Welcome to Midnight Mania! I’m still covering for Andrew, but don’t worry he’ll be back in the saddle tomorrow.
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.
- Bella Mir losing as -6000 favorite is the story of the day: She got worked, but I think the odds in MMA are getting a little out of hand. We are routinely seeing things past -1000 and -2000 and we’re seeing a few ‘upsets’ in that range, too.
- Gregory Rodrigues tweets then deletes details about having herpes in the lead-up to UFC Sacramento: Michael Bisping fought with one eye, Ryan Ford up here in Canada fought with a broken arm once, too. The medical checks that commissions do/request have always been a joke. I think we’d be shocked if we knew just what was going on, medically, with most fighters on any given fight night.
- Here’s how to watch the BKFC Fenway Park event: You have to hand it to BKFC for rising to the top and dominating the bare knuckle market. I’m not a fan of the product, but I’m impressed that they’ve managed to turn this into a seemingly stable and viable promotion.
Insomnia
Dana White says a Contender Series alum who hasn’t fought for a title has made $11 million. I think that guys name rhymes with Smevin Sholland, what about you?
Dana talks about Bella Mir’s big loss on Contender Series.
Henry Cejudo checks Tracey Cortez.
You can just say, “I don’t know” and leave it at that.
I don’t think there’s anything you could tell me about Dana White and Nina Drama that would shock me.
More Contender Series grads making it on the big(ger) show.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Aoriqileng has Kai Asakura on Saturday — don’t blink!
OKTAGON is fun. They have a big show this weekend, too.
Filthy.
Random Land
Deadliest Catch. Have you tried durian, by the way? I’ve had some pastries with it at our local Chinese grocery store and I struggle to get beyond the famous funk.
Get involved with Mania community in The Feed!
Midnight Music: Here’s one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. It’s To The Last… by Bolt Thrower. The hair stands up when those wails come in towards the end.
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
