Category: Spinning Back Clique

Video: Discussing the fallout of Stephen Thompson’s decision to not fight at UFC 291

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates Stephen Thompson’s decision to not fight Michel Pereira at UFC 291 after he missed weight.

Stephen Thompson did everything right leading up to UFC 291, and yet he didn’t compete.

Thompson’s opponent, Michel Pereira, missed weight at the official weigh-ins the day before the event, which led to the cancellation of their main card welterweight bout.

“Wonderboy” released a statement explaining his decision to not accept the fight with Pereira, pointing to past experiences with opponents missing weight, and more. While his reasons for passing on the fight made sense to many, the promotion decided Thompson would not be compensated for showing up and making weight.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss the fallout of Thompson’s decision with “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.

 

Video: Should Derrick Lewis re-sign with UFC or pursue other options?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates if entertaining heavyweight Derrick Lewis should stay with the UFC or look at moving to a new promotion.

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] has completed his contract and could explore free agency.

At UFC 291, Lewis fought the final fight on his contract, and reminded everyone watching why he’s a must-have talent on the roster. “The Black Beast” needed just 33 seconds to finish Marcos Rogerio de Lima after darting across the cage at the start with a flying knee ala Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren.

Since 2014, Lewis has been a mainstay in big spots on UFC cards. But is it time for both parties to go their separate ways? Could a massive payday be right around the corner if Lewis were to go to the PFL for a potential massive rematch against Francis Ngannou? Lewis has said he wants to stay put for one more run at the title, but is that his best option?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss potential options in Lewis’ future with “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.

Video: Should Alex Pereira be one half of vacant UFC light heavyweight title fight?

It may not be long before Alex Pereira is fighting for UFC gold once again.

After [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] lost the middleweight title back to Israel Adesanya, he moved up to light heavyweight for the first time this past Saturday at UFC 291 and had a victorious divisional debut with a split decision against former 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz.

It may not have been the splash performance Pereira was hoping for, but he beat a recent former champion nonetheless.

The UFC title is vacant – again – at light heavyweight, so the question is simple: Should Pereira be one of the two who eventually fights for the belt?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia tried to lay out a roadmap for Poirier’s future with “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Video: How can Dustin Poirier rebound from UFC 291 knockout loss to Justin Gaethje?

Dustin Poirier finds himself at a career crossroads after his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291.

Unfortunately for [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], he’s all too familiar with losses in title fights.

Just as impressive as Justin Gaethje’s knockout was in their “BMF” title fight at UFC 291, it was just as devastating for Poirier, although the former interim lightweight champ seemingly took it in stride.

Poirier, who’s come up short in two undisputed title fights, has often expressed just how badly he wants to be undisputed champion at 155 pounds, but he’ll be set back in the title picture for now –and may consider retirement.

How can he rebound? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia tried to lay out a roadmap for Poirier’s future with “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Video: What does winning ‘BMF’ title mean for Justin Gaethje’s career?

Justin Gaethje’s UFC 291 knockout of Dustin Poirier opens up a lot of options for “The Highlight.”

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] won the “BMF” title in the UFC 291 main event Saturday with a stunning head-kick knockout of fellow former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.

It was an incredible finish that captured the attention of the combat sports world, chief among them Conor McGregor, who implied that he’d skip the Michael Chandler fight he’s supposed to have for one with Gaethje. Would that be a good fight for Gaethje to take on?

What does winning the “BMF” title mean for “The Highlight,” who continuously proves he’s the embodiment of his nickname in the cage? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

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You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Spinning Back Clique LIVE: UFC 291 fallout for Gaethje, Poirier and others, plus Paul vs. Diaz and more

