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The UFC is the premier promotion of one of the world's fastest-growing sports: MMA. As with every sport, trash talking is prevalent. At times, MMA trash talk is a tame product of the competitive fire between two fighters scheduled to compete in a bout that will decide the future of their careers.
In other moments, trash talk is more brutal and personal. Rivalries are common in all sports, but they're more present in combat sports as the athletes involved are determined to inflict physical harm on each other to emerge victorious. Years ago, the sport's primary trash talker was Chael Sonnen, who used his wit and verbal skills to build interest in his bouts and earn title fights.
Today, however, there is no trash talker with greater renown than Conor McGregor. The Irishman's trash-talking playbook proved so successful that a multitude of UFC fighters copied his style in the hope of achieving similar success. The latest generation of fighters has led to a surge in different breeds of trash talkers. This list examines five current UFC fighters responsible for a new wave of trash-talking.
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#5. Israel Adesanya
Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is arguably the sport's greatest striker. The sheer threat of his counter-striking proficiency has rendered his most recent opponents timid to engage due to the fear of ending up on his highlight reel, as Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa both have.
As brilliant as Adesanya is in the octagon, he carries a bit less finesse on the mic. 'The Last Stylebender' is a dedicated trash-talker.
His brand of trash-talking often evokes memories of Henry Cejudo's 'King of Cringe' gimmick due to the awkward phrases that 'Izzy' employs. While Cejudo intentionally renders his trash-talking awkward, Adesanya seems to genuinely believe that comments like the 'Frozen' references he made in both the pre-fight UFC 276 press conference and the post-fight interview afterward were clever.
His brand of unintentionally cringe-inducing trash talk might bust open doors for other fighters to unapologetically express themselves when trash-talking, as opposed to using pre-prepared lines as many often do. Perhaps Adesanya's most unapologetic moment, however, was his Twin Towers reference prior to facing Yoel Romero at UFC 248.
#4. Kevin Holland
Kevin Holland endeared himself to UFC fans due to his ability to fight in multiple divisions while maintaining a fairly exciting, kickboxing-heavy style. 'Trailblazer' is a speedy and powerful puncher, but his rise to fame has been defined more by his trash-talking in the octagon. While he is better-known by 'Trailblazer', Holland's antics in the cage have led to the emergence of a second nickname: 'Big Mouth'.
This is due to the rising welterweight's incessant trash-talking when battling his foes. Perhaps the most well-known example of his antics came in his shocking TKO win over Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza.
With Souza hovering over him, Holland tried holding the Brazilian at bay with his guard. A brief verbal exchange ensued, and not long after Souza playfully praised Holland's defensive grappling, 'Trailblazer' swung from the bottom, stunning his foe before quickly working his way to his feet to land follow-up punches for the spectacular KO victory.
#3. Sean O'Malley
Rising bantamweight star Sean O'Malley is a tricky striker with a flashy, inimitable style. Inside the cage, he is a devastating finisher, combining his various feints and stance-switches to draw his foes into fight-ending strikes.
Outside the cage, he's a curious personality with one of the most unique hairstyles on the entire UFC roster. In fact, his hairstyle has even been used as a means of mocking his opponents. Prior to facing Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC 252, 'Sugar' dyed his hair in the colors of the Ecuadorian flag to taunt his foe, who is an Ecuadorian.
Beyond his creatively colored hair, O'Malley also famously trash-talks potential opponents in videos he uploads to his social media accounts. While other fighters typically use press conferences, interviews, and tweets to take aim at their rivals, 'Sugar' uses every avenue he can to taunt potential foes.
The standup specialist repeatedly turns unfavorable situations into trash-talking opportunities, like when he intentionally celebrated the no-contest verdict of his matchup with Pedro Munhoz as if it were a victory. O'Malley also got some jabs in after the fight by claiming that the Brazilian was looking for a way out of the bout.
#2. Colby Covington
Prior to his bout with Demian Maia, Colby Covington was a relative unknown in the world of MMA. At the time, 'Chaos' was on a four-fight win streak, yet he eluded the notice of fans (with the exception of hardcore spectators).
Even the UFC seemed disinterested in Covington, as the former interim welterweight champion claims he was on the verge of being cut from the promotion due to the lack of fanfare and excitement he generated. With no other choice, 'Chaos' poured his energy into developing a controversial persona.
After dominating Maia, Covington cut a now-infamous promo where he attacked the entire country of Brazil for their aggressive treatment of him. Moving forward, the former interim champion embarked on a crusade against the entire UFC roster, aiming his trash talk at fighters in multiple divisions.
From personal attacks to ridiculing the MMA records of potential foes, Covington has become synonymous with trash talk in the sport. He's known for developing nicknames for fighters to make fun of certain characteristics they possess, like his decision to address Leon Edwards as Leon Scott to highlight how forgettable he believes the fighter is.
#1. Sean Strickland
No one trash talks quite like Sean Strickland. If Colby Covington courts controversy, then Strickland is married to it. As a mixed martial artist, the former welterweight and his fighting style aren't particularly exciting. He is, however, efficient.
Strickland fights tall, peppering his foes with an active jab while maintaining constant pressure. Defensively, he uses an air-tight guard and parries his opponent's linear punches as they desperately try to stop his advance with jabs and straights.
With a microphone, however, Strickland is an entirely different beast. His brand of trash talk is designed for pure shock value as the current middleweight contender often expresses his unfiltered thoughts with the intention of creating controversy.
For example, he deliberately used homophobic language to verbally attack Israel Adesanya at the UFC 276 pre-fight press conference in one of the many moments Strickland has used to generate interest. Whether he's unveiling his allegedly homicidal thoughts or questioning the manhood of an entire nation, the UFC had yet to see 'Tarzan's breed of trash talk.
