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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

Spinning Back Clique: Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones in UFC?, Conor McGregor’s uncertain future, 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 Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • For weeks we’ve asked the question, “Will you tune in to ‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’? Well, the premiere episode featuring coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler aired last Tuesday on ESPN. What did you think? And will you be tuning in for the entire season?
  • Focusing only on the biggest star in our sport, McGregor’s future remains unclear despite the expectation of a traditional ‘TUF’ coaches fight with Chandler. That much became clear this past Saturday when UFC president Dana White offered a grim update on getting the fight finalized. White’s assessment came on the heels of a Megan Olivi interview with McGregor in which he said he’s aiming to make “the greatest return in combat sports.” Are you buyng or selling? And if McGregor never fought in the UFC again, how would you feel about it?
  • Let’s talk about Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones in the UFC. Wait what? It’s a fight that White, who’s said before that he’s against “gimmicky-type fights,” is pushing for as he doubled down on his offer to Fury this past Saturday. Why is White suddenly into hyping up a fight between Fury and Jones, and is he serious about this?
  • The UFC on ESPN 45 headliner between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi was a solid fight that ended in controversy, with Albazi winning a close split decision despite a vast majority of media outlets (19-2) scoring it for Kara-France, who has claimed robbery. What did you think of the scores?
  • UFC 289 is top heavy, with just main and co-main events that stand out from the card. Amanda Nunes returns to defend her women’s bantamweight title against Irene Aldana, while former champ Charles Oliveira and streaking contender Beneil Dariush compete in a pivotal lightweight bout. We preview both fights ahead of Saturday night’s event in Vancouver.
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