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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

We are less than one month away from one of the biggest boxing matches of 2024.

Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev is scheduled to go down on October 12 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the “Riyadh Season” hosted by upstart boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh. Bivol is undefeated at 23-0, a multiple time world champion with wins over the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Lyndon Arthur. Beterbiev, similarly, is a three-division champion with an undefeated (20-0) record, and each of his wins came via stoppage.

The two have a long history dating back to their amateur days, giving a long lead up to this high-profile battle. Appropriately, the newly dropped promotional video above reflects that history, showing their rise to the top of boxing mountain in a creative fashion. With the boxers suited up in medieval attire, armies fall and a bear is conquered en route to their pivotal showdown.

The epic four minute video has a very Game of Thrones vibe. When the two face off in the ring rather than atop a snowy mountain, who takes the victory?

Insomnia

I am in no means arguing that this elbow is justified, but if somebody walks up to you that aggressively it’s in your best interest to react.

The ending overshadows the fact that Max Holloway’s five-round performance against Justin Gaethje was an all-time great show of MMA Boxing.

Speaking of, Gaethje vs. Poirier 3 or Poirier vs. Hooker 2? Both would be incredibly appropriate sendoffs for “The Diamond.”

Khamzat Chimaev is investing heavily in himself and his camp ahead of the Robert Whittaker showdown.

The awkward vibe of this tweet tells me Muhammad Mokaev is still going to annoy somebody behind-the-scenes.

Clips of the Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon are circling the web, and it seems like a worthy watch.

Clay Guida will keep on keepin’ on against another young talent in Chase Hooper, who looks to have improved quite a bit since jumping up to Lightweight.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This is how we should decide the next Flyweight title shot.

A great fight most reading probably didn’t see:

Good show of offense from the lead side.

Random Land

Alex Pereira sighting.

Midnight Music: Indie, 2004

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Poirer vs. Hooker 2? YES PLEASE!

Back in June 2020, when the world was at the height of a global pandemic, Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker went to war for five rounds in a Fight of the Year candidate. Poirier won the epic fight via unanimous decision (watch highlights).

Since that fight, their careers have taken insane ups and downs, from big wins to heartbreaking losses to wild knockouts and gigantic paydays.

Now, Hooker has hinted that he wants to run it back.

On Twitter today (Wed., Sept 25, 2024), Hooker wrote “rematch.”

The one-word tweet is most likely a response to Poirier’s tweet yesterday, “Trilogy?” which hints at a third fight with Justin Gaethje. Or maybe a proper trilogy with Conor McGregor, even though it would technically be their fourth.

However, when Poirier got wind of Hooker requesting a rematch, “The Diamond” wrote, “You don’t really want that @danthehangman.”

After Poirier’s last fight against Islam Makhachev, which he lost via submission (watch highlights), the future UFC Hall of Famer flirted with retirement; however, after his tweets, it looks like he is coming back for a swan song … and a fight with Hooker would be violent and epic.

Hooker is coming off a bloody split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 and is ranked No. 5 in the Lightweight division.

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The leader of the Diaz army is back (hopefully).

Multiple sources confirmed to MMAmania.com today (Weds., Sept. 25, 2024), that Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque has been rescheduled for the final Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) event of 2024, UFC 310, which goes down inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The pair of veteran welterweights were originally scheduled to throw down last month at UFC Abu Dhabi; however, Diaz pulled out of the fight due to travel issues, which made sense because Diaz and the Middle East would have probably never happened.

Diaz, 41, was last in action against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, where he was stopped via TKO. The older brother of Nate Diaz has not won a fight since UFC 137 in 2011, where he beat down B.J. Penn. Diaz was also put on the shelf for years because of a dumb marijuana suspension.

Luque, 32, has not competed since Joaquin Buckley bludgeoned him in the co-main event of UFC Atlantic City (watch highlights). “The Silent Assassin” has lost three of his last five fights, two via finish.

UFC 310 does not currently have a main event and there are only two other announced matchups: Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes and Virna Janiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez.

To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.

