This week on the SPR Sports News Podcast, Sean Ryan breaks down a surprisingly loaded fight card headlined by Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez. What looks like a “slow sports week” on the surface actually turns into a deep dive into stylistic matchups, betting angles, divisional implications, and the controversy surrounding Strickland’s ongoing war of words ahead of the main event.

Sean walks through key prelim fights, including Julianna Miller vs. Carly Judice, Jordan Leavitt vs. Yadier DelValle, and Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Daniel Soriano, highlighting prospects, short-notice replacements, and which underdogs are worth a real look. On the main card, he breaks down Michel Pereira’s cardio questions against Zachary Reese, Geoff Neal’s pressure-heavy boxing vs. Uros Medic, and whether Dan Ige can once again derail a rising contender.

The main event discussion goes deeper than X’s and O’s. Sean addresses the public backlash over Strickland’s comments, the role of Paramount in censorship debates, and why combat sports operate under a different code than mainstream leagues. He explains why Anthony Hernandez’s grappling could be the most legitimate threat Strickland has faced at middleweight in years—and why this might be the fight where talk finally catches up to consequences.

Outside the Octagon, the show touches on major storylines from the Winter Olympics, including the shocking collapse of the “Quad God” in the finals and injury updates on Lindsey Vonn. In baseball, spring training begins, the World Baseball Classic approaches, and Sean reacts to bold comments from Bryce Harper about hitting in front of Aaron Judge. He also weighs in on fighting in MLB, intentional plunking, and how analytics have changed the game’s edge.

To close it out, Sean gives an unfiltered take on the current state of the NBA—from declining ratings to foul culture, tanking, and why regular season basketball doesn’t hit like it used to. He explains why a Nuggets vs. OKC Finals feels inevitable and why the Eastern Conference might not be ready.

No fake hype. Just breakdowns, context, and straight opinions.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• Can Anthony Hernandez’s grappling finally expose Sean Strickland’s middleweight defense?
• Is Sean Strickland’s controversy actually bad for the UFC—or part of the fight business?
• Who are the best betting underdogs on this UFC Fight Night card?
• Does Geoff Neal’s strength of schedule give him the edge over Uros Medic?
• Why is Michel Pereira dangerous early but vulnerable late?
• What happened to the “Quad God” at the Winter Olympics finals?
• Is Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic career officially over after her latest surgeries?
• Could Bryce Harper have a career-defining World Baseball Classic batting in front of Aaron Judge?
• Should MLB bring back fighting to stop intentional hit-by-pitches?
• Why are NBA ratings declining despite massive revenue growth?
• Is tanking and foul culture hurting the NBA regular season?
• Are the Denver Nuggets or OKC the real favorites to win the NBA title?
• Why might Anthony Hernandez be the best stylistic matchup for Khamzat Chimaev at 185?

Typically, episodes come out on Tuesday but with moving, I have been slow to produce and upload the episodes. In March, we should return to our normal Tuesday schedule.

Episode 9: From Bust to Champion – The Most Unlikely Story

In Episode 9 of SPR Sports News, Sean Ryan breaks down one of the most fascinating championship arcs in recent memory—how the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and how Sam Darnold completed the ultimate redemption story.

For three quarters, this game was a defensive war. Seattle built a 12–0 lead off field goals, suffocating pressure, and a simple but brutal defensive plan: blitz the rookies and force mistakes. Drake Maye was sacked six times and turned the ball over three times, including a strip sack and a pick-six that broke the game open. The final stat line may look respectable, but Sean explains why context matters—and why “garbage time” production doesn’t tell the real story.

On the other side, Kenneth Walker III delivered a Super Bowl MVP performance with 135 rushing yards, controlling tempo and closing the door. Sean also revisits the MVP debate involving Matthew Stafford and why strength of schedule must matter in these conversations.

The episode then shifts to UFC storylines, including injury updates on Tom Aspinall, interim title possibilities around Jon Jones, and a breakout performance from Mario Bautista. Sean debates what’s next at bantamweight and why merit should outweigh name value.

From there, it’s a quick but electric dive into the Winter Olympics—highlighting dominant figure skating performances and heartbreaking injuries—before closing with MLB momentum, including arbitration drama surrounding Tarik Skubal and major pitching moves involving Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez.

As always, Sean calls out hypocrisy, separates narrative from reality, and looks ahead to what next season could bring across the NFL, UFC, and MLB.

