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Conor McGregor is officially returning to the Octagon in 2021 -- he and Dustin Poirier have signed their contracts to fight at UFC 257, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The two sides had reached a verbal agreement a while back -- with Dana White saying he was confident the UFC would be able to make a deal. But now, McGregor says the paperwork is done.

The rematch of their 2014 brawl will go down on January 23, possibly at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Conor says they will fight at lightweight (155 pounds).

McGregor commented about the upcoming fight on social media recently -- saying, "I look forward to the fresh test Dustin will bring since our first bout, while also showcasing my own incredibly deep cache of weaponry."

"Whatever tool is needed on the night will be pulled from the duffel."

McGregor has also pledged to make a donation to Dustin's charity, The Good Fight Foundation, which provides resources to underprivileged youth in Poirier's home state of Louisiana.

Conor and Dustin first clashed at UFC 178 in 2014 -- with McGregor stopping Poirier in the 1st round.

Forget The Masters ... here's the golf event you NEED to watch -- Tiger Woods and his 11-year-old son have committed to play in a tourney against John Daly and his son!!!

The epic matchup -- featuring the 2 legends and their boys plus several other family pairings -- will all go down at the 2020 PNC Championship in Orlando from Dec. 17-20.

Woods will enter the event with his son, Charlie, whose swing is so good ... he's already been described as a golf prodigy.

Daly, meanwhile, will compete in the event for the 2nd straight year with his 16-year-old son, Little John Daly, who has also been heralded as one of the next possible great ones in the sport.

Of course, the annual tournament is just for fun ... the event won't count on anybody's career records or anything crazy like that -- but there actually is some money on the line!

The PNC Championship -- which, in total, will feature 20 major winners paired alongside a family member of their choosing -- has a total purse of $1,085,000 ... and winners even get a dope trophy!

"I can’t tell you how excited I am to be playing with Charlie in our first official tournament together," Woods said in a statement about the event.

"It’s been great watching him progress as a junior golfer and it will be incredible playing as a team together in the PNC Championship."

The tourney will be a 2-day, 36-hole event ... and last year's winners, Bernhard Langer and his son, will be in the field again this year.

The latest camera-smashing allegations involving Antonio Brown do NOT have the Bucs concerned ... head coach Bruce Arians says he knew of the incident and insists AB's behaved since his signing.

"He's been a model citizen," Arians said.

Don't get it twisted, though ... BA says if that changes -- he'll have no issues sending Brown packing, adding, "If and when he's not [a model citizen], we'll move on."

Brown, just days before his Bucs signing, was accused of throwing a temper tantrum at a guard at the security gate of the fancy Hollywood Oaks private community in the Miami area back on Oct. 15.

In the police report, cops say witnesses told them Brown flipped out when a guard made him come down to let a guest in ... getting so mad, he smashed a security camera.

Cops in the police report also say witnesses told them Brown called the guard a "racist b*tch" and even threw his bicycle at the arm of the guard gate.

AB was NOT arrested over the incident ... cops say in the police report the president of the homeowners association did not want to press charges, allegedly saying she feared Brown "may retaliate against her employees."

The HOA prez has since downplayed the incident, telling the Miami Herald that Brown appeared to simply have "just kind of an emotional reaction."

Arians was asked Wednesday night if he believed the whole thing signals more problems could be on the way soon ... and the coach said he did not feel that way currently.

"I don't really think we're going to have any problems," Arians said. "We haven't had any so far and I really would not anticipate any."

GET THAT BUCKS HAT OUTTA HERE!!!

RJ Hampton was selected Wednesday as the 24th pick in the NBA Draft -- but it's his dad who's going viral for throwing a hat!

With the NBA Draft going down virtually due to the pandemic, ESPN had cameras in all of the player's homes to capture those life changing moments.

The Milwaukee Bucks had the 24th pick -- so, when RJ's name was called, one of the kids celebrating with Hampton grabbed a Bucks hat to give to the hoops star.

That's when RJ's dad swooped in, snatched the hat and fired it across the room ... begging the question, WHY?!!?!?

Here's the explanation ... the Bucks had traded the 24th pick to the New Orleans Pelicans, who had then traded the pick to the Denver Nuggets.

So, even though Milwaukee INITIALLY had the 24th pick and technically selected Hampton, it was obvious he wasn't gonna end up there.

Dad clearly knew the backstory and tried to keep that Bucks hat off his son's head -- mission accomplished (with gusto!).

Don't worry, RJ ultimately found the right hat. Congrats!

Ask ... and you shall receive!

It appears Logan Paul is getting his wish to fight Floyd Mayweather -- because the boxing legend seemingly accepted the offer and wants to get it on ASAP.

