Midnight Mania! Jim Rome rumored as possible UFC ‘Dream Team’ commentator

Bringing you the weird and the wild from the world of MMA each and every night …

Welcome to Midnight Mania! I hope you are getting into the Christmas spirit … or Hanukkah … or Kwanzaa … or Festivus … or whatever holiday you friggin’ celebrate. My girlfriend is queuing up the cheesy Christmas romances at this very moment, which is in direct opposition to “MMA Land,” which is where the Maniacs live.

So, I got you … only until midnight, though:

Rumor has it that Jim Rome is the possible new commentator that Chael Sonnen hinted at during his latest podcast. Check it out if you want to check me on that:

The Internet isn’t the biggest fan of this rumor, bringing back a broadcasting gem from 1989 when then-Rams quarterback, Jim Everett — 6’5,” 200+ pounds — nearly killed the 5’9” Rome on set for calling him “Chris,” a reference to the female tennis champion at the time. I know this because I was not yet born at the time, but I now have an ancient editor:

Hmmm … Might want to rethink this one, WME-IMG, if indeed true — Not exactly “Dream Team” material.

In other fake news, UFC on FOX 22’s Sage Northcutt and Mickey Gall are just so easy to impersonate that we are going to continue the “Totally 80s” theme with a skit from “Saved By the Bell” that 75 percent of you have probably never seen before, but I now have an ancient editor:

Conor McGregor thinks he has a career in politics ahead.

Not everyone thinks so.

He is apparently going into a business, though, and not one MMA-related:

I will post more or less anything related to Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi.

Remember how Angela Hill couldn’t make her re-debut in UFC because of that inane testing policy that Brock Lesnar side-stepped, but she can’t? Well, former UFC fighter Cody Gibson pointed out something that I hadn’t really thought about, which will potentially affect many fighters who were either signed too early and needed more time to develop or have put together a great run and deserve a second shot in with promotion.

In case you missed it, Cyborg’s diligent social media team has been doing a pretty decent job firing back at UFC’s decision to go ahead and make an inaugural women’s Featherweight belt … without her.

She’s got a point, although Dana White ain’t seeing it.

This Max Holloway / Ariel Helwani animation is downright amazing.

The Internet, and its creative peoples, are amazing.

Speaking of Holloway, he got a heros welcome back in sunny Hawaii.

I hear the next big pay-per-view (PPV) event is Ronda Rousey. It’s just a rumor going ‘round the Interwebs, though, nothing legit.

Before then, though, we have a different women’s fight. Check out Flyin’ Brian J’s breakdown of Paige VanZant vs. Michelle Waterson, which will headline UFC on FOX 22 this weekend in Sacramento:

And this one, The Fight for the Ladies:

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Book ‘Em Danno

• Donald Cerrone and Jorge Masvidal will dance in Denver on Jan. 28, 2017.
• Francis Ngannou, fresh of that sick kimura win, will fight Andrei Arlovski on the same card. Click here for the latest rumors and news on that one
• Edson Barboza and Beneil Dariush have been booked for March 11, 2017, in Brazil.
• Junior dos Santos and Stefan Struve are going to main event that Halifax card on Feb. 19, 2017, because we’ve all been waiting with baited breath for that rematch.
• Derrick Lewis is in talks to fight Travis Browne at UFC 208 in Brooklyn- even though “the Black Beast” thought his last fight was “some bullshit”

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Podcasts and Audio

The real Jon Jones (on Twitter) — not the embattled former UFC Light Heavyweight champion — gets interviewed by “Tommy Toehold.” And he has awesome social stories for dayzzz ….

Heavy Hands:

The MMA Ratings Podcast (starts at 9:10):

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Quick Hits

• The Anthony Pettis carjackers have been caught after an old lady subdued his testicles. No, really.
• Tony Ferguson is, well, less than impressed with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Unrelated-MMA Minutiae

Stay woke, Maniacs.

Email me at [email protected] if you want to hear about the time I spent my birthday and Christmas with my jaw wired shut because of MMA — a lot of spiked egg nog that year! (It wasn’t spiked)