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Brian Ortega is one of the twenty fighters who will scrap on the UFC's one and ONLY Noche event at the Sphere ... something the veteran MMA star describes as an "honor."

"Bro, it's another level. We get to fight on a historic event by a promotion that's already known for making history. So it's an honor to be chosen to go in there, a featured fight and kind of kick off the night for both co-main and main event," T-City told TMZ Sports earlier this week, just days before his clash with 29-year-old Diego Lopes.

Remember, Ortega, 33, and Lopes were supposed to fight in June at UFC 303 ... but the fight was scrapped the same day the men were due in the Octagon after Brian, who was coming off a win over Yair Rodriguez, got sick and couldn't fight.

Rolando Romero seems to be planning on having one of the best performances of his career later Saturday against Manuel Jaimes ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the boxer's copped all kinds of cool custom gear for the battle.

We're told Romero (a.k.a. Rolly) was hooked up with some Bruce Lee and Kobe Bryant swag from his go-to guy Aztek Kustoms ... just ahead of his 10-round tilt with Jaimes (16-1) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Aztek hooked Rolly up with unreleased Nike Machomai 3s boxing shoes ... and made them look just like the Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lees that Bryant originally released in 2010.

A viral pic of a man lugging around 2 geese in Ohio is blowing up after Donald Trump’s bizarre pet-munching Haitian immigrant claims ... but we're told the photo’s just being twisted to fit the former prez's narrative, and what's actually going on is far less dramatic.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife tells TMZ the real deal behind the viral pic -- the guy was actually picking up 2 geese that were hit in a Columbus car accident. And by the way, that's 45 minutes from Springfield, where Trump's wild claims supposedly took place.

The wildlife org clarified to us you usually need a statement or receipt from the county sheriff or wildlife officer to claim an animal carcass. But the Franklin County Wildlife Office tells TMZ that for geese, you don’t always need a receipt ... so the guy was totally in the clear to have them.

Ethan Slater and Lilly Jay are finally divorced, because they've come to a settlement ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the Broadway star and his high school sweetheart have settled their divorce and a judge has signed off as of Thursday.

The terms of the settlement are sealed, as all divorces are in NY state.

Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland is guaranteeing Part II will be everything the initial event was supposed to be, but thinks some tweaks in the entertainment department are due ... so he's asking 50 Cent to replace Ja Rule for the next go around!!!

It sounds insane, but Billy's telling us he's 100% serious and already has hard dates lined up for April 25, 2025 in Mexico -- stamp your calendars and passports!!!

Check out the vid ... Billy says it's gonna be a real-life utopia ... the musical act will be an afterthought amid plenty of white sand activities: scuba diving, sunbathing, live karate fighting, hello?!?

The Netflix cash cow "Squid Game" is a blatant ripoff of a movie that was released more than a decade earlier in India ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

Netflix is being sued by a man named Soham Shah, who claims he is the creator of the 2009 Hindi-language Indian film "Luck" ... which he says served as a blueprint for the hit 2021 streaming series "Squid Game."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the "Squid Game" franchise straight-up jacked the storyline from Shah's movie ... because "Luck" is a story about a group of desperate, indebted people enticed to take part in a series of competitive games for the chance to win large sums of money.

David Banner is elaborating on his recent viral comments about settling down with a wife and having children before he dies ... all those accolades won't mean jack if he can't pass them down to direct kin!!!

Banner was in Los Angeles for the "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" premiere, the miniseries drama he stars in with Kevin Hart, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson and Taraji P. Henson.

Banner got candid about life and the importance of having a family of his own ... making fellas take notes and ladies swoon in the process.

5:50 PM PT -- Correction: An earlier version of the story identified the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Louis Vuitton as the singer Brandi Williams and her mother Tracy Renee Williams. This was inaccurate. The story has been changed to correct the error.

Louis Vuitton has been hit with a lawsuit from a mother and daughter who claim they were treated unfairly at the fashion brand's stores compared to white shoppers in the same stores.

According to court docs, Tracy Renee Williams says she preordered and paid about $50,000 for items at a Costa Mesa LV store, but never received the delivery. When she went to a Beverly Hills location, she claims a white manager told her she was no longer welcome and that she would be arrested if she stayed or came back.

