Midnight Mania! Biggest PPV Of 2020?

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Estimating pay-per-view (PPV) numbers has long been a tricky business filled with guesswork. Previous to the ESPN deal, industry insiders could provide reasonably reliable estimates, but nowadays Google search trends and similar tools are our best bet at figuring out a ballpark for PPV buys.

Unless a star like Conor McGregor takes it upon himself to reveal the numbers himself! In the Tweet below, McGregor congratulates UFC on a successful 2020 before claiming to own the record of best-selling PPV of the year with 1.35 million buys.

It’s impossible to know the exact figures without seeing his contract, but each of those buys represents a few dollars that go directly to the Irishman himself, which makes for a pretty penny!

Assuming McGregor’s figure and position as best-seller are accurate, he likely narrowly edged the UFC 251 PPV buys. Headlined by Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal, UFC 251 reportedly sold 1.3 million, so it was likely a close race for the top slot!

In addition, McGregor added a little reminder that his main event vs. Cerrone saw him win via 40-second knockout without taking a single strike in the process. It may have been his only fight of 2020, but McGregor made it count!

We’re less than a month away from McGregor’s planned return vs. Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 headliner.

Insomnia

TJ Dillashaw’s complete lack of self-awareness in calling himself champion after getting knocked out and busted for PEDs is almost admirable.

Will 2021 be the year of multiple Heavyweight title fights?

Stephen Thompson, classy as ever!

Even those in the winner’s circle are usually a bit beat up (check out Jeff Bottari’s page for more!):

Let’s end with another couple party memes:

Enjoy this update on Josh Emmett’s ACL repair and accompanying disgusting videos:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A jumping switch kick straight to the jaw!

This Sonny Liston highlight is positively violent!

If a kick catches the right spot or moment where the opponent is inhaling a breath, it really doesn’t take much impact to end the fight!

Random Land

I don’t believe I’ve yet posted any snowmobile antics in this section.

Midnight Music: I really dug this track from King Curtis, who accomplished a lot in a fairly short time, both as a bandleader and session musician. King Curtis’ saxophone can be heard on Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” a couple tracks off John Lennon’s Imagine, and Sam Cooke’s Live At The Harlem Square Club to name a few!

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