Midnight Mania! Rumors swirl that Conor McGregor has staph infection ahead of UFC 264

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Ahead of a seriously high-profile event like UFC 264, all eyes are on the fighters for any signs of weakness. Pre-fight speculation regarding a strange limp on media day, supposed botched weight cuts (far before weigh-in day!), and iffy training camps can run rampant, and should always be taken with a grain of salt.

With that in mind: Twitter and Reddit are speculating that Conor McGregor may have a staph infection. McGregor has been riding his bike sans-shirt quite often in the promotional lead up to his trilogy bout vs. Dustin Poirier, and some eagle-eyed fan noticed a strange mark on the former champion’s elbow.

Check it out:

Staph infections are one of the gnarliest skin ailments that can be picked up from the mat. Unlike a more mild problem like ringworm — which itches then goes away in a week or two — staph can be a serious problem. Even when treated by antibiotics, fighters have reported feeling extremely weak once actually in the ring. It’s also highly contagious.

Of course, that doesn’t stop fighters from hiding it from athletic commissions, because the show must go on!

Admittedly, it’s also quite possible that McGregor fell off his bike and scraped himself, a training partner failed to clip his fingernails properly, or a mat/heavy bag rubbed off some skin. Either way, expect the online fan base to remain hyper-focused on both Mac and his elbow leading up to next week’s event.

Insomnia

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Holly Holm is majorly strong.

Triller and Jake Paul are taking every opportunity to dunk on UFC’s pay structure — the heroes we need?

I am glad UFC is giving Manel Kape another chance after a contentious split-decision loss.

The Ultimate Fighter Kemran Lachimov (who came up short last night) apparently loves getting punched in the face.

Happy Birthday to the great Mike Tyson! Here’s hoping for a training clip that doesn’t cut away every three punches someday in the near future. Still though, that speed …

Letting the low kicks fly!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

It’s become somewhat forgotten because it happened previous to his rise, but Cory Sandhagen’s rally vs. Yuri Alcantara deserves to rank highly on all-time comeback wins.

No one lands on their face this hard on purpose — this is a KO!

Tap or nap!

Random Land

Zion National Park is dealing with some wild flooding right now.

Midnight Music: Spotify’s Early Alternative mix is pretty solid!

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