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Simone Biles triggered a massive conversation about the pressure cooker they call the Olympics, and the Britney freedom train is pickin' up steam. So, we gotta ask ...

🚨🚨 MAJOR BEEF ALERT 🚨🚨

A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull -- Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix finalists -- do NOT like each other, and it all goes back to ... an autograph?!

"I actually asked [Pitbull] to sign a newspaper," A.J. tells TMZ Sports.

But, instead of just signing the paper ... Pitbull had other ideas, and McKee is PISSED.

"He done crossed my whole face out, picture out. So, I'm f****** him up for that like. Like I lost a lot of respect for him because of that."

And, McKee says he thinks Pitbull's shook.

"I'm in his head so f*****g heavy!"

A.J. and Patricio are the last 2 men standing in a tournament that started with 16 of the best 145-pound fighters in Bellator.

McKee has never lost ... winning all 17 of his Bellator fights -- many of them with ease.

Meanwhile, Pitbull is a legend. He's 32-4 and has wins over Michael Chandler and Juan Archuleta -- to name a few. Patricio is also a double champ ... holding the 145 and 155 lb. titles.

The featherweight title's on the line, but arguably more important is the million-dollar prize!!

We asked McKee what he was gonna do with the cash ... and let's just say this isn't the 1st time he's thought about the 7-figure check being deposited in his bank account.

"Oh, I spent it already bro. It’s spent already. I’m paying off my dad's house. I'm buying a [Porsche] GT 2RS. I need a Porsche in my driveway, man."

FYI, A.J.'s dad is Antonio McKee -- a veteran MMA fighter.

The championship fight goes down Saturday night ... personal beef, a title, and a million dollars are all that's on the line.

Country star Jake Owen is going to have to hit pause on celebrating the success of his hit song, "Made For You" ... he's being sued for allegedly stealing it.

Alexander Cardinale and Morgan Reid filed legal docs in Nashville claiming Jake's version lifts the lyrics and melody directly from their 2014 track with the same title.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Cardinale and Reid claim their song and Jake's are strikingly similar. They claim the "notes, structure, harmony, vocal style and rhythm are clear indicators" Jake's song copied their track.

Cardinale and Reid say they released their version on Cardinale's album "Digital Youth" with Hashtag Records. It instantly found success ... so much so, the single was used for a Coca-Cola commercial.

What's more ... Cardinale and Reid say the soda giant chose the record in 2016 as its multi-national "Share a Coke and a Song" ad campaign. They say the hook and title appeared on more than 250 million bottles of Coke, which provided QR codes on the bottles linking consumers to the OG song.

The plaintiffs say the track was re-released worldwide ... to critical acclaim. But, when Jake released his version in 2019, Cardinale and Reid say they instantly recognized the similarities.

Jake would eventually play the tune live on "The Bachelorette" in 2019 and, earlier this year, the country star's version became his third No. 1 hit off his "Greetings from ... Jake" album.

Carole Baskin doesn't like the fact Joe Exotic could potentially get out of prison early, but she says there's something he could do that WOULD warrant an early release -- snitch!!!

We got Carole this week on Capitol Hill and asked about Joe having his 22-year sentence in his murder-for-hire conviction vacated because of trial error.

As we reported ... Exotic's original sentence is being tossed, and the case is getting sent back to a lower court, where he'll likely receive a shorter sentence in the range of 17-21 years. His original sentence was 22 years behind bars.

The 'Tiger King' star says Joe belongs in prison, but if he really wants to get out early, Carole thinks he should rat out anyone who allegedly conspired with him to put a hit out on her.

As we first told you ... Joe's super optimistic about going home earlier than expected, and he's confident his lawyers will prove his innocence once and for all.

Carole seems to think Joe could get a very light sentence if he snitches, but doubts he will pull a Tekashi69.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Hugh Jackman have you feeling overwhelmed! Take a deep breath before looking around these two photos and see if you can spot any of the sneaky switches that were made to trick ya!

The actor was seen greeting fans just before a late-night show appearance in New York City just last week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Use your detective skills to see if you can find the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Going for gold isn't always pretty and these Olympic athletes are clearly focused on keeping their head in the game ...  and not on how they look in pictures.

There is plenty of determination to be seen at this year's Olympic games, and we're sharing some of the best freeze frame photos from this past week's events.

From athletes such as Russia's Artur Dalaloyan -- Gymnastics and Japan's Mai Murakami -- Gymnastics to Argentina's Victoria Sauze Valdez -- Field Hockey and Great Britain's Andy Murray -- Tennis ... The commitment is crystal clear in these snapshots!

Take a look at all the other athletes making waves as they go for gold by scrolling through our gallery of these iconic faces ... See other stars such as USA's MyKayla Skinner -- Gymnastics, Serbia's Novak Djokovic -- Tennis, USA's Lilly King -- Swimming, and Japan's Naomi Osaka -- Tennis.

