Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Alex Pereira is one of the most exciting Middleweight prospects in the world, and he’s not against using that to his advantage. The talented Brazilian kickboxer recently scored a fight vs. Bruno Silva on March 12, a pretty devastating puncher in his own right who went 3-0 inside the Octagon in 2021.
Apparently, Silva was not the first man offered. Per longtime Middleweight veteran Krzysztof Jotko, “Poatan” turned down a fight vs. Jotko. “Look at this clown,” Jotko tweeted, referencing Pereira’s recent fight announcement. “I agreed to fight you February 12! And you out here running scared fighting someone else cause you can’t wrestle. Why you scared?”
Pereira is not impressed with Jotko’s trash talk. Directly responding to the above quote, Pereira points to Jotko’s “totally unremarkable” nature as the reason for that match up failing to materialize.
“Well, I had never heard of that guy,” Pereira wrote. “But my manager mentioned him to me, and we came to the conclusion that he was a totally unremarkable and uninteresting opponent. Why would I fight a guy who only takes part in boring fights? He’s a veteran of 30 fights and isn’t even ranked!? He would just want to hold on to me the whole time. I want an opponent who can put on a show like me, not a girlfriend, I’m already a married man.
And then he comes out and disrespects me calling me a clown? If I had his fighting style I would be looking for another job… maybe in the circus.”
It’s pretty impressive trash talk when a fighter can admit to ducking and still come out ahead!
More seriously, Pereira is in for a hugely marketable fight vs. Israel Adesanya if the former kickboxing champion can put a few wins together. Pereira may not have proven himself against a top-notch wrestler yet, and if he plays his cards right, he may not have to before that bout materializes.
Welcome to the fight business.
Insomnia
Here’s a good question, though I would also nominate Tyron Woodley.
Who had the toughest year? pic.twitter.com/I8BCktdipK
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) December 27, 2021
The first push up onto the bricks is insanely impressive.
Jan Blachowicz getting the Lego treatment is pretty neat!
Jan Blachowicz as a lego creation.
Brandon Moreno is mad af pic.twitter.com/zXxqgsm9lR— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) December 27, 2021
Jared Gordon has a pretty inspiring story, and he just hit another landmark.
6 years sober today. In the last 3 months I got married, went on my honeymoon and closed on a house (I was homeless at one point). But for me the most fulfilling things are peoples love, trust and being in a position to help others. If I can do it you can too. Thank you God! pic.twitter.com/C7wjvc0A9g
— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) December 27, 2021
Sometimes, situations don’t play out the same in real life as they do in your head.
Aaron Pico is a scary man whether we’re talking punches, takedowns, or elbows.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
If the head kick doesn’t land, why not just fly through the air and basically try again with a hybrid knee?
Pfff otro tremendo KO en Iron Man CF 22! Excelente rodillazo volador de Nildo Nascimento! pic.twitter.com/BLjQSFmn2u
— Barrele la pierna (@Barrelelapierna) December 24, 2021
Phonebooth fighting just might be the future. I am entertained!
You really do not want Craig Jones anywhere near your feet!
Random Land
A rather interesting recap of some 2021 trends:
Midnight Music: Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter is a really quality record for anyone into dream pop/indie rock.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.