Category Archives: Mmamania.com

Former UFC welterweights Mike Perry and Thiago Alves came face-to-face at the KnuckleMania 4 press conference earlier this week in advance of their BKFC pay-per-view (PPV) main event on Sat., April 27, 2024 at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Ex-UFC heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Todd Duffee were also on hand ahead of their KnuckleMania 4 grudge match.

Next month’s fight card marks the first BKFC event in California after the commission voted (unanimously) to approve bareknuckle boxing in “The Golden State.” Elsewhere in the lineup, Mick Terrill takes on Lorenzo Hunt for the BKFC heavyweight title.

Check out the KnuckleMania 4 press conference video replay below:

Perry tried to freestyle during the presser but rhyming just isn’t his forte.

“Let’s see if Thiago makes it into the third round. If he chooses to get up off of that stool, he’s a fool! And I’m gonna put him in the … pool.”

Okay.

For more BKFC news and notes 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!

UFC Heavyweight veteran Walt Harris will not be appearing inside the Octagon anytime soon.

In July 2023, Harris’ planned bout vs. Josh Parisian was canceled due to a positive drug test. Harris blamed the cancelation and drug test failure on a tainted supplement, but since then, there’s been no update on how his case has developed. Back then, he was working with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), but the company overseeing UFC drug testing is now Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD).

CSAD doesn’t appear to have bought the tainted supplement excuse. UFC released an official statement earlier on Wednesday (March 20, 2024) detailing the CSAD decision, revealing all the substances that Harris failed for and announcing his massive suspension. The statement can be read in more depth below, but the short version is that Harris bombed the test for two different kinds of anabolic steroids (drostanalone and testosterone) and an aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole), which help prevent estrogen levels from rising during a steroid cycle.

As a result of that nuclear urine, Harris has accepted a 48-month suspension. He’ll be eligible to return in July 2027, at which point Harris will be 44 years old.

Check out the UFC statement below:

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced today that Walt Harris, of Pelham, Alabama, has accepted a 48-month sanction for two separate violations of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Harris first tested positive for drostanalone, its metabolite 3a-hydroxy-2a-methyl-5a-androstan-17-on, and testosterone of exogenous origin in samples collected on June 24, 2023 and July 12, 2023. Harris was notified of the first adverse finding on July 11, 2023.

Subsequently, and after he was notified of the June 23, 2023 adverse finding, Harris provided urine and blood samples on August 6, 2023. His urine sample was positive for the presence of anastrozole, a new prohibited substance that was not present in any of the previous samples, as well as drostanolone and its metabolite. His blood sample tested positive for the presence of exogenous testosterone, which based on its values, was determined as new administration since the notification of his first adverse finding on July 11, 2023. Drostanolone and testosterone are anabolic steroids and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP) and UFC Prohibited List. Anastrozole is an aromatase inhibitor, also prohibited at all times, under the UFC ADP and UFC Prohibited List.

Harris’ 48-month period of ineligibility began on July 11th, 2023, the date he was notified of his provisional suspension as a result of his first positive test result.

Maybe CSAD isn’t as lax as fans were expecting?

Prior to his suspension, Harris had lost three straight fights, all via stoppage. Given his age, losing streak, and suspension, Harris may end up retiring. Alternatively, he could request his release from the promotion and take his talents elsewhere.

Insomnia

Canelo Alvarez says show me the money! That’s a lot of zeroes.

It’s hard to have sympathy for Sean Strickland when he’s a d—k most of the time.

Every once in a while, a Conor McGregor clip pops up this is genuinely likable and hilarious.

Zhang Weili has one of the best side kicks in the business.

So, who’s excited for another Marcin Tybura main event after UFC Vegas 88? Booking him opposite top contenders in their home country is a proven recipe for success!

K-1 is keeping it real from this point forward.

Dagestani basketball is my favorite MMA offshoot sport.

I have sympathy for Benoit Saint Denis. Faced with a gross staph infection, the Frenchman had to choose between fighting diminished or pissing UFC off by withdrawing/possibly losing out on the Dustin Poirier match up. No win situation!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Look at the impact on this spinning backfist! Beautiful slow motion.

… A decidedly less effective spinning backfist.

