Midnight Mania! Dana White Talks UFC Potential of Tyson Fury, Claresse Shields

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More and more, the line between boxer and fighter blurs. Whether talking about the unholy beast that is bare knuckle boxing or discussing the many potential crossover match ups, the combat sports world seemingly cannot get enough of this grey area. Earlier today, UFC president Dana White spoke with TMZ about the potential entrances into mixed martial arts (MMA) of boxing champions Tyson Fury and Claressa Shields.

On Fury, White was open to the idea but less than optimistic. White admitted that while “anything’s possible,” the concept doesn’t make much sense due to Fury’s status as one of the biggest stars in the highly competitive Heavyweight division. White explained, “If Tyson Fury wants to fight in MMA, I’ve got a ton of guys that would love to fight him. I just don’t know why.” Simply put, White argues there’s so much money in boxing on the table for Tyson right now that it wouldn’t make sense for him “come over and get smashed.”

As for Shields, White was more understanding. He noted that the two-time Olympic gold medalist is “clearly the best in the world right now,” but the difference in money explains her interest in transitioning to the Octagon. White pointed out that the women in MMA earn more than female athletes in most sports, particularly other combat sports. White concluded that he’s “definitely interested in that (having Shields compete inside the Octagon)” and notes that she could prove an eventual challenger to Amanda Nunes.

Insomnia

Will Mike Perry finally get a chance to explain to Colby Covington how he feels about him … in person? Booking the two on the same card is definitely a fun decision that will surely have zero consequences.

Take a moment to appreciate this action shot from UFC 244. Jorge Masvidal’s setups for his rolling left hook/left overhand are pretty brilliant.

The vast majority sparring done by Muay Thai fighters is very light and often playful. It takes a great deal of control to throw kicks and knees without any pads yet refrain from doing damage.

Would anyone else like to volunteer?

This looks extremely unpleasant.

I appreciated Matt Hughes’ thoughts on a pretty iconic moment in both his career and UFC history.

Rolling into UFC ‘Moscow’ fight week like …

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This is classic triangle set up! Doerkson climbed his legs high before waiting for the punch, catching the inside of the bicep and using that space to maneuver his leg into the lock.

Just a big man landing some big punches, then being a real gentleman about the whole thing.

This a pretty wild 40 or so seconds.

Random Land

This looks to me like a pretty definite AC joint separation, and believe me, those are not fun.

Midnight Music: My good friend at Capital Strength and Performance, Ben Claridad, is a modern day renaissance man: an excellent Olympic weightlifter and coach, armlifter, oil painter, and guitarist. Give his newest release a listen!

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