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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Noche UFC is one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year, but its main event may be at risk.

Top-ranked Bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili has won a remarkable ten fights in a row to secure his title match versus Sean O’Malley, one of the sport’s most popular fighters at the moment. However, “The Machine” has hit a training mishap, revealing on social media today that he suffered a cut above his eye requiring stitches. “Suga” already reacted, and Dvalishvili is adamant that the cut won’t affect his ability to fight.

Reminder: Noche UFC is scheduled for September 14, less than a month away. Even if Dvalishvili is unbothered by the cut, he’s drawn attention to himself in the eyes of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), whose doctor is now more likely to closely inspect the cut area. Oh, and he gave O’Malley an obvious target from the first bell of their 25-minute contest.

Though he’s not worried about the fight getting canceled, UFC CEO Dana White is outraged at Dvalishvili’s decision to post the cut online. In the aftermath of Contenders Series, White revealed his anger at the Georgian talent.

“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut, he posted it,” White began. “Our guys are so dumb, it’s next level, unbelievable. All the stuff I talk about boxing — what I will give boxing is when something happens in a camp, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f—king wait to throw it up on social media.

“It’s a small cut, no big deal, but obviously it needed to be posted … Why the f—k would you want [Sean O’Malley] to know that? It’s next level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid, it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

Oddly enough, it’s not the first time White has buried Dvalishvili after a fun night of fights on Contenders Series. Just about a year ago, White dropped a legendary rant against Dvalishvili for choosing friendship over a title shot. Obviously, Dvalishvili has persevered to finally score his title opportunity, but will Dvalishvili get the last laugh here as well?

Hopefully, we’ll find out in a few weeks.

Insomnia

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu drama is always at least a little cringy.

Holly Holm looks very energized for four in the morning.

On the flip side of the partying equation, imagine a scene where Dominick Cruz and Casey O’Neil are the life of the party.

Unfortunately for those still doubting, the Dricus Du Plessis praise is starting to add up.

Junior Tafa didn’t handle the heel hook well while defending it, immediately afterward, or even the entire night of the event.

A couple weeks ago, Urijah Faber picked up the victory in a grappling rematch opposite fellow OG Bibiano Fernandes.

Darren Till has a few hot takes.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Crashing forward into an upward elbow:

20-year-old Abdullah Mason showed off some fast hands this weekend in his victory over Mike Ohan Jr to remain undefeated.

Silva’s combination left him in Southpaw after starting in Orthodox, and he never saw the open stance high kick coming.

Random Land

This wasn’t very well thought out.

Midnight Music: Country, 1971

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

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Danny Silva is out of this Saturday’s fight with Dennis Buzukja.

On Tuesday, the UFC announced that Silva sustained an injury which has forced him out of UFC Vegas 96. In his place, Francis Marshall steps in on short notice to fight Buzukja, with the bout now taking place at lightweight instead of featherweight.

Marshall entered the UFC off of the Contender Series in 2022, winning his first bout by TKO over Marcelo Rojo. Since then Marshall’s had a tough go of things though, losing back-to-back fights to William Gomis and Isaac Dulgarian.

A two-time Contender Series participant, Buzukja made his UFC debut last year, losing a unanimous decision to Sean Woodson in a fight he also missed weight for. Buzukja then returned against Jamall Emmers and again was defeated, this time by TKO; however, “The Great” finally managed to score his first UFC victory this past March, stopping Connor Matthews at UFC Atlantic City.

UFC Vegas 96 takes place this Saturday in the UFC APEX and is headlined by a middleweight matchup between Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Following his submission defeat to middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis over the course of the weekend at UFC 305, former two-time titleholder, Israel Adesanya may remain the number two ranked challenger, however, has slumped down the pound-for-pound pile.

Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight gold holder, headlined UFC 305 over the course of last weekend, suffered his second consecutive defeat since September of last year – following a prior dominant title fight loss to Sean Strickland in Sydney last annum.

And meeting South African star, du Plessis ‘Downunder’ last weekend in the main event of UFC 305, Adesanya, who found himself on the wrong side of judge’s scorecards during the fourth round, was submitted in the first of two championship frames, with a taut rear-naked choke.

Following the defeat, however, Adesanya remains just behind the previously mentioned, Strickland in the middleweight listings, as the number two ranked challenger.

However, seated as the number thirteenth ranked male fighter in the pound-for-pound pile ahead of his UFC 305 title fight comeback, City Kickboxing is barely in the rankings off the back of his loss, landing at number fifteen behind former champions, Charles Oliveira, and Strickland, respectively. 

Israel Adesanya falls down pound-for-pound rankings after UFC 305

Off the back of his loss to the Pretoria native, Adesanya boldly claimed that he believed du Plessis was likely there for the taking in the fourth round before he succumbed to a rear-naked choke defeat. 

