Midnight Mania! Dillashaw Cut, Main Event Vs. Sandhagen In Jeopardy

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

TJ Dillashaw has on the sidelines for a long time, and that stay is likely to continue even further. The former Bantamweight champion last competed in January 2019, getting knocked out by Henry Cejudo on fight night and USADA a couple weeks later. His EPO usage banned him from competition for two years, but since regaining eligibility, Dillashaw is eager to make his return.

Unfortunately for Dillashaw, a clash of heads has resulted in a nasty cut just above his right eye. “I’m sad to say that I have to be pulled from my fight on May 8th due to a cut received from a head butt while drilling,” Dillashaw wrote on Instagram. “Rescheduling the fight as soon as possible.”

Based on Dillashaw’s caption, he’s hoping to remain booked against Sandhagen. UFC has yet to make a statement, however, and with UFC Vegas 26 just 11 days away, there is a chance the promotion opts to find a short-notice replacement rather than remove “The Sandman.”

Insomnia

There’s still lots of fallout emerging from Chris Weidman’s leg break, so get accustomed to that uncomfortable pit in your stomach that comes from thinking about it.

I am FEELING the rhythm of this clip.

Khamzat Chimaev really wants to fight a big name opponent coming in off either 1) a multi-year layoff or 2) a brutal knockout loss. I am reminded of Brendan Schaub’s attempted path up the ranks …

“The Mountain That Rides” Thor Bjornsson works the back:

Diego Sanchez is upset with UFC for allegedly leaving him stranded at the airport. This is a tough one, as we must determine which incredibly possible situation is more likely: UFC doing something scummy or Sanchez being out-of-touch with reality?

The Florida fans booing Zhang Weili and Kamaru Usman for … reasons … was an ugly (if not shocking) moment for the sport.

If Valentina Shevchenko scores three more title defenses, does she snap her fingers and erase half her division?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

I never thought I was see the rarely utilized footlock counter to an omoplata finish someone in an MMA fight. Wild!

Teep to the face!

Even from this brief clip, it’s clear Polygalov was mixing his targets well.

Random Land

Best clip ever.

Midnight Music: Do you love funk and soul music from the ‘60s/70s? I humbly recommend Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, who produced several great albums in that vein between 2003 and 2017.

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