Midnight Mania! Cormier: Gaethje ‘Toughest Opponent’ For Khabib

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

On the whole, it’s time to tune out when a fighter starts discussing future match ups of their team mates. Few are going to be honest and talk about their friends’ weaknesses or predict them to get beat up! Remember the beef between Colby Covington and Dustin Poirier? That all started when Poirier picked Robbie Lawler over “Chaos!”

In this case, however, it seems like Daniel Cormier has something worthwhile to say about his American Kickboxing Academy team mate Khabib Nurmagomedov’s upcoming title fight opposite Justin Gaethje.

“I think he’s going to fight his toughest opponent,” Cormier told Yahoo Sports. “I think the vast majority of the world feels that this is the toughest guy for him at 155 [pounds]. I think he’ll be OK. His ability to train and prepare for this and continue to work toward the goal that him and his father had together will allow him to maybe come to terms with everything that’s happening around him.

“Sometimes you need distractions and you need motivations in different forms. I think Khabib will use [his father’s death] as motivation. He’s a professional. He’s a pro’s pro and he’s going to prepare himself to the best of his ability.”

Nurmagomedov and Gaethje are set to battle on October 24, 2020 at UFC 254 at an undecided location (probably Fight Island!). Do you agree with “DC” that Gaethje is the biggest threat to the Lightweight title?

Insomnia

Gaethje and speaking poetically about acts of great violence, name a better combo.

Confirmed: Alistair Overeem does not skip neck day. People make fun of his chin, but that man only gets put away by seriously heavy-handed guys who land clean!

This is a considerable improvement from last night’s tattoo discussion. Also, still incomplete after 55 hours in two weeks? Ouch!

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Darren Till is unequivocally the victor of his beef with Mike Perry, even if Perry were to somehow beat him in an actual fight.

A belly-to-belly suplex:

Who do you have winning Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 3? It’s tricky, because Cormier won a vast majority of their two contests, but also, I don’t know how he can adjust to a bigger man just walloping his mid-section.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Entering a bare knuckle tournament is a pretty rough way to find out if your martial arts experience is legitimate or not.

The AUDACITY of this wrist lock! I love mean and rude moves, but if you ever do this to another human being … best be prepared to actually fight afterwards.

Flying guillotine, Wu-Tang style.

Random Land

“I could watch kids fall off bikes all day.” Seriously though, listen with sound!

Midnight Music: Man, I missed the boat. Apparently, Father John Misty released a charity EP of covers over a month ago. He’s one of my favorite musicians of the last 10 years, and I found out today? Embarrassing. At any rate, I’m going to link the fantastic Link Wray cover below, but his version of Leonard Cohen’s classic “One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong” is equally excellent and should be checked out too.

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