TMZ Sports - Page 37

Watching the world's greatest athletes duke it out in the Olympics is awesome -- but if anyone involved in the Paris Games ever gets bored, they got one helluva backup plan ... thanks to a local cabaret offering FREE visits!!

The folks at Secret Square -- one of the highest-rated adult venues in Paris -- tell TMZ Sports they're prioritizing those hard at work over the next few weeks ... and they want to welcome all the participants (and those covering the event) to their establishment.

"During their stay in Paris, athletes, their team & journalists covering the event won't have to pay the entrance fee," a spokesperson tells us.

Belal Muhammad is set to take part in his first title match as a member of the UFC ... and the No. 2-ranked welterweight tells TMZ Sports he's ready to play spoiler for the hometown fighter, Leon Edwards.

The 36-year-old Muhammad spoke with us just days before he makes the walk in the biggest fight of his UFC career at UFC 304 in London ... and while it took longer than he thought it would, he's excited the moment has finally arrived.

"This is the fight I've been waiting for the last three years," Muhammad said. "To get this rematch, to get this title shot, it's taken forever, but it's all worth it. The long road, the long wait. I think that once I get to fight night, I'm gonna know the reasons why I had to wait."

Jon Jones is the official UFC heavyweight champion ... but not in the eyes of Curtis Blaydes -- who tells TMZ Sports he views interim champ Tom Aspinall as the real title holder.

We caught up with "Razor" as he prepares to square off with Aspinall for the second time in his career later Saturday at UFC 304 ... and he said there's not much doubt in his mind, he's going up against the real No. 1 in Dana White's heavyweight division.

"I view it as Aspinall [and not Jon Jones]," Blaydes said when asked who's the real heavyweight champion. "I do. I think Aspinall had to beat a harder opponent in order to get the belt. Ciryl Gane is a very skilled heavyweight, but he has an obvious hole in his game, the wrestling. He doesn't have any of it. Jon, smartly, went after that hole. Easy W."

While Paddy Pimblett is viewed as the next big thing in the UFC ... Bobby "King" Green isn't all that impressed -- telling TMZ Sports he's just "another guy" who he's hoping to knock out later Saturday.

We caught up with Green just hours before he throws down with "The Baddy" at UFC 304 ... and while the scrap is in Pimblett's home country of England ... Green says, so far, he's been getting love!

"I didn't know I was international," he said, "but they've been giving me a lot of love, too. And a lot of it is his people been telling me to kick his ass!"

J.D. Vance is defending his comments on Kamala Harris, Oprah and Gayle King are clearing up their relationship and Travis Kelce is blessing a fan ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles break down Donald Trump running mate's defense of his controversial "childless cat ladies" remark.

The 2024 Summer Olympics has officially kicked off in Paris and the Olympic torch ain't the only thing gettin' LIT! The athletes are fired up and Team USA is stacked with some seriously shredded athletes ... The question is can you guess these Olympic physiques?

From vigorous volleyballers to the daring gymnasts and more ... this gallery is packed with 6-packs and mighty strong n' sturdy bods ... Oh, and keep your goggles on for the swimmin' studs!

Put your skills on the line and freestyle through our legendary gallery of USA Summer Olympic Physiques!

Celine Dion just delivered a helluva performance at the Olympics ... and it won't soon be forgotten.

Check out the clip ... the chart-topper wrapped up a pitch-perfect performance of Édith Piaf's classic, "Hymne A L'Amour," where she wore a sparkling silver gown that contrasted the golden glow of the floating Olympics cauldron beside her.

Celine's particularly impressive here ... looking so much like her vintage self it's a shock to remember she's suffering from Stiff-Person Syndrome -- a major neurological disorder.

LeBron James and Coco Gauff didn't let rain ruin their big moment at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony ... the two raised the American flag high and proud on the Team USA boat -- with big smiles on their faces!!

The tennis superstar and future basketball Hall of Famer were selected to be the flag bearers earlier this week ... and when it came time to shine on the Seine River on Friday -- they didn't disappoint.

The pair rocked white Ralph Lauren Olympic fits -- and despite sleeting rain -- they grabbed the Star-Spangled Banner and led the way for all of the Americans who will compete in the upcoming Games.

