The Clinch Podcast
Welcome to The Clinch Podcast, your go-to source for all things combat sports! Im your host Chey, and this podcast dives deep into the world of mixed martial arts, boxing, and everything in between. Whether you're a seasoned fan, an aspiring fighter, or just starting to explore the sport, I've got you covered.
Each episode, I break down the biggest fights, the most exciting up-and-comers, and the stories behind the athletes who live and breathe the fight game. From interviews with fighters, coaches, and analysts to in-depth discussions about the strategies, training, and culture that shape the world of combat sports, The Clinch brings you the pulse of the fight world with a unique perspective.
No topic is off-limits – whether it's the hottest fight night previews, game-changing industry news, or tackling the personal journeys of those in the ring and beyond, The Clinch Podcast always delivers fresh, exciting, and honest conversations.
Get ready for powerful discussions, intense analysis, and the raw energy of combat sports. Join me and step into the clinch – where the action happens.
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The Clinch Podcast
Episode 50! Jon Jones Dominates UFC 309 & What's Next in Macau
Listen in as I breakdown the unexpected twists and exciting victories of UFC 309! I break down the electrifying clash between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, pondering whether Chandler might find greater success in another division. I also analyze Jon Jones’s exceptional strategy and adaptability in the main event against Stipe Miocic. Listen to a Jon Jones Hater actually say nice things about him! Plus, gear up for my predictions on the upcoming UFC Macau, featuring explosive matchups like Maheshate vs. Nicholas Motta and Davison Figueiredo vs. Peter Yan. Join me for a passionate review filled with excitement, strategic insights, and a look ahead to what's next in the world of UFC. I hope you enjoy!
what's up guys? Welcome back to the clinch podcast. I'm your host, shea, and today I have an action-packed episode lined up for everyone. I'll be breaking down all the drama from UFC 309, sharing my thoughts on the fights and, of course, I'll give you my predictions for the upcoming UFC Macau event. But before we get started, make sure you just hit that follow or subscribe button I'm not sure which one you see, depending on how you're listening so do either one of those so you don't miss any future episodes of the Clinch.
Speaker 2:I'd want to do some really cool stuff with the podcast within the next few months, and so any kind of support I can get from you guys means so so much to me. I want to make sure that everyone else is having as much fun as I'm having. Like I said before, that'll be hard because this is so much fun for me and I can't wait to have even more fun with you guys in all the plans that I have for this podcast coming up. So not the next one, but within the next few months I have some exciting plans, so I'm super excited. Make sure you don't miss any of that. But okay, let's get to it. There's a lot to cover today. So lock in and let's get to it.
Speaker 2:So UFC 309 was a roller coaster for me A lot of surprises, some drama and a few unexpected outcomes for me. So let's start with the first fight that I wanted to talk about, and that is David Onama versus Roberto Romero. Now, romero's a beast Can't deny that at all. The guy is a mean striker, he's relentless and he doesn't stop coming forward. But with Onama, wow, he's just something else. He's got creative and technical striking and his fight IQ which is my favorite thing about fighters was just stellar. I love gauging a fighter's fight IQ. It's one of my favorite things to watch. I just love watching people think in any area of life, but especially in MMA. I feel like he really showed his ability to think one step ahead of his opponents, especially in front of Romero, and I think that was the key difference between the two in this fight. He just stayed calm, composed and his grappling was slick. It was beautiful, composed and his grappling was slick. It was beautiful, and Romero's toughness is unquestionable like, without a doubt. It was there. It was amazing to see, it was exciting, but Monoma's game was just a hair sharper and I just thought it was a great fight. I thought it was a good battle of the wits, so I like that one. I liked it a lot.
Speaker 2:Next, I wanted to talk about Karenaren silva versus vivian araujo I'm pretty sure that's how it's pronounced. Um, this one was a chess match for sure, obviously. I just said I love those kinds of fights. The first two rounds were super tactical, technical and you could see both fighters trying to outthink one another. But man Silva Bo Silva, she gassed out in that third round hard, I think. She kind of seemed to fade mentally and physically, and that mental part will really do you in, let me tell you, and you could just tell that she was ready to be done with laying down on the mat and all of that.
