logo
Midnight Mania: ‘Sex Is Better After A War'

Midnight Mania: ‘Sex Is Better After A War'

Yahoo06-06-2025
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, June 5, 2025.
Free UFC 316 PPV? 'It's so easy to stream it,' says Sean O'Malley, 'You just enter the link; boom, it's right there': Sean O'Malley is correct, of course, but this is just generally true of the modern internet: most copyrighted content can be found so easily. I had to learn how to torrent files as a teen!
Alexander Volkanovski shares next title defense update: 'The rumors are true': Yair Rodriguez receiving the next Featherweight shot would truly be all-time bad matchmaking. Send Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby to the Hague!
Ex-NFL star and UFC outcast Greg Hardy arrested for allegedly assaulting a family member: Shocking that getting knocked out a few times didn't quell Hardy's alleged violent tendencies.
Insomnia
Listen to the audio closely here for a sample of 'Big Mouth' at his finest. 'Sex is better after a war,' Kevin Holland tells Vicente Luque. 'You don't think so? Or you don't have sex?'
Advertisement
I genuinely didn't remember Kamaru Usman's undefeated streak going THAT long, and I was watching/writing about the whole thing!
Arman Tsarukyan lives a bougie lifestyle outside of fighting.
Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez at UFC 319 ... from the horse's mouth! I like Hooper to lose the first and win the next two rounds or possibly force a late finish.
Patchy Mix is talking really big game ahead of UFC 316, putting himself in a win-or-be-embarrassed position. Exciting!
I recommend treating this line of thinking with some random pro Flyweight.
Visualization is a powerful tool! It's hard to favor anyone's chances against Merab right now, but Sean O'Malley has a reasonable shot at catching anyone on the Bantamweight roster.
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Very few boxers have entered the matrix quite like Vasiliy Lomachenko. Enjoy retirement, champ!
Incredible crowd atmosphere on this KO:
Advertisement
Same side head kicks following a straight are always dangerous, but the half-a-beat pause on this one is SLICK stuff.
Random Land
Frightening explosions in Kyiv.
Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 2001
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
More from mmamania.com:
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nevada Supreme Court approves Jon Gruden appeal in NFL lawsuit, blocks arbitration
Nevada Supreme Court approves Jon Gruden appeal in NFL lawsuit, blocks arbitration

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Nevada Supreme Court approves Jon Gruden appeal in NFL lawsuit, blocks arbitration

The Nevada Supreme Court has sided with Jon Gruden in an appeal, marking the latest victory in his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL. The decision, which was made official on Monday, blocks the NFL from sending the case into arbitration. One of the issues at hand was an arbitration clause in the NFL's constitution, which the league argued kept Gruden from being able to make the lawsuit public. But on Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of the former Las Vegas Raiders coach, finding that the clause is "unconscionable" and does not apply to Gruden, as he is a former employee, via NBC's Mike Florio. Gruden sued the NFL shortly after resigning from the Raiders in 2021, but his latest legal battles have been around the manner of the lawsuit. Gruden has wanted his trial to be public, as part of a quest to expose what he believes were deliberate leaks in the NFL; the league, meanwhile, wanted a closed-door arbitration. Gruden originally won before a trial court, but a Nevada Supreme Court panel overturned the ruling in May 2024 as part of a lengthy appeal. Per court documents, Gruden's lawyers filed for a rehearing on the appeal last summer, which was denied. A month later, they filed for an en banc reconsideration, which was granted in October. The panel officially sided with Gruden on Monday. The NFL has yet to comment on Gruden's latest legal victory, but it is likely that the league will appeal the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court, which may or may not decide to hear the case. Gruden sought public lawsuit in court to expose 'the truth' Gruden resigned from his job as Raiders head coach in 2021 after a New York Times report exposed his email exchanges with former Washington Football Team executive Bruce Allen, among others, that showed his use of racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language. Gruden sued the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in 2021, accusing them of plotting to destroy his career via a "malicious and orchestrated campaign" by leaking those emails. The emails surfaced from an investigation into the Washington Commanders and then-team owner Dan Snyder. The lawsuit argues that Gruden was targeted in the alleged leaks and that "there is no explanation or justification" for why the correspondence of others in the league was not exposed. Gruden had previously vowed that "the truth will come out" regarding unnamed others around the NFL. NFL sought closed-door arbitration The NFL has since made multiple attempts to strike down the lawsuit, arguing that a clause in Gruden's contract with the Raiders requires him to seek dispute settlement via arbitration. Gruden's attorneys have argued that the clause doesn't apply since he his no longer an employee of the Raiders and that his dispute is with the NFL, not the Raiders. In 2022, Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Judge Nancy Allf denied the NFL's effort to dismiss the lawsuit and ruled that the case could continue in open court. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy dismissed Gruden's lawsuit as meritless after the district court ruling and vowed to appeal. 'The allegations are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims,' McCarthy's 2022 statement reads.