As we previously reported, Mayweather was approached with a deal to fight the YouTube superstar in the past few months -- but things have escalated recently.

In fact, 25-year-old Logan publicly called out the 43-year-old legend over the weekend -- saying, "If I caught Floyd with one punch -- one punch -- I would snap this f**ker in half."

Paul added, "If I caught Floyd in a real fight, street fight, whoop his ass! No question."

Well, Floyd got the message loud and clear and finally replied on Wednesday night.

"These YouTube girls better find some Barbie dolls to play with 'cause I’m not the one for the kid games," Mayweather tweeted while promising to beat Paul's ass like he did Conor McGregor.

"3 years ago a fighter from the UFC said my name and I had to put a muzzle on that bitch. [Logan Paul] can get the same treatment before I go conquer Japan again."

Mayweather recently announced an exhibition match in Japan in Feb. 2021 -- the opponent is yet to be named.

So, when would Paul and Mayweather actually scrap?

We're told Paul has been training and could go at any time. Mayweather famously trains like a maniac -- he won't need much time either.

In other words, this could come together FAST.

Here's a side of Bill Belichick you rarely see ... the 6x SB winning head coach just made a public appeal to the U.S. -- pleading with the government to "take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan," and stop the Armenian genocide.

The 68-year-old coach was meeting with the media on Wednesday ... when he was asked about new Defense Secretary Christopher Miller using Belichick's famous "Do Your Job" quote in a memo to the Defense Department.

Belichick said he was honored by the inclusion ... before making the impassioned plea.

"I’ll just say, while we’re on the subject, I read his point about combating traditional threats. And, I couldn’t help but think and hope that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, and I hope that our country will take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unprovoked and deadly attacks on Armenians," Belichick said.

"We’ve seen that when a humanitarian crisis and things like that, like ethnic cleaning, go unpunished, that they just continue to happen. I hope that we can put a stop to that."

Of course, the situation between the countries is extremely tense ... and despite attempted cease-fires, many people have been injured or killed.

This isn't the first time BB has expressed support for Armenia. Back in 2015, Belichick wore an Armenian flag while meeting with President Obama.

One of the reasons the subject hits close to home for the coach ... one of his closest advisors, Patriots staff member, Berj Najarian, is Armenian.

It turns out the Lakers had their eyes on more than the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2020 ... 'cause 'Bachelorette' star Tayshia Adams says a player on the championship squad slid into her DMs!!

But, before you go there, Adams says it wasn't LeBron James ... even though she WISHES it was.

The reality show star made the big reveal on the "Click Bait with Bachelor Nation" podcast recently ... saying a member of the Purple & Gold hit her up following her rise to fame.

"Well, I’m not going to say the name ... but I’ve talked to a Laker," Adams told Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin.

That's when Lindsay immediately asked if it was Kyle Kuzma, who she says has a reputation for hitting up 'Bachelor' alums.

"Maybe, maybe not," Adams said. "I have talked to Kuz."

Of course, the ladies *had* to ask if it was King James ... and Adams denied any contact with the 4-time champ.

"I wish it was LeBron James," Tayshia said, laughing.

"No, believe me, no one exciting, I wish someone really good. But, no, nobody exciting."

Hey, we're not judging the culprit here. Adams is gorgeous, or as current 'Bachelorette' contestant Chasen would say -- "a smoke show." But, by the way she describes the cyber interaction, the mystery player may need to work on his DM game.

The hosts threw out one more name in hopes of cracking the case -- Anthony Davis -- but no dice.

"No, nobody exciting. The tea is dry. It’s cold. I’m so sorry, I wish."

Playing for the god awful NY Jets took a real toll on Jamal Adams -- who says he battled depression during his sad run with Gang Green.

"Bro, I fought depression in New York," the star safety said on the 'All Things Covered' podcast with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson.

"And I’m man enough to say it. I came home after a tough loss and just sat in my room in the dark -- no phone, no TV. [My dad] hated to see me like that. It killed my pops so much."

Adams spent 3 years with the Jets before forcing the team to trade him to Seattle before the 2020 season. The Jets were 16 and 32 during his time in NY and have only gotten worse.

"[My dad] was calling my agent at the time and saying, 'Hey man, I don’t like seeing my son like this. I need him out of this situation.' It took a toll on my life outside of football."

The Jets are currently 0-9 and have become the laughing stock of the NFL. This year's team could go down as the worst team in NFL history.

Adams described the organization this way -- "They do not want to win."

The good news ... Adams seems to be in a much better place mentally in Seattle, praising the organization on the podcast.

"This is how the NFL is supposed to be. This is the dream I was dreaming."

"You're never going to meet a nice woman -- especially in basketball."