Dr. Alex Khadavi -- the famous cosmetic dermatologist whose homophobic rant was caught on camera -- has been arrested ... just hours after cops swarmed his home.

Deputies from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department hit Khadavi's condo in West Hollywood Friday, but the Dr. was never spotted in cuffs. It's unclear if he turned himself in or was arrested at another location, but nonetheless, he was booked for felony criminal threats.

TMZ broke the story ... Khadavi's homophobic tirade on July 7 included him threatening to "blow their f***ing heads off" at his condo's complex in WeHo. The video, obtained by TMZ, showed him approaching the front desk concierge in a hostile manner and talking smack about people who live in the building. He referred to them with the homophobic f-word.

He threatened to shoot and kill them ... before taking his dog outside. When he returned, his outburst continued in the lobby ... yelling at the front desk attendant.

As we reported ... it was one of Khadavi's neighbors -- a gay man himself -- who filed a restraining order against the doc for himself and his husband. According to the docs ... the neighbor claimed the concierge specifically asked about him and his husband while allegedly threatening to kill gay people.

Some of Khadavi's famous celeb clients over the years have included Scott Disick and Lance Bass.

Biz Markie is getting a grand sendoff from his famous friends and family ... his celebration of life is set for Monday in New York City.

Sources tell TMZ ... Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and celebs like Fat Joe, LL Cool J, Papoose, Big Daddy Kane, Al B. Sure! and Leland Robinson will be front and center to pay their respects to the trailblazing rapper.

It sounds like Biz will have an open casket ... we're told he will be dressed in a custom outfit designed by Harlem fashion icon Dapper Dan. Biz, of course, was one of Dapper Dan's biggest supporters when their careers were both getting off the ground.

There's a private family viewing set for Monday from 11 AM to 1 PM ET and the funeral service is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM and run until 3:30 PM. TMZ and BET will be live streaming the celebration of life starting at 2 PM.

Lamar Odom has been ordered to pay his ex nearly $400,000 ... after a judge ruled the former NBA star hadn’t pay a cent of support in over a year.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, a New York judge ruled Odom had stopped making payments to his ex, Liza Morales, in June of last year, despite a 2015 settlement agreement requiring the NBA legend to pay thousands of dollars per month for the benefit of the former couple’s two kids.

In all, the court hit Odom with a $380,549 tab, including $91,220 in outstanding child support, $88,117 in missed rent, $161,305 for their children's college funds and expenses, and nearly $40k for her legal fees and expenses.

Morales had sued Odom back in May, claiming the former basketball player had missed all the payments he agreed to make since June 2020.

In the court's ruling, the judge noted Odom did not show up for a key hearing in the case in June "despite due notice."

Good news, folks ... Bob Odenkirk is in such good spirits he's now joking around with friends, according to one of them ... actor David Cross.

Cross says the "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" star is doing so good, in fact, fans will soon be hearing from him. Cross updated Bob's legion of fans Friday morning saying, "Just got off the phone with Bob and he's doing great!"

David added, "Both [Bob] and his family are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and concern everyone has shown. You will be hearing from him soon. But he's doing really well!!!"

That's welcome news considering what he's gone through over the last couple of days. TMZ broke the story ... Bob was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the set of "Better Call Saul" while filming in New Mexico.

We later learned the emergency was a "heart-related" incident. For a moment it was touch-and-go. He was not conscious during his initial hours in an Albuquerque hospital before he eventually woke up -- and Cross now sounds confident Bob will be back to his old self.

As we reported ... there was an outpouring of support following the medical scare. "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston shared a pic on Instagram and asked fans to "please take a moment in your day today to think about him and send positive thoughts and prayers."

Message delivered.

Gloria and Emilio Estefan's investment nearly 3 decades ago on a Miami mansion has paid off big time ... TMZ's learned the couple sold it for a whopping $35 million.

According to property records ... the famous couple sold their 6-bedroom, 10-bathroom crib on Miami's Star Island last week. The Estefans sure got top dollar for the nearly 8,000-square-foot mansion especially when you consider this -- property records show the couple bought the house in 1993 for $1,840,000. #ChaChing.

We're told ... as of late Gloria and Emilio used the home for guests when they visited the famous couple, who aren't going anywhere 'cause they have another property down the street. The area, of course, is a major enclave for celebs like Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O'Neal and Sean Combs, to name a few.

As for the corner-lot house itself ... it sits on a 58,332-square-foot lot. It offers sparkling waterfront and unobstructed views to Biscayne Bay and the downtown Miami skyline.