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This weekend (Sat., Sept. 28, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventures forth to Accor Arena in Paris, France for UFC Paris. It’s really nice to go back on the road for a UFC “Fight Night.” As one would expect, the card heavily features French and European talent from top-to-bottom. All eyes will be on the attempted rebound of Benoit Saint-Denis, who crashed and burned opposite Dustin Poirier after a strong start earlier this year. He faces another veteran contender in Renato Moicano, who is in the midst of something of a resurgence. There’s also a stellar co-main event in Brendan Allen vs. Nassourdine Imavov, as the victor walks away in strong position for a Middleweight title shot in 2025.

Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the co-main event:

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight: William Gomis (+220) vs. Joanderson Brito (-270)

Best Win for Gomis? Francis Marshall For Brito? Andre Fili
Current Streak: Gomis has won three straight in the Octagon (11 overall), while Brito has won his last five
X-Factor: Brito should be fighting ranked opposition
How these two match up: I’m not sure I understand this match up.

Gomis is a talented French fighter, a long distance kickboxer with crafty setups. He is not, however, blowing his fairly average UFC opposition out of the water. Brito, conversely, has already been facing the bigger names, and he’s usually been finishing them. The Brazilian is downright nasty, a high-powered finished on the feet and the floor alike.

I don’t really see how Gomis wins this fight, why he deserves it, or why the French fanbase should see one of their more talented prospects set up to be destroyed. Brito is a wild fighter focused on offensive above all else, so it’s always possible that he’s caught in the middle of a big swing, but that doesn’t feel particularly likely.

Instead, I’m expecting another “Tubarao” finish. He has the low kicking game to ruin Gomis’ movement, leaving him a sitting duck when the bombs start dropping. Hell, Brito could also probably score a finish by exploding early into a takedown and trying to jump on the back.

Either way, it spells a rough night for “Jaguar.”

Prediction: Brito via knockout

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Lightweight: Fares Ziam (+114) vs. Matt Frevola (-135)

Best Win for Ziam? Jai Herbert For Frevola? Drew Dober
Current Streak: Ziam has won three in a row, while Frevola lost his last fight
X-Factor: How does Frevola respond from a knockout loss?
How these two match up: Lightweight match ups are always welcome, and this one features an interesting style clash.

Ziam is a very technical kickboxer. When he puts together combinations, they’re very clean and often attack multiple levels. Frevola is a bit more wild but also hits considerably harder. “The Steamrolla” has a solid background in wrestler, and he’s proven surprisingly good on the counter in several fights.

On paper, I could see Ziam picking apart Frevola. He’s a pretty strong defensive wrestler, and he definitely holds the edge in form on the feet. A seven year advantage in youth, as well as significant height and reach gap, strengthen the reasoning behind a minor upset pick here.

Sadly for the French fans, I think Frevola’s physicality is enough to make up for those disadvantages. He hits so much harder than Ziam and is far more likely to score a takedown. In what’s likely to be a competitive fight that goes 15 minutes, power punches and a big slam or two is likely to influence the judges.

Prediction: Frevola via decision

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Welterweight: Kevin Jousset (+124) vs. Bryan Battle (-148)

Best Win for Jousset? Kenan Song For Battle? Takashi Sato
Current Streak: Jousset has won two in a row in the Octagon (five overall), while Battle is unbeaten in his last three
X-Factor: Battle seems to improve considerably between fights
How these two match up: This should be a scrappy fight.

Jousset has a long background in Judo, and those skills occasionally make an appearance in the form of high-amplitude clinch throws. In his UFC career, however, he’s been incredibly active and pushed a really high pace on the feet, though he’s still not the prettiest technician.

Battle is a really well-rounded prospect. Huge for the Welterweight division, Battle has a knack of catching his opponents coming forward or circling away with big shots. That opportunism separates him from the pack at 170 lbs., and it has helped him build up an impressive 5-1 UFC record.

The most notable advantage I see here is Battle’s kickboxing edge. Jousset is game, but he never looks overly comfortable in exchanges. He prefers to kick at distance, which would seem to play into the lankier man’s game. There is the question of whether or not he can blanket Battle like Rinat Fakhretdinov … probably not. Fakhretdinov is a monstrously physical Welterweight in a way that Jousset cannot match, and Battle looked good recently in denying Ange Loosa’s takedown attempts.

I expect most of this fight to take place on the feet, and Battle is the sharper man in that realm.