Kumura’s right kick is a thing of beauty.

Random Land

A compilation of clips that could all be their own selection.

Midnight Music: Rock, 1965

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

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Dricus Du Plessis knows who he wants to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight title against first.

Everything had aligned about as nicely as UFC could have asked for in the summer of 2023. Du Plessis pulled off a big second round technical knockout upset win over the former champion, Robert Whittaker, at UFC 290 in July 2023 (watch highlights). Therefore, he had become the clear No. 1 contender to face the then-champion, Israel Adesanya, a matter of months later at UFC 293 in September 2023.

Unfortunately for Du Plessis and Adesanya, the South African would-be challenger wasn’t healthy enough to make the turnaround after battling a foot injury against Whittaker. Adesanya instead fought Sean Strickland, which resulted in a unanimous decision loss for “The Last Stylebender” (watch highlights). Strickland went on to fall to Du Plessis via a split decision (watch highlights) this past January 2023, and now “StillKnocks” wants to book the original fight the world expected.

“So you claim you want to drag my carcass around in South Africa, as you (Adesanya) said,” Du Plessis told The Hustlers Corner (h/t MMA Fighting). “So be a man of your word, and let’s do it.”

The match up between Du Plessis and Adesanya was originally linked to UFC 300 next month (Sat., April 13, 2024). The main event slot is now occupied with the Light Heavyweight title tilt, featuring the champion, Alex Pereira, and former titlist, Jamahal Hill.

Strickland has been vocal recently about his desire for an instant rematch with Du Plessis. However, talks continue to go the route Du Plessis wants them to, beyond “Tarzan.”

“We are trying,” Du Plessis said of the title matchup. “We are talking, definitely. That’s what the people want to see, and that’s what I want to do. I want to fight the best guys. This is an entertaining sport.

“Who do I wanna fight? I don’t care, I’m the champion,” he continued. “I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me. But what I want in my heart is to fight the guy that the people want to see me fight.”

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TKO Holdings Group, Inc. reached a settlement with UFC fighters in a class-action antitrust lawsuit earlier this month, bringing an end to a legal battle that has dragged on for nearly a decade. As a result, TKO will shell out $ 335 million and avoid going to trial.

Get all the latest details here.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement to settle all claims asserted in both the [Cung] Le and [Kajan] Johnson class action lawsuits, bringing litigation to a close and benefiting all parties,” the UFC’s statement read. “The final terms of the settlement will be submitted to the court for approval.”

The deal is expected to be finalized within 60 days.

Getting pinched for $ 335 million hardly seems like a victory for UFC but when compared to what fighters were initially seeking, TKO may have gotten off lightly. In addition, it is not yet known how the settlement will impact the original source of the complaint (read it here).

A majority of fighters remain underwhelmed.

And of course PFL head cheese Donn Davis couldn’t help but turn this into a pitch:

Expect more details on the UFC antitrust settlement in the coming weeks.

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Heavyweight hurter Tai Tuivasa has now dropped four straight — getting finished in all four losses — which includes his submission defeat to Polish powerhouse Marcin Tybura in the UFC Vegas 88 main event last weekend at APEX. Despite the loss, “Bam Bam” has managed to cling to a spot in the division Top 10 after this week’s official rankings update.

But not by much.

Tybura (25-8) jumped two places to pull himself into a tie with fellow heavyweight hopeful Serghei Spivac. Elsewhere on the chart, bantamweight bruiser Macy Chiasson (9-3) jumped four spots to No. 6 by strangling Swedish gunslinger Paddie Kianzad on the UFC Vegas 88 main card.

Here’s how UFC compiles its official rankings:

Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC. A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.

Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Islam Makhachev
2. Jon Jones
3. Leon Edwards
4. Alex Pereira
5. Ilia Topuria
6. Sean O’Malley
7. Charles Oliveira
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Dricus Du Plessis
10. Alexandre Pantoja
11. Israel Adesanya
12. Tom Aspinall
13. Sean Strickland
14. Max Holloway
15. Aljamain Sterling

FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexandre Pantoja

1. Brandon Royval
2. Brandon Moreno
3. Amir Albazi
4. Kai Kara France
5. Matheus Nicolau
6. Manel Kape
7. Muhammad Mokaev
8. Alex Perez
9. Tim Elliott
10. Steve Erceg
11. Matt Schnell
12. Tagir Ulanbekov
13. Tatsuro Taira
14. Su Mudaerji
15. David Dvorak

BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Sean O’Malley

1. Merab Dvalishvili
2. Aljamain Sterling
3. Cory Sandhagen
4. Petr Yan
5. Marlon Vera
6. Henry Cejudo
7. Song Yadong
8. Deiveson Figueiredo
9. Rob Font
10. Umar Nurmagomedov
11. Kyler Phillips +1
12. Dominick Cruz -1
13. Mario Bautista
14. Jonathan Martinez
15. Pedro Munhoz

FEATHERWEIGHT

Champion: Ilia Topuria

1. Alexander Volkanovski
2. Max Holloway
3. Brian Ortega
4. Yair Rodriguez
5. Movsar Evloev
6. Arnold Allen
7. Josh Emmett
8. Calvin Kattar
9. Giga Chikadze
10. Bryce Mitchell
11. Edson Barboza
12. Dan Ige
13. Sodiq Yusuff
14. Lerone Murphy
15. Alex Caceres

LIGHTWEIGHT

Champion: Islam Makhachev

1. Charles Oliveira
2. Justin Gaethje
3. Dustin Poirier
4. Arman Tsarukyan
5. Mateusz Gamrot
6. Michael Chandler
7. Beneil Dariush
8. Rafael Fiziev
9. Dan Hooker
10. Jalin Turner
11. Benoit Saint-Denis
12. Rafael dos Anjos
13. Renato Moicano
14. Bobby Green
15. Drew Dober

WELTERWEIGHT

Champion: Leon Edwards

1. Kamaru Usman
2. Belal Muhammed
3. Shavkat Rakhmonov
4. Colby Covington
5. Jack Della Maddalena
6. Gilbert Burns
7. Ian Machado Garry
8. Sean Brady
9. Stephen Thompson
10. Geoff Neal
11. Vicente Luque
12. Neil Magny
13. Michael Page
14. Kevin Holland
15. Michael Chiesa

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Champion: Dricus Du Plessis

1. Sean Strickland
2. Israel Adesanya
3. Robert Whittaker
4. Jared Cannonier
5. Marvin Vettori
6. Paulo Costa
7. Brendan Allen
8. Nassourdine Imavov
9. (T) Roman Dolidze
9. (T) Jack Hermansson
11. Khamzat Chimaev
12. Anthony Hernandez
13. Paul Craig
14. Chris Curtis
15. Caio Borralho

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Alex Pereira

1. Jamahal Hill
2. Jiri Prochazka
3. Magomed Ankalaev
4. Jan Blachowicz
5. Aleksandar Rakic
6. Nikita Krylov
7. Johnny Walker
8. Khalil Rountree
9. Volkan Oezdemir
10. Anthony Smith
11. Ryan Spann
12. Alonzo Menifield
13. Azamat Murzakanov
14. Dominick Reyes
15. Dustin Jacoby

HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Jon Jones

1. Tom Aspinall
2. Ciryl Gane
3. Sergei Pavlovich
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Curtis Blaydes
6. Alexander Volkov
7. Jailton Almeida
8. (T) Serghei Spivac
8. (T) Marcin Tybura +2
10. Tai Tuivasa -1
11. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
12. Derrick Lewis
13. Alexandr Romanov
14. Marcos Rogerio De Lima
15. Rodrigo Nascimento

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Alexa Grasso
2. Zhang Weili
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Erin Blanchfield
5. Julianna Pena
6. Manon Fiorot
7. Raquel Pennington
8. Rose Namajunas
9. Tatiana Suarez
10. Yan Xiaonan
11. Jessica Andrade
12. Amanda Lemos
13. Ketlen Vieira
14. Irene Aldana
15. Maycee Barber

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT

Champion: Zhang Weili

1. Yan Xiaonan
2. Tatiana Suarez
3. Amanda Lemos
4. Jessica Andrade
5. Virna Jandiroba
6. Marina Rodriguez
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Amanda Ribas
9. Luana Pinheiro
10. Loopy Godinez
11. Tabatha Ricci
12. Angela Hill
13. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
14. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
15. Gillian Robertson

