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Vladimir Putin, you up?

Greg Hardy says he's got one wish for his UFC fight in Moscow this weekend -- AND IT'S FOR THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO SHOW UP FOR IT!!!

"I been hoping to meet him since I got here," Hardy says. "I'm a big fan. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's going to be super hyped."

Of course, Hardy's fillin' in for the injured Junior Dos Santos this weekend against #7 ranked UFC heavyweight Alexander Volkov ... and GH tells TMZ Sports he's STOKED for the bout.

But, Greg says there's one thing that could make him EVEN HAPPIER to step in the Octagon on Saturday ... and that'd be if Putin himself is sitting cageside for it!!!

Hardy says he's bummed he didn't get to fight in front of Donald Trump at the last UFC event ... and says a Putin appearance would DEFINITELY help make up for it.

"It would be a big deal for me," Hardy says. "That's royalty for me, man. And, you know, I'm the Prince of War. I'm all about the royalty!"

As for how Hardy's enjoying his time in Russia so far, he says he's actually loving it, telling us he feels like he's treated better over there than in the US!!!

Hardy also talked with us about his disdain for Derrick Lewis ... and he broke down how he sees the fight with Volkov ending on Saturday.

"C'mon man, that s**t is easy. I don't care what people say. You can't tell me SC, Florida State, Florida, Miami, UCLA, I don't care who it is. How are they not winning? I don't give a s**t, man. You call me dumb, or blindsided, or whatever, ignorant. Give me a polo, man, and let me go to work."

That's "Last Chance U" star and former Independence Community College head football coach Jason Brown telling TMZ Sports how frickin' easy it'd be for him to win at a powerhouse university like FSU.

Coach Brown -- star of Netflix's hit show -- resigned from ICC after texting a German player he was his "new Hitler."

So, Brown's chillin' in his Cali home (he says he's got a cigar and whiskey line coming out, and he wrote a book, "Hate Me Now, Love Me Later") ... and even though he's a coach at heart, he says he's not exactly dying to jump back in the saddle.

Well, "unless Florida State calls," Coach Brown tells us ... and if that happens, he says lots of big-time coaches around the country are gonna be shook.

FYI, Florida State head coach Willie Taggart was fired only 21 games into his tenure at the school ... after getting smashed 27-10 by rival Univ. of Miami.

"Make no mistake about it. The D1 coaches know me. They're scared of my ass taking a D1 job, let's be real about it. Give me a Florida State polo, brother, and let's see what happens."

Brown says all the top recruits would flock to his program.

"They'll have the best players in America overnight. That's what it will be. That's a guarantee. Everybody in the country knows it too. That's what they're scared of."

But, realistically -- at least not now -- the call from the big-time program isn't coming ... and Coach Brown knows that and says it's a huge mistake.

"It's all image. Those guys want these name guys that don't know s**t from Shinola. Can't relate to the kids. Can't go into the home. They can only go into 1 home, they can't go into all the homes."

Drake + Weed = GREAT FOR EVERYONE!!!

... So says Al Harrington, the former NBA player turned marijuana mogul who tells TMZ Sports a superstar like Drake is HUGE for the entire pot community.

As we previously reported, Drake is launching the More Life Growth Company ... hoping to cash in on the crop craze by selling everything from vapes to pipes, rolling papers, hookahs and more.

Harrington has been in the weed game for a while -- he created Viola Extracts Inc. after retiring from the NBA and it's been growing like crazy.

Now, with Drake entering the space ... we asked Al if he viewed Drake as a competitor or an ally.

"I hope he win, bro! I need him to win because then I'll win," Harrington said.

Harrington says Drake's foray into the ganja biz is "amazing ... a huge announcement for the industry."

Oh, and Al says if Drake wants to team up and collaborate on a product ... HIT HIM UP!!!

It ain't over for University of Memphis star James Wiseman ... at least, not yet!!!

The 7'1" college basketball superstar -- the projected #1 overall pick in the '20 NBA Draft -- got a court order allowing him to play Friday night, minutes after the NCAA had deemed him ineligible.

The scandal is bizarre and complex but boils down to this ... the NCAA claims ex-NBA star Penny Hardaway provided $11,500 in moving expenses to Wiseman's family in 2017.

At the time, Hardway was an assistant basketball coach at Memphis East High School -- where Wiseman played his final two years of prep ball.

Hardaway later became the head coach at U of M -- and now the NCAA says the transaction makes Penny a "booster," which is a big problem.

On Friday, the NCAA announced Wiseman was ruled ineligible to compete and it seemed the 18-year-old's college career was basically over.

