What chance does Stipe Miocic have of pulling off an upset at UFC 309 and ruining everyone else’s plans? Who made the strongest case for the 2024 Fighter of the Year title? Who has the best walkout in the game right now?

All this and more in this week’s edition of the mailbag. To ask your own question, contact me at @BenFowlkesMMA.

Huge. Massive. Which, I know, seems a bit counterintuitive, since (as we’ll be reminded repeatedly between now and November 16) Stipe Miocic was the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history, according to the numbers.

But to come back after three and a half years away, at age 42, and become the first person to beat arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time? It would be an incredible feat and a colossal upset. I don’t think that’s going to happen either.

No disrespect to Miocic, who will remain one of the greats no matter what happens in this fight. But that’s a long time to be out of action. The man was still in his thirties the last time he fought (and it didn’t go very well). Shaking off the rust and beating Jon, damn Jones after all this time, would be legendary. Or, if you prefer, myths. This is why I don’t see this happening in real life.

It’s tough, but I’ll give it to Ilia Topuria. He beat two of the best featherweight champions we’ve ever seen in one year. And he didn’t just beat them, he demolished them. He took out guys who usually aren’t. He also made it all pretty easy.

Alex Pereira’s case for Fighter of the Year is also pretty strong. He fought three times and won them all by knockout. Two of those wins came against former champions of the division, but to be fair, the UFC light heavyweight title has been thrown around a lot since Jones left for heavyweight.

Yet the quality of competitive advantage must go to Topuria. Pereira deserves a lot of appreciation for his willingness to step up and fight anyone just to save the card. Most of that appreciation should come from the UFC, hopefully in monetary form, since it’s the company’s product that it has enhanced with its fun side.

That alone should make you Employee (Independent Contractor) of the Year. I don’t think it’s enough to make you Fighter of the Year, at least not when Topuria is your competition.

1. If memory serves, didn’t Justin Gaethje basically say he didn’t want to do much with his custom shorts because he was a “no frills” type? So it’s his fault.

2. It didn’t impress anyone. Magomed Ankalaev not only had to win, but also establish himself as the next contender for the light heavyweight title. Instead, he won an unforgettable decision and then had to be gently accompanied by Daniel Cormier. He might get the title shot anyway, but it will only be because no one has any better ideas right now.

3. Okay. Let Sean Strickland fight another contender and give me Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev right now.

4. See how many swear words you can squeeze in. Let’s see exactly how “unfiltered” it is.

5. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Parker Porter. Just because.

I really think the PFL needs a name for Francis Ngannou to fight for. Putting him in there with another big guy that they have to educate people about is not going to interest people. This is doubly true if he ends up headlining another pay-per-view attempt. You want people to pay $50 to see a guy who lost to Waldo Cortes-Acosta on the undercard of a UFC Fight Night card? Get out of here.

I think in most cases there should be at least three. I would make exceptions for fighters who had to almost clean out the division just to get the title, and for former champions who regained the belt after losing it.

But someone like Topuria? Let’s say the UFC takes Diego Lopes’ advice and first holds an interim title fight with Alexander Volkanovski. Then suppose that Topuria beat the winner. What’s left for him to do at featherweight after this? You might as well go see what Islam Makhachev is doing.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen “Conan the Barbarian” again, but I seem to remember that his victories couldn’t be easily counted when he had Crom in his corner.

I don’t have the patience to sit here and list five different walkout songs, but by far the best walkout in the game currently belongs to “Poatan.” The drums. The slow walk towards the cage. The invisible bow and arrow aimed at his opponent. Anyone who sits there waiting in the cage through all of this and doesn’t run away in terror has my respect.

As for a grappling match, man, I haven’t wrestled in probably five years because of my completely destroyed neck. I don’t regret any of the years I spent on jiu-jitsu mats, but I think about the cost every time I have to turn my whole body in the seat to check my blind spots while driving.

Obviously, Mark Hunt is upset. I can’t say he doesn’t have legitimate grievances, but I don’t think he’ll get the resolution he wants in court. He seems to be one of the only fighters I’ve seen come out against a large cash settlement in the UFC antitrust case.

Overall, his social media presence seems to be devoted to expressing his anger on an almost daily basis. I think he honestly felt that anger, but it’s still hard to watch.