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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Even more than usual, Conor McGregor is the center of attention in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world.

It’s surely been a difficult week for McGregor, who canceled all upcoming media obligations at the very last second just days ago, most notably a planned presser in McGregor’s home of Dublin, Ireland. No explanation was issued, other than a vague “obstacles outside of our control” from the Irish talent.

Immediately, fans were concerned that the fight was cancelled, and reports of a minor injury gained traction. The concern heightened when it was revealed UFC was sending out “feelers” for alternative main event options. Michael Chandler abandoned his fight camp in Florida to return to his home in Nashville, Tennessee, and UFC CEO Dana White refused to address the issue directly, issuing some fight announcements for a future card instead.

It’s all look very bad in the last couple days, but things are looking up. The latest report is full of positivity and optimism, and with the post above, McGregor has broken his silence … sort of. There’s no caption outside of a flexing emoji, but McGregor is all smiles and muscles sitting atop what appears to be a physical therapist or doctor’s table.

Looks like good news to me!

Fight fans — some of whom have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on UFC 303 tickets — want a more definitive caption from the Irish talent. Check out some of the reactions below:

“McGregor doesn’t pull outta fights! He’ll be there book it!”

“Bro is playing with all of our emotions”

“Peak trolling. Love it”

“Conor, is UFC 303 going down or not?!”

“Bro thinks hes the main character of ufc”

“Damn he knows how to sell a fight. He’s got everyone panicking on purpose”

Maybe McGregor is pulling a Ryan Garcia after all?

Insomnia

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is making a lot of moves lately. It’s not my favorite product, but I’m glad fighters have another way to make money given the recent troubles with One Championship and PFL.

In related news, regional MMA pay is awful.

LIGHTWEIGHT BANGER ALERT!

I didn’t recognize Jake Paul’s quote as Dana White’s own words — cheeky stuff from “The Problem Child.”

Who will be the first to complete the trifecta? I must admit, collegiate wrestlers have a reputation for partying hard in my experience …

Everyone agrees it’s time for Deontay Wilder to walk away, right?

Kevin Holland has realized that beating up unranked dudes in one round pays better than losing close fights to Top 10 opponents.

Trolls would be well-advised to keep their smack talk online, or Jared Cannonier is ready to hand out life lessons.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A great moment of blending wrestling and striking!

This right hook clipped him right behind the temple. Bojkovic did well to pull back with the hook rather than fall forward.

What a gorgeous combination!

Random Land

Hamster MRI.

Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 2014

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

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

It’s a rare occasion when UFC cancels any event, but suddenly scrapping the UFC 303 press conference scheduled in Dublin, Ireland on Monday left an uneasy feeling about the future of Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler on June 29.

The press conference was technically “postponed,” but the timing was the concerning part considering UFC CEO Dana White said just hours earlier at UFC 302 that he was prepared to fly out to Ireland and meet up with McGregor. Following news of the press conference’s demise, McGregor released a somewhat cryptic statement saying the event was “cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” but added nothing further outside of an apology.

So with UFC 303 less than four weeks away, what exactly is happening now?

In the immediate aftermath of the press conference cancellation, there was understandable concern that perhaps McGregor’s return was in jeopardy. Sources told MMA Fighting that UFC largely stayed radio silent for many parties involves regarding the reasons behind the press conference being scrapped at the last minute.

That being said, there were early talks that perhaps UFC might try to look at alternate plans for the card on June 29, which caps off International Fight Week 2024. That could mean a possible replacement opponent or even a whole new fight that could headline the event.

The concern really centered around McGregor, but there was no word if he suffered some kind of an injury or if the “obstacles” the Irish superstar referenced had more to do with his looming contract negotiations. McGregor has openly stated he has two fights left on his UFC deal and is currently in talks with the UFC about a possible extension.

If those talks hit a snag, that could have led to McGregor bowing out of the press conference, which would then obviously force UFC to cancel the event.

Despite the dour feeling earlier in the week, Wednesday brought renewed hope that McGregor vs. Chandler could move ahead as scheduled.

On The MMA Hour, MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported that there was “great positivity” and “great optimism” that UFC 303 could move forward as scheduled, with McGregor making his first octagon appearance in more than three years.

Additional sources speaking anonymously to MMA Fighting on Wednesday stated they were “confident [the] fight is still on” between McGregor and Chandler for June 29, and there is much more enthusiasm that McGregor vs. Chandler will move ahead as scheduled.

Of course, it’s always possible that disaster strikes and the fight falls apart, but doubts floated just after the press conference cancellation have now turned bullish that it may have been much ado about nothing — at least for now.

