Midnight Mania! Stylebender Argues For Max vs. Volkanovski- ‘Nothing Else Makes Sense’

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Alexander Volkanovski was able to pull off what only Max Holloway and Conor McGregor had been able to accomplish: he defeated the gre…

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Alexander Volkanovski was able to pull off what only Max Holloway and Conor McGregor had been able to accomplish: he defeated the great Jose Aldo in a UFC bout this past weekend. It wasn’t via a dramatic finish, but he neutralized the neutralizer, taking every round from the former champion in an intelligent and impressive performance. That puts him on a 17-fight winning streak, with seven straight UFC wins, including victories over Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins. A title shot seemed all but guaranteed.

Yet, the UFC, in it’s ultimate wisdom and understanding, has evidently decided to give another title shot to Frankie Edgar. Edgar, who was knocked out brutally by Brian Ortega, bounced back with a decision win over Cub Swanson, who is 0-4 in his recent run. He has fought Jose Aldo twice at featherweight for a belt, losing twice. The fight with Brian Ortega was meant to be for the title as well, but when Holloway was injured, Ortega stepped up and beat Edgar.

Israel Adesanya stood up for his Aussie counterpart today, arguing that Holloway vs. Volkanovski in Sydney, Australia would be a natural fit alongside a title unification bout between himself and Australian middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. He is right; with champion Holloway hailing from Hawaii, a location in the Pacific, it would be a logical choice.

Me vs Bobby Boy

@alexvolkanovski vs Blessed

Sold out stadium in Sydney…

Nothing else makes sense!

Edgar is on a 1 fight win streak and Alex on 7 win streak in the ufc (17 total win streak) and just beat the king of Rio in Rio. Frankie never beat Aldo (twice).

Fax or [emojis for fax machine]?!

Before hearing about the announcement, Volkanovski said that he would be ‘pretty pissed’ if Edgar got the shot ahead of him. He said anyone who knows anything about the sport realizes that if he just beat the number one contender on enemy soil, that makes him the number one contender.

He’s not wrong. Unfortunately, the UFC is willing and able to overlook who deserves what, in favor of its own, often inscrutable choices.

Insomnia

Brian Ortega vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov is a featherweight fight I can get behind.

Does Jon Anik know this guy?

I mean… it is not worth it to me, but you do you, Siyar.

Anthony Pettis and Nate Diaz is an amazing fight, and hopefully we finally see Diaz in the cage this time.

Tatiana Suarez and Jessica Andrade is the title fight we need to see.

Credit to Tom Duquesnoy for walking away from the sport early rather than late.

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Dear friends, The MMA has been for me THE school of life with travels and encounters all over the world, and most importantly, the opportunity to discover myself as a person. Today I decide to go on a different path that attracts me a lot more and that takes me a big part of my energy. My new activities are such that I can not be fully devoted to high level training. I respect that sport too well to engage in « half-hearted » and that is why I am at a crossroads where it is essential for me to focus on what passionates me the most. It is also the result of a long introspection that was not simple since it was my childhood dream to fight in UFC, I who watched the UFC’s since the age of twelve and who did everything, these last ten years, in order this dream to materialize. This decision is good for me and comes from deep inside my heart. I announce my official retirement as a MMA fighter. I am already happy to feel your support in this new chapter of life dedicated as you know, to the teaching of the MMA technics but ABOVE ALL, the spiritual aspect of the martial arts and the inner quest. And that is on that path that you are all WELCOME and I invite you to follow the continuation of my journey. A continuation where we will be able to meet more than ever. I take this opportunity to THANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART all the people that have illuminate my path, to have made this journey so dense in understandings and human values. Thank you to everyone

A post shared by Tom Duquesnoy (@tomfirekid) on

On the weekend Michael Chandler got knocked out, Gregor Gillespie figured out how to do his workout.

This is funny because it’s exactly how Michael Chiesa reacted when all Kevin Lee said was that his mom would be attending their fight.

All things considered, Michael Page is taking his to Douglas Lima loss fairly well, even if he has spent most of his career crushing cans, and this was his first fight against a top welterweight.

Will Rose Namajunas retire?

Other notable slams in MMA history:

Just how big is this guy if he makes Jon Jones look this small??

Angela Hill had a weekend.

Slips, Rips, KO Clips

Hailstorm is an accurate description

Before he got knocked down and out in the second, Michael Venom Page went for this takedown in the first round and Lima effortlessly turned his outside trip into an inside trip of his own.

This was a well-timed counter

Madness indeed

Random Land

Fun at work

Sleep well, Maniacs! A better tomorrow is always possible. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @Vorpality