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Spinning Back Clique: BKFC 41 and Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz's arrest, Song Yadong's arrival, more (noon ET)

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, Danny Segura and Dan Tom will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • The UFC was in action this past Saturday, but so, too, was BKFC – and it made by far the bigger splash. BKFC 41 near Denver featured a main event of Mike Perry vs. former UFC and Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold, plus a co-main event of former UFC and Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes. The card also featured Ben Rothwell, Bec Rawlings – and Conor McGregor was there as a fan, then faced off with Perry! What is happening here?! Was this the start of the BKFC takeover?
  • Nate Diaz has been in the news. He turned himself in to police in New Orleans, was booked and released and now awaits the next process after an arrest that stemmed from footage of him choking a man unconscious. Diaz’s side said the man was a fellow fighter who came at Diaz, and Diaz merely acted in self defense. What are our thoughts on the scuffle.
  • Not to be forgotten, UFC Fight Night 223 went down in Las Vegas. It wasn’t a crazy card on paper, but in the main event, Song Yadong planted his flag as a bantamweight title contender with a dominant fifth-round finish of Ricky Simon. What’s Yadong’s position in the division, and at 25, what’s his timeline for when he might fight for a UFC title?
  • The UFC’s middleweight title picture seemed clear enough: Ex-champ Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis has been booked, and presumably the winner would be teed up for Israel Adesanya. But now Aeesanya, born in Africa, but living in New Zealand, has beef with Du Plessis, a South Africa native who still lives and trains there. Is Adsanya vs. Du Plessis the way to go now because of the heat it can pull from their new rivalry?
  • UFC 288 goes down Saturday in New Jersey, and while it won’t be in the running for the best numbered card of all time, it’s solid from top to bottom and the main event is loaded with intrigue. Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will put his title on the line against former two-division champ Henry Cejudo, who is coming out of retirement. It’s tight with the oddsmakers, but who has more to gain or lose?

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



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