Prediction: Battle via decision

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight: Morgan Charriere vs. Gabriel Miranda

Best Win for Charriere? Pedro Souza For Miranda? Shane Young
Current Streak: Charriere lost his last bout, while Miranda scored his first UFC win
X-Factor: Charriere has way more experience against good opposition
How these two match up: Though Charriere has skills everywhere, I expect this to play out as a striker vs. grappler match up.

“The Last Pirate” really impressed me in his last fight against Chepe Mariscal despite ultimately coughing up a split-decision loss. Against an excellent pressure fighter who is surging up the ranks, Charriere landed his own takedowns as well as funky distance kicks and counter combinations.

It was slick, slick work.

Miranda, conversely, has fought just seven minutes in his three years on the UFC roster. The jiu-jitsu black belt is definitely dangerous on the canvas, but the rest of his game leaves something to be desired.

My thoughts here are probably already clear: Charriere is the better man. Miranda might be able to submit him in a jiu-jitsu match, but he has no trustworthy path to dragging the French athlete to the floor. On the feet, he is woefully outmatched to the point that a guard pull wouldn’t surprise me.

Those rarely work in modern MMA.

Prediction: Charriere via knockout

‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 37-26 (3)

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

This season of Dana White’s Contender Series has already produced some impressive upsets, but Tuesday’s main event knockout may have been the biggest.

A heavyweight clash led the way for Episode 7 as undefeated Ukrainian striker, Danylo Voievodkin, took his chances against former University of Minnesota linebacker, Bailey Schoenfelder. Voievodkin came into the main event as a massive 8-1 betting underdog. On paper, his chances were slime to none.

Unfortunately for Schoenfelder, Voievodkin didn’t pay attention to the oddsmakers came out firing with crisp leg kicks. He then opened up with the hands and eventually stuck the former college football player with a vicious left hook. Schoenfelder collapsed to the canvas and was nearly out.

Voievodkin, whose quick start sent a shockwave through the UFC Apex, quickly took back control and locked up a tight rear-naked choke. Despite having no hooks in, the undefeated heavyweight put the finishing touches on his submission win and forced the tap. The victory earned him a UFC contract as well.

Check out the finish below:

Insomnia

Conor McGregor is ready and cleared to fight. What’s the real holdup here?

Are we impressed by “Blessed” ahead of UFC 308?

Eddie Hearn is still upset about Devin Haney’s ticket request for ‘Joshua vs. Dubois.’

Will John Lineker move to 2-0 as a Muay Thai fighter this October?

Not sure if Jake Paul will ever take this fat suit off.

This is Kevin Lee’s last chance right here.

Alexander Volkov out of UFC 308 due to a knee injury.

Does “DC” make a good point?

Rate this bar cart from 1-10.

Are you worried for Mike Tyson as well?

The selfie of all selfies.

Oh boy!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This angle is wild.

Here’s the action from Tuesday’s Contender Series.

Random Land

So you want to be an ultimate pole runner?

Sleep well Maniacs! We’ll be back for more tomorrow night.

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It’s that time!

Contender Series keeps rolling on for 10 straight weeks of mixed martial arts (MMA) action. Week five goes down tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, in front of UFC CEO, Dana White, as well as his cadre of matchmakers.

As has become standard for the program of late, all four fighters earned UFC contracts last week.

In the main event this evening, Cage Fury FC (CFFC) Heavyweight champion, Bailey Schoenfelder (5-0), takes on Ukraine’s Danylo Voievodkin (6-0), who has never fought past three minutes with six finishes. In the co-main event, Romanian knockout artist, Daniel Frunza (8-2) and Vadym Kutsyi (17-1) — who looks to be the second fighter from Belarus to make it to UFC — meet in a Welterweight clash. The “Featured” bout has Light Heavyweight finishers as Francesco Mazzeo (4-0) takes on Kevin Christian (8-2). Kevin Vallejos (13-1) returns looking for a contract against Cam Teague (7-0) and Strawweights kick off the card as LFA champion, Rose Conceicao (7-0), fights Alexia Thainara (10-1).

‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:

Danylo Voievodkin defeats Bailey Schoenfelder via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 1:13
Daniel Frunza defeats Vadym Kutsy via TKO (punches) Round 2, 3:30
Kevin Christian defeats Francesco Mazzeo via submission (triangle) Round 2, 4:17
Kevin Vallejos defeats Cam Teague via TKO (punches) Round 1, 2:23
Alexia Thainara defeats Rose Conceicao via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

‘Contender Series’ Highlights & Results:

265 lbs.: Danylo Voievodkin defeats Bailey Schoenfelder via submission

170 lbs.: Daniel Frunza defeats Vadym Kutsy via TKO

205 lbs.: Kevin Christian defeats Francesco Mazzeo via submission

155 lbs.: Kevin Vallejos defeats Cam Teague via TKO

115 lbs.: Alexia Thainara defeats Rose Conceicao via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

For more Contender Series news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.

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Conor McGregor is filthy rich.

That’s probably why “Notorious” no longer fights, despite frequent claims to the contrary, undoubtedly designed to shift blame and keep the fantasy afloat. But that hasn’t stopped McGregor from acting like he’s still the top dog in UFC, behavior that doesn’t sit well with UFC fighters of past and present, including former middleweight champion Michael Bisping and current 205-pound contender Anthony Smith.

“Conor, you would have thought that he was a big Daniel Dubois fan because when [Anthony] Joshua was getting those [punches], he was out of his seat,” Bisping said on his Believe You Me podcast (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “Maybe the cigar might have even got lit. Walking in with a big cigar, unlit, between the teeth. How do we feel about that? Because two words spring to mind right now: Douche. Bag.”

McGregor was ringside for last weekend’s Joshua vs. Dubois pay-per-view (PPV) in Riyadh.

“I don’t know what happens to people or when you change or how much money you have to have to start doing weird, douchey sh*t like that,” Smith added. “Like, how rich do you have to be to wear your sunglasses inside 24/7. For what? I wish I was five percent as cool as he thinks he is. Like, how do you get to be so cool? I don’t know, I don’t get it. And I don’t want to just talk shit on Conor, but come on, bro. Come on.”

Here’s a clip of McGregor’s cigar-chomping arrival:

McGregor left his sunglasses on for most of the evening.

“As soon as I heard he wants to test free agency, I immediately thought, ‘Okay, this is going to be the most drawn-out g*ddamn process in the world,” Smith said. “Because the UFC’s going to do what they can to make sure that doesn’t happen and he’s going to try to do it and they’re going to go back and forth and it’s going to be this boppity boppity boppity boppity, just like Jon Jones and the UFC, it took three [expletive] years. Okay, cool. Hit me up in like, 2029. Let me know when this is happening, because I’d love to talk about if it’s actually going to happen.”

Sadly, not even McGregor is certain of his fighting future, according to these comments.

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Tyson is confident he’ll be the one to finally derail Jake Paul’s fighting career. But Jake has made that career beating old fighters like Mike.

The Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul circus is starting to come to life as its November fight date is rapidly approaching.

Last time, the fight was booked and fell through before any of that could happen, with Tyson citing an ulcer for the delay from July 20 to Nov. 15, 2024. This time it seems like “Iron Mike” is making it across the finish line … if training doesn’t cripple him.

What condition he’s in when he steps into the ring on Friday night is a real question — one bookies have answered by making Paul as much as a -330 betting favorite to underdog Tyson.

During a recent appearance by Tyson on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel was stunned at the odds.

“I’m thinking of betting a lot of money on you,” he told Tyson.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Tyson responded before adding, “I had no idea you were a gambling man.”

“I am every once in a while,” Kimmel replied. “You know, I’m from Las Vegas, so especially on a boxing match, I will sometimes bet. I feel like I’m already invested in it, but I’m just thinking I can’t believe [Paul] is favored to win this fight.”

“Well, I’m 60 years old. He’s 27. So, I don’t know,” Tyson said.

“Yeah, you’re older than he is,” Kimmel replied. “But, you are Mike Tyson, and he isn’t!”

That’s the promotional crux of this fight, and at this point us mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have seen it played out too many times with the young guy winning to be particularly shocked at Tyson’s odds. Odds are: Paul beats Tyson. And while the odds are designed to draw cash in on both sides, they also represent a certain reality when it comes to a fighter’s chances.

Tyson can win, but he’s definitely not favored to do it. Nevertheless, Tyson certainly believes in his skills, planning to put an end to Paul’s fighting career.

“I started Jake Paul off,” he told Kimmel. “On my fight with Roy Jones, I allowed him to fight on the card, and I decided I started him. And I’m gonna finish him.”

