5 active UFC fighters who are must-watch television

The UFC has raced ahead of other promotions because of the entertainment it promises to fans. Unlike the early days, the UFC is no longer just about the barnburners inside the octagon. A large part of the UFC's success also rests on the showmanship of its fighters.

Needless to say, bad blood catapults the success of a fight. It goes a long way in garnering huge pay-per-view buys for the promotion. The back and forth between fighters on social media and press conferences is instrumental in riling up fans before the main event.

Of all the fighters on the roster, here are five such active UFC fighters who are must-watch television.

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#5. Nate Diaz

The Stockton-native is one of the most popular faces in the UFC, despite not winning UFC Gold. Known for his unique persona, Nate Diaz has been a part of quite a few close fights in the UFC. The younger Diaz brother has been involved in some of the biggest PPV events of the promotion - like UFC 202 and UFC 196 against Conor McGregor. His never-give-up attitude is what sets him apart from the rest.

At UFC 263, for instance, he gave people their money's worth by keeping them on the edge of their seats. Coming into the fight after almost a two-year layoff, Diaz was dominated by Leon Edwards on the ground and had a tough time finding his rhythm on the feet.

Yet he almost pulled off an epic comeback when he rattled Edwards in the very last minute of the fight.

Speaking to ESPN MMA ahead of UFC 263, Diaz spoke at length about why he's still one of the most exciting names in the business. When asked why he enjoys such a huge fan following despite being away for close to two years, he said:

“Because nobody is doing anything with their sh*t in this whole career. Everyone is doing what they should be and doing what they’re told, and they’re acting like motherf*ckers who have jobs. This fight career is not a job. It’s not like going into it with the mentality that sh*t do what you want, fight everybody, and do-whatever-the-f*ck-you-want attitude. That’s all I’m thinking, I don’t know.”

His exploits aren't limited to the octagon. He's proved why he is one of the best trash talkers in the UFC with his jibes at others on social media. From UFC legend Daniel Cormier to Conor McGregor, everyone has been on the receiving end of Diaz's verbal jabs.

He recently took a dig at Daniel Cormier on Instagram after the UFC legend shared his top-five picks for the best MMA boxers of all time on his podcast DC&RC, which was shared by ESPN MMA on Instagram.

Diaz didn't seem happy with the entries on the list and commented:

"Watchu know about boxing dc. I'm s***ting on this list."

[Image source- @espnmma on Instagram]

#4. Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje's exploits in the UFC over the years have made him a must-watch for fans. A rare specimen of composure and aggression in one, Gaethje has emerged as a great ambassador for MMA. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov hailed him as one of the most powerful strikers he has faced in his career.

Known for his vicious striking abilities, Gaethje has ensured quite a few slugfests in the octagon - especially the ones against Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson.

Barring his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje has enjoyed a phenomenal run over the last three years - winning four out of his last five bouts.

His win against Michael Chandler at UFC 268 was his first fight that went to the judges' decision. It was declared the 'Fight of the Night', as both fighters refused to quit despite absorbing vicious blows from each other.

In the highly anticipated matchup against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, Gaethje landed 72% strikes on target before earning a TKO victory in the fifth round.

Despite losing to 'The Eagle' at UFC 254, Gaethje was able to outstrike the former UFC lightweight champion.

Reflecting on Gaethje's technique on his YouTube channel, former UFC veteran Chael Sonnen said:

“Everything he [Justin Gaethje] throws is designed to put you out. He does not come out with a real jab heavy game. He is looking for crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Those are finishing punches. Jabs, are to let you find out where the opponent is, it is a tool for measure.”

Even UFC commentator Joe Rogan threw light on the aggressive nature of Justin Gaethje's game on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, calling him a 'monster' and a 'terrifying individual'.

“Justin Gaethje’s a monster. He’s a monster. He’s a terrifying individual. He is, I mean, in a sport that’s violent, it’s an inherently violent sport, he stands out, as the most violent."

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#3. Israel Adesanya

Since bursting onto the MMA scene in 2018, Israel Adesanya has shot up the roster to become one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. His prolific run saw him become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 236 - just 14 months following his UFC debut.

'The Last Stylebender' ran through the entire middleweight division before suffering the first loss of his career at UFC 259 - when he chose to move up a weight class to compete for the light-heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz. Coming from a kickboxing background, Adesanya possesses the ability to tame his opponents using his effective striking and cerebral distance management.

Both Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa - two of his toughest opponents - failed to get past the second round and were knocked out by Adesanya's vicious counter-hooks - arguably two of the best finishes of his career.

Apart from his skills inside the octagon, he's also adept at promoting fights. The pre-fight press conference of UFC 253 saw the trash talk between Adesanya and Costa set the ball rolling for an epic showdown inside the octagon.

#2. Colby Covington

Colby Covington's success in the octagon has propelled him to the top of the UFC welterweight division. With victories against former champions including Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley, 'Chaos' has become a force to be reckoned with.

In addition to his superb run in the UFC, Covington is infamous for his heel persona. The constant badmouthing and mental warfare that he's known for has made him a crowd puller in every sense of the term. One may hate him or love him, but he can't be ignored.

Speaking to Damon Martin of MMA Weekly, 'Chaos' opened up about his entertaining persona, declaring himself the 'super villain' of the UFC.

“I’m good for business. I’m the super villain of this division. I’m the super villain of the whole entire UFC. They’re starting to realize my worth. I’m the most notable fighter right now. Everybody wants to watch me. Whether they want to see me lose or win, it’s all the same f—ing thing.”

The pre-fight press conference for UFC 268 was yet another instance of Colby living up to his reputation as the UFC's 'super villain'.

From the very beginning, Colby was his usual self, throwing shade at Usman's family to get him riled up. There was one instance when Covington took a dig at Usman's father, who's been serving a prison sentence since 2009.

Responding to Usman's comment regarding Colby's father not stopping his son from putting on his 'heel persona', 'Chaos' fired back saying:

“At least my father wasn’t in prison. Scamming everybody out of their hard-earned money. These people work their asses off, all these blue-collar Americans and you’re going to scam them out of millions of dollars?”

Watch the UFC 268 pre-fight press conference below:

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#1. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor is easily the biggest name, not just in the UFC, but in MMA. Despite his recent dip in form, he continues to enjoy a massive fan-following. Undoubtedly the pay-per-view king of the UFC, McGregor's persona and exciting fighting style has captured the entire world's attention unlike any MMA fighter before.

He made history in 2015 by knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the UFC featherweight championship. This was the first defeat of Aldo's then-spotless UFC career.

In 2016, the Irishman went a step further by becoming the promotion's first double champ after steamrolling Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

Since his UFC debut, McGregor has emerged as one of the best trash talkers in the business. He has always been adept at hyping up fans for his next event, which makes him Dana White's poster boy.