Money

Undefeated fighter Johnny Eblen is fighting MMA legend Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator world championship Friday night ... but the 11-0 fighter ain't content with just one belt in the trophy case -- he also wants UFC gold.

First things first, 30-year-old Eblen, a 6'3" rising star in the middleweight division, has his hands full against 36-year-old Mousasi. The men are scheduled to fight at Bellator 282 on Friday for the 185-pound belt.

"I've been preparing for moments like this my entire life," Eblen told TMZ Sports, adding ... "I'm ready to show up and show out and have fun out there."

But, during our convo it became clear Eblen's goal isn't just to be Bellator champ -- as impressive a feat as that is -- 'cause he also wants to be a champ in Dana White's organization.

"I want to be a champion in Bellator. I want to stay in Bellator for a little bit longer, make money here. And eventually, if the cards line up correctly, I want to make the switch and I want to be the best middleweight in the world. And, you have to go do that in the UFC now."

FYI, being both UFC and Bellator champion -- regarded by most as the two top MMA promotions -- is rarified air. In fact, only Eddie Alvarez and Cris "Cyborg" Justino have been the top dog in both orgs.

Of course, just beating Mousasi is an incredibly tall task. He's 49-7 ... and has beaten Austin Vanderford, John Salter, Douglas Lima, and Lyoto Machida in his last four fights. GM has been fighting professionally since 2003.

Like Eblen, the current #1 ranked contender, Austin was undefeated at 11-0 before running into a Mousasi buzzsaw.

But, Johnny doesn't see himself losing that "0" Friday night.

"At the end of the day, everybody's human. So, you just gotta remind yourself that. Obviously, he's a legend of the sport. But, this is what I signed up to do. I want to fight people like Mousasi. I want to fight people who are the best in the world to solidify my name, my skillset, and who I am."

Delonte West said he was looking for a job -- and he found one.

The ex-NBA star landed a flooring gig this week ... after some amazing people heard about his tough situation and decided to help out.

As we previously reported, West -- who has battled mental health and addiction issues -- has been working hard at building a better life for himself ... but said earlier this week he was in between jobs.

We're told the team at the Beyer Subaru car dealership in Alexandria, Virginia saw the stories about West and noticed he had been asking for money nearby ... so they put their heads together to figure out a way to help him earn some dough.

As it turns out, the dealership is currently getting some floor work done ... so they asked the company in charge of the project if West could lend a hand.

We're told the flooring company was thrilled to have the extra help ... and West has been working with them for the past two days -- and doing a great job!!

We're told West has been nothing but polite with the whole crew ... sharing stories and talking with everyone throughout the day.

Vince Carter's wife -- while hiding inside of her son's bedroom closet -- mortifyingly spoke with dispatchers as burglars ransacked the NBA legend's home earlier this month, new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

The call is terrifying ... you can hear Sondi Carter pleading on the phone with cops to hurry to her place in Atlanta as she said people had broken in and were stealing things inside of it at around 11:50 PM on June 19.

"Oh, my God," she said on the call. "Oh, my God. Please, Lord, help me. Please, God, help me."

"Don't make a sound!" she added, appearing to speak to her children that were with her inside of the closet. "Don't make a sound!"

The call lasted roughly 10 minutes ... and throughout it, you can hear Sondi was understandably panicked and scared.

"Please, hurry up!" she told dispatch, whispering. "Please, hurry up! Please, hurry up!"

Eventually, cops made their way to the scene ... and while they said in police documents the suspects fled in an SUV before they could be apprehended, no one was injured.

Officers say Vince told them he believed close to $100,000 had been taken during the incident. No arrests have been made, cops say. An investigation is still ongoing.

Amber Heard is now officially on the hook for $8.35 million, and she could be on the hook for even more if she appeals the defamation verdict.

As you know, a jury awarded Johnny Depp the $8.35M after an explosive trial. The judge Friday officially entered the judgment into the court record, and there's a string attached if Amber decides to go forward with an appeal.

The judge said if Amber appeals she must post a bond in the full amount of Johnny's judgment PLUS 6% -- that's an additional $621k. Presumably, the 6% is an interest penalty for a delay in collection.