This week’s “Spinning Back Clique” discusses and debates UFC 291’s big winners and fallout, looks at Paul vs. Diaz 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 Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • Justin Gaethje won the “BMF” title in the UFC 291 main event Saturday with a stunning head kick knockout of fellow former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. He quickly got a callout from Conor McGregor, who implied he’d skip the Michael Chandler fight he’s supposed to have for one with Gaethje. And then there’s the matter of a possible title shot. So what should be next for “The Highlight” who continuously proves he’s the embodiment of his nickname when he’s in the cage?
  • Just as impressive as Gaethje’s knockout was, it was just as devastating for Poirier – though the Louisiana native said after the loss it was hard, but just a loss. He’ll be set back in the title picture now – and might even contemplate hanging up his gloves. We’ll try to lay a roadmap for his possible future.
  • After Alex Pereira lost the middleweight title back to Israel Adesanya, he moved up to light heavyweight Saturday for the first time at UFC 291 and had a victorious divisional debut with a split decision against former 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz. The title is vacant – again – at light heavyweight. Should Pereira be one of the two who eventually fights for the vacant belt?
  • Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis hasn’t had the easiest run lately, but at UFC 291, he looked like the Lewis of old. He tore through Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a little more than 30 seconds – and started his barrage with a flying knee, of all things, that landed just a couple seconds into the fight. But Lewis said his contract is up, and he’s ready to look around. Should he stay with the UFC or go elsewhere?
  • Two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson never has missed weight in his career. But this past Friday, his opponent, Michel Pereira, was off by 3 pounds on the scale at UFC 291. Even though Thompson already had made weight, he chose to not accept the fight with Pereira at a different weight and said he learned his lesson the hard way when he lost to Darren Till after Till missed weight a few years ago. Thompson may have the financial means to sit one out, but other fighters aren’t in the same position – and there’s little that is equitable about how the UFC handles on weight issue to the next. But we’ll explore the fallout that might come from what “Wonderboy” chose to do in Salt Lake City.
  • Plus, we’ll hit on Saturday’s Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz boxing match, Michael Bisping’s claim about Jon Jones, Tony Ferguson’s sixth straight loss and more.

Video: Who wins the ‘BMF’ title in the UFC 291 main event?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” breaks down the UFC 291 main event, the “BMF” title fight between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.

The UFC 291 headliner is one that is sure to produce fireworks.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] are set to clash for a second time, with the “BMF” title hanging in the balance.

Both fighters successfully made weight Friday morning, clearing the way for their highly-anticipated rematch Saturday evening at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

The pair first met at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, where Poirier stopped Gaethje in the fourth round by TKO with a barrage of punches. Since that moment, both men have been on a similar path.

Both Poirier and Gaethje became interim UFC lightweight champions while picking up wins over some of the best competition in the division. While both fell to former champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, they created exciting highlight-reel moments in their victorious outings.

Now they’re set to fight again five years later. Which fighter will have the upper hand this time? Has one become more advanced than the other since the first meeting?

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Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss the matchup with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Video: Did the UFC get it right with the top fights booked for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses if Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2 and Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev can carry UFC 294.

The UFC is returning to Abu Dhabi in October, and a big lightweight title fight is at the top of the bill.

In the main event on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena, lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] will face former champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] in a title rematch. The pair first met a year ago at UFC 280, where Makhacehv submitted Oliveria in the second round.

The co-feature will see a big middleweight showdown between [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] and [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]. The winner of that fight could be next up for a title shot.

Was there another marquee matchup that should have been added to this card or did the promotion get it right with these two fights heading the show?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss the lineup with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Video: What’s the right move for UFC 293 in Sydney?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses how the promotion should ensure the best possible scenario for Israel Adesanya at UFC 293.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] has a date in mind for his next title defense, and he wants to keep it.

The promotion would also like Adesanya to headline the upcoming UFC 293 pay-per-view event in Sydney, but the problem may be selecting the correct opponent.

Despite the extremely heated exchange between Adesanya and [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] at UFC 290, Adesanya has reason to believe his potential opponent won’t be available for that date, and in an expletive-filled video posted to social media, “The Last Stylebender” said that [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] was up next instead.

Has Strickland done enough to earn a title shot or is Du Plessis the best option instead, and one worth waiting for later in the year?

What if Adesanya isn’t on the card at all? How much of a blow would that be for ticket sales near his home in New Zealand? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer these questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

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You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.

 

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Video: UFC London performances worthy of some shine

UFC Fight Night 224 didn’t smash the way events in London usually do, but it still had some buzz at The O2 thanks to these fighters.

UFC Fight Night 224 didn’t smash the way events in London usually do, but it still had some buzz at The O2, with most of it attributed to Tom Aspinall’s successful return after a year off.

Still, we’re giving some shine to fighters who might’ve flown under the radar, including [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag], [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag] and [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]. Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia make their picks with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.