3 times developing a heel persona worked for UFC fighters and 2 times it didn't

In modern-day MMA, UFC fighters have adopted pro-wrestling terms like heel. Once upon a time, the UFC was eager to make a distinction between not just itself and WWE, but MMA and professional wrestling in general. Both occupy different spaces.

MMA revolves around legitimate competition between two unarmed combatants. Professional wrestling is focused on showmanship, storytelling, and predetermined outcomes. Yet no one can deny the influence of professional wrestling in the world of MMA.

Today, fighters cut promos to garner attention or drum up interest in upcoming bouts. Professional wrestling terms like heel and face have also become commonplace in MMA. Certain fighters have adopted heel (villainous) personas to draw as much attention to themselves as they can.

Such fighters believe that if enough people hate them, those people will buy tickets for their fights with the hope of seeing them lose. They will thereby earn more money due to the increased viewership. While adopting a heel persona often works, sometimes it falls flat. This list goes over the three times that a heel persona worked for UFC fighters and the two times it didn't.

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#5. Worked: Henry Cejudo's heel turn

When Henry Cejudo signed with the UFC roster, his identity was merely that of a prospect with an exceptional freestyle wrestling background. He wasn't nearly as outspoken as he became, and only carried a quiet confidence in his skills as a fighter.

However, after capturing the UFC flyweight title from Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson, Cejudo underwent a change. He became more outspoken after crossing paths with Chael Sonnen, crediting the latter with convincing him to adopt a gimmick.

Thus, the Olympic gold medalist became what the internet eventually crowned 'The King of Cringe.' He introduced his new heel persona when he was scheduled to face T.J. Dillashaw. It was during the latter's failed attempt to become a two-divisional champion by claiming Cejudo's flyweight championship.

The Olympic gold medalist engaged in countless heel antics, like bringing a stuffed snake to his media face-off with Dillashaw. He also poked fun at the negative reputation his foe garnered for how he left Team Alpha Male. Many called him a snake for the supposedly treacherous behavior.

Cejudo defeated Dillashaw and captured the vacant bantamweight title against Marlon Moraes due to Dillashaw's drug test failure. He then paired his 'King of Cringe' persona with his 'Triple C' persona. He described himself as the UFC's only three-division champion for being a flyweight, bantamweight, and Olympic champion.

Cejudo began to discredit the skills of every other fighter in either division he ruled. When he faced Dominick Cruz, he brought two pillows for their staredown. One pillow had T.J. Dillashaw's face, while the other had Cruz's. Cejudo kicked both pillows and went on to defeat Cruz before retiring from the sport.

The gimmick never made him a major star. However, it did draw more fan interest. Cejudo continued to use the gimmick to stay relevant in the UFC and was even invited to Mike Tyson's podcast at one point.

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#4. Didn't: Tony Kelley's heel turn

Current UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley is a controversial character. Kelley was a fighter of no renown. That was until he lost to Adrian Yanez at the UFC on ESPN card headlined by Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett.

Kelley was an 8-2 bantamweight fresh off a TKO win over the power-punching Randy Costa, a mutual opponent of his next foe, Adrian Yanez. When Kelley cornered girlfriend and UFC flyweight Andrea Lee on a previous ESPN card, the Louisiana native made headlines for his comments between rounds.

When referring to Lee's Brazilian foe Viviane Araújo, he described Brazilians in general in less-than-flattering terms. He suggested that Brazilians have a natural compulsion to cheat. He called them "dirty" in what was certainly a moment he didn't expect the cameraman to catch.

In the aftermath of the bout, the Team Alpha Male fighter was widely chastised for his comments. When asked to address them, he was largely unapologetic, insisting there were no racial connotations. He said people were eager to be victims. He was only sorry that people got their feelings hurt, not that he had said something offensive.

He further claimed he was merely a victim of cancel culture. He said he hates everyone equally, having nothing against Brazilians.

Kelley tried to capitalize on the newfound attention he garnered. He flipped off the Texan crowd during his walkout for his bout with Adrian Yanez. A chorus of boos greeted him. He even attempted to trash talk his foe during their fight. Kelley, however, was on the receiving end of a brutal TKO. That stopped his heel train before it could ever truly take off.

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#3. Did: Colby Covington's heel turn

Before his lifechanging bout with Demian Maia in Brazil, Colby Covington was a surging welterweight contender. He was 12-1 in his MMA career. Despite the win streak he'd managed, he was on the verge of being cut from the UFC. In his words, the promotion saw a lack of fan interest in both his fighting style and character.

