Spinning Back Clique – Page 26

Video: Reaction to Conor McGregor sexual assault allegation at NBA Finals in Miami

As fans clamor to see Conor McGregor back in the UFC cage, the former champ again finds himself in headlines over alleged sexual assault.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] once again found himself in headlines for the wrong reasons this past week when he was accused of sexual assault in the aftermath of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami.

The former two-division UFC champ has denied any wrongdoing through his representatives, but as he pushes toward a return to competition, the red flags continue to pop up. The UFC, NBA and Miami Heat all have issued statements saying an investigating into the situation is ongoing.

[lawrence-related id=2650506,2648424]

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn discussed the news with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia and covered McGregor’s future from all angles. You can watch the conversation in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

Spinning Back Clique: The latest horrifying McGregor headline, Jones-Ngannou, Bellator sale rumors, more (noon ET)

This week’s Spinning Back Clique is live at noon ET. Our panel discusses Conor McGregor, Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, Bellator and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

Conor McGregor is in the news again for the wrong reasons. A woman has accused him of “violently” sexually assaulting her at Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami earlier this month – and there’s video of McGregor taking his accuser by the hand and appearing to take her to a bathroom. McGregor has denied the allegations, but this is not the first time there have been headlines for him about something of this nature. Apart from the obvious, this brings up all kinds of issues for the UFC, “The Ultimate Fighter” and just MMA in general.
Francis Ngannou left the UFC and now has a deal with PFL. He was in attendance for Week 5 in Atlanta – as was UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who won the belt Ngannou vacated when he bailed after a contract dispute. They got face to face and had words, but who came out looking better?
There were some big results this past weekend, including Sergio Pettis’ title defense against Bellator GOAT Patricio Freire, Vadim Nemkov’s title defense over Yoel Romero and Jared Cannonier’s record-setting win over Marvin Vettori. What were the other big moments in the UFC, Bellator and PFL?
Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed Viacom, its parent company, is in discussions with potential partners – including what could be a merger with the PFL. Would something like that be good for the sport?

Video: Is it time for UFC Fight Night bonuses to increase above $50,000?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the latest calls from high-profile combat sports atheltes to increase fighter pay.

Fighter pay is always a hot-button topic.

Recently, current UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] stoked the flames of the conversation by suggesting the promotion increase the size of its bonuses.

From the early days of Knockout and Submission of the Night, to the current iteration dubbed Performance of the Night, along with Fight of the Night bonuses, winners have usually taken home $50,000. Aside from a few rare instances of increased award size, the standard bonus has not adjusted with inflation.

Is it time for the UFC to raise the bonus size considering the massive revenue figures it pulls in yearly? Should it move away from the current format of POTN and FOTN to awarding bonuses for every finish, which would prevent some fighters from getting snubbed on all-action events?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

Video: Whose legacy will be impacted most between the two Bellator 297 title fights?

We discuss how Yoel Romero, Vadim Nemkov, Sergio Pettis, and Patricio Freire could have their legacies impacted in a big way at Bellator 297.

Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago with two title fights at the top of the bill.

In the main event of Bellator 297, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] puts his light heavyweight title on the line against former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returns from injury to defend his bantamweight title against featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

Nemkov is in the conversation for the best light heavyweight in the world, and if he’s victorious against the always-dangerous Romero, his argument will only strengthen. If Romero wins at 46, he will have an incredible achievement in the late stage of his career.

Freire is attempting to make history again, as he looks to claim a world title in a third division. Questions surround him about his weight cut for this one, but also, Pettis may have some rust to knock off after being out of action since December 2021.

Who has the most on the line here? History and legacies are at play, but which outcome has the biggest impact? Would it be Romero’s late title run? Would it be Freire daring to be great, and even going further for a fourth title at flyweight? Will a Pettis victory place him among the greats at 135 pounds?

[pickup_prop id=”32812″]

Video: Who’s next for Islam Makhachev after Charles Oliveira’s big win at UFC 289?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses which opponent makes the most sense for Islam Makhachev after Charles Oliveira’s victory at UFC 289.

The UFC’s lightweight title picture became a little clearer after UFC 289 – or did it?

In the co-main event, former 155-pound champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] made a statement in his first-round stoppage of Beneil Dariush. Not only did the result extend Oliveira’s UFC finishing record (20), but he ended an eight-fight winning streak of Dariush, who was promised a title shot if he were to win. Because of that, it would seem that Oliveira is the next in line for a shot at [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s title.

But is the title picture that clear?

Before Oliveira returned to the win column Saturday at Rogers Center in Canada, he lost his previous outing to Makhachev at UFC 280 last October. Since that time, Makhachev has fought once; a successful title defense at UFC 284 vs. featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

[lawrence-related id=2649434,2649352,2649268]

Will the promotion look to run it back between Oliveira and Makhachev? Or will the winner of the upcoming BMF title fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje get the call for the next shot?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discusses the lightweight title picture with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

Video: Was this the right time for Amanda Nunes to retire?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” reacts to Amanda Nunes’ decision to retire while UFC champion in two divisions.

It’s not often a fighter walks away on top, but that’s exactly what [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] has done.

Entering UFC 289‘s main event against Irene Aldana, Nunes held both the UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles. After successfully defending her 135-pound title for the sixth time in a dominant unanimous decision at Rogers Center, “The Lioness” decided it was time to call it a career.