But, the University immediately filed for an emergency court order to restore Wisman's eligibility and it was GRANTED late Friday ... so he was able to take the court against the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Wiseman was a 5-star recruit coming out of Memphis East HS and flashed big-time in his college debut, scoring 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Deion Sanders would smash Dabo Swinney on the recruiting trail if he were hired at Florida State ... so says LeRoy Butler, who tells TMZ Sports there ain't a kid in America who wouldn't sign up to play for Prime Time!!!

Of course, LeRoy is biased ...  the Green Bay Packers legend went to FSU with Deion and is still good buddies with the Hall of Fame cornerback.

But, LeRoy tells us he knows for a fact Deion would be able to out-recruit Dabo's Clemson -- and just about every other big-name school in the country at FSU regardless.

"If Deion Sanders goes into your living room -- now, Dabo from Clemson could have just left -- they're going to take that meeting from Deion Sanders and probably attend Florida State!"

LeRoy has no idea if Deion is legitimately interested in the open FSU job ... and he tells us he's got no clue if FSU is seriously considering Prime either.

But, LeRoy does tell us it'd be an awesome hire for his alma mater -- saying there's no one out there he's confident could do better!

"He can't do any worse than any other re-tread out there," LeRoy says.

As for the X's and O's outside of recruiting ... Butler's confident Deion could put together a hell of a coaching staff, telling us even he would agree to be on that roster!!!

"That's one guy you don't say no to," Butler says. "You say yes to him before you say yes to your wife!"

O.J. Simpson has belatedly fired back at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas ... suing the hotel claiming it defamed him by banning him in 2017 after falsely accusing him of being drunk and disruptive.

The incident in question went down just weeks after Simpson was released from prison. Simpson -- who had been frequenting the hotel in the days prior -- allegedly got into an altercation on Nov. 8 at Clique Bar after flying into a drunken rage.

Sources told us ... glasses were broken during the melee and the ex-NFL star was eventually told to leave, given a trespass notice and told to never come back.

But, in his lawsuit, Simpson is adamant he was NOT drunk, he was NOT belligerent and did NOT break any glasses. In fact, he says earlier in the evening a manager at the steakhouse in the hotel actually thanked him for being a gracious guest.

O.J. says when he was leaving for the night ... someone from the hotel handed him a trespass notice and repeatedly said it was private property and he was not welcome back ... ever.

Simpson says he was shocked by the move, claiming he was never involved in an incident that night that could warrant a permanent ban.

Simpson says his parole officer saw our story and visited him at his residence the next day and gave him a drug and alcohol test ... which both turned up clean.

Simpson claims the PO also went to the Cosmo to investigate and told Simpson there was no evidence he did anything that would violate his parole.

In fact, in his suit, Simpson refers to himself as a "model parolee with perfect performance."

Reality is ... Simpson is WELCOMED at many famous spots all over town and regularly poses for pics and signs autographs. In a way, he's become a draw.

Shortly after the incident, Simpson spoke on camera and he said he had no clue what happened.

Simpson was released from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, after spending years behind bars for an armed robbery conviction.

Since he's been out, O.J. has been a regular on Vegas golf courses and fancy restaurants. He's also joined social media where he often talks about fantasy football topics.

Oakland Raiders stud Erik Harris -- a former D2 walk-on who BALLED OUT on Thursday -- just gave an awesome pump-up speech to everyone who's doubting themselves, saying, "Keep pushing forward!"

Harris' story is amazing ... the dude turned himself from an undrafted free agent in 2012 into the star of "Thursday Night Football" this week -- and when we asked him about the whole journey, he said it's been pretty epic.

The 29-year-old tells us he was about to give up his dream of playing pro football a few years ago ... but he decided to spend $80 on a Canadian Football League tryout, and it changed his life.

"It was special," Harris said of his time in the CFL. "It was special. Definitely part of who I am."

Harris was able to latch on in the NFL after his time in Canada ... and for the past two years, he's been a regular in Jon Gruden's Oakland lineup.

And, finally, on 'TNF' -- he showed the country all the fruits of his labor ... intercepting the hell out of Philip Rivers THREE TIMES (one was called back because of penalty).

So, when we asked the guy to give a message to all those who are currently in the shoes he wore back in 2012 ... he delivered an epic pump-up speech about never giving up.

"Believe in yourself," Harris said. "Find that confidence within yourself and keep pushing forward because if you continue to have that focus on that vision, then things will come true."

Nyjah Huston -- the #1 skateboarder in the world -- made an amazing wish come true for an 11-year-old shredder ... throwing the kid a private skate party and the pics are AWESOME!!!