The Olympics opening ceremony kicked off with one of its wildest starts ever -- a castle full of beheaded Marie Antoinettes rocking out to heavy metal ... and boy, was it a sight.

The performance over in Paris Friday was electrifying -- heavy metal band Gojira teamed up with opera singer Marina Viotti to kick things off for a head-banging revolution ... while all the Marie Antoinettes sang along to the famous revolutionary song "Ah! Ça Ira!"

Red fireworks -- meant to symbolize blood, of course -- shot into the sky ... while actual fire and each band member staggered onto a different windowsill brought the performance to life.

Travis Kelce spotted a young Swiftie out at Chiefs practice Friday ... and he showed her some big-time love -- with his glove!

Check out footage from the end of Kansas City's workout ... as Taylor Swift's boyfriend was heading off the field, he noticed a girl in a "In My RED Era" shirt -- and he just had to thank her for her support with some gifts.

You can see, at first, he tossed one of his gloves to her, but when the connection missed ... he pointed at her and made sure she got his second one.

Lady Gaga has officially kicked off the Olympics opening ceremony -- putting on a showy performance on the steps of the Seine river ... and she did so by herself, for now.

Check it out ... the singer belts her heart out as she sings an all-French classic, known as "Mon Truc En Plume." Gaga seems to pay tribute to singer Zizi Jeanmaire with her performance -- which is filled with over-the-top pink feathered fans, dancers dressed in all-black, and a full jazz band.

Remember, Zizi memorably performed "Mon Truc En Plume" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" decades ago ... where she wore all-black and was joined by dancers carrying massive feathered fans. See the resemblance???

TNT isn't about to lose its media rights deal with the NBA without a fight ... it just sued the basketball org. -- claiming it has a "contractual right" to continue to broadcast its games going forward.

The media company -- whose parent organization is Warner Bros. Discovery -- filed the lawsuit in New York on Friday ... just days after Adam Silver revealed the NBA is moving on with Amazon Prime Video.

In their suit, TNT officials claim the NBA legally cannot accept Amazon's deal -- as they say they matched the offer to a T.

Lady Gaga is gearing up for her performance at the Olympics opening ceremony ... cramming in one last rehearsal before the big show.

The singer was seen practicing her number for the highly-anticipated performance ... as she was photographed singing on golden steps alongside the Seine in Paris. Gaga pulled out all the stops for her gig, too ... as she performed in a chic all-black ensemble next to dancers and a full jazz band decked out in similar monochromatic looks.

Gaga and her dancers rounded out the choreography by integrating over-the-top pink feathered fans ... reminiscent of the famed Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Dutch volleyball star Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, is slated to compete in the Paris Olympics this week ... and the IOC is now facing serious pressure to investigate how he was able to be included in the Games despite his disgraced past.

Van de Velde allegedly raped a 12-year-old back in 2014 -- when he was 19. Authorities claimed he initially met the girl online -- and then flew from Amsterdam to London a short time later to have sexual relations with her -- this despite him being aware of her age. In 2016, he was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.

However, after serving 12 months behind bars in Britain, he was transferred to the Netherlands, where he was resentenced. Roughly a month later, he was released. Following his time served, he told a local media outlet he was not a pedophile.

Charles Barkley is finally speaking out on the NBA's breakup with TNT ... and it's clear as day, he's pissed over the split.

The former Phoenix Suns superstar unloaded on the Association in a statement on Friday morning ... nearly two days after Adam Silver's league decided to move on from Turner Sports in favor of a new media rights deal with Amazon Prime Video.

Barkley -- who's been a part of TNT's wildly popular "Inside the NBA" program for decades -- called the league's decision greedy ... while accusing its officials of never really giving TNT a fair shake in the negotiation process.

Getting drunk and bragging about causing chaos at the 2024 Paris Olympics is a pretty dumb move for an alleged Russian spy -- but French cops say that's exactly what happened before they arrested the guy!

Police in the French capital hauled away 40-year-old Kirill Gryaznov from his apartment after he popped up on the radar of European intel officers who were keeping a close eye on him for months, according to French outlet Le Monde.

Gryaznov had been kicked off a flight from Istanbul to Paris back in May, reportedly because he was totally wasted.