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexa Grasso

1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Erin Blanchfield
3. Manon Fiorot
4. Maycee Barber
5. Jessica Andrade
6. Katlyn Cerminara
7. Natalia Silva
8. Amanda Ribas
9. Viviane Araújo
10. Tracy Cortez
11. Ariane Lipski
12. Karine Silva
13. Casey O’Neill
14. Miranda Maverick
15. Jasmine Jasudavicius

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Raquel Pennington

1. Julianna Pena
2. (T) Mayra Bueno Silva
2. (T) Ketlen Vieira +1
4. Irene Aldana
5. Holly Holm
6. Macy Chiasson +4
7. Miesha Tate +1
8. Karol Rosa +1
9. Pannie Kianzad -3
10. Yana Santos -3
11. Norma Dumont
12. Julia Avila
13. Chelsea Chandler +1
14. Josiane Nunes -1
15. Melissa Dixon

You can expect these rankings to change around this time next week, particularly in the women’s flyweight division, following the UFC Vegas 89: “Ribas vs. Namajunas” mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ESPN and ESPN+, scheduled for this Sat. night (March 23, 2024) at APEX in Las Vegas.

For much more on that upcoming fight card 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!

In just two days (Thurs. March 21, 2024), the highly anticipated Road House remake will release on Amazon Prime (not theaters). Notably, it’s the silver screen debut of Conor McGregor, a project he’s spent a lot of time on while on the sidelines in the last couple years. McGregor will play the villainous Knox opposite Dalton, UFC castoff and bouncer portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.

Quite a few interesting stories have emerged from McGregor’s time on set. According to McGregor himself, for example, he made more than one enemy while in tinsel town. McGregor also channeled his inner Terminator for a nude scene and taught Gyllenhaal some important lessons about fight game intensity.

Now, McGregor is revealing more behind-the-scenes tales, including throwing down with Hollywood stuntmen. The Irish athlete revealed the exchanged blows got pretty serious, and he even put a few of his co-workers on the floor with “real shots.”

“I put a few of them down,” McGregor told ESPN. “Spinning back kicks and all, yeah? Spinning back kicks to the ribs, a couple head kicks. A couple of side kicks to the head as well. … I won’t tell the story, but there were some real shots for sure.

“I hit the guys, they hit me and I had no issue with that,” McGregor continued. “And they had no issue. They told me to. ‘F—king no, hit them for real.’ [I said,] ‘Are you sure?’”

At the moment, McGregor’s next UFC bout remains unbooked. However, his latest statements indicate a confidence that he’ll be back in the cage over summer against Michael Chandler. Hopefully, there are no further delays in his return to action.

Insomnia

It feels like there’s a close to zero chance Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya actually goes down in South Africa, which is a massive bummer. Could you imagine the scene?!?

Magomedov Sharabutdin secured a visa, maybe there’s hope from Khamzat too?

Robelis Despaigne gets a step up in competition! Think the fight lasts longer than 60 seconds?

Colby Covington is unlistenable per usual, but he sneaked some decent roasts into this response video.

A few classic ways to defend against kicks! Good little self-defense video.

I think Ilia Topuria might just be a star …

Paulo Costa is a menace.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Collins was wobbling all over the ring! His legs were completely gone.

Cory Sandhagen is one of my favorite active fighters, and his commitment to body work is a significant factor in that.

Two Heavyweight legends young and hungry, 20 years ago!

Random Land

Stilt walking.

Midnight Music: Rock, 1982

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

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Kayla Harrison could have a short climb to an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title fight should things go her way at UFC 300 next month (Sat., April 13, 2024).

UFC’s women’s Bantamweight division has gone through a dramatic face-lift since its longtime ruler and all-time great, Amanda Nunes, retired in June 2023. 10-plus year UFC veteran, Raquel Pennington, now holds the division’s title and finds herself targeted by the admittedly thin cast of challengers.

Former two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight champion, Harrison, will soon make her promotional debut against Pennington’s past successor, Holly Holm, at the aforementioned super show. Thanks to Harrison’s career thus far as a 16-1 former champion and Bantamweight’s lack of viable contenders, a win can land her a bout with “Rocky” sooner rather than later.

