Social media has become a significant part of the sporting landscape. But few, if any, professional sports match the level of interaction and personal access provided by MMA.

In an individual competition in which nearly every athlete is chasing the same goal of financial success and championship glory, it’s important for fighters to provide insight into their lives in order to connect with fans and gain followings.

Although the life of a fighter often can be mundane and repetitive, there still are moments of interest that take place outside the cage, ring or training room. Here are some of the most interesting of those occurrences from the past week.

Animals of Instagram: Joe Rogan

Animals of Instagram: Jessica Eye

Animals of Instagram: Aspen Ladd

Animals of Instagram: Mark Hunt

Animals of Instagram: Sidney Outlaw

Weekly eats: Valentina Shevchenko

Weekly eats: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Weekly eats: Juan Archuleta

Weekly eats: Roy Nelson

Weekly eats: Corey Anderson

Weekly eats: Dan Henderson

Weekly eats: Carla Esparza

Children of MMA: Amanda Nunes

Children of MMA: Darren Till

Children of MMA: Lance Palmer

Children of MMA: Makwan Amirkhani

McGregor’s birthday wish

Random leftovers: Kamaru Usman and Lorenzo Fertitta

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.