Midnight Mania! Mayweather tweets another bizarre video, McGregor still wants rematch

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

I’ll be honest. Like most MMA fans, I want to see McGregor in a “real” fight next… an MMA fight, against one of the many MMA fighters who have stacked up against the lightweight title damn like so much flotsam at a cracking beaver’s dam.

But with McGregor all but stripped of the lightweight title, there would seem to be little incentive for him to take a difficult fight against the toughest opponent in the division (whether that ends up being Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson). Nate Diaz has insinuated he’s warming up for a comeback fight, ostensibly for a trilogy. Aside from the distant possibility of Georges St. Pierre, that’s likely the biggest fight in terms of money that McGregor could take.

Except, of course, for the guy he just fought… er… boxed. Floyd Mayweather keeps teasing an entry into the foreign world of MMA. The latest video isn’t really any less cryptic than his other hints, with Mayweather just rubbing his hands together saying,

2018 Floyd Money Mayweather, MMA. What are the odds, Paddy? What are the odds?

What are the odds, indeed? Would Mayweather risk an almost certain, humiliating loss against McGregor? Unlike the Irishman, who gained access to a 100 million dollar payday he would never otherwise have gotten by crossing into boxing, Mayweather has other options. At least in McGregor’s case, boxing has been part of his skill set since his teenage years. Although obviously not a boxer on Mayweather’s level, he proved competent enough in the ring. Mayweather has no such experience to draw from in an MMA fight. We’ve seen boxers far out of their depth before in the Octagon. A rematch would not only be totally outside his comfort zone, it would also expose him to a feeling he has never allowed himself to experience: that of being beaten down on the most public stage imaginable.

Yet, there are upsides for Mayweather. The rivalry with McGregor clearly has steam; they nearly broke the Mayweather-Pacquaio record, with McGregor doing much of the promotional heavy lifting. It inspired plenty of post-fight talk. Somehow, people would talk themselves into buying a rematch in the boxing ring… but as many as the first bout? It’s doubtful. In the Octagon, Mayweather would be totally out of his depth, true- but it’s something we haven’t seen before. In that sense, it’s an easier sell. Casuals will believe Mayweather can knock out the Irishman in the cage too, and they will buy it. The novelty factor that helped make the first fight a cultural phenomenon would be back in full force for this one. In addition, Mayweather is risking his physical health, but his boxing record, his precious 50-0, would remain intact.

McGregor-Mayweather was a ridiculous circus fight the first time. A rematch in the Octagon would be exactly the same spectacle in reverse… which is the only reason it seems remotely likely.

McGregor obviously wants to get his loss back. Here, he admits as much at an award acceptance interview:

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Insomnia

Belal Muhammad had the best response to Mayweather’s video:

TJ Dillashaw says he can make 125 without question

Derrick Lewis reflects my feelings on this music exactly.

Israel Adesanya with some different dancing

Paige VanZant is going from PVZ to PV.

This video with Mike Tyson explaining how he feels entering the ring is absolutely amazing.

Nate Diaz is too big for Hulk Hogan

Jackson Wink endorses this? No, they say don’t even watch unless you’ve got a steady stomach.

Chandler with the suplexes

Great poster for Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier:

Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva was entertaining as anything.

Happy birthday to former bantamweight champion Renan Barao!

Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier feuding:

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Slips, Rips, and Muay Thai Clips

If you like high-level wrestling, you will like this clip

These are always fun

This was a great fight

I’ve posted this before but it’s so good

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Podcasts and Video

If you haven’t heard my interview with Nate Quarry, listen and learn how to get your free Zombie Cagefighter comic, and learn how Quarry got to live his UFC dream after growing up in a cult, and missing his father’s death to fight the bout that got him into the Ultimate Fighter. Check us out on SoundCloud as well as iTunes and Stitcher on the official MMA Mania channel! Follow MMA Mania on Youtube

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Random Land

Don’t mess with the eagle if you don’t want the talons

Alright then

Alright yeah that’s just cool

Stay woke, Maniacs! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @Vorpality