UFC's Viral Security Guard Gunning to Become MMA Referee ... Dana White Supports

OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETME
TMZSports.com

The woman who starched a suspected shoplifter at Best Buy -- only to be hired by the UFC -- says she has another major career goal ... she wants to be an MMA referee!!!

Yep, Summer Tapasa -- who started her new gig as a UFC executive security officer earlier this month -- says Dana White has been totally supportive in helping her find a longterm career.

And, after some serious thought, Tapasa says she believes she would make an excellent ref!

Of course, we all know she can handle herself in tough situations as evidenced by the Best Buy security video!

Best Buy ultimately let her go over the incident -- but Dana White raved about her ... saying Tapasa is a model employee who's willing to go above and beyond for her employer.

Which is why he offered her the security gig.

But, that's just a starting point for Summer ... who said she hopes she can eventually transition into a bigger job.

DON'T MESS WITH SUMMER!!!

"I chose security because I was more comfortable with it. Now that I'm in the UFC, now that I'm in the security position, I was actually thinking about becoming a referee," Summer says.

We're told Summer's bosses at the UFC are supportive of her career goal and will help her get the right training to eventually achieve her dream.

NOT ON MY WATCH

And, since we know she can handle herself, we asked if there was any chance she would ever take a fight herself.

"That thought has not came into my head, no. I don't even see myself in the Octagon fighting someone else. Probably just refereeing, but fighting somebody else, no, I don't think so."

'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Mansion Hits Airbnb for Royal Vacation ... Butler Not Included!!!

Thirty years after Will Smith looked at his kingdom and sat on his throne as the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" ... he's giving fans the chance to book the famous mansion on Airbnb.

Big Willie and the vacation rental company are teaming up to rent out a portion of the famous Brentwood mansion that was used as the exterior for the hit NBC sitcom during six incredibly successful seasons in the '90s.

The mansion offers access to what would have been Will's bedroom and bathroom on the show ... along with the poolside lounge area and ritzy dining room. They'll be greeted by bold graffiti art, posh interiors, family portraits and Philly cheesesteaks served on silver platters. Luxury, baby.

Fans will have the chance to lace up with a fresh pair of Air Jordans and shoot baskets in the bedroom. There's also turntables if anyone's down for a DJ Jazzy Jeff session. You can also rummage through Will's closet and throw on a preppy outfit from Bel-Air Academy or get sweaty in Bel-Air Athletics gear. BTW ... Jazzy Jeff will virtually welcome fans to the poolside area should you choose to catch some rays.

Here's the thing ... these bookings are overnight stays and only 5 dates are available. And, if you're outside the L.A. County area, you're outta luck, 'cause it's open only to those residents. Folks trying to book also have to prove they all currently live in the same household to minimize COVID risk. And, don't worry ... the place gets cleaned according to CDC rules.

It's the first time the mansion's opening up its doors for fans looking to create their own memories as the series celebrates its 30th anniversary. So, the good news? It's only $30 for the night to commemorate the 30-year anniversary. Bookings start September 29 and the stays will take place October 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14. Airbnb will also make a donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia to celebrate the royal event.

As we reported ... Will teased the 'Fresh Prince' reunion, which is slated to air on HBO Max sometime around Thanksgiving.

Eddie Money Estate Guitarist Says Money Owes Me Money Minimum $1.5M!!!

Eddie Money's estate is on the hook for over a million bucks in back royalties ... so claims the late singer's former guitarist in new court documents.

John Nelson filed a claim against Eddie's Estate ... claiming he's owed royalties dating back to a contract he inked with Money back in 1986. Nelson says he was a major contributor on several of Eddie's albums.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nelson claims he contributed to Eddie's 1986 comeback album, "Can't Hold Me Back," and claims Eddie agreed to pay him a session fee of $16,234 plus 2 royalty points. Nelson goes on to claim they also worked out oral agreements for work he did on "Nothing to Lose," "Love and Money," "Broken Down Chevy" and "Nobody Knows."

Nelson says the total in royalties he's owed is uncertain due to the lack of accounting on Eddie's part ... but he's looking for at least $1.5 million. As we reported ... Eddie died back in September from complications following a heart valve procedure.

