Welcome to Midnight Mania!
The future of the lightweight belt is uncertain.
Islam Makhachev is the current titleholder, but his next challenger is up in the air. The lightweight division has strong contenders such as Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan, all with impressive knockout victories. “De Bronx” secured a win against Makhachev in October, and a rematch was on the cards until a cut delayed the process.
The big question is, who will Makhachev face next?
Online fans have been speculating about potential matchups, particularly noticing posts from Oliveira and Tsarukyan announcing their return to action simultaneously. Tsarukyan’s caption “Big news coming” has sparked interest, especially as Gaethje also hinted at being the next candidate to face Makhachev.
On Twitter, fans are already predicting an unofficial showdown between the top-ranked lightweights.
Some fans are backing Oliveira, confident in his victory.
Others believe Oliveira will easily win and dominate Arman in all aspects.
There is a prediction that Oliveira will defeat Arman, while another fan thinks Arman has the potential to upset Oliveira due to his lack of experience.
Speculation arises about a potential matchup between Arman and Oliveira, considering Dustin and Gaethje aren’t in the running to face Arman.
While this potential matchup is currently unofficial (despite rumors spreading online), it would make sense for Makhachev to face a new opponent, especially with UFC 300 needing significant star power to live up to the hype.
insomnia
Handle hot things with care. A combination of pineapple, pepperoni, and jalapeño makes for a great pizza topping.
Before Paulo Costa withdrew from the fight against Robert Whittaker due to “tax reasons.”
“I don’t want to fight in California because taxes are so high. @ufc Can I pay with Bitcoin? @cryptocom ?”
— Paulo Costa (Borrachinha) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 23, 2023
Sean O’Malley demonstrated good sportsmanship during a sparring session.
Aljamain Sterling has more to say about last night’s story.
In hindsight, I should have waited. The PPV numbers as champion didn’t meet my expectations. Ultimately, the rush wasn’t worth it. O’Malley’s PPV draw power could increase if he keeps winning… https://t.co/eXuC6UxbrV
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 26, 2023
Dan Hooker responds to Islam Makhachev and his associates…
This is immature, but it’s the gateway to Colby Covington’s trash talk, isn’t it?
Interesting facts that were previously unknown.
This is a matchup that seems inevitable.
Slip, Rip, KO Clip
If it works once, it should work twice. If it works twice, then it should work four times as effectively.
Remember: Albert Tumenov lost to Leon Edwards! “Einstein” was always impressive.
Albert Tumenov ended a spectacular performance by defeating Ustarmagomed Gazidaudov with a strong KO in the closing minutes of the bout. He reclaimed the ACA welterweight championship. #ACA168 pic.twitter.com/oNWPGlmBem
— Kaposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 24, 2023
Punch kicks are classic, but 1-2 kicks are also effective.
random land
I learned today that wild yaks can be intimidating.
Midnight Music: Surprisingly, T-Pain’s new live album is fantastic. Who would have thought that the autotune king could sing with such soul?!?
Embrace the martial arts mania! There’s always more to come.
