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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Yesterday, UFC President Dana White made the journey over to Fox News and talked with host Sean Hannity about the specifics of holding UFC events again and the timeline of fans returning to sports. Naturally, White also took a moment to curse that pesky media again.
For reasons unknown — perhaps looking to make $10k on the undercard? — Hannity took the opportunity to show White his own personal training footage. While it never reached the absurd depths of Stephen A. Smith’s infamous uppercut clip, it’s also pretty far removed from anything resembling effective self-defense.
Check out a clip here (courtesy of The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona)
This might be the saddest/funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
Hannity says his staff sent Dana White some videos of his “martial arts training,” then he asks White to rate him as the show airs clips of said “training” pic.twitter.com/aiAuQP4L43
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 19, 2020
Transcription courtesy of Bloody Elbow:
Sean Hannity: My staff apparently sent you some of my uh, my training videos. I’ve been doing this now, seven years, 4-5 days a week— you’re laughing, that’s not a good sign if you’re laughing at some of the videos…
Dana White: I’m not laughing, I’m smiling. I’m smiling, I love it. Listen, when i was going up your parents would put you in Karate or Taekwondo, and that’s the martial art that people took. This is the new martial art that people are training in all over the world. I think it’s great that you do it. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself, your wife, your kids, I love it.
Hannity: By the way, it’s a combination of Krav (Maga), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kempo, Boxing, but I do a lot of situational training. Obviously, there’s some people, this may shock you, Dana — they hate me. Just in case. Protecting myself.
White: (Laughs) Yeah. I hear ya. I know exactly what you’re talking about (more laughs).
Hannity: Uh, big fan. Can’t wait to go, I’d love to one of these days go to a fight with you. Good luck with your opening.
White handled the situation politely! Well, he contained his laughter to a very reasonable, which is really all that could be asked given the footage. On the slight chance any other ultra rich talk show hosts are reading, I can personally promise better results following a single lesson (at a modest fee), let alone 4-5 per week over seven years!
As could anyone with even a small bit of actual experience.
Insomnia
I hope Francis Ngannou stays committed to the Jon Jones fight (assuming UFC doesn’t give him a title track right now). Jones has flirted with taking a Heavyweight fight for nearly a decade now — let’s see it!
Hello Jonny are you still there? @JonnyBones pic.twitter.com/EWTVgai80X
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 19, 2020
This post from One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong provides more questions than answers. Are any of these numbers real at all? Where is FIFA? 5.6 billion what?
— Jason Cruz (@dilletaunt) May 19, 2020
Flow with the go:
Least surprising news of the day: Edson Barboza was big as hell in the cage on Saturday night.
After making weight for his featherweight debut, @EdsonBarbozaJR says he walked into the cage at 170 pounds on fight night.
(via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/bU4hUdcKfO
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 19, 2020
Remember: nothing on Instagram is real!
I would never willingly step into a sauna if not for weight cut obligations. Saunas are terrible, and Joe Rogan is a wild man.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Vitor Belfort + TRT was one of the most devastating combinations in the history of MMA … It’s also cool that him and Luke Rockhold are friends now. Everyone’s burying the hatchet with Rockhold!
7 years ago I compete with one of the best athletes in mma, today we train at the same team. pic.twitter.com/DKoIHeRIMj
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) May 19, 2020
Is the general lack of heavy body shots during ground striking a missed opportunity? This is a killer finish!
what a body punch by Ivan Bogdanov (M-1) pic.twitter.com/s3bdI4Ar74
— Jolassanda (@Jolassanda1) May 17, 2020
Bobryshev scored an excellent angle almost immediately on this triangle, and I cannot help but wonder if the neck/shoulder tape provided even more friction to prevent the legs from slipping.
drem sweet brother
Sergey Bobryshev > Danil Vaganov (M-1) – HL pic.twitter.com/UfyN1QHfMX— Jolassanda (@Jolassanda1) May 17, 2020
Random Land
Some very impressive control:
Midnight Music: One of my favorite post-rock songs from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Fun fact: F#A#? (pronounced F Sharp, A Sharp, Infinity) is the highest rated EP of all time per music nerd forum RateYourMusic.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.