Radio Highlight – Page 47 – Syndication Server

Video: Ideas for how to reduce eye pokes in MMA

The “Spinning Back Clique” panel shares ideas on how to deal with eye pokes coming out of the Leon Edwards-Belal Muhammad no contest.

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The biggest talking point coming out of UFC Fight Night 187 unfortunately has nothing to do with anyone’s performance and instead has centered around eye pokes.

That’s because the welterweight main event between [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] and [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] ended in an unsatisfying no contest after Muhammad wasn’t able to continue because of a nasty eye poke from Edwards just 18 seconds into the second round. Edwards had poked Muhammad once in the first round and was warned about. For that reason, some people believe a disqualification was warranted, but referee Herb Dean ruled a no contest on the basis that he deemed the pokes accidental.

The sport of MMA continues to evolve, but the issue of eye pokes is something that hasn’t been dealt with. And so, on this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” we asked: What measures would you implement to help reduce the number of eye pokes?

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Check out the video above for reaction from this week’s panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and Simon Head. You can also watch the full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6YW8evp1LE

Video: Aljamain Sterling isn’t a legitimate champion after UFC 259. Overreaction?

It’s in the rules that the title switches hands on a disqualification, but does it feel like Aljamain Sterling is the UFC bantamweight champ?

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] is the new UFC bantamweight champion, which has many fans feeling a certain way about the legitimacy of it.

This past Saturday at UFC 259, Sterling claimed the title from Petr Yan after Yan committed a foul by hitting Sterling with an egregious illegal knee to the face while he was a downed opponent in the fourth round of their fight. After some time to see if Sterling could continue, referee Mark Smith called off the fight. And because Smith ruled that the knee was intentional – which is hardly debatable – Yan was disqualified and Sterling awarded the victory and, by rule, the championship.

As you can imagine, the result has garnered a fiery response from fans on social media, many of whom are criticizing Sterling for not continuing on.

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On this week”s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” we debated bold statements, asking if they were overreactions or on the money. So … You’re not a legitimate champion if you win by disqualification. Is that an overreaction or on the money?

Watch the video above to hear Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and host Simon Head weigh-in. You can also watch the full episode below.

https://youtu.be/NUREQHq7R80

‘King Mo’ Lawal breaks down Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix quarterfinals

‘King Mo’ Lawal shares his thoughts on the quarterfinal matchups for Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix.

[autotag]Muhammed Lawal[/autotag] is keeping a close eye to the upcoming Bellator light heavyweight grand prix.

The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion likes what Bellator has put together for their 205-pound division this spring – an eight-man tournament where the light heavyweight title is being disputed throughout the entirety of the bracket.

Defending titleholder [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] hopes to solidify his status as champion, while [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag], [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag], [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov[/autotag] will attempt to dethrone the champion and leave the grand prix reining over the division.

Lawal, who’s got plenty of experience in MMA tournaments, having won the Rizin FF heavyweight grand prix in 2015 and competed in the Bellator heavyweight grand prix in 2018, is excited to see this upcoming tournament unfold. And although he feels Nemkov might retain his title through the entirety of tournament, “King Mo” admits the grand prix is as competitive as they come.

Speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, Lawal shared his thoughts the upcoming Bellator light heavyweight grand prix.

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Anthony Pettis says less sparring will benefit him in PFL’s season format: ‘We can’t risk injuries’

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, Anthony Pettis has found a successful recipe for his training – fewer hard sparring sessions.

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] has found a successful recipe for his training.

Pettis (24-10), who will be taking part in PFL’s upcoming 2021 lightweight season, finds himself in a unique position in his career. For the first time, “Showtime” will have his schedule mapped out and already knows which opponents are on his radar.

Through the strenuous nature of the tournament format, Pettis sees perks in his recent effort of reducing sparring, which he expects to pay dividends at this point in his career.

“I’ve been pulling back from sparring lately,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “My last couple of camps my sparring was very strategic and my opponents were very strategic. I go in there, and I play, and I do my drills, and I work with the lesser guys. I feel like there I get more work in that’s safe, then I do my hard rounds when I need to. So I think with this tournament format we can’t risk injuries, so we’ll definitely be doing a lot of pad work.”