The reigning Street League Skateboarding champ got word that a brave 11-year-old named Jaydon -- who's been battling a severe kidney disorder -- has been dreaming of skating with his hero, Nyjah.

In fact, we're told Jaydon -- who lives in Florida -- is a hardcore skate fanatic who watches skate videos of Nyjah almost every day!

So, the good people at the Make-A-Wish Foundation put the two in touch -- and Nyjah hooked up one of the coolest 1-on-1 skate sessions EVER!

Nyjah invited Jaydon to the famous The Berrics indoor skatepark in Los Angeles -- owned by pro skaters Steve Berra and Eric Koston -- where Huston personally hooked the kid up with dope shoes and gave him pointers on how to hit the ramps and grind rails.

AND, THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

Huston and Make-A-Wish also brought in a taco guy -- because Jaydon loves tacos -- and they mowed down all the food their stomachs could hold!

When the day was over, Jaydon didn't only leave with a super memorable experience ... Huston sent him packing with a boatload of signed gifts and Nike merch.

LeBron James says Deion Sanders would be the PERFECT hire for the Florida State head coaching gig ... saying, "it would be so dope" to get Prime Time on the sidelines.

Of course, FSU just paid Willie Taggart around $18 million to NOT coach their team after starting 9-12 in his first 2 seasons ... and there have been rumblings Deion could be his replacement.

Enter King James ... who's calling for the Seminoles to pull the trigger and pick up Prime to be the next head coach at Florida State.

"Man it would be so dope and just seems PERFECT for Prime Time @DeionSanders to be the HC of FSU! I mean right??"

"One thing about it he would get in any household on the planet to talk with a kid/parent/s. #ItsTimeforPrime"

FYI -- Bron is an Ohio State guy through and through ... but also grew up a Dallas Cowboys backer, which could be one of the reasons he's so high on Prime.

Sanders has spoken out about people like Miami legend Uncle Luke calling for him to take the gig ... and it doesn't sound like he's against it.

"Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda just found a virtual pot of gold buried in a Dallas storage locker -- because it's filled with trinkets from "The Dude Perfect Show."

Rene -- who runs the Bargain Hunters Thrift Store featured on the reality show -- tells TMZ ... he and two buddies, Jeremy Hales and Justin Grimes, dropped $2,770 on a storage unit this week in Texas, and when they got inside they realized it used to belong to the super-popular YouTube stars.

"Dude Perfect" has a massive following -- 47.1 million subscribers -- so you've probably seen their insane sports trick shot videos, or recognize them from their Super Bowl commercial.

It's quite a haul for Rene ... the storage locker is filled with "Dude Perfect" props dating back to their first season -- trophies, a massive baseball mitt, the famous panda costume and more.

There was definitely no love in this tennis match ... as 2 female pros got in an intense shove-off after the final point on Thursday ... and it was all over an aggressive handshake!!!

The match was between Canadian player Katherine Sebov (white shorts) and American Alycia Parks (pink shorts) in the round of 16 of the ITF W60 tournament in Las Vegas.

Sebov won the match in straight sets, but things got physical after Parks claims Sebov squeezed her hand too hard at the net following the match ... and made it clear she didn't like it one bit.

Parks -- who was already heated and had thrown her racket after the final point -- went after Sebov following the shake and that's when all hell broke loose ... with the 2 players shoving each other!!!

The line judge had to interfere ... and Parks' dad jumped a fence (hilarious BTW) to get on the court to help break it up.

Things finally cooled down ... and Parks addressed it with reporters after the match, saying, "She squeezed my hand very hard."

Another pro, Sachia Vickery, also backed Parks' claim, saying, "I was there she def squeezed her hand at the net. I hope they don’t try to spin this."

"The ref clearly says he saw it . Won’t be shocked if nothing is done about it tho"

Terry Bradshaw doubts Antonio Brown will ever see another snap in the NFL ... telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "I wouldn't sign him."

"He's erratic," Bradshaw told us in NYC ... "His behavior makes me nervous. I don't know what's wrong with him. It makes no sense."

AB added another chapter to one of the most bizarre NFL stories ever on Thursday ... quitting the league in a profanity-laced social media rant, before eventually backtracking.

Bradshaw agrees the 31-year-old WR is crazy talented, but the off-the-field issues could be too big of a hurdle for him to overcome.

"Ya gotta deal with a lot of stuff. Are you willing to do that?"

Bradshaw says if he were running an NFL team, "I'd have to sit him down and I gotta make sure he's okay."

Brown has already been cut by TWO teams this season -- the Raiders and the Patriots -- and he cussed out the NFL on Thursday, saying the league treats black players unfairly.