Speaker 2:And Dana White and the other big bosses if you've been watching for even a small amount of time, you know that they hate that, like they. Dana White specifically, he won't really mince words when it comes to how he feels about fighters and he definitely has made it known that he does not like things like that. They want to see fighters push through, even when they're running on empty. That's what they want to see, especially on the Contender Series, just anywhere, anywhere that the UFC is bringing fighters in. That's what they expect, you know. But it's a learning experience for Silva, and Araujo really just took advantage of it. So what can you say? Like, how can you blame her? Like that? She capitalized on a gassed opponent and Silva was able to learn, hopefully, that she needs to work on that endurance, that cardio and everything. Me too, I need to work on that endurance, that cardio and everything. Me, too, I need to work on that cardio. But we're talking about silver here. So, um, I thought it was a great fight for Vivian. I enjoyed watching her. So good for her. Now.
Speaker 2:I also wanted to talk about Paul Craig versus Bo Nickel, because that was one I was super excited for and I gave a prediction, I guess, on my last episode, um, so I was really expecting a different outcome here, as you can tell from the difference between how I sound now and what I was saying I was expecting in my previous episode. I really thought that Bo Nickel would finish Paul Craig, but Paul Craig looked he looked really good. He looked a lot better than I expected. He was more sharp, more focused and, honestly, was much more evenly matched with Bo than I thought he would be. He's been fantastic, like he's been an exciting fighter for me to watch. If you listen to the previous episode, you know that. So it's not that I thought he was going to be really bad or anything, I just didn't expect him to be that good. So you know, round of applause, um I I really thought that Bo could have dug deeper and had he done that, I think he could have pulled off the win or the finish, and I was really surprised that it went the distance. But you know, craig showed some insane heart and it was a fun fight to watch and Bo just faced more challenges than he was expecting against Paul Craig. But he's a quick adjuster. So, either way, I can't wait to see what both fighters look like in their next fights, for sure, man, I am just flying through these, I am just flying, flying, flying. But I was just really excited to talk to you guys about these fights. So I'm yapping, I'm the clinch by Miss Yapping.
Speaker 2:But now I want to talk about Charles Oliveira versus Michael Chandler. This one went exactly how I thought it would, just precisely what I thought. Chandler is a great fighter. So is Charles. But when it comes to Chandler, let's be so for real, guys, I think he's too small for the lightweight division. Don't hate me, I know it sounds crazy, hear me out, but I do think he would do much better at featherweight or even bantamweight. That's just how I feel. I think bantamweight would be a sweet spot for him if he can even get that low. Um, I just think that would be a much better like pool of competition for him.
Speaker 2:He, he is scrappy, he is ferocious, but he doesn't, he just doesn't have that extra size advantage that a lot of the top like lightweights have and I'm including, like a reach and all of that in that like advantage talk and or advantage of verbiage, because he is just a small guy. You know he's powerful, he's smart, he's, he's quick, but he's just small in my opinion. And that's just. That's just my opinion. Like, like I said, I know a lot of people won't agree with that, don't hate me, but definitely let me know if you don't agree, because I'm down to talk about it for sure, to be enlightened and all that.
Speaker 2:But Charles, on the other hand, looked great. He looked fantastic. He is a classic for a reason, and that that fight was textbook Olivera in my opinion. I think he is just a nightmare for anyone in that division. And we'll just continue seeing how Charles does, how we see how he does what he do. I just he excites me every time I see him step in there. So I know next time won't be any different, and it wasn't any different this time around, so I'm excited.
Speaker 2:And also, again, chandler harping on Connor it was clear that he was waiting for Connor to call him back, like some lovesick teenager, which it just baffles me. It's just so bizarre to me that he continues pursuing that. I mean, of course, the money, yeah, but will that money ever come if Connor is out here doing what he's doing? Like I don't know? We'll see, we'll see what's next for both of them. I just hope Chandler doesn't hold his breath and I also just don't know who else in the lightweight division he would pair well with. So I'm not sure about his future. I guess we'll just have to see.