As for Amber, her rep released a statement invoking, of all things, the January 6th House hearings, stating ... she will indeed appeal, saying, "As stated in yesterday's congressional hearings, you don't ask for a pardon if you are innocent.  And, you don't decline to appeal if you know you are right."

Two Travis Scott fans are somewhere cradling his shoes right now, after Trav blew their minds by handing them a pair of shoes ... apparently, right off his feet!!!

Here's how it went down -- Travis was leaving his event Thursday night at TAO in Hollywood, and, as usual, a group of fans were waiting outside to greet him and hoping to snap some pics or get an autograph.

The rapper hopped in his car and decided to swing by the crowd before taking off ... rolling down his window, and shocking the hell out of them by handing out a pair of laced-up Jordans.

Their faces say it all ... complete and utter shock. Even the security guard nearby was showing some respect for their new gifts.

One of the kids took off pretty quick after getting the Jordan 1 Lows -- gotta stash that in a safe place!

TS has been working closely with Nike for a while ... doing shoe collabs that sell out fast -- one of the latest drops had over a million people going online to clean them out in under 30 minutes.

Todd and Julie Chrisley are asking for thoughts and prayers in the wake of their recent convictions for bank fraud and tax evasion.

The "Chrisley Knows Best" stars asked fans to stop spending their hard-earned money on flower arrangements and gifts and instead keep the couple in their prayers.

Todd, who's on house arrest, made the request Wednesday in the latest episode of this "Chrisley Confessions" podcast ... telling folks the gifts being left at his door are overwhelming and appreciated, but the best gift is prayer.

Julie agrees ... she's in the background saying "Amen" to Todd's wish.

As we reported ... Todd's hanging out in his huge Nashville mansion while he awaits sentencing after being found guilty of a laundry list of charges ... and he's facing up to 30 years in federal prison.

Chelsea Handler is suing a lingerie company ...  claiming she was completely blindsided after spending countless hours and tons of her own cash while agreeing on a deal to promote the brand.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Chelsea cut a deal with a company called ThirdLove to promote its clothing. She claims the company loved Handler's unique body-positive image and brand and thought it was a fit for its customers.

Chelsea says she went through a specialized exercise routine to stay in shape and get ready for the photo shoots ... and claims she passed on other potential deals to honor her exclusive commitment to the company.

She claims she had to fly out to Canada from L.A. for a photo shoot as part of the deal -- and did so on her dime. But, Handler claims ThirdLove ended up pulling the plug on the entire thing at the eleventh hour.

The comedian and late-night host is seeking no less than $1.5M from ThirdLove.

Dave Chappelle is the new owner of a hefty piece of property ... a purchase he's made to block a land developer from moving into the quiet Ohio village that's been his home.

Dave's reps confirm he recently bought up several acres of Yellow Springs, OH land previously owned by Oberer Land Developers, Ltd. -- a company that had announced plans for a huge subdivision that would have chewed up 52 acres of the village.

As you know, Dave came in guns blazing back in February when the Yellow Springs town council held a public meeting.

Chappelle made it very clear he was opposed to Oberer moving forward with the project, and threatened to pull his own business venture for the area -- a planned restaurant/comedy club called the Firehouse Eatery.

The council ended up approving the development, but it now appears Dave has blocked -- or at least curtailed -- the subdivision plan by snapping up some of Oberer's property.

Ex-NBA star Vince Carter had a horrifying Father's Day ... 'cause police say his home was burglarized while his wife and two kids were inside of it -- and nearly $100K was taken in the incident.

According to an Atlanta Police Dept. incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, suspects broke into Carter's Atlanta home at around 11:50 PM on June 19 ... while the Toronto Raptors legend's wife, Sondi, and her two sons were lying in bed.

According to the report, Sondi said she was frightened by loud noises that had come from the front of her home ... so she took her two boys, hid in a bedroom closet, and dialed 911.

Cops say Sondi told them she had heard suspects rummaging through their belongings in different rooms.

