Spinning Back Clique LIVE (noon ET): Magomed Ankalaev’s case for a title shot, UFC 297 preview , 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, Nolan King and Dan Tom will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:
- The first UFC title fight announced for UFC 300 in April will be historic, but also has opened up as a potential mismatch. Women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will take on Yan Xiaonan (15-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC 300, and Weili opened as more than a 3-1 favorite. Is this the right matchup for the division, and does Xiaonan have a shot in the China vs. China bout?
- The UFC was busy with fight booking announcements this past week. Of fights like ex-champs Rose Namajunas vs. Amanda Ribas, Germaine de Randamie (10-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) vs. Norma Dumont, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt, Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval, Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg and more, what gets our engines revving the most?
- It took Magomed Ankalaev just a couple minutes to find his rhythm in his UFC Fight Night 234 main event against Johnny Walker. Then he finished him with a brutal KO. Ankalaev is hopeful he set himself up for a light heavyweight title shot with the win. But did the former title challenger do enough for another crack at the belt?
- Jim Miller won for the second straight time and picked up another $50,000 post-fight bonus at UFC Fight Night 234. Now he’s primed and poised for a spot on the UFC 300 lineup in April – which would mean he’d have fought at UFC 100 (2009), UFC 200 (2016) and UFC 300. Retired fighter and current UFC analyst Paul Felder is interested in a comeback for a one-off banger with Miller. Miller also is game to move up to welterweight to fight Matt Brown. It sounds like he’ll be on the show no matter what to make some history. But we need to figure out his best matchup.
- The first big numbered event of 2024 goes down Saturday in Toronto. UFC 297 features two title fights at the top of the lineup. Can Dricus Du Plessis, just a slight underdog, make Sean Strickland’s time atop the middleweight division one of the shortest title reigns in UFC history? And what about the vacant women’s bantamweight title, which is up for grabs between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva? We’ll preview the big show.
