JA MORANT SUSPENDED FROM MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES ... After Flashing Alleged Gun On IG
8:43 AM PT -- The Memphis Grizzlies just announced Ja Morant has been suspended from all activities pending League review. An NBA spokesperson says they are in the process of gathering more information.
Ja Morant has set social media ablaze with another apparent gun incident ... this time flashing what appears to be a weapon Saturday during an IG Live.
Morant is having fun in a car with a friend, listening to NBA YoungBoy's album. As the camera pans toward him, you see what appears to be the Grizzlies star holding a gun ... just for a second, and then the camera turns away.
Fans recorded the moment and it's making rounds on social. What we don't know ... whether the gun's real, and whether it's his.
There was a previous incident in March with Morant and a gun ... he was at a Denver nightclub on IG Live, but later said the gun wasn't his.
This had its consequences ... Morant was suspended for 8 games without pay for the incident. However, police investigated and ended up not charging Morant with a crime. The NBA also did its own investigation and could not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant. It was also unclear if he brought the gun into the club.
The 23-year-old enrolled in a Florida counseling program before returning to the court.
We reached out to a rep for the Memphis Grizzlies about the IG video taken Saturday ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 6:32 AM PT
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Kim Zolciak & Kroy Biermann No Open Marriage Or Cheating ... Despite Online Rumors
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There have been lots of theories thrown around as to what led to the downfall of Kim Zolciak's marriage to Kroy Biermann -- from rumors of cheating to claims the two had an open marriage ... but we're told all that noise is far from the truth.
Here's the deal -- the rumor mill has been going crazy since Kim filed for divorce from the former NFL star earlier this week ... with smoke online about possible affairs.
On the opposite end of that spectrum ... the anonymous gossip site DeuxMoi claimed the two had an open marriage.
However, sources with direct knowledge say that's all BS ... saying there was neither cheating nor any flexibility in the now-estranged couple's sex life.
Lots of 'RHOA' fans have also been wondering if Kim will be making her return to the show, or even if she’ll be a part of the upcoming cast of the spin-off "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" amid her nasty divorce -- but sources say she has no interest in the reality TV game right now, and instead is focused on her kids.
TMZ broke the story, Kim pulled the plug on her 11-year marriage at the end of April ... saying it was "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." They've got 4 kids together, and she's asking for primary physical custody of them and joint legal custody. Kroy wants sole custody -- thus, the battle.
Our sources say Kim's been laying low at home with her kids when they aren't at school since her filing -- but is still sticking to the same schedule as always with no changes to the day-to-day.
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KSI KOs Fournier with Illegal Elbow ... Ref Missed It
YouTube star KSI knocked out Joe Fournier in the second round Saturday night ... and it would have been impressive except for the fact it was an illegal blow to the head, and the ref was in the dark.
The two went at it furiously at London's Wembley Arena, and KSI was landing some impressive punches in the first 2 rounds. In round 2, it appeared KSi landed a massive shot to Fournier's jaw, sending him tumbling to the canvas.
The ref declared KSI the winner, but when you watched the replay, it was clear it was not a glove that made contact with Fournier's jaw ... it was KSI's elbow, and that's illegal.
Had the ref seen it, it probably would have resulted in an instant disqualification, but that didn't happen.
KSI said in the post-fight interview he did not strike Fournier with his elbow. But the video clearly tells a different story,
KSI also called out Tommy Fury in the ring and the 2 had to be separated. Fury had a fight of his own during the match ... getting into it with a former "Love Island" castmate.
KSI, 29, landed the bigger punches throughout the first round of the exhibition bout at London’s Wembley Arena, and he tagged Fournier, 40, with a huge overhand right in Round 2. That was followed by an attempted right hook, with KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) instead making contact with his elbow.
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Jay Glazer TB12 Will Crush It As Raiders Owner ... I Guarantee It!!!
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Raiders fans ... want to just win (baby) all the time? According to Jay Glazer, ya better hope Tom Brady gets a piece of the franchise!!!
The FOX reporter made it crystal clear to us out at LAX this week that if Brady does, indeed, complete his deal with Mark Davis to become a minority owner of Vegas' team ... he expects victories on the field to follow in bunches.
"Anything Tom touches, he's going to be successful," Glazer told us. "Any time you have Tom Brady around, it's going to help. It's not going to hurt. He's a winner."
According to reports, Brady has been working with Davis to land a small ownership stake in the Raiders for weeks ... and an agreement could be on its way soon.