Springfield, Ohio's mayor says Donald Trump's wrong about Haitian immigrants eating people's dogs and cats there ... but he says the influx of migrants is causing real problems.

Mayor Rob Rue tells TMZ ... the arrival of 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the past few years in a town of 58,000 is straining infrastructure and causing a culture clash ... namely, an uptick in bad drivers and deadly car accidents.

The town's mayor says residents' pets are safe, but Springfield is seeing an increase in reckless driving incidents ... which Rue attributes to more Haitian immigrants behind the wheel.

A popular IVF clinic frequented by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Chrissy Teigen is about to face some legal woes ... we've learned former patients are gearing up to sue the practice.

In an announcement obtained by TMZ ... attorney Adam Wolf says his firm intends to sue Dr. Andy Huang of Reproductive Partners Medical Group, a Los Angeles-based fertility clinic. Wolf says the lawsuit will be filed in the coming days, and will allege the clinic wrongfully discarded 16 embryos belonging to one couple.

Wolf says the couple will claim the discarded embryos have possibly prevented them from having children ... which is why they're seeking justice.

Hip Hop pioneer Kurtis Blow says he's booming with life thanks to adjustments in his health regime -- perfect timing because he has a busy holiday season ahead!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with KB at LAX on Thursday, and he tells us by switching up his diet, drinking lots of water, and adding more hours of quality sleep, he's been able to hit the gym again ... not bad for a 65-year-old legend!!!

The NYC native successfully underwent heart-transplant surgery a few years ago, and advises his fellow rap elders -- and fans alike -- to start prioritizing their health and nutrition.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Sasha Colby is issuing a stern warning to voters ahead of the November election ... saying a Trump victory is a threat to basic human rights.

We caught up with the famed drag queen, who was the first transgender woman to present at MTV's VMAs in the show's 30 year history, at LAX, who voiced concerns about Donald Trump after Tuesday night's debate.

As Sasha put it ... the former prez's rhetoric is dangerous -- "weaponizing ignorant minds" -- and she takes issue with his unsubstantiated claims about the LGBTQ+ community.

Cops have arrested the man they say is the Brooklyn driver who went viral for stealing a tow truck that was about to repossess his vehicle.

According to the NYPD ... cops arrested 55-year-old Russell Laiosa, a man from East Islip, NY on Monday for allegedly causing chaos in Sunset Park after trying to prevent his truck from being wheeled off by a tow truck.

ICYMI ... cops say Laiosa is the guy who went toe-to-toe with the tow truck operator last Friday, when he confronted the repo man and ordered him to "put [his] f***ing truck down" ... before jumping into the tow truck and taking it for a joy ride through the Brooklyn neighborhood.

Dana White and the UFC are hosting one of their most ambitious cards ever at the Sphere on Saturday -- and that's saying something for a guy who built an entire "Fight Island" -- an event the UFC honcho tells us wouldn't be happening without Tom Brady!

White joined Babcock on TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1) this week ... where he revealed TB12 was the inspo behind the first-ever Sphere sporting event.

"I went to the Sphere with Tom Brady. He invited me to come to U2 with him. Had Brady not invited me, I wouldn't even have been to the Sphere yet. It's almost like this was meant to be," the UFC CEO said of the mega event.

Sylvester Stallone is hard at work on an upcoming book about his rise to superstardom ... and he says Woodstock was a big moment for him.

The "Tulsa King" star joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked him for an update on his memoir, and got his thoughts on the new season of his hit Paramount+ series.

Sly says his novel is going to be about his journey from being most likely to end up in the electric chair to a movie icon ... and he explains how a trip to New York during Woodstock in 1969 made him realize he needed to make his mark on the world.

"Vanderpump Rules" alum and producer Randall Emmett is saying goodbye to his beautiful L.A. house ... the place he and Lala Kent used to call home ... because he just sold the property.

Randall's real estate agent, David T. Kessler, tells TMZ ... the reality TV star closed escrow on his estate Wednesday for $4.35 million.

The new owner, we're told, isn't a celebrity though ... instead, the buyer is a retired businessman.