Bringing you the weird and the wild from the world of MMA each and every night …
Welcome to Midnight Mania! It’s that time of year again … Christmas Eve! It’s also almost the New Year, which means many of us are looking back at 2016 counting the damage it wrought. I mean, counting our blessings and good memories.
Here is one of the top moments of the year, courtesy of one Nathan Diaz.
When it comes to the Moment of the Year there is only one winner. pic.twitter.com/VNHTeM3tuP
— Scott Bond (@_ScottBond_) December 23, 2016
Perhaps with this moment in mind, Dana White continued to ride the “Nate is just too big for Conor” choo-choo train all the way into the station …
… and yes, I can agree, the size difference opposite a career Lightweight — and former 155-pound title contender — is just ridiculous.
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Fighters have stories and delusions they tell themselves after a loss to explain it. We discussed that with Jose Aldo. And Diaz was a uniquely difficult match up for McGregor. But, this narrative is still so silly:
— Phil Mackenzie (@EvilGregJackson) December 23, 2016
Hmmm …. indeed.
You know who never used height, reach, and size as a talking point? pic.twitter.com/xbyRr1OSH4
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 23, 2016
While we are remembering people giving and taking damage …
Remember when chris leben would eat like 4 normally fight ending punches then nap some poor guy pic.twitter.com/LmESHE18fG
— Rich (@high_light) December 20, 2016
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a fearsome human being, a veritable Velociraptor of destruction, a 125-pound female Terminator, a … cute reindeer taking pictures in front of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger? Yeah, that’s right.
@benfowlkesMMA @chaddundas @SoozieCuzie Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Champy, one of the world’s most vicious fighting machines! pic.twitter.com/CQatW8JPTz
— It’s Me JV in JC (@ItsMeJVinNYC) December 23, 2016
While we are on cute and cold …
Someone made this cartoon of McGregor going after all the belts. And all I have to say is this: Well done.
Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz will meet in Bellator 170 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2017. However, these two have clashed before, in collegiate wrestling, and guess who won?
Ben Rothwell has some New Year’s resolutions:
Early 2017 goals “regardless of results” 1. Fight @FabricioWerdum 2. Use the Volcano with @CainValesquez 3. Hold hands with @stipemiocicufc
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) December 23, 2016
Other 2017 goals=4.steal/eat @junior_cigano flan https://t.co/bgi411pmag @wizards_magic with @JoshLBarnett 6. Eat Popeyes with @Thebeast_ufc
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) December 23, 2016
I can deal with all of those coming to pass.
Jessica Hudnall, LegKickTKO on Twitter, has been doing underrated work in 2016. It’s really excellent stuff, and now you can watch some of the videos here:
Ok, I spammed the shit I wrote.
Now to spam the vids I made!
Dom Cruz defeats TJ (Verbal KO)https://t.co/F1pSWWzuuK
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
An excessively long countdown of Nate Diaz’s slaps to Conorhttps://t.co/lxRjIinIwg
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
from the very beginning of the year – carlos condit is TITANIUMhttps://t.co/Bl0nMDhNg9
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
And one for The Big Homie Manny Newtonhttps://t.co/OgqXTu4Qwn
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
Nate Diaz is a SOS type of person, Slap On Sighthttps://t.co/6IuSsJozRI
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
god, i love these subtle moments of defense from lawlerhttps://t.co/jHRJgeq3ws
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
This is a little grim:
probably the cruelest video i’ve done, the Deaths of the Horsewomenshttps://t.co/xl0r9enR0S
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
I had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I watched this.
speaking of gruesome damage – poor roryhttps://t.co/yJxvSVXlT3
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
This is hard to watch for entirely different reasons:
something else that’s hard to watch – tito ortiz speaking#TroopFamilyhttps://t.co/BLkqAhjz5D
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
Sipillations and Silillaritieshttps://t.co/YeloTIxVBJ
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
Kimbo … another victim of 2016. Rest in peace, big man.
rip kimbo 🙁https://t.co/FhoznX5hAf
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
On a lighter note:
nate diaz shows us the real way to react to happy newshttps://t.co/OfTgepWvJU
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
Tim Elliott is an entertaining man to watch fight:
Tim Elliott is an adorable silly boyhttps://t.co/nqsw1vEKEJ
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
OSP has the most insane corner you’ve ever heard. Greg Jackson can’t match ENH!https://t.co/qbpGvxoQ4z
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) December 24, 2016
Podcasts and Such
Watch the Speed Bag, wherein Ben Fowlkes explains why Dominick Cruz’s trash talk is so effective.
This Beatdown episode discusses who ought to be Fighter of the Year:
Tyron Woodley continues to impress when it comes to the quality of these:
Quick Hits
- Check out Jessica Hudnall’s story on Moat Fights from earlier this year.
- Jack Slack breaks down the action-guaranteed fight between Lineker and Dillashaw.
- Compared to the usual the delusions fighters have after losses, Dada 5000 claiming he was poisoned before the Kimbo Slice fight is … out there.
Randomland
What do you think of this stunt fight? Looks fun…
Not your average shopping list:
Michelangelo’s Handwritten 16th-Century Grocery List https://t.co/fuipY050k1 pic.twitter.com/To5arHEmMb
— Open Culture (@openculture) December 24, 2016
Whale sounds from Joe Rogan’s podcast
No one is quite sure what THIS sound is, though they think it comes from a whale, too:
While I am talking about animals, this National Geographic compilation of its best animal pictures from 2016 is stellar.
Stay woke, Maniacs! And ho-ho-ho …
Email me at [email protected] to say wish me Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas or Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Hanukkah!