Welcome to Midnight Mania!
It’s been so many years since the Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley feud that it’s easy to forget the origins of their bad blood. Before they ever met in the Octagon, and before Covington was even an interim champion, the two were training partners at the renowned American Top Team (ATT) gym in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Covington’s time at ATT concluded on a sour note. Despite being a top-ranked contender, “Chaos” gained a reputation for trash-talking his fellow teammates, including Dustin Poirier, which ultimately led to his exit from the team. That’s the official narrative, but “T-Wood” mentioned in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani that Covington’s departure actually started when he could no longer keep pace with Woodley during training sessions.
“I told Colby the last day that he trained with me,” Woodley explained. “I said, ‘Colby you a d—k.’ And on that day, I made it clear that if he continued to act as though he could escape an armbar or resist a choke, or if he got upset about being taken down—especially since I’m a two-time All-American Hall of Fame wrestler—there would be consequences. I warned him that if he ran away or left the mat, I would follow him and finish the job. The next day, he left.”
After leaving ATT, Covington moved to MMA Masters and eventually faced Woodley in the Octagon after Woodley had lost his championship belt. When they fought in 2020, Covington dominated the match, winning every round and concluding the fight in the fifth. Recently, Woodley was announced as one of the fighters on the Global Fight League (GFL) roster. His GFL debut will mark his first cage fight since March 2021 and is expected to take place sometime next year.
Insomnia
Virna Jandiroba still needs one more victory to secure a title shot, and she’s calling out former challenger Yan Xiaonan.
There’s a need for a collective MMA community fund dedicated to sending Bryce Mitchell to Antarctica for an eye-opening experience. I will personally contribute SIX U.S. dollars.
Flat Earthers (or "flerfers"?) are facing quite the shock today as comrades who flew to Antarctica have returned to share the reality that the sun indeed rotates around the horizon as if the Earth were round.
It’s heartening to see Stipe Miocic embracing life post-retirement.
There seems to be an odd trend where famous figures accused of serious crimes turn to social media to proclaim their newfound faith and seek redemption.
“I am in amazing spirits! God has chosen me and I accept! Thank you to all who are looking at this impartially and supporting my fight for justice! The truth shall prevail! As God as my witness,” tweeted Conor McGregor.
I’m eagerly anticipating the showdown among the top Middleweight snipers.
Once again, I’ll emphasize: Joaquin Buckley doesn’t receive enough recognition for his intelligence as a fighter. His strategic body shots, relentless takedown defenses, and effective uppercut mixing were all exemplary tactics!
It’s undoubtedly better to evade being knocked down entirely, but there’s something undeniably impressive about recovering instantly and brushing off devastating strikes.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
This is one of those nights where a fighter was just completely LOCKED IN! No Lightweight could match Gilbert Melendez that evening.
“Frosty” Eric Cortez began training full-time with the pros at Team Alpha Male when he was around 15 years old, and well … the kid has certainly grown into his own.
Caught between stances:
Random Land
The “THE REASON” column is bringing me immense joy.
Midnight Music: Ballad, 2014
Sleep well, Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
