Category Archives: Mmamania.com

What’s Next For Alex Perez?

by Site Admin ~ June 17th, 2024

UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC Vegas 93 went down this past weekend (Sat., June 15, 2024) at — you guessed it! — UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. And there were several fighters left feeling the post-fight blues once the dust settled, including Garrett Armfield, who was choked out by Brady Hiestand in the second round of their Bantamweight affair.

Also, Jeka Saragih was forced to say “uncle” by Westin Wilson, who pulled off slick triangle armbar submission in the first round of their Featherweight “Prelims” match (video replay here). But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Alex Perez.

Coming into the event, Perez was holding strong at the No. 5 spot in the Flyweight division even though he was a horrid 1-3 in his previous four bouts, which included a failed bid to dethrone then-division kingpin, Deiveson Figueiredo, at UFC 255. He was, however, coming off a spectacular knockout win over Matheus Nicolau (see it here), so he was hoping to capitalize off that momentum by taking out one of the rising stars in the division in Tatsuro Taira, who hasn’t tasted defeat yet in his professional combat sports career (15-0), including going five-for-five inside the Octagon.

Unfortunately for Perez, the worst case scenario happened.

Halfway through round two, Taira went for what Dominick Cruz called a “very tricky body triangle takedown that you don’t see a lot,” which prompted Perez to scream out in pain while holding his right knee on the ground. The fight was obviously called before Taira could pile on the punishment, allowing officials to go in to assess the damage.

Eventually, Perez was stretchered out of the venue and taken to a local hospital. The extent of Perez’s injury is unknown, but when it comes to problems in the knee, it doesn’t look good. It would be irresponsible for us to assume just how bad it is — or how long he could sidelined — until official word comes out; however, if Perez does have to sit out for an extended period of time, his status in the division could drop drastically.

Indeed, this sport is unforgiving, and if Perez is forced to miss an extended period of time, he could drop out of the Top 10 … or Top 15 altogether because of inactivity as a result of the injury. Make no mistake, it wasn’t a fluke injury — it was all initiated by Taira’s effort and high-level takedown.

Perez is one of the scrappiest fighters in the sport, so there is no doubt that he will eventually bounce back to his winning ways that saw him go 6-1 in his first seven fights with the promotion to earn him a world title shot. In the meantime, however, rising stars like Taira will definitely be taking advantage of his absence.


For complete UFC Vegas 93: “Perez vs. Taira” results and play-by-play, click HERE.

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Topuria Thanks Topuria For Being So Great

by Site Admin ~ June 17th, 2024

Ilia Topuria Portrait Session
Photo by Patricia J. Garcinuno/Getty Images

In a new Instagram post, the UFC featherweight champion took the time to appreciate how awesome he was and how he never let himself down.

It’s been a long hard road to the top, and Ilia Topuria would like to thank the person who was instrumental in getting him there: Ilia Topuria.

The UFC featherweight champion wrote a glowing love letter to himself on Instagram, and we gotta say this isn’t going to help his reputation amongst critics who think “El Matador” is a little full of himself for someone who hasn’t defended their belt yet.

“Today I want to express my gratitude to this person for providing me with everything I have,” he wrote in Spanish. “For supporting me to withstand any circumstance and for never losing faith in God and in the attraction of all good things to me. Always relying on me and giving me the life I now enjoy.”

“I want to thank myself for all the times I’ve respected myself, loved myself, forgiven myself. Long live the Matador that lives inside me!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by El Matador (@iliatopuria)

“I will always be proud and with a smile on my face, remembering all that I have accomplished,” he finished with the hashtag #FighterForever.

Topuria has good reason to be proud: he did what many of the best featherweights in the world tried to do but failed — he beat Alexander Volkanovski via violent KO. That was in February, and we’re still waiting for news on when the German-born Georgian fighter will compete again. Will it be a rematch against Volkanovski? Or will it be Max Holloway after “Blessed” stole the show at UFC 300?

Either fight will be a tough time for the rising star, who has been embraced whole-heartedly by Spanish football royalty. Fortunately, he has Ilia Topuria to rely on, and that’s all he needs to be successful even against the toughest of odds.

