Midnight Mania: Mac Strips ‘Infected’ Belal Over Karmic Toe
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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
It was really easy to make jokes about Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from UFC 303 after the Irish superstar revealed a broken pinky toe as the cause. That injury ultimately prevented McGregor from returning at all in 2024, a continued source of frustration. Current UFC Welterweight kingpin, Belal Muhammad, has been less than sympathetic, taking shots at McGregor and his wonky toe on several occasions.
Now, the shoe is on (or off?) the other foot. Muhammad has a gnarly bone infection in his toe (photos here) and was forced to withdraw from his planned UFC 310 main event versus Shavkat Rakhmonov. It’s an unfortunate start to his title reign, and Conor McGregor couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. In response, Muhammad labeled the former double champion a junkie.
The war of words continued in a since deleted tweet from McGregor, who claims Muhammad will be stripped because of the injury and his unappealing fighting style.
Bro is cooking belal pic.twitter.com/hEX62FL2AJ
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) November 1, 2024
“Scutter talk just like your fight,” McGregor wrote. “You lambasted UFC world champions multiple times on having to reschedule their bouts thru injury and now it has come down on youl like a bomb from the skiy, it is glorious to see! No fight. No money. But staph infection hahahaha LOL! BUM! Stripped! Instantly. Zero knockdowns/any excitement or traffic or views or tickets sales in bout, and now also non reliable to show? Strip. Cut. Infected fighter. You have infections”
At the time of writing, UFC has yet to announce an official plan for Shavkat, who may remain on the UFC 310 card and face any number of willing contenders. Alternatively, his title shot versus Muhammad could simply be rebooked sometime in 2025.
As for McGregor, there’s still no official update on his return to the Octagon.
Insomnia
First look at Kai Asakura in the golden UFC gloves!
I’m ready pic.twitter.com/pRrV8UszSc
— 朝倉 海 Kai Asakura (@kai_1031_) November 1, 2024
Jack Slack shines a light on uncommon sweeps of the surprisingly tricky Linton Vassell:
There are only two types of martial arts technique:
- LAUNCHING people
- Boring stuff that no one will remember when you die pic.twitter.com/WKyADWkzAf— Jack Slack (@JackSlackMMA) November 1, 2024
If Canelo says CHIWIWI, Raul Rosas Jr is officially a superstar.
‼️Chiwiwis with team Canelo‼️
Raul Rosas in the gym with Eddie. He crushing that bag work
Eddie Reynos, “CHIWIWI!”
#Boxing#BOXINGnBBQ pic.twitter.com/RBqTRar1qp
— BOXING n BBQ (@BOXINGnBBQ) October 31, 2024
Trading sweeps!
Play sparring with our young up and comer zombie ♂️. Got a lovely Femur style and some sneaky moves. pic.twitter.com/vkyT3RaCKe
— liam harrison (@LiamBadco) November 1, 2024
I love watching a skilled fighter play deep half. Tarec Saffiedine wants to punch dos Anjos’ open face, but he cannot without losing his balance!
RDA baiting the pass to get to deep half and wrestle up from there. pic.twitter.com/729HI6bSSR
— Feño (@fenoxsky) October 31, 2024
Bryce Mitchell is likely a really good training partner to prepare for Movsar Evloev. High-level wrestling and transitional grappling rounds!
Aljamain Sterling spars with Bryce Mitchell in preparation for his fight at #UFC310
YT @funkmasterMMA ▫️ pic.twitter.com/vkUPdhY5l6
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) November 1, 2024
What percentage of UFC Heavyweights simply hate salads?
Once again, proving that the average heavyweight is one diet away from being a Light-Heavyweight https://t.co/E9VULgSUl3
— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) November 1, 2024
Never miss a Carlos Diego Ferreira fight.
BREAKING
Ignacio Bahamondes announces that he will be fighting Diego Ferreira at #UFC310 on December 7th.
via ESPN Deportes #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/3H46cZoJ7T
— Thomas Newt (@ThomasNewtMMA) November 1, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Anecdote of the week: The first and only time I ever pulled out of a fight due to injury was because of a spinning kick. I tried to side step, and my partner’s heel hit me directly in the hip bone. I couldn’t really walk for about two weeks, and his heel turned purple. It’s that powerful of a strike!
All of this is to say: I bet this fighter’s face hurts.
Spinning back kick to the face by Emin Huseynov #AlashPride101 pic.twitter.com/MtAxRubFdj
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) November 1, 2024
Ilia Topuria has the best 2-3-2 in MMA, bar none.
— Infinity MMA (@Infinity_MMA) October 30, 2024
Really hard to watch.
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Random Land
New combat sport just dropped!
They shoulda had this in Squid Game pic.twitter.com/AXIoSvsKxj
— Interesting As Fuck (@interesting_aIl) October 31, 2024
Midnight Music: The latest Freddie Gibbs album, You Only Die 1nce, released today. For my money, the most consistently hard-spitting rapper of the last decade!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.