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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Khabib Nurmagomedov may not be the man who described himself as “mystic,” but the former Lightweight kingpin has long demonstrated a keen eye for predictions. He foresaw his own rise to the top with scary accuracy, and “The Eagle has correctly foretold many a main event.
One of Khabib’s more consistent prophecies regards the future of his team mate, Islam Makhachev. Nurmagomedov has repeatedly told of gold in Makhachev’s future, naming him as his heir at 155 lbs. While the Lightweight division continues to change as more high-profile bouts either occur or are booked, Nurmagomedov is still confident in his half of this week’s overlooked main event.
“I think he’s a little bit ahead of all these guys,” Khabib told Brett Okamoto. “I truly believe he can finish Dustin Poirier. Maybe Dustin’s gonna be upset, but I truly believe he can finish Dustin Poirier. He can mail Charles Oliveira. I don’t think Charles can play with him like this, all jiu-jitsu guard. We just need time and no accidents.”
Historically, Nurmagomedov has been quite respectful towards both Poirier and Oliveira, which goes to show just how much confidence he has in his countryman. Makhachev is scheduled to face Thiago Moises on Saturday night, and a victory would set him up for a high-profile match up near the end of 2021.
If any top-ranked Lightweight will accept the challenge, that is.
Insomnia
Somehow, I missed this story when it happens, which probably means a lot of other people did too — Austin Hubbard nearly lost his leg in a win!
It would appear that Omari Akhmedov’s loss to Brad Tavares at UFC 264 ended his UFC career. That’s a rough turn of events considering the Dagestani was recently riding a solid wave of momentum into his bout vs. Chris Weidman.
Here’s a surprising one – Omari Akhmedov has been removed from the https://t.co/YHr2ZDqw9f fan rankings pool and moved to the “Former Fighter” section of the https://t.co/YHr2ZDqw9f roster
— Tom Feely (@omgitsfeely) July 14, 2021
Were this any other fighter than Khabib, I would judge this lady harshly.
Are there any match ups on the PFL roster that you would pay directly to see?
PFL plans to launch both a pay-per-view division and a “PFL challenger series” to identify prospects to be added to the season, per CEO Peter Murray. This would up the number of PFL events from 10 in 2021 to more than 20 in 2022, Murray told NY Post.
— Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) July 14, 2021
Gregor Gillespie’s cardio is perhaps his greatest weapon.
Chad Mendes is looking dangerous ahead of any potential return to action.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
I do not care how long it has been. Nick Diaz is back, and it’s time to get hype!
This is how Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 1 played out at UFC 47 way back in 2004!pic.twitter.com/oNyJluMMG0
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 14, 2021
Welcome back, Nick pic.twitter.com/H49xsb32Ve
— MMA Gone Wild (@mmagonewild) July 14, 2021
SUMO!
Day11 j?ry?: Seemingly straightforward bout btwn T?hakury? (L) and Midorifuji, but there is a mono’ii. One will go MK. #Nagoyabasho2021 pic.twitter.com/VBG2Bk9zhG
— Sumo Soul ??? (@TheSumoSoul) July 14, 2021
Day11 j?ry?: 2-8 Enh? (L) vs m’boy Aqua. E gets in where he needs to be with a good grip, but even a shallow opposing grip from A keeps E from seeing it through. #nagoyabasho2021 pic.twitter.com/yxyBgIXue8
— Sumo Soul ??? (@TheSumoSoul) July 14, 2021
Okay, here’s the most badass thing you’ll see today:
Broken leg?? No problem!!
Andrzej Grzebyk fought for nearly a full round after suffering a broken leg in the opening moments against Marius Zaromskis.
They run it back this Saturday! #KSW62 pic.twitter.com/RGIWHVH8Jj
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) July 14, 2021
Random Land
If anyone could tell me where to buy this sweet, historic Pikachu card …
This Card is super cool because it shows off each Pikachu drawn by different artist who has worked for the TCG over the years. Not only does it feel like a 25th anniversary celebratory card, it feels like a giant thank you to all those artists. https://t.co/4vQDh8CYW2
— Joe – Splash! (@TrainerSplash) July 14, 2021
Midnight Music: A slice of Blue Note goodness from Grant Green!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.