While it’s time to celebrate the the woman who is widely regarded as the greatest female fighter in history, her exit leaves many questions to be answered.

Is it the right time for the 35-year-old Brazilian to walk away, and what will the fallout be for the women’s 135- and 145-pound divisions?

Unlike many MMA retirements, will Nunes’ stick? Are we OK with not getting a third fight against Julianna Pena?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss Nunes’ retirement with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

Spinning Back Clique: Amanda Nunes retirement fallout, chasing history at Bellator 297, more

Watch this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” reacting to Amanda Nunes’ retirement, what’s at stake at Bellator 297 and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

UFC dual women’s champion Amanda Nunes, widely regarded as the greatest female fighter in history, announced her retirement this past Saturday after a sixth bantamweight title defense at UFCC 289. Is it the right time for the 35-year-old Brazilian to walk away, and what will the fallout be for the women’s 135- and 145-pound divisions?
Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira rebounded from his title loss to champion Islam Makhachev for a big knockout of Beneil Dariush in the UFC 289 co-main event in Vancocuver. Did his win set up a title rematch, or should the Dustin Poirier-Justin Gaethje winner leapfrog him?
Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago. At Bellator 297, Vadim Nemkov puts the light heavyweight title on the line against Yoel Romero. But the big one is featherweight champ Patricio Freire’s attempt to take the bantamweight title from Sergio Pettis. A win would be a title in a third division for Freire. Let’s look ahead to the two big ones and what it means in the big picture.
After a report that the UFC pulled in more than $1 billion in revenue in 2022, fighters like middleweight champ Israel Adesanya are joining the call for better fighter pay, including a raise in post-fight bonuses from $50,000. Is the whole fighter pay conversation a pointless one, though?
Former UFC dual champion Conor McGregor, a lightning rod for controversy and headlines, made more of both when he knocked out the Miami Heat’s mascot in a pre-planned mid-game sponsor skit and sent him to the hospital. How much of the bizarre incident is McGregor’s fault?

Video: What’s with Dana White’s fixation on Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones?

All of a sudden, Dana White seems very interested in booking a fantasy fight between Jon Jones and boxing champ Tyson Fury. Why?

UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] may be out on some crossover fantasy matchups, but there is one that he has recently shown a lot of interest in.

Just a few days removed from declaring “gimmick fights” are not a part of the UFC’s matchmaking playbook, White openly challenged boxing champ [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] to step up for a fight against UFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in the octagon.

While White admitted he has a great relationship with Fury and knows he would easily win a fight against Jones in the boxing ring, the UFC boss believes things would be different in the cage – and rightfully so. Throughout the brief history of MMA fighters stepping into the boxing ring and vice versa, the victory typically goes the way of the fighter competing on his home turf.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] took on [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] in the ring, and despite the box office smash, the result was no surprise as “Money” finished “The Notorious” Irishman in the 10th round. When boxing champ James Toney entered the octagon to face two-division champ [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], things also went as expected: Couture quickly and easily took Toney down for the submission win.

So why is White so interested in this fantasy matchup for “the baddest man on the planet” instead of working with the PFL to create Jones vs. now-former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou? Is White’s interest in the fight with Fury genuine to create a potentially massive event, or is all of this a way to get the UFC audience to forget about Ngannou?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn, and Danny Segura answer those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

Video: Who do we think wins UFC 289’s Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana, Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” previews the main and co-main event bouts of UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana, Oliveira vs. Dariush.

UFC 289 is right around the corner and it brings two massive fights at the top of the bill.

In the main event, the consensus greatest female fighter of all time [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] looks to defend one of her two titles against Mexico’s [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]. The bantamweight title fight headlines the event at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Saturday evening.

Will Nunes record the first defense of her second bantamweight title reign, or will Aldana become the fourth Mexican fighter to win a UFC title in 2023?

In the co-feature, former lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag], in a title eliminator. Oliveira is looking to get back in position to reclaim the title he lost on the scale at UFC 280 before being submitted by Islam Makhachev. Dariush, however, enters on an eight-fight winning streak, hunting for his first crack at UFC gold.

Will there be a new champion crowned in Canada? Will Dariush finally get his promised title shot if he can get past “Do Bronx?”

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn, and Danny Segura preview the fights with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

[lawrence-related id=2647693,2647371,2647415]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

Video: Buy or sell Conor McGregor making ‘greatest return in combat sports’?

Conor McGregor is confident about how his UFC return will unfold, but will it even happen?

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is confident about how his UFC return will unfold, but will it even happen?

McGregor served as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” opposite Michael Chandler, with the expectation that they would fight each other inside the octagon as is customary for “TUF” coaches. Chandler is raring to go, but McGregor maybe not so much.

UFC president Dana White cast doubt last weekend about the promotion’s ability to get McGregor to sign on officially for the fight, which is made even more complicated by the fact that the former two-division champion remains out of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing pool, which he’s required to be in for six months before he fights.

Still, in an interview just before the premiere of “TUF 31,” which airs weekly on ESPN until Aug. 15, McGregor told UFC reporter Megan Olivi that he’s prepared to make the “greatest return in combat sports.” His actions, however, say otherwise.

So are you buying or selling McGregor making good on his bold claim?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn, and Danny Segura answer that question with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

[lawrence-related id=2647231,2647213,2647117]