Midnight Mania! ‘Izzy, Shut Your F—king Mouth!’

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Israel Adesanya may not be fighting this weekend (Sat. Jan. 20, 2023) at UFC 297, but he’s certainly an interested party. Sean Strickland defeated Adesanya and took his Middleweight title back in September in one of 2023’s biggest upsets, and prior to that fight, Adesanya had built up a pretty nasty rivalry with Dricus Du Plessis.

He’s quite possibly going to face the winner of their main event showdown sometime later in the year. Maybe even at UFC 300? Whatever the timeline for his return, “Stylebender” could very possibly be fighting the winner, which makes his breakdown of the match up and subsequent Du Plessis prediction all the more interesting.

Whether it’s genuine analysis from the former champion or simple wishful thinking, Strickland doesn’t want to hear any of it. At the UFC 297 presser, he took a brief moment to address Adesanya’s prediction … or at least berate Adesanya for his performance in their UFC 293 showdown.

“Listen Izzy, the f—king guy, the f—king cringelord, the pup play himself. F—k Izzy,” Strickland said (via MMAFighting). “I could have took Izzy down and beat his ass on the ground but I chose to stand with him like a man. What did he do the whole fight? Run away like a b—ch. Izzy, shut your f—king mouth.”

LIVE! Watch UFC 297 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE DIP! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kicks off its 2024 pay-per-view (PPV) season on Sat., Jan. 20, 2024, with its inaugural pay-per-view (PPV) event of the year from inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the ESPN+-streamed PPV main event, reigning Middleweight roost-ruler, Sean Strickland, will lock horns with newly-formed rival, Dricus Du Plessis. In UFC 297’s “no good” co-main event, Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will lock horns for Amanda Nunes’ vacated Bantamweight belt. UFC 297 will also feature the returns of Neil Magny, Chris Curtis, Arnold Allen and so much more!

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

Insomnia

Cedric Doumbe sold out PFL Paris in 20 minutes. The man is a genuine star!

Sean Strickland’s rant at the presser has escaped beyond the usual MMA sphere, and the results are … awkward.

January 17, 2024