Midnight Mania! Rodriguez Fires Back: Taste My Big Mexican Balls!

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The feud between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez is only growing more intense. Just two nights ago, Rodriguez was forced to withdraw from the potential high-flying match up for a third time. Understandably, Zabit did not appreciate yet another pullout, resulting in the Dagestani star to ponder aloud whether UFC was screwing with the match up … or if Rodriguez simply “has no balls.”

It didn’t take long for “Pantera” to return fire.

“Sit down and wait for me the way you have been waiting,” Rodriguez wrote. “You will get a real good taste of my big Mexican balls soon enough and since when did you become the shit talker? That you or your manager? Either way you’ll both wait for me like the little dogs you are. Tongue out and begging. I’ll see you in October-November 5 rounds.”

At the moment, Magomedsharipov’s future is uncertain. Will he accept a short-notice replacement opponent? He called out Alexander Volkanovski, but the champion shrugged off his request. Otherwise, Zabit has also shut down Calvin Kattar’s call for a rematch.

There aren’t that many top-ranked Featherweights left! If UFC is unable to persuade someone like Chan Sung Jung or Brian Ortega to accept the fight in the near future, waiting another couple months for Rodriguez’s ankle to heal up may indeed be the best solution.

There’s certainly bad blood.

Insomnia

It doesn’t matter who Tony Ferguson faces next, because it will be must-see entertainment regardless.

Marlon Moraes vs. Corey Sandhagen is an incredible match up and solid reminder that Bantamweight is awesome.

Israel Adesanya went pink, and I can only assume this change means that Paulo Costa’s entire trash talk strategy will shift.

If you’re going to criticize a professional fighter’s technique, definitely put your account to private first.

Daniel Cormier loses his battle with some very spicy chicken.

A very clean slow-mo double leg courtesy of Cody Garbrandt:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Defending the neck is more important than standing up.

Talking a bit of trash can pay off and look cool or immediately backfire.

Some of y’all need to be nicer to service staff … or learn the hard way!

Random Land

Where does one apply to be a lava collector?

Midnight Music: I listened to my favorite Vince Staples project, his 2014 mixtape Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2, for the first time in a real long time today. It was precisely as aggressive and bleak as I remembered:

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