“He’s (Dricus du Plessis) tough, he’s stubborn that is what it is,” Israel Adesanya said. “Even if he’s tired – which one was it – I sprawled on him, was it round four? Beginning of round four, I hit him with one of the meanest sprawls because he just shot and I just put his face into the mat, and boom.”

“I tried to kick his body and then told him to get up,” Israel Adesanya continued. “Marc (Goddard) was like ‘Get up’, and he laid there on the ground and took a breath, and I was like, ‘He is done.’ So I try to go for him.”

LowKickMMA.com

Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at UFC 293 in September 2023. It was one of the biggest upsets in MMA history as fans expected the champ to piece up Strickland with his striking.

“The Last Stylebender” returned to the Octagon after 11 months at UFC 305, challenging Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship. The fight was competitive on the feet and ground from the get-go, but the kingpin secured a submission win in the fourth.

Adesanya had never lost two consecutive fights in his pro career previously. Looking back at his bouts, former opponent Strickland has claimed that Izzy was never that good to begin with…

Sean Strickland Doubted Israel Adesanya’s Fighting Skills After Sparring Kelvin Gastelum

Strickland recently discussed his former rival on the Verse Us with Erick Nicksick podcast. After admitting that it’s an unpopular opinion, he said that “The Last Stylbender” isn’t as good as his record makes him look.

“I have an unpopular opinion. You guys aren’t going to like it. I just don’t think Izzy’s that good!”

Strickland thinks so primarily because of his regular sparring sessions with Kelvin Gastelum. Izzy had one of the toughest fights of his MMA career against Gastelum, while Strickland claims to run through him during training.

“So, when he fought Kelvin dude. I think Kelvin sucks. So, like, everyone’s like, everyone’s like oh man Izzy’s this and that. Like, dude, I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times where I’m like, you kind of had a close fight with Kelvin, like you’re not that good.”

The previous UFC middleweight champion clarified that he still believes Adesanya to be better than the majority of the UFC roster. He compared Izzy’s recent form to the likes of Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva who went on losing streaks once an opponent figured out the best game plan to beat them.

READ MORE: Anthony Smith Shares Theory On Alex Pereira Pondering Middleweight Return To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You Beat My Friend!’

Continue Reading Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’ at MMA News.

MMA News

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Alexa Grasso has edged out Valentina Shevchenko in their coaching battle.

Team Grasso featherweight Mairon Santos (13-1) earned the last spot in the The Ultimate Fighter 32 finals with a unanimous decision win over teammate Guillermo Torres (7-1) on the long-running television program’s season finale. That means three Team Grasso fighters will compete at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 96 event, with a UFC contract on the line.

Torres, who fell short in his quarterfinal bout, was given a second chance after being called upon to replace Team Bullet’s Zygimantas Ramaska. Prior to this episode, doubts swirled around whether Ramaska would be medically cleared after suffering an injury in his first fight, and it was eventually ruled that he could not compete.

To add further controversy to the bout, Santos actually came in half a pound over the featherweight limit, but was still allowed to fight as scheduled.

The semifinal bout was closely contested, with neither fighter able to establish much offense through the first two rounds. Santos maintained a slight striking edge throughout, winning the kicking battle from distance and occasionally landing a hard shot. Torres’ wrestling made him a constant threat, though, and he was always looking for an opening to take Santos down even with the Brazilian cutting off the cage.

In the end, Santos’ striking acumen and aggression were enough to carry him to a victory and a spot in the TUF 32 featherweight tournament finals.

Santos fights teammate Kaan Ofli (11-2-1) on Saturday, while Grasso’s Robert Valentin (10-3) fights Shevchenko’s Ryan Loder (6-1) to determine the season’s middleweight champion.

See the finals matchups below:

TUF 32 Featherweight Final

Kaan Ofli (Australia) vs. Mairon Santos (Brazil)

TUF 32 Middleweight Final

Ryan Loder (USA) vs. Robert Valentin (Switzerland)

Overall, Grasso proved to be the better coach by a small margin as her fighters won five of the eight opening-round matchups, and then three of the semifinal bouts (one of which pitted two Team Grasso fighters against one another).

With the conclusion of TUF 32, Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are set to face off in a flyweight championship trilogy bout at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

The finalists of the TUF 32 middleweight and featherweight tournaments compete for a six-figure UFC contract at the show’s live finale, which takes place as part of the main card of UFC Vegas 96.