UFC hasn’t addressed the situation publicly, which has only seemed to fuel rumors that something was wrong, but no news might ultimately mean good news.

Meanwhile, Chandler remains steadfast in his approach as he continues his training camp preparing for June 29 — and by all accounts, McGregor is doing the same.

There’s a lot riding on UFC 303, as McGregor seeks to earn his first win since 2020 and get back into the cage after suffering a devastating broken leg in his most recent outing in 2021.

The same goes for Chandler, who hasn’t fought since November 2022 after signing on to fight McGregor following a coaching stint against him on The Ultimate Fighter 31. Filming for the reality show started all the way back in March 2023, so Chandler has now sat out for more than a year with hopes that he could finally welcome McGregor back to the octagon.

While this rapidly developing situation continues to evolve, there’s renewed optimism that McGregor still fights Chandler on June 29.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Poland’s KSW returns Friday 7th of June with KSW 95 set to take place inside the Hala Urania in Olsztyn, Poland. KSW 95 can be watched by purchasing the event at KSWTV or viaplay depending on the region.

An Epic Rivalry Continues

Headlining the nine-fight card is an anticipated bantamweight title bout, with Jakub Wiklacz defending his strap against long-time foe, and the man he took the belt from, Sebastian Przybys.

Friday night’s clash will be the pair’s fifth meeting and the fourth under KSW’s banner. All four bouts have ended up in the hands of the judges, with Wiklacz holding a 2-1 lead in the series. Their most recent encounter at KSW 86 finished in a draw after the contest went to a technical decision in the fourth following an illegal blow by Wiklacz.

After spending years facing off against one another both men will be eager to put a definitive end to the rivalry so expect an exciting chess match between the two top-ranked bantamweights in KSW.

A heavyweight Banger As The Co-Main Event

The night’s penultimate bout features the UK’s Phil De Fries defending his heavyweight strap for the tenth time as he takes on Brazil’s Augusto Sakai.

De Fries has dominated the KSW heavyweight scene since capturing the title back at KSW 43, with seven of his nine defenses coming via stoppage. His tenth defense looks set to be memorable one way or the other as he squares off against UFC and Bellator veteran Sakai.

The 33-year-old Saki left the UFC on a high following his win over Don’tale Mayes in February 2023. Sakai has yet to taste championship gold in a professional career which began in 2011, but he has shared the cage with the likes of Alistair Overeem and Cheick Kongo.  The chance to earn his first major title will undoubtedly see the Brazilian firing on all cylinders, and with De Fries hungry to reach ten title defenses, expect to see fireworks.

Łopaczyk’s Debut And Held’s Return

Fans will also want to pay attention to the lightweight matchup between Roman Szymański and former UFC veteran Marcin Held. Respectively, ranked 6th and 7th in the lightweight division, both men will be seeking to use this week’s encounter as a springboard to more high-stakes bouts in the future.

Keep an eye out for Polish welterweight Tymoteusz Łopaczyk with the 28-year-old set to make his promotional debut at KSW 95. He comes into this week’s contest riding a three-fight winning streak and will be welcomed into KSW by Brian Hooi, ranked fifth in the welterweight division, who is set to provide a measuring stick of where Łopaczyk fits in the division.

KSW 95: Wiklacz vs. Przybysz 5 : Full Fight Card

• Jakub Wiklacz vs. Sebastian Przybysz: KSW Bantamweight Championship
• Phil De Fries vs. Augusto Sakai: KSW Heavyweight Championship
• Roman Szymański vs. Marcin Held: Lightweight
• Brian Hooi vs. Tymoteusz Łopaczyk: Welterweight
• Adrian Zieliński vs. Oskar Szczepaniak: Welterweight
• Patryk Surdyn vs. Shamad Erzanukaev: Bantamweight
• Krystian Bielski vs. Borys Dzikowski: Middleweight
• Michal Dreczkowski vs. Stevan Jarić: Light Heavyweight
• Dawid Kuczmarski vs. Morgan Gbolou: Welterweight

LowKickMMA.com

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

BKFC is taking bare-knuckle fights to Japan with a new RIZIN partnership that begins in July.

BKFC founder and president David Feldman announced the news Wednesday on The MMA Hour after recently meeting with RIZIN leader Nobuyuki Sakakibara to discuss collaborating. Now a partnership has formed that allows BKFC to begin moving into Japan while RIZIN fighters get the chance to take off the gloves and compete in bare-knuckle bouts.

