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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

This weekend (Nov. 9, 2024), UFC will remain in Las Vegas, Nevada for its 100th “Fight Night” event from inside the UFC Apex. It’s not technically the 100th event total because of some numbered pay-per-view (PPV) events that took place early during the pandemic, but UFC Vegas 100 is still a significant milestone (for better or worse).

To celebrate, the promotion released a 90-minute highlight of the 100 best knockouts to take place inside the Apex. There won’t be any raucous crowd reactions, but the knockouts do feature that signature clear audio of punches, knees, and elbows landing clean. Everyone from Derrick Lewis to Sean O’Malley is highlighted!

MMA Orbit’s Logan Offord noticed one conspicuous absence: Francis Ngannou’s title-winning shellacking of Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 (watch here).

Not only did the Heavyweight title change hands, but it was an incredible KO by any metric. Technically, I suppose there’s the defense that the video is titled “100 UFC Apex Knockouts” rather than best knockouts, but the description does read, “This action-packed compilation showcases the most jaw-dropping knockouts that have taken place at the UFC APEX facility.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Ngannou’s success was forgotten during a UFC production.

Despite a bit of bad blood between UFC CEO Dana White and “The Predator,” all parties have mostly moved on. Miocic is just a couple weeks away from his title shot versus Jon Jones, whereas Ngannou is freshly removed from a successful PFL debut and title win over Renan Ferreira.

Insomnia

Shara Magomedov as a Tekken character definitely tracks!

Alex Pereira is a perfect muse in that he’s got such a distinct look and vibe.

While on the art topic, this Ilia Topuria painting looks very lifelike!

A new unfortunate way to lose a fight just dropped!

A neat stat from an otherwise horrible fight:

What is your dream Tito Ortiz role? After this clip, I think he could be the next True Detective.

Mikey Musumeci’s time as the grappling face of One Championship has come to an end.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

The classic case of a low kick thrown stationary in the pocket being a bad idea …

Going for a leg lock on the jiu-jitsu ace is a similarly bold strategy.

That’s just a lovely overhand right.

Random Land

It’s not stupid if it works?

Midnight Music: Psych rock, 1967

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

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Awful officiating cast a pall over a submission finish in Kazakhstan this past weekend.

At a Dala Fighting Championship event in Astana on Saturday, Kazakh bantamweight Zhuman Zhumabekov locked in a Von Flue choke after executing a powerful slam and clearly had the fight wrapped up halfway into the opening round.

His opponent Abhilash Raut clearly goes limp with his eyes rolling back, but the bout was not waved off at that point due to the negligence of referee Baurzhan Zhumanov. Seemingly oblivious to Raut’s condition, Baurzhan Zhumanov actually appeared to call for Zhumabekov to continue to work on the ground, putting it on Zhumabekov to release the hold so the referee could see what had happened.

Watch the disturbing clip below.

An attentive Zhumabekov immediately looks to tend to Raut following the finish. Fortunately, Raut was able to stand on his own power and be part of the post-fight proceedings as he raised Zhumabekov’s hand and embraced him.

Watch the full fight, including the aftermath, below.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Shavkat Rakhmonov is determined to stay on the UFC 310 card and has floated the idea of an interim title fight against Kamaru Usman. Rakhmonov was initially set to headline UFC 310 in a welterweight title bout against Belal Muhammad, but the reigning champion withdrew due to injury.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Rakhmonov’s manager confirmed that negotiations are underway to keep Rakhmonov on the UFC 310 lineup, potentially in an interim title fight. The manager mentioned that Usman has reportedly been offered the fight, as he’s seen as the most logical replacement.

Rakhmonov himself expressed readiness to step in, saying, “I believe there is a worthy opponent available. I’m ready to save the card, too, if it’s for the interim title. I believe Usman is the worthy opponent who’s also probably ready to jump in and face him.”

Rakhmonov, who boasts an 18-0 record, is coming off a submission victory over Stephen Thompson last December and has won all his UFC fights by stoppage. Usman, on the other hand, is currently on a three-fight losing streak, most recently dropping a majority decision to Robert Whittaker in a middleweight contest on short notice. Before that, he suffered two consecutive losses to Leon Edwards.

Continue Reading Shavkat Rakhmonov Wants To Fight Kamaru Usman For Interim Title At UFC 310 at MMA News.

MMA News

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Khalil Rountree Jr. is a month removed from the biggest fight of his life and his injuries from that brutal battle appear to be mostly healed.

The light heavyweight contender went almost 20 minutes with champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307 this past October, pushing “Poatan” to the limit before succumbing to strikes near the end of the fourth round. Rountree was battered and bloodied by the former kickboxing star, but received plenty of praise for his performance.

Shortly after, Rountree announced he would be undergoing surgery on his nose to address facial injuries sustained in the fight. Rountree has been traveling to rest and relax in the aftermath of UFC 307 and he shared an Instagram post Monday that included a picture of his face post-surgery.

@khalilrountree, Instagram

Though Rountree appears to be showing visible scars, he’s unquestionably in much better shape than he was weeks ago.

Funnily enough, Pereira has also needed time to recover from their fight. “Poatan” recently told Podpah that his hand is still hurting from punching Rountree. Considering the long list of knockouts Pereira has on his résumé, that says a lot about Rountree’s toughness.

Rountree likely looks ahead to 2025 for his next booking after seeing a five-fight win streak snapped in his first UFC title opportunity.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Even though Dustin Poirier holds two wins over Max Holloway, “The Diamond” would love to share the octagon with the current BMF champion one more time.

Following his lightweight championship loss against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June, Poirier has hinted that his incredible career is coming to a close, and teasing one last fight before turning the page. Now that Holloway holds the BMF belt, Poirier sees that as a perfect “last dance,” as he said to a fan on Twitter.

Poirier submitted Holloway in their first meeting at UFC 143 in February 2012. They met again seven years later for the interim lightweight title in one of the division’s most exciting championship bouts, winning a unanimous decision at UFC 236 in April 2019.

After Holloway was knocked out for the first time in his career by Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, “Blessed” revealed that his featherweight career is likely over, and that a permanent move to lightweight is imminent. Holloway captured the BMF belt with a stunning last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje in a 155-pound matchup at UFC 300 in April.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Matchmaking
| BJPenn.com