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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
It’s been a hectic few days for UFC CEO Dana White.
While fans were speculating left and right about Conor McGregor’s injury and potential (now confirmed) withdrawal from his planned UFC 303 main event versus Michael Chandler, White was also dealing with a last-second illness to UFC Saudi Arabia’s Khamzat Chimaev! All the news unraveled last Friday, as two separate fight cards were entirely reworked back into usable condition after two of the sport’s biggest names crumbled.
During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White addressed the chaotic events of the last few days and offered his thoughts on the immediate future of UFC 302’s would-be main event athletes. In the case of Michael Chandler, White revealed that he expects Chandler to wait for the McGregor fight to be rebooked, though he’s open to offering him a different match up.
“I think poor Chandler wants to wait for Conor McGregor man,” White explained. “But whatever he wants to do. If he wants to get a fight this summer, we’ll do whatever he wants. He’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with. He’s a good human being, and I like him a lot.”
That sounds dangerously close to sympathy.
Unfortunately for “Iron” Mike, he may be waiting for an awful long time. Initial reports expected Chandler vs. McGregor to be rebooked sometime around August or September, but White is noncommittal. Given McGregor’s age and vast wealth, he wouldn’t be surprised if McGregor walks away for good.
“Jon Jones. Maybe he’ll fight again. Maybe he won’t. Conor McGregor. Maybe he’ll fight again. Maybe he won’t.“ @danawhite on the possibility of two UFC icons never stepping in the octagon again. pic.twitter.com/aWaFnFtWcw
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 17, 2024
“Conor is going to be 36 in July, and he’s got plenty of money. I don’t ever think that guys like that — [like] Jon Jones — who knows. Maybe he’ll fight again. Maybe he won’t. Conor McGregor. Maybe he’ll fight again. Maybe he won’t. You never know with some of the guys that get to that level. You never know if you’re ever going to see them again.”
Hopefully, we’ll find out a timeline in the coming weeks.
Insomnia
This kind of advertisement reminds me of Thailand, where local promotions have their athletes hit mitts on top of small trucks.
Honey, wake up, new Russian gimmick just dropped pic.twitter.com/rNFQnER3f2
— Matysek (@Matysek88) June 15, 2024
A last-second change to Saturday’s UFC Saudi Arabia event:
Short Notice
Oktagon MMA bantamweight champion Felipe Lima signs with the UFC. He replacing Melsik Baghdasaryan against Muhammad Naimov this Saturday at #UFCSaudiArabia. pic.twitter.com/VMyyo58XtY
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) June 17, 2024
This cage-side slow-mo of Tatsuro Taira’s leg-shattering takedown of Alex Perez is gnarly!
???#ufcvegas93 #UFC #???? pic.twitter.com/deiBEM83Ir
— MOSSAN (@MOSShighline) June 16, 2024
It took eight years, but Rafael dos Anjos finally got a bit of revenge on Conor McGregor. Everyone gets injured on a long enough timeline …
It’s just a bruise, take some ibuprofen. https://t.co/HknKEkvTD6
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) June 15, 2024
Bo Nickal may have missed an important phone call, but I really like this rumored match up.
Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira is rumoured to take place at UFC 309 on November 9th in New York.
(per Bruno Ferreira/ @Sports_Alien_OG) pic.twitter.com/XaovSATrg3— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 16, 2024
Garrett Armfield deployed biological warfare in his “Fight of the Night” versus Brady Hiestand.
I farted in the fight hehe pic.twitter.com/u2a2gi6mSx
— Garrett Armfield (@Armfield135) June 16, 2024
An ice-cold photo of Gervonta Davis landing his left hand:
Gervonta Davis knocks out Frank Martin (2024) pic.twitter.com/fNK4rG299y
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) June 17, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Santillana threw four strikes in this clip, and every one of them landed hard. That’s timing!
Andres Santillana just detonated that man’s jaw. Violent KO at FFC 77 in Peru #FFC77 pic.twitter.com/gLjQR0BiKm
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) June 14, 2024
I don’t know what I’m watching really, but maybe this is where Ali Abdelaziz got his idea about Kayla Harrison fighting men.
NO WAY THIS JUST HAPPENED pic.twitter.com/db4ufAch8m
— MrTestoestrogen (@MrTestoestrogen) June 14, 2024
Right hand to the body along the fence is such an underrated shot.
Body shot for the win?? #ARES22 pic.twitter.com/DFJb5bWV0a
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) June 14, 2024
Random Land
Always rooting for the bull.
Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 1993
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.