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 panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
Leon Edwards pulled off one of the great stunners in MMA history when he snatched victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat against Kamaru Usman. In the UFC 278 main event, Edwards was down 3-1 on the scorecards heading to the fifth, and he hadn’t done much in the final round to make a case that the fight was very close if he lost a decision. But with 56 seconds left, he hit the welterweight champ with a head kick to knock him out and win the title. Joe Rogan called it the best head-kick KO in MMA history. Given Usman’s accolades and the stakes, was Edwards’ win the best come-from-behind moment ever?
Former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold was swept on the scorecards by Paulo Costa in the UFC 278 co-main event, but his loss wasn’t what most people were talking about after the event. Instead, Rockhold’s heart and guts were at the forefront of most conversations, given he was beaten and bloody, but kept coming forward and landed a bunch of big shots of his own. That he did it in a return after more than three years away just added to his lore. Plus, he said immediately after the loss that it likely was his last fight. If that proves to be the case, what is Rockhold’s legacy, and is he a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame?
Kayla Harrison had little to no problem once again Saturday. She advanced to her third PFL women’s lightweight final, and in November she’ll go after a third $1 million paycheck. The unbeaten two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo was a highly coveted free agent before she returned to the PFL this year. After her first-round submission win over Martina Jindrova in London, she called herself the “queen of women’s MMA.” Is she right?
Mike Perry and Michael Page put on a classic brawl in the BKFC 27 main event in London. Their bareknuckle fight was ruled a draw after five rounds, but BKFC rules allow a sixth sudden-victory round to get a winner. After one more frame, former UFC fighter Perry got his hand raised against Page, a Bellator standout on loan to BKFC for a big fight in front of his home England fans. Was Perry the rightful winner? If there’s a rematch, should it be in BKFC under the same ruleset, or should they fight in MMA?
We know who the winners and losers were on paper at UFC 278, the PFL’s third playoff event, and BKFC 27. But beyond those easy-to-track folks in the win and loss columns, who were the biggest winners from the three events this past Saturday? And who will be looking back on the day a little less fondly?
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.