This fight with Paul is a proper professional fight, in contrast to Tyson’s exhibition match with Jones Jr. back in 2020. The former Heavyweight champion made it clear that this fight with Paul wouldn’t be a respectful spar to a fake draw.

“It wasn’t a draw, but I was happy with the draw. I like [Roy Jones Jr.] a lot,” Tyson explained. “I like [Jake Paul], but in this particular fight, he has to go.”

“You’re going to beat this kid, Jake Paul?” Kimmel asked.

“Very badly,” Tyson promised.

“Paul vs. Tyson” goes down Fri., Nov. 15, 2024, from inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Those further away can watch the fight with a Netflix subscription.

To checkout the latest “Tyson vs. Paul” fight card and rumors click here.

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Sean O’Malley is putting his money where his mouth is and offering up $ 1 million to fight world champion boxer Devin Haney in a MMA fight. This comes after Haney called O’Malley a “bitch ass” following his disappointing title loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 earlier this month.

On Monday, O’Malley released another episode of his YouTube show and the topic of Haney eventually came up. The former UFC bantamweight champion wasted no time calling out not only Haney, but all boxers. O’Malley even went as far as offering up $ 1 million of his own money to have Haney fight for real.

Check out the clip below:

“Boxers are f—king pu—ies,” said O’Malley. “Devin Haney is a b—ch. If David Haney really wants to fight, I’ll put a million dollars me vs. him, no time limit, and we can fight. MMA rules, just a fight, or we can do no rules so if you wanna eye poke me you can. Let’s do a real f—king fight. You wanna talk s—t on Twitter? Really, really actually fight or just don’t talk s—t.

“Either don’t talk s—t or let’s actually fight. I would box and put $ 1 million of my money. Boxing rules just to protect him. I would just simply box him, but he wouldn’t just simply fight me. Don’t talk s—t.”

Haney, who spent the weekend complaining about ‘Joshua vs. Dubois’ tickets, had some time on his hands to respond to O’Malley’s callout. As expected, the professional boxer wanted no part of “Suga” inside of the Octagon, but did make a counter offer to make “real money” in a boxing ring.

Check it out below:

“I don’t fight for a million dollars like you.. @SugaSeanMMA let’s do a boxing fight & give us a shot at making real money!”

Insomnia

Has Jake Paul ever been funny?

Anthony Joshua is not done yet!

Is Sean Strickland crazy for training with Alex Pereira?

This was over some tickets.

Aljamain Sterling wants the Diego Lopes matchup next.

Will UFC ever do a show like this?

Not all UFC light heavyweight contenders look alike!

This is a cool little promo.

Long shot? It was nearly two years…

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Just in case you missed this monster knockout from Saturday.

Here’s former UFC lightweight contender Damir Ismagulov with one of the best spinning knockouts of the year.

Quite the finish on the ‘Joshua vs. Dubois’ undercard.

Is Luke Riley ready for UFC competition?

This was a wild fight from the weekend as well.

Random Land

Good lord!

Sleep well Maniacs! We’ll be back for more tomorrow night.

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“The Machine” wants another former champion on his resume.

Merab Dvalishvili is fresh off a Bantamweight championship-winning performance at UFC 306 earlier this month (Sept. 14, 2024) inside The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, dominating Sean O’Malley over five rounds to dethrone “Sugar” (watch highlights).

It didn’t take five minutes before Dvalishvili was bombarded with questions about who his first defense might be against. While the running theory is that Umar Nurmagomedov is next in line after he handled Cory Sandhagen, “The Machine” believes he hasn’t done enough to earn a shot like he did.

Hint: It wasn’t easy.

“I keep saying he doesn’t deserve it because he has only fought one guy from the Top 15,” Dvalishvili said on Jake Shield’s new podcast, Fight Back. “It’s easy to market this guy [because of his last name] … Umar is a new challenge, and guys like this make me work harder.”

The Georgian champion has already put it out in the UFC universe that he wants to fight former two-time Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, and doubled down on it with Shields.

“I think the most deserving guy is Figueiredo,” Dvalishvili said. “But, I guess UFC wants me to fight Umar. All the people, I see their comments, everybody wants me to fight Umar. So, I will fight Umar.”

Whoever Dvalishvili gets in his first 135-pound title defense, the opponent better be ready to fight because the new champion wants to be active.

To checkout all the UFC 306-related news and notes click here.

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