Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Vitor Belfort is among the many MMA legends chasing boxing money. The former UFC champion is currently scheduled to face boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya in a professional boxing match set for Sat., Sept. 11, 2021 inside Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. However, that’s likely not the end of “The Phenom’s” boxing plans.
Videos are circulating online of Belfort taking apart TikTok star Bryce Hall, who recently competed (and lost) at Battle of the Platforms: “YouTubers vs TikTokers” event last month. Even while toying with the noticeably smaller content creator, Belfort still wounded Hall twice in the short clip.
Check it out:
Given that Belfort’s bout vs. De La Hoya is already set to stream on Triller, would it really be any surprise to see the Brazilian square off with a Paul brother or some other Internet star? Of course, a much more intriguing option would be Anderson Silva, who recently put on a stellar performance to upset Julio Cesar Chaver Jr. (HIGHLIGHTS!). The two have a history, and a boxing match between the Brazilian legends would actually be worth watching even in this day and age.
Insomnia
We haven’t had any surgery footage in the column for a little while.
Let’s be very clear: Bellator 263 is worlds better than UFC Vegas 33, even prior to all the co-main event mishaps.
Me Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/zFy0VVS2l9
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) July 27, 2021
Is this reality? How did this come about? This is the weirdest pair up.
Lil Wayne is set to walk Colby Covington out for his rematch against Kamaru Usman per @SubmissionRadio (h/t @Full_Violence) pic.twitter.com/XHqqcAWvSE
— Haymakers \\: (@haymakerstv) July 28, 2021
Bad news for UK fans:
The Sept. 4 UFC event — headlined by Darren Till x Derek Brunson — is close to being moved back to Las Vegas from London, sources say.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 28, 2021
Not all MMA fighters are on the same wave length as Mike Bisping regarding Simon Biles …
Why is there so much hate for Simon Biles?
We have no idea what her issue is and maybe it will cause her to get hurt
I made the mistake of fighting the week after my father died and walked into a knee in the face
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) July 28, 2021
?”She’s taking a stand and for that reason I can applaud her decision.” — @MieshaTate tells @RyanMcKinnell why she supports Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the Olympics #Tokyo2020
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— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) July 28, 2021
Nothing like a little tight quarters garage wrestling to improve during one’s downtime!
Some dude got a tattoo of UFC Bantamweight Jessica Rose-Clark, which is unexpected to say the least.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Slick combinations and fast hands from 19-year-old Shota Okuhira:
?RISE?2021.7.28 -60kg
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???? 19? pic.twitter.com/sXcy668QXg— (@kixaboxa) July 28, 2021
Every grappler learns this lesson at some point: don’t cross your feet from back mount! Unfortunately for Alex Black, his reminder came on a big stage where the result mattered.
WOW. Matt Mooney submits Alex Black with the ankle lock with his back taken. You don’t see those work every day in MMA. Really jacked up Black’s knee. #FuryFC48 pic.twitter.com/eCpmQSweqK
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) July 25, 2021
A high guard and the fundamentals win this exchange.
Random Land
An unexpected side effect of hosting Midnight Mania: I’ve been exposed to many interesting bridges.
Midnight Music: With the passing of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, an homage is only appropriate.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.