Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight
Welcome to Midnight Mania! I hope you had a great Memorial Day if you live in the USA. Frequently, honoring those who gave their lives is as simple as enjoying every moment we have, often thanks to their sacrifice. Tonight, we’ve got baseball warriors reminding us just how hard this fighting thing is, Stipe and little horses, Shevchenko being Texan, knockouts upon knockouts, sumo, and much more
Throw baseballs not hands
Because you can’t punch for shit. That’s the takeaway from this impromptu display of the sweet science, or lack thereof. I don’t watch baseball, but the guy hit by the pitch, I’m informed, is Bryce Harper, who goes after pitcher Hunter Strickland. It just gets worse from there.
Firstly, can we talk about that helmet toss? That’s a serious fail, especially after the guy beaned you with pinpoint accuracy from 60 feet. I mean, I’m really bad at throwing things, but this is a professional baseball player and he misses by like ten feet from point-blank range.
Secondly, those punches. The slow motion helps nothing here. At first, I thought Strickland landed a couple good hooks, but the slow motion replay reveal his first “hook” is him palming Harper’s forehead, and the second one misses completely. In fact, the only punch that actually connects is this pathetic effort:
In the faaaaaaace pic.twitter.com/pFY6y80wxc
— That Dude (@cjzer0) May 29, 2017
The takeaway here? Fighting is actually really hard and even elite athletes are not necessarily that good at it. Throwing punches is not the same as throwing baseballs.
Which makes Odor’s ability to throw a solid right hand on Bautista’s chin look downright amazing in retrospect.
Insomnia
What is better than one Lil Sebastian? Two of them!!
My Memorial Day summed up in one picture ……… pic.twitter.com/IhHZ4TWLJu
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocicufc) May 29, 2017
Valentina Shevchenko living that Texas life to the fullest.
Me and my coach Pavel at IDPA Shooting match in Texas. 27 of may 2017#glock17 #9mm #Texas #Shooting #IDPA #Houston pic.twitter.com/0gIGfGVXky
— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) May 29, 2017
So… the UFC Twitter account did not have a great weekend. THIS ISN’T A GUILLOTINE
Poland’s @MarcinHeld trying to lock in the guillotine, but @DamirHadzo spins out and adds a BIG ELBOW!! #UFCStockholm pic.twitter.com/dh9R75RYiD
— UFC (@ufc) May 28, 2017
That’s just wrong
Drinking early for 10am fights got me like pic.twitter.com/3EhYfWw2ct
— Kyle Marley (@BigMarley3) May 28, 2017
Alexander Gustafsson is no fan of Jon Jones. No matter who wins the DC-Jones rematch, surely Gus is next.
Following his big win at #UFCStockholm, @AlexTheMauler tells @SandhuMMA why he doesn’t believe @JonnyBones is a true champion. pic.twitter.com/ukSvjrZFa5
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) May 28, 2017
I’m getting that itch!
Show these boy’s how to throw an uppercut the Right way!— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) May 28, 2017
Exactly what we were all thinking
That didn’t take long. #UFCSweden https://t.co/FI3XdV47is
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) May 28, 2017
I can’t wait for the Garbrandt knockout video. If you think Cody is intimidated by a little weightlifting muscle, you clearly don’t know his story.
official promo video for June 25th Kader Vs Garbrandt Live from Sacramento If Garbrandt doesnt show then Matthew Kline Kader will be #AndNew pic.twitter.com/7t6vjcFHTP
— Matthew Kline Kader™ (@Shallowking) May 28, 2017
Only one Teruto Ishihara
?????????????
????? pic.twitter.com/GmEzphnJcP— Teruto Ishihara (@teruto_ko) May 28, 2017
Light Heavyweight romance all around this weekend, as Gustafsson also proposed to his Viking Shield Maiden girlfriend. (and I mean that in the most complimentary possible way.)
A hearty mazal tov to @dc_mma and his better half, Salina, on getting married this weekend. Enjoy the festivities! pic.twitter.com/Rmcqhbx58h
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 28, 2017
Polite but cold
@GHurricane I’m sorry my friend. I appreciate your effort but you don’t fit my criteria. I’m looking for a name the casual fans know.
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) May 27, 2017
Remember this guy? Someone pointed out the pot-smoking guy in the background and it just got significantly better for me.
Say what you will about the Just Bleed guy. At least it’s an ethos. pic.twitter.com/9LgLtiNELc
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) May 27, 2017
Weed Smoking guy over the shoulder of JBG is criminally underrated in the pages of MMA gif history https://t.co/cp4JcbkcC0
— The Tommy Messano (@ULTMMA) May 27, 2017
Slips, Rips, and non-Baseball Hits
This weekend had some good highlights, but we Maniacs were sorry to see Killer B go down
That knee to the chin!!
