Welcome to Midnight Mania!
The bantamweight title shot has a clear line of challengers.
Next, Henry Cejudo will return from retirement and challenge Aljamain Sterling. It’s a bit of a shock given the UFC’s apparent disinterest in “Triple C,” but the schedule seemed to be working for the promotion. Although targeted for March, the contracts remain unsigned, and now there are rumors that the fight has been postponed to last April.
Left on the sidelines is Sean O’Malley. Ranked as the top contender at bantamweight after his upset win over former champion Petr Yan, ‘Suga’ is next after Sterling and Cejudo settle their affairs. O’Malley says he’s been guaranteed the next title shot and is happy to practice until the time comes, but often contenders are left to fight rather than wait for a shot for the title which may or may not materialize.
Daniel Cormier, a retired former champion and current UFC color commentator, isn’t against O’Malley remaining active. However, he warns that a striated bantamweight is to be avoided: Merab Dvalishvili.
“There’s only one name I would avoid if I’m Sean O’Malley, and that’s Merab Dvalishvili,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel (via MMAJunkie). “Because I believe Merab and his style of fighting under pressure could present some matchup problems for O’Malley. Am I saying no he can’t win? Not at all. But I’m saying at because of the struggle, the pressure, you don’t want to be stuck in this with Merab. The guy is a savage.
“I’m frustrated. But, Sean O’Malley, don’t let frustration lead to bad decisions,” Cormier said. “I think the fight with Merab, as he’s about to fight for the title, might be a bad decision. Yes, he can win. Absolutely. I think the kid is as good as anybody. No one could have told me that this kid from the Contender series would become that. It was awesome to see, and I don’t know when Sean will fight for the title, but I know when he does it will be a huge moment for the UFC.
Currently ranked No. 3, Dvalishvili has won eight straight. “The Machine” is durable and remarkably well-conditioned, allowing it to force a brutal pace and fight relentlessly. He’s the type of opponent that’s really hard to defeat, let alone defeat impressively. Worse still, he is teammates with Aljamain Sterling and refuses to fight ‘Funkmaster’, so his upward mobility is limited until Sterling loses the title.
It doesn’t look like a big fight for the UFC or O’Malley, but it could definitely be a great opportunity for Georgia talent should the matchup materialize.
Insomnia
A recap of the drama and the Artem Lobov v. Conor McGregor lawsuit:
️Coverage from Virgin Media News, one of Ireland’s leading broadcasters, of Artem Lobov’s defamation case against Conor McGregor.
Crazy times.pic.twitter.com/qhqpgRi9O8
— Andy Stevenson (@andyste123) December 22, 2022
Tyson Fury is an anomaly, and “The Gypsy King” knows it!
It’s a nice throw and all, but does Khamzat Chimaev look huge for anyone else?
The Greatest of All Time and Jon Jones.
A very likely tweet from Ali Abdelaziz!
Matt Brown puts the kids through a classic garage workout.
It was a true holiday miracle.
Michael Bisping throwing a much smaller YouTube boxer will always be fun.
Slips, tears and KO clips
I understand the mechanics pretty well, but I’m still confused by this submission.
Never forget that the line between sanctioned competition and limitless street fighting is always thin, and for some, it never really existed.
Aleksei Oleinik has been throwing wild knockdowns and landing weird submissions for longer than many of our readers have been alive.
Random terrain
Merry Christmas to everyone !
Midnight Music: …And a Happy Festivus!
Sleep well fools! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
#Midnight #Mania #Suga #warned #stay #Machine
