Side-by-side: UFC Nashville’s Vitor Petrino is suddenly massive, jacked ahead of Heavyweight debut

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Let’s start the night off by taking look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, July 10, 2025.

1. Charles Oliveira finally opens up about Ilia Topuira knockout loss – ‘I would change everything about my performance’: Hot take: I think Charles Oliveira gave himself his best chance at UFC 317. He’s not good at avoiding exchanges and fighting on the outside. That would’ve been a recipe for a slow, guaranteed death. He’s a fighter built to crash forward, for better or worse, and his aggression at least gave him a shot.
2. Conor McGregor ‘appealing to higher court’ after Manny Pacquiao case KOed by California judge: The idea of McGregor vs. Pacquiao at this stage of the game is very silly, but the court battle rages on.
3. Bye-bye Borz? Ailing Khamzat ‘gonna retire’ after UFC 319 title win, deal with recurring ‘health problems’: Caio Borralho also recently claimed that Ben Askren was dead, so I would take his “rumors” with a grain of salt.

Insomnia

Junior Tafa isn’t the only UFC Nashville who underwent a physical transformation! It looks like somebody attached a bike pump to Vitor Petrino ahead of his Heavyweight debut.

Chingiz Allazov is a nasty combination puncher.

Disrespecting an all-time legend of your sport is one way to generate cheap heat ahead of a fight.

Paul Craig will NOT be retiring and instead will fight on inside the Octagon.

Just think: a year from now, Conor McGregor will be Ireland’s president, fight at the White House, AND box Mike Perry bare knuckle!

A couple interesting thoughts and tips on kickboxing from the great Edson Barboza:

Chris Weidman celebrating the Fourth of July in All-American fashion.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A wild one round fight and great story to go along with it!

Head kicks on the break of a close quarters exchange are so cool.

Saenchai dispatched another would-be challenger.

Random Land

Frightening footage of a massive wave and the surfer at its mercy.

Midnight Music: Synth pop, 1990

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