Peter Sobotta with the TKO! #UFCStockholm https://t.co/Z96x5mfVQf
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 28, 2017
I honestly can’t even see what put him down, and I watched this ten times
That was quick . It only took Volkan Oezdemir 28 seconds! #UFCStockholm https://t.co/uRwUFZ2YWD
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 28, 2017
Oh man
TANAKA SLEEPS HIOKI pic.twitter.com/XryRv72COp
— FightPicks inc (@MixedMartialBet) May 28, 2017
Brutal KO by Yuya Wakamatsu. #PANCRASE287 pic.twitter.com/a14B4OkJrT
— FightPicks inc (@MixedMartialBet) May 28, 2017
Rare reverse omoplata sub by Thomas Hepburn at SFC 13 in Scotland (Amateur) @ThomasHepburn @eddiebravo
Full vid: https://t.co/fOhiHzydfK pic.twitter.com/SvmNNh8qkR— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 29, 2017
Day 15 Watch! Saw this kid, Ezuka, several times this #basho, finally got vid. Small, powerful, off #dohyo wears a hearing aid. #Sumo pic.twitter.com/16vUsjCHOS
— SumoSoul (@TheSumoSoul) May 28, 2017
Oh yeah this was sick.
UFC signed Deiveson Alcântara, the JF pimp-slap KO guy. Faces Marco Beltrán on June 3rd. pic.twitter.com/iIh4pG2fNn
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) March 7, 2017
Woah
Shintaro Ishiwatari #Pancrase287 pic.twitter.com/W5IPjCySYI
— Bestrafer7 (@Bestrafer7) May 28, 2017
Day 15 #juryo #yusho battle 38 yrs young #Aminishiki vs #Nishikigi! Aminishikigi!! #Sumo #natsubasho pic.twitter.com/OF8drX29GX
— SumoSoul (@TheSumoSoul) May 28, 2017
Judges said ONE MORE TIME! here we go Aminishiki vs Nishikigi juryo yusho battle take two!! #Sumo #natsubasho pic.twitter.com/q1GJAzgANA
— SumoSoul (@TheSumoSoul) May 28, 2017
Kyoji almost got choked out
Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Kyoji Horiguchi #Pancrase287 pic.twitter.com/OJPnJpG6o9
— Bestrafer7 (@Bestrafer7) May 28, 2017
Saensatharn P.K. Saenchai Muaythaigym vs. Jhony Tancray – Thai Fight Italy (5.27.2017) #MuayThai pic.twitter.com/Prv6wyT2Fp
— Bestrafer7 (@Bestrafer7) May 28, 2017
This was the moment that won Khalidov the fight IMO #KSW39 pic.twitter.com/3zn2a2bpLH
— Jim Edwards (@MMA_Jim) May 28, 2017
A look back at round 10 of Kell Brook vs Errol Spence. #BrookSpence #Boxing pic.twitter.com/2uBQjcGeu1
— THE SQUARED CIRCLE (@KT_BOXING) May 27, 2017
These are big dudes
That was quick and intensive #KSW39 #KSWColosseum by @Jolassanda pic.twitter.com/aheMHEOldz
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 27, 2017
Day 14 lower div 10 year veteran #Kototsubasa pulls a nice #utchari throw#Sumo #natsubasho pic.twitter.com/Ctl5BYNEPS
— SumoSoul (@TheSumoSoul) May 27, 2017
#KSW39 Official results: @d_janikowski def. Julio Gallegos via TKO (knee and punches), 1:26, round 1. pic.twitter.com/tfelom6hdn
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 27, 2017
Good Reads
- Jack Slack analyzes Gustafsson’s win over Glover, with GIFs
- Schwan Humes combines his two areas of expertise and breaks down Wonder Woman’s fighting style ahead of her big movie debut. Trust me, you want to read this.
- Really, Germaine De Randamie?? You would rather move back to women’s bantamweight than fight Cyborg? There goes that division, I guess, but I feel robbed. Then again, I didn’t bother to watch UFC 208, and in retrospect that was a great call.
Podcasts and Video
The Monday Morning Analyst
Jack Slack’s Fights Gone By
BJJ Scout
icymi, check out part 1 of my latest study on Ben Askren and his use of folkstyle in MMA. Do share, 10q. https://t.co/dhtCT5zNMd
— BJJ Scout (@bjjscout) May 28, 2017
The Severe MMA podcast
Want to hear me singing wind beneath my wings? Listen to this week’s podcast. https://t.co/6oWdXhr8hl
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) May 29, 2017
The CME podcast
It’s been five years since we started this podcast. Here we try to determine the odds of making it another five. https://t.co/FasTtg6a9Z
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) May 29, 2017
Random Land
The world’s best goalkeeper?
GAAAAATIIIIIITOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/lKttneeabh
— Vinny Magalhães (@VinnyMMA) May 28, 2017
Stay woke, Maniacs!
Follow me on Twitter @Vorpality
Now is as good a time as any to let y’all know Midnight Mania will be on hiatus next week. I will be on a stay-cation, off the grid, pitching a tent in my backyard watching stars with my telescope. Naturally, that stargazing precludes any midnight writing, although I will be partaking in midnight snacks throughout. However, there will still be a shell in this space, an article for you Maniacs to find cool stuff from the day and leave in the comments.