The Clinch Podcast

UFC 324: Who Wins And Why

• Cheylenne

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0:00 | 16:42

Starved of fight nights and ready to FACE some FIGHTS? Same! I'm diving straight into UFC 324 with a no-fluff tour through all the matchups, the traps to avoid, and the storylines shaping the stakes.


Who YOU got?

Heavyweight Opener: Hokett vs Freeman

Johnson vs Hernandez Odds And Intangibles

Perez vs Johnson And The “Decision” Nickname

Krylov vs Bukauskas Stylistic Mix

Gautier vs Pulaev And Coaching Edges

Umar vs Figueiredo Pressure And Flow

Silva vs Allen And UFC Matchmaking

Rose Namajunas Faith And Form

Lewis vs Acosta Knockout Threats

O’Malley vs Song Bias And Betting

Interim Belt Should Be Silver

Gaethje vs Pimblett Title Case

Experience, Endurance, And Championship Rounds

SPEAKER_00

What's up, guys? Welcome back to the Clinch Podcast. My name is Shay, and I am so excited to finally drop this episode. It is the highly anticipated. Let me stop. Let me stop. I have been highly anticipating this fight pick episode. I originally thought that it would just be a segment, but I just decided to just focus the whole episode on my fight picks for UFC 324. So we can just talk about and talk about who I think is going to win, why, and all that fun stuff. So I know you guys like to jump right into it. So we'll go ahead and start with Josh Hokett versus Denzel Freeman. That is a heavyweight fight. And I admit that I am not too familiar with either fighter, but just from what I've gathered, it looks like it may go the distance. It might be one of those heavyweight fights. Freeman does have that reach advantage, but the thing with any kind of advantage is that you have to be able to know how to use it in order for it to be effective. So I think that he's had some difficulty using that to his advantage in the past. And also Hoket seems to have a grappling advantage as well. So I think that it'll be slower pace to start the night. We'll likely go Hoket's way, but we'll see. Don't blame anything on me. Next, we have Michael Johnson versus Alexander Hernandez. And this is a lightweight bout. And I think that it is more even in reality than it looks like it is on paper. What I mean by that is just that on paper, Alex seems to have the advantage in striking and grappling. But we're talking about Michael Johnson here. You can't really count out a vet that's still performing like he's performing at this age in his game, stage in his game, whatever. So I think it's likely that the fight will go the distance as well. So we'll have an interesting start to the night. I hope that it'll be wars and they'll be exciting and explosive because we've been missing fights for so long, but we can't always predict how the pace will go. So we'll see. And I want to move on to Alex Perez versus Charles Johnson. This is a flightweight fight. And I just want to say, I think Alex Perez's nickname is weird to me. Like, why would you like why would you choose the nickname, the decision, as if you're like accepting your fate as like a decision fighter? That's just weird to me. I mean, to each his own, if he can win most decisions, excellent. But it just seems like a weird thing to be so proud of that you like morph your entire personality around it or your professional personality around it. Let me know what you think. Maybe I'm just being dramatic, but I just think that's really weird. I do think that Charles Johnson is gonna put on a better show, not just because I don't like Perez's nickname, you know, just actually from what I found in my research for the episode and everything, I really think that he has what it takes to be able to put Alex away. But I guess if it does go to decision, Alex has manifested his destiny as the decision winner. So we'll see. Um, next we have Nikita Krylov versus Modesta Spokaskas. Those are fun names to say. Correct me if I said them wrong. This will hopefully be a banger. It looks like a super well-rounded matchup. I think we'll see this fight going a lot of different places. I think we'll see some grappling, some striking, a little bit. I mean, we're always gonna see that, but I think that there's always specific flows to fights. With this fight, I think it'll be an even mix and a good show between the two as well. I don't think it should go the distance. I think when push comes to shove for me, I would go Krylov on this one. Based on what I've seen from his performances before, compared to Bugalskas, Bugalskas. So next we have Ateba Gautier versus Andrei Pulayev. Puliev, Pulaev. This is a middleweight fight. And for this one, I think Ateba has this in the bag for sure. He has such powerful striking and is evolving with every fight. And he does things like implementing the right coaches, like Frank Mir, if he wants to improve his wrestling and things like that, which I think is brilliant and shows a lot of dedication. So I really think that this fight will go his way. I think that he will be rewarded for such decisions like that. I'm not saying that the fight's gonna be lopsided by any means. I just think