Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Conor McGregor knows how to stay in headlines, one way or another. Earlier today, news broke that Artem Lobov was suing McGregor for an ownership stake in Proper 12 Irish Whiskey. The following Twitter rant — a McGregor staple over the last few years — isn’t quite as explosive a topic, but it did reveal one bit of critical information: a potential return timeline. Sort of?

Typically, athletes removed from the USADA testing pool require at least six months of testing before they’re allowed to compete once more. McGregor seems to be insinuating that a pair of tests will allow him to fight, and he’ll only be “clear for testing” — feel free to speculate wildly on whatever that means — in February. If the February return to drug testing bit is accurate, that would make McGregor eligible to fight in August 2023.

Unless that two tests bit is accurate too? It’s a bit cryptic.

Naturally, McGregor included some shots at Khabib Nurmagomedov. His retired foe is a common target for his Twitter shots, and that held true earlier tonight, as McGregor labeled him “biggest wet the bed in fighting history” for retiring before the duo could fight again.

McGregor also spent several tweets bragging about the sneaky and illegal knee he landed from bottom position.

Oddly enough, that’s how Joe Rogan’s name enters the mix. Apparently, McGregor didn’t like that Rogan described Khabib’s victory over McGregor as “smashed.” In response, he released an audio recording mocking Rogan and again hyping up the springbok knee.

Insomnia

THIS IS SUCKS! Why can’t we have nice things in MMA? Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira 1 stands as maybe my favorite fight of the last decade, and now there will likely be no sequel.

Kevin Holland and Stephen Thompson fight next week, but they just released a podcast together. That’s neat!