There was little that Covington — a lifelong wrestler — could or was willing to do to render his fighting style more exciting. He chose to adopt a heel persona to make himself as controversial as possible.

Covington is now known as 'Chaos' due, in part, to the chaotic striking he uses to overwhelm his foes with volume and create openings for his takedowns. The former interim UFC welterweight champion cut an infamous promo after defeating hometown hero Demian Maia in São Paulo, Brazil.

Covington received boos, antagonistic chants, and what he described as disrespectful treatment. He laid into the Brazilian crowd in his post-fight interview, describing the entire country as a dump before calling them filthy animals. It was the birth of his chaotic heel persona. The controversy he generated granted him a deep level of notoriety matched by almost no other UFC fighter.

Covington has since gone on the offensive against everyone. He verbally tears down opponents, potential foes, media personalities, celebrities, and even fighters with whom he'll never fight.

While he never managed to become the undisputed UFC welterweight champion, 'Chaos' did become a relatively big draw. His rematch with Kamaru Usman at UFC 268 drew 700,000 PPV buys. It was on the same night Canelo Alvarez fought Caleb Plant in an event that drew 800,000 PPV buys.

Covington's most recent UFC fight with former friend Jorge Masvidal led to UFC 272 having the highest gate of any UFC event this year.

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#2. Didn't: Frank Mir's heel turn

Frank Mir is a legend in heavyweight MMA. Whenever there are conversations about the best grapplers above 205 lbs, he's often held in high regard alongside Fabricio Werdum and Antonio 'Minotauro' Nogueira. Not only is he a legend, but he is a former UFC heavyweight champion.

Mir was scheduled to welcome Brock Lesnar to the UFC at UFC 81. He introduced the heavyweight division to a level of trash talk never seen before.

First, the Ricardo Pires Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt subjected Lesnar to a stream of ridicule. He focused on his foe's relative MMA inexperience and past as a professional wrestler. Lesnar fought Mir to the best of his abilities, securing takedowns and vicious ground and pound.

However, after being docked a point for striking Mir on the back of the head, he was caught by a kneebar. The then former WWE Superstar was forced to tap out. After Lesnar rebounded from the loss to set up a hotly anticipated rematch at UFC 100, the two locked horns. This time, Mir lost after yet again subjecting his foe to an avalanche of trash talk.

Even after the loss, the Syndicate MMA fighter continued his verbal onslaught. He went so far as to claim he hoped to break Lesnar's neck. He hoped the latter would become the first fighter to die due to injuries suffered in the octagon.

The heel persona was ultimately unsuccessful. It didn't transform Mir into a bigger star or cause fans to tune into his fights more than they already were. Furthermore, he never recaptured the undisputed heavyweight championship that he once held prior to his heel turn.

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#1. Did: Chael Sonnen's heel turn

Chael Sonnen was, in many ways, a precursor to Colby Covington. Like Covington, Sonnen was an NCAA Division I wrestler whose low finishing rate did not endear his fighting style to fight fans across the world. Similarly, both began their heel turns with vicious promos targeting the nation of Brazil.

The former middleweight and light heavyweight first challenged Anderson Silva for his UFC middleweight championship at UFC 117. During the leadup to the bout, Sonnen subjected his foe to a heated onslaught. He even swore he'd retire Silva who, by then, had ruled the middleweight division for four years.

While Sonnen ultimately lost, the event drew 600,000 PPV buys, and the American became a reliable PPV draw for the UFC. The next event he headlined was UFC 148, which featured his rematch with his Brazilian nemesis.

Again, Sonnen defined the leadup with vicious trash talk. He joked that he'd slap his foe's wife on her rear and have her cook him a medium rare steak. The title challenger took his heel work to such an extent that he attended press events wearing a t-shirt commemorating that particular line. Unfortunately for the American, he failed to capture the middleweight championship from Silva.

His heel work still yielded success as UFC 148 drew 925,000 PPV buys. His popularity as a heel paid off. Right after his defeat to his Brazilian rival, Sonnen's trash talk earned him a title shot. It was in a weight division above against Jon Jones at UFC 159, drawing 530,000 PPV buys.

Prior to his heel persona, no one paid any attention to Sonnen. Afterward? He remains a household name in MMA despite his retirement.