Holly Holm – Syndication Server

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 300 review, Holloway wins BMF title, Makhachev & McGregor return, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the fallout of UFC 300 including, Holloway’s BMF win, McGregor’s return, 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 Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate everything around UFC 300:

The UFC reached its 300th pay-per-view event, a big milestone for the Las Vegas-based promotion. Where does this massive event rank in UFC history? On paper, it was a great card, and it delivered as promised.
[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] arguably made the biggest statement on Saturday night. The former UFC featherweight champion knocked out [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] in brutal fashion with one second remaining in the fight for the BMF title. So what’s next for Holloway? Should he stay at 155 pounds or go back to 145? Holloway has many options after this career-defining win.
On top of Holloway’s win, there were several other important lightweight bouts, as well as other lightweight bookings announced: [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] defeated former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] stopped Jalin Turner and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] picked apart Jim Miller. Additionally, the [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] title defense vs. [autotag]Dutin Poirier[/autotag] was made official, along with the return of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who faces lightweight standout [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] in a welterweight bout. Big news and results that heavily impact the UFC lightweight division.
In the main event of UFC 300, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] successfully defended his light heavyweight belt for the very first time, knocking out [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. It was a huge win for the Brazilian, who requested a heavyweight fight in a quick turnaround at UFC 301 in Brazil next month.
In the other undisputed title fight, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] defended her UFC strawweight belt against fellow Chinese fighter [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]. It was a solid showing by Weili, who logged the second title defense of her second championship reign.
[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] made a huge splash on Saturday night. In a dominant showing, she submitted former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag], a victory that even caught the attention of former two-division UFC champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]. What’s next for Harrison? Is she a future UFC champion? We unpack it all.
Lastly, several other big storylines went down at UFC 300. The panel quickly reviews [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s featherweight debut, [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s submission win, [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]’ most recent first-round finish and more.

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UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Headliner Jamahal Hill works on a slick 1/1 piece of memorabilia

In the fourth episode of UFC 300 “Embedded,” Jamahal Hill gets autographs from the fighters on the card – including his champ opponent.

One of the most highly anticipated fight weeks in UFC history is here with UFC 300, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) puts that belt on the line for the first time against former champ [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who vacated the title six months after he won it due to injury.

In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC). The bout is the first all-China title fight in UFC history.

The “BMF” belt is on the line between current titleholder [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and former longtime featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC), who is moving up to lightweight for the bout.

Plus, UFC 300 features the promotional debut of two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against former women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and five other former UFC champions on arguably the most stacked card in company history.

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Bobby Green, Charles Oliveira, Xiaonan Yan and Jamahal Hill carve out time to train. Holly Holm goes coffee hunting. Fighter check in at UFC Apex, and headliner Hill gets autographs – including one from foe Alex Pereira.

Also watch:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Holly Holm dismisses Ronda Rousey’s concussion claim prior to UFC 193 fight: ‘I was the better fighter that night’

Holly Holm respectfully isn’t putting too much stock in Ronda Rousey’s recent admission.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] respectfully isn’t putting too much stock in [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag]’s recent comments about their 2015 fight.

Holm scored a massive upset knockout of the previously unbeaten Rousey to claim the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 193. Rousey recently revealed she entered the fight concussed prior to even suffering the head-kick knockout.

When Holm was asked to react to Rousey’s comments, the former champion simply said she outperformed her on the night.

“I say this all out of respect,” Holm told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 300 media day. “In order to have a big upset like that fight was, you have to have a dominant champion. So, without her being so dominant then I couldn’t have been able to have such an upset. With that being said, I was the better fighter. I was the better fighter that night, and every fighter at this point, if you’ve made a career of fighting, you’ve had a concussion at some point.

“You go back and look at some of my boxing fights and some of the things that I’ve done, I’ve definitely had some concussions. I’ll never sit here and use that as an excuse for any loss. I think that it’s probably just hard for her to really want to, like, maybe admit that I was just the better fighter. Was she so dominant and a good champion? One hundred percent. I give her that, but she wasn’t better than me and especially that night.”

Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) welcomes Kayla Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the octagon in a bantamweight bout Saturday at UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 3: ‘Just win, baby’

In the third installment of UFC 300 “Embedded,” Max Holloway gets a VIP tour of the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.

One of the most highly anticipated fight weeks in UFC history is here with UFC 300, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The third episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Alex Pereira teaches Nina Drama footwork. Diego Lopes shops from the shoes up. Calvin Kattar stays sharp. Max Holloway tours a Vegas landmark. Kayla Harrison, Bo Nickal and champ Zhang Weili get in PI time. Justin Gaethje appreciates his team.

Also watch:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Video: What to expect from Kayla Harrison’s debut vs. Holly Holm at UFC 300

Kayla Harrison’s UFC moment has finally arrived. We break down what to expect in this week’s “Spinning Back Clique.”

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]’s highly-anticipated UFC debut.

