Spinning Back Clique: Does what Stephen A. Smith thinks about Donald Cerrone even matter?

For a man many claim knows nothing about MMA, Stephen A. Smith sure did occupy a massive space in the sport over the past week.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and John Morgan take a look at the unexpected biggest story of the past week, with Stephen A. Smith and Joe Rogan publicly expressing their differing positions on the evaluation of UFC 246’s main event between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag].

SHOW RUNDOWN:

  • Smith is known for his bold opinions and his willingness to argue them at length, but his knowledge in the sport of MMA is admittedly limited. But was there any truth to his claim that “Cowboy” quit in the bout with McGregor? And should anyone really even care what Smith’s thoughts are on big UFC events?
  • [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] made her Bellator debut over the weekend and picked up the company’s women’s featherweight title with a fourth-round TKO of former champ Julia Budd. Cyborg now owns belts in four different major promotions. Is that enough to call her the women’s GOAT of MMA, or does Amanda Nunes have that title locked down?
  • Bellator 238 also featured the continuation of Bellator’s featherweight grand prix, and former bantamweight champ [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] looked stellar with a first-round finish of Adam Borics. Is “The Wolf” now the favorite to win the grand prix title and the accompanying $1 million prize?
  • [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s career has been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions from the start, entering as a man labeled “the greatest prospect in MMA history” but sputtering at times along the way. Pico picked up a much-needed win at Bellator 238, snapping a two-fight losing streak in the process. Is Pico poised to finally deliver on his potential?
  • At UFC Raleigh, [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] picked up a big win over former champ Junior Dos Santos and made it clear he’s gunning for the title. Unfortunately, champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to step back in the cage. What’s going on with the UFC heavyweight division?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 13 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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