“Just from having to grind from the bottom up, never being handed anything, there’s a lot of women in this division who have been busting their ass for years and years,” Pennington told MiddleEasy of a potential Harrison title shot. “They’re wanting opportunities. I do not find it fair.

“I get the business aspect of it,” she continued. “But I do not find it fair when an athlete comes in and just because they have a big name, they get to skip the line. I’m not opposed to fighting anybody. I love the challenges out there.”

Pennington, 35, will be waiting until after UFC 300 for her next opponent at the very least. Ultimately, she expects the promotion to take the route of going with the former champion, Julianna Pena, who last fought when losing her title in the Nunes rematch via unanimous decision at UFC 277 in July 2022 (watch highlights).

“In my mind it’s Julianna Pena. That’s what me and my team are preparing for, and it makes sense.” Pennington said of her first title challenger. “It’s tough because the UFC does business how they want to do business. Obviously, you have Kayla Harrison who just signed to the UFC. They do have a habit of when someone has a big name, they like to fast-track them.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised after UFC 300 next month if Kayla wins, if a phone call is a lot different after that fight,” she continued. “But we’ll see. For me, I think it’s Julianna.”

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A ‘desperate’ call for a fight booking came off a bit more aggressive than Agapova probably intended. Now she’s walking back her heated words.

Mariya Agapova is walking back a statement she made on social media complaining about delays in booking her next UFC fight.

Agapova hasn’t been seen in the Octagon since a September 2022 loss to Gillian Robertson, and she vented her frustration with the long layoff in an Instagram post encouraging fans to pressure UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard for a fight.

“When is the fight? Don’t ask me that!” she wrote. “Let’s ask the UFC Mick Maynard. WHEN WILL MY FIGHT BE HAPPENING???”

“Demonslayer” has since cooled down and deleted the post. Now she’s following it up with an apology to Maynard.

“I would like to address all my fans and MMA community,” she wrote. “Yesterday I wrote a post about me not fighting for a long time. Unfortunately I got very emotional and wrote it in a moment of desperation. The truth is that I have not fought because I had reconstructive surgery on my knee and then I could not fight because of my green card process. I want to apologize for my past to all of my fans and to Mick Maynard personally.”

In her original post Agapova said her green card was approved last month, so she’s only been waiting on matchmakers for a few weeks. Implying you’re broke because of the UFC and going ALL CAPS on Maynard screaming WHEN IS MY FIGHT??? That may not be the most productive course of action.

It’s not the most surprising outburst given past drama that has swirled around Agapova. In 2021, former teammate Maryna Moroz claimed Agapova was kicked out of ATT after threatening to stab multiple people. The two would end up fighting at UFC 272 in March 2022, with Moroz tapping Agapova with a triangle choke in the second round.

After a promising start, Agapova has struggled in the UFC and is currently 2-3 in the promotion. Her wins are often spectacular and violent — both her victories earned her Performance of the Night bonuses. But her cardio and submission defense need work if she hopes to hang in the women’s flyweight division.

Her social media skills may need a little polishing too, based on this latest incident.

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84% of U.S. states are calling the Tyson vs. Paul fight for ‘Iron Mike,’ while a big chunk of the remaining 16% think Jake wins only because the match is ‘rigged.’

Jake Paul has done it again: he’s found another legendary opponent that’s old enough to beat but fierce enough to convince people it might be different this time.

According to a X (formerly Twitter) data dive conducted by BetOnline, the majority of people in 42 U.S. states believe Mike Tyson is going to wreck Jake Paul when the two fight on July 20th in Texas. Only eight states — New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming — had more people saying Paul would win. And four of those states are convinced Jake’s victory will be “fixed” or “rigged.”

BetOnline went through over 150,000 tweets discussing the fight, which will stream for free to all Netflix subscribers around the world. Any mention of a conclusive fight outcome like “Mike Tyson will kill Jake Paul” or “betting on Mike Tyson” was counted, and the results are clear: most people think the 57-year-old Tyson still has what it takes to beat the 27-year-old Jake Paul.