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Pettis will face Clay Collard in the main event of PFL 2021, Week 1, which takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion will look to add another belt to his collection, something he didn’t necessarily think would be an option for him down the line.

“Nah, not really, but now that you say that, that’s awesome!” Pettis said. “To be able to be champion, and I have the opportunity to do it in one year where I don’t have to work my way up the ladder. I just gotta win these fights, so it’s pretty dope, actually.

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career. Now it’s the next chapter, the next version of myself and this tournament format is already weird to think about. I’m already thinking about who’s next, but you gotta concentrate on who’s in front of you so it’s gonna be fun this year.”

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Ashley Yoder ‘coming in guns blazing’ for short-notice Angela Hill rematch at UFC Fight Night 186

While Ashley Yoder is fighting a lot sooner than she expected, she’s more than happy to get the short-notice call at UFC Fight Night 186.

While [autotag]Ashley Yoder[/autotag] is fighting a lot sooner than she expected, she’s more than happy to get the short-notice call.

Yoder (8-6 MMA, 3-6 UFC) is set to rematch [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 186 in a matchup that was a late addition to the card.

A lack of a full training camp is usually not ideal for a fighter, but considering that Yoder was hearing rumblings of a summer booking, the idea of competing months earlier sounded exciting to her.

“I think the first thought to my head was I get to fight,” Yoder told MMA Junkie Radio. “The talk was I might not be fighting until after June, so when the opportunity comes, you gotta seize it and I respect Angela a lot. I’m always gonna be an underdog, but I’m excited about this rematch.”

The pair’s first outing took place at The Ultimate Fighter Season 25 Finale in July 2017, where Hill defeated Yoder via unanimous decision. Since then, Yoder has seen mixed results, but has won three of her past five, most recently defeating Miranda Granger via unanimous decision in November.

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Hill (12-9 MMA, 7-9 UFC) has also had her ups and downs, but has risen through the strawweight ranks when at one point, she put together a three-fight winning streak in the span of five months. A lot has happened since their first fight and Yoder said she’s looking forward to the opportunity of avenging that loss in the rematch.

“It’s my first rematch so that’s exciting,” Yoder said. “It’s been four years since we’ve fought. We’ve both grown a lot since then, and I’m just excited to go in there and show what I’ve been working on.”

She continued, “I think this is a great time for a rematch, I think this is a great fight for both of us, and for me, I’m coming in guns blazing. There’s nothing to lose for me so I’m just excited to be out there and get some time on the mat again and get to do what I love.”.

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Video: How should the UFC book rising heavyweight prospects Tom Aspinall and Chris Daukas?

Would it be wise for the UFC to book Tom Aspinall and Chris Daukaus against each other?

UFC Fight Night 185 proved to be a big night for two rising heavyweight prospects, as Philadelphia’s [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] and England’s [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] claimed eye-catching finishes of Aleksei Oleinik and Andrei Arlovski, respectively.

After such impressive performances against seasoned, respected opposition, thoughts have immediately turned to what might be next for both men, with Aspinall even suggesting during his post-fight press conference that the pair could face off in an upcoming bout later this year.

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But is matching two promising up-and-comers a wise move in a division packed with veteran contenders? Should they be made to face each other later this year, or would UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard be better off building their careers separately at this stage?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of John Morgan, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia weighed in during this week’s episode. You can check out that discussion above, or watch the full episode below.

https://youtu.be/gq54aH8h7sE

UFC 258 live streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio on SportsCastr

Join MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a watch-along of UFC 257 headlined by Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns.

UFC 258 takes place Saturday with a welterweight title fight atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along via SportsCastr that kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.

UFC 258 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Here are the seven fights included in the watch-along:

Champ Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns – for welterweight title
Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Ian Heinisch
Brian Kelleher vs. Ricky Simon
Julian Marquez vs. Maki Pitolo
Anthony Hernandez vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Dhiego Lima vs. Belal Muhammad

Be sure to check back and follow @MMAjunkie, @MMAjunkieRadio and @SportsCastrLive on Twitter to be notified when the guys go live.

