Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Tenshin Nasukawa said he wasn’t very impressed with Floyd Mayweather’s charisma when they saw each other in person. He also said that, despite Mayweather insisting that their RIZIN 14 bout is strictly a boxing match and solely for ‘fun’, Tenshin said he doesn’t particularly feel like sticking to that ruleset because he doesn’t like what Mayweather says. Via the Associated Press:
“I sensed no aura about him,” he said.
“He says such provocative stuff I feel like kicking him.”
He did also say that, while he feels the much larger Mayweather is fast, he doesn’t anticipate a problem seeing his punches coming.
“He is the best so I can’t let my guard down. I’m sure his punches are fast but I’m sure I can see them.
“I feel excited, although some days I still feel afraid,” Nasukawa added. “But when the day comes, I want to fight with confidence.”
The 41-year-old Mayweather was careful to stipulate that the bout not go on any professional record. It will only be three rounds. Despite all that, Japan’s New Year’s Eve weird fights are known for producing some crazy results. Will RIZIN 14 (which also features some legitimate mixed martial arts superfight action between Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell and RIZIN flyweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi) be the craziest of all?
Insomnia
“Do I cheat? Yes. Do I still want everyone to love me? Yes.”
“What do you want your legacy to be?”
Jones: “Just being a bad mothafucker at the end of the day. Just a bad dude. Am I perfect? No. Am I a Christian who swears? Yes. Do I love God? Yes. Do I love my family? Yes. Am I a bad mothafucker in that ring? Yes.” https://t.co/KWV92Kk2Zs
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 20, 2018
Forrest Griffin really does look like Tommy Lee Jones a little bit
Some of these pictures of UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw and his wife belong in a time capsule
Rose Namajunas juggling a soccer ball in an airport is the sequel to that 2006 FIFA commercial we never knew we needed.
Al Iaquinta, who didn’t fight for years because he could make more money as a real estate agent, is now a top five fighter in the UFC’s deepest division. Wrap your head around that.
Throw BACK Thursday
Rachael Ostovich has filed for divorce from her (allegedly) physically abusive husband.
Looks like Rachael Ostovich has filed for divorce. pic.twitter.com/JgbKkAxgT8
— Suzanne Davis (@SoozieCuzie) December 20, 2018
Happy birthday to Tatiana Suarez
Happy birthday to Tatiana Suarez (@TSPMMA115)!
Suarez has 18 takedowns in 4 UFC fights, with an absurd 81% takedown accuracy rate.
She needs 1 more fight to qualify for the all-time rankings, but that’s on pace to be the highest takedown accuracy rate in UFC history.
— MMA By The Numbers (@NumbersMMA) December 19, 2018
Hockey knockout
Well that didn’t take long. Wilson drops the gloves with Oleksiak less than a minute in.
Stream #CapsPens live: https://t.co/Wn6LWyeTGx pic.twitter.com/DbvgKikCOj
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 20, 2018
Luke Rockhold is moving to light heavyweight- I wonder if his chin will hold up better there when he cuts less weight
Luke Rockhold announced he’s moving up to LHW – once and for all, no coming back. He’s still dealing with knee injury but aims to debut in LHW at #UFC235. Wants someone from top, thinks that “washouts” from MW got easily into Top 10 LHW, so the div. is open. Via @SubmissionRadio
— Bartek Stachura (@Lowkingpl) December 20, 2018
Jared Gordon reveals a side professional fighters don’t often talk about: the psychological toll a brutal loss can take.
I have not been this mentally devastated in a long time, I will get through it but im truly hurt…
— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) December 19, 2018
Sport-specific training
Saw a foosball player training at the gym today pic.twitter.com/G9b37MvQiI
— Denlesks (@Denlesks) December 19, 2018
Jon Jones’ callouts of Daniel Cormier always have venom, and usually are the most devastating trash talk MMA has ever seen, but this one reeks of hypocrisy. Jones knows Cormier is at heavyweight because its his natural weight class at age 40, not because he got off his drug suspension early.
“Pinch of salt, no pinch of salt. You still had steroids in your system in a fist fight,” Cormier stated. “Not cool.”
Daddys baby still out there whining, What proud “double Champion” just vacates his belt because someone else returns to the sport?
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 20, 2018
He also knows he isn’t about to go to heavyweight to fight Cormier, he has said it isn’t worth the risk. Notice how he offers the third bout as his first defense so that we subtly understand the offer is for light heavyweight. DC is never making 205 again. Unlike McGregor, Cormier has actually defended the title both at light heavyweight and heavyweight.
Fight me one more time and prove you’re actually the champ champ. I’ll donate $100,000 to a charity in San Diego if you accept. Conor McGregor was an actual double Champ, the whole world knows your claim is a freaking joke. You’re more than welcome to be my first title defense
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 20, 2018
Its amazingly funny to go from seeing Conor McGregor’s detractors go after his legacy as a double champion for two years, to Jon Jones holding him up as a model Cormier should follow.
That’s a good one; it was a crazy fight.
My pick for best fight on an undercard is Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice. What’s your pick? pic.twitter.com/PiyYbIMYH8
— Kiiyon Kimura (@kiiyonkimura) December 19, 2018
Remember when Kevin Lee said Dustin Poirier wasn’t a serious competitor in the lightweight division, then lost to Al Iaquinta?
I’m going to be the lightweight champion of the world.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 20, 2018
Brutal
They gave us a free digital copy of the UFC game though, if I could only afford an xbox to play it..lol
— Tim Elliott (@TElliott125) December 20, 2018
Self-defense
Store Owner Survived from Robbery pic.twitter.com/StI42i0fUR
— CHEATING DEATH (@luckiestvids) December 8, 2018
Not self-defense
Anderson Silva training on the beach
Sleep well, Maniacs! A better tomorrow is always possible. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @Vorpality