Midnight Mania! Only Man To KO ‘Stylebender’ Joins UFC?

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

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Israel Adesanya might just have a new contender coming up the ranks, and it’s a familiar foe. UFC Welterweight Laureano Staropoli posted a picture today of training with Alex Pereira, who twice defeated Adesanya in the kickboxing ring and said his UFC debut was imminent.

Alex Pereira is more than the only fighter to ever knock out “Stylebender,” even if that’s his relative claim to fame in the MMA world. Beyond that emphatic win, “Po Atan” is a decorated professional kickboxer who currently holds the Glory Kickboxing Middleweight crown, as well as the interim Light Heavyweight title.

Pereira’s current record in the ring stands at 41-6 with 30 knockout victories. The Brazilian has won his last eight bouts, and his recent knockouts are among the best of 2019.

There’s reason to believe this more than Instagram posturing as well. Pereira has a trio of MMA fights on his record (2-1) from a few years ago, and he expressed an interest in chasing Adesanya down after his last victory.

Insomnia

There should probably be at least one USADA employee stationed outside of Paulo Costa’s residence at all times.

M-1 Global held an event in Russia today, because M-1 does whatever it wants!

Georges St. Pierre with the home workout for the more advanced among us:

Shaq has more MMA ties than I knew!

Ronaldo Souza doing some shadow boxing in his driveway, likely preparing for a bout in the near future.

Remember what I said about Tiramisu Tuesday just a couple nights ago? Tony Ferguson hasn’t let it go and likely never will.

Slips, rips, and M-1 clips

New fights! New clips! New Finishes!

This has the be the most demoralizing way to take an L.

The uppercut landed perfectly and ended the fight, but I quite appreciate the immediate pivot afterward to also negative the takedown attempt.

Fun fact: this type of guillotine (ten-finger) or front choke is especially painful. While most chokes attack the arteries of the neck and cut off the blood supply, a properly executed ten-finger guillotine smashes into the windpipe, which SUCKS!

Random Land

The most American way imaginable to spend a stimulus check!

Midnight Music: What I did today!

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