Next month, the UFC will induct the eighth bout into the Fight Wing of its Hall of Fame. What should No. 9 eventually be?
Next month, the UFC will induct the eighth bout into the Fight Wing of its Hall of Fame.
Robbie Lawler’s welterweight title defense against Rory MacDonald in a rematch at UFC 189 will make those two fighters UFC Hall of Famers. Lawler won the bloody battle with a fifth-round TKO. MacDonald was up three rounds to one on all three judges’ scorecards and likely was on his way to a UFC title had the fight gone the distance.
What are some classics like that bout that deserve some consideration the next time the UFC brass decides to add another legendary matchup to the Fight Wing?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn discussed some options with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch the conversation in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.
A merger between Bellator and PFL seemingly would impact the industry in a big way and on a number of levels.
Bellator president Scott Coker dropped a bit of a bombshell this past week when he confirmed to MMA Junkie that the promotion is, in fact, looking for a partner – and that potentially includes the PFL.
According to Coker, PFL “is definitely in the conversation. There’s a couple conversations going on right now with Viacom and other companies. PFL is definitely one of them.”
Coker didn’t go into further detail, but still: Hello.
A merge between Bellator and PFL seemingly would impact the MMA industry in a big way, including perhaps competing with the UFC on a number of levels. So what might a Bellator-PFL merge look like, and what could that impact be?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn discussed the development with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch the conversation in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.
Vadim Nemkov, Jared Cannonier and Sergio Pettis each had standout performances, but who was tops this past weekend?
Between the two UFC and Bellator events this past weekend, three outstanding performances took place in headliners and title fights.
First at Bellator 297 on Friday, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] dominated Yoel Romero to successfully defend his light heavyweight title by unanimous decision with three scores of 49-46 in the main event. And in the co-headliner, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returned from a long injury layoff to deny Patricio Freire’s bid to become a triple champ with a lopsided unanimous decision that included two 50-45 sweeps from the judges.
With that being said, we ask: Who shined the brightest this past weekend?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn discussed the development with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch the conversation in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.
Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou faced off at PFL in Atlanta, raising questions about whether a fight between them could actually happen.
[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] gave MMA fans the ultimate tease on Friday at 2023 PFL 5 when they engaged in a staredown that saw plenty of words traded between the two sides.
Even though they kept things cordial and did not get physical, UFC heavyweight champ Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and former titleholder Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 0-0 PFL) sized each other up and made it clear they each believe they would be the better man in a fight.
Unfortunately, with Ngannou having parted ways with the UFC and now signed to PFL, the faceoff could be nothing more than glimpse into one of the most significant failed bookings in the history of the sport.
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Or could it perhaps be a sign that Jones and Ngannou are willing to do whatever it takes to make the matchup happen?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Brian Garcia and Nolan King 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.
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.
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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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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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.
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.