We've reached out to Eddie's estate -- a spokesperson tells us ... "We have yet to receive John Nelson's filing, and in any event his family will be exercising their right to handle Eddie's estate and affairs, which they are confident is being done properly."

They add, "Right now, their focus is on celebrating Eddie's extraordinary life and career on this 1st anniversary of his death."

Ex-Temptations Lead Bruce Williamson Jr. OG Temps Singer Attending Funeral ... Other Motown Alums Too

Funeral plans are underway for ex-Temptations lead singer Bruce Williamson Jr. ... and TMZ's learned the event will include the last surviving original member of the legendary group.

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bruce's family plans to hold the funeral in Las Vegas on September 26. We're told exact details are still in the works but here's what we do know -- Temptations founder Otis Williams will attend ... as will current member Ron Tyson and other former singers with the group.

Our sources say longtime friend Bubba Knight -- the brother of Gladys Knight and one of the Pips -- will also be there. The funeral will be small and have an exclusive invite-only list. It'll also largely be limited to family and close friends due to Nevada's COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans who want to watch the funeral will be able to do so because we're told it'll be live streamed. But, on September 25th, a day before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at Giddens Memorial Chapel where fans can pay their respects. The public viewing -- which will adhere to social distancing guidelines and a mask mandate -- begins at 4 PM PT.

Our source also says they're putting together a tribute concert gala in Vegas as well ... which will be announced once they nail down a date.

TMZ broke the story ... Bruce died earlier this month following complications with COVID-19. He was the Temptations' lead singer from 2006 until 2015.

Kylie Jenner Designer Feels Like He Won Lottery After She Wore His Clothing

Kylie Jenner's probably a muse for a lot of people, but one creative artist is especially feeling her influence as he watches his sales skyrocket ... all because she wore a hoodie.

Here's what went down -- the cosmetics mogul wore a hoodie made by Muse Clothing in a recent YouTube video to promote her new Summer Sailor Collection.

Muse is a streetwear brand created by Antony Muse, who tells TMZ the hoodie Kylie wore in the vid was one-of-a-kind ... and he has no idea how she got it.

Antony says he's never spoken to Kylie or her team or sent her any of his work, so he was stunned when he found out she wore his clothing ... stunned and elated.

He tells us Kylie randomly wearing his hoodie is "similar to what I think would happen if I won the lottery," adding it seems surreal.

Beyond the excitement ... a major boost to his bottom line. Antony says his DMs immediately began blowing up over the hoodie, so he's re-releasing it.

And, get this -- he says in the first 24 hours after Kylie posted the video, his brand's sales have surpassed any day since the company launched in 2017. Sales increased by 10 fold over a typical day.

Antony's singing Kylie's praises, saying ... "Although it may seem like a small thing for her to just put on a hoodie, her post could be the difference between a smaller artist like myself having to go back to waiting tables and being able to continue to grow and live off of my art."

Now that's some serious influencing.

'Saturday Night Live' Election Season Return Takes Shape ... But Big Changes Ahead

"Saturday Night Live" will soon be back for season 46 -- just in time for the craziest election season ever -- but things will be different.

Multiple production sources tell TMZ ... the "live from New York" aspect of the show will be true for the first time since March 7, but don't expect a live audience. We're told that's not going to happen, at least not for a while.

Next, our sources say 'SNL' is scouting big spaces around NYC, along with warehouses in Brooklyn and Jersey, to shoot some of the pre-taped sketches. We're told they're looking for a place that allows for proper social distancing and safety for the cast and crew that Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center can't quite provide.

Finally, our sources say Zoom may still have to be utilized for celebrity guests ... much like it was in the 3 spring shows with stars like Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt.

The iconic sketch comedy show revealed its highly anticipated return October 3. We're told a small production crew will be at 30 Rock next week to prepare.

It's unclear how the cast will manage rehearsing at the studio -- or who the cast will include for that matter -- but it should be fun to find out.

We reached out to an 'SNL' spokesperson ... no word back.

Sen. Marco Rubio I Won't Boycott NFL Over Anthem Demonstrations ... It's Their Right

DON'T FORCE IT
TMZSports.com

Sen. Marco Rubio will NOT follow in the footsteps of Donald Trump's son and boycott the NFL over anthem demonstrations ... telling TMZ Sports players have every right to protest.

