Midnight Mania! Dunham Nixes Retirement, Will Fight Michael Johnson

Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Tonight, we have an excellent reminder that nothing is very permanent in the world of mixed martial arts. Longtime Lightweight veteran Evan Dunham (18-8) will return from his short-lived retirement to face fellow well-traveled scrapper Michael Johnson (19-15).

Prior to retiring back in September of 2018, Dunham came up short in his final two bouts. Meanwhile, Johnson is competing for the second time since returning to 155 lbs. Consistency continues to be an issue for “The Menace,” who lost his last two bouts despite doing well in the first half of the bouts.

On the whole, I quite like this match up. Both Dunham and Johnson have earned a hard-living by scrapping it out with the very best Lightweights in the world to mixed results. Despite failing to contend, they’ve been employed in the sport’s toughest division for quite a while, and they almost always provide the entertainment.

UFC Fight Night 173 is currently set to be headlined by a Light Heavyweight clash between Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith on Sat., April 25, 2020 from inside the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Insomnia

I’m not going to pretend I watched all 12 minutes of this goofy video. Watch the opening minute, and you’ll get the idea: Sanchez gets kicked in the belly or punched in the face as the words “Block #27” pop up. Once more, it’s a continuous mix of unintentional comedy and sadness.

My favorite Instagram reply: “Bro this is produced like a flat Earth conspiracy video.”

This amazing “Friends” spoof was posted almost a year ago, but that was before I took over the MM helm, and it popped up on Reddit today.

Weight cuts being more difficult than fights is a very real situation.

Kicking out the base leg would probably be more popular if anyone actually checked low kicks.

Tyson Fury definitely keeps it interesting.

Valentina Shevchenko shows off her dance skills:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

If you want to eliminate lay-and-pray, legalizing grounded knees is a major first step. It creates huge offensive options for both the top player and the fighter trying to defend the takedown.

Continuing with last night’s talk of naked kicks, this is a great example! Matsubara throws a naked low kick, but he does so after taking an angle and times it correctly from a good distance. His opponent tries to get him back and offers up a half-hearted left hand feint, but really he just steps into the pocket on one leg.

A lesson in rhythm and range:

Random Land

Even looking past the filter, this is a super cool castle!

Midnight Music: For anyone looking for some modern day R&B/neo soul, London singer Sampha’s debut album Process is a very solid listen with some sharp songwriting.

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