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Khabib just went NUCLEAR on the UFC ... calling them out as hypocrites and laying down a major threat -- saying if his team is punished for the melee after UFC 229 -- he'll quit the UFC FOREVER.

Dana White laid down the gauntlet ... saying the members of Khabib's team who jumped into the Octagon and attacked Conor will be kicked out of the UFC for good.

Khabib has responded on social media ... making it clear he thinks the UFC is acting unfairly and essentially saying the whole post-fight brawl is UFC's fault for letting Team Conor push things too far.

"Why didn't you fire anyone when their team attacked the bus and injured a couple of people? They could have killed someone there, why no one says anything about insulting my homeland, religion, nation, family?"

"Why do you have to punish my team, when both teams fought. If you say that I started it, then I do not agree, I finished what he had started."

Khabib then went on to specifically address UFC fighter Zubaira Tukhugov -- the guy who punched Conor after the fight -- saying, if Dana kicks him out of the UFC, he can say goodbye to Khabib as well.

"If you decide to fire him, you should know that you’ll lose me too. We never give up on our brothers in Russia and I will go to the end for my Brother."

"If you still decide to fire him, don’t forget to send me my broken contract, otherwise I'll break it myself."

Nurmagomedov also addressed his $2 million purse that's being held ... telling the athletic commission they can keep it.

"And one more thing, you can keep my money that you are withholding. You are pretty busy with that, I hope it won’t get stuck in your throat. We have defended our honor and this is the most important thing."

UFC, your move.

Donald Trump says Jim Brown was such a stud back in the day, he would UNDOUBTEDLY be the highest paid player in the NFL if he was active right now.

The problem is ... he's wrong.

"I've known him. I've respected him truly," Trump said about Brown ... "Can you imagine him playing in the NFL today what he'd be making? Double what everyone else is getting! He was the greatest."

Trump's right -- Brown was insanely good and arguably the best NFL player of all time. But, NFL contracts today ... it's a QB's world!

The highest paid NFL players in 2018 (salary and bonuses, according to Forbes) are as follows ...

1) Aaron Rodgers (QB) -- $75.9 million.

2) Matt Ryan (QB) -- $57.5 million

3) Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) -- $43.1 million

Then Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald. In fact, there's not a running back in the Top 10!

And, get this ... the highest paid NFL running back right now is Le'Veon Bell ... who's so upset with his contract situation, he's sitting out!

Antonio Brown says allegations he threw multiple pieces of furniture out of his 14th story apartment -- nearly killing a child -- are wrong ... and he vows to prove his innocence.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Brown is being sued by a man who claims his 22-month-old son was walking around the pool area at the complex in April when vases and other items landed within feet of him.

The man says the items came from Brown's room and, since the child is now suffering night-terrors and other emotional issues stemming from the incident, he wants Brown to pay.

The owners of the apartment complex have also filed a lawsuit against Brown claiming he caused significant damage to his apartment.

But, Brown just issued a statement, saying, "It has now been made public that two lawsuits containing false claims have been filed against me. The facts will soon come out that prove my innocence."

"My focus will remain on football and I will not let the cases serve as a distraction.”

The problem for Brown ... cops responded to the alleged furniture throwing incident and mentioned it in their police report.

"Mr. Brown was with his trainer and another gentleman who were trying to calm him down," the report reads.

"Apparently when Mr. Brown got upset he started throwing things in the apartment and the coffee table glass was broken along with a few other minor objects."

"He also threw some objects from the balcony into the pool area causing minor damage as well."

The police does say -- "No one was hurt as a result of these actions."

Deven Davis -- wife of Korn singer Jonathan Davis -- died from the combined effects of 5 different types of drugs ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ .... an autopsy revealed Deven had cocaine, heroin, clonazepam (a sedative used to treat seizures or anxiety), topiramate (nerve pain medication) and fluoxetine (used to treat depression) in her system when she died.

The docs say she was found dead in Bakersfield, California ... and her cause of death has been ruled accidental.

We broke the story ... Deven died in August around the same time Jonathan filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order against his estranged wife, claiming she had major drug issues. Deven had been living in a sober home, but went AWOL about a week before her death.

The Korn frontman later revealed she had been sick for nearly a decade ... and blamed mental illness and addiction for her death.

The 2 were married in 2004, but Jonathan filed for divorce from her in 2016. They had 2 sons together.

Kanye West and President Trump's agenda for their Thursday sitdown will include signing new legislation that could potentially put more money in Kanye's pocket.

POTUS is scheduled to sign the Music Modernization Act while Ye is at the White House. The bill -- which the House and Senate have already passed -- updates licensing and royalties to artists, songwriters and producers for music played on streaming services.

Kanye and Recording Academy Prez Neil Portnow will be present for the ceremonial signing of the bill.