Here are the TUF 32 rosters divided by team:

Team Grasso

Featherweights

1. Guillermo Torres (Mexico) (7-1)
2. Kaan Ofli (Australia) (10-2-1)
3. Bekhzod Usmonov (Tajikistan) (11-4)
4. Mairon Santos (Brazil) (13-1)

Featherweights

1. Robert Valentin (Switzerland) (10-3)
2. Paddy McCorry (Ireland) (4-1)
3. Omran Chaaban (Finland) (6-1)
4. Tom Theocharis (Canada) (9-5)

Team Shevchenko

Featherweights

1. Roedie Roets (South Africa) (7-1)
2. Zygimantas Ramaska (Lithuania) (9-2)
3. Nathan Fletcher (England) (8-1)
4. Edwin Cooper Jr. (USA) (6-1)

Middleweights

1. Shamidkhan Magomedov (Russia) (7-1)
2. Mark Hulme (South Africa) (12-3)
3. Ryan Loder (USA) (6-1)
4. Giannis Bachar (Greece) (9-2)

See the semifinal results below:

Middleweight

Ryan Loder def. Omran Chaaban via decision

Paddy McCorry def. Robert Valentin via submission (leg trap Americana) (R1)

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli def. Roedie Roets via submission (guillotine choke) (R1)

Mairon Santos def. Guillermo Torres via decision

See quarterfinal results below:

Roedie Roets def. Guillermo Torres via decision

Robert Valentin def. Giannis Bachar via KO (strikes) (R1)

Kaan Ofli def. Nathan Fletcher via decision

Omran Chaaban def. Shamidkhan Magomedov via technical submission (anaconda choke) (R2)

Zygimantas Ramaska def. Bekhzod Usmonov via decision

Ryan Loder def. Tom Theocharis via submission (arm-triangle choke)

Mairon Santos def. Edwin Cooper Jr. via split decision

Paddy McCorry def. Mark Hulme via submission (guillotine choke) (R1)

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dana White claims that the reason Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones never fought was Ngannou.

On Tuesday, Jones teased retirement after he defends his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic later this year, repeatedly dismissing interim champion Tom Aspinall. This has become a common refrain for Jones, who appears dead set on the Miocic fight despite some public backlash and on Tuesday evening, following the latest episode of Contender Series, White jumped in to defend Jones.

“I have zero animosity towards Francis,” White said. “Francis was out of my world a long time ago. [Sean Shelby] and Mick [Maynard] are another story. It’s a long story. [Shelby] did everything he could in his power to make Jon Jones vs. Francis. The fight did not happen and let me tell you what, it wasn’t because of Jon Jones.

“So Jon is a very unique individual to deal with. Jon Jones will fight everybody. Jon Jones was absolutely — he wanted Francis! You saw what happened with Ciryl Gane. He will tell you like he told us that he would do the same thing to Francis Ngannou. He wanted that fight so bad.

“And for anybody who thinks — I know the whole internet, ‘Oh Jon Jones!’ that I’m up Jon Jones’s ass, these are f*cking facts. Facts. And since everybody has been such douchebags about this, I’m coming out with a nice little punch in the face for all you f*ckers that think Jon Jones isn’t the greatest of all-time.

“Dislike him, whatever your beef is with Jon Jones, knock yourself out. There’s no way in hell that Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall. That I guarantee you.”

Ngannou’s split from the UFC was fairly acrimonious as the former heavyweight champion completed his contract then opted not to re-sign with the promotion, citing irreconcilable differences and a lack of respect from the promotion. The perceived animosity from the UFC only increased when, ahead of UFC 305, the promotion released a video of Israel Adesanya talking about the “Three Kings” of Africa but conspicuously removed mention of Ngannou. But White insists that neither he nor any of the top brass had anything to do with that, at least not to his knowledge.

“I don’t know about this,” White said. “And it was something that we produced? Are you sure that we produced this? Like Embedded or something?

“… We’ll find out what happened… Because if that’s true, and that was done and that was something that we produced, then somebody in the company made that decision. That definitely — listen, you know me, if I said we did it, I’d say, ‘Yeah, f*ck him and this is why we did it.’ I know nothing about it, nobody ever asked me about it, and this is the first we’re hearing about it or I would tell you.”

What White will tell you is that Jones is going to fight Aspinall after he concludes his business with Miocic later this year. Despite Jones’s recent comments, White still believes that’s going to happen, even dismissing Jones suggesting that he may be looking for “a deal I can’t refuse.”

“Jon Jones is doing Jon Jones right now,” White said. “That’s what he does. There is nobody that we’ve ever dealt with, when I tell you is not afraid to fight anybody. It’s Jon Jones… I believe Jon Jones-Aspinall happens if he beats Stipe…”

“We’ll do everything we can to make that fight happen… What fights don’t we make? Other than the Francis thing, what fights don’t we make? You can’t make people fight and we couldn’t make Francis fight. But every other fight we’ve made. We’ve dealt with guys like Brock Lesnar. Think of the biggest stars that have ever been in the sport. We’ve always made the fights.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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