Tom Brady In Talks W/ Mark Davis To Become Raiders Minority Owner
While the new role reportedly would not include any final say in roster decisions or day-to-day operations, Glazer said he expects it to make a huge impact on the franchise nonetheless.
Glazer told us Brady's work ethic will rub off on everyone ... and, if the G.O.A.T.'s able to take a peek at a QB or two and offer an opinion, Glazer said that'd obviously help as well.
As for his future at FOX, Glazer didn't expect a potential Raiders ownership to impact that at all ... telling us, "If he broadcasts with us, he'll be terrific at that too because he's just going to outwork people."
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SYLVESTER STALLONE Relists $21.3 Mil Hidden Hills Home ... 3 Months After Taking It Off Market
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Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin are once again looking to unload their Hidden Hills property ... they just put it back on the market, only 3 months after pulling the original listing.
Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the famous couple's estate is now listed for $21.3 million, which is a $1.2 million price reduction.
Remember ... Sly and JF put the place up for sale back in December for $22.5 million, but it never sold, and in February they took it off the market.
We're told they took the home off the market in February because it was listed during the holidays, and after waiting a couple months they feel it's being relisted at a better time.
The 4-bedroom home is 10,460 square feet with 8 bathrooms ... and it's decked out with a pool, home theater, gym, horse barn and stables, plus a riding area.
The property rests on 2.26 acres with picturesque mountain views ... and there's also a pool house and a guest house, plus a koi pond, vegetable garden and 100+ avocado and citrus trees on the expansive lot.
The master bedroom stands out ... it comes with dual walk-in closets, a private balcony and a sitting area.
Sly and Jennifer are no strangers to L.A. real estate ... as we first reported, he sold his Beverly Hills home to Adele for $58 million at the beginning of last year, and then in March 2022 he and Jen bought the Hidden Hills home.
Our sources say Sylvester and Jennifer are selling the place because they spend the majority of their time in Florida, where they own a $35 million mansion in Palm Beach.
Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX ONE holds the listing.
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LeBron James NBA Logoman Patch Card Hits Auction ... One Of A Kind From '16 Finals
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A super rare card that features an NBA Logoman patch from one of LeBron James' jerseys during his epic 2016 Finals series has just gone up for sale ... TMZ Sports has learned.
PWCC officials tell us they put the card on their auction block Thursday ... and it's truly a one-of-a-kind item.
It's a Panini Eternal piece that was created just after the trading card co. scored one of LBJ's jerseys from the series against the Warriors where he came back from down 3-1 to win Cleveland's first title.
Panini cut the NBA Logoman patch from the threads -- built it into the card ... making it a true 1-of-1.
No word on what it's ultimately expected to fetch when the final gavel hits ... but PWCC exec Jesse Craig called it "one of LeBron's best cards" ever.
"Outside of some rare booklet-style cards, this is the only series of cards I am aware of that included LeBron James NBA Finals-worn jersey pieces in them," Craig said.
"It's of interest to see it go to auction right now because of the playoff battle between LeBron and Curry. That 2016 Finals is the notorious 3-1 Golden State lead that LeBron and the Cavs overcame to secure their elusive championship. This card was constructed as a monument to the victory of King James."
Bidding on the card -- which is graded Mint 9 and features James holding the Larry O'Brien trophy with a short blurb about his legendary Game 5 performance on the back -- ends on May 25.
Good luck, bidders!!
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Los Angeles Lakers Win Semifinal Matchup Against Warriors ... Hollywood Comes Out In Force
The LA Lakers trounced the Golden State Warriors on Friday night to inch closer to an NBA Championship ... and a bevy of Hollywood stars came out to support their team.
Led by The King, Lebron James, the Lakers walloped the Warriors 122 to 101 to win Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinal matchup and advance to the finals in their division.
Needless to say, the celebs loved every moment of it as they rooted for the Lakers from their courtside seats at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. Among the boldfaced names were Leo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Michael B. Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Woody Harrelson, Orlando Bloom, Jack Harlow, Lewis Hamilton, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bill Maher, Kendall Jenner and her boyfriend, Bad Bunny.
Kendall and Bad Bunny were seated side by side looking around and smiling ... Leo, as always, went incognito with his baseball cap pulled down over his face ... Jack Nicholson was enjoying the game with his son Ray ... Woody, Bill and Orlando all got together for a little chat on the sideline. And the rest of the stars were having plenty of fun, too.
Man, what a night for Hollywood and the Lakers. Next up for Los Angeles is the Denver Nuggets. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is slated for Tuesday.