Speaker 2:And finally, let's talk about the main event of UFC 309. This is Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic, of course. Now, this one really caught me off guard. I was so wrong about this fight. I was so wrong. I honestly truly thought it would either go the distance, like I said, or Jon would submit Stipe. Go back and listen to my last episode. Hear how convinced I was that that's what was gonna happen. But nope, nope, that's not what happened.
Speaker 2:John was on a whole different level, if that's even possible. From the first few seconds you can see he had a specific game plan and he executed it perfectly, just flawlessly. And Stipe looked like he was just already thinking about retirement in there. So I honestly wasn't surprised that he called it quits. He just kind of looked like man, if I'm going to go out, at least it's by Jon Jones, the greatest of all time Like I'm okay going off going out on a loss if it's Jon Jones. I mean, come on, it's Jon Jones, you know. So I'm not surprised. He did what he had to do and you know that is what it is.
Speaker 2:But Jon Jones is just undeniable. I've said it before and I will say it again His fight IQ is next level. It is just, it's just dumb. It's so good. There's just no one else like him in this sport. And one of his past opponents I believe it was Anthony Smith said that he is one of the most coachable fighters in the UFC, and I couldn't agree more, after actually paying attention that night.
Speaker 2:For John to be able to listen to his corner and just instantly adjust takes an insane amount of skill. It's like he's got a separate brain working for him in the corner just giving him more angles to process in the middle of a fight. It's just nuts. But you guys know me, you know that I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that I'm a John Jones fan. I'm just not. If you know any of my past episodes, then you know. If you don't know now, you know that I just have issues with the guy. But one thing I'll never do is disrespect his talent. It's just undeniable. There's no denying that talent, that fight IQ, that skill. There's just something about him that makes me think that he's a genius when it comes to MMA.
Speaker 2:When it comes to MMA, he's a genius, a certified genius in MMA. That's it. Probably other. Probably other things too, definitely Okay. Let me not get into the drama, but there's just something that happens psychologically when you're in a fight and already using a certain percentage of your mind, of your brain, to then be able to divide another percentage just to use for outside instruction, like as cornermen. We, as humans, only have a certain percent of our brain that we use, as you know, and to divvy that up in situations like a fight, a actual fight, like not a street fight, but an actual professional fight is incredibly impressive, just astronomically impressive. He just has this genius ability to calculate multiple factors at once, and all at a second's reaction time. So that's just something that I love to see. Unfortunately, one of my favorite things to see is Fight IQ, and John has it. So that always puts me in a pickle, and I hate pickles, so that's even crazier, but it's just something I have to deal with as an MMA fan. So, though I will never love Jon Jones, I will forever admire his work and respect his legacy 100%, without a doubt, which you know me. It just says a lot because I'm a hater Like Connor. I hate him, I hate him. I'll forever run my mouth, you know, but Jon, I just I can't fix my mouth to insult his talent. Specifically, I'm being very careful with my words here, and I saw someone on twitter that just made me laugh so hard at this tweet and they said I can understand people hating john jones because he's satan, but to bet against him is crazy which I thought was just hilarious because she called him Satan. But also it is crazy to bet against Jon Jones. Like you gotta be desperate for cash if you bet against him. Like I don't know that. That's just not a smart, not a smart idea. I just have no choice but to agree with this Twitter user and you know. So.
Speaker 2:Now that the fight's done, it's time to talk about who's next for Jon. Jon obviously felt really good in there. You could tell that he was feeling himself very much throughout all the post-fight content and everything. He's definitely his number one fan, his own number one fan, and I knew that if he was satisfied with his performance, he wouldn't retire, because that's just how ego goes. You know have to show, have to prove. Not that he has to prove, but you. You know he just likes to look good and makes himself feel good. Sorry, that's my dog. Welcome kofun to the podcast. Please go play somewhere else.
Speaker 2:Um, but I a thousand percent think that he'll fight tom. I just know that's gonna happen and at this point it's just quite obvious that he's already begun. I just know that's gonna happen and at this point it's just quite obvious that he's already begun selling the fight. That's what he's doing here. He's not just being a jerk that he is, he, he's trying to sell the fight. He knows how much money he wants and he knows how to market a fight to get himself to that number.
