Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
- UFC Houston’s Sean Strickland unimpressed by new bonuses, Paramount pay bump: ‘No one’s getting paid more’: Strickland is surprisingly among the most vocal athletes campaigning for better pay … or at least acknowledging the problem openly.
- Merab time! Former UFC champ signs with RAF, debuts April 18 in Philly: Merab Dvalishvili is absolutely built to compete in RAF, but hopefully they don’t match him with some elite 22-year-old from the world scene.
- UFC superstar reacts (poorly) to Zuffa Boxing’s absurd $15 million Conor Benn one-fight deal – ‘I’ve never heard of him’: One wonders is a popular UFC star could eventually break away and do their own thing like a Jake Paul? Is anyone aside from McGregor big enough?
Insomnia
GRAPHIC VIDEO: We have seen fighters copy Max Holloway’s signature point down to horrible results, but this is the first time I’ve seen the Justin Gaethje backflip backfire so catastrophically.
I’m sure UFC could buy the entire competitive jiu-jitsu scene, but the question remains why? BJJ just isn’t very fun to watch, and I’ve been grappling for 16 years!
Never take anything a devoted pro wrestler says without a grain of salt, but Josh Barnett has quite the explanation for Antonio Inoki slapping the crap out of Lyoto Machida!
The most Australian clip of the week!
Goodbye Vicente Luque, I enjoyed your Welterweight rise greatly. Does anyone believe a Middleweight move will rejuvenate his career?
Does Oscar De La Hoya have painted on abs? Is this some kind of implement? Those hands still look sharp but I can’t look at anything else.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
A good fight to look back it! Both men have come a long way.
Edgar Chairez is an underrated Flyweight who has only lost to really good opponents.
Both guys standing tall with their chin high, one falls immediately.
Random Land
Avalanche beats train.
Midnight Music: Indie rock, 1993
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