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‘War Room’ Leak Reveals UFC 305 Line-Up

by Site Admin ~ June 16th, 2024

UFC 293 Ceremonial Weigh-in
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

We now know the UFC’s plans for the August 17th pay-per-view in Perth, Australia due to a poorly shot video of Dana White in the matchmaking ‘war room.’

The UFC has once again leaked a number of undisclosed fights due to some sloppy camerawork in the promotion’s matchmaking ‘war room.’

The ‘war room’ is where top UFC brass and matchmakers meet up to hash out who fights who when. It features a giant wall with big magnetic boards, each one dedicated to an upcoming Fight Night or pay-per-view card. If you’ve watched the UFC’s new docu-series Fight Inc. on Roku, you know all about the war room.

If you haven’t? Let’s just say one poorly shot angle in a Dana White Instagram video can reveal plans for an entire card.

That’s what happened when White announced that Conor McGregor was out of UFC 303 and Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 was in. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the magnetic board for UFC 305 on August 17th in Perth, Australia in the background. And while the full lineup was not visible, we have half of the match-ups for the entire main event.

Here’s what’s shown: one half of the main event will feature Israel Adesanya. The co-main features Song Yadong. Jack Della Maddalena, Steve Erceg, and Drakkar Klose are also listed on the card.

There’s no way Adesanya is returning against anyone other than middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. And Steve Erceg has been confirmed to be fighting Kai Kara-France. Dan Hooker has said he’s fighting at UFC 305 … could he be Drakkar Klose’s opponent? And No. 7 ranked bantamweight Yadong is undoubtedly fighting another top 135er, and there’s not a bad fight in the top ten.

It’s interesting to see “JDM” on there because he’s said he’s too injured to compete in August. Is the UFC still holding out hope, or are they just addicted to replacing fights last-minute at this point?

We gotta say, we like what we’re seeing for UFC 305 thus far. What do you think of the revealed line-up, Maniacs?

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Gervonta Davis v Frank Martin
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

The full video of the infamous ‘Tank’ vs. Haney doghouse spar is out, leading to talk of a proper fight.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is once again getting into his former protégé Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ business.

Floyd helped build “Tank” up into a star, pushing the young fighter hard on Mayweather Production cards. But as time went on, the relationship between the two soured, and eventually Davis left Mayweather as a promoter.

Since then they’ve been taking regular potshots at each other. For example, leading into Saturday’s Gervonta Davis vs Frank Martin fight, Mayweather sent out a social media post claiming the fight was off. Davis replied to that by writing “Floyd is a bitter b—.”

“If you sign with this fraud he will f— up ya career,” Davis added in an Instagram post. “He’s not a good businessman at all.”

Following Davis’ impressive KO win over Martin, Mayweather released a six-year-old sparring video between “Tank” and Devin Haney through FightHype. The infamous ‘doghouse rules’ session has only ever been seen in snippets, but now the full 20 minute fight is online for all to see.

The video shows a 16 year old Haney hanging with “Tank” across six rounds, initially getting punched up early but turning the tide later on as Davis gets tired. Doghouse rules means someone has to quit for there to be a winner. Neither man quit.

If Mayweather is hoping this footage makes Gervonta look bad, we don’t know what to say. The whole sparring match is chaotic and “Tank” seems distracted and disinterested in the proceedings. He still gives young amateur Haney the business when he dials in.

We last saw Devin Haney fight in April when he lost for the first time ever to Ryan Garcia. That loss may not remain on his record for long after Garcia failed a drug test for ostarine. Could we see Haney vs. Davis sometime soon? This full sparring video just whets our appetite for a proper fight.

How would a grown up Haney do against a focused “Tank” in an official fight? Let us know what you think of the match-up in the comments, Maniacs!

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UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Here’s what you may have missed!

Seeing as UFC Vegas 93 wasn’t very fun and went on until 1 A.M. EST, I don’t want to drag this recap article out any further than is necessary. Let’s aim for concision: the good, the bad, and the ugly of yet another evening in the Apex.

UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

THE GOOD

It’s easy to be concise in this section.

