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Frontier Airlines is adamant they were NOT in the wrong when they booted UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov off a flight this weekend ... claiming the 29-0 fighter ignored a flight attendant's instructions before takeoff.

But, TMZ Sports just spoke to someone close to Khabib, who says that's simply false.

First, Frontier's side of things. The airline says Khabib -- who was seated in an exit row -- failed to indicate he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency.

LiAngelo Ball's officially a signed artist -- he inked a deal with Def Jam following the massive success of his viral song, "Tweaker."

Gelo's contract is with Def Jam and Universal Music Group ... and while initial reports say it's worth $8 million, our sources say that is not true. According to insider Shams Charania, Gelo will own all his music (a huge win in the industry) as well as his own label.

Gelo has found a new lane after pro hoops -- and if the reception from his first track is any indication of how his rap venture will go, he's no one-hit-wonder.

The FBI checked in on Ben Affleck over the weekend and we got images of agents at the actor's L.A. home ... but he was not in any trouble with the law ... TMZ has learned.

FBI agents, along with L.A. County sheriff deputies, swooped down on the Brentwood neighborhood where Ben now lives after recently divorcing ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.

Check out photos, obtained by TMZ, which show 2 FBI agents standing outside the gate of Ben's house and 2 sheriff deputies walking away from it.

A man was arrested in Azusa -- a city just east of Pasadena where one of the largest fires in L.A. is raging -- Friday ... and, cops claim he may have tried to start another fire.

Azusa PD tells TMZ  ... officers were dispatched to a local park just before midnight in regards to a brush fire -- where they claim a witness told them the man who lit the fire was still at the scene.

Officers located the suspect -- a "transient" named Jose Carranza-Escobar -- who they claim admitted to lighting the fire. Cops then arrested Carranza-Escobar.

Sexyy Red's ready for the operating table ... 'cause she's taking another crack at the perfect pair of boobs, TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

A source close to the rapper tells us ... Sexyy Red's heading into the new year single -- so, she's finally got time for handling all of her personal care -- and, that includes a breast augmentation.

ICYMI ... SR posted a pic to her IG Story a few hours ago with the caption, "Didn't want small no more I'm goin back big."

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was among the many citizens who lost their homes to the devastating wildfires this week, according to reports.

The first-year manager revealed his family was forced to evacuate the Pacific Palisades amid the blaze earlier this week ... while sharing his loved ones were "freaking out."

Unfortunately for the former NBA vet, their house did not survive, Shams Charania said Thursday.

Trae Tha Truth has been looking for his missing daughter for months, and now they've finally been reunited.

The Houston rapper tells TMZ Hip Hop ... he got a call at 8 AM on New Year's Day informing him that his ex -- the mother of his 6-year-old daughter Truth -- had been arrested in El Centro, California on child endangerment charges ... a development that led him to his kid.

Trae tells us he hopped on the next flight to San Diego from Texas and drove over 100 miles to the small town near the U.S. border with Mexico ... where he was reunited with Truth.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was more like Santa Paws this holiday season ... 'cause he treated team WAGs Olivia Culpo and Kristin Juszczyk to some pet-centric gifts -- personalized portrait rugs of their beloved furry pets!!!

TMZ Sports has learned Kittle contacted designer Angel Arreola to make special pieces for the wives of his teammates, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk.

The theme was pretty obvious ... their four-legged friends.

Joe Budden was charged earlier this month ... after authorities claimed his neighbor saw him outside their apartment on Ring Camera footage -- completely naked.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Budden was charged on December 4 in Edgewater, New Jersey for lewdness.

The Edgewater Police Department released a statement on December 30 about the incident after news of the charge broke online ... explaining officers were called to an apartment complex in the area at approximately 7:21 AM.

Mariah Carey might be vibing to some Silk Sonic tones ... 'cause she was out in Aspen with one half of the band -- and, she and Anderson .Paak certainly kept dating rumors alive.

The Queen of Christmas grabbed dinner at Duemani restaurant with the singer-songwriter and other close pals in the popular celebrity holiday spot in Colorado Sunday ... wearing a svelte black dress and a beautiful piece of jewelry wrapped around her neck.

.Paak kept it classy in a long gray coat and fashionable hat ... flashing a winning smile as he exited the restaurant -- while his hand's in hers!

Josh Allen's shining bright on the field and off of it these days ... as TMZ Sports has learned the new MVP chain he was gifted this week is absolutely loaded with gold and diamonds!!

Dion Dawkins and the rest of the Buffalo Bills offensive line doled out their Christmas present to their star quarterback earlier this week ... and Gabriel Jacobs of Rafaello and Co. -- the jeweler who made the piece -- explained to us the thing really is one of a kind.

Jacobs told us it's dripping in 14-karat white gold ... and has approximately 27 carats of diamonds in it (12 in the necklace and 15 in the charm).

The woman accusing Jay-Z of allegedly raping her as a teenager just got the green light from a New York judge to keep her identity under wraps ... at least for now.

In legal docs filed Thursday, Judge Analisa Torres ruled the "Jane Doe" accuser can remain anonymous at this point in the case. In the ruling, the judge also called out Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, saying he was being combative and trying to "fast-track" the case.

While Judge Torres did grant the plaintiff’s request to proceed anonymously for now, she noted that things could change as the case moves forward and made it clear that she intends to revisit the issue if and when the case progresses.

Richard Perry -- a music producer who collaborated with some of the biggest stars of the 1970s and '80s -- has passed away ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ben McCarthy -- Perry's personal assistant of nearly three decades -- tells TMZ ... Richard passed away at around 1:30 AM this morning.

We're told Richard fought Parkison's disease ... with Ben saying he saw him for a few hours about a month ago -- and, Richard wasn't able to verbally communicate. That said, Richard was in good spirits during their visit, Ben adds.

Baseball's "Man of Steal," Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is dead after a bout with pneumonia ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Henderson passed away Friday in the Oakland area, and had been getting treatment at a hospital for a brief period.

The MLB legend holds the record for stolen bases, and played left field for 9 teams from 1979 to 2003. Most of those years were spent with the Oakland A’s, where he debuted in the majors, but he also starred with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Padres and others ... before retiring with the Dodgers.

Cops are investigating a wild fight that broke out at a California outlet store — while also searching for the troublemakers caught on dramatic video.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the brawl erupted outside the Citadel Outlets in Commerce, CA, last Thursday — and a witness filmed part of it with a cell phone camera.

Check out the footage posted to X ... A group of mostly young women are going at it near a bunch of parked cars outside the mall. They start throwing punches and hurling around the word b***h," but it's unclear what sparked the confrontation.

Violent scene at the biggest airport in Chicago ... four men got into a fight, and they went all WWE by using wet-floor signs as makeshift weapons ... and it's all on video.

The wild footage shows the 3-on-1 fight at the American Airlines ticketing area in Terminal 3 ... and you see one guy throwing his foes to the ground like a rag doll. Our sources say the troublemakers were NOT American Airlines workers, but rather employees of concession stands in the airport.

With 3 guys fighting him at the same time, the man in the white shirt whales on his opponents with a broken wet-floor sign ... like a wrestler wielding a folding chair.