Midnight Mania! The Biggest Favorite In UFC History

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Despite a limited amount of time spent inside the cage, Bo Nickal has plenty of hype behind him. The wildly decorated wrestler has been training with the famed American Top Team for years, working alongside the likes of elite contenders like Jorge Masvidal. His jiu-jitsu and striking appear more advanced than the usual wrestling prospect as a result, and he’s carved through his first four opponents with absolute ease (nut shot aside).

He was originally set to face a small step up in competition opposite Tresean Gore this weekend (Sat. July 8, 2023) at UFC 290 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unfortunately, an injury to Gore earlier today scrapped that fight, prompting UFC to sign a new athlete to step in on just five day’s notice.

Val Woodburn is the, ahem, lucky fighter to get his name called. Undefeated at 7-0, the Floridian is a knockout artist who has faced some decent competition. However, given the less than ideal circumstances behind the match up, he’ll actually enter as possibly the biggest underdog in UFC history. At the time of writing, BetOnline.ag pegs Nickal as a -2500 favorite, while the money comes back on Woodburn at +1200.

Now, I’m admittedly not a record keeper of such things, but last year, Alexander Romanov made history by smashing Chase Sherman as the -2200 favorite in what was reported as the biggest favorite in UFC history. This Sherdog article also has some massive historical favorites, but none come particularly close to the current odds on Nickal.

Anyone smelling an upset?

Insomnia

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s legacy cannot be overstated.

Alex Pereira has a lucrative career as a striking coach ahead of him if he chooses.

Jiri Prochazka deserves to be immortalized as a special Chad meme sprite.

One of the secrets I’ve learned in the fight game is that even when fighters push hard for three rounds and appear to be unbothered, they’re usually feeling exhausted! A strong poker face is key.

Hit him right in the chakra point!

MMA fans who think hands low = bad defense are hilarious.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Resetting after a missed kick will always be the best use of the spinning back fist/elbow.

Russia continues to innovate in the combat sports sphere.

Just a quick clip of Garry Tonon living the dream!

Random Land

An athletic icon.

Midnight Music: Mom pick #5

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