Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
I cover this sport nearly every day, and I see plenty that make me wince or cringe — a particularly gruesome knockout, limbs snapping, late stoppages — but this may be the hardest thing to watch I’ve seen yet.
WTF Ref! pic.twitter.com/UMdFkCPlhn
— Bruno Massami (????? ???????) (@BrMassami) August 20, 2018
The event was Demolidor Fight MMA 13, and the fight was the main event, Melziquiel Conceição (Melk) vs Rafael Barbosa. Melk was the man unconscious as Barbosa held the choke while the referee looked placidly on as a man nearly died in front of his eyes. The commission proceeded to blame the promotion, and the promotion blame the commission, for hiring the referee.
The fighter, who was taken to the hospital, was reportedly okay afterwards, though he said he couldn’t seem to breathe correctly.
In social media, Melquizael Conceição shares his thoughts about that fight:
“I was blacked out for almost two minutes. For a short time, i not dead. The referee not saw that. My eyes still opened but i was completely blacked out.
After that. People was tried to wake me up…”
— Bruno Massami (????? ???????) (@BrMassami) August 20, 2018
“and i can’t briefing. I saw the people in my side and something in my throat not help me to brief. I just feeling better when i was arrived in hospital.” Ended Conceição.
— Bruno Massami (????? ???????) (@BrMassami) August 20, 2018
Big John also weighed in, and had a similar reaction.
That is one of the most sickening things I have ever seen in MMA!!!! That referee has no idea what he is doing and could cause a death due to his ignorance and incompetence. This is why MMA needs a worldwide governing association that could handle such outrageous negligence https://t.co/bN83YYOHQw
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) August 20, 2018
Every referee makes gaffes- John McCarthy himself was infamously kicked by Roy Nelson after a late stoppage of his opponent- but this one was utterly beyond the pale.
Hopefully that referee will never ever oversee two men in combat ever again. He deserves to be decked for that gross negligence, like this referee was.
Insomnia
Ali Abelaziz is one of the most successful MMA managers today. He’s also full of it.
Just gonna leave this Ali Abdelaziz declaration here. Kidnapping & extortion schemes and avoiding $$$ requests from friends & family. And pretty sure I’m not buying paragraph #6. #MMA #UFC #UFClawsuit pic.twitter.com/Zm3RcbJ7QP
— Paul Gift (@MMAanalytics) August 21, 2018
Tony Ferguson rejects the “weird” label
“I’m Not Weird I’m Limited Edition” My Collaboration w/ @Topps Now All We Need Is Some Bubblegum To Go With This Asswhoopin’ I’m ‘Bout To Dish At #ufc229 Waiting On Opponent, Probly Callin’ Pterodactyls After Finding Out Who He’s Fighting Next, I Owe Him One. pic.twitter.com/fz6fiTAoqY
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) August 20, 2018
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson still got jokes.
This was the very obvious response to Dana White, who has been saying a lot of stuff lately.
Because Lesnar is in it for the long haul right? https://t.co/5bAKJOSIvN
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) August 18, 2018
Dana White is just making things up, of course, but this is still egregious.
Dana White says UFC worth $7 billion. Meanwhile nine fighters at UFC 227 made $20K or less.
— Trent Reinsmith (@TrentReinsmith) August 20, 2018
White’s entire shtick is based on the idea that nobody is ever going to call him to his nonsense on his face, and so far, he’s rarely been proven wrong.
— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) August 21, 2018
Mike Perry living his best life
In a strip club enjoying baseball for the first time
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) August 20, 2018
The fight odds for Justin Gaethje vs. James Vick have Gaethje as the underdog, and though I’m rooting for Gaethje, I have to agree. This is another tough matchup for him.
Glad it’s fight week. Live odds for Saturday’s UFC lightweight main event in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: James Vick (-160) v. Justin Gaethje (+130). #UFCLincoln
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) August 20, 2018
MMA fighter TJ Laramie says this video is of him catching his girlfriend cheating on him.
Lmao my girlfriend just cheated on me in real life pic.twitter.com/MW9b6ehcWg
— TJ Laramie (@laramietj) August 19, 2018
Slick bit of grappling
I’ve been looking for lasso guard inspiration, then this happened Friday night at @f2wpro in Chicago! Matt Leighton hits beautiful sweep vs Dante Leon in the main event (via @FloGrappling) pic.twitter.com/WBUmEHC7LR
— Hywel Teague (@hywelteague) August 20, 2018
I’ve never seen this effortless takedown before.
The Russian Wrist Snap being done by Islam Makhachev. Never encountered it before, very situational relying on sharp timing and specific reactions from opponent. Really cool looking. pic.twitter.com/vtjnKtS2y7
— T. P. Grant (@TP_Grant) August 19, 2018
There is some genuinely awful self-defense advice out there.
Pretty sure this wont help you one bit pic.twitter.com/Gu73UZv3ye
— ZombieProphet (@GIFsByZP) August 19, 2018
Actor Chris Pratt, of Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers 3, Magnificent Seven and of course, Parks and Rec fame, has MMA nightmares and spent Sunday working them out on the pads.
Amazing back kick by Alexey Efremov, took the wind right out of him.
what a legit kick by Alexey Efremov ! 3R TKO (WFCA) pic.twitter.com/1uywK9GUHL
— Jolassanda (@Jolassanda) August 18, 2018
Daniel Cormier has a clean USADA testing schedule, but we all remember towelgate, and Joe Rogan says extreme weight cutting is more effective cheating than steroids.
How I think I look while training:
How I actually look:
I like this sketch art of Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz. With Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa sadly off UFC 230, this fight takes on more importance to the big NYC card.
Sometimes the best insults don’t use words. Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman 2 means UFC 230 is still middleweight mayhem in the making.
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) August 18, 2018
In case you missed this insane Cowboy Cerrone story: the man almost died in an underwater cave. A lot of people have died on cave dives, so he’s not exaggerating the danger.
Look at this body hook.
McGregor has never been particularly adept at defending his big noggin using his gloves (it’s harder to do well with small gloves anyway), so fighting hands low has always made the most sense for him.
Random Land
Goats don’t care. Goats live free and die hard.
Two very baaaaad boys. pic.twitter.com/3fcb9QCxGh
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) August 20, 2018
This guy had some life. I love learning about people that history has largely forgotten.
We have three Pitch Perfect movies, eleventy billion Fast and the Furious, 14 remakes of Spiderman, and not one gotdann Robert Smalls movie.
I would watch the HELL out of that. pic.twitter.com/n9DZC2qmft
— Dane Rauschenberg (@SeeDaneRunAgain) August 18, 2018
While I’m on my history kick: they thought man-made climate change might turn out to be a problem in 1912.
106 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/aXST5LVQjb
— Heather Anne Campbell (@heathercampbell) August 14, 2018
Road Runner stuff right here.
I sincerely hope the person that fell is okay, but this is the only good headline today. https://t.co/iUX6AyyUfj
— Huge Mantis (@HugeMantis) August 20, 2018
Stay woke, Maniacs! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @Vorpality. Support my Kickstarter