Midnight Mania! ‘Lioness’ Expects To Devour ‘Delusional’ Pena

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Julianna Pena has done more than most to build up her UFC 269 bout vs. Amanda Nunes. Really, “The Venezuelan Vixen” managed to talk herself into this title fight, seeing as she’s riding just a single-fight win streak. Steroid and ducking accusations have put Pena in a position where she’s either going to look like a genius or idiot depending on the outcome of this title fight.

Nunes, however, is rather unimpressed with her challenger, whom she described as a “clown.” The champion sees numerous paths to victory vs. Pena and is expecting to finish her on the mat or in the stand up.

“She’s delusional,” Nunes said at Wednesday’s UFC 269 media day (via MMAJunkie). “What about her best fiend, Miesha Tate? What about Sara McMann? Sara McMann almost beat her. Sara McMann give up in the fight. If she didn’t give up, she would’ve beat Julianna. I beat Sara McMann years ago. I feel like she can talk about whatever she wants. She has to do that to bring all the attention. I’m going to tell her she can have all the attention she wants, because Saturday is my night. Nobody is going to take that belt from me.

“She has all the holes, so I can finish her on the floor. Germaine (de Randamie) finished her. Germaine is a striker and finished Julianna Pena. My game is above all those girls she fought. I just need a mistake from her on the striking or on the floor.”

At the moment, Pena enters the bout at about a 6-1 underdog. Is anyone predicting the upset on Dec. 11?

Insomnia

Do you want to see Kayla Harrison inside the Octagon? She might be the only interesting challenger for Amanda Nunes left outside of Valentina Shevchenko.

Here’s a look at the Sean O’Malley merchandise mentioned in last night’s “unranked champion” story (plus a bonus training clip):

Charles Oliveira is not taking any crap!

*Bare Butt Warning* I saw this Tyron Woodley movie clip on Twitter, and holy s—t, it demands to be included in Midnight Mania.

Piece of advice: Do not let Josh Emmett punch you.

There’s been several clips of awful self-defense in the last week or two, so here’s Jon Jones with some attempts at more realistic training vs. a weapon.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Nine years ago today … a pretty iconic knockout!

Click through for one of the greatest highlight reels in UFC history.

Rodtang throwing hands with a smile on his face:

Random Land

A lesson was learned.

Midnight Music: MMAmania’s resident hip-hop head, Liddell’s Mohawk, turned me on to the new Russ tape in the comments Monday night, so I had to check it out.

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