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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 28: (L-R) Bruna Brasil of Brazil elbows Alexia Thainara of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, April 2, 2026.
- Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw reveals embarrassingly low purse for first title win: As I said last night, those TUF contracts are truly awful.
- It’s on! Here’s UFC’s counter-programming answer to Netflix MMA’s ‘Rousey vs. Carano’ card on May 16: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa is an awesome fight, but otherwise you have to give it to the Rousey vs. Carano card.
- Dethroned! Heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall loses long-standing UFC record to unranked lightweight: Terrance McKinney is simultaneously a special talent and not particularly good fighter. We haven’t seen that in a while!
Insomnia
Bruna Brasil didn’t
receive her pink slip in the mail but in a fan’s Instagram comment. The UFC really isn’t big on
traditional communications channels!
Bruna Brasil found out from a fan in her Instagram comments that she had been released from the UFC
It appears that nobody contacted her
pic.twitter.com/tRFRLQY4J2
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_)
April 2, 2026
I almost got April Fool’d a day later, as the below post is fake. Still, if anybody in the history of humanity is well-suited for Power Slap … It’s Roy “Big Country” Nelson.
One more dance…..
pic.twitter.com/Y4LLjXn1uy
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma)
April 2, 2026
Honestly, Ethyn Ewing’s return is the most exciting part of UFC Vegas 115.
They just don't make white boys this slick. Here's every counter, slip, pivot, combo and entry from Ethan Ewing against Malcolm Wellmaker.
pic.twitter.com/z0HuzO1w0d
— RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA)
April 2, 2026
Arman Tsarukyan is hanging out with Clavicular, the looks-maxxing influencer who I find to be both insane and fascinating
(read more here).
Clavicular made Arman Tsarukyan realize his appearance could be the reason Dana White didn’t give him a title fight
pic.twitter.com/cSBmvWyOus
— KickChamp (@Kick_Champ)
April 2, 2026
Chris Duncan’s range work really looked great against Mateusz Rebecki in his career-best showing (in my opinion).
Chris Duncan played open-side knees and elbows off each other against a shorter southpaw.
If Rebecki wanted to avoid the elbows by ducking down as he entered, the knees could punish him.
And if he kept his head up to avoid the knees, that left him open to the elbows.
pic.twitter.com/WNsLacEc30
— Miguel Class (@MigClass)
August 6, 2025
Maybe I’m biased because I have to write columns about fight predictions, but I don’t see how Melquizael Costa did anything wrong by respectfully predicting Jon Jones to defeat Alex Pereira. “Poatan” should chill!
Alex Pereira did NOT take kindly to Melk Costa picking Jon Jones to beat him in a fight
“F*cked up is saying something as if I did something to you.”
“We were having dinner together in Mexico and I was giving you strength because you were crying because you lost a fight.”
pic.twitter.com/JSd4D8Fu7X
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_)
April 2, 2026
Turki Alalshikh claps back at the haters:
Yes, I am very busy with other stuff. Thank God my country is safe and we are happy, even when we are close to war. Thank you for asking. Missile and drones coming to my country each day.
And to prove your point that I am too busy and not interested in boxing anymore,…
https://t.co/GR894zig21
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh)
April 1, 2026
Who’s buying?!?
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Listen to the sound of the punches at the end of the clip.
kai asakura fracturing skulls in red gloves
pic.twitter.com/Pr1waFHp03
— samaroont (@samaroooont)
April 2, 2026
試合決定
バンタムに戻して1戦目
進化した姿をみせます
pic.twitter.com/ckrooJyG70
— 朝倉 海 Kai Asakura (@kai_1031_)
April 2, 2026
Lead hand uppercut KO is such a slick shot.
45 years ago, Michael Spinks defeated Marvin Johnson by KO in round 4 of 10 to improve his record to 16-0 (11 KOs). Brutal uppercut.
pic.twitter.com/eTd1wTb7SO
— ᴋᴀʏᴏ ✘ (@KOJournals)
March 28, 2026
Not quite Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren … but not far off either!
brutal KO by Victor Hugo!
#BLACKCUPpic.twitter.com/CUWBK0It0D
— Half Dead Frank (@Halfdeadfrank69)
March 28, 2026
Random Land
The indirect path of the Artemis II rocket.
It’s not a straight shot to the far side of the Moon!
Over approximately 10 days, the Artemis II astronauts will orbit Earth twice before looping around the far side of the Moon in a figure eight and returning home.
pic.twitter.com/udjejhxgVx
— NASA (@NASA)
April 2, 2026
Midnight Music: Jangle pop, 1988
Check out the Maniacs Unmask 2026 post in The Feed!
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
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