Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Professional Fighter’s League (PFL) returned tonight (Thurs. June 17, 2021) for the fifth event of their 2021 season. In the main event, former UFC title challenger and ex-Bellator Welterweight champion Rory MacDonald dueled opposite longtime veteran Gleison Tibau.
MacDonald was a huge favorite in this match up, and after a slow start, the Canadian really started looking the part. Sticking his opponent with front kicks up the middle, McDonald also scored a well-timed leg pickup to back take. It was a solid first round for “The Red King.”
Rory closes out the 1st round in dominant fashion!#2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/QwtW85JCZP
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2021
After a very brief takedown opened the second, MacDonald went to his distance strikes, sticking Tibau with clean jabs and crosses. In addition, MacDonald stung his foe with a clean high kick, but Tibau — look more muscular than ever — somehow ate the shot. Tibau did score some decent shots, but without a stoppage inside 10 minutes, Tibau was eliminated from the PFL playoffs.
Uppercut for Tibau!#2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/qHeh442mJl
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2021
MacDonald was pretty much in cruise control for round three. Firing lots of kicks at range, MacDonald mixed jabs and takedown attempts into his attack to keep Tibau at bay. The Brazilian did up his aggression in the final frame, but MacDonald remained pretty committed to avoiding dangerous exchanges.
Despite largely controlling the flow of the fight and landing more shots, MacDonald’s relaxed pace in the final five minutes seemingly came back to haunt him. The judges awarded Tibau’s aggression (and, in fairness, some solid power shots across 15 minutes), and he won a split-decision!
Still, Tibau is not in the playoffs, and MacDonald is so … it could be worse? Ultimately, the MMA world at large is unimpressed with the decision, and they’ve made it known online.
Insomnia
Devastating news: Fight Circus 3 has been delayed again due to COVID-19.
Because of the ongoing Pandemic, we are disappointed to say this “Live Event: Which Confirmed is Not Happening”. But we will be entertaining our fans with crazy shit badass content so stay tuned!
So LIKE, RT and tell yo friends!#FightCircus3 #FC3 @CamSodaLive @InfernoDolls pic.twitter.com/lbRnGufDAg
— Full Metal Dojo (@FullMetalDojo) June 17, 2021
Is Max Holloway’s loss an opening for Giga Chikadze to jump the ladder?
Let me save the show @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby @AliAbdelaziz00
Don’t be scared homie @panteraufc— GIGA CHIKADZE (@giga_chikadze) June 17, 2021
Zhang Weili is intent on putting in the work to regain her title.
I have a buddy or two who fights Bare Knuckle, and I don’t mean to offend, but if the shoe fits …
Bareknuckle fighter starter pack: pic.twitter.com/5FvQoYwzW8
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) June 16, 2021
Angela Hill knows how to capitalize on a meme.
He doesn’t wanna play with vettori #ButchersPicks pic.twitter.com/Z2BRpbANDa
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) June 17, 2021
Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards is the fight to make.
That boy awake the last time he said that he got put to sleep ??? https://t.co/TkBcTm29p4
— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) June 17, 2021
Crushing the wind pipe is great, but a major aspect of what makes Aleksei Oleinik’s Ezekiel choke game so nasty is long arms and gorilla strength.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Here’s hoping for some classic Matt Brown violence this weekend.
LIGHTS OUT!
Matt Brown makes a return to the octagon this weekend at #UFCVegas29 pic.twitter.com/k53PJ1UIPv
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) June 16, 2021
This is a great knockout, but I cannot look past the hair.
#OnThisDay in 1995, @riddickbowe scored a 6th round KO of Jorge Luis González in Las Vegas, Nevada #boxing #history pic.twitter.com/JHqjUIsPiT
— Boxing History (@BoxingHistory) June 17, 2021
A couple additional clips from tonight’s PFL event, including REF CAM!
REF CAM #2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/zzAwbjIroA
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 17, 2021
Ezekiel Choke Submission for Magomedkerimov!!#2021PFL5
ESPN+
https://t.co/WfOt9XBfzk pic.twitter.com/iVbE6IfYbk— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 17, 2021
Random Land
Are you struggling financially? Allow Midnight Mania to help.
You don’t understand scale.
Use $50 to buy 10 hamsters.
In 6 months you have 250 hamsters.
Breed those 250 hamsters.
6 months you have 6,250 hamsters.
Breed them.
6 months you have 156k hamsters.
Breed them.
6 mo you have 3.9MM hamsters.
Sell them for $1 each.
— matthew. (@iAmTheWarax) June 17, 2021
Midnight Music: “Cause Summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy!”
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.