"Look, I think players are Americans," Rubio said. "They have free speech rights to say whatever they want."

The Dallas Cowboys -- who have famously NEVER had a player kneel for the anthem -- now have players considering taking a knee for the pregame song during their season-opener on Sunday ... and that really angered Eric Trump this week.

In a tweet, Eric wrote, "football is officially dead" now that America's Team might be participating in the protests.

But, when we got Rubio at Reagan Airport in D.C. this week ... he told us the demonstrations -- which included the Houston Texans not even showing up for the anthem on Thursday -- won't impact his viewing experiences.

"They're Americans," Rubio said of NFL players. "People have a right to express their views whether you agree with them halfway, all the way or none of the way."

"It's the left, frankly, who has been trying to silence people whose views they don't agree with and I hope the right doesn't fall into that."

As for Rubio's Dolphins ... Marco ain't so sure yet how Year 2 is going to go under Brian Flores -- but he sure seemed excited as hell to find out!!

Rapper Lil Mosey Not Sweating Gun Case ... Surfing in Malibu!!!

SURF'S UP
Alex Hoffman/malibusurfcoach.com

Rapper Lil Mosey has learned his lesson ... at least when it comes to surfing.

The "Pull Up" rapper doesn't seem to have a single ounce of worry as he took surfing lessons while in the middle of a very serious gun case. Surfing instructor Alex Hoffman tells TMZ ... the rapper and some friends took lessons in Malibu earlier this week.

We're told his lesson lasted nearly 2 hours ... first a tutorial on the sand where Alex taught him how to position himself on the board, paddle and then pop up on his feet. Armed with the basics, he hit the waves -- and even though he ate it, we're told Mosey did pretty well during the training sesh.

This, of course, is one helluva juxtaposition considering he's in the middle of a serious gun case. TMZ broke the story ... the 18-year-old was busted in Burbank last month after cops found 3 loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistols in the Escalade he was riding in with 3 other people.

They were all booked for felony concealed weapons, and Mosey's due back in court later this month. Until then ... catch him shredding.

'Love Island' Lauren Coogan I Met My Man At The Airport ... Right After Leaving Villa!!!

AIRPORT LOVIN'
TMZ.com

Lauren Coogan didn't find a man to take home during her short stay at the 'Love Island' villa ... instead, she found her hunk at the airport the day she left the show!!!

We got Lauren at LAX and she was far from alone after leaving 'Love Island' ... she had a handsome man by her side, and their love story is pretty amazing.

Lauren tells us she met her match at the airport while catching her flight outta Vegas, mere hours after leaving the reality dating competition show. Talk about a connecting flight!

On 'Love Island,' Lauren came in saying most men are enamored by her or afraid when they first meet her ... but her mystery man, Garrett Morosky, tells us how he made his airport pickup.

Turns out, women with baggage can be a good thing. Take notes, guys, Garrett's got game!!!

Lauren's not ready to put the "love" label on this relationship yet ... but the two are already having tons of fun traveling and showing each other off on their social media pages. Seems like the perfect Instagram couple.

Bottom line ... ya never know when or where you're gonna find someone.

CoD Champs Crimsix & Shotzzy Let Your Kids Play Video Games ... It Made Us Super-Rich!!

DOIN' MY OWN THING
TMZSports.com

Call of Duty champs Crimsix and Shotzzy just won $1.5 MILLION playing video games ... and the CoD superstars have a message for parents of future esports players who want their kids to get a "real job."

28-year-old Ian Porter aka Crimsix and 19-year-old Anthony Cuevas-Castro aka Shotzzy are part of the Dallas Empire -- owned by Envy Gaming with investors like Post Malone -- who just took out the Atlanta FaZe in the 2020 CoD League championship.

Crim -- widely regarded as the greatest Call of Duty player of all-time -- says his mom and dad did NOT want him to become a professional gamer at first.

"[My parents] were super strict, super against it," Crim says.

"My parents made me have like a 3.8 GPA. I'm in AP classes. I did summer school so I could actually get off high school earlier, and play earlier."