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Brittney Griner Returns To WNBA After Detainment In Russian ... Expresses Gratitude, Fans Go Wild
Brittney Griner made her long-awaited return to the basketball court Friday night after her 10-month detainment in Russia last year, but it didn't have the ending her fans were hoping for.
The Phoenix Mercury center still scored 10 points and pulled down 3 rebounds as the Mercury fell to the LA Sparks by a score of 90 to 71 in the WNBA preseason game.
Griner only played for 17 minutes, but she made the most of it, and her teammates were psyched to see her back on the court, hugging and high-fiving while also giving each other chest bumps.
Brittney Griner introduced in front of the home crowd in Phoenix…
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) May 13, 2023 @eliavgabay
I know it’s preseason, but I got chills…
BG is back.@Sports360AZ @brittneygriner #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/yZ8TqFFUsR
The crowd was ecstatic to see Brittney ... they erupted in applause when her name was first announced inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
After the game, Griner told reporters that she was "grateful" to have the opportunity to play again and would not take a single day for granted.
She also said she had a different experience hearing the national anthem before the game got underway.
“Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different," she said, adding, "It’s like when you go for the Olympics."
Griner was critical of her on-court performance, explaining, “Not where I want it to be, but on the right track. We’re making the right moves."
#Mercury Brittney Griner on her first game since 2021 #wnba Finals pic.twitter.com/NP5kFlueP0
— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) May 13, 2023 @jeffmetcalfe
But, given what's Griner's been through, it must have felt in some way like a victory.
Griner was detained in Russia for nearly 300 days after getting caught with hash oil at Moscow Airport in February 2022. She was charged with smuggling drugs into the country, but was later released in a prisoner swap in December.
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Fernando Tatis Jr. Motorcycle Accident Ad Airs During At Bat ... Not Intentional
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No, the motorcycle accident advertisement that aired during Fernando Tatis Jr.'s at-bat earlier this week was not done intentionally ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Our sources tell us that even though it may have looked like purposeful shade thrown at the Padres star during the game ... it was nothing more than a mere coincidence.
If you missed it, the incident happened during the broadcast of Minnesota's tilt against San Diego on Wednesday ... when Tatis Jr. stepped into the batter's box in the top of the third inning.
No way this was a coincidence pic.twitter.com/0ZBfwMTqIL
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 11, 2023 @TalkinBaseball_
As he dug in ... an ad flashed across the bottom of the screen, and it read, "Injured in a Motorcycle Accident?" It then provided a number for LawTigers.com, a law firm specializing in motorcycle accident cases.
At the moment, it seemed like some kind of diss on Tatis Jr. ... who had reportedly been injured in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic in 2021.
But, despite the optics, our broadcast sources are adamant it was all "absolutely unintentional."
One pitch.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 11, 2023 @YahooSports
One home run.
Fernando Tatis Jr. opens the scoring in a HURRY 💥pic.twitter.com/CY356NvCQJ
Tatis Jr. didn't seem bothered by it either way ... he hit a home run in the Padres' next game on Thursday.
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Floyd Mayweather Gets Special Juneteenth Belt ... For John Gotti III Fight
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A one-of-a-kind belt will be presented when Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti's grandson meet in the ring next month ... with the World Boxing Council designing a special Juneteenth-themed keepsake for the exhibition.
TBE and John Gotti III are slated to fight on June 11 in Florida ... which falls just over a week before the federal holiday.
Given the historic significance of Juneteenth, we're told the WBC wanted to commemorate the day as part of the weekend's festivities by presenting the unique belts to Floyd, as well as Robert Smith, James McNair, and Deon Taylor for their contributions to society.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán spoke with TMZ Sports on the move ... saying "Juneteenth is a national holiday and Floyd Mayweather is the best representative for success and glory through hard work and dedication."
"The WBC will thank and support these four great men who make life better for all every single day."
The belt features broken chains and hands shaking ... as well as the usual "WBC World Champion" etched on the front with "Juneteenth" underneath.
The whole boxing match, put together by Floyd's friend Jona Rechnitz, will be a celebration ... with Ozuna and Lunay set to bring the vibes.
Of course, there won't be an actual winner declared ... so Floyd's going home with the belt regardless.
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Anthony Smith Win Over Johnny Walker Sets Up Fight W/ Alex Pereira
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Anthony Smith, the 5th ranked UFC light heavyweight, is fighting 7th ranked Johnny Walker this Saturday ... and while he doesn't think a win will earn him an immediate title shot, "Lionheart" believes it'll put him on a collision course with Alex Pereira, and set him up for a crack at the elusive belt!