Harrison, two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and former two-time PFL champion, steps in the octagon for the very first time this Saturday at UFC 300. She takes on former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] on the preliminary card. Apart from being her UFC debut, Harrison will also fight at 135 pounds for the first time.

So what can fans expect from Harrison’s UFC debut?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia break it all down.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/fSjkR02NKpM

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: Kayla Harrison arrives in Las Vegas, finds peace and quiet

On the second episode of UFC 300 “Embedded,” Kayla Harrison is in a calm state before a hectic fight week gets started.

One of the most highly anticipated fight weeks in UFC history is here with UFC 300, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The second episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Jiří Procházka, Jamahal Hill and more take in UFC Fight Night. Champion Alex Pereira gets a sendoff from his team. Diego Lopes, Justin Gaethje and Kayla Harrison explore Las Vegas. Bo Nickal wraps up camp in PA, while Max Holloway hits the PI.

Also watch:

UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Star-studded and historic fight week underway in Las Vegas

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Star-studded and historic fight week underway in Las Vegas

The “Embedded” video series is here to document one of the most highly anticipated fight weeks in UFC history.

One of the most highly anticipated fight weeks in UFC history is here with UFC 300, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Alex Pereira hangs with Chuck Liddell and Glover Teixeira. Cody Garbrandt, Weili Zhang, Aljamain Sterling and Jamahal Hill bring big belt energy to the UFC PI. Max Holloway arrives in Vegas. Bo Nickal does game night; Justin Gaethje gets in leg day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Everything UFC 300 – Pereira vs. Hill, BMF title fight, Harrison’s debut, more

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses everything UFC 300.

Check out this week’s special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” where we’ll be breaking down everything UFC 300.

This week’s panel will be composed of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia – along with appearances from Matt Wells, Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun, Dan Tom, and Nolan King.

For this Monday’s special episode, the panel discussed:

The pair of undisputed UFC championship fights headlining UFC 300. In the main event, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] makes his first light heavyweight title defense against former champion [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], who returns from injury. In the co-main event, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] takes on fellow Chinese fighter [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] in a women’s strawweight bout.
The first-ever Baddest Motherf*cker title defense, as BMF champion [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] welcomes back [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] to the lightweight division. Other key lightweight bouts go down, including [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag], [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].
Highly-touted undefeated middleweight prospect [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s return to action. He takes on Cody Brundage in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card. This will be Nickal’s third fight under the UFC banner.
Two-time PFL champion and two-time Judo Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] makes her highly awaited UFC debut. She takes on former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] at bantamweight – a division Harrison will be debuting in. Harrison has previously fought at 155 and 145 pounds.
Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has moved up to featherweight. Veteran contender [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] welcomes him to the division.
To cap off the show, the panel will do a quick promo breakdown to hype up the four remaining bouts of the UFC 300 card. This includes [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag], [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag], and [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag].

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Kayla Harrison: Cris Cyborg ‘just attention seeking’ by helping Holly Holm prep for me at UFC 300

Kayla Harrison says she doesn’t care if Cris Cyborg is lending Holly Holm a helping hand for UFC 300.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] says she doesn’t care if [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] is lending [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] a helping hand for UFC 300.

Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her octagon debut against former bantamweight champion Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) at UFC 300 on April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cyborg traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., to help Holm, but Harrison is a little confused by that move.

“I really just don’t think much of it,” Harrison told MMA Junkie. “It doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Cyborg is an orthodox striker and I’m a southpaw grappler, so I guess, like, cool? But kudos to them. When I was in judo, I trained with all the girls I competed with.”

Harrison and Cyborg were on a collision course, but the fight never materialized after PFL acquired Bellator, and Harrison signed with the UFC. Harrison questions Cyborg’s intentions.

“I think it’s great – good for them. I think Cyborg is just attention seeking, but whatever,” Harrison said. “Who cares?”

As for Holm, the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and two-time PFL lightweight champion respects her opponent’s accolades and longevity in the sport.

“She’s just another fighter,” Harrison said. “I probably have the most respect for her. She seems like such a champion in life. I just have a lot of respect for her as a human being and as a fighter – what she’s accomplished, how she’s stayed relevant and adjusted and grown as a fighter.

“I have a lot of respect for that. It’s not an easy thing to do in this sport because it is constantly evolving. … It’s not personal. It’s just business. This is my job, and I’m coming to take her head off.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

The 10 greatest UFC championship fight performances of all time, ranked

Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva highlight some of the greatest performances in UFC championship history.

The term “rising to the occasion” can often feel like a trite one in combat sports.

However, when looking deeper into the application of that saying, I noticed that many of the examples that come to mind – arguably across all sports – are instances that involve raised stakes and championship titles.

For the UFC, this generally falls under the category of championship titles given that they haven’t been awarding tournament titles since Dan Henderson beat Carlos Newton back at UFC 17 in 1998.

So, with this being such a broad topic to cover, I thought it would be fun to narrow down my favorite championship performances that have taken place in the UFC in the form of a top 10 list.

As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top ten.

So, without further ado…