For the new owner's guests ... there's a 2-story guest house with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and 1.5 baths complete with a spacious living room and private dining room. It's also got killer views. And, if the new owner has a boat (guessing yes), there's also a private dock at this one-of-a-kind estate.

Helluva score.

Paul Anka is celebrating a huge milestone ... which explains the incredible response and tributes from across Hollywood.

An impressive list of friends and admirers reached out Friday to wish the legendary singer and songwriter an awesome 80th birthday. Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin, Quincy Jones, John Travolta, Jason Bateman and Simon Cowell all recorded a tribute video. Paul even got a shoutout from the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet!

The entire birthday tribute can be seen on Paul's YouTube channel. His new album -- "Making Memories" -- was also supposed to be released on his birthday, but that's now been pushed to August 13.

Paul still has plenty to celebrate ... the new album will include a cover of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" -- which was written by Paul -- featuring Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli.

Ya gotta say, he's having a great 2021 -- having already teamed up with Olivia Newton-John back in May for a duet of his classic "Put Your Head on My Shoulder." The re-recording came on the heels of his tune going viral on TikTok.

Paul gained a new generation of fans after Doja Cat remixed his 1959 hit, and it became the soundtrack for TikTok's #SilhouetteChallenge.

Marcus Brice helps Air Force One take off and land almost every day as an air traffic controller ... and he says it's all because he spent hours playing video games.

The FAA is recruiting the next generation of air traffic controllers, like Marcus, and they're specifically targeting gamers because as it turns out ... skills honed by video games are coming in handy at airports.

Marcus joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and put a face and a cool story to the FAA's "Level Up" hiring campaign, which seeks to hire 4,300 new air traffic controllers over the next 5 years ... with heavy recruitment going towards gamers, women and minorities.

It's pretty cool ... Marcus explained which video gaming skills set him up with the tools to be an air traffic controller at Joint Base Andrews. And, while the stakes are much, much higher ... he says air traffic control is very much like certain games.

Another bonus Marcus was too humble to brag about ... the gig pays pretty well, with the FAA saying the median annual wage for air traffic controllers is just over $138,000.

It's vacation time for Lionel Messi ... and the soccer megastar is enjoying his annual getaway on the Spanish waters with his wife, kids, and bestie, Luis Suarez!!!

Of course, Messi and Suarez are as close as it gets ... and the gang has been known to tour Spain on expensive boats during the summer months over the past few years.

2021 is no different, with both families bringing their kids along for a bit of R&R ... and fellow pal Cesc Fàbregas coming along for the ride.

Messi has a lot to celebrate -- he's fresh off his Copa America victory with Argentina ... the first of his career!!!

Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, Suarez's wife, Sofia Balbi, and Fàbregas' wife, Daniella Semaan, look to be enjoying the trip ... and they all look incredibly stunning!!

We can't forget to mention the fellas, though -- they look just as shredded as you'd expect ... after all, they are world-class athletes.

Michael Che is half-heartedly trying to do damage control after sharing some harsh and tasteless jokes about Simone Biles dropping out of Olympic events.

The 'SNL' star announced late Thursday night on social media he intended to try out some Simone jokes on stage in NYC. That apparently set off a bunch of his followers ... who suggested some material he could add to his act, and Michael reposted them -- including one referencing now convicted molester, Larry Nassar ... Simone being one of his victims.

Che reposted, "Larry Nasser understands Simone Biles better than anyone. He too had to quit doing what he loved at the pinnacle of his career because of mounting pressure."

He critiqued it, writing ... "goddamn, that's rough. absolutely tasteless," but gave it a 9 out of 10. Again, Nassar was convicted of molesting 10 young women in the U.S. gymnastics program.

Che also shared a far less brutal "joke" when he reposted, "Who said black don't crack?"

It's unclear if he actually followed through and tried his, or any of his followers', material onstage. He claimed to have about 3 minutes worth of Biles material on his own.

Che clearly knew there would be severe online backlash for taking shots at such a beloved athlete. Early Friday morning he posted, "I got hacked today. can't believe they got me. yall kno I only do jokes about whites and cops."

Scarlett Johansson's agent is joining in on the war with Disney ... blasting the Mouse House for "shamelessly" attacking her over her "Black Widow" lawsuit.

Bryan Lourd, one of the head honchos at the powerhouse agency CAA, just went to bat for his client and said Disney "shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn't."

ScarJo's rep also took a huge issue with Disney spilling the tea on her salary in their response to her lawsuit. Lourd said, "The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of."

The "Black Widow" star has done nine Disney movies ... but the relationship's reached a boiling point after she claimed in a lawsuit Disney violated her deal when it simultaneously released "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ ... which cut into her backend because her salary was tied to how well the film performed at the box office.

Lourd added, "The suit was filed as a result of Disney's decision to knowingly violate Scarlett's contract. They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company, leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That's it, pure and simple."