Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Safe to say, Kevin Lee’s return to action after a pair of brutal knee surgeries do not go according to plan. Back at 170 lbs., Lee was eyeing a match up vs. champion Kamaru Usman, but hard-nosed scrapper Daniel Rodriguez ultimately soiled his return in a tough decision loss for “The MoTown Phenom.”
Earlier today, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced the the Welterweight was temporarily suspended following a positive drug test for amphetamines from his August 28 bout vs. Rodriguez. Lee quickly took to Instagram, apologizing and explaining he failed the drug test as a result of his medication for ADHD.
“It was never my intention to gain an athletic advantage,” Lee wrote. “It was an attempt to conquer the severe anxiety I silently suffer from daily. I am actively cooperating with the Nevada Athletic Commission and expect to reach an agreement on a sanction. I will use this time to heal and come back stronger. Sorry for my lack of professionalism that lead to this disappointment, I’ll be back.”
A few hours later, Lee followed up on his first statement, this time “as a human not a fighter.” In the second video, Lee filmed himself dumping his medication down the drown, and he opened up about his fear, anxiety, and problems with alcohol. Lee explained that in “this next stage of healing I need to be sober and connected with god.”
It remains to be seen just how long Lee will be suspended for, as well as if USADA will tack on any further punishment. There is a chance that Lee applies for a retroactive therapeutic use exception, which could help out his situation if he does indeed have a doctor’s prescription.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Insomnia
A look into Dustin Poirier’s strength and conditioning ahead of his title fight vs. Charles Oliveira:
Quick clip from today training.. @DustinPoirier #ufc269 pic.twitter.com/wUpkkcfogc
— Phil Daru (@DaruStrong) October 20, 2021
Josh Quinlan failed his “Contender Series” drug test for drostanolone, leaving his UFC future uncertain.
#Breaking: Nevada has overturned Josh Quinlan’s #UFC contract-earning TKO on Dana White’s Contender Series. https://t.co/axnjNxcEHW
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) October 20, 2021
Can we all agree this is top-tier corner work?
Giorgio Petrosyan is still feeling the effects of last week’s brutal knockout.
Dillon Danis is going to get dunked on for the bouncer incident for the rest of his life.
A very quick clip of Jon Jones hitting mitts in somewhere other than the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym:
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Kim shows off an excellent gauge of distance and smooth movement in this KO clip:
Beautiful BJJ in the first, deadly striking in the second – Josh Wang-Kim picks up the KO win in his Cage Warriors debut at #CW130! pic.twitter.com/U4830K6yFs
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 18, 2021
Fighting a decorated Muay Thai athlete in his pro MMA debut just seems like an iffy proposition.
Spike Carlyle fights pretty much guarantee excitement and weirdness.
Spike Carlyle extends his run of wins to three with a huge KO against JJ Ambrose!#CW130 pic.twitter.com/Wx6FzZzkzp
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 18, 2021
Random Land
These hyper realistic tattoos are kind of terrifying.
Midnight Music: Lou Reed’s most iconic solo track!
Think you know how to predict MMA fights? Click HERE for info on how to join The Money Pool, a UFC picking competition that’s been going on for over a decade now. $20 to join for a 10 event season!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.