Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
- Former BKFC fighter stabbed Yoel Romero with samurai sword in 2022, later acquitted for attempted second-degree murder: I’m a little surprised the blade of a samurai sword can actually pierce the skin of “The Soldier Of God.”
- ‘Butt naked’ UFC fighter battles shrinkage, angry Muslims in changing room transgression — ‘Six dudes about to fight me’: Bryce Mitchell cannot help but produce inadvertent hilarity. It’s part of his charm!
- UFC 318’s Max Holloway downplays historic title run from Ilia Topuria — ‘People just look at the name, not the record’: I’m unsure why Max Holloway seems unusually salty about his Ilia Topuria loss. It’s not a bad defeat, everyone (except Max) agrees that “El Matador” is a generational talent.
Insomnia
Shane Gillis has never been afraid to upset a few people and turn an audience silent.
Shane Gillis is never hosting the ESPYs again
— Cook The Books (@CookTheBooks12) July 17, 2025
“Donald Trump wants to have a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died
there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted..." pic.twitter.com/7qyOEEF0lY
I hope
Max Holloway can perform at Lightweight consistently on the level of UFC 300, because that was maybe the best boxing of his whole career.
Holloway feints the jab occupying Gaethje. Justin senses something is up and starts to pivot out but not before Max closes distance and rips the lead hook across his ribs. pic.twitter.com/e2dDqMTO4H
— Joanna Dangerfield ️⚧️ (@joannadangerfd) July 16, 2025
“That is your own personal problem” is one of my all-time favorite MMA quotes. I use it as often as possible in real life.
In honor of these 2 being on the same card I have to bring this gem back pic.twitter.com/PkJtojH80x
— Super Fan (@McGregorRousey2) July 16, 2025
More evidence for the “Alex Pereira is heading to Heavyweight” pile.
Alex Pereira is currently weighing in at 243 pounds
— Cageside Access (@CagesideAccess) July 15, 2025
Is Poatan making the move to heavyweight?
( /Pereira’s IG) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/k7M3NvDKpN
What are the odds on Dustin Poirier winning via guillotine this weekend? 1000 to 1?
View this post on Instagram
Georges St. Pierre shows off his surgically repaired shoulder:
View this post on Instagram
Matt Hughes is still recovering from his 2017 train accident.
View this post on Instagram
Slips, rips, and KO clips
If, like me, you are an “El Cucuy” fan and wrongly assumed that Salt Bae and Salt Papi were the same thing, this video should be concerning.
The “content creator” that Tony is fighting
— Kenny Okoye (@TruthfulUfcFan) July 16, 2025
Ggs to Ferguson, he’s going out cold https://t.co/6wJXgAqJ3Z pic.twitter.com/wpgNODJF46
Straight horsepower!
Day4
— Sumo Soul 相撲魂 (@TheSumoSoul) July 16, 2025
M1 Aonishiki 2-1 (L)
Sw Wakatakakage 2-1 (R)
They forgot to tell Ao that competing at this level for the first time is supposed to look harder. Okay he lost to Sato but who doesn’t? And he had a commanding kinboshi win over Hoss yesterday. #nagoyabasho2025 pic.twitter.com/fc0mUPzboL
Those jabs were snapping the head back every time!
Rui Okubo wasted no time, setting the pace early with a sharp jab before finishing Shion in the first round.#k1wgp pic.twitter.com/epYQ8ln4lU
— Beyond Kickboxing (@Beyond_Kick) July 13, 2025
Random Land
Diction is important.
pic.twitter.com/BHdEK7YwV6
— Images AI Could Never Recreate (@imagesaicouldnt) July 16, 2025
Midnight Music: Alternative, 2003
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
More from mmamania.com:
- Miocic Responds To Pressure From White And Cormier
- White On ‘Possibly’ Stripping Miocic
- UFC 249 Embedded: Rousey Nearly Knocked Out Cruz?
- Midnight Mania! Sterling Vs. Sandhagen Possible June 6 Headliner
- UFC 249 Odds, Under Dogs And Best Bets!
- Khabib Plans July Return, Vows To ‘Smash Them All’
- Video! Jacare Breaks Social Distancing Rules Prior To UFC 249 Removal