According to the report, an off-duty Atlanta cop arrived at Carter's home first and saw a man wearing a mask and all-black clothing fleeing the property, before eventually getting into an SUV and taking off.

Officers say they arrived a short time later and saw the front window of the home was completely broken. They also said they found $16,100 in $100 bills scattered outside the gated home.

According to the docs, officers said they spoke with Carter on the phone and he said the cash was from a brown bag he had in his closet. He said the $16K was only a small portion of the $100K that was inside of it.

Cops say they also recovered two guns outside the home -- a Desert Eagle that they say belonged to Carter, and a Glock 26 with an extended clip that they suspect belonged to the alleged thief.

Thankfully, cops say no one was injured in the incident. An investigation is ongoing.

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will settle their beef ... after seemingly years of back-and-forth trash talk, failed negotiations, canceled flights and an ultimatum from Jake -- fight me now or never -- the two boxers will finally square off in a ring.

Jake announced the news early Thursday morning ... proclaiming Tommy, Tyson Fury's younger brother, stepped up to the plate and accepted his challenge.

"Okay people he grew a set overnight. It's official, I'm taking this little Fury's head off," Paul said on Twitter.

JP also announced he and Tommy will co-main event alongside Amanda Serrano, who fights under Jake's MVP promotion and is fighting Brenda Carabajal at the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden.

Yesterday, Jake ripped 23-year-old Fury ... accusing him of ducking him and finding every possible excuse to prevent the fight from happening.

"Tommy Fury, you pulled out last year. Then you agree to fight me now but your dad is trying to pull you out again? We've given you everything you asked for," Paul told Fury.

He continued ... "We're 45 days away from the fight. We agreed to his 2 million dollar purse, we agreed to VADA testing, extra flights, extra rooms, extra tickets to the fight."

And, let's not forget back in December, Jake seemed to be over the Tommy saga ... after Fury pulled out of their Dec. 18 bout due to a chest infection and broken rib.

Fred Goldman says the staggering sum that O.J. Simpson owes him has now ballooned to a whopping $96 MILLION, TMZ Sports has learned.

Goldman laid it all out in new court documents, in which he's applying for a renewal of his old judgment against the former NFL star stemming from the death of Fred's son, Ron Goldman.

You'll recall, in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the 1994 killing of Ron, who died along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, Calif.

In 2015, Fred said with interest, O.J. owed him $57 million. But, in the new docs, Fred now says interest has continued to pile up over the last 7 years and has now reached nearly $97 mil.

Jake Paul is over Tommy Fury duckin' him ... giving Tyson's little bro an ultimatum -- fight me now or fight me NEVER -- and it appears to have worked!

"Tommy Fury, you pulled out last year. Then you agree to fight me now but your dad is trying to pull you out again? We've given you everything you asked for," Jake wrote, listing out the so-called demands.

"$2M purse ✅
VADA testing ✅
Tampon’s ✅"

Paul's alluding to their 2021 fight that never came to fruition ... after Tommy sustained an injury. Tyron Woodley ultimately took his place, and was knocked out.

Now, Jake says Tommy's running out of time, and must sign on the dotted line ASAP ... so they can fight August 6 at Madison Square Garden.

To hammer home the point, Jake went on Instagram and said, "We're 45 days away from the fight," continuing ... "We agreed to his 2 million dollar purse, we agreed to VADA testing, extra flights, extra rooms, extra tickets to the fight."

Paul added, "It kept getting pushed until now .. what's the excuse? Oh, 'I can't come and I can't do it because my dad can't be there with me during the fight.'"

It's an excuse "The Problem Child" ain't buying, saying "It doesn't make any f***ing sense."

"You're scared! You claim you're a professional boxer but you don't wanna make the fight with me who you talk so much s*** about?!"

Thankfully for fans who want to see the scrap, it seems the pressure tactic worked for Paul ... 'cause the 8-0 (4 KOs) boxer seemingly accepted the terms via Twitter.

"See you august 6th pal," Fury wrote.

Johnny Depp is getting the band back together -- prepping for an overseas tour with The Hollywood Vampires -- all in the name of rock and roll.

