Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Video: Ben Askren lands back in the hospital following double lung transplant – ‘Not all sunshine and rainbows’: The more I read about lung transplants, the more unpleasant and complicated it all sounds. Askren has a long road ahead of him, but he’s got the right mindset for it too.
UFC heavyweight division ‘loses a lot of respect’ if Ciryl Gane beats Tom Aspinall — ‘The situation Jon Jones was craving’: Gane has a genuine chance against Tom Aspinall, particularly if he can escape the first.
Paul Felder sick of champions avoiding contenders: ‘If the guy’s number 1, that’s who you fight’: This is the inevitable end game of when UFC consistently prioritizes money fights over merit. Suddenly, the champions only want easy opponents for larger paychecks rather than the next guy in line.
Insomnia
I love to laugh at Joe Rogan when appropriate, but getting tricked by AI is becoming an increasingly common part of the human experience. Minor irritation or downfall of society?
Return to Monke.
Does Paulo Costa deserve a fight versus Reinier de Ridder right now? Absolutely not. Would I watch it? Strong yes.
With all due respect, I would knock out de Ridder 3 x wich round. All that said congrats for your win today , despite bad fight.
— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) July 26, 2025
I feel like Nassourdine Imavov is Ciryl Gane’s best training partner for wrestling, but he’s a Middleweight …
Merab Dvalishvili is on track for an incredible year if he can get by Cory Sandhagen.
UFC fighters who defended their title successfully 3 times in a calendar year: @MerabDvalishvil – 2025?
Alex Pereira – 2024
Kamaru Usman – 2021
Demetrious Johnson – 2013
Chuck Liddell – 2006
Matt Hughes – 2002
Tito Ortiz – 2001
Frank Shamrock – 1998pic.twitter.com/lJ1JuHizOe
— Ovin Vithanage (@OvinVithanage) July 24, 2025
Finally, somebody who will not violently knock out Dusko Todorovic.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Australia’s Isaac Thomson is a top Featherweight prospect, a definite name to remember.
I regret to inform my readers that Charles Bennett has left the win column.
Caught square against the fence with a massive right hand:
Random Land
A thread of unusual places around the globe.
Most mysterious places on earth – Thread
1. Door To Hell, Turkmenistan
It’s a fiery crater burning for decades, originally ignited by a Soviet drilling mishap. pic.twitter.com/s16gDmqD51
— Ravi Tiwari (@Ravitiwariii_) July 27, 2025
15. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world’s biggest salt flat formed when an ancient lake dried up. Water sometimes covers it, creating a mirror-like reflection. pic.twitter.com/O3U57B0TmX
— Ravi Tiwari (@Ravitiwariii_) July 27, 2025
Midnight Music: New Freddie Gibbs!!!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.