Chapter 346

I woke up around 9:30 and put the UFC on. Bantamweight legend Dominic Cruz survived some early adversity from Pedro Munhoz and won a decision, then after a close fight between featherweight bangers Dan Ige and Josh Emmett, it was time for the main card. I don’t know quite how to feel about Sean O’Malley: one one hand, he’s got the personality of an annoying teenager mixed with one of those TikTok rappers, and it’s a bit grating to see him pushed so hard by the UFC to be the next big thing while still facing nearly only overmatched competition, but on the other hand, he is damn fun to watch and more importantly, he’s just playing the game and getting as much money as he can. I would be a hypocrite if I sat there all day shitting on the UFC and how much they underpay their fighters while begrudging a young athlete who just does what he has to do to get his fair share. Still, after his dismantling of midcarder Raulian Paiva, I hope he gets someone in the top 10.

Then Kai Kara-France showed some serious power at flyweight by knocking out cold former champ Cody Garbrandt, and Geoff Neal edged Santiago Ponzinibbio. Now it was time for the championship bouts. Normally, Amanda Nunes fights have little hype to them other than being seen as an occasion to witness the greatest female fighter of all time slaughter another unworthy contender, and this one was no exception. After a strong start though, the champ just wilted and Julianna Peña took over with sloppy yet very aggressive striking, shocking the world. Biggest upset ever?

My Galaxy Brain Take is, what if Nunes lost on purpose? She was tired of all her fights receiving zero hype, so she thought fuck it, I'll make it exciting, have a guaranteed rematch that will get tons of attention, and my future fights will not be seen as only lambs to the slaughter but as interesting matchups because “Hey, OK, maybe Miesha Tate is 42 years old and 2-2 in her last 4 and already lost to Nunes and is just there because there are like 8 fighters in the whole division, but hey, remember what Peña did?!?!?!” But nah, she likely just got tired, and had overestimated Peña.

Then in the main event, I got proven wrong again. I thought Dustin Poirier was the uncrowned champion who just got sidetracked by those stupid Conor McGregor fights, and that Charles Oliveira was just the placeholder in the meantime. But nah, Olives is legit as hell, and dominated the Cajun boxer. He’s been in the UFC for 14 years now though he’s only 32, and I remember when he was just a midcarder who had problems making weight and would impress with his slick jiu-jitsu in one fight and dud in the next one. All hail the champ.

After that, I went to work on the car’s bed frame again. I listened to Harmonium’s first album in my earbuds, and when it was over, I put on the brutal deathgrind from Benighted. A long time ago I would have been narcistically amazed at my own eclectic musical tastes and how I can go from the most mellow to the most violent stuff but now I just see it all as music, if it’s good, it’s good. It took me a while, toiling in the wet, cold weather, and then the frame was ready. It barely fit, and by that I mean I had to kick it hard to shove it in the space while letting go of a few loud swear words, but it also means it won’t wobble. Now we have to get a plank of wood and a mattress, a pretty exciting project.

I went back home and took a hot bath, listening to Harmonium’s second album with a glass of sparkling wine, and then had a relaxing evening watching history documentaries and videos about weightlifting and playing a bit of Mount & Blade. A nice weekend, I guess.