The sportsbooks see things differently. They have Paul as a -360 betting favorite, while Tyson is a +300 dog. Those are pretty wide odds, and about right considering the cardiovascular advantage Jake has being 30 years younger. Don’t be fooled if the line tightens up as July 20 approaches. The more money that comes in on one side (we’d expect a mountain of bets on Tyson given his popularity), the closer the odds will become to encourage bettors to put money on Paul.

Could Mike Tyson uncork something that will knock Jake Paul out cold, like people across America are clearly hoping? Anything is possible in combat sports, especially in a freakshow fight like this. And Jake Paul has done his best work against elderly MMA fighters, not a boxing legend. The guy couldn’t even beat Tommy Fury. So we can see why some are convinced he’s gonna get pulverized by Tyson.

Paul has once again picked the perfect foil to build his reputation on. Millions of people are going to tune in expecting to see Mike Tyson knock “The Problem Child” out. Speaking as an MMA fan who’s been watching Paul for the last three years, they could be in for a disappointment.

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Sean Strickland is a complicated figure in mixed martial arts.

Much of the time, the former champion is unapologetic and abrasive. He’s lashed out against individual people and groups of people, at times without any provocation. These traits alone have earned him a certain fan base, but on the flip side, Strickland has also been open about his mental health struggles and traumatic childhood. That’s valuable in a sport where many are dealing with similar issues, yet relatively few are talking about it.

Earlier on Monday, Strickland filmed an update on his mental health for his Instagram, admitting to struggling and feeling “like I’m a danger to people.” He went into detail on “always fighting the demons” and how his success and wealth haven’t fixed the issues.

“All week I’ve been f—ked up, dude,” Strickland began (via MMA Junkie). “I’ve been on the Twitter saying crazy s—t, just f—king spiraling. I woke up and I told my girl, I was like, ‘Babe, I feel like I’m a danger to people. Like I don’t feel like I should be out in the world.’ And I think that – I have everything. I’m rich, I’m famous, I have everything I ever f—king wanted and I am still mentally unwell. I get in these mindsets to where like I want to burn everything down in the world. Like, I want to have nothing, so I can just f—king lose it and just take out everything on people.

“I think that you guys, in a weird way, are like my family. Like I’ve shared some s—t with you guys, and you guys have shared some s—t with me. I feel more connected with my fans than I think most people feel just because we’ve gone through a lot together. I have everything I want, and I still struggle with mental health. My memory is so short that, like, when I go out into this week, I think to myself, like once I get past it, I think to myself, like, ‘Oh, man. That was a really rough time in my life.’ But then when I really think about it, this happens multiple times a month, every month.”

Strickland did conclude his post on a slightly more positive note, doubling down the important of having a physical outlet in training and hoping the best for his fans with similar struggles.

“Again, I don’t know why I’m telling you guys this. I’ve just been kind of going through some sh*t. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’m going to go train right now and try to hurt all of my friends, and all of the demons will go away. I just want you guys to know that I have everything I could ever want in the world, and I still struggle. So, whatever you guys are going through man, hope y’all feel better. Go to the gym, train. F—king wish you all the best.”

Sean Strickland’s last appearance in the Octagon came at UFC 297, when he lost a split-decision and his title to Dricus Du Plessis (watch here). Since then, Strickland has requested an instant rematch, but it remains uncertain how the Middleweight division will shake out. It’s still unknown when Strickland will return to action and against whom.

Hopefully, Strickland is in a better place mentally when it’s time to compete again.

Insomnia

IT HAPPENED AGAIN IT HAPPENED AGAIN IT HAPPENED AGAIN!

Anyone got a prediction of Bellator’s possible new streaming partner? New player in the game is interesting …

I don’t know if it was the intent, but this video made me laugh out loud.

This should be a fun grappling match at 115 lbs.

Insanely strong people are really tough to deal with on the mats with just a bit of aptitude and direction. Immovable object!

Fight fans demand blood!

The delusion runs deep in the Marlon Vera camp.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

“The Gun” still firing! At 41 years of age, Diego Nunes is winning fights and a regional belt.

11 minutes of knockout footage! Pancrase just realized all the knockouts in their promotion from last year.

Buggy chokes are such a silly way to win (or lose) a fight.

Random Land

Assuming one per row: 3B6H. Debate!

Midnight Music: New wave, 1978

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

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