Porter says he attended college and was on the Dean's List before dropping out of school, and telling his mom and dad ... "I'm gonna make more money than you guys this year!"

BTW, he's been out-earning them since.

Shotzzy says his mom was a little different ... she gave him time to pursue his dream, but told him he'd have to go to school and get a 9-to-5 if he wasn't successful with gaming.

"If your kid has a dream to become a video game player, let 'em be. Try to be not as strict and give it a couple of years and if nothing happens, then you can start being strict on 'em I guess," Shotzzy says.

"She gave me a couple of years and now I'm here."

"Here" is super-rich ... in addition to the $1.5 milli, the guys are paid a salary and have lucrative sponsorship deals.

Crim and Shotzzy also have huge fan bases ... and are regularly watched by millions of people.

So, mom ... less homework and more PS4????

Jen Harley & Chad Johnson Vegas Make Out Session ... Jen says Chad set her up

GOOD COMPANY
TMZ.com
UPDATE

8:12 AM PT -- Jen's rep tells TMZ, her client was set up by Chad, saying, "Jen Harley is not dating Chad or anyone for that matter. Jen is only friends with Chad and had met up with him to show him a house earlier that day for sale."

UPDATE

The rep goes on to say, "Jen had not had anything to eat all day, she was drinking alcohol at the club and was extremely intoxicated. Jen does not remember anything in the video and is disgusted and embarrassed by her actions. Jen feels she was set up by Chad and his friends who were clearly taking videos to sell to the press."

Here's a match made in heaven Sin City -- former 'Bachelorette' star Chad Johnson and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's baby mama, Jen Harley, have hooked up in Las Vegas ... and it's on video.

Chad -- the reality TV star turned aspiring porn mogul, who's sporting an appropriate mustache -- and Jen were all over each other Thursday night at JING ... in a scene that looked like it could be a teaser for an adult film.

The 2 threw masks and social distancing to the wind as they made out multiple times in front of friends and everyone else at the joint ... and Jen even gave Chad a lap dance.

As you can see.. they kept the PDA going outside the restaurant later on.

Strangely enough, we're told the 2 met through Ronnie ... Chad used to be buddies with the "Jersey Shore" star. Chad and Jen apparently hit it off recently at a lunch.

It's an interesting pairing for sure, but perhaps not surprising. Jen has had a volatile relationship with Ronnie for a few years now ... and Chad recently had a serious domestic issue with his ex-girlfriend as well.

Both Chad and Ronnie recently copped plea deals in their separate domestic violence cases.

Originally published 12:50 AM PT

Emirates Leukemia Patient's 2 Dogs Die on Flight ... Both in Cargo Hold

UPDATE

8:46 AM PT -- An Emirates spokesperson tells TMZ, "We can confirm that two French bulldogs were transported to Washington, DC through Dubai on flight EK 231 on 21 August 2020. The dogs were flown following all standard procedures and mandatory checks and inspections in conformance with regulations concerning the transport of live animals. On arrival at Washington DC, the dogs were unfortunately found to have passed away. Emirates SkyCargo expresses its sincere regrets and is extending all possible support to the family at this difficult time."

A woman battling Leukemia says her 2 French bulldogs -- one of which was her emotional support animal -- are dead after they were placed in an Emirates flight's cargo hold.

The passenger's name is Hannah and we're told she was flying from Dubai to Washington, DC for a cancer treatment -- but upon landing at Dulles International Airport she got the devastating news her comfort dog Panda, and Panda's companion Beluga, had died.

The incident went down on August 21 aboard Flight EK 231. We're told Hannah paid $2,600 to ship her pooches when she was told she couldn't bring them into the cabin because they weighed more than 8 pounds.

That means the dogs should be transported below the cabin in a hold designed for live animals ... separate from the luggage. Apparently, Panda and Beluga ended up in the luggage hold, and a necropsy shows they died from oxygen deprivation. Panda was also bloody, for some reason.

Hannah's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family wants justice for the dogs. He says, "Dogs are not luggage they are living breathing family members and in this case, provided tremendous emotional support for a cancer patient."

