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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every quarantined night!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Last month, when UFC announced their plan to hold UFC 249 on Native American territory in California’s Bay Area, I was pretty shocked. As a resident of “The Golden State,” my expectations of the event happening plummeted. Why California? The California state government was among the earliest to institute lock downs and penalties, whereas other states have been far looser.
The show got canned, and UFC smartened up by heading down to Florida, where WWE shows have been held the whole time. Their plans seem unlikely to change in this new location, as Governor Ron DeSantis defended his decision in a press conference and spoke about the benefits for Florida’s economy (transcription via Bloody Elbow).
“There’s not going to be any fans but I think that [UFC 249] is going to be a good event for people,” Gov. DeSantis said during a recent press conference. “I helped recruit,” DeSantis said. ”I wanted the wrestling to be filmed in Orlando. I’d like them to do WrestleMania. They were going to do WrestleMania in April. That was hundreds of millions of dollars. I want to keep that good relationship.”
In fact, DeSantis is so confident that the events will go well that he’s optimistic about live audiences returning to some extent pretty shortly. He explained, “I do think if the trends are good as you get into June-July. I think there is a window to have some fans.”
Each day that goes by without cancellation is a good one for UFC 249. If there is a last-minute cancellation, it likely will come from an issue presented by someone other than the state government.
Insomnia
Check out the latest episode of our Thailand travel and training doc!
Darren Till, Leon Edwards, and Jimi Manuwa are teaming up on some sort of initiative to combat knife crime. Relevant fact: Till moved from the UK to Brazil after getting stabbed at a party.
COVID19 is not the only crisis in the UK currently.
We must take a stand against Knife crime that is devastating our communities.
Me, @POSTERBOYJM & @Leon_edwardsmma all faced the same issues growing up & we have come together to help our own cities.— Darren Till (@darrentill2) May 1, 2020
UFC 249 might be the event where every single fighter gasses out halfway through the second as a result of incomplete fight camps.
Despite my concerns above, somehow I have faith that Francis Ngannou is going to perform as he usually does.
Ready to spread my wings and fly #flexfriday @puna185 pic.twitter.com/JwxorD43OU
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 1, 2020
Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns is very much a fight I’d like to see.
Spoke to Tyron Woodley today. He said he’s leaning towards accepting a main event fight against Gilbert Burns on May 23. Fight isn’t signed yet but it’s looking good at the moment, he said. “I waited as long I could for Colby,” he said. “But he doesn’t want it, so I’m moving on.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 1, 2020
Explaining the mechanics of the twisting footlock:
Slips, rips, and KO clips
The most brutal guillotine choke in MMA history?
Dan Miller vs. Dave Phillips (April 2007) pic.twitter.com/Q23mw8bDEP
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 29, 2020
This is a cool knockout and all, but plus-size Robbie Lawler is indeed the highlight of the clip.
Rory Markham vs. Mike Pyle (April 2006)
Watch for large Robbie Lawler pic.twitter.com/hRoYUpGIjh
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 29, 2020
A good ol’ fashion slugfest!
Ben Rothwell vs. Krzysztof Soszy?ski pic.twitter.com/cwDEa8iykp
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 29, 2020
Random Land
The drive-in theater near me reopened with social distancing guidelines and has been doing quite well. Is this the future for concerts as well?
Drive-in concerts are now a thing in Denmark: https://t.co/4OLOC5lkuC pic.twitter.com/5JtP7aYz72
— Consequence of Sound (@consequence) May 1, 2020
Midnight Music: At this point, I am quite bored of my own playlists, so I put on an “Early Alternative” mix that was short on surprises but still very solid.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.