"Two months ago I would've told you the winner gets a title shot. Alex Pereira really throws a wrench in that for all of us. I'd like to be able to tell you a win here gets me a title shot, but it probably earns me a fight with Alex Pereira."
Of course, 35-year-old Pereira, the former middleweight champion, recently lost his UFC rematch to Israel Adesanya ... and announced shortly after he'd move up to the 205 lb. division, where making weight will be significantly easier.
Pereira has not yet been added to the UFC's light heavyweight rankings (he's still #1 at middleweight) ... but it's clear Smith believes Alex is going to be fast-tracked to the front of the line.
For Anthony (who's won 3 of his last 4) to be the one to get the Alex fight, and presumably secure an opportunity to earn a title fight by beating him, Smith must defeat the 6'6" Walker, who is coming off two straight wins (Ion Cutelaba in 2022, Paul Craig in 2023).
Smith believes he's got the clear skills advantage over Walker, who at one time was considered a lock to be champ, but Anthony says that doesn't always equate to a win in the Octagon (check out the clip -- Anthony previews the matchup).
Lionheart also joked ... "Only in the UFC is your reward for beating Johnny Walker a tougher fight with Alex Pereira."
Despite Pereira's incredible power and kickboxing, Anthony is pumped for the would-be fight.
"I like it. I like Alex. I'm a fan. I think he has obvious holes in his game and I think that those are going to be exposed a little more at 205. But looking at it from the outside, I'm a fan of that guy. I love the style. I love his aura. He's got this serial killer aura."
First things first ... Smith vs. Walker goes down Saturday afternoon on ABC! 👊
There's more -- we also chatted with Jairzinho Rozenstruik ... who is headlining the card against Jailton Almeida.
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Rolly Romero Channeling Orange For Fight ... With Frank Ocean 'Pyramids' Shoes
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Frank Ocean's Coachella performance didn't put a bad taste in Rolly Romero's mouth ... 'cause the boxer will be showing love for the singer during his fight against Ismael Barroso on Saturday!!
TMZ Sports is told ... the lightweight fighter is a huge Ocean fan, so he hit up his go-to guy, Aztek Kustoms, to create boxing shoes featuring the Simpsons-inspired cover art of his favorite song -- "Pyramids."
The finished product is dope ... you can see the Nike Machomai 2 shoes are covered in orange paint with "Channel" stitched with rhinestones on the back -- paying homage to Ocean's Channel Orange album.
There's also a portrait of the 14-1 boxer in "Simpson" form with a female on the bed -- just like the song's cover -- showing him rockin' the same fur coat he wore during his press conference with Gervonta Davis last May.
10 years ago today, Frank Ocean released his song ‘Pyramids’ onto his official SoundCloud account. pic.twitter.com/C4HhH1dxND
— Odd Future (@OddFuturePage) June 7, 2022 @OddFuturePage
"These took me roughly 20 hours," Aztek said. "Both of the portraits are hand-painted. And, of course, they wouldn't be Rolly's without the rhinestones."
FYI, Aztek has created custom shoes featuring musicians for Rolly before -- last May, he made "Purple Rain" shoes with Prince on them for the Davis fight.
"These are both mine and his favorite pair so far," Aztek said. "Just because we had a lot more time to actually talk about the design and put more detail into them."
Aztek said the shoes were delivered a few days ago, but he's stoked to watch Rolly show off his design during the 12-round match at The Cosmopolitan for the vacant WBA super lightweight title.
BTW, Romero told us he's looking for a rematch with Tank ... after he takes down Barroso.
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Kanye West I'm Not Done Yet ... YZY 'Sock Shoes' Coming Soon???
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Kanye West has lost his appeal with a lot of people and companies ... but that doesn't mean he's stopped creating, as evidenced in a recent trademark filing.
Ye's Mascotte Holdings Inc. recently filed for "YZY SOCK SHOES." The documents, obtained by TMZ, were submitted May 4 -- and while there's not a whole lot of detail -- there is an identification that reads, "Socks; socks with leather soles."
Of course, Kanye's no stranger to shoe design ... and he was actually spotted wearing what appeared to be a sock shoe-type design back in 2019, so it's possible he's bringing the product to the masses.
As for a retail partner, that's where Ye might have some troubles ... as you know, Adidas cut ties with him after his countless attacks on Jewish people and his praise of Hitler.
He could always sell through his Yeezy brand, but it's currently unknown what sort of infrastructure still remains behind the scenes of the company.