We're told Hannah had a doctor's letter from June 2018 classifying Panda as an emotional support animal -- and therefore, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin with Hannah ... Oshan believes.

He adds, "Emirates charged for the dogs' passage even though medical documentation was provided by this cancer patient. This is wrong!"

Oshan says other animals aboard the flight, presumably placed in the proper cargo hold, all survived the journey unscathed.

Originally published -- 1:00 AM PT

Tyron Woodley Nick Diaz Belongs in the UFC HOF ... Here's Why

Nick Diaz belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame, despite the fact he's never won a UFC title ... so says Tyron Woodley.

"He's done enough in his career, in my opinion, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Tyron said on this week's "Hollywood Beatdown."

Diaz famously began his UFC career back in 2003 with an armbar submission victory over Jeremy Jackson.

He beat guys like Robbie Lawler before a showdown with Diego Sanchez on "The Ultimate Fighter 2" finale (Diaz lost that fight).

Nick jumped to Strikeforce, where he DOMINATED -- winning all 7 of his fights between 2009 and 2011, winning the welterweight title and defending it 4 times.

Eventually, the UFC bought Strikeforce and brought Diaz back to the UFC roster where he beat BJ Penn and lost some epic battles to guys like Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Now, 37-year-old Diaz is rumored to be making a comeback ... but Tyron thinks he's already got a Hall of Fame resume.

There's a lot more in the episode ... including Tyron explaining why he's FINALLY ready to fight Colby Covington on Sept. 19th, a fight that's been talked about for roughly 2 years.

Shout out to our sponsor KFC, which is FINALLY adding Secret Recipe Fries to its menu — click here for contactless delivery.

Check out more "Hollywood Beatdown" on the TMZ Sports YouTube page.

Netflix's 'Outer Banks' Wearing Our Damn Masks ... Filming Season 2!!!

Rob Gronkowski is gonna like this ... Netflix's hit show "Outer Banks" is already filming season 2, and that means coronavirus precautions for the cast and crew.

Here's the scene on the 'Outer Banks' set this week, as filming gets rolling on James Island in South Carolina ... the main characters are all in masks, what with the pandemic and all.

You can still make out who everyone is behind their face covering ... Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron, and Chase Stokes, who plays John B, are masked up in the car.

And, here's Madison Bailey (Kiara), Jonathan Daviss (Pope) and Rudy Pankow (JJ) walking through a field and keeping their social distance. This is how it's done!

As we reported ... Rob says he's all about that POGUE LIFE, as 'Outer Banks' season 1 became his obsession during the NFL offseason, binge-watching the show in 2 days with his S.I. Swim model girlfriend Camille Kostek.

The ending pissed a lot of folks off, kooks and pogues alike, but maybe people will be happier with the end of season 2.

At least they're filming!!!

Michael Jordan Sparked Kenny Lattimore Sales Boom ... After 'Last Dance' Scene

THE MJ EFFECT
TMZSports.com

R&B star Kenny Lattimore says his music sales SKYROCKETED thanks to that memorable scene from "The Last Dance" featuring Michael Jordan rocking out to his songs more than 20 years ago!

In other words, THE MJ EFFECT IS REAL, YO!

You remember the scene ... MJ was on the Chicago Bulls team bus, on the way to Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, when someone asked what he was listening to on his headphones.

Jordan bragged he had some unreleased Kenny Lattimore tracks -- and seemed to really dig it.

So, when we saw Lattimore at LAX the other day, we had to ask if the cameo in the docu-series spiked a surge in music sales.

And, man ... THEY DID.

"The Michael Jordan effect is definitely real!!!" Kenny said.

"There's so many people from around the world that started following me, sending me messages [because of 'The Last Dance]."

"People were like, 'This is Jordan's guy' or 'I'm gonna listen to this 'cause this is what Jordan listens to.'"

Lattimore says his music sales went "to another level" thanks to the doc -- noting streams of his songs were up big, too.

If you're not familiar with Lattimore's music ... GET ON YOUTUBE ALREADY AND CHECK IT OUT!

Dude was huge in the '90s and even got a Grammy nod for his smash hit "For You."

As for Jordan, Lattimore ended with this -- "Blessings to Michael Jordan forever. I am so grateful of him being a fan."

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