  • Tatsuro Taira was quite good! The Japanese prospect-turned-contender showed off sharp kickboxing and good counters against former title contender Alex Perez, then he forced a finish within seconds of taking the fight to the mat in round two. That was the only fight between ranked contenders on the whole of the card, and it appropriately stood out!
  • Garrett Armfield vs. Brady Hiestand was a very good Bantamweight fight between talented up-and-comers. Both men dug deep, fought hard, and nearly secured finishes at various points.
UFC Fight Night: Silva de Andrade v Johns Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

THE BAD

  • The CO-MAIN EVENT of Miles Johns vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade was just a bad fight in a usually good division. A bunch of fight fans switched over from a Tank Davis boxing masterclass (watch here) to a pair of 135-pounders throw one punch at a time for 15 full minutes then flex on each other. Miserable.
  • The whole undercard was wildly unimpressive. The average MMA fan would be better off tuning into an event from a feeder promotion like LFA, which routinely features better talent.
  • Zero actual knockouts in eleven fights.
  • Just eight of the 22 fighters featured have Wikipedia pages
UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

THE UGLY

  • Why did this card go on until so late in the night?
  • Why was a 6’ tall fighter competing at 125 lbs?
  • Why did Perez’s knee have to bend that way?
  • Why did Michael Bisping forget Asu Almabayev’s name mid-interview?
  • Why are we still in the f—king Apex?
UFC 300 Press Conference Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

IN SUMMARY

UFC Vegas 93 was the 100th event to be held inside the UFC Apex (it hosted a handful of numbered pay-per-view (PPV) shows at the height of the pandemic). Along with all those events came a lowered set of expectations about what a UFC fight should look like, how much fun a UFC event should be, and the skill level of the average UFC fighter.

UFC Vegas 93 was not fun. It was not worth the time of any but the most desperate of fans. It was a fight card that could have been summed up in a short email or an Instagram reel. The promotion can and should do better, but that won’t happen consistently until the Apex is a thing of the past.


For complete UFC Vegas 93: “Perez vs. Taira” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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Sooo … About Last Night

by Site Admin ~ June 16th, 2024

UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Last night (Sat., June 15, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 93. Sadly, the card really fell apart in the final 36 hours. Two of the best fights on the whole card were cancelled, which left an already thin card looking downright anemic. Really, all eyes were on the Flyweight main event between Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira, which was the only fight with an actual impact on its division.

All the same, let’s take a look back over at UFC Vegas 93’s best performances and techniques:

UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Technical Savagery

Tatsuro Taira is very clearly the best hope for a Japanese UFC champion.

Opposite a game contender and former title challenger in Alex Perez, Taira showed off all the talent that makes him special. He’s not known as a kickboxer, but Taira looked plenty sharp on the feet. He did well to brush off Perez’s lands, and he quickly picked up the timing of Perez’s blitz. When Perez surged forward, Taira met his advance with hard right hand and right uppercut counters, as well double-collar tie knees. Between those exchanges, Taira managed distance well with the jab and calf kick.

It was competitive on the feet until Taira opted to wrestle. Almost immediately, he was on Perez’s back standing. Using the body triangle, Taira was able to trip up Perez’s leg. That’s a common enough strategy, but Taira expanded upon it by securing one wrist across the body and leaning backwards, intending to trip Perez to the floor. It worked, partially because Perez’s knee exploded in the process!

It was a nasty sequence, one clearly initiated by the Japanese talent. Nobody can paint this one as a freak injury — Perez should’ve just fallen over and accepted that the fight was going to the floor, but hindsight is of course 20/20. Either way, Taira will be ranked inside the Top 10 in just a couple days, and at 24 years of age, he looks ready for the division’s best.

UFC Fight Night: Hiestand v Armfield Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Bantamweight Brings The Card Back To Life

Brady Hiestand vs. Garrett Armfield was so much better than any fight that came before it. Even on the worst nights, the Bantamweight division delivers the good.

Hiestand really impressed from the first bell. Right away, he was mixing all his offense together. Routinely, he would show the level change, fire a punch, and follow up with clinch offense. He showed several interesting setups off the left hook, following the punch with a left kick or left knee thrown almost as the same time. That trickery allowed him to get his wrestling going, and both men nearly forced the other to submit when changing positions on the floor.