Depp and the Vampires -- consisting of Joe Perry, Alice Cooper and Tommy Henriksen -- had previously canceled their tour back in March because of COVID restrictions, saying, "We kept trying to make it happen, but unfortunately due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 travel restrictions, it is just not possible."

But now, fans in Germany and Luxembourg will get the chance to see Depp and co. back in action ... though there's still a delay -- as the first show isn't until June 2023.

Of course, JD's been getting some practice in with Jeff Beck, and got a ton of praise for those shows in the U.K.

The Vampires tour announcement comes just a few weeks after Johnny defeated his ex-wife Amber Heard in court ... and was awarded a net judgment of $8.35 million.

This is awesome ... an outdoor basketball court in Los Angeles got a complete makeover this week -- with images of Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Magic Johnson, and other Lakers legends being painted all over it.

The artist behind the work, Gustavo Zermeno Jr., tells TMZ Sports he initially linked up with Veniceball and Project Backboard to repaint the court at Southside Christian Church in Inglewood to try to give it some TLC.

The Lakers theme was Zermeno Jr.'s idea ... saying he's been wanting to do this for years and "the pastor of the church is a huge Laker fan so it worked out perfectly."

Zermeno -- who's been painting professionally since 2016 -- tells us the focal point was Kobe (his favorite Laker) and other players who had their jerseys retired.

He also wanted to pay homage to Pau Gasol ... saying he "deserves to be up there with them."

And, after working alongside his friend Nick Flax for 2 weeks (10 hours per day using $3,000 worth of paint), he delivered a masterpiece.

Besides Bryant and Gasol, the court features Shaq, Magic, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, and Jerry Buss in front of the downtown L.A. skyline and Staples Center.

"It means the world really," Zermeno said of the piece. "It's also right next door to the new Clippers arena so it also shows this is still a Lakers town haha."

The unveiling marks the start of Zermeno's upcoming nonprofit organization called "Heart In The Paint" which will focus on the betterment of young lives through sports, art, and education.

Bill Cosby seemingly didn't care he was found liable in a civil suit accusing him of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl ... cheering over the phone when he found out the whole thing was only going to cost him $500,000.

Cosby's rep Andrew Wyatt tells TMZ he called the 84-year-old directly after the judgment was read -- informing Cosby the jury didn't award any punitive damages -- which could've cost the disgraced comedian millions.

Wyatt says when he let Cosby know the jury only awarded his accuser, Judy Huth, $500k ... Cosby responded, "What? That's all?" followed up with a "Booyah!"

We're told Bill was also able to get on the phone with the 2 jurors who had sided with him, thanking both women for being on the right side of equal rights and social justice.

We're told Cosby plans on filing an appeal ... so Huth's payday is, at the very least, likely to be delayed.

David Dobrik should have never been behind the controls of a massive excavator used in a social media stunt gone wrong, so says a YouTuber now suing the influencer, saying he suffered serious injuries as a result of David's actions.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, former Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek says he traveled to Utah Lake in Provo, Utah in the summer of 2020 with David and a group of friends to shoot video as part of Dobrik's "social media comeback."

Wittek says the plan for one video was to use an excavator, operated by Dobrik, and plant it in the water, to swing people around with a rope while riding various objects -- including wakeboards.

However, Wittek claims Dobrik then suggested people get swung around by the machine -- that he was operating -- by only holding the rope, and without objects.

Wittek says when it was his turn -- David started to swing him around too quickly -- the docs claim Dobrik noticed he was moving the excavator too fast, and slowed down abruptly, causing Wittek to slam into the side of the excavator ... and causing him serious injury.

While he doesn't list the specifics of his injuries in the lawsuit ... Wittek has previously discussed what happened that day -- saying he almost died -- breaking his foot, hip, tearing a ligament in his leg and shattering his skull in 9 places. He also says he almost lost his eye.

Wittek says as a result of the accident, he's suffered wage loss, loss of earning capacity and racked up hospital bills. He's suing for general negligence and intentional tort. He's suing for more than $10 million in damages.