Speaker 2:And I know this is like a trade secret, you know, but I'm not a UFC employee, so I feel like I can talk about this really. I mean, if it dims the magic flow, I'm very sorry, but all of us talk about wanting Alex or nothing, or that Tom hasn't earned his right to fight him. It is all just marketing. It just marketing, and it's great marketing at that. I think I'm honestly loving the whole will they or won't they narrative, just simply because I love an interesting buildup. I love to see fights be marketed. I like to see the trash, talk the drums, all of that when it doesn't get too crazy and it just makes me feel like you know, but this is fun stuff.
Speaker 2:I'm seeing some things, though, that do make me feel like Tom is a little hyper, fixated on just the surface level of the beef and isn't catching on that John's trying to sell the fight for them, like, and he needs to get with it. Understand, play along. So I hope he does get it soon, if he hasn't already, and he just has a weird approach to it, which I honestly think or hope that is the case, because otherwise he's on a path to John getting in his head, and we all know the minute that happens, tom is, he is toasty Tom, and it's just not going to be good for him. No bueno at all for Tom if John gets in his head, because that's where John wants to be, that's where John puts himself in all his fights. So it all just plays into that nearly palpable feeling we get when it's finally time to see both fighters in the cage facing off on opposite ends, just staring at each other and then hearing Bruce Buffer yell it's time, did you? Guys like that. I practice every Saturday. It's time.
Speaker 2:Did you guys like that? I practice every Saturday, but there is a lot that goes into creating that moment. That is a monumentous moment for every fight fan, every fighter, just everyone involved. That is what the Czechs are for. You know, the entertain me, entertain me, entertain me, the entertainment and all that goes into it. So that's what John knows how to do. He's done it for years and years already over a decade I believe so he's a master at it. And Tom needs to get with it, and by doing so, they're just going to be adding more zeros to their checks, you know, by planting all these seeds of mystery on the future matchup. So I look forward to it.
Speaker 2:I think it's time to look ahead to UFC Macau I hope that's how it's pronounced UFC Macau. The card is full of new faces and matchups and I'm just excited to dive into it. So let's go over a few of my predictions dive into it. So let's go over a few of my predictions. I think you guys really enjoyed me going over those predictions last time, so I hope you like it this time. I don't have time to go through all the matchups, but if you guys, like my predictions, want to see me do more lengthy segments on those I'm totally down. So just let me know and I would be happy to oblige.
Speaker 2:But first we've got Mahesh Hattay I know I am not pronouncing that right, but I forgot how it's pronounced and he's fighting Nicholas Mota. I'm Mota. I'm really excited to see that fight. I think that Mahishat Mahishate is a beast and I think this is going to be an explosive opening to the card. I'm not too familiar with Mota, but I am excited to learn. So we'll see about that one.
Speaker 2:And then next another one. Loner, it's me. No, I'm just kidding. I seriously don't know how to pronounce this. But I'm going to say Loner Cavanaugh I don't know how else you would pronounce that, but I guess I'll find out and he is fighting Jose Ochoa. I'm not familiar with either fighter, but I do have a soft spot for anyone that's been on Dana White's Contender Series. So I'm excited to see both these guys in action. I do believe Ochoa didn't get the chance to fight on the Contender Series. Correct me if I'm wrong. I believe his fight got canceled, but I think anyways, he's gonna have a solid shot at this debut. I would probably lean Jose Ochoa, just based on stats, so that's who I'm gonna go with for this one.
Speaker 2:And then we have oh, these names are whooping my tail, these names on this card are whooping my tail, but you know what Names deserve respect? I have siblings who are Pacific Islanders and they have long, beautiful names and I make sure people pronounce it right, you know. So I always love trying my best, because I know how much respect a name carries, so I will try my best. So for this one, we have Niamh Jargal versus Tumand Demborel, versus Carlos Hernandez. I think Tumand Demborel is super well-rounded, from what I've seen before, and I think he's going to give Hernandez a tough time on the feet. But if it does go to the ground, I think things could get a little crazy for Timon de Mural. Timon de Mural, and it's definitely gonna be interesting. I think that if I see things go to the ground, carlos has it. But if Niamh Durgall keeps things on the feet, then it might go his way. So I'm gonna lean Neom Jargal on this one, with the caveat that I think Carlos Hernandez will outclass him in grappling. So we'll see, we'll see, we'll see. Let me know if you did so great.
