Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw never wanted to call it quits. Unfortunately, a chronically mangled shoulder forced his hand, as well as derailing his final chance at recapturing UFC gold in his doomed 2022 bout versus Aljamain Sterling.
Perhaps there’s still hope?
Just last month, Dillashaw was expressing doubts and second thoughts about his retirement. Now, Dillashaw has a positive update from his latest surgery, and he’s optimistic about his future. “Seem to be healing great from last surgery,” Dillashaw wrote on Instagram. “Will know more in the coming weeks but the future looks bright.”
Prior to all those shoulder surgeries, Dillashaw was the two-time UFC Bantamweight king. He first captured the belt by dethroning Renan Barao then later took the title again by stopping Cody Garbrandt twice. However, his attempt to become a two-division champion ended up costing him 135-pound gold, as he failed a drug test and lost two years of his prime while pursuing Henry Cejudo’s Flyweight belt.
He wouldn’t be the first MMA fighter to return from a brief retirement.
Insomnia
What percentage of serious fight fans are actually demanding Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic? It feels like a fight aimed at the casual fans who don’t realize just how long Miocic has been away.
In the time since Stipe’s last fight, Jose Aldo (who started his MMA career 5.5 years before Stipe) has:
– Beat Pedro Munhoz
– Beat Rob Font
– Lost to Merab
– Had a 2 year retirement
– Had 2 pro boxing fights and one exhibition
– Came back from retirement to beat Martinez https://t.co/w4dNMAg4Sl— Miguel Class (@MigClass) May 10, 2024
Darren Till appears to be getting ready for a return to action. Will it be bare knuckle or boxing?
A fun Bantamweight booking with a bonus bit of backstory!
I love all the people who work for the ufc but the hair lady at the last fight messed with my hair before shoots and I can’t figure out if she was going for Diego Lopes or Hitler. Probably should have looked in the mirror before heading out ??? https://t.co/wxfabKYMNF
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) May 10, 2024
Demetrious Johnson reveals how much he made to be in the UFC video games, as well as on the cover.
Demetrious Johnson Explains How Fighters Are Paid Through UFC Games:
“The more you guys use a character, the more that fighter gets paid!” pic.twitter.com/Iv0ZG2DKuX
— Combat eSports Media (@CombatESportsM) May 9, 2024
Renato Moicano is hilarious.
Khabib is enjoying his hard-earned retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov takes the ceremonial kick off for the FC Dynamo Makhachkala match today, alongside 100-year old war veteran Ibrahim-Pasha Sultanovich
IG / dinamo_mx #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/SDHxfk0kzO
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 8, 2024
Joaquin Buckley is a deeply unserious person. I love it!
Joaquin Buckley trolling on the weigh-in show like he is struggling.
@TheMacLife #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/yK9gCA9atP
— MMA.PROS.PICK (@MMAPROSPICK) May 10, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
In case you missed it: One of the most violent men in UFC history retired last weekend. There can be no doubt that Matt Brown “unleashed the animal!”
We didn’t know it would be his retirement fight, but this is how Matt Brown went out – with a bang https://t.co/XzyQLsJ7UQ
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) May 4, 2024
Count the head kicks in this attempt at a prank:
Guy tries to pull a “prank” on a random individual and he happens to be an mma fighter… pic.twitter.com/uaBLDJieSq
— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) May 10, 2024
That’s a full face plant.
Holy shit
Torrez Finney slept Tyson Jeffries BAD tonight at Combat Night pic.twitter.com/vMxZUhYggv— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) May 5, 2024
Random Land
Incredible talent and mastery.
Thread of surreal sculpture details
1. Water flowing over toes pic.twitter.com/lAUjvyP3lg
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) May 6, 2024
3. This intricate net was carved from a single block of marble by Francesco Queirolo. It took him 7 years.
No apprentice would touch the sculpture for fear of the delicate net crumbling in their hands. pic.twitter.com/k9CkFE43Em
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) May 6, 2024
5. Bernini turned stone into flesh
The legendary Italian sculptor was only 23 years old when he completed “The Abduction of Proserpina”.pic.twitter.com/KC4VpAhqgr
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) May 6, 2024
8. Over 100 years before medical science described the circulatory system, Michelangelo perfectly sculpted the jugular vein in his statue of David.
This trait is anatomically accurate: the biblical hero is in a state of excitement, as he prepares to face Goliath. pic.twitter.com/ZKv73zzHI9
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) May 6, 2024
Midnight Music: I was away from the helm for the best parts of the Kendrick vs. Drake rap beef. My favorite track from each (ideally listened to in the order that they’re posted):
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.