Midnight Mania! After ‘GDR,’ Nunes To Defend Featherweight Crown Against… Who Exactly?!?

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

I’ll be fully honest, when Cris Cyborg packed her bags and fled the UFC scene, I figured that was just about the end of the UFC Featherweight division. Further evidence of that outcome came when UFC and Cat Zingano came to a “mutual” agreement that Zingano was better off elsewhere.

Instead, Dana White revealed earlier this week that he intends for Nunes to return to Featherweight following her upcoming Bantamweight title defense opposite Germaine de Randamie. Here’s the quote courtesy of MMAinsight.com:

“She will defend it after this fight. 100 percent. She wants to and she will. Imagine her not having to cut weight. After beating [Cris] Cyborg and the other people that she’s beat at 35, who does she have to worry about right now that she would be like ‘oh I don’t want to defend my 145-pound title.’”

Let’s break down the potential options, because it’s a really short list — there are only two other Featherweights! First off, we have Felicia Spencer, who submitted Megan Anderson but was bludgeoned by Cyborg last time out. Not an absolutely terrible foe for Nunes, but it’s hard to imagine the fight going any differently from her Cyborg showdown.

Speaking of Anderson, she’s the only other option, and unfortunately her UFC stint has been a total bust. She’s 1-2 inside the Octagon, getting thoroughly out-grappled twice in defeat and only winning via a freak toe-in-the-eyeball incident opposite Zingano. There is no way anyone can convince themselves that this is a good match up.

Even if UFC matches the pair of Featherweights up in a title eliminator, it’s not going to inspire much interest. There may not be a wealth of challengers at 135 lbs., but at least there’s a few interesting challenges left for “Lioness” —- like the forgotten top five-ranked Ketlen Vieira!

There’s just no one at 145 lbs. Maybe Henry Cejudo called out the wrong lady in his pursuit of an “intergender” title?

Insomnia

Last time I’ll self-promote until weigh-in day! Posing for these promos is always a great way to feel silly, as you and a buddy search the gym for a somewhat clean and clear wall. Last call to support the fight camp/enter the banner raffle as well!

A workout for the whole family!

Is this really the best match up available for Jon Jones?

Speaking of “Bones,” I think it’s respectable of him to momentarily give Daniel Cormier some respect given his recent loss.

Here’s Carlos Condit playing around on one of those spinning bar things — I still hope we get to see him and Matt Brown throw down one day, the fight has been made and fallen through several times.

An impressive mix of balance, strength, and trust:

Darren Till ended up receiving the match up, but Kelvin Gastelum must be underrated by his peers if so many are trying to taste that left hand.

Some interesting thoughts from jiu-jitsu master and recent UFC addition Rodolfo Vieira. In general, I think fans read too much into stare downs and the idea that a professional fighter is scared of another professional fighter.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

The regional scene last Friday brought us some excellent stoppages (captured by Midnight Mania staples caposa and Jolassanda). Let’s get into it, opening with a face plant:

A hard right low kick and ripping left to the liver are a classic combo in Muay Thai for a reason:

I do so love an opportunistic back take!

Count the left hands that land:

This cross was right down the middle:

Random Land

I’m guilty of mostly posting international sights on here, so here’s an amazing spot in the US that I did not know existed.

And a Frisbee trick for good measure!

Midnight Music: Jam out with a non-album track from one of my favorite bands of all time.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.