Kyle Shanahan doesn't expect Brandon Aiyuk to return from ACL injury until October at the earliest
Kyle Shanahan doesn't expect Brandon Aiyuk to return from ACL injury until October at the earliest

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Kyle Shanahan doesn't expect Brandon Aiyuk to return from ACL injury until October at the earliest

The San Francisco 49ers don't expect Brandon Aiyuk back anytime soon. Aiyuk tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20 last season, ending his 2024 campaign in Week 7. Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the status of the All-Pro wide receiver on Monday alongside that of backup rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke and second-year safety Malik Mustapha, who are also recovering from torn ACLs. Shahanan declined to offer a definitive return timeline for any of them. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] "I always see them around Week 6," Shanahan said of their potential returns. "Which that could mean Week 10. That could be Week 5. "That's the area where I start thinking about it, which is a long ways away. I know it's not Week 1 or anything like that. So it's something I'm not thinking about too much. Signs point to Aiyuk starting season on PUP list The timeline Shanahan offered coincides with the NFL's physically unable to perform (PUP) list rules, indicating that all are on track to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. Aiyuk is currently on the preseason PUP list. If he starts the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, he wouldn't be eligible to return until Week 5. From there, players on the reserve/PUP list have through Week 9 to return to practice and 21 days from that point to be elevated to the active roster. Players who don't return within those guidelines remain on the reserve list for the remainder of the season. The most optimistic of Shanahan's projections — a Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams — would see Aiyuk return on Oct. 2 for what projects as a key NFC West matchup. That would mean a layoff of nearly a full year from his injury. A Week 10 return would place Aiyuk back in the lineup for another game against the Rams on Nov. 9. Each of those projected missed weeks would involve missing a game. The 49ers don't have their bye until Week 14. The bottom line here: Don't expect Aiyuk back until Week 5 at the earliest. Beyond that, his timeline remains murky. Who will step up from hobbled 49ers offense? The sooner Aiyuk returns, the better for the 49ers, obviously. Aiyuk broke out in 2023 with 75 catches for 1,342 yards (17.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns, an effort that earned him a selection as a second-team All-Pro. His effort eventually earned him a four-year, $120 million extension to his rookie contract following a holdout through most of 2024 training camp. Aiyuk's production dropped before his Week 7 injury, and he finished 2024 with 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns through six-plus games. The 49ers are counting on him to return to his All-Pro form whenever he is cleared from his knee injury. The 49ers no longer employ longtime receiver Deebo Samuel, whom they traded to the Washington Commanders in the offseason. That leaves Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings atop the 49ers depth chart when healthy alongside second-year pro Ricky Pearsall, who remarkably recovered last season from a gunshot wound to the chest to play in 11 games and tally 400 yards and three touchdowns. Jennings has been sidelined with a calf injury during practice amid a reported desire for a new contract. Shanahan said recently that his absence from practice has been due to a legitimate injury and not because of his contract situation. A first-round selection in the 2024 Draft, Pearsall could be in line for a potential breakout on the heels of a healthy offseason with Aiyuk sidelined to start the season. The 49ers are also expected to be without fourth-round rookie receiver Jordan Watkins, who Shanahan said Monday will be sidelined for at least a month with a high-ankle sprain. The good injury news in San Francisco is that All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has so far remained healthy through training camp after being limited to four games in 2024 due to multiple injuries to his calf, Achilles tendon and knee.

Kelvin Banks Jr. looked the part of a top-10 draft pick in Saints preseason opener
Kelvin Banks Jr. looked the part of a top-10 draft pick in Saints preseason opener

USA Today

time16 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Kelvin Banks Jr. looked the part of a top-10 draft pick in Saints preseason opener

Kelvin Banks Jr. in his NFL debut:⚜️ 84.9 pass-blocking grade⚜️ 12 pass-blocking snaps⚜️ 0 pressures allowed He may have not been one of the top 10 rookies in Madden NFL 26, but Kelvin Banks Jr. looked the part of a top-10 draft pick in Sunday's New Orleans Saints preseason opener. While he only logged 20 snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers, Banks was spotless on 12 reps in pass protection. He didn't allow any quarterback pressures or draw a single penalty. The only rookie offensive lineman who earned a higher Pro Football Focus grade in pass pro than Banks (84.9) was Esa Poe, an undrafted left tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs who received an 85.2 for his work against the Arizona Cardinals. Poe's teammate Dalton Cooper ranked third with an 83.9, so that suggests Banks could have a favorable matchup waiting for him in September when the Cardinals visit New Orleans. But back to Banks. This is all exactly what we needed to see out of him. Banks has been mostly solid this summer (except when matching up against Chase Young one-on-one at training camp), and he got off to a hot start this week. Now he needs to do it again next Sunday, and pretty much every following Sunday through January. If there's one area he could improve, it's run blocking. His 46.9 grade ranked third-worst for New Orleans this week. The Saints used a zone blocking concept on six of his reps with just one play following gap-assignment concepts, so it's obvious where Banks needs to focus on cleaning things up. If you're curious, the Texas Longhorns ran out of zone and gap on a nearly-even split during his three years in the lineup, so it's not like he's inexperienced. He just needs to lock in what his coaches are teaching him. That'll come with more reps.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store