Spinning Back Clique: Glover Teixeira's resurgence, UFC 267 standouts and 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.

This week, we focus on the standout performances from UFC 267, discuss the conclusion to the 2021 PFL season and look ahead to UFC 268.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss these topics with host John Morgan.

• At this past weekend’s UFC 267, we saw Glover Teixeira claim the UFC light heavyweight championship at 42 years old, capping off a long journey to the top for the beloved Brazilian. It wasn’t that long ago that Teixeira was mired in a 2-3 slump, but he then rattled off six straight wins, including five stoppages, to claim UFC gold. Is that run, especially at his age, the greatest career comeback we’ve seen in the UFC?
• One of the biggest storylines of UFC 267 was the much-anticipated return of Khamzat Chimaev, and he delivered with an incredible first-round technical submission win over Li Jingliang. The performance was simply dominant, and a lot of people seem to think a fight with Nate Diaz is the next best move for Chimaev at this time. Is that the fight to make, or do you have something better in mind?
• UFC 267 also saw a bold statement made from Islam Makhachev, who says he’s ready for a title shot following a first-round submission victory over Dan Hooker. Of course, we’ve also got Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler coming up this weekend, and you’ve got names like Rafael dos Anjos and Beneil Dariush that are up there around the top, not to mention Conor McGregor, who seemingly can fight for a title whenever he wants. So sort this thing out for us. Is Makhachev getting a title shot?
• The PFL wrapped up its 2021 season this past week with a rather entertaining night of fights – even the pacing left a little something to be desired. So with another six $1 million checks handed out, what were the biggest surprises for you along the way, and what takeways are you left with heading into 2022?
• This weekend, it’s another absolutely loaded UFC event in New York City with UFC 268. We’ve got two titles on the line, both high-profile rematches, and we’ve got a number of matchups that look like they could steal the show, so give a bold prediction of what we’re going to see on Saturday night.

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