Midnight Mania! A win away from a title shot?

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

2016 was a good year for Conor McGregor. The Irish athlete suffered his first UFC loss, of course, but he also pounced to get revenge on Nate Diaz and smoke Eddie Alvarez to become the UFC’s first ever two-time champion. His fame reached unprecedented levels, laying the foundation for “The Money Fight” against Floyd Mayweather.

Unfortunately, seven years is a lifetime in combat sports, quite a career for many fighters. During that span, McGregor only competed in the Octagon four times, losing three of those bouts by stoppage. Since 2021, he has been recovering from a broken leg suffered in his second loss to Dustin Poirier.

Now McGregor is set to return later this year after coaching The ultimate fighter opposite Michael Chandler. Despite his current tough time, UFC commentator of color Michael Bisping believes his star power remains strong enough to push him straight back into the title mix with just one victory.

“If McGregor succeeds, will we see him fight for the title next? It’s a no-brainer,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel (via Yahoo Sports). “It’s 100%. Prepare yourself mentally for this. No matter what you think, he’s the biggest star in the sport. He’s a former two-weight division champion, and he’s a person the people want to see fight.

“So if he comes out and beats Michael Chandler, who is one of the highest-ranked lightweights on the planet, and he does it in an exciting way, I’ll be honest: I won’t have a problem with that. ‘he’s fighting for the belt. . McGregor vs. Chandler, I’m excited. Take my money already.

Insomnia

Brennan Ward hosted a drug fight at Bellator 290 and has a great message. That’s how you build a fanbase!

Sodiq Yusuff breaks down UFC 284, and now I feel like all of my preview and breakdown work is completely useless. Expert analysis!

Charles Oliveira could be considered an interested party in the main event of UFC 284.

Click through to the entire Ultimate Fighter classic moments feed! Who plans to watch the upcoming season?

UFC and Brock Lesnar crush Mark Hunt lawsuit but also some kind of self-ownership in the process.

NO ONE ELSE CAN DO WHAT DANA WHITE DOES! PERSON! (in his defense, it was like four in the morning)

Jamahal Hill does not back down from any potential challenger.

Slips, tears and KO clips

My longtime sparring partner Joseph Morales was kicked out of the UFC for losing a split decision on short notice and to Deiveson friggin’ Figueiredo. It’s now 3-0 since, and it’s time for ‘Bopo’ to re-sign!

Double jab-right hand produces a funky knockout:

Southpaw on Southpaw Violence!

Random terrain

Yes, it’s an absurd amount of effort for a dumb rug, but I still find the process interesting and the end result amazing.

Midnight Music: Psychedelic Rock, 1971

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