Midnight Mania! Khabib and GSP are (allegedly) copying Tony Ferguson

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

If one were to take a look at the front page of MMAmania during any given Tony Ferguson fight week, there’s a fair chance of oddness. The uncrowned champion very much dances to his own rhythm, one it seems only he can hear. His erratic behavior can be amusing, like his strange pre-fight trash talk and bizarre training methods, but it also took a more serious turn when Ferguson’s wife filed a restraining order against him following some unsettling behavior.

Thankfully, Ferguson appears to be in a better mental state now. Not normal, certainly, but better, and “El Cucuy” seems ready to step back into the Octagon and continue his winning ways. At the UFC 238 media scrum, however, Tony Ferguson hit us with a perhaps his most unexpected statement yet. Transcription courtesy of MMA Junkie:

“I was wearing three-piece suits and sunglasses on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ When I came out of the ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ I started seeing other fighters do that like Georges St-Pierre started jacking my style and other fighters started wearing their sunglasses inside and doing all the same things. Before they were doing like Team Khabib and saying they want to fight Georges St-Pierre, I was saying that in my interviews already. Literally, copycat is the one form of flattery. They keep flattering me and I’m just going to keep sitting here.”

There’s a lot to think about here, but the most hilarious bit has to be about the sunglasses. Back at UFC 223, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov — who had the audacity to be one of dozens to call out Georges St. Pierre over the years — were matched up for the fourth time. Just days before their fight was set to take place, Ferguson tripped over a cable and tore his knee, forcing him to pull out of the fight.

The culprit widely blamed online? Ferguson’s infamous shades.

To all the fighters in the world, there are many things to legitimately copy from Ferguson, like his slick intercepting left elbow or nasty front choke transitions… just leave the shades behind.

Insomnia

Israel Adesanya’s utter disregard for anything resembling a filter is becoming a thing of legend.

Fighters commenting on their own fights is a favorite type of video for me, one of the best ways to gain insight into the mentality and strategy of different athletes. As we’ve just discussed, Ferguson’s mind is certainly an interesting one.

Bethesda’s character models have come a long way since the potato-faced populace of Oblivion (my favorite video game of all time), but… there’s still progress to be had.

There really is something in the water in Sacramento (besides arsenic). Excuse me while I quickly investigate the going rate of a vasectomy.

Safe bet that the tattoo on Anthony Smith’s hand will need some fixin’ after that wound seals up!

Team Alpha Male wrestling coach (well, one of them) Alexander Munoz tore his ACL in a successful Contender Series’ bout last Summer opposite Nick Newell. Check out that post-surgery footwork and keep an eye out for Munoz, who’s one of the most explosive athletes on the team.

FLIPS, Rips, and KO clips

Getting punched with one leg in the air is very bad news.

Another Muay Thai bout, another man with his back to the ropes being put down.

Yusaka Nakamura is a member of Team Alpha Male Japan, and I’ve had the privilege of training with the slick Karateka a number of times now. He’ll be a couple teeth lighter on his next journey to California, but at least his hand was raised!

Feel free to complain about the pro wrestling inclusion below, but this clip is extremely impressive.

Random Land

MMAmania community OG Ricky-Dooby takes a hilarious stab at TJ Dillashaw via Twitter.

Water > Instagram.

“The one thing I know for sure about China is I will never know China. It’s too big, too old, too diverse, too deep. There’s simply not enough time. That is for me the joy of China, facing a learning curve that impossibly steep. The certain knowledge that even if I dedicated my life to learning about China, I die mostly ignorant.” – Anthony Bourdain

Music from the making of Midnight Mania! I listened to a live album from my favorite singer-songwriter working right now, Father John Misty — also known as Josh Tillman, the former drummer for the indie folk band Fleet Foxes. Under the Father John Misty moniker, Tillman has been able to cheekily cover topics ranging from the human condition and drug abuse to cemetery sex and the struggles of a misanthrope falling in love.

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