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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
In just a few days, UFC Vegas 74 will take place inside UFC’s home venue, the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s been almost exactly three years since UFC began holding shows in the Apex, which means a significant portion of the events now come without much of a crowd.
There’s a growing anti-Apex sentiment among fight fans as a result. Events without crowds don’t have to sell tickets, so there’s less of an expectation to provide a stacked card with known names. Instead, UFC can fill the night with recent Contenders Series pick ups, which makes for a cost-effective event given minimal show and win base salaries and no hosting fees.
Despite UFC President Dana White repeated mentions that it’s time to move on from the Apex, the small venue events keep on coming. Four of the next eight shows will air from there, and now USA Today’s Nolan King reports that UFC is applying for five more licenses in the fall. One event is planned to take place inside the T-Mobile Arena, but the remaining four are further UFC Vegas events.
UFC will be inside the Apex on September 16 and 23, October 7, and November 18. The likely pay-per-view (PPV) event from the T-Mobile Arena is planned for December 16.
The #UFC has applied for five more event permits from Nevada, as follows…
UFC Apex: Sept. 16, Sept. 23, Oct. 7, Nov. 18
T-Mobile Arena: Dec. 16 pic.twitter.com/y96THKBred
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 1, 2023
For now, at least, the UFC Apex era remains in full swing.
Insomnia
Belal Muhammad responds to Sean Strickland, and I nominate their feud as the least juicy beef of recent memory.
Your not that guy pal pic.twitter.com/VDFyNbDi0b
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 1, 2023
WTF is a True Geordie and why would Conor McGregor entertain fighting him?
Oh no pic.twitter.com/3rjLH74hO1
— ??????????? (@TheArtOfWar6) May 31, 2023
One of the great gifts that being able to beat up 99% of the planet allows is the ability to completely disregard any judgement from that 99%.
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Alexander Romanov has the potential to be the MOST tired-Eastern-European-Heavyweight-grappler fight of all time.
Big boys on deck. A heavyweight bout between Blagoy Ivanov (19-5) and Alexandr Romanov (16-2) is set for the #UFC event July 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, multiple sources tell @Farah_Hannoun and me. Story headed to @MMAJunkie.
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 1, 2023
Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot makes more sense than last night’s Moicano offering.
September works too But bro, I got tired in 3 rounds, I thought we were friends, why you want 5? https://t.co/NlZhycC57w
— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) June 1, 2023
A classic kicking drill:
Guram Kutateladze kicking Pads pic.twitter.com/EhcBpIVxjZ
— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) May 31, 2023
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Here’s a fun fact for the week: Kai Kara-France is undefeated when fighting on international waters at pirate-themed events.
Speaking of international waters. Tomorrow marks the 8-year anniversary of the first and only pirate themed MMA event held on a cruise ship, Mixed Martial A’rr.
The undercard featured a guy named Kai Kara-France knocking his opponent out in 12 seconds. https://t.co/SJeYuKVGsn pic.twitter.com/JvnkvYM6e5
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 31, 2023
Mariusz Pudzianowski’s career has been shockingly fun.
‘ !
Mariusz Pudzianowski destroying monsters since 2009! XTB #KSWColosseum2 pic.twitter.com/Pf1fSwP0Cd
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 31, 2023
Enjoy a Robbie Lawler that you likely haven’t seen previously:
Also on that card: Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith 1.
Would have probably gone down as one of the best action fights of its era if not for an eye poke in R3 that ended it prematurely. Just look at the action through 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/X027ICYHUj
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 31, 2023
Random Land
A creepy crawly.
Midnight Music: Traditional, 1958
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.