Spinning Back Clique: What happens with Paige VanZant after losing BKFC debut?

Check out the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique” opining on Paige VanZant’s future, Nate Diaz’s next move, and more.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] made her debut for BKFC at the weekend at their “KnuckleMania” event. She came up short on the scorecards against Britain Hart but has since posted a defiant, expletive-laden message on Instagram since then, stating that she won’t quit when things get tough. She says she’s in it for the long haul, but what does that mean? How will VanZant’s combat sports career progress from here?
Rumor and speculation continues to swirl over what’s next for the UFC lightweight division, with a certain [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] adding a little more spice to the mix by getting involved in social media exchanges with Tony Ferguson and, most notably, Dustin Poirier. It seems Diaz is spoiling for a fight, but does one matchup rise above the others in terms of potential appeal?
UFC Fight Night 184 on Saturday night saw two contenders come up big with impressive finishes at the UFC Apex. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] finished Alistair Overeem in the second round of the heavyweight headliner, but [autotag]Cody Sandhagen[/autotag] stole the show with a stunning flying-knee knockout of Frankie Edgar in the co-main. Both men are angling for title shots in 2021, but which man is most likely to get his wish first – and will they be successful when they get it?
And finally, the action rolls on at the UFC Apex on Saturday night in Las Vegas, as welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] puts his title on the line against former teammate and training partner [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] at UFC 258. It’s a fascinating matchup between two men who know each other very well, but is that knowledge going to be enough to help Burns dethrone “The Nigerian Nightmare” in Saturday night’s main event?

Hope you enjoy this week’s show. Watch Episode 66 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

Spinning Back Clique: UFC 257 overreactions edition

The latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique” focuses on the fallout from Dustin Poirier’s TKO of Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s win.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, host Simon Head is joined by panelists Brian “Goze” Garcia from MMA Junkie Radio, as well as MMA Junkie’s Nolan King and Danny Segura. We did something different this week, putting out some bold statements coming out of UFC 257 and asking: Overreaction or on the money? Let’s get into it!

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] came up with a huge TKO victory over [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in the UFC 257 main event. It means McGregor still hasn’t beaten a quality opponent since November 2016. Statement: Conor McGregor will never win a UFC title again. Overreaction or on the money?
On the flip side of the UFC 257 main event, Poirier is riding high after avenging his 2014 loss to McGregor, and he now has wins over five former world champions on his resume. There was no title on the line in the McGregor rematch, but Poirier is considering himself the king of 155. Statement: After his performance at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier is the uncrowned UFC lightweight champion. Overreaction or on the money?
Also at UFC 257, [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] made a huge statement about his status as one of the lightweight division’s elite fighters by taking out contender Dan Hooker inside the first round. It was one heck of a UFC debut for the former three-time Bellator champion. Statement: Michael Chandler deserves an immediate title shot after that win over Dan Hooker. Overreaction or on the money?
The shadow of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] hung over UFC 257 after UFC president Dana White indicated before the show that Khabib would consider fighting whomever did something spectacular. Then after the event, White didn’t sound optimistic about Khabib coming out of retirement – even though both Poirier and Chandler did something spectacular. Statement: The Khabib sweepstakes were all a hoax, and it was just about setting up Khabib vs. McGregor 2, and nothing else. Overreaction or on the money?

Hope you enjoy this week’s show. Watch Episode 64 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

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UFC 257 live streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio on SportsCastr (9 p.m. ET)

Join MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a watch-along of UFC 257 headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.

UFC 257 takes place Saturday with the return of the sport’s biggest star, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along via SportsCastr that kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.

In the main event, former two-division champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is back from a year-long layoff to take on [autotag]Dustin Poirer[/autotag] in a highly anticipated rematch. And in the co-headliner, former Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] makes his UFC debut against top contender [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag].

UFC 257 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Here are the seven fights included in the watch-along:

Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker
Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
Makhmud Muradov vs. Andrew Sanchez
Amanda Ribas vs. Marina Rodriguez
Matt Frevola vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares

Be sure to check back and follow @MMAjunkie, @MMAjunkieRadio and @SportsCastrLive on Twitter to be notified when the guys go live.