Midnight Mania! NYSAC claims it pulled Jessica Aguilar for ‘potentially contagious’ condition

Welcome, to Midnight Mania!

The NYSAC says they pulled Jessica Aguilar from her fight Friday for a “potentially contagious” condition, via MMAFighting.com:

“Medical personnel identified a potentially contagious medical condition,” read the NYSAC statement, via New York State Department of State spokesperson Lee Park. “For the safety of the impacted fighter and her opponent, the fight was called off. UFC medical personnel were also consulted and concurred with the decision.”

Aguilar contended that she had consulted with a dermatologist who cleared her AFTER the weigh-ins Thursday ... but that wasn’t good enough for the commission.

When asked about a doctor’s initial clearance of Aguilar, Park relayed that Aguilar’s condition “worsened overnight.”

“The reason the fight was canceled was because of the fighter’s condition on Friday,” Park wrote in an e-mail.

Her manager Abe Kawa appeared on the MMA Hour and said the UFC will take care of her, because this is her second fight in a row that was scrapped. He also said she got two tests and had a third one scheduled Monday (today).

“I do think that New York is going to get it right eventually,” Kawa said of the commission that just began regulating MMA in 2016. “I just think there’s certain people that are there right now that don’t understand what they’re doing, honestly. Not even the sport, just what they’re doing in general. It’s shameful, man. It’s shameful. Jessica didn’t deserve that. She deserved to be able to go out there and fight.”

“It is the worst way that I can think of, of telling a fighter they can’t fight,” Kawa said. “If you thought a fighter has something and you just sent them to a doctor that’s just a random doctor in the city that you’re in and you’re basically saying that doctor’s word is no longer good, I don’t know what we could have done to make this better.”

The decision is just the latest in a long line of bizarre decisions and outright missteps from a commission new to the sport, including pulling Max Holloway from his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, nearly refusing to let Pearl Gonzalez fight with breast implants, sending Ashley Yoder to a local hospital instead of allowing her to be treated on site after her fight in Albany, etc.

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Insomnia

I’m mostly surprised that T.J. Dillashaw and the last man to beat him (albeit by split decision), Dominick Cruz, were able to be in the same space amicably enough to shoot this commercial.

Watch out, featherweight: Mirsad Bektic — already one of the best athletes and wrestlers at 145 pounds — is training with Georges St-Pierre.

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Bear knuckle ... I see what you did there, Matt Brown!

Why would anyone volunteer to take Chuck Liddell’s punch?

‘Evil Rogan’ is a great name for Jimmy Smith, except he’s actually Good Rogan.

Is Yoel Romero making fun of Jorge Masvidal?

This Max Holloway painting is great!

John Wayne Parr with the body shot ...

Mission accomplished!

Daniel Cormier promises to outjab Stipe Miocic:

How is a blackout worse than a Nazi tattoo? Is the reason that it’s too difficult, or that inmates are quicker to speak to you? Can’t have it both ways. And by all inmates you mean ... the white inmates?

I want to believe him, because I’ve met Lee and she seems like a genuinely nice person, but I’m just not completely sold on this explanation. What really blows me away, though, is how many people are defending swastika tattoos like they aren’t a thing.

Just a friendly street fight, nothing serious:

He couldn’t do this again if he tried!

Chad Mendes hitting mitts:

Derek Lewis brings the content ...

This was the amazing picture that Conor McGregor complimented from the bare knuckle boxing event this weekend:

Just a taste:

Gregor Gillespie has indeed been fishing all weekend!

C.M. Punk took the one true route to power and wealth ... celebrity.

Great fight here:

Yair Rodriguez got his job back, but I’m guessing he didn’t get a pay raise for this fight.

I’ve always maintained South Park’s humor is just going with the first and worst jokes the writers think of, and that fits Colby Covington perfectly.

Keenan Cornelius is NOT happy with the IBJJF.

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Slips, Rips, and Submission Clips

Lethwei is even more metal than bareknuckle boxing

Spin kicks!

With Alistair Overeem facing a dedicated wrestler in Curtis Blaydes, will we see a return of his deadly guillotine chokes?

I’m sorry, this is still extremely funny to me.

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Podcasts and Video

UFC Fight Night 131 on Friday already feels like a lifetime ago, but here is our post-fight show! Follow MMA Mania on Youtube

The MMA Hour:

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Random Land

I’ve got a long Random Land for you today!

Colby Covington can’t ruin it for me any longer -- I’ve finally seen Infinity War!

This Ramen commercial has no chill.

Not where you want to be right now:

Where you want to be right now:

Stay woke, Maniacs! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @Vorpality