that Ateba's grit and dedication is going to be his edge in this fight. Now we're on to Umar Namagameda versus Divisen Figueroa. This is, of course, one of the most highly anticipated fights of the night. And I feel like I can never count Figgy out ever. I can't count him out. So I've made that mistake before. But with all that being said, I do think Umar is going to use his style to flow into Figueroa's style to get those takedowns. Figuredo is very fluid in his in his footwork and his style and everything that he does. And Umar is very good at working with the current as opposed to creating his own opportunities. I mean, he does, but it's just different when you're setting up a takedown as opposed to just kind of flowing into them. And if you, I mean, if if you've seen him fight before, I think you can kind of piece together what I'm trying to say. So if you haven't, I would encourage you to go watch his previous fights, especially his last fight. I mean, he was just like a dog after a bone. So I really think that it'll be a lot of pressure from Umar on Fig. We'll see. I really think that's gonna go Umar's way. And I also don't think it's gonna go the distance. I'm not gonna go into rounds and all that stuff. Maybe as time progresses and I do more of these, but as of right now, I'm not gonna get into like, oh, uh it's gonna be win by TKO three seconds into the third round. Like, no, I'm not doing that. So enjoy if you want to, but just use me as a starting point. And next we have Arnold Allen versus Jean Silva. This is a featherweight fight, and Silva is coming off of a loss against Diego Lopez, but I do think that he has it in the bag against Arnold Allen, and I think the UFC set it up that way. The reason I say that is because we've seen it before. I mean, if you're a seasoned fan, you know that this happens often where a fighter brings in a lot of money. They have that appeal and they're able to sell pay-per-view. I mean, I guess we're not really selling pay-per-views anymore, but some particular fighters are pulling in more than others. And so the UFC will kind of boost that and get these fighters back on track so they can continue doing that. So, I mean, it's a business. The company's gonna do that for their employees essentially, most of the time. I can't really hate on it, can I? So I think that it's gonna be a bit of a freebie for Sova, but I mean, of course, it's MMA. There's always a chance that the fight can go a completely different direction in a split second anytime. But I think if we want to set some concrete odds, of course, Sova has it in the bag. And now we have an Italia Sova versus Rosenama Yunus. For this one, you guys, do whatever you think is best. I personally am never going to bet against Rosenama Yunus ever in my entire life. Like my loyalty runs that deep. I have been a fan of her since Invicta days when I saw her do that crazy armbar where she like flipped herself upside down. And ever since then, just hearing her life story and seeing everything that she's gone through professionally and hearing everything that she's gone through personally have just been incredible testimonies. Just a real, like a real fighter's journey. And I admire her so incredibly much. I did get to see her fight live when the UFC came to Jacksonville, and that was one of the most fulfilling moments in my entire existence of life ever. No, that's super dramatic. But seriously, I'm such a huge fan. She is my favorite fighter, so I'm just not gonna bet against her ever. And it's not like I think she's gonna lose, and I'm like saying I'm okay losing the money. I'm not saying that at all. I think that Rose Noma Unis can never be counted out. I think that she is incredibly brilliant when it comes to her game plans, her fight IQ, everything. She is just a genius. She's a marvel to watch. She's so creative with her finishes and she's so precise. She really is like a laser. I love, love, love watching her perform. She is incredible. And I just think that she has it in the bag. I know that on paper, Natalia Silva is a beast and the odds are in her favor. But I just am not quite convinced that this is someone who can beat Rose Nama Eunice. I think that it would be close. I think it's gonna be a tough competition, but I think that Rose genuinely has this in the bag. I've seen her camp, I've seen her training videos, and I just think that she is improving more and more. She had a time period where she, you know, lost some focus and was going through stuff like we all do, but now she seems so much more healthy and committed and excited to do this. So I'm so happy. And then next we have Waldo Cortez Acosta versus Derek Lewis, and this is a, of course, heavyweight fight. It's always fun for me to watch Derek Lewis fight because he's just so funny. Like he always has a bit at the end of his wins, and he's usually such a good sport. He's just super entertaining to me. And even beyond just his entertainment factor, I still think that he's currently improving and evolving into a better fighter each and every time. I think it'll be a rough challenge for Waldo. I