischa on the Hollywood party circuit. So, they can't wait to get started working with her on "The Hills: New Beginnings."
As for Mischa ... we got her Wednesday at Craig's in WeHo and she looked thrilled to be crossing over into reality TV.
For those bashing Mischa's career path, save it -- Spencer ain't havin' it!
Just be ready for lots of references to her time starring on "The O.C."
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
The last time we heard from Mischa, she was being sued for crashing a U-Haul into a building ... so this seems like a better use of her time.
Here's to new beginnings.
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David & Victoria Beckham Sell Bev Hills Mansion ... For $33 Mil
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.
As for the buyer, no word yet -- but whoever it is ... RICH.
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'Ray Donovan' Actor Pooch Hall Arrested for DUI ... And Letting His 2-Year-Old Drive
"Ray Donovan" actor Marion "Pooch" Hall was arrested Wednesday night for DUI and felony child endangerment, after allegedly letting his 2-year-old son drive because he was too wasted to steer.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Hall, who plays Daryll, was driving in Burbank at around 7:30 PM when witnesses called 911 after seeing the toddler in his lap holding the steering wheel.
We're told the witnesses were horrified to watch the car veer off and smash into a parked car. Thankfully, there were no injuries. One eyewitness tells us he saw the child crying in the front seat. The eyewitness says he looked in the window and the car seat was just laying among the junk in the back seat. It was not installed.
We're told when police came they smelled a strong odor of alcohol and Hall could barely walk. His blood alcohol level ... .25 -- more than 3 times the legal limit.
Hall was cuffed and taken to jail, where he remains on $100,000 bail.
As for his son ... he was released into his wife's custody.
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Jennifer Garner Get Me Divorced, Now!!!
Jennifer Garner wants her never-ending divorce case over and done with ... so she's now filed legal docs to supercharge the process so she's a single woman by the end of the year ... TMZ has learned.
Garner is asking the judge in her divorce to have the case yanked from the court system and put in the hands of a private judge. The reason -- the courts often move at a glacial pace and Jen is out of patience. A private judge can accelerate the process and handle the final details quickly.
Our sources say Jen's goal is to have a final divorce decree by year's end. She filed for divorce in April of last year and the couple has been separated since June 2015.
We're told the major reason for the delay ... Ben's drinking. TMZ broke the story ... Jen did not want to set a custody agreement in stone until she knew Ben was sober, and he's been up and down for years, and that was the primary reason for the delay.
Now that Ben's out of rehab and sober again, we're told Jen thinks the time is right to formalize the divorce.
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Drake & Migos Cop is Soo Busted Taking Booty Pic!!!
A Houston cop working the Drake and Migos concert got caught in the act ... of snapping a cell phone pic of a woman's ass.
Little did the officer know another concertgoer was recording him during the show at Houston's Toyota Center -- and you can see him take the shot of the woman wearing a striped mini dress. Even worse for him ... moments later you can see the cop admiring the creepy shot on his phone.
Appropriately, you can hear Migos in the background performing "Slippery."
Houston PD is already taking action -- it's launched an internal investigation and adds, "The actions depicted on the video are not consistent with the expectations we have for our personnel."
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LeBron James Fortifies L.A. Mansion with Firepower ... After Burglary Plot
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.
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Bill & Hillary Pose with Lady Marmalade ... Take That Kavanaugh!!!
Talk about revenge courtesy of the Clintons -- the former POTUS and almost-POTUS met up with Christina Aguilera this week, which looked like a way better time than some folks are having in D.C. right now ... *cough* Brett Kavanaugh *cough*.
Bill and Hillary decided to catch Christina's show Wednesday night at Radio City Music Hall as part of her Liberation Tour and ended up getting a little meet-and-greet with CA herself backstage afterward. It's a good-looking trio, if we do say so ourselves.
When you're as famous as this couple is -- especially in NYC -- we imagine it ain't all that difficult to get a little VIP access every now and then. We know they tend to get special treatment when they hit the town together in the Big Apple ... even post 2016.
Can't blame 'em for enjoying themselves, especially after they're still getting dragged through the mud to this day. In case you missed it ... Judge Kavanaugh threw the Clintons under the bus during his boisterous opening statement last week while denying Dr. Ford's allegation, saying the entire episode was orchestrated as retaliation for them.
As for the show ... it looks like it was a sweet concert. Christina had Lil' Kim come on stage with her, and we're sure they did their usual numbers. Can't hold 'em down, those two ... Clintons neither.
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Cher Malibu Home was Loaded with Drugs ... Not Hers Though
Cher's home has been doubling as a drug den ... but apparently without her knowledge.
We broke the story ... Cher's Malibu mansion was swarmed by cops last Thursday and they executed a search warrant, which led to the arrest of Donovan Ruiz, the 23-year-old son of one of her assistants, who lives at her residence.
According to that search warrant -- obtained by TMZ -- cops found a plethora of narcotics and drug paraphernalia both on Ruiz and in his room ... along with boxes of .22 caliber bullets.
Cops searched Ruiz's pants and allegedly found 1.3 grams of fentanyl powder, a Xanax pill, an unknown white pill, tin foil and a pink straw with brown residue.
Ruiz's room was then searched, where cops say they found 16 yellow pills marked "215," 2 pink pills marked "K40," 3 Suboxone strips, 4 fentanyl patches, 2 boxes of .22 caliber ammunition and a Gucci box containing burnt foil and a straw.
The ammo is interesting because as we reported, cops called in paramedics during the search ... anticipating things might turn violent.
According to the docs, cops had reason to believe Ruiz was selling narcotics and sold heroin to a Ventura County resident in September who overdosed and died ... which is why they got the search warrant.
Ruiz was arrested on a felony charge for supplying narcotics to someone who dies.
Cher is on tour and was not home at the time of the arrest.