Earlier this week, Adidas announced it planned to sell off the remaining $1 billion+ in Yeezy shoes it still has in stock -- Kanye will get 15% of sales -- and some of the money will also go to charities.
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UFC Star Ian Garry Daniel Rodriguez Is 'One Dimensional' ... 'Easy Opponent'
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"Stylistically, I don't believe [D-Rod] is my toughest opponent."
That's 25-year-old, undefeated UFC star Ian Garry ... on the eve of his first fight with a ranked fighter, 15th ranked welterweight, Daniel Rodriguez.
And, while he may be the first guy with a little number next to his name, Garry straight-up says Daniel isn't the best he's faced.
"I don't believe he poses as much threat as a lot of people have. He's a very one-dimensional, standard fighter. He's a Southpaw boxer in MMA. Doesn't throw a lot of kicks. Doesn't go for takedowns. Doesn't go for submissions," Ian told us.
"So, I find that as an easy opponent. Whereas there are some guys who are a bit more wrestling based, have heavy hands, and like to kind of bang to get into a takedown, and I would find them a bit more difficult."
Garry is currently unranked ... but believes he will take Rodriguez's spot with a win, and that'd mean the world to him.
"I'm f****** excited to get ranked No.15 in the world. When you knock No.15 out, take No.15. I like that it's No.15. There's something symbolic about being in the top 15," Ian said of being regarded as one of the best 170 lb. fighters in the world.
And, when he steps in the Octagon on Saturday afternoon, Garry's going to be doing it on network television.
"I spoke to my team after the last fight, and I said I want to grow my followers. I want to grow my team, my supporters. And what is the best way to do that? I believe is to put it on live television. Not put it behind a paywall. To have the most amount of possible eyes see my performances will help grow not only me and my support but the UFC as a whole."
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Dwayne Johnson Makes His 'Fast & Furious' Comeback ... After Dragging Vin Diesel, Shutting Down Return
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is a part of "Fast & Furious" franchise once again ... despite previously claiming he's permanently put the brakes on when it comes to Vin Diesel's flicks.
Spoiler alert, folks -- but according to TheWrap, Dwayne makes an appearance in a post-credit scene for the latest installment, "Fast X," which hits theaters next week. It's unclear exactly what goes down, or who he appears with, but it's safe to say good ol' Luke Hobbs isn't done drivin' fast cars.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
It's a shocking cameo, though ... because as we reported, Dwanye wanted nothing to do with the franchise back in 2021 after Vin publicly begged him to come back to the 'Fast' family -- asking Dwayne to "not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play."
Dwayne called him out soon after, telling CNN the Instagram plea was just a bunch of "manipulation" -- adding he spoke to Vin privately about his decision and there was absolutely "no chance I would return."
Of course, there was some bad blood between the 2 over the years on set ... with Dwayne saying some of his male costars on those movies -- with all signs pointing to Vin -- didn't act like "true professionals."
Can you smell what the Rock is cookin'? Cuz it smells like some embarrassing backtracking.
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Floyd Mayweather Hosting Hundreds Of Underprivileged Kids ... At Next Fight Vs. Gotti III
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Floyd Mayweather is returning to the boxing ring in 30 days, and when he does, there will be a few hundred special guests in attendance ... and we're not talking about the celebs that typically fill the stands when TBE fights!
They'll be there, too (more on that later) ... but even better, we're told Floyd wanted to do something nice, so he linked up with two of his business partners/friends, and they're bringing kids from the inner city to the fight.
"I have teamed up with Robert Smith and Deon Taylor with a charitable initiative attached to my upcoming fight. We are going to be hosting several hundred underprivileged kids from the inner city to come to my fight and we will have a day of fun with them and a private dinner with them during the fight week," Mayweather tells us.
FYI, Smith, a billionaire, has donated many millions of dollars to different causes, including civil rights, over the years.
Everyone else will have to pay for tickets, which went on sale yesterday and have been selling fast, according to our sources.
The June 11 scrap between Floyd and John Gotti III, the grandson of legendary mobster John Gotti, is different than a typical Mayweather fight ... it's also a top-notch concert, featuring Puerto Rican rapper Lunay and others.
We recently spoke to Lunay ... and asked him about being part of the big event.
We're told Ozuna, a longtime supporter of Money, AND Bad Bunny will also be in the building.
"I’m happy to come and support my brother Floyd Mayweather. We have been friends for many years. He is the G.O.A.T.," Ozuna tells TMZ Sports.
As for other celebs who will be in the house, we're told a bunch of star athletes will also be in the building.
Mayweather vs. Gotti III goes down next month at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL! 👊