definitely think it's gonna be a war. Someone's getting knocked out, and I'm not quite convinced that it's gonna be Derek. So we'll see. We'll see, we'll see, we'll see, we'll see. And Sean O'Malley versus Song Yedong, our new co-main event. Super sad that that happened, but excited too because O'Malley is another really fun fighter to watch. However, I was so, so, so put off by the whole mask thing. I thought that was so lame. For anyone to think that's still funny has to be living under like a rock or something because it's just lame. Like, get new jokes, try to be funnier. I don't know. It was just stupid to me. I wasn't a fan. I thought it was lame. Also, at the same time, on paper, it's looking like Sean O'Malley may still have the edge. I really want him to lose, so it's really difficult for me to accurately predict the outcome because I want Sonnya Dong to win. I think he's super talented. I think that he has what it takes. I think it may go the distance. I just hope Sean doesn't knock him out. Probably will happen. So I like if you're betting, maybe bet Sean. I'm gonna sit this one out because I'm not gonna put my money on someone who has lame jokes. So if you want to do that, be my guest. I'm not. Have fun. And then lastly, we have our main event and interim lightweight title fight. So before I get into the fight, I want to mention something that I saw on social media this week that I thought was a really interesting question. And it was should the interim belts be silver? And I really think that they should. I hadn't really thought about it before or you know, given it any thought at all. But duh, absolutely it should be silver. It should not be gold. It's not the real belt, it's a placeholder, it's a it's just not, it's silver, okay? I think that these athletes train for so long and they dedicate themselves for too long to see someone else get a belt that they didn't quite turn. I don't mean that in a derogatory way towards Justin or Patty at all. It's not their decision, it's not their fault at all. I just think that the UFC could do better and staying on top of these kinds of things. And I hope that they decide to do it because it's a great idea. And I'm pretty sure it came from the ESPN, UFC ESPN website or something, or maybe not because it's on Paramount now. Anyways, I saw it somewhere. So let me know what you guys think. Maybe you disagree, tell me why. I don't care. But back to the fight, I want Justin to win so, so, so bad. I'm just a bit nervous because Patty is super talented, he's quick, and he does have a decent fight IQ, and he is likable sometimes, you know. So I'm a bit conflicted, but but call me crazy. After much contemplation, I think that I am going to actually go with Justin Gagey. I know that I had said Patty Pimblett prior to some people, but you know, I really think that Justin has it. He he just has the know-how, the purpose, the wit, all that to get it done. And by purpose, I mean like he's been chasing this for a long time. And I think that it would be amazing for him to get this opportunity. And aside from it being amazing, he knows how serious it is for him, and it's gonna be his last run. So I really hope that he gets it. Like that would be an amazing story. I hope that Patty doesn't ruin it and be like lame. Like, Patty has so many years left in the game, he doesn't need this right now, he can fight for it later. That's just my opinion. That's just my opinion. I think that Justin can stand toe-to-toe with Patty and he will have the edge in fight IQ. He has that's my dog shaking. Say hi to cophone. I think that he just he has that edge and experience and all that. So I think he'll be able to do perfectly fine on the feet with Patty, and he's just not gonna fold like so many of Patty's past opponents have. He's just not going to crumble on a shot or get sucked up into a submission as easily. So it's really going to take some chipping and work to get Justin down, and that's going to test Patty's endurance. So we'll actually see how well he can endure a title fight and championship rounds if it gets that far. So I'm super excited to finally be back watching fights. It has been so, so, so long. It's been insanely long. So we're finally back to it. We've got back-to-back fight weekends, which is perfect since we've been in a drought. And I want to know what you guys think. I want to know if you disagree or agree with any of my picks. And I'm curious to see why. Because part of the reason I've been so excited to record this episode is because I love the conversation around fight picks. It's like the feast table of fight fans. Like everyone just kind of sits around the metaphorical table and eats and drinks and talks fights and who's gonna win, and this is why, and you're wrong, and I'm right, and but in good spirit, you know. But yeah, let me know who you guys think. I cannot wait to hear your picks. Let me know what you thought of mine. I cannot wait to do this again and again and again. You guys are the best, and I will catch you next week.

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Chey

Host