“Today we get to announce the official partnership with BKFC and RIZIN to produce Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship shows in Japan and all over the southeast Asia region, as well as assist RIZIN with whatever else they need from around the world,” Feldman said.

“We’re really super excited about this partnership and to partner with such a legend like Sakakibara.”

Feldman confirmed the plan starts with bringing over RIZIN fighters to compete in bare-knuckle boxing bouts in BKFC, with the first appearance planned for July 12 at the upcoming card from the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

From there, BKFC sends a pair of marquee fights to the RIZIN card scheduled on July 12, including Tai Emery clashing with Charisa Sigala and reigning BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson facing a yet-to-be-named opponent from RIZIN in a bare-knuckle fight.

Dodson actually has an existing contract with RIZIN, having competed for the promotion on several occasions, but this time he’ll be fighting bare-knuckle in Japan.

Sakakibara, renown as the founder of PRIDE FC before creating RIZIN in 2015, praised the chance to work with Feldman and bring a new sport like bare-knuckle fighting to Japan.

“We truly feel the potential of BKFC,” Sakakibara said. “I do believe this is happening all over the world in the combat sports industry, is that everything is kind of being still and all the fans are looking for a new movement. They’re looking for new action. Exactly what’s happening in Japan. Obviously stateside they’re doing Power Slap and all that kind of stuff is starting to take off, but same thing here in Japan, a lot of people are wanting new things. They’re wanting more excitement.

“We do believe that BKFC has everything it takes to deliver that new excitement over here. The Japanese fans, they like it, and more so we do believe that David and his team are extremely professional and we believe they know what they’re doing. It just only made sense for us to partner with them.”

In addition to the co-promoted event with a pair of BKFC fights in RIZIN, Feldman said he expects to eventually take an entire show to Japan. Right now, BKFC is targeting late 2024 or more likely early 2025 for the first full-fledged bare-knuckle fight card in Japan.

Until then, BKFC plans to continue the talent exchange with RIZIN under a co-promoted banner, with all possibilities now available to both organizations under the new partnership.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall will defend their UFC titles at home, and are both featured on the poster for UFC 304.

The event marks the promotion’s return to Manchester, England, and takes place July 27 at the new Co-Op Live. In the main event, Leon Edwards defends his welterweight title in a rematch against Belal Muhammad. Tom Aspinall defends his interim heavyweight championship against Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event.

Check out the poster for UFC 304 below.

Edwards and Muhammad fought in the main event of UFC Vegas 21 in March 2021. The bout ended in a no contest following an accidental eye poke. Edwards is unbeaten in his past 13 bouts, while Muhammad is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak.

Aspinall makes his first interim title defense following a first-round knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 295 this past November. Blaydes earned his opportunity at the belt after a second-round stoppage of Jailton Almeida at UFC 299 in March.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Dustin Poirier showcased just how much of a dog he is at UFC 302 after he took Islam Makhachev to the brink before his eventual collapse late in the final round. Despite putting on a show and entertaining fans around the world, Poirier sustained several injuries throughout the fight.

‘The Diamond’ has been a UFC mainstay since his arrival over a decade ago. Doing almost everything in the sport but win an undisputed title, many believe the fan-favorite has a huge chance of making the company Hall-of-Fame.

Dustin Poirier’s closely contested matchup against Islam Makhachev only adds to his legacy of being one of the very best lightweights to ever compete in mixed martial arts. While his stock did rise following UFC 302, not everything has been positive for the Louisiana native.

In a short post on social media, Poirier confirmed that he suffered multiple injuries during his last performance. 

“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn,” Poirier stated on social media. “FIGHT LIFE.”

Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn.

FIGHT LIFE ⚔️

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024

Both men were bloodied and battered during their fight of the night showcase. While damage was done on both sides, Poirier claimed that it wasn’t a legal strike that damaged his nose.

Related: UFC 302 Bonuses: Main event earns ‘Fight of the Night’

In a separate update, the 155er insisted that it was a headbutt that caused his broken nose.

“Knee hit my face. It was the headbutt before. It was accidental, but it hurt.”

Knee hit my face. It was the headbutt before. It was accidental, but it hurt https://t.co/WhAJwfKZhw

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024

However, Dustin Poirier wasn’t the only one who was at a disadvantage during the fight. 

Earlier this week, Islam Makhachev confirmed that the rumors were true. Heading into fight week, concerns were raised about Makhachev’s health as media day pictures seemed to show staph infection on his leg. 

While it’s unclear if this did play a role in the fight, fans stated that the Russian looked more fatigued than usual.

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