Midnight Mania! Anderson Silva’s Son Surpassing His Old Man?

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

After experiencing a decade of the highest highs possible inside the Octagon, Anderson Silva’s last few years in the sport have not been a ton of fun. In the last six years, Silva has suffered two brutal leg injuries and a knockout in six losses out of eight trips to the Octagon.

In short, retirement seems imminent for the Brazilian legend. Luckily, fans of “The Spider” need not lose hope entirely, as Silva was asked about his son, Gabriel Silva, and his potential as a fighter in an interview with TMZ. While Silva said it was too early to tell if his son would further pursue Muay Thai or mixed martial arts (MMA), Silva expressed his belief that his son “has a great future in the sport” with the potential to surpass Silva himself.

In fact, Silva said of his son “sometimes he beats me!”

Praise aside, Anderson Silva would be an incredible source of information for any aspiring fighter. More than many champions, Silva thrived on craftiness and trickery, particularly late in his career while his athleticism slowly drained away. Silva’s knowledge regarding kickboxing, reactions, and setups is immensely deep, an invaluable tool if his son is willing to listen.

Check out the 20-year-old’s second-round knockout from last month in a Muay Thai fight in Brazil.

Insomnia

Until someone tops it, this is the last I want to hear about the #BottleCapChallenge.

Diego Sanchez is the gift that keeps on giving. In a reply to the Instagram post below, Sanchez defended his oil checking actions and incriminated himself further. Here’s the quote:

“Damn straight they don’t call me Dirty Sanchez for nothing took galls virginity along with Paulo Thiago and Melendez Gil handled it all real wrestlers do. I actually respected Michael for calling me a mother fucker and complied I was off my game satarday night”

Leave Khabib and his carbs alone!

I didn’t realize it, but July 11th is a special day in combat sports history:

This is certainly not “technical boxing,” but for MMA, this type of lateral hook can catch opponents off-guard and leave them swinging at air. It’s something Dominick Cruz does well.

Robert Whittaker remains thoroughly unbothered by Adesanya’s jabs.

Frankie Edgar working on mitts ahead of what could be the legend’s final title shot.

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier didn’t instantly come to blows on sight, which is… progress?

Slips, rips, and PFL clips

Listen to the impact of this cross from CSA’s Genah Fabian.

Fabian will face Kayla Harrison, who dominated once again.

Ray Cooper’s wild aggression really caught up to him against John Howard.

REF CAM!!!!

Knowing when to let go and when to hang on is an underrated skill.

Random Land

If you haven’t seen the viral video of a short, angry man ranting in a bagel shop, it’s an instant classic. I think he could be the next Team Alpha Male prospect.

Midnight Music: Lee “Scratch” Perry is a legend and pioneer in Jamaican music who worked with everyone from Bob Marley to The Clash. Check out this cut from his 1976 LP Super Ape for an example of his brand of dub reggae:

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