As we told you, Ye was already scheduled to be at the White House for a separate lunch meeting with Trump ... where they'll reportedly talk gang violence in Chicago, prison reform and manufacturing jobs.

Now that we know, he'll be front and center to see Trump sign the bill -- we're hoping Kanye's got a remix up his sleeve. Just sayin' ...

Verne Troyer's death has officially been ruled a suicide ... TMZ has confirmed.

The L.A. County Coroner's Office released an autopsy report Wednesday saying the 'Austin Powers' star died of "sequelae of alcohol intoxication" ... basically alcohol abuse. Shortly after his death, the Coroner's Office "deferred" Verne's cause of death ... pending an investigation. The Coroner's Office has now determined alcohol abuse is what killed the actor.

As we reported ... Verne struggled with alcoholism for years and had been to rehab many times. In early April, Verne had been rushed to a hospital after cops got a call that he was suicidal. We were told he was being treated for alcohol poisoning because his BAC was triple the .08 limit.

He'd been on life support ever since -- but, as TMZ first reported, he died a few weeks later. He was 49.

The Dawg Pound turned into the D.O. DOUBLE G. Pound on Wednesday ... 'cause Snoop Dogg was in attendance to watch Baker Mayfield and Co. at Cleveland Browns practice!!

Just one tiny issue here -- Snoop is a MASSIVE Pittsburgh Steelers fan ... and the Steelers have a rivalry with the Browns that goes back decades.

But, It didn't seem awkward when the rap legend hit up Browns practice in Berea ... dappin' up all the players and coaches as the team preps for the L.A. Chargers this weekend.

So ... is Snoop trading in his Black & Gold for the Orange & Brown?? Head coach Hue Jackson says he's been friends with the Doggfather for a while ... and took a friendly jab at him for being MIA for the past 2 years.

Hey, it's been a while since the Browns have had even a sliver of success. Let them have their clout.

Joe Giudice has to get the hell up outta the United States -- a judge is deporting him to his native Italy ... once he gets out of prison, that is.

The judge issued the deportation order Tuesday in Pennsylvania. The 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star had begged the judge to let him stay in the U.S. with Teresa and their 4 kids, but no dice for the Giudices.

Joe's more than halfway through serving a 41-month prison sentence for conspiracy to commit wire and bankruptcy fraud.

Teresa was well aware deportation was a very real possibility and sounds like she's down to stand by her man. Earlier this year, during the 'RHONJ' reunion, she called Italy a beautiful place to live and said she'll embrace the change if it comes.

Good news for Khabib Nurmagomedov ... Vladimir Putin just told the UFC fighter's father to GIVE HIM A PASS for that post-fight brawl -- while praising his victory over Conor McGregor.

Khabib met with the Russian president at the "Russia -- Country of Sports" forum in the city of Ulyanovsk on Wednesday ... sitting down with the lightweight champ and his father, Abdulmanap.

They ate fruit, they sipped warm drinks and they DEFINITELY talked fighting -- as Putin is a huge fan of combat sports.

But, the funniest part of the meeting ... Putin brought up Khabib's comments that his father was upset with the post-fight brawl and would "smash" him for going after Conor's teammate, Dillon Danis, at UFC 229.

"I will ask your father not to punish you too strictly, because you achieved the main task, worthily and convincingly," Putin said to the Nurmagomedovs.

And, what Putin says ... goes.

So, congrats Khabib -- your father won't whoop your ass!!!

What's interesting is that Putin famously met with Conor McGregor during the World Cup in Russia -- and posed with him like they were buddies.

Guess that friendship is over ... at least, for now.

Talk to me ... Cardinal????

Arizona superstar David Johnson did his best "Top Gun" impression Tuesday ... hitting up Luke Air Force Base to copilot an F-16 -- and the video is awesome!

Unclear exactly why he was there during game week ... but the 6'1", 224-pound RB stuffed himself into the back of a jet anyway ... and was DEFINITELY nervous as hell for it all.

"Pray for me," D.J. said before take off.

Don't worry AZ fans ... David met a better fate than Goose -- making it back to the ground just fine.

As for the dudes at the base ... they were jacked up about the experience, tweeting, "We had a blast hosting @DavidJohnson31 today and showing him how we train the world’s greatest fighter pilots!"

The Boston Red Sox murdered the New York Yankees' season on Tuesday ... and danced on their ALDS playoff graves with champagne and beer bottles.

The BoSox narrowly escaped the Yanks' last-ditch effort to tie up the series by winning Game 4 at Yankee Stadium ... and celebrated the 4-3 win by drenching themselves in champagne. And, LOTS of it.

The lit fest kicked off with a motivational speech from Sox manager Alex Cora -- who warned his guys about their next matchup ... the Houston Astros.

