Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start things off by looking back at the three biggest stories from earlier today:
- UFC 317’s prefight press conference went down Thursday night in “Sin City.” This included a long-awaited staredown between headliners Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.
- A fighter was electrocuted during his post-fight celebration and then decided to go for a swim. There’s really nothing else more to say. This is a MUST WATCH.
- Newly minted UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall wants to fight twice in the second half of 2025. If Ciryl Gane is presumably his first title defense then who would Aspinall fight second?
Insomnia
Here’s Charles Oliveira will another worrisome weight cut ahead of UFC 317. Keep in mind this footage was before Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
Even UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski reacted to Oliveira’s early weight cut.
Alexander Volkanovski reacts to the images of Charles Oliveira cutting weight earlier today:
“You shouldn’t be doing that [this early]… If he’s cutting weight now and then he has to do a press conference later tonight… I mean, that’s a long time to be sort of dehydrated. You… pic.twitter.com/2OsFPPPMYx
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 26, 2025
“You shouldn’t be doing that [this early]… If he’s cutting weight now and then he has to do a press conference later tonight… I mean, that’s a long time to be sort of dehydrated. You should be rehydrating.”
Joe Rogan going in on unqualified MMA judges.
Joe Rogan slams unqualified judges in MMA
“There are judges who don’t train and never have trained. That’s like judging a Chinese spelling bee when you don’t speak Chinese.”
@joeroganhq pic.twitter.com/4y6jeV2MHH
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 26, 2025
Who’s getting your vote?
The nominees for Best UFC Fighter at the 2025 ESPYS have been revealed:
– Islam Makhachev
– Merab Dvalishvili
– Dricus du Plessis
– Kayla Harrison pic.twitter.com/RXTQFFLNmt— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 26, 2025
Do you agree with Izzy on this one?
“I think Jon will come back… What do they call it now? The kids call it rage baiting. It’s working.
It’ll even be bigger by the time he comes back because Tom would have had like two fights or three fights and then built up his own legacy as well.”
Izzy see Jon making a… pic.twitter.com/JZSYfa4CBu
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 26, 2025
This wasn’t awkward at all.
Así es nuestro deporte. Nunca es personal, cada uno lucha por sus sueños ~
That’s how our sport is. It’s never personal, everyone’s just fighting for their dreams pic.twitter.com/9SDhRIvgIi— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) June 26, 2025
How pumped are you for Alex Pereira’s return to the Octagon?
How good is this nickname?
Sean Strickland being Sean Strickland.
This doesn’t sound good.
BKFC has split with its 135-pound champion Alberto Blas for “a pattern of unprofessional behavior outside of competition.”
Wording here certainly raises a few questions. pic.twitter.com/g5a88Sb8lz
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) June 26, 2025
Tom Aspinall is just pure class.
Tom Aspinall says Jon Jones doesn’t need validation from anyone and hopes he’s celebrating his legendary career
“If he’s watching me, I think he’s had an amazing career. If he truly feels like he’s done enough, which he keeps saying he does, he’ll be at peace. He doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/4nzXq4e028
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 26, 2025
Max Holloway giving his official breakdown of UFC 317’s main event.
Max Holloway breaks down Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira:
“This fight is gonna be decided probably in the first 3-4 minutes…
I’m not gonna be surprised if Topuria wins by knockout. I’m not gonna be surprised if Charles somehow pulls it off and wins by a finish.”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 26, 2025
Here’s Anthony Joshua getting some work in with a random stranger in Barcelona.
Will Ryan Span get back in the UFC win column?
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Here’s every single one of Oliveira’s UFC finishes.
Random Land
This is wild.
Sleep well, Maniacs! More MMA madness will be on the way.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