Armfield got Hiestand back in the second, however. Despite nearly getting choked out to end the first and looking downright exhausted, he came out firing, sticking Hiestand with hard straight punches. Hiestand was out on his feet then out on the canvas, but he somehow managed to survive the onslaught. Not only that, but he got back into the fight with his wrestling and returned to scrapping when on his feet.

Everything was up for grabs with five minutes remaining, and Hiestand just refused to be denied. Despite obvious exhaustion from both, Hiestand was able to push Armfield into the fence, sneak behind him, and land a big slam. He jumped on the neck yet again, and this time, there would be no miraculous hand-fighting from the boxer.

A great fight from start-to-finish that raised the stocks of both in my eyes.

UFC Fight Night: Almabayev v Johnson Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A Flyweight First

At 6’ tall, Jose Johnson made UFC history as the tallest Flyweight yet. Unfortunately for him, Asu Almabayev was more than prepared. It was a dicey couple minutes for Almabayev as he tried to navigate the range early on, but a caught kick proved the perfect takedown opportunity.

I doubt many enjoyed watching Almabayev’s grinding wrestling style, but his transitions really stood out to me. He can chain takedowns together really well, and his ability to hunt the back during scrambles was really impressive. Johnson’s size and submission game from bottom gave Almabayev some trouble, but he still managed to take his back and nearly choke him out on several occasions.

Now 3-0 in the UFC, Almabayev looks ready for a Top 10 opponent.

UFC Fight Night: Saragih v Wilson Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Additional Thoughts

  • Westin Wilson defeats Jeka Saragih via first-round triangle-armbar (highlights): This was a fun fight for as long as it lasted! Saragih started fast, aiming to hand Wilson his third-straight knockout losses. Wilson flipped the script with a committed wrestling attack, however, getting Saragih down early. Wilson attacked a triangle, and Saragih tried to slam his way out of the hold. When that failed, Wilson transitioned to an armbar and forced the finish, likely saving his UFC career in the process.
  • Melquizael Costa defeats Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via third-round rear naked choke: This was a reasonably fun grappling match. Nuerdanbieke was really insistent on his double leg takedown and did score some decent positions, but he exhausted himself trying to overpower Costa. Conversely, Costa was able to outlast his opponent without taking much damage, and when given the opportunity to turn the tables, he capitalized with creative grappling and a quick submission win.

For complete UFC Vegas 93: “Perez vs. Taira” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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LIVE! Davis Vs. Martin Results, Streaming Updates

by Site Admin ~ June 15th, 2024

Gervonta Davis v Frank Martin: Weigh-in
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Undefeated boxing stars clash tonight, Saturday, June 15th, 2024 as Tank Davis looks to defund his WBA lightweight title against Ghost Martin

Another boxing match that is both cool and important goes down tonight, Saturday, June 15th, 2024, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, starting at 9PM Eastern only on Amazon Prime PPV. We’ve got undefeated Frank “Ghost” Martin taking on undefeated Gervonta “Tank” Davis. A combined 47-0 with 39 knockouts between them. Rangy southpaw versus heavy-handed southpaw. Someone’s 0 has got to go!

We all know that Martin doesn’t “move the needle” the same way that a Shakur Stevenson or Devin Haney match might. That said, he’s a legitimate top-5 lightweight that’s won in a number of ways, with his last two fights being a bell-to-bell domination of Michael Rivera followed by having to dig deep with a 12th-round knockdown to ensure a win over Artem Harutyunyan. Some props should be given to Davis for not holding out for a big money fight, but instead letting a less well-known, but still deserving name get a crack at a belt.

Davis, on the other hand, is arguably the face of American boxing right now, despite his outside-the-ring controversies. He and Terrence Crawford are the two American men that make most peoples’ pound-for-pound list and with good reason — they’re supremely gifted boxers.

