Midnight Mania! ‘No Love’ Eyes Twin Titles With Font KO

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Cody Garbrandt’s performance against Dominick Cruz was a special moment. An undefeated 25 year old, widely believed to be pushed too soon, not only defeated the division’s greatest champion, but he did so in emphatic and smart fashion. That victory seemed to set the stage for an excellent title reign, but TJ Dillashaw had other plans, defeating Garbrandt twice in a pair of title fights before getting banished by USADA.

Garbrandt is back in the win column following last year’s thunderous knockout opposite Raphael Assuncao, and that victory at one point saw him score a Flyweight title shot. An extended bout with COVID-19 cost him that opportunity, but Garbrandt is hoping that a main event win vs. Rob Font this weekend will push him towards both the 125- and 135-pound belts.

“I’m looking at being a two-time weight division champion,” Garbrandt said at the UFC Vegas 27 media day (via MMAJunkie). “That’s my goal. I know we have a little bit of a circus act up front with Aljamain and Yan, they have to run that back. Aljamain just had neck surgery, so that’s going to be prolonged for a little bit. I feel like this fight right here is a title eliminator, so I finish Rob on Saturday, I have options. I have options, too, at bantamweight and be next in line for that – it works out perfect for me.

“You look back at November and with COVID and the things it took away from my life, but it set me up better with more opportunities. I win this fight on Saturday, I can be next in line for a bantamweight title shot, then (Figueiredo) and (Moreno) fight a few weeks after me. … Hopefully no one gets injured in there, they can come out unscathed, and we can make that fight happen sooner than later. That’s the perfect world, but a lot of things go on with that.”

Of course, all that is dependent upon handling Font, who rides an impressive three-fight win streak into the bout and has plenty of power in his hands too.

Insomnia

Am I wrong, or is this the most milquetoast “trash talk” imaginable?

Henry Cejudo is still constantly throwing out Twitter call outs, and the insults haven’t gotten much better.

To summarize the Google Translate, Islam Makhachev has been promised a top contender in November or December, but he is still opting to fight Thiago Moises in the interim.

UFC 262 did reasonably well for an event without any huge name value.

Any debate?

This is a cool stat, in part because it’s ever-changing and could be lost so quickly.

The Strawweight division is better with Tatiana Suarez in it!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Don’t mind me, I’ll just be over here reminiscing about the good ol’ days.

This sideways jumping punch is WEIRD and WILD.

Leaning to avoid high kicks looks really cool and works super well …. until it doesn’t!

Random Land

Victim of circumstance.

Midnight Music: Another of the albums to release last Friday, Daddy’s Home by St. Vincent. St. Vincent switches it up musically album-to-album, and her latest is heavy in the ‘70s vibes.

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