Spinning Back Clique: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington, UFC 273 title-fight fallout, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

• UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is considering a return to the lightweight division if a bout with Max Holloway isn’t next or another contender doesn’t emerge following his UFC 273 title defense over Chan Sung Jung. How would he fare against the top names at 155 pounds?
• Aljamain Sterling unified the UFC bantamweight title with a controversial split-decision win over Petr Yan at UFC 273. Who was the rightful winner of the bout, and how should each man proceed with their careers from here?
• Khamzat Chimaev was tested against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, but emerged with a unanimous decision win. UFC president Dana White wants a matchup with Colby Covington next, but did the performance show it would be better for “The Wolf” to get more experience before fighting another top-three opponent?
• Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2 is booked for June 11 at UFC 275. Can we accurately frame this as a No. 1 contender fight? What are the stakes here?
• Bellator 277 takes place Friday with title fights featuring A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire 2 and Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson. Can the winner of those bouts claim top ranking at featherweight and light heavyweight, regardless of promotion?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.