The Seattle Seahawks reportedly looked into signing Brown recently but opted to sign Josh Gordon instead ... ultimately deciding Brown was not worth the trouble.

Brown is also being investigated by the NFL over allegations he raped his former trainer at his home in 2018. AB has denied the allegations and said the accuser's lawsuit is nothing more than a cash grab.

The best player in college football might never play a down in the NCAA again ... Ohio State's superstar pass rusher Chase Young has been suspended indefinitely.

Young -- a junior who leads the country in sacks with 13.5 and is the projected No. 1 overall pick in next spring's NFL draft -- is accused of committing an NCAA violation back in 2018.

Unclear what Young allegedly did to spur the probe ... but the school confirmed in a statement the 20-year-old will miss at least the Maryland game this weekend.

"Ohio State’s Chase Young will not play in this Saturday’s game between the Buckeyes and the Maryland Terrapins due to a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the Department of Athletics is looking into," the Buckeyes said.

Young is one of the five most touted college football prospects of this last decade ... comparable to past No. 1 overall picks Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.

The 6'5", 265-pounder is just one sack away from Ohio State's single-season record -- a hell of an accomplishment considering NFL stars Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa just had careers there.

As for how the investigation will affect his draft stock ... it undoubtedly won't -- scouts have been drooling over the DE all year, with ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper saying this month, "He, right now, is the No. 1 player in the draft."

"I don’t see that changing between now and April."

Shaq ... WE SAW WHAT YOU DID!!!

Charles Barkley was TRYING to do his usual thing of making fun of the larger female population in San Antonio during Thursday's "Inside the NBA" ... but it was Shaq who had the last laugh.

While Barkley was doing his best impression of big people stuffing their faces with churros, O'Neal realized the motion resembled oral sex ... and decided to mess with Chuck.

"Do it slower, Chuck! Do it slower," Shaq said while cracking up!

By the way, it doesn't seem like Charles ever caught on to what Shaq was doing -- which made it even funnier.

But, Kenny "The Jet" Smith saw what was happening -- and finally grabbed Barkley's arm so he couldn't do it again.

Conor McGregor has fought his way out of ANOTHER sticky situation -- reportedly proving he's NOT the father in a dispute of a 2-year-old "love child."

26-year-old Terri Murray had accused Conor of knocking her up back in 2017 -- just weeks before Conor's GF Dee Devlin gave birth to their son Conor Jr.

Murray claims she and Conor slept together at his hotel during the '17 Grand National in Liverpool. There is a photo circulating of Conor partying with Murray around that time.

But, according to Conor's rep, the UFC superstar has taken a DNA test which proves once and for all ... (switch to Maury Povich voice) ... HE'S NOT THE FATHER!!!

"To conclusively end any and all erroneous media reports, Conor McGregor took a DNA test recently which confirmed to all parties that he is not the father of the child in Liverpool," Conor's spokesperson said in a statement.

The Irish Independent claims they have seen the results showing a "zero percent probability" McGregor is the daddy.

Well, here it is. 14 years ago today, we pushed a button and TMZ.com went live and has been on a wild ride ever since.

We have broken thousands of stories over the years, many of which we can proudly say have changed the political and social climate. Our Ray Rice story had profound implications on the way the NFL and others deal with domestic violence. Our Donald Sterling story changed basketball for the better.

Some of the stories we've posted have been jaw-dropping. Those of us who worked at TMZ back in June 2009 were thunderstruck when we realized Michael Jackson was dead, and our investigation into doctors who enabled the singer was super disturbing.

Check out just a few of the stories we've broken that have made national and in many cases world news.

Sometimes you just know. When we got the Beyonce/Jay-Z elevator video back in May 2014, we knew it would generate crazy interest. What caused Solange to attack Jay, and how do you deconstruct Bey's reaction? Bey and Jay eventually righted the ship, and now all's well.

Click here to read more!

Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice got in trouble for attacking his girlfriend, but the public had no idea how serious it was until we got video of Ray viciously knocking out his fiancee in an elevator. The story hit like an atomic bomb. Prosecutors gave Rice a slap on the wrist, and the NFL gave him a measly 2-game suspension, which it later increased after a torrent of public criticism. The story triggered big changes in the way the NFL and other sports deal with domestic violence.

Click here to read more!

Michael Jackson long had trouble with drugs but kept a lot of it hidden from public view. On June 25, 2009, we got a tip he went into cardiac arrest and made about a hundred calls and eventually determined he was dead. After we broke the death story, the L.A. Times posted a story that Jackson was in a coma. The rest of the media had to then choose ... who to believe.