Davis’ recent string of fights has been an absolute who’s who of Mexican-American, Central American and South American lightweights. Every top contender from Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Cuba and Argentina has run into the Tank these past six years, and aside from Isaac Cruz, every one of them has exited with a KO loss on their record. Tank’s ridiculous 93% finishing rate is one of the reasons he’s as popular as he is.

In the co-main event, we’ve got a fighter that is somehow second billing, despite being an undefeated champion himself, in David Benavidez. The WBC super middleweight interim champion is — at least temporarily — giving up on the division, as he has been unable to secure a fight with Canelo Alvarez, and is instead moving up to light heavyweight to fight Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the interim WBC light heavyweight title.

All in all, a very solid card coming out of Premier Boxing Champions, as there are four belts on the line tonight, starting at 9PM Eastern, live on Amazon Prime PPV.

DAVIS VS. MARTIN QUICK RESULTS

135 lbs. – Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin
175 lbs. – David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk
140 lbs. – Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Alberto Puello
160 lbs. – Carlos Adames def. Terrell Gausha — Unanimous decision (118-110×2, 119-109)

DAVIS VS. MARTIN LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:

Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin, WBA lightweight title:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 5:

Round 6:

Round 7:

Round 8:

Round 9:

Round 10:

Round 11:

Round 12:

Final result:


David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk, WBC interim light heavyweight title:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 5:

Round 6:

Round 7:

Round 8:

Round 9:

Round 10:

Round 11:

Round 12:

Final result:


To check out the latest and greatest boxing news and notes be sure to hit up our archive here.

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MMAmania.com

A Trigon Era!

Harold McQueen was in cruise control for the opening round of his BYB Extreme 27: “Brawl in Duval” main event, which lit up the Prime Osborn Convention Center last Fri. night (June 14, 2024) in Jacksonville, Florida. “Lightning” struck opponent Jon Barnard — twice — with a flurry of canvas-crashing punches, but the “Untameable” BYB veteran (somehow) survived the onslaught.

Midway through the second stanza, the rapid-firing McQueen was running out of gas.

The resilient Barnard took over late in the fight, dropping McQueen to one knee for what proved to be the finishing blow. The stoppage was good enough to earn Barnard “Knockout of the Night,” pushing his Trigon record to 3-0 with three knockouts.

Elsewhere on the card, Yordan Fuentes and Jarome Hatch beat the shit out of one another for 15 minutes straight. “The Cuban Crocodile” was the more accurate striker, treating Hatch’s face like Jason Voorhees treats teenage camp counselors; however, the insanely-durable “Hatchet” battled back with a series of lunging power punches to put Fuentes on his heels and keep the fight competitive.

Hatch went on to lose a five-round split decision — and about a gallon of blood — but his crowd pleaser against Fuentes earned both bareknuckle bruisers “Fight of the Night.”

More BYB Extreme 27 results and highlights below:

Jon Barnard def. Harold McQueen:

Yordan Fuentes def. Jarome Hatch:

Isaiah Washington def. Maurice Morris:

Skylar Thomas def. Shyanna Bintiff:

Brandon Birr def. Brandon Desrosier:

James Bodnar def. Craig Williams:

Lukas Jones def. Chris Gonzalez:

BYB Extreme returns on July 13 for “Bourbon Street Brawl” in New Orleans.

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Gervonta Davis v Frank Martin: Weigh-in
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

One of the best boxers in the business will return to action later this evening (Sat., June 15, 2024) live on Prime Video pay-per-view (PPV) from inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the undefeated Gervonta “Tank” Davis puts his WBA lightweight title on the line against knockout artist Frank Martin.

Davis, who is 29-0 inside of the ring, is coming off a massive knockout win over Ryan Garcia back in April 2023. “Tank” was highly regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport before that fight, but after seeing what Garcia ended up doing to Devin Haney it makes Davis look that much better. It’s a little alarming that the lightweight champion hasn’t fought in over a year, but he’s had similar layoffs in his career.

Luckily, Saturday’s massive PPV card on Prime Video will feature more than just Davis vs. Martin. In co-main event action, undefeated knockout sensation David Benavidez will move up to challenge Ukrainian veteran Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the interim WBC light heavyweight title. It will be a great night of fights as boxing moves over to Amazon Prime.