Speaker 2:So then I want to move on to Carlos Olberg. He's also on this card. And he'll be fighting Vulcan Ozdemir and I'm picking older here just because I think he's a little sharper, a little more dangerous, a little fresher. And Ozdemir has looked a little off lately in his fights in, in my opinion, just not his OG self. But, like I said, this is the sport of surprises. So who knows, you know, anything can happen. But I'm going to go Olberg on this one.
Speaker 2:And then we have Tabitha Ritchie, baby Shark versus Xiao Nanyang. I honestly I love, love richie's nickname. It always makes me google, you know. But on a serious note, I think yan has just impressed me a lot more so far in the ufc. I think her pace and precision will overwhelm richie, and I'm just gonna go for yan on this one. And if it does go to the ground it could easily go the other way, like with Olberg, or not with Olberg and Osamir, but with two men, two men, dan Burrell versus Carlos Hernandez. I think that, like that fight, if it goes to the ground it could go the other way, it could go where she's way, cause she's super quick on the ground. But I think Jan will keep the pace on her and we'll see a good little striking match.
Speaker 2:But honestly, now that I'm talking about it, I think maybe Richie see, this is why I don't bet because it's so hard for me to like pick which way some fights go, especially when you got like a classic striker or scrappler, cause the scales are just so easy to be unbalanced just by a split second's notice. So I'm just gonna go ahead and say Shianna Yon on this one. I think that she's just been better on the feet and where do fights always start? On the feet? So I'm going to go with that one. And also, my background very, very far in the past background is in Muay Thai. So I'm just a striker girl. Yeah, I love grappling, I love jujitsu, I love judo, I love. I don't love wrestling at all, but I, I'm a striker girl, I just I like the striking. So that's always, that's usually going to be where I lean, just so you guys know, if you don't know already, but I'm excited for that fight. We'll keep an eye on it, for sure.
Speaker 2:And then next we have Davison Figueiredo versus Peter Yan. I think Davison wins here either early or by very dominant decision. That's just me really sinking my teeth into this prediction. I really think that's how this is gonna go, mainly because his volume is gonna be a huge factor and I think that Jan is gonna have a really tough time keeping up with the pace that Figueiredo bringsana is still super quick, sharp, great fight IQ. He's very talented. But his skill of calculation will be his downfall in this fight, I believe, because I look at fighting kind of like a dance. I look at it as a rhythm, as back and forth, as a chess match, and I think that the more unorthodox or unpredictable a fighter's rhythm is, the harder it is for their opponent to adapt to that. I mean, I think a lot of people agree with that. I've heard that opinion many times. Um, so I think that with yan being so almost robotic in his not slow but just like, so calculated, like I said, in his style, I think that'll be his downfall. It's been something that's caused him to win plenty of fights, for sure. But I think, against davison, with davison having such a hard-to-figure pace, I think that he'll be able to create more surprises and really throw Jan off. So that's just what I think We'll see. Obviously, I think that should be a super action-packed fight. So I'm really excited. Yay, I'm super excited for next week's fights. I hope that you guys are too, especially after listening to this episode. But that is a wrap for this episode.
Speaker 2:Guys, I hope you enjoyed my breakdowns and predictions and I would honestly love to hear your thoughts, please. What do you think about the outcome of UFC 309? And then also, what do you think about the upcoming fights for Macau? Are my predictions totally off or maybe do you agree with me? I really need to know what you think, like I, I seriously I need it. If you know, you know, I need to know your, your opinion. So hit me up on Twitter. I am on there or X, sorry, as a Shaolin Shay. Or I am on Instagram as ShayName, with two Y's in Shay, and let's just keep the conversation going. I also just want to add, of course, let's keep it respectful. We're all fight family here. Let's not be weird Obviousness, you know. But, as always, thank you for tuning in to the Clinch Podcast no-transcript.