But, Mookie Betts and Co. don't seem fazed one bit, 'cause that's when the corks start flyin' (right into a local reporter's face).

The ALCS kicks off on Saturday -- start hydrating now!

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he shouldn't have used the words "girlie man" to insult his political rivals -- saying, "In the long term, it's better to not say that."

The former California governor famously used the term at the 2004 Republican National Convention --saying, "And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, don't be economic girlie man!"

At the time, the comments were met with thunderous applause from politicians like Rudy Giuliani and Dick Cheney (both gave Arnold a standing ovation).

But now, Arnold tells Men's Health he wishes he didn't use the term -- but not because it's offensive to women or effeminate men ...

"I called them girlie men because they weren’t willing to take risks," Arnold said ... "They were afraid of everything."

"Politicians in general want to do little things so there’s no risk involved. But it was shortsighted. In the long term, it’s better to not say that, because you want to work with them."

In the 30th Anniversary Issue, Arnold also talked about his treatment of women before the #MeToo movement ... saying, "Looking back, I stepped over the line several times, and I was the first one to say sorry. I feel bad about it, and I apologize."

Back in 2003, several women came out and accused Arnold of sexual misconduct earlier in his Hollywood career ... claiming he would grope them against their will.

Arnold had said most of the allegations were untrue -- but fessed up to "behaving badly sometimes."

Fast forward to the new interview ... where Arnold explains, "When I became governor, I wanted to make sure that no one, including me, ever makes this mistake. That’s why we took sexual harassment courses, to have a clear understanding, from a legal point of view and also from a regular-behavior point of view, of what is accepted and what is not."

That didn't take long -- fired "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn is bouncing back from controversial tweets by landing a gig writing "Suicide Squad 2."

As you know ... Disney canned Gunn in July over a bunch of years-old, yet horribly offensive tweets -- including comments about 9/11, AIDS, the Holocaust and rape.

Despite the controversy, Warner Bros and DC Films confirm they've snatched up Gunn ... and he'll now be tasked with improving the studios' much-maligned 'Suicide' franchise.

For what it's worth, Gunn's old 'Guardians' cast backed him immediately after Disney and Marvel let him go, saying he was the victim of "mob mentality." Selma Blair also publicly supported her friend.

Deadline first reported Gunn's new job ... which most superhero movie fans have said is exactly what DC needs -- a taste of the Marvel Cinematic Universe success. Critics might say ... at what cost?

WWE Hall of Famer Sunny is a free woman after spending most of 2018 behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned.

45-year-old Tammy Sytch -- considered the first ever WWE Diva -- was arrested in New Jersey back in March following 2 DUI arrests, one in January and another in February.

After the arrests, she blew off multiple court dates and was considered a "fugitive of justice" -- but was eventually taken into custody in New Jersey in March.

Roughly 3 weeks later, Sytch was later transferred to a Pennsylvania jail where she's been locked up ever since.

But now, according to officials at Carbon County Correctional Facility in PA, Sytch was released on parole Tuesday morning.

Sunny has a grocery list of run-ins with the law -- she's had 5 DUI arrests, as well as 5 arrests from 2012 where she was busted for things like burglary and crimes related to domestic violence.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has returned to Dagestan -- and people filled a STADIUM to see their hero!!!

The UFC star was cheered by the masses Monday at Anzhi Arena after defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 229 and eventually took the mic to address his adoring crowd.

"One thing I am asking for is not to be remembered for that incident when i jumped out of the cage," Khabib said ... "I wanted to show the difference between my nation and his nation."

"Because we're all here to know what great history we have ... we know our ancestors and all the ordeals our nation had to go through and nothing can break us."

Khabib told his fans that he hoped he made them proud -- adding, "You can't keep an eagle in a cage!"

He continued, "The inspiration I have comes from here -- from Dagestan -- from all the people who were waiting for me here. Thank you very much."

"We are all Dagestani people. Let's stay united."

You knew DeMarcus Ware could jump over his "Dancing with the Stars" partner ... but did you know he could shoulder press her too???

It's true ... 'cause the ex-Dallas Cowboys superstar lifted Lindsay Arnold straight over his 6'4" frame Monday night -- and it was awesome!!!!!!

D-Ware's been killin' the dance game with his NFL athleticism -- hoppin' over Lindsay in his 'DWTS' debut last month and then throwing her around like a rag doll in Monday's tango.

So, how'd it go over with the judges???

THEY LOVED IT!!!

"Almost a superhuman display of strength," judge Len Goodman said.

Ware scored a 26 outta 30 -- and staved off elimination for another week. Which is huge ... 'cause the competition (Tinashe, Alexis Ren, Juan Pablo Di Pace) is STIFF.