Check out the official start times and full fight card details below so you don’t miss a second of action:

Start Time

  • Sat., June 15, 2024 from inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Prime Video PPV main card begins at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
  • The “Prelims” undercard will start at 5:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. PT
  • Davis vs. Martin main event is expected to begin around 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT

Online Viewing

  • Davis vs. Martin PPV main card can be viewed through Amazon Prime Video (watch HERE)
  • The PPV cost will be $ 74.95
  • The Davis vs. Martin ‘Prelims’ undercard will air LIVE and FREE on YouTube.

Television Viewing

  • For U.S. viewers, Prime Video can be broadcast directly on your television via Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, LG Smart TV, Samsung TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, or Xbox.

Mobile Viewing

  • Davis vs. Martin PPV card will be accessible through the Prime Video app via Android, Amazon Fire, and Apple.

Bets & Wagers

  • For those feeling lucky you can visit DraftKings Sportsbook for all your official Davis vs. Martin fight odds and prop bets.

PPV Main Card (8 p.m. ET)

Tank Davis vs. Frank Martin
David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Alberto Puello
Carlos Adames vs. Terrell Gausha

‘Prelims’ Undercard (5:30 p.m. ET)

Mark Magsayo vs. Eduardo Ramirez
Romain Villa vs. Ricardo Salas Rodriguez
Elijah Garcia vs. Kyrone Davis
Daniel Blancas vs. Aro Schwartz
Justin Viloria vs. Angelo Antonio Contreras
Kevin Ayala vs. Jimmy Delgadillo
Stacey Selby vs. Kevin Walker
Mia Ellis vs. Margaret Whitmore
Brayan Gonzalez vs. James Mulder
Reina Tellez vs. Beata Dudek


For complete Davis vs. Martin results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

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UFC 300: Pereira v Hill
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Alex Pereira is unexpectedly just 14 days removed from his scheduled second title defense.

At the very last minute, Pereira has agreed to step in for the injured Conor McGregor, rematching Jiri Prochazka for the scheduled second defense of his Light Heavyweight crown. “Poatan” is not supposed to be fighting in two weeks; he’s been on a seminar tour in Australia promoting himself and recovering from broken toes. Nevertheless, he’s agreed to step up and save the UFC 303 card, risking it all on short-notice.

That’s why he’s a star!

In the clip above (taken from Pereira’s YouTube channel), Pereira can be seen talking with his manager on the phone. “Poatan” doesn’t take long to accept the fight, quickly agreeing — CHAMA! — and saying that he’s been training while working on his trip. Pereira’s team learns the news as well, and they’re immediately excited for their pupil.

This is not the first time Alex Pereira has stepped up to headline a UFC event on short-notice. The first time Pereira and Prochazka fought was at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden, and the duo replaced Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic as main event after Jones’ pectoral injury. Then, Pereira stepped up to headline UFC 300 when UFC couldn’t line up another worthy main event, but his bout versus Jamahal Hill was initially planned for UFC 301.

Hopefully, “Poatan” is getting paid well for continually stepping up to save the day. It’s certainly building his legend in the eyes of most fans!

Insomnia

Tatsuro Taira entered full burrito mode to make weight for his UFC Vegas 93 main event.

Movsar Evloev would be extremely unhappy, but Diego Lopes has a reasonable argument for a title shot if he defeats Brian Ortega.

Martial arts skills save lives!

Do we see David Benavidez vs. Canelo Alvarez in 2024?

It’s good to see fans are still hype for UFC 303.

Speaking of the new main event, the two had different reactions to their rematch.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jiří “BJP” Procházka (@jirkaprochazka)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)

A breakdown of Islam Makhachev’s excellent wrestling and jiu-jitsu technique:

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A post shared by Conceptual Grappling (@conceptualgrappling)

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A post shared by Conceptual Grappling (@conceptualgrappling)

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Be sure to watch this clip to the very end …

When was the last closed guard kimura we saw in the UFC? Feels like a decade ago, at least.

Jose Napoles showing off his footwork to set up the left hook:

Random Land

A quick joke.

Midnight Music: Rock, 1966

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

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