Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Way back before Dustin Poirier socked up Conor McGregor (twice), “The Diamond” was supposed to raise his profile by facing Nate Diaz, quite possibly the next biggest name at 155 lbs. That was planned for 2018, but when negotiations got “crazy,” Poirier bailed and eventually found greener pastures. However, in the years since, Poirier has continued to maintain an interest in fighting Diaz, even when the title was potentially getting close.
Now that Poirier’s star is brighter than ever, Diaz has once again begun calling for the bout. Oddly enough, the longtime Lightweight and part-time Welterweight added in a request for the bout to take place at 185 lbs … where neither man has ever fought.
That certainly fits with Diaz’s previous “f—k a weight class” stance.
For his part, Poirier is willing to throw down with Diaz at any weight class, and he responded as such.
I’d touch you up at any weight
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) July 16, 2021
Though this match up would certainly draw a great number of eyes and pay-per-view (PPV) buys, it doesn’t seem that likely. It definitely won’t happen at Middleweight, as UFC President Dana White expressed earlier this year a desire to keep fighters in their usual weight classes ahead of the second McGregor vs. Poirier bout.
Realistically, both men have bigger fish to fry. Poirier has a Lightweight title to capture, whereas Diaz may just be the perfect opponent for McGregor’s eventual return from injury.
Not to say I wouldn’t watch these two throw down, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Insomnia
Khabib is retired, even in everyone’s wildest imagination.
So, I laid out the ONLY situation I could envision that would create even a remote chance of Khabib Nurmagomedov fighting again … and this is what he had to say. pic.twitter.com/8FzlnuK7Ai
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 14, 2021
The Onion does not miss!
Daniel Rodriguez throws punches in bunches, and all of them hurt.
If skilled enough, one move is all you need.
Saenchai is as crafty as they come!
It’s probably not the big name jump in competition that Belal Muhammad was aiming for, but I’d watch him fight Neil Magny!
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Clear physical strength … last name that ends in “Ov” … that beard …
On this day … Lennox Lewis sent a man through the ropes!
Gasanov really showed his hand with the big counter hook miss, but that didn’t stop him from landing a shorter version of the shot moments later!
Random Land
This burning tree:
Midnight Music: One of my favorite tracks off Exile on Main Street, which happened to play while out and about today.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.