Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
A boxing match on Friday between Tyson Fury’s cousin, Hosea Burton, and undefeated Englishman, Ellis Zorro, ended with a devastating knockout blow, but the event inside York Hall in London, England, was eventually marred by a wild brawl in the crowd.
Burton and Zorro collided in a main event for the vacant WBO European Cruiserweight title. Zorro was the undefeated fighter, but Burton’s ties to the Fury family made it an interesting matchup. Unfortunately for Burton, Zorro dominated the fight from start to finish, which eventually came in the seventh round. Zorro connected with a massive right hand along the ropes that sent Burton into another dimension. The fight was instantly waved off.
Check out the knockout finish below:
Ellis Zorro knocks out Hosea Burton with a vicious right hand! #ZorroBurton | #FightNightLive | BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/dagOcoP0ao
— Boxing on BT Sport (@BTSportBoxing) May 12, 2023
After the fight concluded, the crowd ended up breaking into an all-out frenzy. It’s unknown exactly what sparked the incident (likely the result of the main event), but chairs started to fly. One fan was absolutely obliterated by a chair and flung backwards like he took a shotgun to the chest. It was a wild scene to say the least, and one that spoiled a rather momentous victory for the undefeated Zorro.
Check out the post-fight carnage in the above player and below:
Ugly scenes at York Hall after fighting broke out in the crowd after the result of Zorro VS Burton #yorkhall #zorroburton #queensberrypromotions pic.twitter.com/SgMvfXY2oI
— Punchoutboxing (@Punchoutboxing5) May 12, 2023
Insomnia
Cedric Doumbe’s PFL debut is set! He’ll face regular season veteran Jarrah Al Silawi on June 23.
OFFICIEL !
CÉDRIC DOUMBÉ AFFRONTERA JARRAH AL SILAWI LE 23 JUIN pic.twitter.com/DCFwJ0Zcd3
— ARENA (@MMArena_) May 12, 2023
I did NOT realize that Arnold Allen landed this cleanly in his final flurry against Max Holloway. The “Blessed” chin is unfair!
I have just about had enough of Max Holloway’s chin pic.twitter.com/0aZYLHqRet
— ??????????? (@TheArtOfWar6) May 11, 2023
How do we feel about the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman rumors? My only question is where this leaves Shavkat Rakhmonov?
Khamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman is in early negotiations for #UFC294 at 180lb catch-weight pic.twitter.com/lnSZejRnuB
— (@realruebenking) May 12, 2023
Relive a great Robbie Lawler moment:
Still the coldest thing any fighter has ever said in an interview. pic.twitter.com/RGOfTXpENc
— MacMally (@MacMallyMMA) May 11, 2023
Ottman Azaitar will attempt to return from his first professional loss in July.
Ottman Azaitar will fight Francisco Prado at #UFCVegas77 on July 15th. (first rep. @gastonreyno) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 pic.twitter.com/sYJPY9nUi2
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) May 12, 2023
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Tomorrow (May 13, 2023), I was supposed to get the privilege of cornering All-American wrestler Ryan Loder in his United Fight League debut in Memphis, Tennessee, then I got a stomach bug. Still, keep an eye on this guy!
Jailton Almeida’s ground game is indeed very much like a more jiu-jitsu focused version of Khabib.
February 5, 2022- UFC FN 200 – Danilo Marques
He wins via TKO (Punches) in the 1st
This man understands the Hammerfist is the greatest strike to ever exist pic.twitter.com/rXwApfDKos
— The Octagon Obsessed (@octagonobsessed) May 12, 2023
Snap kicks like this hurt worse than regular round kicks, but a lot of fighters don’t use them for fear of broken toes (which also hurt).
TOES TO THE LIVER! #ONEFridayFights16 pic.twitter.com/djhA271TBo
— Beyond Kickboxing (@Beyond_Kick) May 12, 2023
Random Land
RIP Muhammad Ali
Midnight Music: Longtime readers of this column may remember at one point that I was reading through an article on each Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit in US history. I’m back on that kick and midway through the 1980s!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.