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, John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze touch on the biggest storylines around the world of MMA and take a quick look back at a lackluster UFC on ESPN+ 22 show.
Show rundown:
- Ben Askren announced his retirement from MMA on Monday after an eventful UFC stint in which he went 1-2 with the promotion. What does this mean for the former undefeated Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion’s legacy? Is there more to judge than just his win-loss record inside the octagon?
- Nick Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal: Buying or selling? And should Diaz even return to the cage after such a long absence?
- MMA vs. Boxing: We’ve got Masvidal not backing off his callout of Canelo Alvarez. We’ve got Tyson Fury training MMA with Darren Till and apparently wanting to fight UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. And there’s continued talk of Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields fighting UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes. What the heck is this all about?
- UFC Sao Paulo was, well … it was not the most memorable evening in MMA history. Jan Blachowicz won. Mauricio Rua and Paul Craig fought to a split draw. It’s no surprise there wasn’t a “Fight of the Night” bonus handed out. But, hey, at least there was Charles Oliveira scoring another finish. What was the biggest takeaway from the card?
- Bellator star Michael Page returns this week to headline Bellator Europe 6 in London, and he’s facing … a newcomer. What is Bellator doing here? Will it let “Venom” face real competition or not?
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.