Questions Answered in This Episode

• How did the Seattle Seahawks shut down the Patriots in the Super Bowl?
• Did Drake Maye struggle because of injuries or defensive pressure?
• Is Sam Darnold’s redemption one of the best QB turnarounds ever?
• Should strength of schedule factor into the NFL MVP debate?
• Who should fight for the UFC bantamweight interim title?
• What’s next for Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones?
• Was Mario Bautista’s performance elite-level championship material?
• Which MLB team has the best pitching rotation heading into the season?
• Did the Tigers make the right call with Tarik Skubal’s arbitration?

Timestamps

0:00 – 30:29 | NFL Super Bowl Breakdown Seattle vs. New England analysis, Kenneth Walker MVP case, Drake Maye evaluation, Sam Darnold redemption arc, MVP debate, NFC vs AFC outlook, young QB class discussion, and early 2025 Super Bowl predictions.

30:29 – 40:37 | UFC Discussion Tom Aspinall eye surgery update, Jon Jones title uncertainty, interim belt scenarios, Mario Bautista’s statement win, bantamweight rankings debate.

40:37 – 44:04 | Winter Olympics Highlights Dominant figure skating performances, incredible endurance feats, and major injury storylines.

44:04 – 48:00 | MLB News & Outlook Tarik Skubal arbitration, Tigers pitching upgrades with Verlander and Valdez, early division outlook.

48:00 – 48:27 | Closing Thoughts Season recap, what’s next for SPR Sports News, and preview of next week’s MLB division predictions.

New episodes drop every Tuesday.

(I was late on this one. I am in the middle of moving. It's taking a while to pack and unpack everything. I am as slow as Lindsey Vonn right now.)

This is "Season 9. Episode 1"

Some of these episodes get split up, so I separate them by seasons.

This is SPR Sports News!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW, LIKE, LOVE, COMMENT, SHARE, REPOST, STORY, TAG....

The Super Bowl is finally here, and for once it’s not the matchup anyone had penciled in back in August. I break down Seahawks vs Patriots without forcing a narrative — who actually has the pressure, why Sam Darnold’s run is real whether people like it or not, and what Drake Maye has to do if New England wants a shot. I talk spread vs reality, why special teams still decide championships, and why this game could either be a classic or fall apart fast.

From there, I get into UFC 325, starting with the prelims and working all the way through Alexander Volkanovski reminding everyone that experience still matters. Volk doesn’t have the knockout power anymore, but his footwork, speed, and fight IQ are still elite. Benoit Saint-Denis makes adjustments mid-fight, Dan Hooker takes another brutal loss, and I get into the uncomfortable conversation about when wars start doing more harm than good.

I also break down Roofie vs Fiziev, Tai Tuivasa’s conditioning issues, questionable judging in Australia, and what the heavyweight division actually looks like right now. Then I close with matchmaking ideas, a full UFC Fight Night preview, and why Shavkat Rahmonov being removed from the rankings while Colby Covington stays is complete nonsense.

No manufactured drama — just what actually happened, what matters, and what’s next.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro & what’s covered (Super Bowl + UFC 325)

01:15 Super Bowl overview & why viewership may dip

03:30 Sam Darnold’s career turnaround

06:30 Seahawks season context & why this run is real

09:30 Patriots defense & Drake Maye’s postseason play

12:30 Special teams, turnovers & how teams actually win Super Bowls

15:40 Pressure comparison: Seahawks vs Patriots

18:30 Spread talk, matchup reality & game prediction

22:00 Best Super Bowl storylines & what you want to see

24:20 Transition to UFC 32525:10 Early prelims thoughts & judging issues

28:00 Tai Tuivasa vs Teixeira & heavyweight rant

31:20 Roofie vs Fiziev breakdown34:20 Benoit Saint-Denis vs Dan Hooker & retirement talk

38:20 Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes – old Volk still winning

41:30 Post-fight matchmaking & quick UFC Fight Night picks

44:30 Shavkat Rahmonov / Colby Covington rankings rant

45:40 Wrap-up & sign-off

Questions Answered

• Can Sam Darnold really win a Super Bowl?
• Which team has more pressure: Seahawks or Patriots?
• Why are special teams still deciding NFL championships?
• Did Alexander Volkanovski prove he’s still elite?
• Should Dan Hooker retire after UFC 325?
• What went wrong for Rafael Fiziev?
• Is the UFC heavyweight division broken?
• Who should Benoit Saint-Denis fight next?
• Why was Shavkat Rahmonov removed from the rankings?
• Does Colby Covington still belong in the UFC top 15?