Midnight Mania! ‘I Don’t Want To See Him Tarnish His Legacy’

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Legacy is a tricky issue in MMA. Should the end of a great fighter’s career cheapen their accomplishments at its peak? Was BJ Penn any less of a dominant, pound-for-pound great because he’s spent the last few years losing fights, sanctioned or otherwise. Objectively, the eventual fall shouldn’t be held against the athlete, but public perception isn’t always so forgiving.

The latest legend perhaps hanging on too long is Nick Diaz, the former Strikeforce kingpin and two-time UFC title challenger. Diaz essentially retired in January 2015, but he unexpectedly returned last week at UFC 266 vs. Robbie Lawler, ultimately suffering a third-round knockout loss.

Reactions to his performance have been mixed to say the least. Personally, I was impressed with how well the nearly 40 year old, long retired athlete performed in his first bout back. At the same time, it’s hard to argue that Diaz was in the best shape possible, and Diaz himself never really seemed to want to be in the cage.

Jorge Masvidal is in the latter category. Despite gunning for a potential bout vs. the elder Diaz brother not long ago, “Gamebred” expressed concern for his would-be foe.

“I’ve watched Nick fight a ton,” Masvidal said on MMA Uncensored (via SportsKeeda). “I like Nick Diaz as an athlete, as a fighter… I don’t know where he’s coming from. I don’t know if he needed the money, because like (Dean Toole) said, it didn’t look like he wanted to be that way. It didn’t look like he wanted to be there in fights. So maybe he’s coming from a different place that I don’t understand when you got to get a paycheck. God bless him. But as far as Nick Diaz that we’re used to seeing is concerned, he’s not the same guy.”

If there’s a chance Diaz returns healthy, motivated, and in shape, Masvidal would like to see it happen. Otherwise, Masvidal believes it’s in his potential foe’s best interests to walk away.

“Obviously, I would want to see him come back 100 percent healthy, 100 percent in shape, ready to do that for three rounds or five rounds, whatever the contract dictates… I would just like to see him back in there but with a full tank of gas. If not, I don’t want to see him tarnish his legacy because he does have a great legacy.”

Nick Diaz said before the fight that he’d like to return to action quickly, and UFC President Dana White is likely on board. At the moment, however, Diaz’s next move remains uncertain.

Insomnia

In case you missed it: three fighters missed weight, and Aspen Ladd looked like death in the process (again), resulting in her fight being cancelled.

So, uhh, is this not the most uncomfortable clip you’ve ever seen?

It took years and years of hard work, perseverance, and victory, but Alexander Volkanovski is finally a meme.

Charles Oliveira’s kicking prowess is a big part of his career renaissance — those snap kicks hurt!

Guaranteed Flyweight action on the horizon!

Georges St. Pierre showing off his continued athletic grace on the mats.

This appears to be the next evolution of jiu-jitsu.

Can Misha Cirkunov score a quick win in his Middleweight debut tomorrow night?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Cage Warriors frequently putting on two events in a row and routinely resulting in a spectacular array of finishes makes my job finding knockout clips so easy. Listen to this elbow!

I love the knees off the failed takedown attempt.

Spinning kicks that land with the heel can do major damage even if the hands are up.

Random Land

Nothing can compare to last night’s alligator man, but I always find this page’s carefully arrange colors satisfying.

Midnight Music: Indie music legend Sufjan Stevens collaborated with Angelo De Augustine to release an LP last week titled A Beginner’s Mind. I checked it out, and it’s a welcome return to his signature whisper folk sound.

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