That's LaVar Ball's fatherly advice to his NBA sons -- explaining why they're only going to meet "hoes" while living the jet-setting life as pro basketball players.

"You’re not going to find nobody like I found your mom," LaVar explained on the "Endless Hustle" podcast while talking about the advice he's given his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo.

"If you’re in this profession, you got all this fame and notoriety -- how are you going to meet a good girl? You’re not."

LaVar says the only places NBA players meet women during their busy careers are at restaurants, clubs or in the arenas -- "So, I hate to tell you but you’re going to meet a hoe. Just how it goes, son."

"So son, that’s the bad part of the life you’re going to get -- you're never going to meet a good woman."

LaVar also warned that by the time his kids understand what he's talking about -- it'll almost be too late ... because if they meet a woman who's 30 and single "You gotta wonder why she's by herself at 30."

"So there’s something that’s dangerous no matter how good they look -- but have a good time son. I feel bad for you -- but hey I love the fact you made it!"

When asked how he'd react if his sons brought home a "hoe" -- LaVar said that's already happened more than once.

"I already seen 'em! They already brought a few through here!"

LaVar says his boys will never be able to meet a woman at a typical job or at church because the demands of the NBA are too time-consuming -- plus, the constant travel also makes things tough.

History will be made on Monday night when the NFL’s first all-Black officiating crew takes the field for the Rams vs. Bucs game in Tampa Bay.

The league specifically put the crew together to honor the contributions of Black officials, as the NFL celebrates its 100th year anniversary.

Jerome Boger, who is in his 17th year as a league official, will lead the 7-man crew. He'll be joined by umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, field judge Dale Shaw, side judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed.

"This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of Black officials to the game, their exemplary performance, and to the power of inclusion that is the hallmark of this great game,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations.

It's interesting, the Rams and Bucs will be playing in this historic game since the Rams were the first NFL team to reintegrate in 1946 after a 12-year span where NFL owners had banned black players from the league (read about it here) -- and the Bucs are the first team in NFL history with 3 Black coordinators.

Even the President of the United States can't escape complaining sports parents!!

... just ask Barack Obama who says he quit coaching his daughter's 4th-grade hoops team after too many parents whined that he gave Sasha's squad an unfair advantage!

Obama spells out the whole thing in his new memoir, "A Promised Land" -- saying around 2010, he realized Sasha's team needed some help and volunteered to take over as head coach along with his personal aide, Reggie Love.

FYI, Love played college basketball at Duke!!

"After observing an adorable but chaotic first couple of games, Reggie and I took it upon ourselves to draw up some plays and volunteered to conduct a few informal Sunday afternoon practice sessions with the team,” Obama says in the book.

Obama says ... during the workout sessions, he and Love drew up plays and worked on "dribbling, passing, making sure your shoelaces were tied" -- you know, the basics.

The good news ... Obama ended up coaching Sasha's squad (which included Joe Biden's granddaughter, Maisy) all the way to the championship game, which they won in an 18-to-16 "nail biter!"

"[We] celebrated like it was the NCAA finals," Obama says.

The bad news ... Obama says other parents from opposing teams complained, claiming their kids were at a distinct disadvantage because they didn't have the leader of the free world on their squad!!

At one point, Obama says Love joked about the opposing parents saying, "They must think being coached by you is something they can put on their Harvard application."

Obama eventually says the bitching became too much -- so he stepped away from the coaching gig and returned to running the country full-time.

Elon Musk had a great day on Wall Street to start the week -- helping him leapfrog Mark Zuckerberg on the list for world's richest and landing him in a comfortable third overall.

The Tesla and SpaceX executive saw his overall net worth skyrocket late Monday by a whopping $15 billion after the S&P announced it was bringing his automaker company into the fold among the most prestigious companies on the market.

It'd been a long time coming. Folks anticipated this to happen a few months ago ... but it didn't 'til just now, causing Tesla's stock to jump 14% in after-hours trading. As a result, Elon's personal value -- seeing how he owns a good chunk of stock -- also bumped up.

At the moment, he's on pace to have a net worth of $117.5 billion ... way more than Zuck at $106b, which was edging Elon out not too long ago by about $4b, or so. The two people higher than EM on the list currently -- Bill Gates at $129b and Jeff Bezos $184b.

Some estimates as of Monday morning have Elon's net worth slightly lower because of what Tesla's trading at currently -- around $460 a share -- but either way ... he's in at #3.

It's been quite a ride for the tech wiz these past few days -- not only did he see his fortune balloon to new heights, he also saw one of his own rockets take 4 astronauts into space over the weekend ... a feat that promises to firm up SpaceX's role in future orbital travel.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura says he's received "hateful and threatening messages" after Sunday night's loss to the Patriots ... and he's begging fans to back off.

The Ravens' comeback against New England was derailed after two crucial bad snaps from Skura late in the game ... which the 27-year-old apologized for in a message to Ravens fans on Monday

"I want to take ownership and apologize for my mistakes in last nights game," Skura said. "I always strive and work to be the best I can be in any and all situations. I appreciate those who have sent encouraging messages to me since the game."

But, Skura says some fans have taken things WAY too far -- insinuating some of the trash talk has crossed a line because it involves his family.

"Please know my family is off limits when it comes to hateful and threatening messages," Skura posted on social media ... "They do not deserve to be scrutinized for something they did not do."

He added, "I want to move on from this and grow so that I'm able to be at my best for the rest of the season."

FYI -- the weather was not on Skura's side Sunday night. There was a heavy rain downpour throughout the game ... making the ball a slippery mess.

But, Skura is ready to put the past behind him ... saying, "Now, it's on to the Titans."

COVID-19 is about to get tag-teamed -- a second vaccine is on the way, and Moderna says this one has an even higher success rate than the first.

On the heels of Pfizer's announcement it has a coronavirus vaccine more than 90% effective in preventing COVID infections, Moderna's apparently one-upping it ... claiming to have one that boasts a 94.5% success rate.

The pharmaceutical giant released its early data Monday, which Dr. Anthony Fauci calls "as good as it gets."

Fauci says vaccinations could begin as early as the second half of December for high-risk groups, and be available for the rest of the public starting in late April.

Moderna's vaccine trial included 30,000 study participants -- 15k of which were given the vaccine, and 15k were given a saline placebo.

Among the placebo subjects, 90 of them developed COVID-19 over several months, and 11 of those patients got a severe case.

Among those given the vaccine, only 5 got COVID and none were severely ill. Moderna says its vaccine did not have any serious side effects, but a small percentage of people experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches.

The incredibly high efficacy -- for Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines -- is great news ... the stock market is soaring. However, think about this ... a reported 30 percent of Americans don't trust a vaccine, and won't take it. So, it's plausible some people will pick their social circles based on who does get vaccinated. Just a thought.

Moderna plans on applying for FDA authorization later this month after more it gathers more safety data.

A gas pipeline went up in flames this week along a Mexican highway that killed at least 6 people ... and video of the incident is absolutely horrendous.

It went down Monday in the Mexican city of Jala, right on the edge of a mountain bordering the Tepic-Guadalajara Highway between Chapalilla and Ixtlan del Rio. It's unclear what set off the explosion, but it was big enough to stop a bunch of drivers dead in their tracks.

One video circulating right now shows a couple guys running toward what appears to have been an initial discharge that caused traffic to come to a screeching halt. As they approach, an even bigger explosion goes off ... sending a massive fireball into the air and everyone running for their lives.

Another angle shows the aftermath from a further distance, and it becomes clear pretty quickly just how massive this thing was. There's plumes of black smoke emanating from every which way as the flames rage. It's a terrifying sight, to say the least.

There are different reports on the official body count -- we're seeing estimates from 6 to 14 thus far, plus several other injuries and word of missing people as well. There's also extensive damage to numerous cars that were caught up in the explosion.

Check out this shot of the aftermath -- an entire vehicle is lodged into the side of the charred mountain, and car parts are scattered about everywhere. Pieces of the concrete barrier were blown to smithereens ... demonstrating the ferocity of the impact.

SpaceX and NASA are about to once again send astronauts into space -- laying even more groundwork for what might become a regular thing ... and we'll be streaming the event live, with lift-off slated for 7:27 PM ET.

Elon Musk's shuttle program is embarking on yet another launch Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- where the SpaceX team is firing its famed Dragon capsule into orbit ... only this time, it's carrying a few more helmeted cadets on the mission.

Three American astronauts are signed up for this job -- NASA's Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover -- and so is a Japanese astronaut named Soichi Noguchi. Check out their suits, BTW ... super sleek compared to what they used to rock back in the day.

That's technology, baby!!! Also ... fashion.

The 4-person crew is heading to the International Space Station, where they'll conduct scientific research for NASA. This is the second time this year that SpaceX has sent up humans in partnership with NASA -- in May, they sent up astronauts Doug Hurly and Bob Behnken to the ISS for a couple months ... now, they're upping the manpower. It's the first SpaceX commercial crew trip to the ISS.

This latest mission is a huge milestone -- it marks a huge pivot away from our reliance on Russian space travel -- something the U.S. has been heavily reliant on in recent years.

The fact SpaceX is helping with these types of trips more regularly proves it's a leading company for a lot more travel in the near future -- which could open the door for space tourism. The possibilities are endless, really.

The launch is scheduled for 7:27 PM ET. Houston, we have lift-off ... hopefully.